Even more can be done without too much pain US energy-related CO2 emissions have declined in 5 of the past 8 years, almost without trying very hard, mostly due to reductions in the electric power sector. Current trends, including lower energy demand growth rates (graph below), continued substitution of gas for coal and increasing the share… Keep reading →
Natural gas use is growing throughout the world as new drilling techniques open up vast shale and other tight resources. The result is low-cost gas flooding the market. The environmental advantages of natural gas over other fossil fuels have put it in a favored position as emissions regulations continue to tighten around the world. But conventional… Keep reading →
Demand response firm EnerNOC yesterday announced it will acquire Canadian data and analytics firm Pulse Energy. The deal highlights how energy companies – particularly in the utility sector, but also oil & gas – are increasingly becoming technology companies. “The acquisition is yet another example of how industries that previously weren’t driven by digital technology,… Keep reading →
Power-to-Gas (PtG) enables the natural gas pipeline network to be used for energy storage, resolving many of the integration issues that plague intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. It is well known that finding a solution for scalable energy storage is critical in the pursuit of achieving a renewable energy future. While… Keep reading →
News broke Monday that Gazprom would no longer move forward with the South Stream pipeline project due to European opposition. Russian President Putin made the announcement after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin said the two countries would cooperate on the possibility of creating a gas trading hub on the Turkish-Greek border.… Keep reading →
FERC proposes to establish a framework that allows pipelines to use surcharge or tracker cost-recovery mechanisms to accelerate system improvements associated with new safety and environmental compliance regulations.
On November 20, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a proposed policy statement setting forth guidance that, if adopted, would permit natural gas pipelines to use cost trackers or surcharges to recover certain costs that pipelines incur in connection with facility and infrastructure upgrades undertaken in response to regulatory requirements.[1] Comments will be due within 30 days of the date the notice is published in the Federal Register.
Power prices for electricity generated from wind and solar technology have dramatically decreased over the past 5 years to the point where wind and solar are cheaper than gas or coal in parts of the US. In some places it also appears renewable energy sources can beat fossil fuels on price without subsidies, although renewable… Keep reading →
US Vice President Joe Biden recently addressed the Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit in Istanbul, Turkey where he discussed numerous topics related to European energy security. Biden began his talk with the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s use of energy as a political tool. He recognized the fact that Russia will remain a major… Keep reading →
Italian firm Eni won rights to develop the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) block in Ghana that is expected to start up in 2017. “This project promises to deliver up to 170 million cubic feet of gas per day for the next 20 years and put Ghana on its way to a future where one… Keep reading →
Controversy is brewing as utilities consider “repowering” old coal-fired power plants across the US with natural gas. Several environmental groups initiated lawsuits to stop these plants from converting from coal to gas. Environmentalists want to shut the plants and replace the power they generate with renewables. Utilities argue this is not always possible, particularly in… Keep reading →
