November 16th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan As we’ve been reporting recently, everyone (the fossil-friendly International Energy Agency) and their mother (Lazard) have concluded that solar and wind offer the cheapest options for new electricity capacity, and new solar and wind power plants can even undercut the operational costs of existing fossil and nuclear power plants.
Environment
The energy sector is coming off its best week ever. That group was swept up last week in a rally rewarding stocks tied to the economic growth story – even with U.S. Covid-19 cases on the rise and the threat of further lockdowns looming. The sector rose by more than 16%. Last week was a
November 15th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan We recently saw the International Energy Agency (IEA) report that solar power offers the cheapest electricity in history. That was a global report. A US-focused report from Lazard recently reported something similar. The highly regarded energy analysts showed that wind and solar offer the cheapest electricity in the country,
November 15th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan Last year and for several years prior, a US taxpayer who installed a solar power system on their roof could get a 30% tax credit on the cost of that system. In 2020, that tax credit was reduced to 26%, and it will drop to 22% next year. Confused
Illustration of a nuclear fission power system concept on the Moon. NASA NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy will seek proposals from industry to build a nuclear power plant on the moon and Mars to support its long-term exploration plans. The proposal is for a fission surface power system, and the goal is to
High-flying automotive executive turned international fugitive Carlos Ghosn believes the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate consolidation of the global automotive industry, including his former employer Nissan Motor. In a rare interview following his daring escape to Lebanon from Japan on Dec. 29, the former Nissan chairman said the industry will continue to struggle even after a
November 14th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan We have a big special election coming up in Georgia in January, an election that will decide who represents Georgia in the US Senate. Both senators for the State of Georgia will need to be chosen. Since these races will determine who is in control of the US Senate
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden leaves The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 9, 2020. ANGELA WEISS | AFP | Getty Images LONDON — The prospect of a Joe Biden presidency and the most progressive climate strategy the U.S. has ever attempted is not something that should concern the energy industry, oil and gas executives
November 14th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan Senator Joe Manchin isn’t typically the most popular Democrat in the US Senate. He represents quite red West Virginia and can often be the most challenging Democratic vote to get on a progressive bill. Nonetheless, he comes across as a very earnest man who’s just trying to do best
Rail wagons for oil, fuel and liquefied gas cargo stand in sidings at Yanichkino railway station, close to the Gazprom Neft PJSC Moscow refinery in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, April 27, 2020. Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON — The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Thursday cut its 2020 global oil demand forecast
November 13th, 2020 by Michael Barnard Bill Gates receives nothing but praise from me for the work that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation does on global disease prevention and eradication. That field is one of the three that Gates’ and I overlap at least slightly in, as I helped build the world’s most sophisticated
A view of Manchester, England, at night. Nigel_Wallace | iStock | Getty Images In England, scientists are trying to create the home of the future by testing how varying types of weather affect energy use in both homes and small buildings. Construction work is underway on a £16 million ($21.07 million) facility which will utilize
November 13th, 2020 by Tina Casey File this one under D for Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. Outgoing President* Trump blew a lot of hot air about saving coal jobs, but he leaves office with the US coal industry in tatters. Domestic oil and gas producers are also looking at
A worker wrestles a stand of drill pipe into place on a drilling rig near Midland, Texas. Nick Oxford | Reuters Top energy chief executives say oil demand will recover next year, but they expect volatility to remain elevated, as the industry emerges from the reckoning of the coronavirus pandemic. “We face a lot of
November 12th, 2020 by Tina Casey The states ringing the Gulf of Mexico are are sitting on an offshore wind power goldmine, but up until now the political landscape has been somewhat inhospitable to the idea of tapping into that reservoir of economic activity. That is all about to change, because suddenly along comes Louisiana
Ford unveiled its new all-electric Transit van on Nov. 12, 2020. Ford Ford Motor expects its new all-electric Transit van to help it hold on to its lead in commercial vans as new and longtime competitors enter the emerging market. The vehicle, which Ford unveiled Thursday morning, is designed for commercial and work buyers —