The latest spike in fuel prices is harder to stomach than the one earlier this year as businesses and consumers have less capacity to absorb the shock, while fresh price data show inflation is spilling over beyond energy.

While crude oil prices have somewhat moderated despite the Iran war re-escalating recently, refining constraints have kept gasoline and diesel costs high. Average diesel prices hit $6.30 a gallon Wednesday, up about 68% from before the Iran war, according to AAA. And because diesel is especially critical as an industrial fuel used in manufacturing, farming, and transportation, its price surge has been pervasive across sectors.
The Labor Department’s consumer price index showed core inflation rose to 2.6% in September from 2.4% in August, signaling businesses are passing on more costs. Meanwhile, the retail sales report showed core spending outside gas stations rose just 0.2% as fuel took a bigger bite out of wallets.

Those trends were backed up by the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book survey of business and economic conditions, which was riddled with red flags about higher fuel prices across the country.

Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/10/16/fuel-prices-diesel-costs-inflation-trucking-freight-surcharges-consumers/?utm_source=reddit/

In official UK stats biomass is counted as renewable, and right now it’s providing around 6% of GB generation.

But I keep seeing people argue it shouldn’t be, mainly because of the carbon debt and forest impacts (especially with large scale imported pellets).

Many live mix websites choose to instead classify it as non-renewable/other - for reference:

https://electricitylive.com/
https://grid.iamkate.com/

What do you think? Is biomass actually renewable?

Hey, sorry, this needs to be out there... I used AI for this, sorry, but it's pretty huge... but in a bad way.

On October 16, China proposed banning exports of key perovskite and tandem solar manufacturing technologies, potentially restricting global access to some of the most promising advances in solar photovoltaics.

The proposed bans specifically target:

• Perovskite-silicon tandem cells achieving ≥30% efficiency.
• Large-area tandem modules achieving ≥28% efficiency.
• Advanced perovskite coating processes essential for scaling production.

These restrictions target manufacturing technology and know-how, not finished solar panels.

If implemented, they could slow international efforts to commercialize next-generation solar cells and strengthen China's technological lead in the solar industry.

The proposals are open for public consultation until November 15, 2026.

Source: PV Magazine, October 16, 2026

Oil futures tell you the price of a barrel. They don’t always tell you what it costs to actually get that barrel where it needs to go. CNBC says tanker rates have surged: recent charters from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia reportedly cost roughly $76 million to $77 million. On a vessel carrying about 2 million barrels, that adds close to $38 per barrel in transportation costs. So while futures may imply one oil price, physical buyers are paying much more once shipping is included.

Smart meter went in last Tuesday. Same appliances, same schedule, same everything. First bill shows 12% more kWh consumed than any month in the past two years. No rate change, just more units. Called the utility and they said the old meter was likely underreporting for years. Anyone else see a step change after a meter swap? Starting to think the accuracy variance on these older electromechanical units was way wider than anyone admits.

The world has seen consistently high oil prices this year, since the Iran war started in february. https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/crude-oil

But in that timeframe us shale oil production has not really been ticking up. It has been in the mid to high 13M barrels per day. And has been so since 2024.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?f=W&n=PET&s=WCRFPUS2

There has long been a battle between declining quality of new wells and improved technology. It seems now basin depletion is catching up to technology advancements now.

in addition WTI oil is very light, producing a lot of gasoline. This has historically warranted a premium to heavier oils, but gasoline demand is plateauing or declining faster than diesel due to electrification. So that premium may disappear.

All in all a drop in oil price back to 60$, with a drop in the premium versus heavier oils, and further shale acreage depletion may see significant drop in us oil production.

Do you think that will lead to regaining of marketshare by Opec, to higher oil prices and new more expensive fields filling the gap, or to lower demand due to higher electrification rates?

translate from AI:

China's New Energy Heavy-Duty Truck Market in H2 2026 (Latest Data Through September)

The penetration rate of new energy heavy-duty trucks (electric and battery-swapping trucks) in China's heavy-duty truck market continued to rise in the second half of 2026, repeatedly setting new records:

• July 2026: New energy heavy-duty trucks achieved a market penetration rate of 47.24%.
• August 2026: The penetration rate reached 47.43%, with monthly sales of approximately 26,800 units.
• September 2026: The penetration rate surpassed the 50% threshold, reaching 50.28%. Monthly sales exceeded 33,000 units, setting a new all-time record.
• January-September 2026 (cumulative): New energy heavy-duty trucks accounted for 38.10% of total heavy-duty truck end-user sales.

Key Market Characteristics (Second Half of 2026)

1. Battery-Swapping Has Become the Dominant Technology Path

Within the new energy heavy-duty truck segment, the battery-swapping model has experienced rapid growth. From January to August 2026, sales of battery-swapping heavy-duty trucks reached 44,600 units, of which tractor trucks accounted for 88.66%.

2. Shift in Industry Growth Drivers

The industry has transitioned away from its early reliance on government subsidies and policy incentives and has moved toward a market-driven model. Demand is now primarily driven by:

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculations, especially actual operating costs per kilometer.
• The suitability of electric and battery-swapping trucks for closed-loop and short-haul transportation scenarios.
• Growing demand from trunk-line (long-haul) logistics operations.

In other words, the adoption of new energy heavy-duty trucks is increasingly based on economic and operational advantages, rather than government subsidies. Fleet operators are making purchasing decisions based on whether these vehicles can deliver lower operating costs and higher efficiency in real-world freight applications.