1. US-Iran-Israel: Why is the Strait of Hormuz Closed Again?
After declaring the Strait of Hormuz open on Friday 17 April, Iran has once again closed the shipping lane following interventions by the US Navy
For a brief window on Friday 17 April, it seemed as though one of the world's most important shipping lanes might be returning to something approaching normality.
The cost of a barrel of Brent crude fell to US$88 a barrel after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that "the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire," having been above US$98 earlier that day.
Global markets rallied around that announcement, with the S&P 500 closing up 1.2%, while the CAC in Paris and DAX in Frankfurt both ended the day around 2% up.
That moment of respite in what is becoming a protracted energy crisis did not last, however.
Within 24 hours, Iranian officials had reversed the reopening and reimposed restrictions on the vital shipping lane after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said Tehran had restored the strait to its "previous status" and was now "under strict management and control by the armed forces".
The IRGC did not mince words on what would follow.
"Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered co-operation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the corps warned.
Iran said the restrictions would remain if Washington did not "ensure full freedom of navigation for vessels travelling from Iran to destinations and from destinations to Iran".
2. The Big Headlines From the IEA's Global Energy Review 2026
The IEA's latest report shows solar PV is leading demand growth, CO₂ hits record 38.4Gt, and electric vehicle sales top 20 million units worldwide
The world's energy system shifted in a measurable way last year.
For the first time on record, a renewable energy source (namely solar) contributed the largest single share of global energy demand growth.
This earth-shaking statistic comes from the International Energy Agency's Global Energy Review 2026, a report published earlier this month that reflects on the figures from 2025.
Solar power alone met more than a quarter of the world's additional energy needs in 2025, a milestone that would have seemed fairly implausible a decade ago.
The picture of overall global energy demand shifted significantly too.
While demand grew by 1.3% last year, that rate of growth represents a notable slowdown from the 2% recorded in 2024.
That, in part at least, was a result of a combination of cooler temperatures in key markets, modest improvements in energy efficiency and slower economic expansion in some energy-intensive sectors.
3. Why Mexico's Data Centre Boom Has Hit an Energy Wall
Mexico's data centre capacity grew 142% since 2024, but some analysts warn energy planning failures and grid delays are pushing investment overseas
Mexico's data centre sector has expanded at a pace that would turn heads in any market.
Installed capacity has surged from 115.5MW in 2024 to nearly 280MW today according to the Mexican Data Centre Association (MEXDC). That is a rise of around 142% in just two years.
Despite this stellar growth, however, the MEXDC is sounding the alarm and its frustration is pointed squarely at the government.
In a statement marking its third anniversary, the MEXDC said it had "unsuccessfully" sought to engage the Mexican Energy Ministry to jointly plan for the sector's electricity needs.
As such, fears are mounting that one of the country’s fastest-growing sectors is currently operating without a coherent public energy strategy behind it.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s neighbouring nations are building their data centre portfolio all the time, which has some of the sector’s stakeholders worried that business may move elsewhere if the government does not organise itself appropriately.
4. Anthropic Poaches Google Energy Leader for Data Centre Push
Sana Ouji joins Anthropic's inaugural energy team as the AI firm races to build a global data centre portfolio backed by Google, AWS and Microsoft
Anthropic has hired Sana Ouji, a senior energy and data centre executive from Google, as the San Francisco-based AI company accelerates its effort to build out a substantial global infrastructure portfolio.
Sana spent more than six years at Google, most recently focusing on data centre energy strategic investments and partnerships.
Her departure is the latest in a string of senior infrastructure hires Anthropic has made from Google.
With top AI talent in short supply, poaching has been a prominent trend in the tech sector over the past year.
Anthropic's latest acquisitions show just how seriously the company is taking its recruitment strategy ahead of what is expected to a significant expansion of its data centre footprint.
5. GM Reaches 100% Renewable Energy Across US Operations
General Motors CSO Cassandra Garber chose Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit to reveal it has hit enough renewable energy to match its US electricity use
General Motors (GM) has reached a pivotal energy milestone, securing sufficient renewable energy to match all electricity consumed across its US facilities – a first for any US automaker.
The announcement was made by Chief Sustainability Officer Cassandra Garber during a fireside discussion with Sustainability Magazine Editor-in-Chief Steven Downes at Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit in Chicago.
Speaking on stage, Cassandra confirmed that GM has “secured enough renewable energy to match 100% of its electricity use across all its US facilities”.
This achievement signals a major step in aligning the company’s energy strategy with its wider ambition to transition to a fully electric vehicle portfolio.
