This year has been catastrophic for nuclear power, and just when it seemed the situation couldn't get any worse for the industry, it did, writes Jim Green, editor of Nuclear Monitor: there are clear signs of a nuclear slow-down in China, the only country with a large nuclear new-build program. According to Green, if this program stalls, nuclear power looks headed for an irreversible decline. Courtesy Nuclear Monitor. … [Read more...]
Brussels opponents of Nord Stream 2, why do we hear so little about Ukraine?
One reason why Nord Stream 2 is opposed in EU circles is because it undermines the position of Ukraine as gas transit country. The problem is that Ukraineâs gas sector is notoriously corrupt â and recent news indicates the government is making no progress at all on âreformâ. Meanwhile, the European Commissionâs attempt to get a âmandateâ from the European Council (the Member States) to negotiate with Russia about the pipeline, seems bound to … [Read more...]
Can China’s EVs lead to peak oil demand?
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...]
Beyond Harvey and Irma: climate action will become top military priorityÂ
The devastating hurricanes Harvey and Irma saw the U.S. military involved in emergency operations on a massive scale, writes energy expert and author Michael T. Klare. The future will hold more of the same. As the planet heats up, the armed forces and the nation will face an existential crisis, according to Klare, which will result in the need for a new, largely non-military strategic posture that puts climate action above other geopolitical … [Read more...]
Nuclear power, weapons and national security
The nuclear power industry, under pressure economically, is arguing that it deserves government support because it is essential for ânational securityâ, notes Jim Green, editor of the Nuclear Monitor newsletter. Green explains why he finds this argument disingenuous and unconvincing. … [Read more...]
A dangerous energy policy: Ukraine, despite war, is making itself dependent on Russian oil
When it comes to Ukrainian dependence on Russian energy, the spotlight is usually on natural gas. Here Ukraine has made unprecedented progress, writes Wojciech KonoĹczuk, analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Warsaw. But what few observers notice, KonoĹczuk adds, is that as a result of corruption and neglect Ukraine has let its domestic oil refining industry decay and has become critically dependent on Russian diesel and LPG … [Read more...]
For Total, the Age of Oil is not over yet
The decision of the Maersk group to sell its oil and gas division is partly due to specific circumstances, but it is also a vote of no confidence in the future of the oil industry now that peak oil demand and US shale oil imply systematically lower profitability, writes geophysicist Jilles van den Beukel. But Total clearly feels there is still a future for low-cost conventional oil, particularly in politically stable countries like Denmark and … [Read more...]
DNV GLâs Energy Transition Outlook: for the first time in history, energy demand will peak
Global energy demand will plateau from 2030, oil demand will flatten from 2020 to 2028 and go to a significant decline thereafter, the shift to renewable energy will be quicker and more massive than most people realize, yet the energy transition will not be difficult to finance. These are some of the momentous conclusions of a set of major new reports from independent energy consultancy DNV GL, under the name Energy Transition Outlook (ETO). They … [Read more...]
100% renewable energy for 139 nations detailed in Stanford report
Mark Z. Jacobson, the famed professor at the Stanford School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, and 26 of his colleagues have compiled a report that shows exactly how 139 nations could transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050 without throwing millions of people out of work. In fact, they contend that the changeover would actually spur job growth while dramatically reducing carbon emissions, writes Steve Hanley. Article courtesy of … [Read more...]
Politically charged: do you know where your batteries come from?
People are excited about batteries, from electric cars to Teslaâs 129 megawatt-hour energy storage project  in South Australia. But one important issue is often overlooked: the raw materials needed to build this technology â where they come from and their environmental cost. Ben McLellan of Kyoto University takes a closer look at what goes into the lithium-ion battery. Article courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
The trillion dollar question: will renewables displace natural gas?
Bloombergâs 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...]
Carbon-pusher in Chief: Trumpâs fossil-fueled foreign policy
Donald Trumpâs efforts to promote fossil fuel consumption has become a defining theme of his foreign policy, writes Michael Klare, expert and author of many books on energy and foreign policy. Trumpâs words and actions make that all too clear â although the media and most commentators have so far failed to notice. Courtesy Tom Dispatch. … [Read more...]
Is energy âdominanceâ the right goal for U.S. policy?
In recent weeks, a new energy buzzword has taken flight from Washington, D.C., making stops in Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and more: âAmerican energy dominance.â But according to Daniel Raimi, senior research associate at the University of Michigan, this goal is unrealistic and it distracts from the goals that should be shaping U.S. energy policy. Courtesy The Conversation. … [Read more...]
Is the U.S. close to achieving energy dominance?
If you hadnât heard, the Trump Administration declared last week to be âEnergy Weekâ, a week during which the President and his senior officials were focusing on the theme of âU.S. Energy Dominance.â Not âenergy independenceâ or âenergy securityâ, both themes past presidential administrations have focused upon. David Blackmon looks at what this means. Article courtesy Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
The fall and rise of nuclear power
The United States has allowed itself to fall behind in nuclear power technology and market development, writes author and thorium expert Robert Hargraves. Regulations have unnecessarily driven up costs of nuclear power and scared the public. According to Hargraves, to revive the nuclear sector, the first steps that needs to be taken are to fight historical fear-creating radiation regulations with science, and to replace the federal regulator, the … [Read more...]
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