Japan is assessing damage after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Aomori, injuring 34 people and causing a tsunami with waves up to 70 centimeters. The quake disrupted power and train services, but most have been restored. The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported a minor water spill at the Rokkasho plant, with no safety concerns. Authorities are warning of possible aftershocks and urging residents to stay prepared.

AI could unlock an additional 1 trillion barrels of previously unrecoverable oil by improving efficiency and sharpening reservoir analysis, according to Wood Mackenzize. "The sky is the limit in terms of the production. The days of predicting peak oil are long gone," said American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers. However, analysts note AI may not meaningfully alter demand patterns or downstream emissions, even as it reshapes expectations for future supply.

Eavor Technologies is launching the first commercial use of its closed-loop geothermal technology in Geretsried, Germany. The project, supported by a European Union grant, could eventually provide 8.2 megawatts of electricity or 64 megawatts of heating annually. The effort comes at a time when geothermal energy is developing around the globe. For example, the US Energy Department says that geothermal "holds the potential to power more than 65 million American homes and businesses, and is the next frontier for renewable energy deployment."

Increased oil drilling activity lifted the combined US oil and natural gas rig count by five to 549 last week, according to Baker Hughes. Most additions were concentrated in Louisiana, while New Mexico added a single rig.

Geothermal startup Zanskar has found a major untapped geothermal resource in Nevada, marking the first find of its kind in more than 30 years. Using AI and advanced prospecting methods, the company identified the Big Blind site, which could generate more than 100 megawatts of power. Today, the US is the world's leading user of traditional geothermal capacity, boasting 4 gigawatts.

During oral arguments in a case testing whether presidents can dismiss leaders of independent agencies at will, the Supreme Court's conservative bloc appeared open to weakening long-standing removal protections. Such a ruling would upend nearly a century of precedent and affect bodies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Liberal justices warned that dismantling those safeguards would undermine agency independence and disrupt the constitutional balance of powers.

The Energy Information Administration raised its 2025 US oil production forecast to a record 13.61 million bpd and trimmed its 2026 outlook to 13.53 million bpd, while projecting steady US oil demand in 2026. The agency also increased its 2026 dry gas production forecast to 109.1 Bcf/d, citing higher gas-to-oil ratios in the Permian Basin.

NextEra Energy and Alphabet's Google Cloud have announced an expanded partnership to build new large-scale US data center hubs paired with dedicated power generation. The utility expects to bring online at least 15 gigawatts of capacity for data centers by 2035, including gas-fired plants with carbon capture developed jointly with ExxonMobil. Separately, NextEra's infrastructure unit has reached a deal to acquire gas retail platform Symmetry Energy Solutions to expand its natural gas footprint.