A couple of data points from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that help illustrate the impact of the natural gas portion of the American energy revolution. First, EIA reports that wholesale electricity prices at major trading hubs, on a monthly average for on-peak hours, were down 27 percent to 37 percent across the U.S.… Keep reading →
On December 3, 2015, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to approve the continuation of the state’s investor-owned utilities’ (IOUs) natural gas financial hedging activities. The decision is a setback for consumer groups, which requested that hedging be abandoned in view of prolonged periods of losses. Florida’s natural gas hedging programs have cost ratepayers… Keep reading →
The natural gas production boom has restructured the North American pipeline network, spurring billions in infrastructure investments–gathering, processing, and transmission facilities–needed to bring surging supplies from shale formations to the pipeline grid. With persistent low natural gas prices, demand for natural gas abroad and locally by domestic and industrial consumers has been rising at a… Keep reading →
To reap the benefits and avert the dangers of Moscow’s latest developments with Iran, Washington and Europe should adopt a strategy that allows them to cooperate on Syria and antiterrorism efforts, while continuing pressure on issues such as the Ukraine conflict and S-300 deliveries to Tehran. On November 23, Russian president Vladimir Putin opens a… Keep reading →
The U.S. natural gas industry continues to shift from its primary role as fuel for heating and cooking to the dominant fuel of choice for U.S. electrical power. This move is prompted by consistently low prices, production efficiency gains and regulatory drivers. Yet in key markets across the United States, the “rush to gas” creates… Keep reading →
After months of bureaucratic foul-ups, Israel may be close to approving a new regulatory framework to develop its offshore natural gas resources, but another political fumble could have dire economic repercussions. In the coming weeks, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will reportedly seek to win support for regulatory changes intended to break a political logjam… Keep reading →
The major discovery is good news for Egypt but will likely impede Israel’s much-delayed plans to exploit and export its own offshore reserves. In an August 30 press release, Italian energy company Eni announced that it has found a “supergiant” natural gas field off the coast of Egypt. Discovered more than 13,000 feet below the… Keep reading →
Italian energy group Eni has claimed to have found one of the world’s largest natural gas fields off the Egyptian coast. [BBC News] A spike in oil prices helped energy shares reverse an early decline on Monday. [ABC/AP] An energy storage study claims that prices for battery technologies will plunge up to 60% over the next… Keep reading →
New government stats on falling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electrical power generation point to a good-news story on energy and climate, one that should grab the attention of policymakers nationally and in the states. Take a look at this chart from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): The blue-green line plots CO2 emissions from… Keep reading →
Natural gas, once touted as the leading fossil fuel energy source, appears to be suffering the most from the latest Clean Power Plan agenda. [The Hill] Devon Energy Corp. has recorded a second-quarter loss of $2.8 billion due to tumbling oil prices. [NewsOK] Millions of motorists who’ve bought diesel cars believing they were less harmful… Keep reading →
