
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...]
The decision by the Trump administration to impose tariffs on the imports of solar panels has been widely criticized, as it is seen to undermine the growth of the solar energy sector in the U.S. However, independent energy analyst Geoffrey Styles believes there are some good reasons to support the measure. The Chinese government after all heavily supports its own industry. What is more, if solar power is as important to future U.S. energy supply … [Read more...]
China's decision on whether and when to ban cars burning gasoline and diesel could alter our view of how far we are from a peak in global oil demand, writes independent energy analyst Geoffrey Styles. Even though the likely date of such a peak is highly uncertain, the idea of an impending peak could significantly affect investments and other decisions. … [Read more...]
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...]
With US electricity demand stalled, expanding wind and solar power is increasing the economic pressure on equally low-emission nuclear power, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. He notes that the beneficiaries of renewable energy subsidies resist new state incentives for nuclear plants. But according to Styles, wind and solar should not come at the expense of nuclear power, as all are … [Read more...]
Analysts have rarely been so divided on their views of where the oil price is going, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. This is because the market is in the grip of a number of contradictory trends. Styles takes a closer look at what they are and how they might play out. … [Read more...]
Today’s presidential inauguration will trigger the biggest policy and regulatory shift for the US energy industry in at least ten years, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. That’s how long it has been since energy policy was set by a Republican president and Congress. Donald Trump is a different kind of Republican, though, and his goal does not seem to be a return to scarcity and high … [Read more...]
Last week’s OPEC deal takes place in a very different context than earlier deals from the 1990s, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. US shale producers are looking to fill supply gaps, inventories are higher than ever, and alternatives to oil in transport are emerging. If that’s not a recipe for volatility, Styles wonders, then what is? Original post. … [Read more...]
The global energy industry must overcome significant new challenges if natural gas development is to achieve the vision of a Golden Age of Gas, writes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. Low energy prices and reduced investment are only half the battle as regulations complexify and organized opposition grows. … [Read more...]
Contrary to what some politicians are arguing, US emission reduction goals for 2025 cannot be achieved without nuclear power and shale gas, argues Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of independent US-based consultancy GSW Strategy Group. Recent official revisions from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on estimated methane leaks from gas production and use do not negate the benefits of gas in recducing emssions, he adds. … [Read more...]
The US shale revolution effectively sidelined OPEC’s control over global oil prices. However, with a large number of new non-OPEC projects cancelled, spare capacity in the market reaching very low levels and demand continuing to grow, power is shifting back to the cartel again, notes Geoffrey Styles, Managing Director of GSW Strategy Group in the US, on his Energy Outlook blog. If OPEC decides to cut output in 2016, writes Styles, the oil price … [Read more...]
Recent Comments