The decline in oil prices will depress the regime’s revenues, and the threat of increased sanctions is newly credible given the composition of the next Congress. With another deadline missed and another extension inked in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the White House finds itself squeezed on two sides. It faces pressure from Iranian negotiators —… Keep reading →
Today the US Energy Information Administration slashed its 2015 oil price forecasts, but the statistical arm of the DOE still expects total oil output to increase to volumes not seen since 1972. As we reported last week, it will take some time before current lower oil price levels manifest in lower US oil production volumes.… Keep reading →
Many of China’s coal-fired power plants are equipped with air pollution scrubbers, but in some parts of the country they are seldom used. Scrubbers take energy to run which reduces total output and makes operating the equipment more expensive. The government often sends plant operators mixed messages that prioritize economic growth (which requires maximum power… Keep reading →
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was criminally indicted for being responsible for the deaths of 29 coal miners in 2010 and in the interest of ensuring a fair trial U.S. District Judge Irene Berger sealed all court records. However, several major media organizations are challenging the gag order. “The news outlets could have good… Keep reading →
UN negotiators are meeting in Lima, Peru to construct a draft climate change mitigation agreement that will be finalized over the next year with the goal of signing it in Paris in 2015. The plan is to allow each country to develop a greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy that can be realistically achieved. “But while… Keep reading →
A new report by the Climate Council reports that new investment in renewable energy in Australia has dropped by 70%. “In the last five years most countries around the world had accelerated action on climate change, with China and the United States two of the global leaders on the issue, the report, Lagging Behind: Australia… Keep reading →
As global oil prices continue to plunge based on an aggressive international trading policy by Saudi Arabia, questions are being raised about the sustainability of the U.S. shale boom. “The price of oil fell some more on Tuesday, down as low as $75.84 before closing at $77 a barrel. The decline is blamed on Saudi Arabia… Keep reading →
The appointment of Senator. Lisa Murkowski as Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee will have a major impact on U.S. Energy Policy particularly in relation the Keystone XL Pipeline, hydraulic fracturing, air quality regulations and LNG Export development. Murkowski emerged victorious from the Alaska Senate race and will ensure these issues become a… Keep reading →
The NRDC released a report that finds Chinese bunker fuel emissions are a serious and often “overlooked” problem. “With ships allowed to burn fuel with much higher sulfur levels than permitted in on-road diesel, one container ship cruising along the coast of China emits as much diesel fuel pollution as 500,000 new Chinese trucks in… Keep reading →
As prices drop to around $80 per barrel, more attention is being focused on the mindset of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter. The 20 percent decline in oil prices over the past three months has been attributed to a wide range of factors, including declining growth in China, poor growth in Europe, and… Keep reading →
