energy security
Triple-digit prices for crude oil have opened up large new unconventional sources like Canada’s oil sands. But “this does not mean the world is on the verge of an era of oil abundance,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At the same time, the global demand for energy
energy security
How dependent are we on a steady supply of fossil fuels? In particular, how much does a fully functioning society depend on the gasoline flowing from gas pumps? People in the UK are getting a rude reminder right now as the simple suggestion of a strike by fuel truck drivers
energy security
Who could argue with the goal of achieving an “energy-secure” future? It’s a worthy-sounding ambition from any angle. Step back for a moment, though, and ask this: what, exactly, is energy security? Is it the assurance that everyone on the planet can continue with business-as-usual energy consumption? That’s
energy security
We’ve heard over and over again in recent years that a smarter, more technologically advanced energy grid will help make power supplies more reliable, prevent outages and resolve failures more quickly. Judging by the latest review of blackouts in the US, those improvements can’t come fast enough. Despite
energy security
Energy is the “lifeblood” of the global economy, as a report issued at the just-wrapped-up World Economic Forum (WEF) noted. But in most parts of the globe, the energy sector itself makes a surprisingly small contribution to national GDP. In Germany, for example, energy-related industries accounted for an average of
energy security
The US will produce 20 percent more crude oil a decade from now, become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas by 2016 and will see energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stay below 2005 levels all the way through 2035 … if current laws and regulations remain unchanged. That’s a big
energy security
What will our energy landscape look like in, say, 30 years? As physicist Neils Bohr is quoted as saying, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” But that doesn’t stop us from trying to envision the future anyway. Here are a few prognostications about what
energy security
If you think the UK is in a difficult position as far as its relationship goes to the rest of Europe and the ongoing euro debt drama, consider the circumstances surrounding its energy and climate policies. It’s all enough to make Prime Minister David Cameron wish he had never
energy security
Coal, oil and natural gas helped power the Industrial Revolution, and make life as we know it today possible. But there are plenty of increasingly compelling reasons for us to try and quit the fossil fuel habit. The question is: Is that even possible? Why ask? Well, first, the signs
energy security
The US State Department has created a new bureau to address the vital importance of energy in international affairs and diplomacy. The Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), announced in October by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, has begun operations with three primary goals: * To “manage the geopolitics” of today’
energy security
Electric cars, wind and solar energy and even next-generation biofuels might all help to build a more energy-secure future, but the areas we should be focusing our efforts on today more than anywhere else are much simpler: energy efficiency and energy savings. That’s the conclusion of International Energy Agency
energy security
Mitsubishi Electric has begun testing a range of technologies designed to help people not only control their energy use but to have access to a reliable power grid that can keep the lights on even in emergencies. The full-scale tests of smart-grid and smart-city technologies are taking place at the