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Maguire: US-driven gas-turbine crunch could speed up global clean energy adoption
The rush by U.S. utilities to buy as many gas turbines possible to boost their local power output has caused a global shortage in gas-powered equipment. This may prompt other power systems into accelerating the development of cleaner alternatives. According to Global Energy Monitor data, the?amount? of U.S. natural gas-fired power plants that are under construction has increased by more than two-thirds since a year earlier, and the?amount? in pre-construction is up more than five-fold from early 2025. The U.S. surge in gas-fired capacity is pushing delivery dates for new 'gas turbines' into the 2030s. Meanwhile, the cost of utility-scale solar farms with battery energy storage systems continues to fall. Companies in other countries are prioritising non-gas power sources as a result of the combination of increasing uncertainty in the gas supply chain and the availability of cleaner power alternatives. Rapid Growth at Home According to GEM, the U.S. pipeline of new gas-powered generator capacity has exploded over the last year. The total capacity under construction is expected to more than double by 2025 and reach 30 gigawatts. Pre-construction capacity for U.S. Gas has risen by?420% since early 2025, to just under 159 GW. Pre-construction capacity in the U.S. represents one third of global capacity pipelines at the same stage of development. This means the U.S. holds a record share for the "global power supply pipeline" of gas. Utilities are the main contractors for the new capacity planned, but a few so-called hyperscalers such as Meta and Microsoft intend to power their facilities directly from gas plants. The appeal of gas-fired electricity in the U.S. has been boosted by the strong policy support in Washington and the record high production of domestic natural gas. The promise to reduce restrictions on gas exploration in federal lands has also led to expectations that U.S. supplies of gas will continue to grow and remain the most abundant energy?source for U.S. utilities. COOLING Demand Overseas There are signs of a waning enthusiasm for gas power in other countries. Gas prices have risen to three-year highs last month in the U.S. and nearly doubled so far in Europe this year. Gas-importing countries also do not want to become dependent on potentially belligerent trading partner. The fallout from Russia's invasion in Ukraine 2022 is still affecting several European gas-consuming countries. They are reluctant to import LNG from the U.S. and instead use tariffs and threats of trade as a means of coercion. In Asia and Africa as well, energy sovereignty is a growing concern. The production of materials related to the energy transformation - such as solar panels and batteries - creates local jobs while also helping to reduce energy imports. MOVING TARGETS It is estimated that 52% of global gas pipelines in pre-construction are based in Asia or Africa. Around 234 GW are planned for Asia, and another 19.3 GW will be built in Africa. China has 61 GW in pre-construction, on top of the 31 GW that are currently being built. It is increasing its overall gas-powered footprint. The wide time frame of the pre-construction project means that these capacity levels will change. This is especially true in China, a dynamic energy system where the generation mix changes at an 'unprecedented speed. China is the world's leading producer of renewable energy and manufacturer of clean-energy components. Its utilities and government are prioritizing power generated locally over imported fuels. Solar panels and battery storage system are increasingly popular with utilities around the world. Beijing continues to place a high priority on supporting these manufacturing and export-oriented industries. This means that China will continue to ship a large amount of clean energy components, even though gas turbine scarcity is increasing. The prospect of affordable, abundant renewable equipment may be more appealing to global power system managers than the uncertain timeline and high gas prices for gas power components. This could lead to a divergence of global power systems, with the U.S. becoming ever more gaseous while other major markets choose a cleaner composition. These are the opinions of the columnist, who is also an author. This column is great! Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets 7 days a weeks.
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The Moroccan energy ministry halts gas projects
The Moroccan energy ministry announced on Monday that it had suspended tenders for a LNG terminal in Nador West Med port on 'the Mediterranean coast and related 'gas pipeline projects. It did not give any details as to the reason for the suspension. The tender was for the construction of an LNG terminal at Nador West Med Port on?the Mediterranean Coast and a pipeline connecting it to an existing pipeline which allows Morocco to import LNG via Spanish?terminals to supply two power stations. The project also included a section which would?connect existing pipelines to industrial zones on the Atlantic coast?in Mohammedia, Kenitra and Kenitra. The ministry for energy transition and sustainable growth said that due to "new parameters and assumptions" related to the project, it has postponed the receipt of bids and opening of the applications received as of today. Morocco wants to increase its use of natural gases to diversify from coal. It is also accelerating its renewable energy plan. The goal is to have renewables account for 52% or more of installed capacity by 2030. According to estimates from the ministry, the country's demand for natural gas is expected to increase to 8 billion cubic meters in 2027. It currently stands at around 1 bcm. Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi, Editing by Jan Harvey and Lincoln Feast.
