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Economy / Finance

Economy / Finance, Energy, Podcast

Columbia Energy Exchange: Jamie Webster

October 3, 2016

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries took many by surprise last week with its decision to consider making cuts in crude oil production to help lift prices and rebalance the market. Now the world will wait to see if a firm decision is made at OPEC’s next regular meeting in November. Host Bill Loveless sits down with one of our Fellows at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Jamie Webster, to discuss OPEC’s decision, a change in course from the last two years of free-flowing oil. (Listen here)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Consumer, Corporations, Economy / Finance, Energy

Oil companies slip in new list of leading energy firms

October 2, 2016

Integrated oil majors like ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell once dominated the standings of the world’s leading energy companies, with assets, revenue and earnings far outpacing just about everyone else. That’s not the case anymore, as companies that sell electricity and refine crude oil into fuel are gaining ground, as seen in a new survey by S&P Global Platts, a provider of energy information and benchmark prices. (Read more)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Economy / Finance, Energy, International, Organizations

OPEC meets this week as oil optimism builds

September 25, 2016

The OPEC oil cartel plans to hold an informal meeting in Algeria this week to consider whether steps should be taken to stabilize oil prices following a slump of more than two years. Ministers of the 14 OPEC nations flirted with a similar notion earlier this year in a meeting with Russia in Qatar, but the prospect of a freeze in oil output failed because rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran refused to back off on their drives to increase market share, regardless of price. (Read more)

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

Dude! Oil industry in ‘hang 10’ mode on low prices

September 21, 2016

North Dakota is about as far from an ocean and surfing as any place in the U.S. So why would a North Dakota energy official use a popular surfing term, “hang ten,” to describe the condition of his state’s oil industry? “You have to find the right wave, and generally it’s a big wave,” Lynn Helms, the director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, said the other day, sounding like a surfing aficionado. (Read more.)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Climate, Consumer, Economy / Finance, Government and Politics, Policy, Utilities and Providers

More are willing to pay to fight climate change, survey says

September 18, 2016

How much would you pay on your electric bill to combat climate change? Is $10 or $20 a month reasonable? $50 too much? Or, maybe you’re unwilling to shell out anything at all. A new survey offers some insight regarding the extent to which Americans consider climate change a legitimate threat and how much they’re willing to pay for government policies that would respond to the phenomena. (Read more)

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

Oil’s slide will affect sector for ‘some time,’ CEO says

September 11, 2016

Still in the midst of their worst downturn in 30 years, big oil companies warn that world oil markets are likely to remain vulnerable to sharp swings in prices for years to come. Among the latest alerts is one from Ryan Lance, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips, the world’s largest independent exploration and production company. (Read More)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Corporations, Economy / Finance, Energy, Organizations

‘World’s energy superpower’ fights OPEC obsession

August 10, 2016

Although OPEC’s influence over world oil prices has declined in recent years, the mere mention of a meeting by the cartel’s member countries is still enough to trigger speculation and move the market. We saw that Monday when oil prices jumped 3% in New York after news broke that OPEC planned to assemble unofficially in Algeria in September in response to the latest setback in the market. (Read more.)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Corporations, Economy / Finance, Technology

Green energy growth fuels an urge to merge

August 7, 2016

The planned marriage of Tesla Motors and SolarCity is causing a stir in energy markets, with two of the most innovative companies in electric cars and solar energy aiming to take a commanding lead in green energy in the U.S. But the combination is just one of many big deals that signal a banner year for mergers and acquisitions in the North American electric and natural gas markets, driven by fundamental changes in those industries. (Read more)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Corporations, Economy / Finance, Energy

Oil’s slide: Some lenders are bearing up

August 1, 2016

The two-year-old slump in oil prices continues to take its toll on producers, with no end in sight. And that pain extends to the regional banks that cater to the oil patch. But some banks insist that the difficulties aren’t as bad as they may seem. Among them is BOK Financial, a Tulsa-based bank that’s been lending to producers for 100 years. (Read more)

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by Bill Loveless
Article, Consumer, Economy / Finance, Energy, Technology, Utilities and Providers

Rooftop solar poses credit risk for utilities

July 25, 2016

When it comes to creditworthiness, electric utilities generally enjoy investment-grade ratings that make financing easier for these capital-intensive companies. But the popularity of residential rooftop solar systems is threatening to eventually put those favorable ratings at risk. So warns Fitch, one of the three major ratings agencies. (Read more)

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by Bill Loveless