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EnergySource

Sep 4, 2018

US-Denmark energy cooperation: A “win(d)-win(d) situation”

By Becca Hunziker

When President Trump announced that his goal for American energy was not just energy independence, but “energy dominance,” he outlined six steps his administration would pursue with that goal in mind: reviving and expanding the nuclear energy sector, addressing barriers to financing highly efficient overseas coal energy plants, constructing a new pipeline to Mexico, negotiating […]

Energy Transitions Northern Europe

EnergySource

Aug 30, 2018

Puerto Rico chooses concession: Two strikes to date

By Branko Terzic

This piece is the second by the author on Puerto Rico’s electricity system. You can read the first piece here. The government of Puerto Rico has selected “concession” as the method of privatizing the transmission and distribution assets of the commonwealth’s electric system, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). This privatization through “concession” of transmission […]

Energy Markets & Governance Latin America

EnergySource

Jul 19, 2018

Puerto Rico’s electric industry transformation

By Branko Terzic

Following the tragic weather events of 2017, the state of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure, has been a contentious issue. In fact, even before Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s electric service provider, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), had been struggling with mismanagement and teetered on the brink of financial collapse for years. The damage […]

Energy Markets & Governance Energy Transitions

EnergySource

Jul 13, 2018

What Iran’s World Cup team says about oil production

By Brenda Shaffer

In the current tight oil market, where little wiggle room exists between supply and demand, any production outage has the potential to significantly impact the global oil price. And while observers frequently discuss many of the geopolitical risks that could lead to such outages, the potential for outages in Iranian production warrants further consideration—and not […]

Geopolitics & Energy Security Iran

EnergySource

Jul 13, 2018

Not everything is cool with air conditioning

By Peter Freudenstein

When they first cross the Atlantic, Europeans are often perplexed by the omnipresent air conditioners in the United States. Yet when humidity and temperatures reach unbearable levels during the summer months, even hardened naysayers of air conditioners appreciate a cool workplace that allows working without sweating profusely. However, not everything is cool with air conditioning. […]

Climate Change & Climate Action

EnergySource

Jul 9, 2018

The UAE’s energy future: A long-term strategy beyond hydrocarbons

By Herbert Crowther

The world’s largest single-site solar park and the world’s first attempt at a carbon neutral, self-sustainable city can both be found in what might seem to be an unlikely location: the heart of the Arabian Gulf. Both projects are funded by and located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a geographically small state that holds […]

Energy Transitions Renewables & Advanced Energy

EnergySource

Jul 5, 2018

The risks of the Trump Administration’s whiplash policy on Iranian oil

By David Mortlock and Ellen Wald

As the Trump Administration prepares to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions on Iran following the president’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), its treatment of Iranian oil sales could dramatically impact both the United States’ Iran strategy and the global oil market. The administration’s apparent decision to compel buyers […]

Geopolitics & Energy Security Iran

EnergySource

Jul 5, 2018

Finding nature-inspired solutions for energy use design challenges in engineering and architecture

By Peter Dean

A previous blog entry addressed the human role in containing entropy. This post examines real-world examples of addressing design challenges in engineering and architecture. Unfortunately, many engineering solutions to both past and current architectural and industrial design challenges have relied on abundant and cheap energy for their effectiveness. When energy is cheap and plentiful, using […]

Energy Transitions Technology & Innovation

EnergySource

Jul 3, 2018

Is power ever too cheap to meter?

By Branko Terzic

Despite decades of safe operation at over 100 power stations generating carbon free electricity, nuclear power remains a controversial topic in the United States. Nuclear opponents often remind the public that proponents once promised that electricity from nuclear power would be “too cheap to meter,” a promise that has so far gone unfulfilled. However, a […]

Energy Markets & Governance

EnergySource

Jul 2, 2018

As OPEC manages the market, shale producers struggle with local constraints

By Ellen Scholl

Much has been made of the recent OPEC decision to lift production limits and its impact on US shale producers, with some commentators arguing that OPEC reclaiming its role as a market manager has put US shale in its place. However, others have noted that shale producers in the Permian are potentially sighing in relief […]

Americas Energy Markets & Governance