Despite apparent contradictions, the main thrust of Donald Trump’s energy policy approach is very clear, writes author and energy expert Michael Klare: he aims to abolish all regulations that stand in the way of unrestrained fossil fuel extraction. Even if this spells doom for segments of the fossil fuel industry that will get hurt by low prices – not to mention the planet. Courtesy Tomdispatch.com. … [Read more...]
The OPEC deal: a recipe for volatility
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...]
US energy Independence Day dawns
The most significant US energy policy update in a decade, the Energy Policy Modernization Act 2016, will be introduced into the new Congress in January 2017. With provisions for accelerated permitting for oil and gas drilling, construction of export LNG terminals, as well as energy efficiency standards and grid-integration of renewables, the outlook for US energy security is bright, according to Barry Worthington, Executive Director of the US … [Read more...]
Trump may be a nightmare for nuclear power
Donald Trump’s opposition to climate policy and the Clean Power Plan should be a huge worry to the already troubled US nuclear industry, writes Washington-based energy reporter Dennis Wamsted on his blog Wamsted on Energy. … [Read more...]
IEA in the Age of Trump: policies will determine where we go from here
The most important message from the 2016 edition of the annual World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) flagship publication released today, is that “policies will determine where we go from here”. “Paris” has given the international energy sector “a new sense of direction”, notes the IEA. But much stronger policies are needed to keep global warming limited to 2 degrees Celsius, it adds. Its message takes on extra importance … [Read more...]
Can Trump revive the US coal industry? Will he even benefit oil and gas?
The election of Donald Trump is likely to benefit the US oil and gas sector, though his stand on international trade could hurt economic growth and thereby oil demand, writes Gregory Brew, analyst at Oilrpice.comTrump has been positively exuberant about coal, but according to Brew it is by no means certain that he will able to revive the US coal industry. Article courtesy of Oilprice.com. … [Read more...]
Biofuels turn out to be a climate mistake
Biofuels are usually regarded as inherently carbon-neutral, but once all emissions associated with growing feedstock crops and manufacturing biofuel are factored in, they actually increase CO2 emissions rather than reducing them, writes John DeCicco of the University of Michigan. According to DeCicco, biofuels are actually more harmful to the climate than gasoline. Courtesy of The Conversation. … [Read more...]
The Nordic countries on Nord Stream 2: between scepticism and neutrality
Sweden, Finland and Denmark are unlikely to block or slow down the procedures of issuing national approvals for the construction of Nord Stream 2, write Justyna Gotkowska and Piotr Szymaṅski of OSW, the Centre for Eastern Studies, in Poland. But according to the authors the Nordic countries do expect the European Commission to assess the compliance of Nord Stream 2 with the EU’s Third Energy Package. In addition, Stockholm and Copenhagen in … [Read more...]
Peter Carlsson, business angel (ex-Tesla): “Battery breakthrough 5-8 years away”
Europe is behind the US and Asia in battery development, but it can catch up if it sets aggressive goals and tough standards, says California-based entrepreneur and investor Peter Carlsson. After leaving Tesla Motors last year, the supply chain expert is helping a host of cleantech start-ups profit from the energy transition. Within 5-8 years, batteries will break through big-time, he predicts. Grid storage will be done in stationary batteries … [Read more...]
Here’s how to build 100% clean renewable energy in the US before 2040
There really is a feasible way to build our way out of the climate crisis in time to avoid the worst effects of global warming, writes Tom Solomon of 350 New Mexico. We do it by rapidly replacing all fossil fuel-based energy with renewable energy built with current technology, installed in a smart grid. We pay for it without damaging the economy and actually save money vs. our current reliance on fossil fuels. The ‘side benefits’ include cleaner … [Read more...]
The energy prescriptions of The Atlantic Council: “There’s a direction relation between climate change and geopolitics”
The implications of climate change targets not being met are massive migration, the potential for resource wars and “a further disintegrating of the international order”, according to Richard L. Morningstar, Founding Director and Chairman of the Global Energy Center and David Koranyi, Director of the Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative, both part of the Washington DC based think tank The Atlantic Council. Morningstar and Koranyi see a “direct … [Read more...]
Climate change becomes prime investment driver
BlackRock, the world’s largest private investment fund, has announced that it will include climate change as an important factor in how it assigns risks to its investment portfolio, writes Fereidoon Sionshansi, president of Menlo Energy Economics and publisher of the newsletter EEnergy Informer. According to Sionshansi, this decision has huge implications for the energy sector. … [Read more...]
New data show: China stokes global coal power growth
China cuts coal at home but new data show that Chinese state owned companies and banks drive new coal expansion overseas, despite top level promises of green growth for developing countries, writes Beth Walker for China Dialogue. Article courtesy of China Dialogue. … [Read more...]
Will Trumpism, Brexit, and geopolitical exceptionalism sink the planet?
The future pace of climate change will be determined as much by geopolitical factors as by technological developments in the energy sector, writes energy expert and author Michael T. Klare. While immense progress is being made in bringing down the price of wind and solar power, the political will to turn such developments into meaningful global change may be diminishing. Article courtesy of Tomdispatch.com. … [Read more...]
How Paris will change global emissions accounting
The Paris Agreement will lead to important changes in the way greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for and how they could be traded internationally. David Hone, Chief Climate Change Advisor with Royal Dutch Shell, looks at the implications of the Paris Agreement and concludes that it will probably lead to a more robust and enduring carbon market. … [Read more...]
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