Around the Wire: 4 Recent Energy News Trends

A look at the energy news from PR Newswire in September and October that you might have missed.

By Paul Niebrzydowski, Antonio Sanchez | Published Nov. 11, 2022

PR Newswire distributed more than 2,000 press releases related to energy in the U.S. and Canada over the course of September and October.

Among the most common trends discussed, climate change was addressed by over 200 releases. Even when not discussing climate change directly, companies are continuing to highlight factors such as partnerships, technological improvements, and even policies that are driving the energy transition.

Meanwhile, the resilience and affordability of energy remain top of mind for consumers, who are increasingly looking to renewable energy options at home.

On the road, the consumer EV market continues to grow, pushing innovations in battery technology, infrastructure, supply chains, and even the circular economy.  

Let’s take a closer look at some of these trends.

Some of the Most Popular Energy Releases

• Generac Introduces Portable Power Stations
• Breakthrough Wind Solution Gives Commercial Property Owners Efficient New Rooftop Option to Generate Renewable Energy
• Vogtle Unit 3 starts nuclear fuel load
• ONE Announces $1.6 Billion Investment in 20 GWh Michigan Cell Factory Beginning LFP Production in 2024

Energy News Trends

Here are a few of the trends we noticed among press releases related to energy in September and October, with a few examples of each.

1. Climate Change Policies, Partnerships

Collaboration is driving innovation in the energy industry as companies work together to tackle climate change in efforts that can be sustainable from both an ecological and economic standpoint. From farmers to chemical plants, efforts to shrink carbon footprints will help maintain the health of the energy industry and the health of the planet.

Here are a few recent examples:

• American Farmland Trust, Edelen Renewables and Arcadia Announce Partnership to Combat Climate Change by Advancing Smart Solar
• Govts across US & Canada - including cold climate areas - are moving off methane gas, to all-electric buildings
• US and Icelandic Government Officials, Business Leaders Strengthen International Cooperation to Achieve Climate Goals
• Con Edison's Investments and Climate Research Prevent Outages, Protect Customers

Related reading: SG Analytics details the energy transition trends to watch in 2022, including green hydrogen energy, net-zero targets, and more.

2. Renewable Energy at Home

The market of eco-friendly customers is growing, and several energy companies are working to make sustainable energy products more accessible to consumers. Whether solar energy panels are sharing shelf space at furniture stores or all-electric school buses are dropping kids off at school, renewable and sustainable energy products are coming to a neighborhood near you.

Check out these examples from the past two months:

• Syncarpha Capital - First Community Solar Project In Maine Is Operational
• dcbel and LG Energy Solution partner for future-proof home energy solution
• IKEA U.S. and SunPower Launch Home Solar Offering in California
• GreenPower Launches Second Round of All-Electric School Bus Pilot Project in Four New West Virginia School Districts

3. Alternative Fuels: EV and Battery Technology, Sustainable Aviation, Decarbonization

Consumers and companies alike are looking for lower-carbon alternatives to traditional fuels. And as the consumer EV market continues to grow in the U.S. and Canada, so does interest in new battery technology and public charging infrastructure. 

These are just a few of the alternative fuel-related releases that crossed the wire in recent weeks:

• Infinium to Provide Ultra-low Carbon Electrofuels for Use in Amazon Trucking Fleet Starting in 2023
• McDonald's Canada testing Renewable Natural Gas in its supply chain fleet
• Hertz, bp collaborate to accelerate EV charging in North America

Battery tech and electrification continue to extend beyond consumer vehicles. From passenger aviation to heavy equipment for construction, companies across all industries are telling the story of their path toward decarbonization.  Release examples include:

• Caterpillar Expands Construction Industries Portfolio with Four Battery Electric Machines
• Air Company Fuels First Ever Test Flight with Jet Fuel Made from CO2, Beginning the Next-Generation of the World's Fuel Industry
• Eviation Announces EVIA AERO Order for 25 All-Electric Alice Aircraft
• Royal Caribbean Group to Open the World's First Zero-Energy Cruise Terminal

More on this trend: Read BloombergNEF's electric vehicle outlook for 2022, which looks at "how electrification, shared mobility, autonomous driving and other factors will impact road transport in the coming decades."

4. Natural Resources and Supply Chains

The demand for battery tech has also put more pressure on supply chains for minerals and other natural resources. While the U.S. has continued to encourage the domestic production of minerals like lithium, some companies are also looking at ways to recycle materials and create a closed-loop economy.

Check out these releases from September and October that cover this trend:

• NioCorp to Combine with Nasdaq-Listed GXII to Access Additional Capital for the Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project
• Electra Makes Continued Progress on Cobalt Refinery Project and Prepares for Black Mass Recycling Demonstration
• Biden Administration and DOE Award $100 Million to Group14 Technologies to Strengthen U.S. Supply Chain for Advanced Battery Materials Manufacturing
• Cypress Development Confirms Production of Battery Grade Lithium Carbonate

And yet, amid the push toward alternative fuels and decarbonization, our energy needs have not abated. The previous quarter saw many energy companies reporting strong results.

Among the earnings releases from energy companies released in recent weeks:

• Sunoco LP Announces Third Quarter 2022 Financial and Operating Results
• LG Energy Solution Releases 3Q Earnings with Record Quarterly Revenue, Aims to Uphold Strategic Focus in North America

Conclusion

Looking ahead, with the UN’s COP27 underway in Egypt during the month of November, the question of climate change will undoubtedly continue to shape the conversation surrounding decarbonization and innovation in the energy industry. How will new agreements and commitments drive growth and change in the energy sector moving forward?

About the Authors

Paul Niebrzydowski is a Senior Customer Content Specialist at Cision PR Newswire. When he is not working with PR and comms professionals, Paul can be found exploring the Cleveland area's many parks and trails.

Antonio Sanchez is a customer content specialist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He joined Cision PR Newswire in 2020.