05.24.22- Cheap gel film pulls buckets of drinking water per day from thin air
Michael Irving

Water scarcity is a major problem for much of the world’s population, but with the right equipment drinking water can be wrung out of thin air. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have now demonstrated a low-cost gel film that can pull many liters of water per day out of even very dry air.

The gel is made up of two main ingredients that are cheap and common – cellulose, which comes from the cell walls of plants, and konjac gum, a widely used food additive. Those two components work together to make a gel film that can absorb water from the air and then release it on demand, without requiring much energy. Read More

05.23.22- Quantum well solar cell clocks world record efficiency of almost 40%
Michael Irving

The new world-record-breaking quantum well solar cell, glowing red under blue light>

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have broken the world record for solar cell efficiency. Reaching almost 40 percent, the new device boasts the highest efficiency recorded for any type of solar cell in real-world conditions. Read More

05.21.22- Biden's Big Lie: 'Green' Energy Doesn't Save Money, It's 4-6 Times More Expensive
Stephen Moore

President Joe Biden keeps claiming that wind and solar energy are going to save money for consumers. But more government subsidies to “renewable energy” is a key feature of the White House anti-inflation strategy recently announced by Biden.

He probably got that idea from John Kerry, the administration’s climate czar, who recently claimed that “solar and wind are less expensive than coal or oil or gas.” Pete Buttigieg, the Biden Transportation secretary, makes the same claims about the thousands of dollars that motorists can save if they buy electric cars. Read More

05.20.22- Oil Prices May Not Drop,
Even If There Is A Recession
Tsvetana Paraskova

As a growing number of economists and Wall Street bankers warn that a recession is coming later this year or next year, another camp of analysts says that a recession—even if it did occur—may not be as severe a hit to global oil demand and prices as the COVID-inflicted crash or the 2008 recession.    The Fed is raising interest rates, and annual inflation in most of the developed economies is at the highest it's been for four decades. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is also depressing the economic outlook for Europe, while food prices globally are soaring as the two rivals in the war are major exporters of agricultural commodities. Russia is also a major exporter of energy commodities. The combination of all these factors have analysts and bankers concerned that it's only a matter of time before a recession hits the economy, considering that the Fed is signaling numerous key interest rate hikes to combat the highest inflation in 40 years.  Read More

05.19.22- Solar 3.0: This New Technology Could Change Everything
Joel Jean

View Video

05.18.22- Bizarre night-time solar cell generates power in a backwards process
Loz Blain

A USNW team has measured the first power generation from a thermoradiative diode, which could be used to harvest re-emitted solar energy at night

In a world first, a team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has demonstrated measurable power generation from "the inverse of a conventional solar cell." It could eventually produce around one tenth as much power as a solar panel – but at night. Read More

05.17.22- Without fossil fuels
there is no need for electricity
Ronald Stein

America is in a fast pursuit toward achieving President Biden’s stated goal that “we are going to get rid of fossil fuels” to achieve the Green New Deal’s (GND) pursuit of wind turbines and solar panels to provide electricity to run the world, but WAIT, everything in our materialistic lives and economies cannot exist without crude oil, coal, and natural gas.

Everything that needs electricity, from lights, vehicles, iPhones, defibrillators, computers, telecommunications, etc., are all made with the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil. Read More

05.16.22- The Semiconductor Shortage Could Persist Through 2024
AG Metal Miner

The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) held flat from April to May. This was largely the result of a number of factors working in concert. Below, we’2.ll dig deeper into the automotive marketplace to see if we can determine what to expect for the rest of 202 Read More

05.14.22- Russia Diesel Exports
Drop Sharply In April
Irina Slav

Russian diesel fuel exports last month fell by 14 percent, or 500,000 tons, last month as buyers shunned the product amid Western sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

“The largest decrease can be seen from the Black Sea ports as self-sanctioning starts to kick in by certain European countries,” Pamela Munger, senior market analyst at Vortexa, told Bloomberg today. “The UK, France and Italy have all reduced imports of Russian diesel.” Read More

