As the EU announces they are officially in a recession and US indicators continue to fall (such as the record retail sales decline last month), gas prices continue their slide. The average pump price for gasoline nationwide has now fallen to $2.125 per gallon. We may see nationwide prices fall to ~$2 before it finally stabilizes from its two-month collapse. (more…)
Based on yesterday’s Short-Term Energy Outlook by the US Energy Information Agency (EIA), carbon dioxide pollution is poised to fall ~2.5% this year. Rapid growth in wind and solar power, massive efficiency, and lower demand for fossil fuels has sent US emission levels down to a level not seen since the 1990s.
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After the election of Obama and a number of others with green credentials, the coal and oil industries are ramping up their PR efforts against federal policy to lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The old arguments of climate policy raising energy prices so much that the US loses its competitive advantage in manufacturing are being dusted off and repeated in an attempt to block progress. But let’s revisit US costs of mitigation by reviewing a solid report by Environmental Defense this past Spring. (more…)
The Paris-based International Energy Agency was formed during the oil crisis of the 1970s to help consumer countries best coordinate mitigation of politically-induced oil scarcity 30 years ago. They helped to spur demand reduction and supply stability that brought prices down to historical norms in the mid-1980s. But now they warn of a more serious and long-term development in the oil sector: the age of cheap oil is ending because (more…)
By Dennis Markatos-Soriano, Sustainable Energy Transition Founder
Tuesday, November 4th, brought a huge shift to the US political landscape. The Obama landslide opens up an opportunity to update our energy policy for 21st century leadership. After eight years of stagnant federal climate change engagement, the Obama Administration promises no less than (more…)
Standing in line at 5:40am this morning was exciting. My wife and I were #s 10 and 11 in a line that grew toward 100 before the polls even opened at 6am. This election is historic in so many ways, not least of which is the high turnout taking place throughout the country.
In celebration of the history unfolding, I thought a perfect followup to yesterday’s presidential climate goals blog is an offering of deployment goals for renewables industry leaders, wind and solar. (more…)
With the election on our doorstep, I think it makes sense to talk about the US future in terms of presidential terms again.
Climate change is one of the key issues of the 21st century and requires immediate presidential action. But what kind of immediate action? The current federal climate policy on the table (a cap and trade system poised to pass in 2009) targets reducing US emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This blog describes interim goals for the first and second presidential terms (by (more…)
Today, Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council released “Energy [r]evolution: A Sustainable Energy World Outlook.” It is a followup to their early 2007 report that urged policymakers to ramp up efficiency and renewable energy deployment to stop climate change. This report has more detail, as it breaks down the energy portfolios of each region of the world. It also gives updates on the tremendous growth of renewables in 2007 and adds sections connecting its scenario to greater energy security in the developing context of higher fossil fuel prices.
The report makes the case that their strategy would not only mitigate climate change and improve air quality, but it would also save consumers
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OPEC took the middle road, cutting their oil production a hefty 1.5 million barrels per day (almost 5%). The cut was enough to have an impact in slowing oil’s price decline, but not so much it would considerably damage already flailing economies worldwide. In the short-term, their production cut was drowned by a dramatic fall in global stocks that has sent the Dow to the low 8,000s again.
The UK reported larger than expected economic contraction of (more…)
Thanks to consumption of oil falling 3.5%+ in 2008, it looks like US greenhouse gas emissions will fall greater than 1% this year. The rapid fall in oil consumption is tempered by the increase in emissions from slightly greater coal demand and an increase in consumption of cleaner-burning natural gas. If the overall trend continues through December, it will put us on track to meet the federal cap & trade legislation goal of (more…)