The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its proposal for Clean Air Act standards to limit carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants on Friday. The agency also announced that it has begun coordinating with state and local governments, industries and non-profit organizations to establish carbon dioxide emissions standards for existing power plants. “Power plants are the… Keep reading →
“The Christian Coalition believes that energy efficiency is a family value issue,” writes the group’s CEO in an op-ed. Whether or not you follow the logic, it will be interesting to see whether this helps advance efficiency legislation in Congress. [The Hill] Germany is finding out that its efforts to shift toward cleaner energy – while cutting… Keep reading →
In 1956, a little-known geologist named Marion King Hubbert published a paper predicting that oil supplies were destined to reach a peak as the cheap and easy to tap reservoirs were depleted over time. He predicted that US oil production would peak somewhere between the late 1960s to early 1970s. Others, including oil financier Mathew… Keep reading →
A question that frequently surfaces in discussions about energy and environment is why we continue to use fossil fuels, rather than transition to cleaner energy sources, given the threats posed by climate change. According to Statoil chief economist Eirik Wærness, no one has identified a means of sustaining acceptable levels of economic growth without them.… Keep reading →
The American Petroleum Institute’s latest statistics for US crude oil production show output for the month of August at its highest level in a quarter of a century. Production averaged more than 7 million barrels per day in August for the tenth consecutive month, according to API. “U.S. crude oil production in August increased by 1.2… Keep reading →
The success of distributed solar generation is one of the surprising twists in the ongoing drama of shifting US power markets, and now the revolution is set to come to wind power. United Wind started the road toward an anticipated half a billion dollars in financing by 2017 for distributed wind installations this week with… Keep reading →
Despite its significant oil wealth, American companies have long shied away from doing business in Sudan, initially because of security concerns and later in response to U.S. sanctions against the government in Khartoum. The secession of South Sudan in July 2011, during which 80% of the country’s oil wealth went to the South, followed by… Keep reading →
The dramatic shift in the US natural gas sector over the past five years calls for a rethink of at least some aspects of natural gas policy. But heated debates over its economic and environmental impacts, and uncertain progress on regulatory and legislative changes, show how elusive agreement on a new policy trajectory can be.… Keep reading →
India’s fuel subsidies are forcing domestic oil marketing companies to sell fuel below cost, costing three domestic retailers $76.6 million per day. “India imports more than 80% of the crude oil it requires, and with the rupee falling and crude prices rising, the cost of subsidized fuel is now threatening India’s efforts to rein in trade and… Keep reading →
IBM is looking to capture a share of Europe’s growing “smart” electricity market. IBM has inked a deal with the metering division of EOn, Germany’s largest utility, to deliver a data and analytics platform, the Intelligent Energy Service Enablement Platform, for Smart Grid customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with plans to expand offerings to… Keep reading →
