Have you ever heard of a synchrophasor? It may sound like a word out of science fiction, but these mailbox-sized devices are already changing the electrical grid as we know it. The grid was born over a century ago, at a time when our needs were simpler and our demand much lower. More complex needs are… Keep reading →
Today’s quote is actually a reader comment made in response to a news tidbit we featured in a recent morning roundup about the US Navy turning seawater into fuel. We remarked the piece was a bit light on details, so one of our readers helped fill in the technical aspects that, as he puts it,… Keep reading →
Energy reform now underway in Mexico could create a new dynamic in North American energy production, offering new opportunities and risks in many sectors of the industry and expanding North America’s already burgeoning oil and gas production outlook. The result could be a more prosperous Mexico, with the energy sector helping to drive economic growth.… Keep reading →
Following Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, tensions between the West and the Kremlin have been dangerously simmering. Meanwhile, the spotlight has moved to Eastern Ukraine where unmarked soldiers appear to be keen on destabilizing the situation further. Anti-Ukrainian agitators seized government buildings and police stations making a mockery of Kiev’s sovereignty. This sets up an ideal breeding… Keep reading →
The energy industry – oil & gas sector in particular – is bracing itself for a massive wave of retirements over the short to medium term, which has been dubbed “The Great Shift Change.” As the industry prepares for this turnover, companies are looking to the next generation of candidates with skills ranging from finance,… Keep reading →
The project is a way from shovels in the ground, but UK-based independent Tullow Oil is working towards bringing the considerable oil resources it’s discovered in Kenya and Uganda to market, which will require an extremely long, heated pipeline to transport the waxy crude. [The Observer] As businesses continue to seize opportunities presented by currently… Keep reading →
Since 2000, U.S. homes have ballooned in size — on average becoming 30 percent larger. Yet despite this fact, newer homes only consume 2 percent more energy, according to EIA data. While some of this can be attributed to more homes being built in warmer regions like the South, a lot of it is thanks in… Keep reading →
The changing global oil refining picture has seen several mid-range to large companies spin off their downstream operations in recent years, but the trend has yet to travel up the food chain to the world’s largest oil companies, despite pressure from investors to do so. Examples of companies that divested downstream assets include Hess and… Keep reading →
Last month EPA implemented new gasoline regulations requiring the last microscopic bits of sulfur to be removed from fuel. The Tier 3 standard is likely to hit consumers and burden the economy while providing, at best, negligible benefit. Writing for the Jefferson Policy Journal, Paul Driessen makes a number of important points about the potentially onerous effects of… Keep reading →
It’s common knowledge that the air in China is bad. After all, the country uses 50% of the world’s coal. But just how bad the air is – is it unhealthy or lightly polluted? – is more than just semantics. It’s been the source of debate and controversy between the US and Chinese governments. In… Keep reading →
