The United States power grid is under enormous stress. Ageing infrastructure coupled with rapidly changing supply and demand patterns are pushing the grid to its limits, threatening national energy security. All of this volatility is leading to price shocks and punishing electric bills for households across the country, with rising energy prices outpacing inflation.  The rapid rise of renewable energy and increased adoption of electric vehicles are changing the inflows and outflows of energy to the grid. Renewable energies such as solar and…

After decades of competition over dwindling resources in Central Asia’s agricultural heartland, the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are embracing a spirit of cooperation as they jointly confront global warming-related challenges. That spirit of cooperation was on display January 8, when the prime ministers of the three states gathered at a remote location in the FerghanaValley where the three nations’ frontiers meet, to mark progress on settling long-standing border disputes.  Helping to pave the way for the gathering…

Brexit, Donald Trump’s tariffs and changing relations with China will hamper British trade growth in the next decade, a new report suggests. UK trade will only grow by 0.7 per cent annually between 2023 and 2033, according to new projections from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), down from a previous estimate of 0.9 per cent. This would see trade growth fall behind domestic GDP growth, which BCG expects to average 1.6 per cent in the decade to 2033, meaning trade is a less significant part of economic activity. Global trade, in contrast, is…

The oil price rally that kicked off last week after the Biden administration announced the harshest sanctions yet on Russian oil has carried over into the new week. WTI crude for February delivery was up 3.0% to change hands at $78.77 per barrel while Brent crude for March delivery was trading at $81.18 per barrel at 12.00 pm ET, good for a 1.8% increase. Last week, Reuters reported that a purported U.S. Treasury document circulating among traders in Europe and Asia, revealed that some 180 vessels, several senior Russian oil executives, dozens…

I recently noticed that the elevator at my favorite cinema has been out of order for weeks now. The less mobile patrons need that elevator to transport them downward to this underground theater. I then learned of America's "elevator crisis" and my mind wandered to the struggle to maintain the Roman Empire. I'll explain the connection below. But first a refresher on Rome's predicament: The Roman emperor Trajan brought the Roman Empire to its greatest extent during his reign (98 to 117 A.D.) with his successful conquests in what we today would call…

Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has vowed to dismantle wind parks and wind turbines should it win power in the upcoming presidential elections in February, aligning itself with similar sentiments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. AfD asserts in its election platform that it “rejects the further expansion of wind energy” and has called for cuts to renewable subsidies.  German offshore-wind group BWO has hit back at AfD’s anti-wind policy, saying Putin would be the biggest beneficiary…

Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has once again kicked up a storm with his pursuit of Greenland, this time refusing to rule out the use of force to gain control of the Arctic island from ally Denmark for national-security reasons. But Washington was interested in acquiring Greenland to mitigate threats emanating from the Arctic long before Trump came along, even offering Denmark $100 million in gold for the icy island shortly after the conclusion of World War II. That interest has only expanded in recent years as Russia and China step up their…

Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has vowed to dismantle wind parks and wind turbines should it win power in the upcoming presidential elections in February, aligning itself with similar sentiments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. AfD asserts in its election platform that it “rejects the further expansion of wind energy” and has called for cuts to renewable subsidies.  German offshore-wind group BWO has hit back at AfD’s anti-wind policy, saying Putin would be the biggest beneficiary…

Arlington, Virginia-based LNG exporter Venture Global is targeting up to $110.38 billion valuation in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) in 2025. The company is seeking to raise up to $2.3 billion in one of the biggest energy IPOs in the New York Stock Exchange for more than a decade. ConocoPhillips’ (NYSE:COP) $4.4B offering in 1998 remains the biggest IPO in the energy sector to-date, with Kinder Morgan’s (NYSE:KMI) $3.3 billion flotation in 2011 coming second. If successful, Venture Global will be more than twice as valuable…

Arlington, Virginia-based LNG exporter Venture Global is targeting up to $110.38 billion valuation in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) in 2025. The company is seeking to raise up to $2.3 billion in one of the biggest energy IPOs in the New York Stock Exchange for more than a decade. ConocoPhillips’ (NYSE:COP) $4.4B offering in 1998 remains the biggest IPO in the energy sector to-date, with Kinder Morgan’s (NYSE:KMI) $3.3 billion flotation in 2011 coming second. If successful, Venture Global will be more than twice as valuable…

