All Energy Voices
California urges record $2.5 billion fine for natural gas blastPacific Gas and Electric Co. could face a record fine for a deadly 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco suburb. Officials hope it will help prevent future accidents while some warn that rising natural gas demand is outpacing investment in energy infrastructure.
US oil boom means oil prices must drop, right? Wrong.Even though production of oil from new fields in the U.S. is booming, there is a consistent decline in production from old fields around the world, and OPEC members have not increased production. Meanwhile, though demand for oil is falling in the US, it continues to grow around the world.
As Kurds gain power, Baghdad may be ready for oil dealThe Iraqi central government and authorities of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government put together a seven-point deal last week that could see the Kurds resume oil exports to Iraq in return for a revision of the Iraqi 2013 budget, Alic writes.
JPMorgan Chase accused of rigging energy marketsJPMorgan Chase developed schemes to sell electricity at falsely attractive prices in Michigan and California, according to The New York Times. The market manipulation could result in JPMorgan Chase receiving penalties from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Is OPEC coming apart at the seams?In a lackluster economy, there hasn't been much from OPEC members to suggest there was any sort of revival, Graeber writes. But with seven of the 12 members of the cartel experiencing at least some form of upheaval, the cost of doing business suggests members may need more than a little bit of luck to return to glory.
Drive to make energy cleaner has stalled. Shale gas could help.Average unit of energy is 'basically as dirty' as two decades ago, says new IEA report, despite boom in renewables. Among its recommendations: Encourage move from coal to gas by developing unconventional gas.
Oil companies near multi-year highs. Still undervalued.Oil companies should no longer be valued by their reserves. New drilling technologies like fracking and horizontal drilling mean oil companies operate more like advanced manufacturers, which have much higher price-earnings ratios.
Solar Impulse departs for first sun-powered flight across USSolar Impulse embarked on the first transcontinental flight of its kind Friday. The Solar Impulse is a dramatic endorsement of clean-energy technology, but probably doesn't represent the future of aviation.
Is nuclear fusion power now possible?The quest for nuclear fusion power is well known, Daly writes, having been around since the dawn of the nuclear age, but the physics have precluded significant research. Until now.
Suddenly, it's a three-car race for electric-powered dominanceTesla joins Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt in the race for electric car sales. After a record-breaking March for the Nissan Leaf, sales of electric cars dipped in April.
What determines energy abundance? Flow.Energy abundance depends entirely on the rate of the flow of oil, gas and other resources, Cobb writes. It is not, as many suggest, dependent on supposed, but often unverified, fossil fuel reserves in the ground.
Verizon to invest $100 million in clean energyVerizon Communications will spend $100 million to green up its facilities with solar panels and fuel cells, Alic writes, putting it in the big leagues with clean energy followers like Google and Yahoo.
Light bulbs and the pitfalls of 'green' marketingA recent study on the effect of 'green' marketing on light bulb purchases underscores the role ideology plays in energy efficiency. To sell more energy efficient products, companies should rethink eco-advertising.
China: World's largest polluter also leads clean-energy pushChina remains the world’s largest polluting nation while leading the fight against climate change, according to a new study. China has made such efforts to reduce its emissions, and reduce growth in electricity demand, that it is far ahead of any targets it set itself, Kennedy writes.
US oil and gas workers see pay fall. Sign of trouble for energy?Average compensation for oil and gas professionals in the US fell 4 percent last year, according to a new study. The decline in pay coincides with a slowdown in the energy's industry's growth, but the industry may simply be catching its breath.
Prague blast: How big a threat are natural gas explosions?An explosion in Prague follows by a day a blast in France, both thought to linked to natural gas. Big natural gas blasts like the one in Prague are rare in the US, but more could be done to avoid them, experts say.
Sally Jewell: How 'green' is the new Interior secretary?Sally Jewell's first moves as secretary of the US Interior Department show so far that she's embracing her dual legacy as an environmental steward with rare ties to the oil industry, Graeber writes.
Oil by train runs out of trackShipping oil by rail used to be the answer to tight pipeline capacity and cheap Canadian crude, Schaeffer writes, but the question now is: Has that train left the station?
Fuel barge explosions underscore risks of fuel transportationAlabama's fuel barge explosions were nothing more than an unfortunate accident, reports suggest. But the fuel barge explosions serve as a reminder that the distribution of often volatile energy resources comes with certain risks.
Would a carbon tax boost clean energy?The carbon tax can be a useful tool for nudging near-competitive low-carbon technologies into the market and spurring modest carbon cuts, Stepp writes, but it’s at best a complementary climate policy. That changes if we use a carbon tax as a revenue-raiser to support additional policies aimed at making clean energy cost and performance competitive with fossil fuels.
