Senators have sought GAO investigation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor research program, in view of the constrained budget environment that could cut funding for U.S. fusion energy programs. On May 3, 2013, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) seeking information… Keep reading →
The United States has received yet another disappointing mark for overall performance, this time in the energy infrastructure sector. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 2013 report card for America’s Infrastructure gave the US a D+ for Energy Infrastructure, stressing the need for a national energy policy that adapts to future energy needs, a… Keep reading →
Impending Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations governing utilities’ cooling water intake and discharge could force some power plants to close, according to Black & Veatch Energy Chief Executive Dean Oskvig. Electricity production accounts for 38% of US water usage. In many cases, cooling water is drawn directly from a source such as a river or… Keep reading →
Investors are abandoning the solar manufacturing sector, but the solar game is far from over, according to one analyst. “There will be a resurgence” of solar after a manufacturing shakeout, Jason Channell, director of investment research and analysis at Citigroup, told CNBC. But “we think the next boom is coming from the storage area,” he… Keep reading →
We’ve come a long way since the painful market crashes of 2008, but it hasn’t been easy. Progress toward a more stable housing, credit, and job market has been hard fought, with far too many workers still looking for a decent job that pays a living wage. A possible silver lining to this stressful time might be… Keep reading →
Mergers and acquisitions in the utilities sector picked up in the first quarter as companies have begun to jettison merchant plants, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers US power and utilities deals leader Jeremy Fago. PwC reported that first-quarter deal value in the utilities sector rose by 33% over the same period a year ago. This was driven… Keep reading →
The ongoing debate about whether the US should permit additional LNG exports to countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement (non-FTA) is far from being just a question of whether we have enough gas to remain well-supplied domestically and export to other countries. The LNG export issue touches upon prospects for… Keep reading →
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Meeting an RPS is costing less than previously thought in many states. Late last year, a study found that California’s 33 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS) could result in a “rate impact bomb” in coming years. A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, however, found that for fourteen of the 29 states with an RPS… Keep reading →
Rising North American oil production helped to bring down oil, gasoline and diesel prices in 2012, and prices will continue to fall in 2013-2014, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA has forecast in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) that US benchmark crude oil West Texas Intermediate will average $93.17 per barrel… Keep reading →