05.13.22- Is This The Most Disruptive Event Ever For U.S. Solar?
Rystad Energy

As much as 17.5 gigawatts (GWac) of planned US solar capacity installations in 2022 are in doubt after the Department of Commerce (DOC) opened an investigation into panel imports from southeast Asia, Rystad Energy research shows. The US was expected to install 27 GWac of solar energy capacity in the utility, residential, and commercial and industrial (C&I) markets this year, but with rising commodity prices and this new threat of tariffs on vital imports, 64% of those additions are now in jeopardy. Read More

05.12.22- The NOPEC Bill
Could Send Oil Prices To $300
Tsvetana Paraskova

If the U.S. passes the NOPEC bill, a bill designed to pave the way for lawsuits against OPEC members for market manipulation, the oil market could face even more chaos. OPEC’s most influential energy ministers warned against passing the legislation, suggesting it could send oil prices soaring by 200% or 300%.   “The last thing we want is someone trying to hinder that system,” the UAE’s Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said at a conference in Abu Dhabi, referring to the system OPEC has had in place for decades to ensure supply to the market is adequate (adequate according to OPEC’s view). Read More

05.11.22- Welcome To The Greatest Energy Crisis In History – Things Will Only Get Much More Painful From Here
Michael Snyder

Just as the western world was accelerating the transition away from traditional forms of energy, the COVID pandemic caused the most epic supply chain crisis in history, and now the largest land war in Europe since World War II has thrown global energy markets into a state of complete and utter chaos.  And if you think that things are bad now, just wait until a huge war erupts in the Middle East.  Energy prices are ridiculously high now, but they will eventually go much higher than this.  Needless to say, skyrocketing energy prices will have a catastrophic impact on worldwide economic conditions during the troubled months and years ahead of us. Read More

05.10.22- Natron to kick off mass-production of long-life sodium-ion batteries
 Loz Blain

Natron Energy is about to begin mass manufacture of ultra long-life sodium-ion battery cells

Natron's sodium-ion batteries have an enormous cycle life, practical power density, excellent safety and super-fast charging, without using any lithium. Through a partnership with Clarios, they'll go into mass manufacture in Michigan next year. Read More

05.09.22- Toyota Warns (Again) About Electrifying All Autos. Is Anyone Listening?
Bryan Preston

Depending on how and when you count, Japan’s Toyota is the world’s largest automaker. According to Wheels, Toyota and Volkswagen vie for the title of the world’s largest, with each taking the crown from the other as the market moves. That’s including Volkswagen’s inherent advantage of sporting 12 brands versus Toyota’s four. Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bugatti, and Bentley are included in the Volkswagen brand family. Read More

05.07.22- Oilfield Services Are Set
For Years Of Profits
Tsvetana Paraskova

Oilfield services providers are confident that a prolonged upcycle will keep them very busy in coming years as the U.S. shale patch returns to growth and international drilling activity struggles to compensate for barrels likely to be lost from Russia. As service providers reported first-quarter earnings last month, their top executives noted that the current tightness in oil and gas markets, in North America and internationally, is setting up “fantastic” conditions for the industry for years to come. Read More

05.06.22- Global Grain Reserves "Extremely Low," Will Be Depleted For Years, Warns Top Fertilizer Boss
Tyler Durden

Snarled supply chains, adverse weather conditions in top growing areas, and conflict in Ukraine have wreaked havoc on the world's agricultural system. The latest sign of an emerging food crisis is comments from a top US fertilizer company that warns it could take two to three years for farmers to resupply the world's grain stockpiles.  Read More

05.05.22- Russia’s War In Ukraine Is Fueling A Spike In Fertilizer Prices
Safehaven.com

With the Ukraine war closing in on the 70th day, the global economy is decidedly in worse shape than it was before Russia decided to invade its neighbor to the west. According to the World Trade Organization, Russia’s war in Ukraine has created “immense human suffering,”with WTO economists having downgraded their expectations for 2022 trade volume growth from 4.7% to 3%. A ban on Russian gas is expected to plunge Europe into a recession, with the EU currently mulling a total ban on Russian energy imports. Read More

