Energy Industry Archive

While ideas get kicked around quite often for new types of nuclear reactors, development has rarely progressed to commercialization. It seems we just don’t have enough invested in nuclear to see the process through. The “very high-temperature reactor” is one of these ideas — a potentially more stable nuclear reactor that runs hotter than current designs, allowing it to...

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To curb, or not to curb – Energy speculation has been getting plenty of attention, with legislators threatening to place hard limits on trades. Now the traders are finally mobilizing to fight back, or at least win some concessions. Goldman Sachs, for example, says that trading curbs will disrupt the market, while JPMorgan predicts that trading will simply move overseas. [Sources:...

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Those wishing for immediate government support of all forms of green energy technology are forewarned: Once a technology is government-supported, it may be nearly impossible to get rid of, even if it proves not to be a great option. That’s the case with hydrogen, for which Department of Energy secretary Steven Chu has just tried, and failed to cut back funding. Chu, a Nobel-winning...

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The consultant firm McKinsey & Co. issued a new report that tells us a lot about what we already know: energy efficiency is the cheapest way to cut greenhouse gas emissions; and a web of barriers — yup, that includes you, me and your neighbor with the leaky windows — remains. The report does, however, dive into the nitty gritty details of energy efficiency, and provides a...

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Turns out, the U.S. Interior Department made the right bet earlier this month when it decided to press ahead with plans to auction oil and natural leases in the Gulf of Mexico despite legal uncertainties swirling around the matter. A federal appeals court clarified Tuesday an earlier ruling and will allow the Interior Department to continue with its five-year oil and natural gas leasing plan...

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Valero Energy may slow production and keep its Aruba refinery plant closed as it prepares to weather a storm of continued weakened global demand, narrowing diesel and jet fuel margins and lower sour crude discounts. The U.S. oil refiner’s second-quarter earnings fell to a loss of $254 million, or 48 cents a share, compared to net income of $734 million, or $1.37 per share, for the same...

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Federal regulators mull limits on energy trading — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission kicked off its study of speculation in commodity markets with hearings Tuesday, which may lead to new limits on how many futures contracts investors can hold in oil and energy commodities. Opponents to regulation blame wild swings in oil on supply and demand; and are concerned hedging could be...

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Solar panel installation and servicing is a good business to be in right now, especially if you’ve got a head start. SunRun has that start in California, and is looking to secure it in other states with a new $18 million investment led by Accel Partners, a prominent venture firm. SunRun is trying to corner the market on power purchase agreements for consumer solar, meaning that homeowners...

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This decade has seen the passing of scores, if not hundreds of startups claiming to have the fix for our petroleum dependence. So far, not a single one has proved competitive with gasoline or diesel fuel. So it’s not unreasonable to be cautious of the latest, Joule Biotechnologies, a company that says it will be producing fuel for around $50 per barrel (with government incentives) a...

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Greenpeace has taken the approach of ‘investor protector’ in its battle against Canadian oil sands. The environmental group, along with PLATFORM and Oil Change International, published its “Rising Risks” report Monday warning investors of the potential economic falloutfor international oil majors who are relying more on unconventional oil — those found in the...

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