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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Tim McDonnell

Tim McDonnell

Climate and energy editor, Semafor

Email Tim@timmcdonnell

Tim McDonnell is the Climate & Energy Editor at Semafor. Tim has covered the business and science of climate change for more than a decade from front lines of the crisis around the world. He is based in Kyiv.

Hydrogen investment projected to hit a bureaucratic cap on growth

Global investment in low-carbon hydrogen will reach a new high this year.
A man walks near a hydrogen supply line in Sweden.
Simon Johnson/Reuters

Global coal consumption to reach new record

China remains by far the world’s coal heavyweight: Its power sector alone consumes one-third of the world’s coal.
Coal mine in China.
Tingshu Wang/File Photo/Reuters

Ukraine is going into winter with a gas surplus, despite war

Ukraine is also angling to increase exports to Europe this winter, the CEO of the country’s top private energy company said.
Gas-fired power plant.
Lisi Niesner/Reuters

A long war will permanently damage oil demand

US President Donald Trump seems to be hastening the end of the oil age.
A blaze at a fuel tanker.
Rami Shlush/Reuters

Oil importers less vulnerable to supply shocks than expected

“Diversification can go a long way in securing them against geo-economic bullying,” Barclays analysts wrote in a recent note.
A barrel being filled with oil.
Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters

Oil executives are anxious about Venezuela

Big Oil companies have always moonlighted as geopolitical risk assessment firms. That capability faces a big test now.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright next to Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters

Big Law sees a gold mine in data centers

‘Everybody and their brother is a digital infra and power lawyer now.’

Venezuela oil deal needs transparency to last

Concentrating control of Venezuela’s oil industry with the US government could ultimately backfire.

Europe’s warning for US gas exporters

Europe is facing a test of how much it has learned from half a decade of successive energy shocks — and US gas exporters should pay attention.

Trump’s new affordability push runs on highways, rail

The Transportation Department is proposing building infrastructure like water pipelines and transmission wires alongside existing roads and tracks.

Denmark bets on Ukraine wind farm with €100 million loan

The project will be operated by the Ukrainian agricultural company Kernal for both its own use and power sales to the country’s battered grid.

China’s electrification means oil sector has likely peaked

The Chinese state-owned oil refinery posted a surge in profit in H1, but an exec says oil demand has been structurally reduced.

Latest Iran sanctions risk economic showdown with China

More aggressive interventions against Chinese banks and state-owned companies will be needed to fully sever Beijing’s economic lifeline to Tehran.

Hormuz ‘isn’t really the problem’

A number of other factors are conspiring to drive down the volume of crude tankers faster over the past two weeks than any point during the war.

A safer bet for AI-hungry investors

While some data center investors finance giant “behind the meter” power plants, others are looking for steadier returns in regulated grids.

US power demand to hit new highs on data center buildout

The federal projections come after two years of record electricity demand peaks.

Oil prices sink despite Iran war stalemate

The industry’s outlook for global demand weakened, and the US showed signs of rebuilding its stocks.

There’s a new status quo in Hormuz

While both the US and Iran make claims to operating Hormuz, the reality may be that it’s a small fleet of oil tankers actually running the waterway.