The U.S. Department of Energy wants 20 percent of the nation’s energy to come from wind power in the next 15 years, targeting a 5% increase from current production levels. “A new Energy Department report finds that wind technology featuring taller towers and larger turbines may get the nation to that goal by opening up… Keep reading →
President Obama has committed the United States to the goal of generating 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. “This would nearly triple the amount of wind- and solar-generated electricity on the national grid. The EPA ran afoul of the law by failing to conduct a cost-benefit analysis before it acted to reduce… Keep reading →
The Venezuelan government is planning to cut the working day for public sector workers down to five-and-a-half hours in a drastic attempt to conserve energy. “The initiative is part of a nationwide electricity rationing plan. Vice-President Jorge Arreaza said there had been a surge in energy demand due to extremely hot weather. He said state… Keep reading →
Global carbon dioxide emissions held steady in 2014 at 32.3 billion tons even though the global economy grew by 3 percent according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This is the first year since the IEA began tracking carbon emissions 40 years ago that emissions have decoupled from economic growth. Previous instances where CO2 emissions… Keep reading →
On Friday, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz made the following statement regarding Dr. Fatih Birol’s confirmation to be the next Executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA): “As the new Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr. Fatih Birol is an ideal candidate to lead the Agency in a time of global energy transformation.… Keep reading →
Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum, suggests in an article titled “What can the Middle East learn from the US shale boom?” three ways for regional policymakers to bring interconnectivity to the Middle East’s oil and gas market as well as accompanying infrastructure. These steps are intended – in his words – to “unleash a… Keep reading →
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. continues to be a global leader in wind energy, ranking second in installed capacity in the world, according to two reports released today by the Department of Energy. Wind power is a key component of the nation’s all-of-the-above strategy to reduce carbon pollution, diversify our energy economy, and bring innovative… Keep reading →
The intragency panel price per ton of carbon incorporated into the Environmental Protection Agency’s microwave rule seems to set the standard, or at least the starting point, for the federal government’s estimate of the social cost of carbon. Benjamin Zycher, visiting scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, has argued that that cost “fails”. Zycher hosted… Keep reading →
Today, the future of America’s energy policy seems to have been put on the back burner. Yet energy issues are directly tied to the economic future and security of the U.S., and it is important that the American people fully understand the impacts and costs associated with implementing sound energy policy. Among the challenges in… Keep reading →
Could more energy market manipulation fines be in JP Morgan’s future? “The Justice Department is launching an investigation into whether JPMorgan Chase manipulated energy markets just weeks after the bank settled similar allegations with federal regulators”. [The Hill] An Oregon Department of Justice investigation of an energy contract awarded to a close associate of the… Keep reading →
