Energy/Environment Energy Voices
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Ukraine gas talks stall again. What that means for winter in Europe. (+video)
Ukraine gas talks resumed in Brussels Wednesday, with early reports indicating a deal again could not be reached to resume Russian gas flows to Ukraine. As temperatures drop, officials are increasingly concerned about a lack of the vital winter heating fuel.
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Crude oil prices fall again. Buckle up for gas prices below $3. (+video)
Crude oil prices just keep falling, and gas prices are following suit. Many analysts think the downward trend in oil prices will continue, driving the average price at the pump in the US below $3.00 a gallon.
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Winter heating: US energy is booming. But can it heat your home?
An energy boom is only as useful as its ability to transport the energy to the homes, businesses, and industries that need it for heating and other purposes. Will pipeline constraints and crowded US rails make for another winter heating season of too much cold, not enough fuel?
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New biofuels recipe: iron with a pinch of palladium
Scientists have combined iron and palladium to form a new catalyst for converting biomass into fuels fit for today's gas tanks. It's part of an effort to make biofuels more energy dense, and therefore more competitive with fossil fuels.
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Oil prices make the story (+video)
There are no shortage of theories for why oil prices have suddenly collapsed. Ultimately, Cobb writes, the whole issue of oil prices is too complex and too lacking in transparency to be discussed intelligently when it comes to short-term price movements.
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Oil prices have hit their floor. Here's why. (+video)
Oil prices are dropping on high supply and low demand, and everyone is wondering how much lower can oil prices drop. The answer, writes Tillier, is not much lower.
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How Vermont's largest city went 100 percent renewable electricity
The city of Burlington now gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, Guevara-Stone writes. It's part of Vermont's goal to produce 90 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2050, including electricity, heating, and transportation.
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Will falling gas prices kill the electric car?
Gas prices are rapidly dropping due to the slump in crude oil prices and that is bad news for electric cars. The emerging technology has come a long way in recent years, but a prolonged state of low gas prices could further slow the spread of electric cars.
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Oil prices continue slide; EU strikes a climate deal; US emissions tick up [Recharge]
Oil prices are continuing their slide on big US crude inventories and Goldman Sachs forecasting oil prices at $75 a barrel. EU leaders have agreed to new climate targets, while in the US, last year's bitter winter pushed up energy emissions. Catch up on the latest in global energy with the Monitor's Recharge.
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Brazil election: What it means for an aspiring energy superpower
Brazilians head to the polls Sunday for a runoff election to decide their next president. Regardless of who wins the vote, Brazil's new leader must immediately address the factors limiting the nation’s energy potential, writes Alexis Arthur of the Institute of the Americas.
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Midterm elections: Why environmental groups are backing Republicans
Hoping to make climate change a bipartisan issue, environmental groups are endorsing Republicans and moderate Democrats in the midterm elections. The strategy is a pragmatic shift for green groups, who have more money and clout in this election than ever before.
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Ukraine gas talks fail again. Why that's a big deal.
The coming of winter ratchets up tension surrounding Ukraine gas talks, which fell short of a deal again this week. Still, hopes remain high that a deal will be reached to pay off Ukraine's gas debts and reopen the flow of Russian supplies.
Photos of the day 10/28
Miss China winners He Wenqian (from l. to r.) , Liu Zhongqing and Yang Xue pose for pictures with Giant Panda triplets at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.
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Oil prices make the story (+video)
There are no shortage of theories for why oil prices have suddenly collapsed. Ultimately, Cobb writes, the whole issue of oil prices is too complex and too lacking in transparency to be discussed intelligently when it comes to short-term price movements.
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Not all power is created equally. So why does it all cost the same?
We’re due to make a decisive move toward increasingly sophisticated electricity pricing, Bronski writes, including time-of-use pricing that would financially incent customers like me to shift my energy management in ways that can benefit both me and the grid.
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Au revoir, nuclear power? France eyes an energy shift of its own
France is looking to undo decades of nuclear power growth and instead boost energy sources like wind, solar, and small hydro projects.
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'Recharge' this week: Oil prices collapse, a bridge fuel and power in Africa
Dramatic changes in global fuel flows, a debate over the role of natural gas as a 'bridge fuel,' and the potential costs of expanding electricity access across Africa. Catch up on the latest in global energy with 'Recharge.'
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Oil prices: Why the free fall may be ending
Global oil supplies are strong and demand remains relatively tepid, so why would crude oil prices suddenly stop dropping around $80 per barrel? There are several built in stabilizers that could act to support crude oil prices.
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$100 … $80 … $70? $60? $50? How low will oil prices go? (+video)
Crude oil prices have fallen to a four-year low, leaving producers and consumers wondering: Where's the price floor? The answer lies with Saudi Arabia, according to many analysts.
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Oil prices free fall: Why Venezuela stands to lose the most
Oil prices continue to drop, putting pressure on producers worldwide. Venezuela may have the most to lose from a prolonged slide in oil prices.
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Crude oil prices continue slide. Who wins? Who loses? (+video)
Plummeting crude oil prices are good news for US motorists, who are seeing the lowest prices at the pump since 2011. But low crude oil prices could create budget shortfalls in mega-producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia – countries that rely heavily on oil revenue.
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What do Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine have in common?
Jockeying for oil and natural gas resources are one component of the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, and elsewhere. A deep reduction in fossil fuel consumption wouldn't make these conflicts disappear, Cobb writes, but they might make them far less dangerous.
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Crude oil prices keep falling. But oil production just gets more expensive.
Crude oil prices continue to drop to multiyear lows, but the cost of extracting the crude continues to rise. The Kashagan oil field in Kazakhstan is a case study in cost overruns made only more painful by falling crude oil prices.