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S&P 500 closes higher; chipmakers, small caps and other stocks jump
The S&P 500 ended higher on Monday. Gains in chipmakers, and companies that are related to artificial-intelligence, as well as smaller?companies, were largely responsible for the increase. Russell 2000 index has jumped. The small-cap index is outperforming the S&P 500, Nasdaq and S&P 500 so far in 2026. Alphabet, Amazon and other companies have all risen ahead of their quarterly results this week. This will provide investors with a new glimpse into the race for AI dominance. After the bell, AI-related data company Palantir rose ahead of its quarterly reports. SanDisk Advanced Micro Devices Micron Technology and other chipmakers that benefit from AI-related demand also saw a rise in their stock prices. The S&P 500 gained for the first time in three sessions, following recent concerns about high valuations of tech companies whose stocks have surged in recent years?on optimism regarding AI. The S&P 500 will be up 2% by 2026, lagging behind the Russell 2000 which is expected to rise more than 6%. Gains in small cap stocks are often viewed by investors as a sign of economic confidence. The fundamentals are strong and earnings are high. "We have had positive surprises for both revenues and earnings, almost across the board," Tim Ghriskey said, senior portfolio analyst at Ingalls & Snyder, New York. According to LSEG, analysts expect 'S&P 500 companies' to have increased their earnings by nearly 11% during the December quarter. This is up from an estimated 9% growth at the beginning of January. Most of this growth is driven by technology-related companies. Walt Disney's shares fell, despite its quarterly earnings exceeding Wall Street expectations. The company warned that international visitors were declining to its U.S. parks and earnings in its TV and Film division had fallen. The preliminary data shows that the S&P 500 rose?37.25, or 0.54 percent, to 6,976.28. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite rose 129.69, or 0.55 percent, to 23,591.51. The Dow Jones Industrial Average grew by 519.80, or 1.06% to 49,412.27. The PMI data revealed that U.S. factory activity grew in January for the first time since a year. The CBOE VIX (also known as Wall Street's fear gauge) dropped 1.3 points, to 16.2, after hitting a high of nearly two weeks earlier in the day. Oil prices dropped, and the S&P 500 Energy Sector Index fell. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Iran is "seriously speaking" with Washington. This comment hints at a de-escalation of tensions and eases fears about supply disruptions. Low energy prices have boosted airline stocks. United Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines all rose. The House of Representatives has taken up legislation to end a partial shutdown that was entered on Saturday. A final vote is expected on Tuesday. Due to the partial government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the highly anticipated employment report for January will not be released this Friday.
