Democrats' blueprint for action on climate change

A new report from Democrats on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis calls for comprehensive actions by...

Building coalitions for energy stimulus

Governments around the world are consumed now with the challenge of responding effectively to the coronavirus pandemic, including providing...

On climate, Denmark looks past its size to address crisis

It’s a small country with big ambitions when it comes to climate change. The new government in Denmark plans...

Coal communities face fiscal ruin

The coal industry continues to tumble in the U.S. as electric power plants turn increasingly to natural gas and...

Whither the Green New Deal?

There’s a lot of speculation and disagreement over the Green New Deal and what it means for U.S. policies...
Podcast
Democrats' blueprint for action on climate change
Podcast
Building coalitions for energy stimulus
Climate, Environment, Podcast
On climate, Denmark looks past its size to address crisis
Podcast
Coal communities face fiscal ruin
Watch
Whither the Green New Deal?

About Bill Loveless

An award-winning energy journalist known for his compelling news interviews in print and on the air. A thought-provoking moderator of high-level public events addressing leading energy and environmental issues. An insider with extensive connections with prominent lawmakers, policymakers and business executives. A perceptive writer providing critical insight on issues.

Energy, International, Podcast, Policy

Columbia Energy Exchange: Richard Nephew

One year ago, the United States and its partners concluded their negotiations with Iran on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement intended to reduce the threat from Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief. Implementation of the agreement began in January 2016. Richard Nephew, program director for economic statecraft, sanctions and energy markets at the Center on Global Energy Policy, who was the lead sanctions negotiator for the United States from 2013-2014, has written a report on six months’ implementation of the nuclear deal, particularly with respect to sanctions relief. He concludes that sanctions relief has been stalled as much by concerns over residual sanctions as domestic regulatory factors and low oil prices globally. On this special episode of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless sits down with Nephew to discuss his report and the status of the Iran agreement’s implementation at…

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Article, Corporations, Economy / Finance, Energy, Utilities and Providers

Utility deal spurs gas-to-grid momentum

A $1.5 billion deal between Southern Company and Kinder Morgan this week is one more sign of the growing importance of natural gas to electric power generation in the U.S. Atlanta-based Southern Company, the second-largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base, agreed to pay cash to Kinder Morgan for a 50% equity interest in the Southern Natural Gas (SNG) pipeline system. (Read More)

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Consumer, Energy, Government and Politics, People, Podcast, Policy, Regulations, Utilities and Providers

Columbia Energy Exchange: Phil Sharp

Phil Sharp understands energy policy as well as anyone in Washington, having spent 20 years as one of the leading lawmakers on the topic and the last 11 as the president of Washington’s oldest think tank devoted exclusively to analysis of energy and the environment. Best of all, in my estimation, he comes from an era when Congress worked on a bipartisan basis to enact policies addressing concerns over the production of energy and how we consume it – and often did so under a lot of pressure. Phil recalls some of the biggest battles over energy policy on Capitol Hill, the dramatic changes in U.S. energy fortunes, and what we can learn from this experience. Among his new pursuits, Phil is joining the Center on Global Energy Policy as a fellow who will teach and perform research on climate…

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Article, Climate, Economy / Finance, Energy, Technology

Turbine industry aims to keep tailwind blowing

The U.S. wind energy industry is the fastest-growing new source of electricity in the country. But it’s not resting on its laurels, especially in an election year. Hence the launch of American Wind Action, a group that will promote the benefits of wind energy to the public as voters consider whom to elect for the White House, Congress, state legislatures and other offices where public policy is made. (Read more)

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Article, Climate, Energy, Government and Politics, Technology, Utilities and Providers

Solar plane partner sees energy reforms in U.S.

As he follows the Solar Impulse 2 on its historic flight around the world, the CEO of one of the project’s partners, Ulrich Spiesshofer, draws similarities between the challenges facing the aircraft and those confronting companies navigating changes in energy consumption, like his. “We need to make sure that we demonstrate to the world with projects like this that we continue to stretch the limits,” Spiesshofer, the chief executive of ABB, a multinational maker of electricity grids and robots, said during a visit to Washington the other day. “This project is absolutely stretching the limits.” (Read more)

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Article, Consumer, Energy, Utilities and Providers

Why the energy industry isn’t going nuclear

The CEO of the biggest electric utility in the U.S. gave a wide-ranging talk the other day on a transformation taking place in her industry, as power providers move increasingly to cleaner forms of generation. But one topic was missing as Duke Energy’s Lynn Good delivered her formal remarks at an energy conference in Washington: nuclear energy. (Read more)

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Climate, Government and Politics, International, Podcast

Columbia Energy Exchange: David Sandalow

Seven years ago, David Sandalow pitched an idea that’s turned into one of the biggest international gatherings on clean energy. While an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, Sandalow proposed to then-Energy Secretary Steven Chu an annual meeting of energy ministers from around the world to help accelerate the transition to clean energy technologies. The first Clean Energy Ministerial was held in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2010. Recently, the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial took place in San Francisco.  Delegates from 23 governments and the European Union participated.  Sandalow, the Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, was in San Francisco and, not long after returning, joined Bill Loveless on the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast (Listen here).

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Article, Consumer, Corporations, Energy, Utilities and Providers

GE startup injects life to efficient-energy efforts

Eight months in her new job as head of a start-up at General Electric hasn’t spoiled Maryrose Sylvester’s positive attitude about tackling the challenges she faces. “One of the things about being a good business leader is you have to be incredibly optimistic and paranoid at the same time. I’m both of those things,” says the president and CEO of GE’s new division Current, laughing at GE’s office in Washington the other day (Read more)

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