Articles

Nord Stream 2 Remains Sour Point in US-Europe Ties

Antony Blinken, Joe Biden’s Secretary of State nominee, said on Tuesday that the new government will use every persuasive tool to stop the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The statement triggered debate over why Biden’s administration, which voiced multiple times it would repair tattered transatlantic ties, persists …

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German Power Sector could Achieve 100% Renewables by 2040

On its planned path to climate-neutrality by the middle of the century, Germany could achieve complete decarbonisation of its power sector already by 2040 – and EU climate targets might even compel the country to greatly speed up the expansion of wind and solar power, government ministers have said at …

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2020: The Year of the Great Energy Disconnect

2020 obviously will be the Year of the Pandemic. However, when it comes to energy, 2020 will also be known as the Year of the Great Disconnect. Thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, never have fossil fuels been more important for human health, yet never have they been more disparaged and …

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2020: A Year of Crisis, Crossroads, and Alternative Histories

There is an alternative history to 2020. It was the year the world’s largest polluter pledged to fully decarbonise its economy within 40 years. The year voters in the planet’s pre-eminent superpower rejected a racist, misogynist, climate denier in favour of a man who pledged to engineer a net zero …

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The Death of US Shale has been Greatly Exaggerated

The current year marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S. shale boom, a period in which fracking technology across such states as Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Wyoming helped establish the nation as a top oil and gas producer. Unfortunately, high costs of production compared with conventional drilling …

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Is OPEC Finally Beginning to Unravel?

Another month, another OPEC “crisis.” It’s the usual problem: The cartel, meeting in Vienna this week, can’t agree on how to balance production with price. The Saudi-led oil exporters, boosted by non-OPEC countries such as Russia and Kazakhstan, can’t control price as such so have to imagine how to agree …

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The Oil Industry Starts Climbing out of a Hole

Over the past month the oil industry — which some had declared dead after the crushing losses earlier in the year — has gone on an impressive rally. ExxonMobil shares are up 27% in one month. Chevron has risen 37%. Royal Dutch Shell shares are up 60%. ConocoPhillips is up …

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