Energy Bills & Grid Security: Germany confirmed a strategic gas reserve equal to 10% of storage capacity, to be filled in 2027-28 and funded via consumer levies—expected to add about €42 a year to household bills. Heatwave Cost Cuts: Minnesota Power and Consumers Energy pushed practical tips to cut summer electricity use, from thermostat tweaks and sealing drafts to shifting A/C use to cheaper hours. Business Energy Reform Push (UK): CBI and Energy UK urged new PM Andy Burnham to slash business power costs by removing renewables and feed-in tariff charges and tightening efficiency rules, arguing it could boost the economy by £130bn. Data Centers Under Scrutiny (US): Imperial County, California is set to extend a moratorium on new data centers amid power and water disputes, while Tazewell County weighs guidance for its own data center ordinance. Safety & Waste-to-Energy Fallout (India): Pune police registered an FIR against two officials after a Moshi waste-to-energy building collapse killed nine, citing alleged failures in safety measures during heavy rains. Renewables & Storage Momentum (EU): EU solar hit a record 25% share of electricity in June, and CORNEX/KK Group signed a 5 GWh European storage agreement. Biofuels Policy (Indonesia): Indonesia launched mandatory B50 biodiesel, targeting full rollout by Oct 1, 2026. Energy Markets Shock (Middle East): Oil jumped as US-Iran tensions and Strait of Hormuz disruption fears returned, lifting crude and pressuring global energy prices. Corporate Deal: Shell agreed to sell Sprng Energy to Aditya Birla Renewables for $1.8bn. Digital Grid Modeling: ABB invested in Gridcog to speed modeling and validation for microgrids, DERs and energy-as-a-service projects.