Corporate

Cisco Unveils ‘Connected Grid’ Approach for Power Companies

By


Reliability has long been the most important element of operations to electricity generators and providers; the modern economy has been built around it. But as new technology evolves rapidly in management of energy consumption and both financial and regulatory limits remain on a comprehensive rebuild of the US electricity industry, the sector has found itself stuck mid-disruption.

A belief that smart meter installation would somehow finish the job of making any utility a connected, operationally forward-thinking powerhouse has been proved wrong by the substantial number of smart meter installations that have failed to alter any part of traditional utilities’ businesses (in many cases data is not even collected, or if collected isn’t acted on). The inability of all the different pieces of the energy system to “speak” to each other electronically has in many cases made traditional reliability practices futile, while not quite bringing the new reliability systems into full practice. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 25, 2013 at 9:00 AM

US Oil: An Energy ‘Independence’ Infographic

By


There is no question that the US has remained an energy giant in production terms throughout its history, but its role as a giant energy consumer has outpaced even the capacity of its prodigious resource base to serve industry and consumer demand.

Roughly 14% of US crude oil comes from Saudi Arabia with substantial amounts also coming from Venezuela, Nigeria and Mexico – the largest single importer is Canada, which provides the US with close to a third of its crude oil supply. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 22, 2013 at 9:00 AM

What’s Next for the Energy, Environment, and Applied Technology Sectors in 2013?

By


Last year was significant for the sustainable industries, marked by the rise of natural gas, the decline in renewables, and debates on energy policy issues surrounding the election. Despite the uncertainties of where the market is headed, we expect to see an uptick in investments and deals across the natural gas, energy efficiency, and smart grid sectors over the next year. In 2013, we predict that the energy efficiency will be active with the continued growth of IT, but the natural gas sector will be the center of major investor attention. In the coming months, we also believe that our country will move towards a formal, comprehensive energy policy.

2013 predictions for the Energy, Environment, and Applied Technology Sectors: Keep reading →

 /  Published January 18, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Exxon’s Big Plans for Offshore Drilling

By


Two hundred miles southeast of Newfoundland, not far from where the Titanic sank, ExxonMobil is spending $14 billion to drill one of the biggest oil fields in the North Atlantic. Seeing Exxon develop oil fields for Canada is reviving calls for the United States to do the same off its Atlantic Coast — which has been closed for oil and gas exploration for decades. But as Shell’s (RDSA) drill ships continue to run aground in the Arctic, critics say letting Exxon drill off the coast of Newfoundland or the heavily populated U.S. Eastern Seaboard is a mistake. The risks: In 1982, the Ocean Ranger — then the largest drill rig of its type in the world — capsized and sank in nearby waters during a winter storm, killing all 84 crew members aboard. Safety standards have improved since then, but drilling in icy, remote conditions remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the businesses — as Royal Dutch Shell’s ill-fated Arctic foray showed last summer.

 /  Published January 17, 2013 at 10:00 AM

National Grid Puts Together a Smart Grid Dream Team

By Greentech Media


Don’t get too excited; it’s just a pilot.

Sometime in 2014, National Grid is poised to deliver the “energy system of the future.” Keep reading →

 /  Published January 15, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Trends for Equities in the Oil and Gas Sector

By

Investors are always looking for broad trends within industries that can provide clues to which equities might unlock the most value. The growth in US oil and gas production over the past few years has been all over the headlines, but with thousands of producers, contractors and suppliers contributing to the boom, where can investors focus their attention within the equity markets?

In this video, Breaking Energy speaks with experts David Rewcastle, Senior Energy Analyst with Source Capital Group and Michael Lynch, President and Director of Global Petroleum Service with Strategic Energy Economic Research about which types of companies they expect to benefit from surging US petroleum output. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 11, 2013 at 2:00 PM

Samsung Racks Up Sustainability Awards At CES 2013

By


In case you haven’t heard, there’s a little trade show going on in Las Vegas right now. The 2013 Consumer Electronics Show is a festival of futuristic technology and highly advanced gadgets. Want to know what your TV’s going to look like in a few years? It’s probably on display at CES right now.

Although we may not know what shape it will be or in how many dimensions it will display, one thing’s for sure, your future television will be more energy-efficient and contain fewer earth-killing materials. Sustainability is at the forefront of CES this year, and Samsung has wasted no time in establishing itself as a company with the environment in mind. The company is the first to achieve Gold Level UL Environment certification for TVs and winning 2013 Eco-Design Awards for four other devices. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 11, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Gazprom, Novatek Sign Deal on LNG Joint Venture

By


Russian state-controlled gas giant OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) and OAO Novatek (NVTK.RS), the country’s largest independent producer, signed a deal Thursday to create a joint venture to produce liquefied natural gas on the Yamal peninsula in the Arctic, Gazprom said in a statement.

 /  Published January 10, 2013 at 11:15 AM

Oil Refiner Looks to Rejuvenate East Coast Business Models with Rail

By


US refining economics have been under pressure in recent years, particularly on the East Coast, where lack of infrastructure or bottlenecks forced some refineries to process crude imported from overseas markets at prices linked to the more expensive Brent benchmark. But independent refiner PBF Energy saw an opportunity and bought 3 major facilities between late 2010 and early 2011 in an effort to access increasing volumes coming on from the Bakken region and Western Canadian oil sands via rail.

PBF acquired 2 refineries located in Delaware City, Delaware and Paulsboro, New Jersey from Valero with a combined refining capacity of 370,000 b/d. Crude was traditionally transported to these plants via barge and ship along the Delaware River, but PBF constructed a crude rail unloading facility at the Delaware City refinery designed to accept shipments from the Mid-Continent and Western Canada at prices linked to West Texas Intermediate – the US benchmark grade – currently trading at a roughly $20/barrel discount to Brent. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 8, 2013 at 8:00 AM

Energy Theft: From Bad to Worse (And What Some Utilities are Doing About It)

By


Mention energy theft and many will think Brazil or India where electricity losses are staggering. Yet no corner of the world seems immune from it – be it meter tampering, pilfering copper wire from substations, illegal hookups, siphoning or other unlawful schemes. Consider: Ireland’s main energy supplier has seen a 50% increase in meter box tampering in the last three years. In Virginia, Danville Utilities reports a growing problem with people tampering with smart meters

 /  Published January 4, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Page 9 of 591...5678910111213...59