Energy security, rather than energy independence, should be the priority for US geopolitical positioning as the superpower reviews the impact of the ongoing production boom from shale oil and gas fields in the continental US, a new report argues. “The three key factors in the promotion of energy security are increasing energy efficiency, diversifying supply… Keep reading →
Shell spent billions of dollars and significant political capital to obtain the licenses and approvals required to explore for oil and gas off the coast of Alaska. A US appeals court recently ruled the original lease sale flawed, which threw new obstacles in the company’s path toward offshore Alaskan oil and gas development. The recent… Keep reading →
Energy and climate stakeholders were surprised by news Thursday that Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. will retire at the end of the year after 40 years in Congress. “Waxman was also a champion of environmental causes. He was one of the chief architects behind a 1990 upgrade to air pollution laws, and in 2009, along with… Keep reading →
A startup named Aquion recently began commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries that solve some lithium-ion toxicity and flammability issues. The company says when scaled up, the batteries could supplant natural gas peaker plants, allowing stored renewable energy to be used during power demand spikes instead of gas. “The batteries could allow the grid to accommodate… Keep reading →
Alaska Governor’s latest plans to advance Alaska’s long-sought natural gas pipeline calls for state ownership share in the state’s LNG export project. On January 10, 2014, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced a proposal to establish state equity partnership in the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project. To this end, the state will terminate its 2008… Keep reading →
Rising oil output in the US has already begun to alter the traditional price relationship between US and international crudes, and continued production growth could lead to a domestic glut of certain grades, adding to pressure to lift restrictions on crude exports. The stunning turnaround in the US’ oil fortunes has made plenty of headlines,… Keep reading →
The latest budget deal struck in congress – which has yet to pass the House and Senate – does not repeal oil and gas industry tax breaks, but would mean an end to the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research Program, a public-private partnership seeking to develop technology for harnessing energy… Keep reading →
United States law prohibits exports of crude oil and condensate except under certain conditions, while exports of refined products and natural gas are far less restricted. While these laws had little impact when the country was in a position of oil and gas scarcity, the country’s newfound energy abundance has rendered some of them obsolete,… Keep reading →
ExxonMobil is famously tight-lipped and conservative, and its quarterly earnings calls rarely produce much in the way of stunning news or salacious gossip. But the company’s discussions of ongoing operations at important projects – such as massive oil sands investments, Russian gas export facilities and Alaskan infrastructure targets – touch on some of the trickiest and… Keep reading →
Opinion: Arctic Powers Canada and US Need Arctic Thinkers
By Joël Plouffe and Simon Sylvester-ChaudhuriOnce again, all eyes will turn to the Arctic this week as Canada sets to file its UN claim over an extended continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2003, in order to obtain exclusive rights over the upcoming claim to… Keep reading →