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Small caps surge as S&P 500 reaches record highs
S&P 500 reached a record high on Monday. Gains by chipmakers and companies involved in artificial intelligence were largely responsible for this, but smaller companies rose as well. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.6%. Small-cap indexes have outperformed the S&P 500, Nasdaq and S&P 500 so far in 2026. Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft each gained more than 1% in advance of their quarterly results due later this week. These reports will provide investors with a new look at the race for AI dominance. Palantir, a company that deals with AI-related data, rose 1.6% after the bell to its quarterly report. The chipmakers that benefit from the AI-related demand of their components have also seen a rise. SanDisk soared 15% while Advanced Micro Devices, Micron Technology and Micron Technology all added around 5%. The S&P 500 gained for the first time in three sessions, following recent concerns about high valuations of tech companies whose stocks have soared on optimism over?AI. The S&P 500 will be up about 2% by 2026. This is less than the Russell 2000, which has risen nearly 7%. Gains in small-cap stock are often viewed by investors as a reflection of confidence in the economy. The fundamentals are good, and earnings are strong. "We have had positive surprises for both revenues and earnings in New York," said Tim Ghriskey. According to LSEG, analysts expect S&P companies to have increased their earnings by nearly 11% during the December quarter. This is up from a?estimate at the beginning of January of around 9%. The majority of this growth is driven by technology-related companies. Walt Disney dropped 5.3% Monday after it Postings The company reported quarterly earnings that were above Wall Street's expectations, but warned about a drop in international visitors at its U.S. parks and a slump of earnings in its TV and Film division. The S&P was up by 0.70% to 6,987.77, setting the stage for a new record close. The Nasdaq rose 0.91%, to 23,674.32 point. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.04% to 49,403.02 point. The PMI data revealed that U.S. manufacturing activity increased for the first time since a year ago in January. The CBOE VIX (also known as Wall Street's fear gauge) dropped 1.3 points, to 16.2, after hitting a high of nearly two weeks earlier in the session. Oil prices dropped and the S&P 500 Energy Sector Index fell 1.4%. U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is "seriously speaking" with Washington. This comment hinted at a de-escalation, and eased concerns about supply disruptions. Low energy prices have boosted airline shares. United Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest each rose between 4% to 7%. House of Representatives has taken up legislation to end a partial shutdown of the government entered on Saturday. A final vote is expected on Tuesday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the "closely-watched employment report" for January will not be released this Friday because of the partial government shutdown. The S&P 500 has a ratio of 1.3 to one between the number of rising and falling issues. The S&P 500 recorded 28 new highs, and 8 new lowers. The Nasdaq registered 139 highs, and 186 lows.
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The Moroccan energy ministry has put the gas pipeline project on hold
The Moroccan energy ministry announced on Monday that it had suspended a tender launched last month to build a gas pipeline, but did not provide any details as to the reasons. The tender was for the construction of a pipeline connecting a future terminal at the Nador West Med Port on the Mediterranean?to an existing pipe that allows Morocco to import?LNG via Spanish terminals?and supply two power plants? The section would also connect the existing pipe to industrial zones on the Atlantic, in Mohammedia and Kenitra. The ministry issued a statement saying that "due to new parameters and assumptions relating to this project...the ministry of energy transformation and sustainable development has postponed the receipt of applications as well as the opening of the bids received today." Morocco wants to increase its use of natural gas in order to diversify its energy mix and move away from coal. It is also accelerating its renewable energy plan which will see renewables account for 52% by 2030. According to estimates by the ministry, the country's gas demand is expected to increase to 8 billion cubic meters in 2027. It currently stands at around 1 bcm. Ahmed Eljechtimi, Jan Harvey (Editing)
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BAE workers in Northern England are planning a strike over wages, the union claims
A union representing workers at the British defence group BAE Systems, located in north-west England, announced on Monday that they plan to strike from February 2 until at least 20. The dispute is over pay and working conditions. Unite, the union, took this action in response to what it called "bad faith" negotiations on pay and conditions. The?company imposed the 3.6% pay deal in 2025 against their will, arguing that this was below inflation and represented a real pay cut. It said that more than 1,200 members of the company planned to participate in walkouts. BAE's spokesperson stated that the company has enhanced its pay and pensions. They described it as a "market-leading reward and pay", and said it was aimed at balancing their need to be competitive and affordable to customers. "We are committed to working in partnership with all of our trade union groups." "Our production lines are still operational, and we expect them to be so throughout this period," said the spokesperson. BAE, who employs around 50,000 people across 50 sites in UK, said it expected 200 of its employees to take part in the strike action, while another 1,000 could possibly take industrial actions short of a complete stoppage of work without a strike, according to its spokesperson. (Reporting and writing by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Michael Holden).
