Oil & Energy News

In 1961, I participated in what one newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, called “one of the most ambitious experiments in race-mixing the South had seen.” With the nation in turmoil, 25 other black students and I helped integrate an all-white junior high school. Outside the school, we faced angry crowds determined to prevent us from getting…

When the Golden State Warriors, who won three of the last four NBA championships, signed All-Star Demarcus Cousins, sports pundits across the country offered the same opinion: The rich just got richer. In many respects, the same holds true for energy subsidies. Federal energy programs promise ambiguous policy goals such as abating climate change, spurring…

In the midst of a growing global economy, the world’s demand for energy is booming. In 2017, global demand for energy grew by 2.1 percent, more than double the previous year’s rate. Oil, gas, and coal accounted for about 80 percent of global energy consumption with oil alone accounting for 32 percent of global consumption….

When Americans think of U.S. exports, many think of cars, technology, or agricultural products. Most, though, never pay a second thought to U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas. In the past two years, the United States has not only become an exporter of liquefied natural gas, it is predicted to become the second-largest exporter of…

A new study shows that if you aren’t ready to go vegan to save the world, then you should quit riding your bike and take a car. An article in the Journal of Insufferable Busybodies (official title: Sustainable Production and Consumption) calculates the carbon footprint for a variety of sandwiches. These carbon footprints include carbon…

Since the expansion of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies broke the trend of high energy prices in 2014, Americans have prospered—not only from lower energy prices, but also increased economic growth. As access to abundant energy sources increases, businesses reaping the benefits of affordable energy have expanded their investments in people and equipment. In…

In a compromise tax reform package, Senate and House negotiators have agreed to include language to open Alaska’s coastal plain for energy exploration and production. If passed, the bill would finally give Alaskans more control over their energy future by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The entire Arctic refuge comprises roughly 19 million acres…

Picking winners and losers in the energy industry was a hallmark of the Obama administration. But it seems that pattern isn’t quite gone under Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s department. In late September, Perry directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to develop new standards to set prices for “resiliency” in competitive electricity markets, giving them a…

The intensifying Saudi-Iranian cold war is severely disrupting Lebanese politics. Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri, resigned suddenly on Nov.  4, blaming Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs and the internal threat posed by Hezbollah, Iran’s Lebanese Shiite surrogate. Hariri’s resignation speech was delivered from Saudi Arabia, which reportedly had pressured him to step down after summoning…

Washington is known for political arm-twisting. There’s a good reason for that. It too often works, and it helps prop up bad policies like mandates to blend corn-based ethanol and other biofuels into our fuel supply. In September, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed cutting the volumetric requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard. The reductions were…

The Department of Justice charged Vicente Adolfo Solano last week with attempting to use an explosive device at a Miami mall. Solano had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. This case represents the 99th Islamist terrorism plot or attack against the U.S. homeland since 9/11. A confidential informant with the Drug…