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Article, Government and Politics, International

Moniz sees progress, but not enough, in energy landscape

April 30, 2015

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is receiving a lot of attention for his involvement in U.S. negotiations with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. Helping Secretary of State John Kerry evaluate Iran’s nuclear capability and the potential for an enforceable agreement is undoubtedly one of the weightiest assignments of Moniz’s career. But occurring at the same time for the 70-year-old physicist is a major new report that, until his Iran role, appeared likely to be the crowning achievement of his tenure at the Department of Energy. (Read more)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Economy / Finance, Energy, Government and Politics, International

Low oil prices get World Bank’s, IMF’s attention

April 13, 2015

One of the big factors in considering ways to reduce poverty around the world is the availability and cost of energy. It’s a perennial issue for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and it promises to be as big as ever this week when those institutions hold their spring meetings in Washington. (Read More)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Climate, Energy

Corporate bonds show green shoots

March 29, 2015

Politicians may disagree over the need to address climate change, but companies and investors are increasingly financing technologies that provide energy more efficiently and cleanly. Among the latest indications is a report from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services on green bonds, a relatively new financing instrument, and one that is suddenly attracting attention from corporations around the world. (Read More)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Consumer, Corporations, Utilities and Providers

Utility titan plays harder as industry evolves

March 9, 2015

Will U.S. electric utilities become obsolete some day? The idea may seem far-fetched given our reliance on massive systems of transmission lines and central power plants that deliver electricity to our homes and businesses. But with the rapid spread of solar panels on residential and business roofs across the country, and the potential for breakthroughs in microgrids, storage systems and other technologies, the business model for electric utilities is coming under scrutiny like never before. (Read More)

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by Bill Loveless