As Americans brace for warmer weather – and the tornadoes, droughts and hurricanes that come with it – the question remains: are utilities prepared to handle the stress of ever increasing inclement weather? Like weather patterns, every utility requires unique ingredients to successfully navigate storm-related outage prevention and restoration strategy. However, at the foundation of… Keep reading →
A new study using flyover methodology found methane emissions from oil and gas development activity in Colorado’s Front Range exceed estimates by regulators. “These discrepancies are substantial,” said lead author Gabrielle Petron, an atmospheric scientist with NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Emission estimates or ‘inventories’ are… Keep reading →
The latest blog in our “Top Things You Didn’t Know About…” series is brought to you by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Be sure to check back for more entries soon. 10. Offshore Wind Resources Are Abundant: Offshore wind has the potential to deliver large amounts of clean, renewable energy to fulfill the electrical needs of cities… Keep reading →
The US energy production renaissance is having a profound impact on the country’s supply/demand fundamentals, rewriting the script with regard to crude oil imports and petroleum product exports. The EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook details numerous ways in which the US energy profile is evolving. “U.S. crude oil production averaged an estimated 8.3 million barrels… Keep reading →
U.S. petroleum product exports increased by ten percent from 2012-2013, reflecting a significant boost in domestic crude oil and natural gas production. On April 22, 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report showing that 2013 U.S. petroleum product exports averaged 3.5 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d) increasing by ten percent from 2012 levels.… Keep reading →
In Colorado, commercials on the benefits of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) pepper the airways like political messages in the lead up to a presidential election. An oil and gas boom over the past decade saw wells creep closer to the metropolitan areas along Colorado’s Front Range, a heavily populated area that includes Denver and Boulder, and… Keep reading →
The energy industry – oil & gas sector in particular – is bracing itself for a massive wave of retirements over the short to medium term, which has been dubbed “The Great Shift Change.” As the industry prepares for this turnover, companies are looking to the next generation of candidates with skills ranging from finance,… Keep reading →
Chinese national oil company CNOOC built its own offshore oil drilling rig so as not to rely on western firms that could refuse to lease equipment used in disputed territorial waters in the South China Sea. CNOOC over the weekend moved that rig into to Vietnam’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone to begin drilling.… Keep reading →
Designing and building a new house or renovating an existing house to be highly energy-efficient requires careful planning and attention to detail. A whole-house systems approach helps homeowners, architects, and builders develop successful strategies for optimizing home energy efficiency. This approach considers the house as an energy system with interdependent parts, each of which affects… Keep reading →
The National Climate Assessment – reportedly the most detailed yet – finds widespread climate impacts and says that while actions are underway to mitigate the effects and adapt to new conditions, these efforts are likely insufficient to avoid some of the most extremely negative consequences associated with anthropogenic global warming. “A team of more than… Keep reading →
