Markham on Energy

Al Gore, Dem AGs launch ‘preposterous’ witch hunt over climate change denial

Markham on Energy

AGs threaten law suits, claiming fossil fuel companies misled investors, public about risks of climate change Why are Democratic attorney generals from 16 states preparing to sue American oil companies for “climate change denial”? By their own admission, to support the Obama Administration’s climate change policies. The AGs gathered in New York this week to announce […]

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Let them compete! Criticisms of Hillary Clinton for energy worker donations without merit

Markham on Energy

Environmental groups are funded by donations from self-interested donors – just like Clinton campaign Hillary Clinton is under the gun today for taking campaign donations from “fossil fuel interests.” Big deal. We should recognize the criticism from environmental groups for the naked political self-interest it is. Clinton was at Purchase College in New York to give a

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Is American Energy Model answer to polarized campaign energy debate?

Markham on Energy

Fossil fuels (except coal) + renewable energy + ancillary technologies = American Energy Model My last column criticized both Democrat and Republican presidential candidates for polarizing the American energy debate, which implies there needs to be a middle ground. That middle ground is the American Energy Model. Now, I’m not the first one to talk about the American Energy

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Nothing Has Changed vs. Everything Has Changed – Tribal politics in energy debate

Markham on Energy

Obama rejection of Keystone XL pipeline marked political ascendance of Everything Has Changed tribe Like most political discussions these days, the public discourse around energy is highly polarized. The problem for the energy industry is that their tribe is currently losing the debate, whose turning point came with President Barack Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline last

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Energy transitions: A simple model to help us think about fossil fuels vs. renewables

Markham on Energy

Thinking – and debating – global energy transitions in terms of time, cost, and complexity What the world desperately needs now is not love, as the old pop song has it, but a simple framework within which to understand the ferocious political struggle between fossil fuels and renewable energy technologies. So much of the public debate in

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Hillary Clinton likely to promote Obama-style climate, energy policies if nominated

Markham on Energy

Political scientist says Hillary Clinton tacking left on fracking, climate in response to Bernie Sanders persistence in primaries race Hillary Clinton anti-fracking comments during Sunday’s Democratic Party debate against Bernie Sanders will soon be forgotten once primary season comes to an end, says University of Houston political scientist Jim Granato. Clinton has been taking some fire from oil

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How American shale producers will drive down costs, drive up efficiency

Markham on Energy

Continuous improvement of American shale technology, operations also important to lowering costs – Charlotte Batson One of the most interesting debates in the American oil patch is the role innovation and new technology will play in reducing costs for shale producers. Is this how America will compete with Saudi Arabia’s famously low cost structure? There are two basic

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Quebec has right to review Energy East, but is this BC all over again?

Markham on Energy

Alberta, Saskatchewan must be wary that Quebec review doesn’t become basis to oppose Energy East in future Canadian constitutional scholars says Quebec has the legal right to review Energy East, but the politics are starting to look suspiciously like British Columbia’s opposition to West Coast pipeline projects. Margot Young of the UBC law school says that

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Ohio fracking study funding pulled by foundations because of wrong conclusions

Markham on Energy

Oil and gas industry should step up and provide funding for University of Cincinnati to continue research on fracking, water wells UPDATE: Just FYI, the Ohio legislator and the OOGA are wrong: the study is freely available at www.carrollconcernedcitizens.org and has been since my presentation a few weeks ago. – email from Prof. Townsend-Small A small study in

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