Recovery from the dramatic supply-driven oil price slide of 1986 took 5 years. Will the current cycle follow the same pattern? This piece plays a bit of Monday morning quarterback and suggests that if Saudi/Opec did more to moderate prices over the past 6 years the current supply glut could have been avoided. [Bloomberg via… Keep reading →
Many issues facing FERC in 2014 have carried over to 2015. Topping the list is the uncertain future of demand response in wholesale electricity markets. Demand response’s future hinges on decisions at FERC, in the federal courts, and now in Congress. Last May, the D.C. Circuit voted 2 to 1 that FERC lacks jurisdiction over demand response in wholesale energy markets. This unexpectedly broad ruling rocked the electric industry, which had thought the court would merely rule on the reasonableness of FERC’s demand response compensation scheme. FERC asked all the D.C. Circuit judges to rehear the “EPSA decision,” but they declined to do so. On January 15, the U.S. Solicitor General will file a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court, asking it to review EPSA. Others, including demand response providers and state public utility commissions, will also seek Supreme Court review. It is, of course, uncertain whether the Supreme Court will grant the petitions, and if it does, whether it will reverse EPSA.
Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal made headlines this week when he stated oil prices would never again exceed $100 per barrel. Surly several analysts would advise him to “never say never,” but the prince also spoke about allegations that Saudi Arabia is deliberately forcing down oil prices in order to hurt Russia. Here’s how the prince… Keep reading →
Tesla and SolarCity’s Elon Musk told utility executives at the Detroit auto show that utilities and solar power can get along just fine. “Rive’s cousin and SolarCity investor Elon Musk sought to assuage such fears further at the Detroit auto show. Speaking about utilities’ role in the future of the energy mix, he said: ‘Long-term,… Keep reading →
Dear Friends,
As you may know, the blog posts are getting longer and longer as more trade and other actions take place against China. Because of the length, I, therefore, am breaking this post into two parts. This first post covers Trade, Customs, 337/IP and Products Liability. The second post will cover FDA, Antitrust and Securities law.
There have been major developments in the Solar Cells, trade, trade politics and trade, trade adjustment assistance, 337/IP, and Products Liability areas.
The federal approval process for cross-border pipelines (and there are many) historically has taken 18 to 24 months, yet the White House says that more than six years isn’t enough time to determine whether the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest. Perhaps the State Department can help them out. On the need for… Keep reading →
The 20th Conference of the Parties (the COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the UNFCCC) and the 10th Conference serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (the CMP) concluded in Lima, Peru, on Sunday 14 December 2014 with a prevailing sense of déjà vu.
Today was a big day in Keystone XL news, with the House voting to approve a pipeline construction bill – the president already said he would veto – and the Nebraska Supreme Court mostly blessing the controversial oil transport project. But a final decision could still be months away as two separate processes continue to… Keep reading →
Governor Brown was sworn into office yesterday and gave his fourth inaugural address, which also doubled as his State of the State. Though he touched on a variety of other proposals, the Governor kept his laser focused on climate and energy issues. He proposed three ambitious goals to be accomplished within the next 15 years:
Increase from one-third to 50 percent our electricity derived from renewable sources
Reduce today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent
Double the efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner
With King Abdullah in the hospital, the West should be bracing for a stormy succession battle in the House of Saud. The latest news from Saudi Arabia is that 90-year-old King Abdullah is, in the words of the crown prince, “recovering from [his] illness.” That could be about right: The king went into a hospital… Keep reading →
