Policy

METHANE

Shale Gas and Tight Oil are Commercially Produced in Just Four Countries EIA Today in Energy: The United States, Canada, China, and Argentina are currently the only four countries in the world that are producing commercial volumes of either natural gas from shale formations (shale gas) or crude oil from tight formations (tight oil). The… Keep reading →

Burbo Bank Wind Farm Now Fully Operational

Delivering clean energy for everyone, in Latin America as everywhere else, is a key part of the response to climate change and a central pillar for building a sustainable century. By some estimates the world is spending half a trillion dollars per year on all forms of clean energy, including renewables and energy efficiency. Yet… Keep reading →

Oil Boom Shifts The Landscape Of Rural North Dakota

  Pennsylvania Natural Gas Development Leading to Reverse Brain Drain  Times Online (Pennsylvania): Matt Curry moved to Texas for work but kept his treasured Steelers season tickets in the hope he might return someday to western Pennsylvania. After graduating from Penn State with a degree in petroleum engineering, Curry didn’t have much of a choice but… Keep reading →

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Quick Take:  By now you are thoroughly sick of hearing me hammer at utilities to speak up about the future they want. Our industry has hit a tipping point. Bellwether states such as New York are already rethinking the regulatory compact. Unless utilities become part of those discussions, they’ll end up in a future designed by others.… Keep reading →

Northeast Debates Benefits And Dangers Of Hydrofracking

We are at a transformational moment in energy history. Just a few years ago, all energy projections forecast increased imports, increased scarcity, and increased natural gas prices. Today, we’ve shifted from scarcity to abundance. U.S. oil production has increased by 2.5 million barrels per day (B/D) since 2010. This year, the United States overtook Saudi… Keep reading →

Jaenschwalde Coal-Fired Power Plant

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 →

Climate Change And Global Pollution To Be Discussed At Copenhagen Summit

Opinions vary on how serious are the challenges facing the industry. For some time now, everybody and his brother, as the saying goes, is talking about the rapid changes taking place within the electric power sector and the potential impact of these on the future of the industry. This newsletter has had its own share… Keep reading →

The Battle for FERC and the Future of Energy Security

Government Shutdown Continues Into Weekend

The failed nomination of Ron Binz to be the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which was formalized with his withdrawal from consideration last month, was unprecedented in Washington. The role of FERC has never been the subject of public of political interest – and I’d argue that few people (in Congress or otherwise)… Keep reading →

Post-Flare Loops Erupt From Suns Surface

The solar industry has been very hot. Record amounts of new solar capacity have been installed over the past two years. The accelerating pace of adoption of solar panels for distributed generation (installed at the point of use, rather than sold into the power grid) and the downward trend of module prices have created exuberance… Keep reading →

Solar Power Tower To Produce Enough Energy For 180,000 Homes

Spanish technology firm Abengoa, which operates renewables projects worldwide, has listed its shares on the NASDAQ stock exchange as part of a push effort to raise its profile in the US. Abengoa has singled out the US as a priority market, both for fundraising and for the ongoing growth of its business. “The US market… Keep reading →

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