The City of Chicago passed an ordinance September 11 requiring buildings with more than 50,000 square feet to report their energy use to a benchmarking tool and eventually to the public. The law, passed in a 32-to-17 vote, is part of the city’s overall efforts to reduce energy use in half of Chicago’s buildings 30… Keep reading →
In its latest report on the energy trilemma of security, equitable access and sustainability, the World Energy Council and its project partner Oliver Wyman polled dozens of policymakers and regulators to find out what they think stakeholders should do to help policy meet the global energy challenge. “It is time to cut through the present… Keep reading →
Russia has charged Greenpeace activists with piracy for trying to climb onto a Gazprom drilling platform in the Arctic. The charges “carry a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 500,000 rubles (about $15,500)”. [Fuel Fix] China’s National Development and Reform Commission has said that both consumers and refiners will need… Keep reading →
Former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis gave some advice on how to talk to conservatives about climate change at the Climate Week NYC opening ceremony on Monday. When you raise the issue, “loudmouths” will respond by saying the climate change is “hooey, nonsense, junk science”, he said. “They’re doubting the problem because they don’t like the proposed… Keep reading →
On the US political spectrum, evangelical Christians are more commonly associated with the right than the left. And the right wing is where climate change denial, or at least skepticism, is most prominent. But according to Dorothy Boorse, associate biology professor at Gordon College – a Christian institution – calls for climate change action are… Keep reading →
What’s more likely: that man-made climate change is not happening, or that Elvis is still alive? The first installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change‘s newest comprehensive assessment of the physical science basis of climate change is due out this Friday. “This will be the most authoritative consensus on the science of climate change to… Keep reading →
Policy matters. Whether in one of the world’s richest countries or one of its poorest, access to clean and secure energy supplies relies on clear and reliable policy and regulatory signals, the results of a recent ranking of 129 nations by the World Energy Council and Oliver Wyman indicate. But given room to comment in… Keep reading →
Without stop-gap funding from congress by October 1st, the EPA could ‘Effectively Shut Down,’ leaving it with just a skeleton crew needed in case of emergency. The EPA has reportedly not shut down due to lack of funding since 1996. [AP] French oil major Total could sell its stake in giant Russian gas field Shtokman.… Keep reading →
Quick Take: In July I alerted you that the nominee to replace Jon Wellinghoff as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Ron Binz, was likely to be good for smart grid and renewables but tough on coal. Now we’re learning that his nomination has “generated unprecedented interest and controversy” according to Brent Franzel… Keep reading →
Forget Syria, Here’s a Real Oil Market Supply Concern
By Jared AndersonIt made for great headlines, but the Syrian conflict never posed a serious risk to global oil supplies. Syria’s domestic production has dwindled and civil war ground exports down to virtually nothing last year. Escalating violence in Egypt, however, presents much more serious global oil market risk. Insurgents displeased with the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood… Keep reading →