U.S. Energy Policy: Washington AG Nick Brown challenged Puget Sound Energy’s proposed 29% electric and 20% gas rate hikes, arguing they’re excessive and pushing for lower returns on equity and tighter cost estimates. North Sea Oil & Gas: UK PM Andy Burnham told Trump the North Sea can’t be ignored, signaling a pragmatic approach that may still respect Labour’s pledge of no new drilling licenses while approvals for existing fields remain in focus. Oil Spill Preparedness: Rep. Rick Larsen pressed the U.S. Coast Guard to update oil spill prevention plans tied to a proposed Canadian pipeline terminating near Roberts Bank. Middle East Energy Security: A drone strike damaged Egyptian gas tankers near Damietta, reviving concerns for Suez Canal and Red Sea oil export routes as some Saudi crude shipments reportedly “go dark” to avoid disruptions. Grid Reliability & Outages: Storms and wildfire risks left tens of thousands without power in Canada and isolated outages in the UK, while U.S. utilities faced scrutiny over outage handling and notification rules. Renewables & Power Delivery: India’s MNRE flagged incorrect rooftop solar billing by DISCOMs and pushed cases to state utilities; Pennsylvania analysis highlights warehouse rooftops as a major solar source; Texas geothermal permitting continues to expand. Data Centers & Microgrids: Veolia won a contract to run a 350-MW grid-independent microgrid for an Ohio AI data center campus.