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Air India grounded Boeing Dreamliner after possible fuel control switch defect
Air India announced on Monday that it has grounded a Boeing Dreamliner aircraft after one of its pilots reported an alleged defect in the fuel control switch of the aircraft, which is currently at center of an investigation into a fatal air crash last summer. The airline didn't specify the nature or flight details. Two sources claim that the pilot reported the problem after landing in Bengaluru, a southern Indian city after departing from London. Air India announced that "after receiving this initial information we have ground?the aircraft", adding that they were in contact with Boeing "on priority basis". Boeing stated that it was supporting Air India. According to Flightradar24, the airline owns 33 Dreamliners. Fuel switches were at the heart of last year's crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Gujarat, which resulted in the deaths of 260 people. This led to a tightening of scrutiny on the airline. Fuel switches control the flow of fuel into an aircraft's engine. The fuel switches are used by the pilots to shut down engines on the ground, or manually restart or shut down engines in case of an engine failure during flight. Report on preliminary findings On the crash of last year, it was reported that the fuel cutoff switches on the engines had been flipped almost simultaneously, depriving them of fuel. Air India, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines said it had notified India's aviation regulator of the latest incident. A spokesperson from the regulator didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Air India confirmed that it had tested the fuel control switches of all Boeing 787s in its fleet following a directive by the regulator last summer and found no problems. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Gareth Jones and Abhijith Ganapavaram)
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Video shows that IS militants with guns roamed the airport tarmac freely during Niger attack
SITE Intelligence Group's footage, which tracks jihadist activities worldwide, shows that Islamic State militants blew up explosives and ran amok among passenger planes in an attack on Niger's international airport. Washington has ordered non-emergency employees of the government and their families to leave 'Niger due to safety concerns. Abdourahamane Tiani, the military leader of Niger, accused France and the presidents Benin and Ivory Coast of being the sponsors of the attack without providing any evidence. The Benin government denied the allegations, and Ivory Coast summoned Nigerien Ambassador Tiani to condemn his comments. Gunfire and loud blasts were heard throughout the airport on Wednesday night, before the calm returned to the area Thursday morning. UAV AND HELICOPTER? IN FLAMES SITE released footage on Sunday showing militants firing weapons from a motorbike and on foot near aircraft hangars and passenger planes. They also set off an explosive near an unmanned aerial system (UAV) or a helicopter, which were then shown in flames. The video "shows IS terrorists speaking Kanuri, which is a language that's more commonly spoken in the Lake Chad Basin," said Ladd serwat, senior Africa analyst at U.S. Crisis-monitoring Group?ACLED. The attack may have been carried out by more experienced drone operators of the Islamic State West Africa Province. ASKY Airlines, a pan-African airline, said that two of its aircraft suffered minor damage when parked on the tarmac. Air Cote d'Ivoire, the national airline of Ivory Coast, said that an Airbus A319 had been damaged on its right wing and fuselage. The incident took place outside of normal operating hours, and neither company reported any injuries to passengers or crew. Niger reported that it had killed 20 attackers including a French citizen, and injured 11 others. Islamic State has not provided any figures. Niger has, along with its Sahel neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso and Mali, struggled to contain the attacks of jihadists linked to al Qaeda or Islamic State, which have killed thousands in these three countries and displaced millions. (Written by Robbie Corey Boulet; edited by Bate Felix & Mark Heinrich)
Qantas, the Australian airline, will no longer operate Jetstar Japan and instead focus on its domestic services
Qantas Airways announced?on?Tuesday that it would sell a stake in low-cost carrier Jetstar Japan so as to 'focus on its core domestic offerings, given the softer corporate demand for Qantas and increased fuel costs.
Qantas, the Australian airline, has announced that it will sell its minority 33.32% stake in Jetstar Japan.
Japan Airlines and Tokyo Century Corp. will retain their respective voting rights of 50% and 16.7%, and the Development Bank of Japan plans to become a shareholder.
The decision to sell the stakes comes after Jetstar Asia, based in Singapore, closed in July. This will allow Qantas Australia to concentrate resources on their core operations, Qantas, and Jetstar Airways.
It forecast that domestic unit revenue would grow at the lower end of its earlier projections, which ranged from 3% to 5%, for the six-month period ending December 2025. However, capacity was constrained due to delays in returning A380s to service.
Qantas' shares were 0.7% higher at A$10.245 each, as of 0348 GMT. This was in line with the 0.7% rise in the benchmark ASX 200 index. (Reporting by Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
(source: Reuters)