In a recent article, I provided a firsthand look at the booming oil production in the Permian Basin. Notably, after 100 years of production, the Permian Basin is pumping record volumes of crude oil. However, as I also noted there are some looming constraints that threaten to slow this production growth: “Oil production can expand only as quickly as infrastructure can … Continue reading Could Natural Gas Threaten Permian Oil Production?

Wind power generated a record 6.3-percent share of total U.S. electricity last year, with four states generating more than 30 percent of their electricity from wind power, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said in its newly released U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report 2017. In 2016, wind accounted for almost 6 percent of the … Continue reading Four U.S. States Generate Over 30% Of Their Electricity From Wind

The Conversation Solar photovoltaic and wind power are rapidly getting cheaper and more abundant – so much so that they are on track to entirely supplant fossil fuels worldwide within two decades, with the time frame depending mostly on politics. The protestation from some politicians that we need to build new coal stations sounds rather … Continue reading Solar PV and wind on track to replace all coal, oil and gas within two decades

More money was invested in solar power in 2017 than in coal, gas and nuclear power combined, according to a new report for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report says that global investment in solar rose 18% to $160.8 billion, driven by the Chinese market, which was responsible for more than half of … Continue reading Solar Power Investment Outstripped Coal, Gas And Nuclear Combined In 2017

FILE - This July 27, 2011 file photo shows a farmhouse in the background framed by pipes connecting pumps where the hydraulic fracturing process in the Marcellus Shale layer to release natural gas was underway at a Range Resources site in Claysville, Pa. In Pennsylvania’s fracking boom, new and more unconventional wells leaked far … Continue reading Methane Leaks Are Burning Oil And Natural Gas Producers — But They Are Not Sitting Still

Carbon Brief The deployment of renewables and electric vehicles is expected to skyrocket as the world strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These low-carbon technologies currently rely on a handful of key metals, some of which have been little-used to date. This raises questions over whether enough of these materials can be mined to ensure … Continue reading Explainer: These six metals are key to a low-carbon future

European automakers are using the Geneva auto show as a platform to take on Tesla. The Swiss motor show has been heightened in importance in the wake of the Model S electric sedan beating classic German luxury cars in sales. The Geneva International Motor Show, which started this week and runs through March 18, will … Continue reading Can European Car Giants Dethrone Tesla?

The planning for a meeting between moguls in the oil and corn industries is in its preliminary stages, but President Donald Trump is not scheduled to attend the summit, which could define the future of the U.S. biofuels market. Sources told Reuters that though the President will not be in attendance like he was in … Continue reading Big Corn vs. Big Oil: The Battle Over Biofuel

Recent reports indicate utilities and states have begun to take more seriously an expected exponential increase in the number of electric vehicles in the U.S., with 227 EV-related actions nationwide in 2017.  So far, though, it’s not enough.  A report released Wednesday from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) found that among 486 American utilities … Continue reading Vast Majority of Utilities Just Beginning to Cope With EV Growth

Lithium, cobalt and nickel are experiencing price fluctuations as global tech and auto giants race to lock down these crucial battery materials. All three metals were rising in price through the early part of 2018, according to the latest research from Wood Mackenzie's newly launched Battery Raw Materials Service. The data charts out ups and downs … Continue reading Battery Markets and Metals Markets Have Officially Collided