Energy, Utilities & Environment

Reno – October 27, 2026 -- Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: DFLI) will become the first battery pack manufacturer to place Sphere Energy's AI-powered state-of-health technology at the core of its battery management system (BMS), under a strategic partnership announced Aug. 17.

Sphere's AI models will enter Dragonfly's next-generation BMS architecture

Sphere Energy's proprietary battery AI models, based on its VETTA platform, will be integrated into Dragonfly's next-generation BMS. The integration targets more accurate state-of-charge and state-of-health data. It also creates a more flexible development platform intended to bring new products to market faster in response to specific customer needs.

Berlin/Florence – October 27, 2026 -- PLAN-B NET ZERO AG, a German energy provider with about 115,000 customers and users and more than EUR 60 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), has won "World's Best Challenger Brand" at the CHARGE Awards Europe 2026.

CHARGE presented the award on October 19, 2026, at its Energy Brand Conference in Florence. The jury recognized PLAN-B's Neo Energy concept, which turns electricity from an interchangeable commodity into a digital energy system.

PLAN-B reports 115,000 users and EUR 60 million ARR since its 2023 founding

Bradley Mundt founded the company in April 2023. As of June 30, 2026, it had around 115,000 customers and users. By its own assessment, this makes PLAN-B one of the fastest-growing energy platforms in the DACH region.

Russia – October 27, 2026 -- Sanctioned vessels carried 78 million barrels, or 55% of Russia's September oil exports, and 63% of its crude, as EU-owned tankers retreated from exposed routes, according to Windward analysis using Vortexa data.

Russia shipped 142.7 million barrels of crude and oil products in September. Crude accounted for 110.4 million barrels, about 3.7 million barrels per day and broadly level with August's 3.78 million bpd as reported by the IEA. Clean petroleum products totaled 14.9 million barrels, mostly naphtha (9.8 million), alongside 17.4 million barrels of fuel oil and feedstocks.

LONDON – October 27, 2026 -- China holds the highest electrification deployment score among 16 countries assessed in a new index, while the US risks losing momentum and several large European economies have yet to turn policy into delivery.

The Electrification Competitiveness Index, developed by the We Mean Business Coalition with support from RMI, measures electrification delivery on the ground alongside the enabling conditions needed for further progress. Those factors indicate how ready each economy is for businesses to electrify operations. Across most countries, policy and other enablers run ahead of actual deployment.

Europe – October 23, 2026 -- ACER's Board of Appeal will begin a new five-year mandate on 18 October 2026 with two new members and four first-time alternates, refreshing the body that reviews complaints against the agency's decisions.

Administrative Board appoints panel after Commission call for interest

ACER's Administrative Board made the appointments, following a proposal by the European Commission and in consultation with ACER's Board of Regulators. The process followed a public call for interest that the Commission launched earlier this year.

Batlle and De Hauteclocque join four continuing members

Mr Carlos Batlle and Mr Adrien De Hauteclocque have been elected as new members. They join Mr Piet Eeckhout, Mr Miro Prek, Ms Keelin O'Brien and Ms Katerina Sardi, who will continue to serve.

TORONTO – October 22, 2026 -- Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) has appointed Andreas Rickert, founder of Phineo, as an external Strategic Advisor to support its search for long-term investors and strategic partners.

Rickert to advise on positioning and partner outreach

Rickert's career includes positions at McKinsey and The World Bank. He has an established network across German business, investment and philanthropic communities.

He will work with Rock Tech on an advisory basis. His remit covers strategic counsel on the company's positioning, engagement with relevant business stakeholders, and support in building relationships with potential investors and strategic partners.

FLORHAM PARK – October 22, 2026 -- Reworld has appointed Robert "Mickey" McKee, founder, President and CEO of NYSE-listed Kodiak Gas Services (KGS), to its Board of Directors, effective October 22, 2026.

McKee brings more than two decades of energy infrastructure experience to the Reworld board

McKee founded the Kodiak group of companies in 2010. He has served as President since its formation and as CEO since 2019. Under his direction, Kodiak became one of the leading operators of contract compression infrastructure in the United States.

He led Kodiak through its 2023 initial public offering and its recent expansion into distributed power generation. He has also sat on Kodiak's Board of Directors since 2023.

Toronto – October 22, 2026 -- Hoymiles has launched its HiOne all-in-one residential energy storage system in Canada and shown its HoyUltra 261A commercial and industrial (C&I) storage system in North America for the first time. Both debuts took place at Electricity Transformation Canada (ETC) 2026 in Toronto.

HiOne combines inverter, battery and EMS in a unit installable in 15 minutes

The residential system integrates the inverter, battery system and energy management system (EMS) in a single unit. Installation can take as little as 15 minutes. HiOne has four MPPTs and a maximum input current of 20A, built for varied roof orientations and shading. Seamless backup switching keeps essential household loads running during grid outages.

CHARLOTTE – October 22, 2026 -- Duke Energy lineworkers won six awards, including two first-place finishes, at the International Lineman's Rodeo held Oct. 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas, where about 1,250 competitors from around the world took part.

Duke Energy's journeyman teams take two first places and a second overall

Justin McCarson, Heath Burrell and Miles Bell placed second overall in the journeyman division. The same trio also won the Journeyman Mystery Event #1 and took second in the Journeyman IOU category.

Keith Griffin, Jay Tipton and Sandy Barnhill won the journeyman seniors division. Matthew Clark, Danny Haithcock and Hunter Boone placed second in that division. Tyler Nickols, Joshua Buckner and Tyler Manick finished fourth in Journeyman IOU.

Worcester, Mass. – October 22, 2026 -- CET Energy Solutions has launched as the parent of Commonwealth Electrical Technologies, Horton Electric and NuWave Energy, combining more than 300 employees across six locations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and West Coast. The private equity-backed platform delivers projects nationwide.

Three acquired and founding businesses form the platform

Commonwealth Electrical Technologies, founded in Massachusetts in 2008, is the original business and keeps its name. Horton Electric, a Connecticut-based electrical contractor acquired in September 2026, also keeps its brand. NuWave Energy, acquired in 2025, operates in Massachusetts, California and Colorado and will move to the CET Energy Solutions name.