Power & Energy Commodity Reports

China clean energy plan hinges on coal price

Beijing, 30 August 2010

China's $736-billion push to harness nuclear, wind, solar and biomass energy hinges on making the cleaner fuels competitive with cheap and CO2-intensive coal without derailing surging industrial growth.

Making Waves with Tidal Energy

Houston, 27 August 2010

The first-ever federal license to proceed with a utility-scale tidal energy project in this country has been issued in Oregon. After an extensive permitting process, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given the thumbs up to Ocean Power Technologies.

Big bets on US oil bonanza after shale gas boom

New York, August 2010

As the U.S. shale gas revolution enters its third year, companies are making big bets to try to recreate that success with the billions of barrels of oil locked in the sedimentary rock even though geologists doubt the actual production potential.

EIA: Annual Energy Review, 2009

Washington, August 2010

Summary data on energy production, consumption, imports, and exports: The Annual Energy Review 2009 (AER), released on August 19, 2010, provides EIA’s most comprehensive look at integrated energy statistics. Summary statistics from the report indicate the following:

They Died Before the Oil Ran Out

London, 17 August 2010

There is an open secret in the oil industry that dare not speak its name: peak oil. Well, two did speak its name and gained no acclaim for it. One, M. King Hubbert, died years ago. The other and the most controversial, Matthew Simmons, died at his Maine summer home Aug. 8. The peak oil idea is simple: Oil is a finite commodity, and one day we are going to use up all of it.

China's Opportunity

Houston, 13 August 2010

If energy consumption is a major standard by which to judge economic prowess, then China has joined the big leagues. The International Energy Agency now reports that China has surpassed the US country to become the world's biggest energy consumer.

Indonesian Palm Oil vs The Environment

London, August 2010

A bitter dispute between the palm oil industry and environmentalists has broad implications for Indonesia, whose plans to halt forest clearing will slow the aggressive expansion of plantation firms in the world's top palm oil producer – Special Thomson Reuters report.

Ends --

Download the special report here:

Analyzing Coal's Future

Houston, August 2010

Carbon capture could become commercial within 10-15 years. And while it holds the potential to significantly cut heat-trapping emissions, it may be noticeably more expensive than current technologies and thereby cause consumers to pay more.

The Enduring Middle East Strategic Framework

London, August 2010

The Enduring Middle East Strategic Framework Begins to Emerge as Iran Surges, and the US Resiles: The lingering impact of August 3, 2010, clash on the Israeli-Lebanese border lies in the greater context of, and wider strategic dynamics in, the Middle East. These aspects were highlighted by HizbAllah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in his speech later that day.

Leading the Smart Grid Charge

Houston, August 2010

The transformation may now be gradual. But it will gather steam and change the way utilities produce and deliver their electricity. If done properly, the smart grid that enables such progress could have profound implications. The movement is just now getting its legs. But just how it stabilizes and gains footing is a matter of debate: Some say it will be consumer demand. Others say that regulators must lead while some say it must be a collective effort.