SET Energy

In our trip down to North Carolina from New York, we loaded up with $1.65 per gallon gasoline in northwestern Virginia. Amazing. The national average price is now below $1.90 and is probably near the bottom if the higher wholesale prices of the last couple of days hold any sway. But there is some downside potential on today’s EIA petroleum report’s finding that our consumption of gasoline and distillates remains significantly below last year’s levels. Even with prices more than a dollar per gallon below last year (more…)

For many past posts, I emphasized difficult times ahead for the US and other oil importing countries as oil production declines. But falling production will also hurt many producers who depend on oil exports for government revenue. The situation is extremely severe in our southern neighbor, Mexico.

Mexico’s oil production [including crude oil and natural gas liquids] peaked in 2004 at (more…)

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…)

Earlier today, the IMF lowered its prediction of global economic growth to 2.2% in 2009, .8% below last month’s estimate and below the 3% marker they use to classify a recession. The major reduction has many banks predicting oil demand will fall next year for the first time in 26 years.

As a result, oil prices dipped toward (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…)