05.04.22- The Calm Before The Storm
In Oil Markets
Tom Kool

The first week of May could have brought us a much-awaited paradigm shift, however the markets still appraise the impact of China’s COVID lockdowns amidst the mass-testing taking place in Beijing and the probability of a comprehensive European embargo on Russian oil. With no clear way out for either of those, Brent futures remained range bound, closing Tuesday around $106 per barrel. Read More

05.03.22- The Global Energy Shortage Could Be A Boon For Tidal Power
Felicity Bradstock

Governments looking to speed up the renewable energy revolution are beginning to discuss the long-overlooked potential of tidal power. In response to oil and gas shortages, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world have been looking at ways to boost supply, as well as attempting to secure long-term energy security. One potential opportunity that is rarely discussed is tidal energy, harnessing the power of the ocean to generate electricity.  In the U.K., several tidal projects are underway across various areas of the country. The $39 million Morlais project on an island off of Wales is being funded by the European Union. Turbines are set to be installed across 13 square miles, making the area one of the world’s biggest tidal stream energy locations. The project attracted such high levels of investment because it offers a more reliable alternative to solar and wind power thanks to the predictability of the tide. Read More

05.02.22- The World Has A Major Crude Oil Problem; Expect Conflict Ahead
Gail Tverberg

Media outlets tend to make it sound as if all our economic problems are temporary problems, related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, world crude oil production has been falling behind needed levels since 2019. This problem, by itself, encourages the world economy to contract in unexpected ways, including in the form of economic lockdowns and aggression between countries. This crude oil shortfall seems likely to become greater in the years ahead, pushing the world economy toward conflict and the elimination of inefficient players. Read More

04.30.22- Diesel In ‘Crisis’ Mode As Prices Break Records
Julianne Geiger

Diesel prices, the lifeblood of industry, have hit a record $5.16 per gallon, trending $1 per gallon higher than gasoline prices, with inventory shortages adding severe pressure and resulting in inflated prices for consumer goods. 

“While gasoline prices get much of the attention, diesel, which broadly is the fuel that moves the economy, has quietly surpassed its recent record high as distillate inventories, which include diesel and jet fuel, have plummeted to their lowest level in years,” media quoted Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, as saying. Read More

04.29.22- Can We Use Less Energy
And Still Be Happy?
Haley Zaremba

Much ink has been spilled over how much energy consumption is going to grow in coming years as the global population expands, more people in rural areas and developing countries gain increasing access to the energy grid, and expanding middle classes in places like China and India begin to demand more energy. The question is how to balance this expanding energy demand and consumption with the imperative to decarbonize the global economy rapidly enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change.  It’s a complex question, and one that has been the source of repeated contention in global policy spaces such as last year’s COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Read More

04.28.22- Prepping Another Narrative: Cyber Attacks On Food Plants
Joseph P. Farrell

It really is amazing to watch Mr. Globaloney work; narratives are prepared sometimes decades in advance. Most recently, we’ve been hearing a lot about how those supernaturally-cunning-and-never-to-be-trusted-Russians-and-their-super-evil-criminal-genius-scheming-byzantine-mastermind-of-a-leader-Vladimir-Putin are planning to unleash all sorts of cyber-attacks on the West and the USSA, and interrupt our food supply even more. Now, I’ve no doubt that in the current geopolitical meltdown that Russia both can and would use forms of asymmetrical warfare against the west, but this article shared by E.G. raises some questions about who really might be behind the recent spate of fires at American food processing plants: Read More

04.27.22- Record Insider Selling Could Signal An Oil Price Peak
Alex Kimani

Over the past few years, American companies have been repurchasing their own shares at a record clip, helping to fuel a raging bull market. After a brief pullback in 2020, buybacks hit a record $881.7 billion in 2021, good for a 69.6% Y/Y increase and nearly 10% higher than the previous record $806.4 billion set in 2018.

