Sanctions failed to take a bite out of Russia’s oil patch: Fuel for Thought
International sanctions against Russia introduced in 2014 turned out not to be the bogeyman they first seemed to be. Rosemary Griffin explains.
Demand response saves electricity during times of high demand
(Mon, 08 Feb 2016) Demand response in the electricity market involves the targeted reduction of electricity use during times of high demand. In response, customers receive incentives for these reductions. A recent Supreme Court ruling is expected to result in faster growth in demand response in the wholesale electricity markets that cover about 60% of U.S. power supply.
EU to miss sugar export quota in 2015-16
The EU will likely miss its export quota for the 2015-16 season due to lower output, according to Sopex, a UK-based sugar trading company. Sopex analysts forecast EU exports to be less than 1 million mt, which is less than the 1.35 million mt established in line with WTO rules.
Dirt devil: Airlines filter through info on latest fuel quality issue
Those attending the Platts Middle Distillates Conference spoke a diesel-focused language, this being Europe where people mostly drive diesel cars even after the VW scandal.
Chinese New Year sees no-monkeying-around stance on steel overcapacity
The mood for many in China's steel industry will be sombre, judging from the recent slew of warnings several steelmakers have issued, predicting massive losses for 2015.
Obama to Propose a $10-a-Barrel Fee on Oil
The proposal, to be included in the administration’s budget request, is part of its effort to fight climate change. The revenue would be spent on highway infrastructure and research.
California has nearly half of the nation's solar electricity generating capacity
(Fri, 05 Feb 2016) The United States has slightly more than 20,000 megawatts (MW) of solar generating capacity, which includes utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal installations, as well as distributed generation solar PV systems, also known as rooftop solar.
Go for launch: The space race for mining metals from asteroids gains more focus
The Luxembourg Government announced a series of measures on Feb. 3 that will boost asteroid mining and the visionary use of space resources.
High inventories help push crude oil prices to lowest levels in 13 years
(Thu, 04 Feb 2016) Several factors have played a part in pushing U.S. crude oil prices below $30 per barrel, including high inventory levels of crude oil, uncertainty about global economic growth, volatility in equity and nonenergy commodity markets, and the potential for additional crude oil supply to enter the market. Crude oil and petroleum product inventories, both domestically and internationally, have been growing since mid-2014 and are above five-year averages for this date.