For the first time in a decade, not a single hurricane struck the U.S. this season, and that was a much needed break. That’s what Neil Jacobs, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, said in a statement posted on NOAA’s site recently, which summarized the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Central Pacific hurricane seasons. “Still, a tropical storm caused damage and casualties in the Carolinas, distant hurricanes created rough ocean waters that caused property damage along the East Coast, and neighboring countries experienced direct hits from hurricanes,” Jacobs said in the statement. The NOAA statement noted that the Atlantic basin produced 13 named storms. Of these, five became hurricanes, including four major hurricanes, NOAA highlighted, pointing out that an average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. In the statement, NOAA said, overall, the season fell within the predicted ranges for named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes issued in NOAA’s seasonal outlooks. Hurricane season activity was near-normal for both the Eastern Pacific basin and Central Pacific basin and fell within predicted ranges, respectively, NOAA added in the statement. The organization highlighted that the Eastern Pacific basin hurricane season produced 18 named storms, “with nine becoming hurricanes and three intensifying to major hurricane status”. “Two named storms formed in the Central Pacific basin, with one, Iona, becoming a major hurricane well south of Hawaii,” NOAA added. “Eastern Pacific storms Henriette and Kiko were also hurricanes in the Central Pacific that passed northeast of Hawaii with little impact to the state,” it continued. AI Guidance In the NOAA statement, Jacobs said “the 2025 season was the first year NOAA’s National Hurricane Center incorporated Artificial Intelligence model guidance into their forecasts”. “The NHC [National Hurricane Center] performed exceedingly well when it came to forecasting rapid intensification for

Chile’s Empresa Nacional del Petróleo (Enap) has signed contracts to purchase crude from Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale patch from Argentina’s state-owned YPF SA, Norway’s majority state-owned Equinor ASA, Britain’s Shell PLC and Mexico’s Vista Energy SAB de CV. The agreements, which last through June 2033, amount to about 35 percent of Enap’s annual crude demand, Enap said in an online statement. YPF said separately the initial combined volume is up to 70,000 barrels per day (bpd). YPF said its share is around 32,000 bpd or 45.45 percent of the total volume. “The contracts, signed after a negotiation process and operational testing that lasted more than two years, involve a projected value of nearly $12 billion, making it the largest commercial agreement in Enap’s history”, Enap said. “As a reference, the total annual trade between Chile and Argentina is currently close to $8 billion”. The volumes will be delivered via the more than 400-kilometer (248.55 miles) Trans-Andean pipeline, co-owned between Enap, YPF and Chevron Corp. After 17 years, the pipeline resumed flows July 2023, delivering about 40,000 barrels per day of Vaca Muerta oil to Enap’s facilities in Hualpén, Región del Biobío, as previously reported by Enap. “The subscription of these contracts provides greater security and stability to the supply of crude oil, strengthens the country’s energy security, enhances the logistics chain on both sides of the mountain range and reduces dependence on maritime transport that is regularly impacted by factors such as weather conditions or port congestion”, Enap said. “In addition, it allows for the purchase of crude oil with a lower sulfur content, which is beneficial from an environmental point of view. “It also reinforces Enap’s recently announced positioning with regard to its logistics business, as it will enable the export of crude oil from Vaca Muerta through the

Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) identified several “key themes shaping the U.S. Lower 48 landscape” next year in a statement sent to Rigzone recently. Among these was a projection that the horizontal rig count will fall below 500. “Oil focused activity levels will decline as operators face macro headwinds, particularly in H1 2026,” WoodMac said in the statement. “This sits below the $60 per barrel threshold that sparks questions around investment strategy,” it added. WoodMac said in the statement, however, that declining rig count is no longer the needle mover it once was. “Major strides in operational efficiency have reduced the number of active rigs required to maintain base business,” the company stated. “Operators are drilling faster, and cycle times are improving,” it added. WoodMac went on to note in the statement that “the activity taper will create deflationary pressures on costs”. “Wood Mackenzie expects to see a modest reduction in drilling and completion costs across the Lower 48 in 2026, including tariffs,” it said. “Lower costs help protect most of the new drill supply curve. Even at $60 per barrel Brent, more than 90 percent of U.S. Lower 48 assets can cover their capex requirements, with all assets covering operating costs,” it continued. Another theme was a projection that core Permian plays produce more than 50 percent of U.S. onshore liquids next year. “Lower 48 oil production will stall in 2026 for the first time since the pandemic,” WoodMac warned. “Rigs falling throughout 2025 and less activity in the year create this culmination. The Permian remains resilient and the powerhouse of U.S. oil supply,” it added. “Combined 2026 production from the Delaware Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Midland Wolfcamp, and Midland Spraberry will account for more than 50 percent of onshore U.S. oil output for the first time ever,” it continued. “Delaware Wolfcamp

