The U.S. has experienced record solar growth in recent years, supported by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and greater access to green funding. The Solar Energies Industry Association (SEIA) has recorded record levels of added solar capacity over the last year, as more solar projects were added to …
Read More »EU Ready to Discuss Closer Energy Ties with US under Trump
The European Union is prepared to discuss with U.S. President-elect Trump boosting economic ties, including in the energy sector, an EU spokesperson told Reuters on Friday, hours after Trump threatened to impose “tariffs all the way” on the bloc if it doesn’t buy large volumes of American oil and gas. …
Read More »Renewables Growth won’t Go away under Trump
The rise of data centers and their quest for renewable energy to power AI technology will boost the growth of renewables even under President Donald Trump, the Americas head of Japan’s biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, told Reuters. “The new administration will be more constructive on fossil fuels, but …
Read More »U.S. Grants Turkey Exemption from Sanctions on Gazprombank
The United States has exempted Turkey from sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank so that it can continue to pay for gas imports, the Turkish energy minister told Bloomberg. Washington sanctioned dozens of Russian banks in November, including Gazprombank, which since March 2022 had been the only bank countries could use to …
Read More »Hurricane Fury in 2024 Slows US Gulf Energy Production
The 2024 hurricane season was relentless, and it took U.S. energy infrastructure along for the ride. Above-average storm activity—18 named storms, five of which were major hurricanes—created disruptions in electricity markets and oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes Helene and Milton, both Category 3 storms, were …
Read More »Massive LNG Expansion Expected Worldwide despite Green Transition
Since 2022, several countries worldwide have announced plans to expand their natural gas production capacity over the next decade, with multiple new large-scale projects coming online over the last three years. This was largely driven by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Russian energy, which led …
Read More »Rising Metal Prices Cast Shadow on U.S. Construction Industry
The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held its sideways trend, dropping by a slight 1.09%. Despite a torrent of construction news, the index didn’t budge much month-over-month and had a minimal reaction to recent interest rate drops. The Fed will likely need to drop interest rates more aggressively for the …
Read More »US to Increase Tariffs on Chinese Solar
US President Joe Biden’s administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect US clean energy businesses. The notice from the Office of US Trade Representative (USTR) said tariffs on Chinese-made solar wafers and polysilicon would rise to 50 percent from 25 …
Read More »China Export Curbs to Impact US Clean Energy, Defense Industries
China’s retaliatory export curbs might take a toll on the growing U.S. clean energy sector and its defense industry, analysts opined as trade tensions escalate between the world’s two biggest economies. Beijing announced this week it would ban exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the United States, targeting materials …
Read More »Putin’s Gazprombank Move Creates Ripple in EU-U.S. Sanctions Strategy
The European Union is working with the United States to soften the blow without undermining their shared stance against Moscow. Gazprombank, pivotal for Russian natural gas transactions, has become a focal point of geopolitical and energy strategy since the U.S. imposed sanctions last month. While President Vladimir Putin’s decision to …
Read More »