Energy Transition, Renewables, Emissions, Carbon
May 27, 2026
ET Highlights: US lithium-ion battery imports fall, Norway warns on EU methane regulations, Australia to double power demand
Energy Transition Highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.
Top story
US lithium-ion battery imports fall in Q1
US lithium-ion battery imports tumbled in the first quarter of 2026 as new supply chain restrictions and tariffs took effect, slowing shipments especially from China -- the world's largest battery maker, according to the S&P Global Market Intelligence Global Trade Analytics Suite.
The US imported 171,023 metric tons of batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage and other uses in the first quarter, falling 46.5% from a year ago and 40.5% from the fourth quarter of 2025. That marked the lowest level of quarterly lithium-ion battery imports in over two years, the trade data shows.
The first-quarter slowdown coincided with the implementation of strict new US foreign entity of concern rules for renewable energy and energy storage projects to claim federal tax credits, an increase in the Section 301 tariff rate on Chinese batteries for stationary storage -- to 25% from 7.5% -- and a significant expansion of US battery manufacturing.
Battery imports for energy storage and other non-EV uses reached 150,150 mt in the first quarter of 2026, falling more than 47% from a year ago and 44% from the final quarter of 2025.
EV battery imports totaled 20,873 mt in the first quarter, down nearly 33% from 31,082 mt a year earlier. But first-quarter EV battery imports rose 9.3% from 19,091 mt in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Benchmark of the Week
$22,700/mt
Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed battery-grade lithium carbonate DDP US at $22,700/mt on May 22. China accounted for 60.3% of US lithium-ion battery imports in the first quarter, down from 84.8% in the first quarter of 2025 and 80.2% in Q4 2025, according to the Global Trade Analytics Suite, which relies on US Census Bureau data.
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ECOSPERITY WEEK: Asia-Pacific carbon market optimism contrasts with EU caution: VCMI
Asia-Pacific views climate action and carbon markets as an economic opportunity despite regulatory costs, contrary to the EU seeking delays in emissions regulations and being wary of aggression toward climate action amid competitiveness concerns, Mark Kenber, executive director of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative, told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, during Ecosperity Week 2026 in Singapore. Kenber said he saw genuine belief that addressing climate change and a green economy really is an opportunity in almost every country in Asia-Pacific. In contrast, concerns about competitiveness and economic sluggishness have led some companies in Europe to seek delays in emissions regulations or additional allocations, amid the Middle East crisis and elevated energy costs, he said.
Norway warned EC in 2025 methane law risks hindering oil, gas output
The Norwegian government warned the European Commission in a memo sent in 2025 and seen by Platts that the EU's methane emissions regulation could lower Norway's oil and natural gas exports to the EU and, ironically, increase Norwegian producers' total upstream greenhouse gas emissions. The government noted that frequent offshore site inspections could lead to higher emissions from maritime activities than would be saved from fixing leaks. Increased flaring is another concern, since shutting down plants to fix minor leaks would require flaring that would otherwise be unnecessary without the regulation, it said.
ECOSPERITY WEEK: Carbon markets face governance risks seen in financial markets
Carbon markets are now grappling with the same governance, legal, and financial risks that have long challenged global financial markets, industry experts at Innovate4Climate during Ecosperity Week in Singapore said during a May 22 panel, raising questions about market integrity and long-term viability. One of the prominent themes throughout the discussion was that integrity now sits at the center of the carbon market, as the market attracts more compliance buyers and institutional capital, with confidence in the credibility of carbon credits becoming essential.
S&P Global Energy Core
Fragmented approach hampering hydrogen transition: Oman energy minister
A lack of coordination and fragmented, shifting regulations are hampering efforts to deliver a global renewable hydrogen economy, Oman’s energy minister said at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 19. Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim al-Aufi said there was a need for partnership, where it sometimes felt like countries were working alone. “We all believe we're going in the same direction, but we're not, unfortunately,” Aufi said.
Australia data centers set to double power demand by 2030: S&P Global report
Australia's data centers are reshaping electricity demand in ways that challenge traditional planning, with consumption expected to more than double this decade, according to an S&P Global Energy report, 'Australia’s data centers and the emerging power system bottleneck'. Data center electricity consumption is forecast to reach 16 terawatt-hours by 2030, with New South Wales' share of power demand rising from 3% in 2025 to 10% by 2030, Logan Reese, director, lead OECD Asia Power and Renewables at S&P Global Energy, said in the report. Data centers have become a large, fast-growing load, with development anchored in metropolitan areas and driven by time-to-market, he said.
UK's Yamna secures approval for renewable ammonia project in India
UK-based renewable hydrogen producer YamnaCo secured approval from the Andhra Pradesh state government for the first phase of its proposed large-scale renewable ammonia project in India, the company said. The project will be developed in two phases, with a total targeted production capacity of 1 million metric tons/year of renewable ammonia, it said. The approval of the Andhra Pradesh green ammonia project represents an important step for Yamna to build a globally diversified portfolio of clean energy assets, Abdelaziz Yatribi, CEO at Yamna, said. The state cabinet approved the first phase, comprising 500,000 mt/year of production capacity, according to Yamna.