Former US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has joined the board of carbon capture firm Inventys. The announcement is a coup for Vancouver-based Inventys, which sees big market opportunities in the US, specifically in the enhanced oil recovery space. Operators in mature oil formations, such as Texas’ Permian Basin, often use EOR – which can… Keep reading →
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has weighed in on the question of whether the US should loosen export restrictions on domestically produced crude oil, suggesting that the export regime may be “outdated” at a Platts event on 12 December. So it was only a matter of time before someone in congress objected, loudly, to an Obama… 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 U.S. is not the clear, go-to nation for energy manufacturing. But it’s no longer the nation that businesses automatically leave when it comes time to scale up innovations to commercial production, said Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council, and it’s critical that the U.S. seize the opportunity that presents. Speaking to the… Keep reading →
The Department of Energy has come under fire – sometimes in bizarre ways – for appearing to favor renewables and nuclear energy over fossil fuels. Detractors have dubbed the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan, which seeks to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a “War on Coal”. But the DOE last week announced more… Keep reading →
Oil prices had risen on hopes of a US debt deal….but have dipped again since a deal was reached. “U.S. futures slid to their lowest since early July, as stockpiles in the Cushing, Oklahoma oil hub reversed a months-long decline and as signs of progress in talks over Iran’s nuclear program pressured prices.” [Reuters] Petrobras workers are striking to protest foreign… Keep reading →
The pace of change in the North American natural gas business has accelerated in recent months, with the US Department of Energy approval process for exports to non-free trade agreement countries failing to stop the achievement of major project milestones and new technology innovations driving market expansion. Four projects have been approved by DOE for… Keep reading →
The Obama Administration issued a statement yesterday in support of Senate Bill 1392, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013. The Washington Post described the bill as “timid” and “politically palatable”. That’s a good thing. The goal of the legislation is to codify and beef up existing federal government programs that seek to reduce energy… Keep reading →
Chinese renewable energy entrepreneur Li Hejun has officially become a billionaire, thanks to a sharp rise in the market value of his company, Hanergy Solar Group. “Solar energy entrepreneurs and investors in China have been upbeat about the industry’s prospects after the government recently announced higher-than-expected prices will be paid for solar power.” [Forbes] The… Keep reading →
Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants outlined in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan have been widely denounced by opponents as tantamount to a War on Coal. Curbing power plant emissions will have an outsized impact on coal-fired plants for the simple reason that coal emits more carbon dioxide when burned than other… Keep reading →
