MenuThe COP27 conference which wraps up in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh featured dire environmental predictions. Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres warned world leaders we are “on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator”. This has prompted an array of responses of varying efficacy, including carbon offsetting on a global
Category Archives: Energy Security
The Future Of American LNG: Climate Booster And Foreign Policy Tool
Liquefied-natural gas (LNG) is a bridge fuel that will help the world reach decarbonization as an energy source that is vastly cleaner than its hydrocarbon competitors, such as diesel and coal. When it comes to power generation, it is still able to employ much of the infrastructure used by other fossil fuels. Lately, it has
Democrats’ And GOP Energy Policies Clash At Midterms
President Joe Biden’s recent statements denouncing coal drew fire from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and several western Democrats, upsetting the calculus for many elections out west. In midterms, Biden may have forgotten, all voters have a say, not just the activist base. To make things worse, Biden also “promised” to stop all oil drilling in a Q&A
Copper Prices Are Imperiling Electrification And Decarbonization
Copper is the wiring connecting the present and future. It is also the global markets’ latest runaway. The growing supply-demand gap for copper is increasing volatility in markets to the point that buyers are seeking to secure long-term deals due to increased concerns about its availability. Copper prices have surged since they hit a low point in March
Don’t Expect Energy Sanctions To Stop Iran’s Crackdown
The Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protests stemming from the murder of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s Morality Police is driving the West to levy further sanctions against Iran. The US Treasury Department has already placed extensive financial sanctions on the members of Iran’s Morality Police with the US State Department promising more to follow. With the protests continuing to gain steam as Iran’s
Russia Is Threatening Europe By Attacking Ukrainian Energy
Russia’s targets are not limited to nuclear. A September 12th attack on Ukraine’s second largest thermal powerplant left thousands in major metropolitan areas without power. The attack was a response to Ukrainian counteroffensives, where the Ukrainian military retook over 6,000 sq km of the Russian-occupied territory in the Balakleya, Izyum and Kupiansk regions, and seized the initiative. While this
The Greed And Geopolitics Of The OPEC+ Oil Production Cut
This move is not unexpected. As I wrote here, President Joe Biden’s failure in Saudi Arabia in July to secure more oil production shook Saudi Arabia’s transactional relationship (security for oil) with the USA to its foundations. Saudi Arabia began importing Russian fuel oils for domestic use to free up more crude oil for export months ago, with the
Russia’s Purported Sabotage Of The Nord Stream Pipeline Marks A Point Of No Return
There can now be no negotiated reopening or resumption of deliveries even if the battlefields of Ukraine instantly fall silent. The Russians have achieved their immediate goal, with Reuters reporting “Nord Stream AG said it was impossible to estimate when the gas network system’s working capability would be restored.” This winter, Europe is doomed to face
Pakistan’s Deluge Is Deepening Its Longstanding Energy Crisis
Rising energy bills and blackouts are not just a product of the devastation caused by the recent floods. They are a consequence of Pakistan’s non-diversified energy strategy and lack of infrastructural resiliency. These floods have shattered an already broken energy system. Read more here
NIMBYism Is A Bipartisan Energy Problem
For better or worse the visual perceptions of energy production drive much of its policy debates. It was as much the ugly sight of fuming coal stacks and the soot on buildings as environmental or health concerns that led to their regulation. Unfortunately, the understandable human impulse to be surrounded by beauty or to avoid ugliness