Will Natural Gas Really Profit from the Death of U.S. Coal?

Today, in its Energy Source blog, the Financial Times looked at the possibility of a broad switch from coal plants to natural gas power plants.  It cites Bernstein Research as predicting that this shift will come despite uncertai...

Posted Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 8:55 am | Filed in: Electricity, Energy Demand, Energy Supply

Loan Guarantees Increase Nuclear Promise

Yesterday, President Obama announced federal loan guarantees totaling $8.3 billion that will enable the construction of two new reactors in Georgia.  These would be the first new U.S. nuclear plants in more than 30 years.  Secre...

Posted Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 7:52 am | Filed in: Electricity, Nuclear

A Nuclear Renaissance

Later today, we expect to learn that the President’s FY 2011 budget will include $54 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of new nuclear power plants. This is a critical step forward to the revitalization of the nucle...

Posted Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 4:47 am | Filed in: Electricity, Energy Supply, Nuclear, Uncategorized

Batty or balanced? Spelunker still in the fight against wind farm

Time for an update on one of our favorite civil suits!  Diligent readers of these postings with strong memories may recall the case brought by a 72 year-old retired spelunker against a West Virginia wind farm.   At issue:  whe...

Posted Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 7:36 am | Filed in: Electricity, Environment, Renewables, Wind

Does the Natural Gas Bubble Need to be Popped?

Natural gas is being touted by some at Copenhagen as a relatively low-carbon “bridge” fuel, a life-line to take us through the next few decades until we can depend entirely on renewable and nuclear energy. Proponents, which in...

Posted Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 9:13 am | Filed in: Electricity, Environment, Natural Gas, Renewables, Transportation

Protecting Critical Energy Infrastructure at Home

Last December, an ice storm in the northeastern United States caused damage to utility poles and wires, and left as many as one million people without electrical power.  With temperatures below freezing and officials warning that...

Posted Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 12:42 pm | Filed in: Economic Security, Electricity, National Security