In a historic presentation to Congress, Pope Francis urged lawmakers on Thursday to take “courageous actions” on global warming, poverty and the refugee crisis. “I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States—and this Congress—have an important role to play,” the pope said in his prepared… Keep reading →
Hilary Clinton’s speech on Monday in Des Moines, Iowa in which she outlined an energy agenda that plans to generate 33% of the United States electricity from renewables reinforced the importance of energy in the 2016 election. The contrasting view between Republican candidates and Clinton on climate change underscores the partisan nature of the climate debate… Keep reading →
More than $1 trillion in U.S. real estate debt from the last decade is starting to come due as oil prices drop, particularly in cities and towns centered around the energy business. “The 50 percent plunge in crude values since June is already dragging down property prices in Texas, according to Green Street Advisors LLC.… Keep reading →
Economists are struggling to figure out exactly what consumers are doing with the extra disposable income available to them as a result of the steep decline in energy prices. “They have not gone on a shopping spree at the mall or online. Results at many retail chains have been mixed, and some stores that are… Keep reading →
President Obama and his administration are bracing themselves from a Republican controlled Congress in wake of his FY 2016 budget which will see heavy investment in clean energy industries. “In addition to some $7.4 billion in research and development funding for clean energy and climate science, President Obama’s fiscal year 2016 budget — a nearly $4 trillion… Keep reading →
In the wake of the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of legislation to approve the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline, the Senate now stands poised to take up the measure beginning this week, opening the door to other key energy issues. Legislation similar to the House-passed measure was recently approved by the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee and has the necessary support to avoid a filibuster. The Keystone legislation has drawn a veto threat from the President; however, a number of Democrats are expected to support the measure, so a veto-proof majority is at least possible on the bill.
