Gas

Exclusive: Findings cast doubt on claims new drilling would help cut bills and boost energy security, researchers sayHundreds of licences granted for new oil and gas projects in the North Sea under the Conservatives have so far produced only 36 days’ worth of gas, according to analysis.Research by the energy consultancy Voar and the campaign group Uplift found that between 2010 and 2024, the government handed out hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences in seven licensing rounds. Continue reading...

• Meta is financing multiple natural gas power plants in Louisiana to exclusively supply electricity for its massive new data center supporting AI operations. • The project addresses surging energy demands from AI training, with the plants designed to generate dedicated power bypassing the public grid amid national infrastructure strains. • This move highlights tech giants' shift toward self-funded energy solutions to avoid burdening consumers and accelerating U.S. data center expansion.

Government, industry and opposition see growing public support for a new gas tax but the industry is fighting backGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe gas industry is mobilising in opposition to a potential new tax on the sector as political momentum builds – including among Labor MPs – for the government to use the May budget to prevent producers profiting from the Middle East war.The Australian Energy Producers (AEP) chief executive, Samantha McCulloch, claimed a new tax would punish the same Asian trading partners Australia was leaning on to supply more fuel amid the global energy crisis. Continue reading...

Higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smogThe US Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it would temporarily allow widespread sales of a higher ethanol gas blend in a move that they hope will tamp down consumer prices that have soared since the Iran war began.The higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smog. Continue reading...

• Tulane University in New Orleans will host the inaugural US Chagas Disease Meeting on March 26-27, 2026, marking the first such conference on American soil. • The event convenes experts to discuss diagnosis, screening, research, and patient care for Chagas disease, now argued by some to be endemic in the US with approximately 300,000 infected Americans per CDC estimates. • Occurring at a pivotal moment, the meeting aims to boost awareness, improve public health responses, and advance peer-reviewed findings on this neglected parasitic disease.

Exclusive: Speaking with the Australian Politics podcast, the Liberal frontbencher says a sovereign wealth fund would set Australians up for generations to comeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie says he is open to a new 25% tax on soaring gas profits as part of a Scandinavian-style sovereign wealth fund to strengthen the federal budget amid the global energy crisis.Budget leaks suggest the Albanese government is modelling the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas profits, as well as possible further changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) and corporate income tax. Continue reading...

GB Energy chief Jürgen Maier says boost could bring economic benefits amid energy cost crisis and actually help transition from fossil fuelsThe head of the UK’s national green energy champion has joined other high-profile renewable energy leaders in making the case for more North Sea oil and gas production as the government braces for an energy cost crisis.GB Energy boss Jürgen Maier used a social media post on LinkedIn to reject the claim that more North Sea oil and gas could help to bring down energy costs which have soared as the war in Iran has escalated. Continue reading...