That trend shows no signs of reversing even in the current downmarket, with firms in the S&P 500 outlining buyback plans valued at $238 billion through the first two months of 2022, according to data from Goldman Sachs. The S&P is down 10.4% year-to-date compared to a 45% climb by the 21-member S&P 500 Energy Index in what is shaping up as a bear market for stocks. Companies tend to buy their own shares more when they believe they are significantly undervalued. Read More

04.26.22- Why Are Big Oil Execs Dumping Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Stock?
Irina Slav

Senator Elizabeth Warren and her fellow Big Oil critics may have finally got some literal proof that the oil industry benefits directly from the imbalance of supply and demand: Big Oil executives are selling shares in their companies worth millions.

According to calculations made by Bloomberg, the chief executive of Hess Corp. alone sold stock worth $85 million in the first quarter in several deals, while the head of Marathon Oil sold $34.3 million. For the industry overall, more executives sold than bought shares in their companies, according to figures from Verify Data. Read More

04.25.22- US DoD greenlights mobile nuclear microreactor pilot in Idaho
Loz Blain

The US Department of Defense has announced that its Strategic Capabilities Office will go ahead with its plan to build and demonstrate a small nuclear reactor capable of being moved, and delivering between 1-5 megawatts of power for a minimum of three years. 

This "Project Pele" microreactor, to be assembled and initially operated at the Idaho National Laboratory, will be the first American-built "Generation IV" nuclear reactor to generate electricity. Read More

04.22.23- US Navy wirelessly beams 1.6 kW of power a kilometer using microwaves
David Szondy

A microwave dish transmitter is pointed toward a rectifying antenna in part of the Safe and Continuous Power Beaming – Microwave (SCOPE-M) demonstration

In what it describes as the most significant demonstration of its kind in half a century, the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) beamed 1.6 kW of power over a kilometer (3,280 ft) using a microwave beam at the US Army Research Field in Maryland. Read More

04.22.22- The Global Natural Gas Crisis
is coming to North America
Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates

A sudden and unexpected event is about to take place: the global natural gas crisis, now gripping large swaths of the world, is about to engulf North America as well.

Asian and European natural gas prices today stand at $30 per mcf versus $7.50 per mcf here in the United States. Given the underlying fundamentals that have now developed in US gas markets, we believe prices are about to surge and converge with international prices within the next 6 months. The convergence of US and international gas prices will come out of nowhere and take all investors by surprise. Read More

04.21.22- Ukraine Invasion Brings Energy Storage Back Into The Spotlight
Irina Slav

An energy crunch is causing higher oil and gas prices. The war in Ukraine caused these prices to soar even higher. As a result, governments on both sides of the Atlantic are racing to build more wind and solar to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Enter energy storage. The UK government is planning to have installed 50 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. The EU is eyeing 525 GW of solar power alone by 2030 under the new REPowerEU program. And in the United States, the Biden administration is dedicating billions to new capacity and grid upgrades to accommodate this capacity. Read More

04.20.22- Breakthrough TPV cell makes more power from heat than a steam turbine
Loz Blain

MIT researchers have presented a solid-state thermophotovoltaic heat engine that can operate at higher temperatures, and extract more electricity from heat than the average steam turbine

MIT says its new solid-state thermophotovoltaic heat engine can harvest more energy from heat than the average steam turbine, at a fraction of the cost and using no moving parts. Huge implications for future power stations, as well as grid-level energy storage. Read More

04.19.22- Trees: An Overlooked Source of Renewable Power
Robert Rapier

One of the more controversial renewable energy resources is woody biomass, such as trees. It shouldn’t be, because biomass can be a highly sustainable resource if it is properly managed. I lived in Hawaii for five years, where I worked for a company that managed forests (among other things). I was sometimes asked to give talks at the local high school about energy and sustainability. During one talk, a student said “I heard you were going to cut down all the trees.”

