Energy

For energy security, power is the new oil

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Today, electricity is the new oil when it comes to energy security. The immediacy of power outages and the ubiquity of critical elements of modern life powered by electricity mean the impact of oil supply disruptions are a walk in the park compared with our power vulnerabilities. Moreover, our dependence on electricity and our vulnerability to disruptions are rising.  It is critical that we recognize that our national security – and a successful climate policy – both depend on building a more a robust and resilient power system.   Continue Reading →

Winterization and the Texas Blackout: Fail to Prepare? Prepare to Fail

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Most places prepare for the cold by protecting their critical infrastructure from freezing up. Texas does not. Lax regulation exposed electricity producers—and their customers—to failures that killed off all four of Texas’ top generating types: natural gas, wind, coal and nuclear. We look at each technology to show what failed. We also show how more cautious jurisdictions routinely deal with the problems that took Texas offline. Continue Reading →

The “criticality” of minerals for energy transitions. Hydrocarbons? Yes, hydrocarbons.

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During a time of growing unease about critical minerals for energy and materials, actions that restrict or prevent the development of oil and natural gas imply new strategic concerns for vitally important hydrocarbons. As a source of both fuels and materials, hydrocarbons are essential for defense and non-defense applications, including food and medical security and energy technologies. Balanced thinking and policy making are crucial to ensuring a sustainable path forward. Continue Reading →

Challenges ahead for US refiners?

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U.S. oil refiners have had a great run in recent years. World-class technical sophistication has combined with the shale boom (and an inadvertent assist from policy) to drive a dramatic shift in the competitiveness of U.S. refiners, moving the U.S. from a large net importer of refined products to now being one the largest net exporters. But market events in 2020 signal changes to come that will challenge the industry’s global competitiveness. Continue Reading →