Technological advances in grid operation have made the power grid increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks, writes Michael McElfresh, Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at Santa Clara University.  The growth of the smart grid has created many more access points for penetrating grid computer systems – the “internet of things” will only make this worse. … [Read more...]
Going for gas: the risky strategy of the world’s largest companies
They are the biggest companies in the world and they are making a huge bet: they are staking their – and our – future on natural gas. At the World Gas Conference in Paris, the major oil companies all avowed their belief that gas will be the world’s “fuel of choice”, because it is “the cleanest fossil fuel”, “abundant” and “competitive”. But Karel Beckman argues they are overstating the case for gas. And may even be betting on the wrong horse. … [Read more...]
IEA sees “harsh reality” for gas industry
From a Golden Age of Gas to a “harsh reality” in just a few years - the 2015 “Gas medium-term market report“ released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on 4 June in Paris sounded a warning note to anyone who believes gas is bound to conquer the world. That can still happen - but only if gas drastically improves its competitiveness, said the IEA. … [Read more...]
Why is oil and gas activity causing earthquakes? And can we reduce the risk?
The US has witnessed markedly increased seismicity in recent years. There is little doubt that this is caused by oil and gas extraction activities, writes Matthew Hornbach, Associate Professor of Geophysics at Southern Methodist University. However, according to Hornbach, there is no reason to panic: human ingenuity will be able to address this new challenge. He notes that the energy industry has been very cooperative in researching the problem. … [Read more...]
Climate benefits of a natural gas bridge ‘unlikely to be significant’
Natural gas can only be a worthwhile bridge to a low carbon future if a series of tough conditions are met, according to a working paper from the influential New Climate Economy initiative. The paper says the climate benefits of gas, including shale gas, could in theory be significant. It suggests a 10% increase in global gas supplies could prevent 500 gigawatts (GW) of new coal capacity being added by 2035, avoiding 1.3 billion tonnes of annual … [Read more...]
Why Shell can’t quit the Arctic
Despite the damage to its reputation, Shell insists on continuing its controversial Arctic campaign. The company says that the world needs the oil and gas resources of the Arctic. But according to Energy Post’s editor-in-chief Karel Beckman, it’s really Shell itself that needs those resources. … [Read more...]
Rising sun, sinking influence? Japan’s self-marginalisation from global climate politics
As other countries including the US, China, UK, Germany and Mexico lead on climate action, the lack of effort from the world’s third largest economy and fifth largest emitter has left Japan isolated in a debate that is increasingly central to trade, investment, security and foreign policy, write Taylor Dimsale, Liz Gallagher and Camilla Born in a new report from the London-based consultancy E3G. The authors explain the reasons behind Japan's … [Read more...]
Greece and Iran: two old friends can change the geopolitics of energy in Europe
Greece, which has long had friendly relations with Iran, is poised to play a key role in distributing Iranian to gas to Europe, if Iranian sanctions are lifted. With Iran in the equation, the energy geopolitics of the region – and thereby the rest of Europe – will look very different from what they are today, write Christos Brakoulias, Constantine Levoyannis and Dr. Angelos Gkanoutas-Leventis of the Greek Energy Forum (GEF) in Brussels. … [Read more...]
Top 12 media myths on oil prices
The upstream oil and gas industry is not a black hole, writes Dan Doyle, president of Reliance Well Services, a hydraulic fracturing company based in Pennsylvania. “There's no mystery wrapped in an enigma here.” Doyle “sets the record straight” on 12 “media myths” about oil and gas prices. Well, 11 really. … [Read more...]
A global deal that drives good decisions: what success at the Paris summit should look like
 “Targets and timetables are only exciting to policy insiders”, writes Professor Nick Rowley of the University of Sydney, former strategic director of the Copenhagen Climate Council as well as former climate policy advisor to Tony Blair, in the final part of his three-part essay on the prospects of a global climate deal at the Paris summit in December. To be successful, argues Rowley, the Paris climate talks should spell out what concrete steps … [Read more...]
Why the Paris climate talks won’t be another Copenhagen
Nick Rowley of the University of Sydney, who was closely involved in the failed Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, presents five reasons to be optimistic about the outcome of the upcoming Paris talks. Many countries now see a climate agreement as more than an end in itself, he notes. They regard it as a vital means to address other challenges as well. And he notes that the cast of characters in Paris looks much better than in Copenhagen. … [Read more...]
The Road to Paris: three myths about international climate talks
With only nine months to go before the most important international meeting on climate change since Copenhagen in 2009, what are the chances of success at this year’s Paris talks? What might “success” mean? And can the mistakes and challenges that have befallen previous meetings be avoided and tackled? Nick Rowley, Professor, Sydney Democracy Network at the University of Sydney, and former climate advisor to Tony Blair, addresses these questions … [Read more...]
No shale gas in Eastern Europe, after all: implications of Chevron’s exit from Romania
Chevron’s decision to give up on Romanian shale gas exploitation, after earlier having departed from Poland and Lithuania, marks the final departure from the US company’s Eastern European shale gas adventure. According to Anca Elena Mihalache, Senior Analyst with the Bucharest-based Energy Policy Group, Chevron’s exit makes it clear that there is little hope for successful shale gas development in Central and Eastern Europe. She hopes that … [Read more...]
Big Oil’s broken business model: the real story behind the oil price collapse
The underlying cause of the oil price collapse is to be found in the collapse of Big Oil’s production-maximizing business model, writes Michael Klare, professor at Hampshire College and author of many books on the geopolitics of energy. According to Klare, the oil companies were operating according to a business model that assumed an ever-increasing demand for their products, no matter their cost. They also assumed that concern over climate … [Read more...]
The Great Game in the Holy LandÂ
Author Michael Schwartz tells the real story of the struggle over Eastern Mediterranean gas resources - a crucial but underreported cause behind the protracted conflict in the Middle East. It now involves the armies and navies of nine countries. And there is no resolution in sight. On the contrary, writes Schwartz, the gas wars in the Middle East will probably only get worse. … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- …
- 21
- Next Page »