MenuThe isolation of the Texas power grid has become a symbol of the state’s independent streak and resistance to federal oversight in recent years. The massive outages during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 were a wake-up call to the vulnerabilities of Texas’ system. However, crises in Summer 2022 and Winter 2023 were still severe. Now it seems Texas now confronts another
Category Archives: Energy Security
China’s New Naval Tech: Environmental Dream and Security Nightmare
The world’s largest electric container ship, constructed by China’s COSCO Shipping Corporation, completed its first-ever voyage on April 22. This ship alone will save thousands of tons of carbon emissions in just a few trips, a feat that the climate-conscious worldwide should applaud. Carbon emissions from international shipping, vital for global trade, are upward-trending, contributing to global climate change, and must be
Revitalizing U.S. Energy Policy for the 21st Century
The United States is undergoing a growing politicization of the energy transition, a “megatrend,” as Alexander Mirtchev, a Distinguished Professor at George Mason University, called it in his magisterial book on the subject, The Prologue. Such polarization is typical for other transformative technological and policy issues in America, from abortion to gun control. Read the full
Joe Biden’s LNG Policy Fiasco
Congressional hearings scheduled for February 6 and 8 expose the Biden administration’s massive energy policy blunder. This misstep will impede American energy production, undermine economic growth, endanger the hard-earned U.S. status as the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, and threaten Washington’s strategic credibility among friends and foes. The hearings are set to unite
Elon Musk’s Hail Mary In China
Tesla was once the undisputed global leader in electric vehicles. In the earlier part of this decade, Tesla’s Tesla0.0% stock was a certain winner, reaching an all-time high on November 4, 2021. Those days are now distant as the company grapples with mounting competition from international and Chinese rivals, with companies such as BYD dominating
LNG Is Harm Reduction For Energy
Harm reduction is a helpful policy concept from the narcotics field that can be applied to energy and climate change. It recognizes that drug abuse occurs and seeks to minimize the negative consequences that drug use can bring, ideally improving (or saving) both the life of the user and of society. For example, making naloxone
New U.S. Solar Panel Tariff Intensifies Sino-American Green Tech War
The Sino-American trade war may be old news, but now a new battlefield is front and center: green tech. During her controversial visit to China, Secretary Janet Yellen made waves by criticizing China’s excess industrial capacity. Secretary Yellen warned the Chinese that retaliatory tariffs would be levied if this wasn’t addressed while simultaneously making the
Israel, Iran, And The Global Energy Tightrope
The long-simmering conflict between Iran and Israel erupted this weekend when Tehran launched a massive air strike against the Jewish state. Over 300 drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles were aimed at Israeli airspace on Saturday night, April 13, and early hours of Sunday the 14th. This attack was not a surprise. President Biden warned days
Are Drones Putting Global Peace In Danger?
Three recent wars highlighted the use of drones in 21st-century warfare. Houthi and Iranian attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and military in Yemen brought the war between Iranian proxies and the UAE-Saudi coalition to a stalemate by 2015. Azerbaijan used drones massively against Armenia in 2020 and 2023, and a deluge of drone-focused combat footage
Can Europe Count On US LNG?
The US House of Representatives appears to be so dysfunctional that Mike Turner, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, had to go public to respond to a major national security threat from new Russian anti-satellite weaponry. Meanwhile, the other Mike, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, is delaying a vote on crucial foreign aid