The historically conservative state of South Carolina is leading a shift toward support for alternative energy and away from fossil fuel energy development. [The Washington Post] Norway wants other countries to leave their coal and oil in the ground to meet new global climate change targets, but its industry is planning to increase production of… Keep reading →
The Obama administration laid out its plans on Thursday to limit petroleum drilling on the habitats of the greater sage grouse, a native of the American West that many environmentalists say is being threatened with extinction. “The announcement may stave off a possible Interior Department declaration by October that the finicky chickenlike bird known for its… Keep reading →
A new report evaluates shale energy development potential around the world and the degree to which freshwater access is likely to impact that development. Despite a fair amount of water related risk in many regions, the upside is tight resources are in early stages of exploration and production, giving stakeholders time to collaborate on water… Keep reading →
Here’s an interesting look at the continuing trend of big banks unwinding their trading operations amid increased regulatory oversight and proprietary trading prohibitions. Many of the big players have left the space that’s increasingly being filled by new entrants like major trading houses. ‘“Today’s markets are ‘boring,’ said Thomas Thees, a former head of North… Keep reading →
Marathon oil is selling its Norwegian North Sea assets for $2.1 billion as it restructures to focus on US shale developments. “Det Norske, half owned by Aker, an oil services company majority-owned by Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke, will increase its production 20-fold and become one of the biggest independent companies operating in the Norwegian part… Keep reading →
Mandates that require utilities to generate renewable energy can be satisfied by physically owning the assets and generating power from distributed sources like wind and solar, or by purchasing renewable energy certificates from other who generate power from renewables. This creates markets that vary by state depending on local mandates and regulations. REC trading in… Keep reading →
We guess that means Mrs. Claus would also be Canadian if the North Pole is included in the country’s Arctic claim. “Canada will still meet a Dec. 6 deadline for filing an application to the United Nations to extend its northern sea boundary, according to the daily Globe and Mail. But it now also plans… Keep reading →
Two of the oil industry’s more colorful chief executives – Total’s Christophe de Margerie and Eni’s Paolo Scaroni – provided some choice remarks on a range of energy-related topics yesterday at a Council on Foreign Relations event, The Future of Energy. They were joined by Michael Levi, director of the Council’s program on energy security… Keep reading →
“The Christian Coalition believes that energy efficiency is a family value issue,” writes the group’s CEO in an op-ed. Whether or not you follow the logic, it will be interesting to see whether this helps advance efficiency legislation in Congress. [The Hill] Germany is finding out that its efforts to shift toward cleaner energy – while cutting… Keep reading →
The world uses about 91 million barrels of oil per day. And most forecasts suggest that oil consumption will rise over the next few decades, driven in large part by growing demand for transportation fuels, especially in Asia. Norway’s state-owned oil company, Statoil, predicts that oil demand will peak at around 105 million bbl/d in… Keep reading →
