Jim Pierobon is Founder and principal writer of The Energy Fix. He is a policy, marketing and social media strategist who has reported on, testified and consulted about smarter grids, cyber-security as it affects the power grid, fossil fuel shortages, price spikes, energy efficiency and the rise and fall -- and the rise again of nuclear and renewable energy sources.Energy and climate portion of President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address
To save you time searching for the energy and climate portion of Obama’s February 12, 2013 State of the Union address, which occurred not quite half way through the speech, here it is, courtesy of ABC News: “After years of talking about it, we are finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce [...]
U.S. carbon tax talk on the rebound: enough for both parties to dislike . . . and pass?
It might only apply to industry emissions and nary a Republican would dare admit to seriously considering it, but talk of a possible carbon tax is making the rounds in political Washington and elsewhere. Think about it. A carbon tax does not lack for support among mainstream energy and fiscal policy experts; it has drawn [...]
Commodity risks – how energy suppliers manage them can make a big difference to markets and customers
More than a decade after the Enron debacle, one would think managing an energy company’s risks is a widely-agreed upon practice with similar types of standards. Yet with the ongoing volatility in oil and natural gas prices, accidents and ‘Acts of God’ that just keep happening and the growing interdependence in commercial markets on other [...]
Renewable energy: advocates need to raise their ‘game’ to match fossil energy interests
With the absence of an energy discussion in this year’s presidential race, one might think the U.S. faces few, if any, substantive energy problems, or opportunities for that matter. Most energy experts agree that is not the case. Yet what constitutes a problem or an opportunity, is subject to interpretation. Rising gasoline prices, heightening unrest [...]
America, with Canada’s help, could be within 15 years of energy self-sufficiency — for liquid fuels
“Energy self-sufficiency” is not the same thing as the politically popular and wholly unrealistic notion of “energy independence”. But it might be doable by 2026 for the United States. So says the President and CEO of the the ‘Big Oil’ lobby, the American Petroleum Institute (API). During his annual energy policy speech December 4, API [...]
Shale natural gas looking more like THE sustainable bridge to a more secure, cleaner and lower carbon energy future
While not all geologists agree, the estimated reserves of natural gas from shale deposits make natural gas the fuel of choice for the economy, U.S. energy security and the environment. How much depends on whom you believe. Chesapeake Energy’s CEO Aubrey McClendon has asserted on CBS’ 60 Minutes there is now twice as much natural [...]
Energy: now a national security priority for ALL the armed forces
For the first time, “energy” is a distinct military program or capability at the Pentagon — on par with troops, weapons and cyber skill sets. And with its just unveiled “Operational Energy Strategy” there is hope this ambitious blueprint could trigger significant new efficiency innovations in vehicles and deployment of onsite renewable sources of electricity. [...]