Opinions vary on how serious are the challenges facing the industry. For some time now, everybody and his brother, as the saying goes, is talking about the rapid changes taking place within the electric power sector and the potential impact of these on the future of the industry. This newsletter has had its own share… Keep reading →
The Department of Energy has come under fire – sometimes in bizarre ways – for appearing to favor renewables and nuclear energy over fossil fuels. Detractors have dubbed the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan, which seeks to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a “War on Coal”. But the DOE last week announced more… Keep reading →
Korean engineers may have found a way to allow electric vehicle batteries to recover and reuse energy from braking. “These guys have built high-performance supercapacitors out of graphene that store almost as much energy as a lithium-ion battery, can charge and discharge in seconds and maintain all this over many tens of thousands of charging… Keep reading →
By Catherine Boyle The fallout from the failure of a high-profile international meeting over Iran’s nuclear ambitions could be most felt in the cost of oil. The Brent crude price of oil rose towards $106 a barrel in early trading Monday morning, following the conclusion of the weekend’s meeting. Any signs that Iran is coming into the… Keep reading →
Edison Electric Institute, an industry group representing investor-owned utilities, has taken the net metering debate – which pits utilities against the residential solar industry – to the airwaves. Residential solar installations have grown rapidly over the past few years. “Arguably the most severe threat to the traditional utility business model is the advent of rooftop solar systems, which could… Keep reading →
The possibility of a rapprochement in nuclear talks between the US and Iran – though they did not produce a deal – had fueled a degree of oil market optimism about Iran’s reinstatement as a global oil supplier. But even if negotiations had proved successful, political and logistical hurdles would likely have stalled any significant return… Keep reading →
A recent report by consultancy IHS Cera takes aim at common arguments against development of Canadian oil sands, but acknowledges the need for continued – and improved – environmental monitoring and regulation. Groups opposed to construction of the Keystone XL pipeline frequently feature the following claims on their websites: that the pipeline will not enhance… Keep reading →
The failed nomination of Ron Binz to be the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was formalized with his withdrawal from consideration last month, was unprecedented in Washington. The role of FERC has never been the subject of public of political interest – and I’d argue that few people (in Congress or otherwise)… Keep reading →
In BBC News’ Ten Things We Didn’t Know Last Week, we discovered the following: A study has found that zinc oxide-based solar cells – which are less efficient than silicon-based cells – convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently when rock or pop music is being played, and while much of the debate about wind power’s effect on… Keep reading →
On September 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its 2012 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule, which indirectly regulates fugitive methane emissions at the production phase of oil and natural gas development. EPA will use outcome data from the NSPS NESHAP rule to determine whether… Keep reading →
