That may be an understatement There has been a flurry of reports coming from all directions leading to similar conclusions, namely the demise of the traditional utility business model. The latest is a March 2014 report from an unlikely source, Morgan Stanley, concluding that “improvements in batteries and distributed generation could partly or completely eliminate… Keep reading →
Energy issues are more complex and interconnected than ever before, and for this reason energy has become front and center in many debates unfolding on national and international stages. This complicated mixture of issues – viewed through an energy-focused lens – can be summed up with 3 “C’s”, as described by Norwegian oil & gas… Keep reading →
Originally Posted on TheEnergyCollective.com If I asked you to think of renewable energy what comes to mind? I imagine it is skyscraper-sized wind turbines, solar panels on suburban roofs or massive hydro-electric dams. You probably do not think of burning wood or converting crops to liquid fuel to be used in cars. Yet throughout the world… Keep reading →
The story of how net metering and onsite residential solar is eating way utilities’ profit margins is getting old, so what can these companies do about it? This piece suggest two strategies. “Clean Power Finance’s new partnership with North American Power demonstrates one of two ways in which a retail electricity provider (REP) can profit from selling… Keep reading →
As recently as 2002, no system in America could gather and share real-time emergency situation information on power and natural gas infrastructure — a weakness exposed by the widespread destruction by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. A team of Energy Department experts remedied this situation by developing a system to do just that, and are now being recognized for their work. They… Keep reading →
Statoil’s CEO Helge Lund gave keynote remarks to the audience at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy Spring Conference last week. He also engaged in some Q&A with IHS Vice Chairman and author of The Prize Daniel Yergin, who asked Lund about how Europe looks at the US unconventional production boom predominantly fueled by… Keep reading →
Texas both produces and consumes more energy than any state in the U.S. It controls one-quarter of U.S. proven oil reserves. Energy companies looking to grow or to establish a U.S. presence set up operations in Texas. The primary electricity transmission system in Texas is independent of the rest of the country (a long-time source… Keep reading →
Peak solar & wind power production in Germany are considerably lower than installed capacity The EU Commission recently unveiled new regulations for the period 2014 to 2020 to gradually phase out support for renewable energy technologies. In a press release the commission stated the guidelines are intended to “promote a gradual move to market-based support… Keep reading →
Which technology wins in a head-to-head comparison: fuel cell vehicles or electrics? The first mass-market consumer fuel-cell vehicle will soon be available in California: the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell SUV. It’s taken decades to get to this point, so many enthusiasts are hoping that this will be a tipping point for the technology. It’s an exciting… Keep reading →
The battle over fracking in Colorado is heating up with major funding flowing into both sides of the debate. Several ballot initiatives regarding the oil and gas well completion technology will be voted on this November. Celebrities like Yoko Ono and wealthy activists including Tom Steyer are supporting anti-fracking legislation, or in many cases, laws… Keep reading →
