The US made significant energy efficiency inroads following the 1973 oil embargo, but fresh supplies of cheap energy hit markets in the mid-1980’s, bringing renewed complacency that caused lawmakers to backslide on efficiency measures. Famed innovator and energy researcher Amory Lovins sets the stage for a new energy efficiency surge in his latest blog post:… Keep reading →
Quick Take: Do you remember the stories that used to circulate about building a nuclear bomb from instructions on the Internet? I’m starting to feel that terrorists could bring down the grid by reading stories on the Internet. Every week we get details about another vulnerability. Here’s the latest gambit receiving widespread attention. My advice… Keep reading →
The spread between benchmark crude oil prices for WTI and Brent recently widened to over $10 per barrel after reaching parity this past summer, and signals indicate this is partially due to an oversupplied US Gulf Coast refining center. It also suggests that equity investors might want to be wary of US Exploration & Production… Keep reading →
The Saudis are unhappy with several recent US foreign policy decisions in the Middle East and North Africa, and some fear cooler relations with Riyadh would weaken the US’ regional footing. Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting with Prince Saud al-Faisal in London and Paris over the past few days trying to iron… Keep reading →
Portland, Oregon-based law firm Stoel Rives announced Monday that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff will join the practice upon his departure from the regulator. Wellinghoff submitted his resignation on May 28, but no date has been announced for his departure. Stoel Rives is known for its energy law practice and claims to have… Keep reading →
Neat and messy, conservative and spendthrift, no we’re not talking about Felix and Oscar, but former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond and former Chesapeake Chairman and CEO Aubrey McClendon, who have teamed up to run a shale gas venture focused on Ohio’s Utica Shale. “It may be the U.S. energy industry’s oddest couple: Lee Raymond, who… Keep reading →
No, the idea isn’t to power commercial air travel with photovoltaic solar – that’s being left that to super-lightweight, experimental efforts like Solar Impulse. Nevertheless, a French collaboration this week plans to unveil a new way of bringing solar power to aircraft, with a photovoltaic window. The pitch is that it can automatically adjust the… Keep reading →
A music video of the 80’s classic song “Africa” by Toto reportedly made by oil field workers aboard the “Bourbon Peridot” vessel in Equatorial Guinea is making the internet rounds, and while it’s very entertaining, little information about the operation is available. The You Tube post states, “Our own version of the music video for… Keep reading →
Rosneft and CNPC signed a memorandum of understanding covering joint development of Eastern Siberian oil and gas resources. The Kremlin has been reluctant to supply its increasingly powerful neighbor for years and the two sides have continuously haggled over natural gas prices, but as Europe increasingly seeks to reduce its Russian energy reliance and large… Keep reading →
Energy and utility company use of aircraft has soared in recent months, jumping 35 percent in the first half of the year, Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), says. While that includes corporate jets, it also means pilots ferrying workers to oil rigs and other remote locations as companies continue to look farther afield for resources… Keep reading →
