Bypassing Congress, president outlines ambitious climate agenda Perhaps, like the rest of us, President Obama does most of his reading – and thinking – when he is away from the office on travel. Speaking in Berlin in June following the G8 summit – which may be characterized as a futile annual shindig in search of a… Keep reading →
Importing Canadian heavy oil via the Keystone XL pipeline may represent a more environmentally friendly option than crude from other sources, according to panelists at the New York Energy Week Oil and Gas Market Perspectives breakfast on Tuesday, hosted by CME Group. Environmentalists frequently cite the environmental footprint of Canada’s “tar sands” as a primary… Keep reading →
US President Barack Obama today unveiled a wide-ranging climate change action plan that, among other measures, seeks to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The plan has provoked responses that see the plan as praiseworthy, sensible, misguided, and even hostile to affordable energy. Below is a selection of responses, and you can read the… Keep reading →
Good news for gas drillers! A few days before the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will neither finalize nor seek peer review of its investigation of the impact of hydraulic fracturing on groundwater at an Encana-operated field near Pavillion, Wyoming, The United States Geological Survey announced that it had found naturally occurring methane in… Keep reading →
The Washington, DC-based Institute for Energy Research’s message is clear: Government intervention in energy markets is counter-productive. The organization believes this to be the case even in dealing with climate change. The IER is a think tank with an emphasis on a free market approach to energy. Its papers cover issues ranging from carbon taxes… Keep reading →
Honda, in an attempt to keep its Fit EV electric cars in the eyes of consumers mostly looking at the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, has dropped the price of the monthly lease. The drop, which was effective at the beginning of June, lowered for new and existing leases from $389 to $259. The new three year… Keep reading →
BP displayed a lack of caution in agreeing to a rather lax set of standards regarding payment for Macondo oil spill claims. “The level of compensation was never capped and the settlement didn’t require proof that losses were caused by the spill.” [Bloomberg] Walgreens is building its first “net-zero energy” store in Illinois. Adding generation capacity… Keep reading →
The Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel economy measurement system fails to factor in several metrics that could shed light on the fuel efficiency of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, according to Mike Duoba, Vehicle Systems Research Engineer at Argonne National Laboratory. The EPA bears responsibility for generating information on vehicle fuel economy for all new cars… Keep reading →
Investments in improving the energy efficiency of the US building stock could result in savings that far exceed spending, said policy and economic advisory firm the Rhodium Group in a report, Unlocking American Efficiency. Residential and commercial buildings account for 40% of the US’ overall energy use, with spending totaling $432 billion in 2011 –… Keep reading →
An increasing number of businesses want to be seen as green; go figure. The demand for renewable energy is predominantly driven by mandatory targets such as renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in the US, lucrative feed-in-tariffs (FITs) in Europe, or other requirements such as renewable fuel obligations in the UK. Subsidies such as production tax credits (PTCs) are among… Keep reading →
