The US power sector is staring down the barrel of a labor shortage of crisis proportions. With workers in all aspects of the industry retiring faster than new recruits are replacing them, the industry has a lot of work to do to position itself as a magnet for new talent. “There are a number of… Keep reading →
In sunny, high retail cost states, it appears imminent Adding solar panels to a roof is at least 20% cheaper when the roof is being built than adding it later. Why not include solar panels as a standard feature in new homes, just as smoke detectors or kitchen granite countertops are? That seems to be… Keep reading →
The March 2011 Fukushima accident destroyed four and shuttered most (currently all) of Japan’s 54 nuclear plants. Japan replaced nuclear energy with discomfort, sacrifice, and costly fossil fuels, because utility oligopolies suppressed renewable competitors and national energy efficiency languished. Two and a half years later, power reserves, though easing, remain tight, fuel bills exorbitant, and… Keep reading →
Is investing in energy efficiency cost-prohibitive for developing countries? The US and other developed countries have made huge strides in using energy more efficiently. But the bulk of energy demand growth over the next few decades is projected to come from the developing world, where per capita energy intensity is expected to rise dramatically before… Keep reading →
In what has to be seen as a discouraging sign for offshore wind power – a key component of the United Kingdom’s scheme to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions – RWE said it is abandoning the planned 1,200-megawatt Atlantic Array, in the Bristol Channel. The company said unspecified technological challenges of the project made it “uneconomic for RWE at this… Keep reading →
More efficient technology combined with low costs and good wind resources are making wind cost-competitive with some of the cheapest forms of fossil energy in the Midwest. “In the Midwest, we’re now seeing power agreements being signed with wind farms at as low as $25 per megawatt hour,” said Stephen Byrd, Morgan Stanley’s Head of… Keep reading →
In the United States, coal is facing hard times. The welcome, though unexpected expansion of unconventional natural gas resources and production in North America has made natural gas the economically attractive fuel choice for new electricity generating power plants and, in many cases, has replaced older existing coal fired plants. From 2003 to 2013 coal’s… Keep reading →
ExxonMobil is the one of the world’s largest energy companies. But while the firm identifies its two primary priorities as producing energy and “reducing our emissions profile while we do it” – according to vice-president of government affairs Ken Cohen – energy, in this case, refers almost exclusively to oil and gas. ExxonMobil does have… Keep reading →
Amid all the uproar over the US’s surprising oil production growth of the last few years, some oil market watchers may have inflated expectations of just how well-supplied the market is. US onshore oil supply growth has helped to boost global oil market supply, helping to insulate prices from the impact of disruptions, such as… Keep reading →
This updated list is actually good news. OK, if Black Friday can start on Thanksgiving, then we can start making year-end lists on December 1. We listed the more than 200 VC-funded solar startups back in 2008. We knew that we’d be writing about most of them on their way up — as well as on their way down.… Keep reading →
