Energy, Utilities & Environment

Melbourne – October 29, 2026 -- HiTHIUM showed a 6.9MWh, 8-hour-native battery energy storage system (BESS) at All Energy Australia on October 28, claiming that a purpose-built 8-hour system undercuts two 4-hour systems by about 23% on cost.

CSIRO analysis puts the 8-hour cost advantage at 23%

HiTHIUM cited CSIRO GenCost analysis showing that two 4-hour systems delivering the same 8-hour output would cost about 23% more than a purpose-built 8-hour system. The company also pointed to Australian market data: 4-hour-plus high-price events accounted for over 70% of scarcity revenue in 2025, shifting storage value toward firm supply duration.

Policy demand is building. The federal Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) supports dispatchable clean energy projects, while New South Wales continues to advance dedicated long-duration energy storage (LDES) tenders for projects of eight hours or longer.

KITCHENER – October 29, 2026 -- Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), has sold two standalone battery energy storage projects in France with combined capacity of 200 MW / 800 MWh to BW ESS, a global energy storage owner-operator. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Two 100 MW / 400 MWh projects anchor BW ESS's first French position

The portfolio comprises Baixas in the Pyrénées-Orientales department and Coquainvilliers in Calvados, each rated at 100 MW / 400 MWh. Both have transmission-level grid connections and were developed around very limited expected network constraints.

The deal is the first transaction between the two companies and marks BW ESS's entry into the French energy market.

MONTREAL – October 29, 2026 -- Natural Resources Canada has approved C$1,215,185 for PMET Resources Inc. to upgrade the access road serving its Shaakichiuwaanaan lithium project in Quebec's Eeyou Istchee James Bay region.

NRCan funding targets 20 kilometers of road to the Trans-Taiga corridor

The money comes from NRCan's First and Last Mile Fund (FLMF). The application was approved under the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund, which has been integrated into the FLMF. The contribution goes to Innova Lithium, a wholly owned PMET subsidiary.

The project will upgrade about 20 kilometers of PMET's 100%-owned road linking the Trans-Taiga Road to the property. The upgrade is meant to improve the road's reliability and capacity for increased mining activity. The property is already accessible year-round by all-season road and sits near regional hydroelectric power infrastructure.

Dallas – October 29, 2026 -- Brent crude spot prices reached $123.10 per barrel on October 27, with WTI at $103.37, as third-quarter results from PetroChina, Eni, Equinor and Phillips 66 showed sharply higher profits in a supply-constrained market, according to EIA daily data.

Brent averaged $114 in September as global inventories sat 509 million barrels below pre-war levels

The EIA said Brent averaged $114 per barrel in September, $23 above August. The IEA said cumulative global observed inventories ended September 509 million barrels below pre-war levels. In its October Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA estimated that global oil inventories fell by an average of 1.9 million barrels per day in the third quarter. It forecasts Brent will decline to an average of $87 per barrel by the second quarter of 2027.

GREENSBURG, Pa. – October 29, 2026 -- FirstEnergy subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo) has been selected for an estimated $20.8 million federally funded grid modernization project led by EPRI, aimed at squeezing more capacity out of existing transmission lines in western Pennsylvania.

KATCo was picked through the U.S. Department of Energy's Speed to Power through Accelerated Reconductoring and other Key Advanced Transmission Technology Upgrades (SPARK) program. The Advanced Transmission Technologies for Reliable and Efficient Energy Supply (ATREES) project will evaluate technologies intended to improve reliability and increase transmission capacity as electricity demand grows in Pennsylvania and nationally.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- Baker Hughes booked an order for 34 Frame 5 and nine NovaLT16 gas turbines, about 1.1 GW of capacity, for a major U.S. technology company's AI computing development. It was one of several gas-to-power deals reported between October 21 and October 27, while Henry Hub gas traded at $2.76 per MMBtu.

Cheap gas moves the bottleneck to turbines, pipelines and grid rules

The Henry Hub spot price was $2.76 per MMBtu on October 27, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Working gas in storage stood 35 Bcf above the five-year average in the week ended October 16. U.S. gross withdrawals hit a record 137 Bcf/d in July 2026, driven mainly by Permian Basin output.

CAMDEN, N.J. – October 29, 2026 -- American Water Works Company (NYSE: AWK) reported third-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.00 per share, up from $1.89 a year earlier, and narrowed its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $6.07-$6.12 from $6.02-$6.12.

GAAP earnings were flat at $1.94 per share in the quarter. Year-to-date adjusted EPS reached $4.63 versus $4.40 in 2025, while GAAP EPS rose to $4.56 from $4.47.

American Water sets 2027 standalone EPS guidance at $6.53-$6.63

The range implies 8% EPS growth at the midpoint against 2026 adjusted guidance. All standalone long-term targets are unchanged: EPS growth of 7-9%, rate base growth of 8-9% including acquisitions, acquired customer addition growth of 2% and dividend per share growth of 7-9%.

The standalone capital investment plan is $20+ billion for 2026-2030 and $48+ billion for 2026-2035. The 2027 standalone plan is $4.1 billion.

HOUSTON – October 29, 2026 -- Core Laboratories (NYSE: CLB) posted third-quarter 2026 revenue of $132.1 million, up 6% sequentially and down 2% year over year, as international demand lifted both operating segments.

Ex-items operating income climbs 35% sequentially but trails last year by 24%

GAAP operating income was $12.1 million, and GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.12. Operating income excluding items reached $12.6 million, up 35% sequentially and down 24% year over year. That yielded a 10% operating margin and sequential incremental margins of 43%. EPS excluding items was $0.16, up 46% from the prior quarter and down 27% from a year earlier.

CEO Larry Bruno cited growth in Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East, and described a "gradual improvement" in Middle East activity late in the quarter. He said geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine still weigh on parts of the business.

Lysaker – October 29, 2026 -- Aker BP reported third-quarter EBITDA of USD 3.4 billion and cash flow from operations of USD 2.4 billion, as higher sold volumes and strong realised prices lifted earnings.

Net profit reaches USD 986 million, aided by a USD 262 million impairment reversal

Net profit came in at USD 986 million, or USD 1.56 per share. The figure includes a positive after-tax effect of USD 262 million from an impairment reversal.

Net sold volumes were 396 mboepd, up five percent from the previous quarter. Net production was lower at 374 mboepd, which the company attributed to planned maintenance. Aker BP reiterated its full-year production guidance of 380-400 mboepd.

Aker BP holds leverage at 0.50 with USD 5.8 billion in available liquidity

The company described its financial position as robust. The board set a quarterly dividend of USD 0.6615 per share, payable on or about 12 November 2026.

SEOUL – – October 29, 2026 -- LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220) has opened submissions for the Battery Innovation Contest 2026 (BIC 2026), inviting universities and research institutions worldwide to submit concept proposals between October 29 and December 6, 2026.

Proposals go through the company's online open innovation platform, BRIDGE. Priority goes to ideas that address key pain points in the battery industry and could accelerate technological advancement.

LG Energy Solution expands thematic research topics for the 2026 call

BIC 2026 keeps two tracks. Under the Thematic call, LG Energy Solution's product development departments define specific research topics. The company has significantly expanded the number of topics this year, covering materials, cells, battery management systems (BMS) and AI.

The Open-Topic call stays researcher-led and accepts original ideas across broad areas of battery technology.