The steady upward march of oil prices over time is putting increasing pressure on remote communities in Alaska that rely on diesel-fueled generators for much of their power supply, but displacing diesel with other electricity sources, such as renewables, is often an even higher-cost option. Alaska’s rural communities pay some of the highest prices for… Keep reading →
Ford is going to offer a natural gas option for its 2014 F-150 truck. “‘We may look back on this launch as when natural gas really became a mass-market fuel for retail customers as well as fleet customers,’ said Jon Coleman, sustainability and technology manager for Ford.” [Fuel Fix] Ineos Bio, Indian River BioEnergy Center… Keep reading →
Add Spain to the list of countries that have offshore wind power before the United States. And on this one the U.S. really missed an opportunity. (That’s right, cool though it is, I have decided not to count that scaled-down 20-kilowatt floating turbine demo off Maine as establishment of U.S. offshore wind power.) This is the real thing… Keep reading →
State level regulators, like politicians, read the newspaper headlines, notice what is in their in-box and have a good sense of what their constituents like and dislike. This, more than anything else, explains why they seem reluctant to modify or nullify prevailing net energy metering (NEM) laws even when they realize that the status quo may be unsustainable… Keep reading →
Falling crude oil output in Alaska is complicating operation of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System from the North Slope to Valdez, and the high costs facing producers is the biggest challenge to reversing the trend, according to Tom Barrett, US Coast Guard Admiral (Ret.) and President of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The 800-mile TAPS pipeline “was brilliantly… Keep reading →
NETL has stated nothing of concern has thus far been found for preliminary results of its ongoing hydraulic fracturing study at Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. On July 19, 2013, the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) released a preliminary statement of its ongoing hydraulic fracturing study at two Pennsylvania drilling sites. NETL stated that… Keep reading →
With all the great speakers and presentations at the USAEE /IAEE North American Conference in Anchorage this week, it’s hard to pick and choose among so many well-expressed ideas. Our USAEE updates represent just a few of our favorite quotes from the ongoing events. Alaska’s oil output has been falling steadily over the past several… Keep reading →
The US is the only country with an Arctic coastline that has not yet ratified the Law of the Sea Treaty, which could put it at a disadvantage in laying claim to what could be substantial resources on its outer continental shelf. The Law of the Sea Treaty – or more formally, the United Nations… Keep reading →
With all the great speakers and presentations at the USAEE /IAEE North American Conference in Anchorage this week, it’s hard to pick and choose among so many well-expressed ideas. Our USAEE updates represent just a few of our favorite quotes from the ongoing events. An oil and gas producer may have deep pockets, top-notch technical… Keep reading →
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski addressed the USAEE/IAEE North American Conference via webcast on Monday with a short speech on the importance of federal policy in determining energy outcomes. And she addressed a question raised at a recent hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – of which she is ranking member – why… Keep reading →