Arlington, Virginia-based LNG exporter Venture Global is targeting up to $110.38 billion valuation in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) in 2025. The company is seeking to raise up to $2.3 billion in one of the biggest energy IPOs in the New York Stock Exchange for more than a decade. ConocoPhillips’ (NYSE:COP) $4.4B offering in 1998 remains the biggest IPO in the energy sector to-date, with Kinder Morgan’s (NYSE:KMI) $3.3 billion flotation in 2011 coming second. If successful, Venture Global will be more than twice as valuable…

Russia has slammed the new hefty U.S. sanctions on its oil industry and exports and vowed to move forward with major domestic oil and gas projects, claiming that it remains “a key and reliable player in the global fuel market.” The outgoing U.S. Administration on Friday slapped the most severe sanctions on Russia’s oil yet, designating two major Russian oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels, dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers, insurance companies, and energy officials. The sanctions…

India’s refiners have stopped doing business with the Russian tankers and companies sanctioned by the U.S. on Friday, a source at the Indian government told Reuters on Monday. The outgoing U.S. Administration last week imposed the most severe sanctions on Russia’s oil yet, designating two major Russian oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels, dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers, insurance companies, and energy officials. It is believed that a quarter of the Russian shadow fleet has now been…

India’s refiners have stopped doing business with the Russian tankers and companies sanctioned by the U.S. on Friday, a source at the Indian government told Reuters on Monday. The outgoing U.S. Administration last week imposed the most severe sanctions on Russia’s oil yet, designating two major Russian oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels, dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers, insurance companies, and energy officials. It is believed that a quarter of the Russian shadow fleet has now been…

India’s refiners have stopped doing business with the Russian tankers and companies sanctioned by the U.S. on Friday, a source at the Indian government told Reuters on Monday. The outgoing U.S. Administration last week imposed the most severe sanctions on Russia’s oil yet, designating two major Russian oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels, dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers, insurance companies, and energy officials. It is believed that a quarter of the Russian shadow fleet has now been…

Via Metal Miner The Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained sideways, retreating by a modest 2.64% from December to January. All of the index’s components trended lower, weighed down by bearish nickel prices throughout the month. Indonesia to Address Nickel Supply Glut Indonesia is currently eyeing substantial output cuts after nickel prices descended beneath the $15k/mt mark. High supply and lower-than-expected demand conditions saw nickel prices languish to an over 4-year low in early January. Mostly slow but steady price declines…

Declining refining margins, slowing global fuel demand growth, and uncertainty about tariffs under the incoming U.S. administration are expected to continue challenging American refiners this year, analysts reckon. Following record refining margins and booming profits in 2022 and early 2023, the U.S. and global fuel markets started to normalize in the latter half of 2023 and refining margins began to ease from the record highs seen in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For U.S. refiners, margins dipped last year. The top…

Following Friday’s U.S. sanctions against tankers shipping Russian oil, India expects its flows of crude from Russia not to be disrupted until March as the sanctioned tankers will be allowed to discharge until then, a senior Indian government official told Reuters on Monday. India will allow cargoes carrying Russian oil booked before January 10 to discharge at ports when they arrive at Indian coasts, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The outgoing U.S. Administration on Friday imposed the most severe sanctions…

The German government has approached potential buyers that could eventually buy the entire 99% stake in energy giant Uniper, which Germany was forced to bail out via nationalization in the peak energy crisis in 2022, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting sources familiar with the plans. Germany had to nationalize Uniper in 2022 to avoid its collapse amid soaring gas prices and a lack of Russian supply in the wake of the Ukraine invasion and the EU sanction barrage. The Federal Government took over 99% of the company in order to secure Germany’s…

Crude oil imports into China declined last year, for the first time in some 20 years, excluding the pandemic lockdown period. The daily average stood at 11.04 million barrels, down by 1.9% from 2023, customs data showed, as cited by Reuters. It bears noting that in 2023, Chinese crude oil imports ran at a record pace after the end of the lockdowns, with the daily average at 11.28 million barrels. “China in 2024 was a let down with the market expecting steady to stronger growth from 2023. Deflationary pressures and transport electrification…