WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced more than $99 million for 21 projects selected to advance geothermal energy development across the United States. The projects will conduct field-scale tests of next-generation geothermal technologies and exploration drilling to characterize and potentially confirm promising geothermal resources.  Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Energy Department is advancing American geothermal innovation to unlock the nation’s abundant domestic energy resources. Geothermal can provide reliable, around-the-clock power to help meet growing demand while strengthening U.S. energy security. “These projects will empower American innovators to unlock the tremendous geothermal resources beneath our feet,” said DOE Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re advancing next-generation geothermal technologies that can lower costs, strengthen American energy dominance, and turn more of our vast domestic geothermal resources into reliable and affordable power.” The 21 projects will advance geothermal development in two key areas. Five projects will conduct field-scale enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) tests to validate technologies under real-world conditions, while 16 additional projects will conduct exploration drilling to identify and characterize promising next-generation geothermal resources. Together, these efforts will help reduce technical and development risk and provide the information needed to support future commercial projects and investment.   Data generated by these projects will be publicly available through DOE’s Geothermal Data Repository (GDR), giving industry, researchers, and other stakeholders access to information from the field tests and geothermal exploration activities. Making these data available can extend the value of the projects beyond individual sites by helping inform future technology development and geothermal exploration across the industry.  Learn more about the selected projects here.  Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the

Croatia’s INA Industrija Nafte DD has started up a new delayed coking unit (DCU) at its 90,000-b/d Rijeka refinery along the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, marking a major milestone in the refinery’s upgrading project. Following mechanical completion and commissioning, INA introduced feedstock into the DCU on Sept. 1, beginning production, majority owner MOL Group said in a release Sept. 21. The unit has operated continuously since startup and has reached about 70% of design capacity, the company said. The DCU—which  converts heavy refinery residues into higher-value products—has produced all key products at required quality and is anticipated to increase diesel production by as much as 30% from the same crude volume. MOL Group said the new DCU unit—once fully operable—also will eliminate Croatia’s need to import vacuum gas oil (VGO). The Rijeka refinery upgrade represents an investment of nearly €700 million, which is included in a combined €1.3-billion joint investment by INA and MOL Group in refining and logistics modernization during the past 12 years. “The start-up of the new unit went really well,” said Zsuzsanna Ortutay, president of INA’s management board, adding that the DCU would improve the sustainability and profitability of INA’s refining business while supporting energy supply in Croatia and the surrounding region. INA  plans to increase throughput and optimize process performance at the new unit gradually, with stable operation anticipated by yearend, followed by final plant performance testing and project closeout activities. Rijeka DCU project background INA awarded a lump-sum, turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the project to Maire Tecnimont SPA subsidiary KT-Kinetics Technology SPA in December 2019. The contract covered a new delayed coking complex with coke handling and ship-loading facilities, a sour-water stripper, and amine recovery units. It also included modifications to the existing hydrocracker, sulfur recovery unit, utilities, and

Oil prices fell on Monday, Sept.21, with Brent extending its retreat from recent highs, as recovering Saudi crude exports and hopes for renewed US-Iran diplomacy eased fears of an immediate Middle East supply crunch. Brent crude futures and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dipped below $100/bbl to their lowest since Sept. 9. The move extends a four-session retreat from the recent surge in crude prices as traders reassess how severely regional conflict is constraining physical oil flows. Despite the continued uncertainty in the Middle East, news of a major rebound in Saudi crude oil exports in September weighed on prices. Saudi Arabia has increased shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to compensate for disruptions to its East-West pipeline following Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. Saudi crude flows through the strait have averaged roughly 2.9 million b/d over the past 6 days, compared with about 700,000 b/d in August, according to satellite data cited by JPMorgan analysts. US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper confirmed on Sept.19 that, thanks to US naval escorts and mine-clearance efforts, oil and LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 2 weeks reached the highest level in 6 months. The recovery in Gulf exports has helped ease fears that attacks on Saudi infrastructure would translate into a prolonged loss of barrels from the global market. Meanwhile, investors are closely monitoring signs of potential diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran during this week’s UN General Assembly. US President Donald Trump has expressed a willingness to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, while Iran has reportedly conveyed the conditions for resuming negotiations. Expectations that talks could eventually reduce regional tensions have removed some of the geopolitical risk premium that pushed crude prices higher earlier this month. Still, physical oil markets remain strained. Middle Eastern producers

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued emergency orders to keep two Indiana coal plants operational to ensure Americans in the Midwest region of the United States have continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity. The orders direct the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), CenterPoint Energy, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO) to take all measures necessary to ensure specified generation units at both the R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations in Indiana are available to operate. Certain generation units at these coal plants were scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025.  The orders will minimize the risk of unnecessary blackouts for the American people. Since the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) original orders were issued on December 23, 2025, the Schahfer and Culley coal plants have proven critical to MISO’s operations, operating during periods of high energy demand and low levels of intermittent energy production, including during Winter Storm Fern.   “Forcing reliable, dispatchable coal generation off the grid would compromise energy reliability and needlessly raises energy costs for Americans,” said Energy Secretary Wright. “Midwestern families should not be forced to pay the price for the misguided energy subtraction policies of the past. They deserve affordable, reliable, and secure energy, regardless of the wind blowing or the sun shining.” Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, coal generating plants across the country are being saved from premature retirement. For example, in 2025, more than 17 gigawatts of coal power electricity generation were saved from going offline.  The availability of R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations to operate will continue to be an asset to maintain reliability in the MISO region and is necessary to address elevated reliability risks in that region during extreme weather and reduce the risk of power outages that could threaten public health and safety. As

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order to mitigate the risk of blackouts in the Carolinas amid hot weather conditions. Issued pursuant to Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, the order authorizes Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke) to dispatch specified resources and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability. The order also authorizes Duke, in collaboration with its Transmission Owners, to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3. This order was issued pursuant to an application from Duke submitted on September 18, 2026. “Today’s order will help secure reliable electricity access for millions of American families and businesses across North and South Carolina by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “It should come as no surprise that during the end of summer and early fall, there are fewer hours of daylight—and therefore, less power generation from solar power. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation and others have warned of the potential dangers late summer temperature spikes can pose to the grid when leaders prematurely retire reliable power sources. While past leaders’ energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable to blackouts when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, this administration remains committed to using every available tool to prevent blackouts.”  DOE estimates more than 35 GW of unused backup generation remains available nationwide.  The order is in effect upon issuance on September 18, 2026, through September 21, 2026. 

Enbridge has launched a non-binding open season for its proposed 2-bcfd West Texas Express (WTX) natural gas pipeline project, designed to transport Permian basin supply west from the Waha area to markets in and around El Paso, Tex. The proposed project responds to growing demand for reliable natural gas supplies from proposed power generation, utilities, generators, and industrial customers such as data centers across west Texas and downstream markets in Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona, Enbridge said. WTX is currently expected to include more than 150 miles of new 42-in. OD pipeline. The project could also include laterals serving Hudspeth County, Tex., and delivery points at the US-Mexico border. Enbridge said WTX can be designed to connect with existing pipeline infrastructure based on customer requirements identified through the open season. Final capacity, routing, receipt and delivery points, and system design will be informed by market interest. Subject to securing sufficient commercial support and obtaining required approvals, Enbridge is targeting a fourth-quarter 2029 in-service date. The open season will close at 5 p.m. CDT, Sept. 25, 2026. Enbridge last week agreed to acquire Tallgrass Energy LP’s crude oil business for $2.55 billion in cash.