At that moment, I realized that her view of forestry was much the same as my own view of forestry while growing up in Weyerhaeuser country in Oklahoma. Back then I viewed foresters as people who cut down trees, and I associated them with clearcutting.  Read More

And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Retired Swiss Military-Intelligence Officer: 'Is it Possible to Actually Know What Has Been And is Going on in Ukraine?'
Jacques Baud

Just recently I came across perhaps the clearest and most reasonable of what has been going on in Ukraine. Its importance comes due to the fact that its author, Jacques Baud, a retired colonel in the Swiss intelligence service, was variously a highly placed, major participant in NATO training operations in Ukraine. Over the years, he also had extensive dealings with his Russian counterparts. His long essay first appeared (in French) at the respected Centre Français de Recherche sur le Renseignement. Read More

04.16.22- U.S.-dominated global financial system facing collapse as China begins buying Russian coal and oil in yuan, not petrodollars
JD Heyes

We have been warning since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that one of the negative long-term effects of imposing massive economic sanctions on Moscow would be the dismantling of the U.S. petrodollar-dominated global financial system, and that is exactly what is happening.

Not only is Russia continuing to finance its war in Ukraine, but Vladimir Putin has also managed to bypass those sanctions with China’s help, as Beijing continues to snap up Russian energy. Read More

04.15.22- Demand Destruction May Kick In After Lithium Price Explosion
Irina Slav

After skyrocketing by almost 500 percent over the past 12 months, lithium prices are beginning to slow their climb as current price levels begin to affect demand adversely.

Lithium carbonate, the form in which the crucial battery metal is frequently traded, quadrupled in price in 2021 and has continued to rise since the start of 2022 amid widely shared expectations of a faster shift to EVs, with the corresponding strong growth in sales of electric vehicles. Read More

04.14.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: This Proposal Is Outrageous!
Jeffrey Tucker

Two years ago, I was in a debate about a crazy idea being floated around at the time. It was about a new kind of tax, not on income but on wealth. There was already something legally sketchy about the idea.

It is pure punishment for increased value of assets even if they were never converted into income. Read More

04.13.22- America’s Hydrogen Hubs Could Mint New Billionaires
Alex Kimani

After years of failed efforts in Washington to overhaul physical infrastructure, last year,  President Joe Biden signed the more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law, unlocking funds for transportation, broadband, and utilities. Buried deep into the historic plan was a provision for $9.5 billion in funding to build at least four hydrogen hubs--places where the gas can be produced and used in a self-reinforcing cycle. A hydrogen economy that runs factories and power plants on the fuel may be years away; however, that has not stopped multiple U.S. states from scrambling for Biden's hydrogen bonanza, never mind the fact that many have not even worked out the details of how they intend to realize their hydrogen dream. Read More

04.12.22- Liquid system stores solar energy for years and releases it on demand
Nick Lavars

Back in 2017 we caught wind of an interesting energy system from researchers at Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology designed to store solar energy in liquid form. By hooking it up to an ultra-thin thermoelectric generator, the team has now demonstrated that it can produce electricity, a development it believes lays the groundwork for self-charging electronics that use solar power on demand. Read More

04.11.22- Famine, Energy Shortages and Hyperinflation
Bob Moriarty

I’m going to write today about a junior resource company I like a lot but I’m going to discuss some other things that investors need to keep in mind due to the incredibly stupid sanctions imposed on Russia in an attempt by the US to destroy a nuclear armed country. Have I ever mentioned just how insane that idea is? Why would anyone in their right mind try to eliminate a nuclear-armed country? Read More

04.09.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: THIS Will Crash the Market
AG Metal Miner

Today we are atop our main mast. We are facing the horizon, spyglass in hand. What do we see?

Heavy weather. And it is barreling towards Wall Street.

Detailed forecast to follow. First we record current meteorological conditions…Read More

04.08.22- U.S. Gas Production Set To Fall On Lack Of Pipelines
Charles Kennedy

U.S. natural gas production will decline by 5 percent by 2050, and consumption will shed 4 percent if no new interstate pipelines are built, the Energy Information Administration said in its latest Annual Energy Outlook.

