As the US ethanol industry expanded, it quickly became clear that numerous limitations and complications came with using food crops – primarily corn in the US – to manufacture fuel. As is often the case in modern society, technology was seen as the solution. Ethanol can also be made from non-food feedstock like switch grass,… Keep reading →
Aubrey McClendon, ousted chief executive of Chesapeake Energy, cannot be accused of depriving investors and other interested parties of reasons to sue, or at least question the legality of his actions. So this begs the question: why go after him for naming his company American Energy Partners? Several news sources have reported that American Energy… Keep reading →
China’s power market will more than double in size by 2030, with more than half of expected additions to come from renewables, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “China’s power sector could attract investment as high as US$159 billion per year, with around half going to renewables…As a result of a cleaner energy mix, the… Keep reading →
Most people find it tough to get excited about regulators. But President Obama’s nomination of Ron Binz to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reason to sit up and take notice. FERC oversees the nation’s electricity and natural gas networks, and the grid is badly in need of upgrades—up to $2 trillion worth by… Keep reading →
Accounting giant Ernst & Young’s latest United States renewable energy attractiveness index confirms commonly understood perceptions of which states are friendliest to renewables, such as California and Hawaii, but also shows remarkable progress by individual states and the solar industry as a whole. The top ten states on the All Renewables Index, which you can… Keep reading →
Reports in a Lebanese newspaper detail a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, in which bin Sultan suggested a joint Russian-Saudi strategy to manage oil production volumes and prices, according to Platts. “‘Let us examine how to put together a unified Russian-Saudi strategy on the subject of… Keep reading →
What if price mattered less to the utility ratepayer than winning? That’s the promise of “gamification,” the product and programming trend that has driven Internet success stories like Foursquare or Instagram. At first it can be hard to see how “check-ins” and other forms of social sharing can play a role in businesses like the… Keep reading →
Of all the coverage linking Syria to oil prices, BBC seems to have used to most appropriate word for how the conflict is affecting markets: they’re “jittery”. It conveys that price movements will be both reactive and unpredictable as events unfold. The possibility of conflict has almost certainly pushed oil prices higher, but uncertainty over the… Keep reading →
The Mexican energy industry has remained closed to foreign investments since 1938 and its people have taken great pride in its energy independence. But President Enrique Peña Nieto hopes to revolutionize the country’s outdated energy policies with the reform bill he proposed August 12. The bill, which still has to be approved by Congress, would amend… Keep reading →
Silver Spring Networks topped Inc. Magazine’s rankings. The editors at Inc. magazine have released their rankings of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in America. The list offers an interesting snapshot of where growth is taking place in the energy sector. The boom in America’s unconventional oil and gas development is clearly evident on the list. Out of the 110 energy… Keep reading →
