All Environment
Asia pushes for free-market liquefied natural gasNatural gas consumers in Asia are pushing to break the longstanding linkage between the price of oil and and the price of natural gas.聽Japan is pushing for a futures market for liquefied natural gas, Schaefer writes, and the potential Canadian supply could be the first to get priced this way.
San Onofre nuclear plant to shut down permanentlySan Onofre nuclear plant is shutting down for good聽after an epic 16-month battle over whether the twin reactors could be safely restarted with millions of people living nearby, officials announced Friday.聽The problems at San Onofre center on steam generators that were installed during a $670 million overhaul in 2009 and 2010.聽
$500 a barrel? How high could oil prices rise?Current energy trends could threaten the Western way of life by 2040 when oil prices could reach as high as $500 a barrel, according to a recent report from the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The continued rise of China and South Asian economies will increase the cost and reduce the availability of energy supplies.
Carpe diet? Chinese firm's plan to export Asian carp could help US waterways.A Chinese firm says it's seizing on the explosion in the population of invasive Asian carp, which environmentalists say threatens the Great Lakes, and will open a fishery dedicated to its export.
EPA biofuel rule: energy solution or economic burden?The EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program has attracted controversy for driving up food prices and the cost of gasoline. Republican lawmakers lambasted the EPA's fuel standard in a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, but supporters say the standard is flexible and an important part of a transition to alternative fuels.
Why energy innovation is like mowing an Earth-sized, overgrown lawnDeveloping competitive, high-performance, clean-energy technologies is not unlike a group of people mowing an Earth-sized, overgrown lawn, Stepp writes. It is a problem we鈥檙e trying to collectively address and we鈥檙e implementing a coordinated set of policy solutions to do so.
US opens first bid for offshore wind energyAmerica's first offshore wind lease sale will take place in July, the Interior Department聽announced聽Tuesday. It's good news for the US wind industry, which is hoping to expand beyond land-based production.
NY college explosion blamed on natural gas leakAn explosion at a college building in New York Tuesday is being blamed on leaking natural gas. The presumed natural gas explosion聽blew out windows, sent a door sailing through the air and injured seven people, but authorities said none of the injuries were life-threatening.
Rail vs. pipeline: How should we ship oil?The debate over shipping oil via pipelines versus rail hinges on access, price and reliability, Graeber writes.聽For now, it seems trains are winning the race, but what happens long-term with more pipeline access remains to be seen.
Solar plane on trans-US flight: It's about 'pioneering spirit,' pilot saysSolar Impulse, the first聽human-piloted solar aircraft able to operate day or night, was flying from Dallas to St. Louis Monday, aiming to make the trip in about 21 hours.
China boosts oil presence in turbulent MyanmarChina is developing its oil infrastructure in Myanmar as the country develops as a viable investment opportunity, Graeber writes. But transparency issues and religious strife make Myanmar a difficult place to look for sources of energy.
Nissan Leaf races ahead of Chevy Volt in MayThe Nissan Leaf pulled ahead of the Chevy Volt in this year's race for best-selling electric car. Electric cars held their own in an overall solid month for the auto industry.聽
How will businesses finance the future of energy?A new report outlines聽business challenges and policy challenges thwarting the growth of the advanced energy sector, in order to identify policy improvements that could overcome these challenges.
'All of the above' 鈥� What does that really mean?Our energy mix and the forces that drive it have long been in a state of flux, Styles writes. An 'all-of-the-above' energy policy should start with what we have now, recognize the inertia of existing fleets and infrastructure, and evolve as costs shift and our emphasis on environmental consequences grows.
Warren Buffett bets $5.6 billion on Nevada energyWarren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will acquire NV Energy 鈥� the company that keeps the lights on in much of Nevada. NV Energy is a relatively safe bet on renewables in a state that's seen some hard times.
Was the fish you had for dinner caught by slaves? New report raises alarm.A new report out by an Environmental Justice Foundation documents widespread use of Burmese forced labor in the Thai fishing industry.聽The US is one of the largest importers of Thai fish products.
US energy in five maps (infographics) America has a lot of energy. Saxum, an Oklahoma City-based advertising and communications firm, has developed a portrait of the country's vast oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, and other resources (click each image for a larger version):
Apple taps former EPA head Lisa Jackson for clean-energy boostApple's hiring of former EPA head Lisa Jackson comes as Apple and other high-tech firms try to 'green' their energy-intensive operations.聽Silicon聽Valley has been a target of criticism in recent years for聽electricity-draining data centers and pollutants in electronics.
Exxon鈥檚 $100 million algae biofuel investment comes up shortExxon Mobil invested聽$100 million on algae biofuels only to find that it couldn鈥檛 achieve commercial viability, Alic writes. The company had hoped聽to exploit algae as a source of oil that could be converted in existing refineries into transportation fuels on a commercially viable scale.聽
Los Angeles River: Kayaking, fishing come to downtown L.A.Los Angeles River: The river is best known as a concrete backdrop for Hollywood films, but now one portion has been reclaimed as a recreation area 鈥� with perhaps more to come.