The energy transition isn’t coming — it’s here. Across North America, utilities are navigating an unprecedented convergence of challenges: exponential load growth from data centers and electrification, rising reliability expectations and an accelerating influx of distributed energy resources (DERs). At DTECH 2026, Feb. 2-5 in San Diego, OATI will showcase how utilities can turn these pressures into opportunities through a simple, unifying concept: flexibility. “Flexibility is no longer optional — it’s the operating principle of the modern grid,” says Sasan Mokhtari, OATI’s president & CEO. “The future belongs to the utilities that can orchestrate DERs, manage load growth intelligently and connect operations from meters to markets.” 1. From DER chaos to DERMS clarity Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) have evolved from niche pilots to mission-critical platforms. OATI would know—we deployed the first DERMS in North America in 2009 and created what would define a generation of grid modernization. What was once an experiment in aggregation is now the foundation of reliable, data-driven grid management. Modern DERMS platforms, like OATI DERMS, enable utilities to see, forecast and control a complex web of rooftop solar, battery storage, EV chargers and flexible loads in real time. They bring together three critical capabilities: Visibility — a unified picture of all DERs across the grid Optimization — dispatch decisions that balance economics, carbon and reliability Market Integration — the ability to monetize flexibility through participation in wholesale markets At DTECH 2026, OATI will demonstrate how its DERMS platform bridges the divide between bulk power and distribution operations, uniting IT and OT operations and helping utilities truly manage the grid from meters to markets. 2. The new face of load growth: Data centers, EVs and electrification The growth of data centers and electric transportation is transforming grid demand faster than many planners ever imagined. In 2024 alone, U.S. data

Data centers – the vast, physical warehouses where IT servers and systems are kept – are experiencing a boom in demand, particularly across the USA. Driven by the rapid ascent of AI, analysts project that the global electricity demand for data centers is expected to double by 2030, reaching consumption levels that rival entire developed nations. Still, the challenge goes beyond the sheer volume of power needed. Data centers operate 24/7 and experience pronounced swings in demand which legacy grids simply aren’t engineered to handle. Luckily, answers are emerging. Grid-scale batteries can respond quickly enough to tame this volatile demand, and when properly coordinated by a sophisticated operating system – like Kraken – they can contribute to building a healthier, better-balanced grid overall. Data centers have uniquely volatile demand profiles The fundamental nature of data center electrical loads distinguishes them from traditional industrial consumption, being not just especially large, but unusually “spiky” and unpredictable. When tech companies launch AI training algorithms or massive computing clusters activate, the resulting power draw is instantaneous and intense. This poses a pressing stability problem. The grid’s legacy generators, such as slow-ramping gas-fired peaker plants, aren’t merely relatively expensive and slow to build, but are ultimately technically incapable of matching huge demand spikes that occur in milliseconds. This critical mismatch between fast demand and slow supply results in immediate frequency instability, severe stress on local transmission and distribution networks and significantly higher balancing costs for grid operators (if they can meet that demand at all). And this volatility is only compounded as clusters of data centers concentrate in particular geographical regions. A faster, smarter solution is clearly needed. Coordinating grid-scale storage to tame demand Fortunately, the flexibility afforded by large batteries is well-suited to addressing pronounced immediate swings, charging up whenever energy is cheapest and cleanest

It’s well known that the electric grid faces a capacity crisis. Energy-intensive operations such as data centers, commercial and industrial electrification and bitcoin mining are driving unprecedented demand while transmission constraints and permitting timelines limit infrastructure expansion. For power suppliers, a critical solution is transforming energy-intensive loads from liabilities into assets through intelligent control. Understanding Controllable Loads Flexible, controllable loads represent a fundamental shift in capacity management. Rather than viewing large industrial customers solely as demand to be met, controllable load technology allows these operations to be part of the larger Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) ecosystem, effectively increasing generation capacity without building new plants. A controllable load gives grid operators or power suppliers the ability to dynamically adjust consumption in real-time. This capability becomes essential as the grid integrates more intermittent renewable generation and faces tightening capacity margins. The Market Context: Why Now? Several converging forces are driving unprecedented growth in power demand. The number of AI data centers is growing and bitcoin mining continues to scale in deregulated markets. Commercial and industrial (C&I) electrification is accelerating across sectors—from manufacturing facilities converting to electric processes to transportation fleets transitioning to EVs. While surging demand presents the primary challenge, other factors make controllable loads essential for modern grid management: Renewable Integration Volatility: Renewable energy production such as solar and wind fluctuates throughout the day, while transmission constraints prevent power from moving freely between regions, creating price volatility and reliability challenges. Outdated Grid Infrastructure: Traditional infrastructure operates with binary logic—generators on or off, loads consuming or not—clashing with dynamic grid requirements. Evolving Market Structures: Real-time pricing and ancillary service markets reward flexibility. ERCOT’s Controllable Load Resource (CLR) program integrates flexible loads directly into grid dispatch. New Regulatory Requirements: Texas Senate Bill 6 (SB6) is likely to mandate that loads above