An analysis indicates that the fuel efficiency of vehicles purchased by consumers in the United States set a new record in the first half of this year. It attributed the shift to […]
With the Utility Regulators, Day 2: Portfolio Theory Makes Wind and Solar More Valuable
Any discussion about U.S. energy today inevitably turns to the new, abundant and cheap natural gas supplies being fracked from shale basins — and how solar and wind can compete with it. […]
Rare Earth Metals
Rare Earth Metals | The Big Picture.
Oil group sues over law on scarce biofuel
For the second time in five months, the U.S. government is being sued to overturn a law that forces oil refiners to use a scarce biofuel. Under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, […]
Oil pipeline crunch shifts U.S. shale race from drillbits to valves
HOUSTON (Reuters) – The U.S. shale oil revolution can’t be stopped, but it could be delayed by a potential shortfall of 10-ton valves and giant pipeline pumps essential for rebalancing markets upended […]
Stat of the Day: California’s Big Utilities at 20.6 Percent Renewables in 2011
The newest numbers show that California’s three investor-owned utilities (IOUs) were at 20.6 percent renewables at the end of 2011. With approximately 17 percent at the end of 2010, they fell somewhat […]
Guest Post: EV Myths and Realities, Part 2—Green as the Grid
Tesla’s Model S has been on the road, with private customers behind the wheel, for almost a month. The styling and performance will certainly draw attention, and the early reviews are nothing […]
Eaton Developing $500 Home CNG Station
Natural gas could be an important stepping stone in America’s quest to develop domestic energy. The problem right now is that natural gas filling stations are expensive and the home models can […]
Woody Agriculture – On the Road to a New Paradigm
Most Oil Drum readers will be familiar with the Land Institute’s work and hopes for a perennial agriculture based on future domestication of wild perennial prairie grasses. The Land Institute is a […]
New MLP Parity Act Could Give a Boost to Geothermal/Renewable Energy Investors
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have introduced legislation, S. 3275, or Master Limited Partnerships (MLP) Parity Act, which gives renewable energy projects access to a […]
Prometheus Institute 