BY FRANK DALENE
Over the past several months—since the beginning of the war in Iran—I have been writing about the dangers of energy insecurity that arise from overreliance on one source of energy, in this case oil. As of mid-September, the situation has only worsened; a recent Wall Street Journal article reported that “U.S. crude prices have jumped 19% in the past three weeks to trade near $101 a barrel as attacks in the Middle East multiply,” and that American oil executives are now saying that the fuel crisis has arrived.[1]
This only goes to further reinforce the importance of building energy security, independence, and resilience. Building energy resilience is why we should be developing all sources to harvest renewable energy—sun, wind, ocean tides and currents, etc. It costs money to harvest energy from oil, gas, even hydrogen and nuclear sources; the sources for harvesting renewable energy, however, are free. Since they are free, it eliminates the economic uncertainty of the cost of energy as a commodity. Supply is unlimited, and it eliminates transportation costs such as ships, trucks, and rail.
In fact, while the fuel crisis is bleak, there are many incredibly exciting developments happening on the renewable energy front. For example, engineers are working on developing and deploying turbines in the Florida Straits to harness the power of the Gulf Stream to generate electricity—potentially up to 10,000 gigawatts, enough to cover 25 percent of Florida’s peak energy demands. This is an especially intriguing proposition, since it is a continuous source of renewable energy, unlike solar and wind.
Along with new renewable energy technology, there have also been huge advancements in energy storage, with battery technology rapidly becoming more efficient and safer—a vital component of making renewable energy feasible, as it is essential to store the energy produced by renewable sources.
Earlier in 2026, Finnish startup Donut Lab announced they had created the first production-ready solid-state battery (SSB) for electric vehicles, which can “charge to full in five minutes, says the company; has a practically unlimited lifespan (100,000 charging cycles); is unaffected by heat and cold (-30C to 100C); and contains no rare earth, precious metals or flammable liquid electrolytes.” Because these SSBs don’t need cooling systems and have higher voltage, meaning thinner, lighter wire can be used, they could also significantly decrease the weight of EVs.[2]
Unsurprisingly, China is also developing SSBs, with CATL, one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers, filing a patent and starting small-scale production. In Japan, Toyota is also developing SSB technology in-house, with the goal of having “‘the world’s first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in BEVs’ by 2027 or 2028.” And in the U.S., Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Factorial Energy to put SSBs in their EQS sedans.[3]
Startups in the U.S. are also developing batteries which replace rare, hard-to-obtain elements with sodium, which, as The Wall Street Journal reports, “has the potential to help every country on earth break its dependence on China for batteries, and the critical minerals that go into them.” Sodium-based batteries are “potentially cheaper, longer-lasting, safer and more reliable than conventional, lithium-based ones. They could accelerate the rollout of renewables and be part of less-polluting alternatives to natural-gas turbines and diesel generators.”[4]
Some new battery technology isn’t new at all, but rather ancient: thermal batteries, which store heat instead of electricity. As The Wall Street Journal reports, “More than two millennia ago (…) Roman builders hit upon a formula for concrete that allowed them to build bigger, stronger and more durable structures than ever. Today, their science is the heart of a new kind of cement-based battery, one that stores heat instead of electricity. When combined with cheap, renewable sources of energy, this new take on old tech has the potential to displace much of the natural gas and other fossil fuels used for heating.” Since about 30 percent of all global energy is used to produce heat for industry and to heat homes and water, this could have a huge impact on reducing reliance on fossil fuels.[5]
While this battery technology is being developed, EV manufacturers are experimenting with adding gas generators as range extenders to encourage more consumers to buy EVs. This is not a new concept—the Chevrolet Volt, which came out in 2011, had an onboard gas-powered generator to charge the battery. But The Wall Street Journal reports that “Hyundai, Ford Motor, and Jeep parent Stellantis are among the first U.S.-market automakers planning to roll out a new kind of plug-in vehicle called an extended-range EV…This new crop of EREVs will have more than 100 miles of all-electric range, meaning most drivers should rarely have to put gas in them ….”[6]
EREVs are not the same as hybrids; as the Wall Street Journal article explains, “Most plug-in hybrids on the road today are essentially gasoline vehicles with a battery shoehorned in to provide a small amount of all-electric range. EREVs flip the concept. They are designed first as electric vehicles, and the engine solely acts as a generator for the battery, with no mechanical connection to the wheels.”[7] This generator assuages the consumer fear of running out of juice with no charger nearby and also offers additional power to larger vehicles and trucks used for towing.
With all of these emerging technologies, true energy independence in the U.S. is a real possibility—and the current fuel crisis just goes to show how vital it is to pursue the kind of energy resilience these technologies can give us.
Frank Dalene, an Amazon Best Selling Author in Green Business & Environmental Economics titled, Decarbonize The World: Solving The Climate Crisis While Increasing Profits In Your Business, and Founder of the Hamptons Green Alliance, a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. Learn more at frankdalene.com and hamptonsgreenalliance.org.
[1] Benoît Morenne and Collin Eaton, “Oil Executives Say the Great Fuel Crisis Is Here,” Markets, Wall Street Journal, September 14, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-executives-say-the-great-fuel-crisis-is-here-b6b32030.
[2] Dan Neil, “Will This ‘Miracle’ Battery Finally Change Your Mind About EVs?,” Life, Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/cars/donut-lab-solid-state-battery-ssb-ev-4e6ad966.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Christopher Mims, “China-Free Batteries Made From Salt Are Finally Here,” Tech, Wall Street Journal, August 7, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/china-free-batteries-made-from-salt-are-finally-here-cc1cd766.
[5] Christopher Mims, “The 2,000-Year-Old Cement Battery That Could Reduce Our Reliance on Fossil Fuel,” Tech, Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/thermal-battery-cache-energy-cement-799295ca.
[6] Christopher Otts, “Carmakers Have a New Idea to Boost EV Range: Add a Gas Engine,” Business, Wall Street Journal, September 6, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/carmakers-have-a-new-idea-to-boost-ev-range-add-a-gas-engine-16bbcc34.
[7] Ibid.