Offshore Wind Push (Philippines): Finance chief Frederick Go met Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to speed up the 901MW San Miguel Bay offshore wind project ahead of the Philippines’ green energy auction, framing offshore wind as key to long-term energy security. Grid & Permitting (Philippines): Camarines Sur governor LRay Villafuerte backed a DILG directive to cut renewable project processing for local government units to just three steps and 45 working days. Battery Storage Deal (South Africa): Envision Energy signed a 660MWh battery storage supply agreement for the Naos-1 solar-plus-storage hybrid project, aimed at making renewables more dispatchable and stabilizing the grid. Heatwave Strains Power (Europe): A record-breaking European heatwave is forcing nuclear output reductions and grid stress, with France reporting outages and the UK spending to secure extra electricity. War’s Energy Hit (Ukraine/Russia): Ukraine said it struck two Russian oil refineries, while DTEK’s CEO says the country’s energy system is “more prepared” for winter after last year’s attacks. EU Import Mix (Energy Markets): Eurostat data shows EU petroleum imports broadly stable in Q1 2026, while LNG volumes rose as LNG value fell. Nuclear Momentum (US): TVA won a $400M DOE grant to accelerate a Generation III+ SMR at Clinch River, targeting early-2030s operation. Renewables Growth (US): EIA figures cited show renewables up year-on-year in early 2026, with renewables at 30% of US electricity generation. Energy Affordability (North Carolina): Duke Energy Carolinas trimmed its requested residential rate increase from 18% to 11.6%, after public pushback. Climate Risk to Renewables (India): A Zurich report warns 90% of India’s planned renewable sites face high or critical climate risk by 2030, urging resilience upgrades now.