This week is shaping up to be rough for the US coal industry. The EPA is holding hearings on plans to dramatically cut carbon-dioxide emissions released from US power plants and the Obama administration just published a report on the economic consequences of waiting to act on climate change. It’s enough to make one wonder… Keep reading →
The latest round of economic sanctions against Russia enacted by the US and European Union are designed to blunt Russia’s ability to tap western technology and expertise needed to develop complex oil deposits and shale resources. “The biggest edge that Western energy companies still have is their technological edge — that’s why these sanctions have… Keep reading →
Project partners and the State of Alaska filed a permit application with FERC on Friday to export an estimated 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves from Alaska’s North Slope. The mammoth project could cost between $45 billion and $65 billion and would involve constructing an 800-mile pipeline in addition to gas processing, liquefaction… Keep reading →
Germany, the UK and Poland have the dirtiest coal plants in the EU, where the share of coal in power generation is currently around 25%. The IEA says EU coal-fired generation needs to be below 4% by 2035 to combat climate change. Germany exported a record amount of power in 2013 as it generated more… Keep reading →
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer came under the microscope last week when the New York Times profiled his role in managing a fund that invested heavily in Australian coal. Now a climate change mitigation crusader and democratic funder, some have called Steyer’s former Wall Street activity his Achilles’ heel, but many in the environmental community rushed… Keep reading →
Future oil and natural gas production as well as exploration is expected to take place in some of the most remote and inaccessible places in the world. Reservoirs with the highest commercial potential are seen to be located offshore in deep waters or in the Arctic. Both “frontier” areas have challenges in common such as… Keep reading →
The US oil and gas industry has seen tremendous growth over the past several years, following a period of low oil prices and declining production. And job growth in the sector reflects a robust and growing need to both replace retiring workers and fill new positions. Forbes’ latest rankings of the 15 most valuable college… Keep reading →
The situation on the ground in Iraq is sketchy, with conflicting reports about the extent to which the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has advanced and how much territory now controlled by the group. The Sunni Al Qaeda splinter group reportedly took control of the northern city of Mosul and overran the Turkish… Keep reading →
As Russian president Vladimir Putin prepares to visit China, state-controlled Gazprom looks to be putting the finishing touches on a long-awaited gas supply contract to China. Negotiations have been ongoing for more than a decade, with price reportedly being the main sticking point. Chinese companies reluctant to pay European prices for Russian natural gas held… Keep reading →
A Conversation on Carbon: How two seemingly opposed forces from ExxonMobil and Sierra Club united over a carbon tax David Bailey and David Bookbinder have an interesting story. At one time, these two climate experts were at odds with each other, working on opposite sides of the tracks—Bookbinder worked as the chief climate counsel for… Keep reading →
