The European Commission’s decision on 24 May to impose “binding obligations on Gazprom to enable free flow of gas at competitive prices” – but no fine – is seen by some observers as a victory for Gazprom. Others take a more positive view. Meanwhile, a new report from IHS Markit claims Europe is on the point of becoming fully integrated into the global gas market, making worries about dependence on Russian gas – and Nord Stream 2 – unnecessary. … [Read more...]
Electric buses can save local governments billions – China’s showing how it’s done
New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco - America's largest cities are switching their entire bus fleets from diesel to electric. They will save money in the long run, but how to overcome upfront financing hurdles? According to Silvio Marcacci of think tank Energy Innovation, Shenzhen in China, which has the world's first 100% all-electric bus fleet, provides useful lessons. Â … [Read more...]
Why we will electrify trucking faster than you think (and it has nothing to do with Tesla)
Many people still doubt that trucks will become electrified. But according to financial energy specialist Gerard Reid, the adoption of electric vehicle technology in the freight sector will take place faster than expected. He gives four reasons why he is positive about electric trucks. Courtesy Carbon and Energy blog. … [Read more...]
Croatian LNG terminal: now or never?
If constructed, the planned Croatian LNG terminal could provide an alternative source of supply for Russian gas in Central and Eastern Europe. Yet without financial support from the region’s governments and diplomatic engagement of the US and the EU, it is unlikely to be realized anytime soon, writes David Koranyi of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Institute. … [Read more...]
China’s growing oil demand creates a new geopolitical dilemma
China has become the world’s largest oil importer, and despite establishing the largely successful yuan-denominated oil futures, Beijing will have to grapple with an overlooked geopolitical and economic consequence as it seeks to quench its thirst for oil and gas, writes Tim Daiss of Oilprice.com. The country, mighty as it is, will become more dependent on OPEC, Russia - and even the U.S. Article courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Donald Trump versus OPEC
OPEC does have a role in today’s higher oil prices, but is this bad for the U.S., as Donald Trump is claiming? According to independent energy analyst Geoffrey Styles, in the new oil world, the U.S. economy may not be worse off with higher oil prices, even if consumers pay more at the pump. … [Read more...]
Gas Geoeconomics in Europe: make Russia a “normal” gas supplier again
To protect Europe from Russian gas coercion, the U.S. should take the unorthodox step of investing in European gas infrastructure, write Gabriel Collins and Anna Mikulska of the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies.  Such a "geoeconomics-based strategy" would help blunt and deflect the Kremlin’s gas wedge. … [Read more...]
Poland’s love affair with coal: can the EU do anything about it?
The Polish government’s strong commitment to coal goes against EU policy direction and against market conditions, write Anna Mikulska of the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies and Eryk Kosinski of Adam Mickiewicz University. But coal has a special place in the nation’s collective heart. To wean Poland off coal will require EU support to coal-dependent regions and for alternative energy sources, the authors argue. … [Read more...]
Can the U.S. break Russia’s gas monopoly In Europe?
The U.S. government has said it considers "sending energy supplies" to Eastern Europe to contain Russian influence. But challenging Russia’s dominance in European gas markets won't be easy, writes Tim Daiss of Oilprice.com. Russia already supplies nearly 40 percent of the continent’s gas, and its position may further be secured when the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is completed. … [Read more...]
Japan’s new energy strategy should boost both renewables and nuclear power
Japan needs both renewables and nuclear energy in its energy mix to reduce dependence on imports and lower greenhouse gas emissions, writes David Livingston of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. According to Livingston, it is in the interest of the international community that the country's new energy strategy, which is expected in the middle of this year, should boost their share in the energy mix. … [Read more...]
Gazprom’s toughest competitors may be from… Russia
Much of Gazprom’s future prosperity depends on whether it can defend its position domestically, writes Anna Mikulska of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. Companies such as Russian Rosneft and Novatek have pushed for some time to weaken the company's export monopoly. … [Read more...]
U.S. energy dominance: markets trump policy in 2017
The 2017 growth in U.S. oil and gas industry is tied to market forces and already existing liberal trade policies; energy-specific policies introduced by the current administration were not a significant driver, write Anna Mikulska and Michael Maher of the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. The authors expect that federal energy policies will continue to play a supporting but subordinate role to markets and state-level policies, and see … [Read more...]
The militarization of U.S. energy policy: Donald Trump enlists fossil fuels in the struggle for global dominance
As the recently published National Security Strategy shows, Donald Trump has turned the expansion of the U.S. fossil fuel industry and its exports into a major component of American foreign and security policy, writes energy expert and author Michael T. Klare. In the view of the Trump administration, anyone that stands in the way of American exploitation of oil, gas and coal resources is viewed as an obstructer of the national interest, notes … [Read more...]
Russia starts LNG exports from Yamal – what it means for Europe
Russian company Novatek has started exporting LNG from Yamal in the Arctic. It is in many ways a game-changing project, writes Anna Mikulska of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. It puts Russia on the map as LNG exporter, it provides a challenge to Gazprom, is a significant step in the development of the Arctic region, and it expands energy relations between … [Read more...]
The trillion dollar question: will renewables displace natural gas?
Bloomberg’s renewable energy affiliate forecasts that wind and solar power will make major inroads into the global market share of natural gas within a decade. This is a crucially important question for major oil companies who are betting their future on gas, writes Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group Geoffrey Styles. But according to Styles, it is likelier that coal, not gas, faces the biggest risk from the … [Read more...]