It’s hard to find a good quote when nobody’s talking. In this developing story, several Chinese national oil company employees – some fairly high ranking including CNPC’s chief accountant – have been “summoned to assist in an investigation,” according to Chinese news reports. It appears the wide-ranging government investigation that has been underway for months… Keep reading →
MidAmerican Energy Holdings, a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has agreed to buy nearly 450 2.3-megawatt wind turbines – with an estimated collective value of over $1 billion – from Siemens. “MidAmerican is expanding in wind as costs fall.” [Bloomberg] China’s move to tackle air pollution could push major Australian coal mining operations from… Keep reading →
From the pioneering work of Thomas Edison more than a century ago to today’s clean energy revolution, American innovation has always played an important role in making energy production smarter and more efficient. That’s why, as part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced today that it is providing up… Keep reading →
Life-cycle analysis has become all the rage within the environmental science community, particularly with regard to energy issues like the methane emissions footprint of natural gas development and the full range of environmental impacts associated with corn ethanol production. Leave it to the folks at Save on Energy to approach Christmas trees with the same… Keep reading →
Federal oversight of wind energy’s adverse impacts to birds, bats and other wildlife will increase due to two recent developments: the pending first programmatic take permit under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (“BGEPA”) and the first criminal enforcement action for avian fatalities under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”). Wind farms face a… Keep reading →
By sitting around and watching opportunities pass by Warren Buffet, the legendary investor who has been at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway and made a fortune for himself and his shareholders, was once asked how to make a million. His answer: Buy an airline for a billion and watch your investment shrink to a million.… Keep reading →
US natural gas prices fell sharply in 2008, from more than $10 per thousand cubic feet in July to less than $6/mcf at year-end, and have since fallen much further. The average US natural gas wellhead price fell from $7.97/mcf in 2008 to $3.67/mcf the following year, and to just $2.66/mcf in 2012, after an… Keep reading →
The US power sector is just beginning to understand the extent of the challenge it faces in replacing a retiring workforce, and to take steps to address it. But even if utilities manage to fill vacant positions, it remains to be seen how smoothly they can integrate a new generation of workers, and how long… Keep reading →
As Wall Street retreats from the energy trading business new players like major oil companies, utilities and other corporate enterprises are taking large chunks of the energy derivative and price hedging market. “With Wall Street hamstrung by growing regulatory restrictions, a recently finalized ban on proprietary trading and increased capital requirements, these corporate behemoths are… Keep reading →
SolarCity has unveiled an energy storage system for businesses. The system includes software that determines when to charge and when to discharge so as to minimize the utility bill. They use batteries from sister company Tesla motors. Although SolarCity has previously teamed batteries with rooftop solar, the new DemandLogic systems are meant for peak shaving.… Keep reading →
