US natural gas prices fell sharply in 2008, from more than $10 per thousand cubic feet in July to less than $6/mcf at year-end, and have since fallen much further. The average US natural gas wellhead price fell from $7.97/mcf in 2008 to $3.67/mcf the following year, and to just $2.66/mcf in 2012, after an… Keep reading →
It’s just one energy sector watcher weighing in, but Lux Research does have pretty good credentials, so we’ll run with it, leading with their headline: “Solar to Become Competitive with Natural Gas by 2025.” So says the Boston-based consultancy in an eyebrow-raising analysis that adopts the view that, for now, cheap natural gas can be a… Keep reading →
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced support for a draft bill aimed to scale back EPA’s proposed emissions rules for new power plants. On November 11, 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote to Congress expressing support for a draft bill that would limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to set greenhouse gas… Keep reading →
The natural gas industry is optimistic about its own future, but safety – be it pipeline, environmental or cyber – continues to be a key concern, according to Black & Veatch’s second annual Strategic Directions in the North American Natural Gas Industry survey. The overwhelming majority of the survey’s 336 respondents expect the US natural gas industry to… Keep reading →
The production tax credit may still be critical to the continued development of wind power in the US. But as the price of generating wind power keeps falling, justification for renewing it could lose steam, and if lawmakers do prevent it from lapsing at the end of this year, the question may soon become how… Keep reading →
Policy matters. Whether in one of the world’s richest countries or one of its poorest, access to clean and secure energy supplies relies on clear and reliable policy and regulatory signals, the results of a recent ranking of 129 nations by the World Energy Council and Oliver Wyman indicate. But given room to comment in… Keep reading →
On September 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider a major challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of greenhouse gas regulations under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, a hearing that could affect President Obama’s timetable for existing power plants and state implementation plans. The EPA will likely face ongoing litigation on most… Keep reading →
Most people find it tough to get excited about regulators. But President Obama’s nomination of Ron Binz to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is reason to sit up and take notice. FERC oversees the nation’s electricity and natural gas networks, and the grid is badly in need of upgrades—up to $2 trillion worth by… Keep reading →
Think of an industry dominated by huge, established firms reliant on distribution models that have been in place for more than a century. Or one where customers pay a premium for the reliability assured by known brands despite little difference in delivered product. Or one where financing huge upfront costs depends on both that premium… Keep reading →
Only a few short years ago the U.S. coal industry enjoyed a mini-renaissance with several new large power plants brought on line in 2010 and 2011, which at the time firmly entrenched coal as the dominant source of electric generation in the U.S. Since then, coal’s share of the electric market has contracted sharply, and… Keep reading →