This, in turn, will lead to higher gas prices, the authority also said, and this will, in turn, lead to higher electricity prices.Read More

04.07.22- The Global Fertilizer Shortage Means That Far Less Food Will Be Grown All Over The Planet In 2022
Michael Snyder

I never imagined that I would be writing so much about fertilizer in 2022.  When I was growing up, there were only two things that I knew about fertilizer.  I knew that it helped stuff grow and I knew that it smelled bad.  But these days, experts are telling us that a global shortage of fertilizer could result in horrifying famines all over the world.  Right now, to a very large degree we are still eating food that was produced in 2021.  But by the end of the year, to a very large degree we will be eating food that was produced in 2022.  Unfortunately for all of us, it appears that a lack of fertilizer will mean that far less food is grown in 2022 than originally anticipated.Read More

04.06.22- Oxford spinoff demonstrates world-first hypersonic "projectile fusion"
Loz Blain

Oxford spinoff First Light Fusion says its novel "projectile" approach offers "the fastest, simplest and cheapest route to commercial fusion power." The company is now celebrating a significant breakthrough with its first confirmed fusion reaction.

The nuclear fusion space is heating up, if you'll pardon the pun, as the world orients itself toward a clean energy future. Where current nuclear power plants release energy by splitting atoms in fission reactions, fusion reactors will release energy in the same way the Sun does – by smashing atoms together so hard and so fast that they fuse into higher elements. Read More

04.05.22- "Hibernating" battery for seasonal storage releases energy when heated
Nick Lavars

Scientists continue to explore advanced battery technologies that could help us unlock the full potential of renewable energy, working to address the intermittent nature of power coming from the sun and wind. A team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has come up with a new design that ticks a few important boxes in this area, demonstrating a type of "hibernating" battery that can preserve its energy for months at a time. Read More

04.04.22- ‘Rublegas:’ the world’s new resource-based reserve currency
Pepe Escobar

Rublegas is the commodity currency du jour and it isn’t nearly as complicated as NATO pretends. If Europe wants gas, all it needs to do is send its Euros to a Russian account inside Russia.

Saddam, Gaddafi, Iran, Venezuela – they all tried but couldn’t do it. But Russia is on a different level altogether.

The beauty of the game-changing, gas-for-rubles, geoeconomic jujitsu applied by Moscow is its stark simplicity. Read More

04.02.22- U.S. Oil Demand Has Been Vastly Overestimated
Tsvetana Paraskova

Weekly U.S. oil demand data by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been significantly overestimated compared to the final monthly oil demand, oil data analytics firm OilX said on Friday.

"US weekly data significantly overestimated total monthly oil demand, not just in other oils, but also for road fuels," OilX said in a post on Twitter. Read More

04.01.22- What The West Is Getting Wrong
About OPEC
Cyril Widdershoven

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been repeatedly called upon by Western leaders to increase oil production in order to counter soaring prices. So far, all requests have been bluntly refused by Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and other OPEC members. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have made it clear that they plan to maintain the OPEC+ production agreement, an agreement that includes the participation of Russia. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Abdullah bin Salman, and his Abu Dhabi counterpart, Al Mazrouei, have again and again emphasized their focus on the stability of the global energy markets regardless of geopolitical factors. As Abdullah bin Salman reiterated, OPEC has gone through major crises before,  including wars between member countries (Iran-Iraq), and even sanctions (Iran), without breaking up. Read More

03.31.22- Europe Is Facing Supply Disruptions As Russia’s Gas-For-Rubles Deadline Looms
Tsvetana Paraskova

Russia’s insistence that its “unfriendly” nations pay in rubles for Russian natural gas risks disrupting European supplies as soon as this week as the deadline set by Putin for moving to ruble payments is drawing closer. 

Europe, which depends on Russian natural gas for more than one-third of its demand—with some countries, including the biggest economy Germany, depending on Russia for half of its consumption—has rejected the gas-for-rubles idea, saying it would be a breach of contracts to switch the currency in payments.  Read More

03.30.22- Free-For-All In Helium Market Could Send Prices Sky-High
 Tom Kool

The gas that is critical for everything from supercomputing and space travel to MRIs and medical and scientific research was facing a supply shortage even before Russia launched a war on Ukraine. 

Now, the supply squeeze is on war-footing, and some investors are on the lookout for a North American supplier that can get this gas to the market–fast. Read More

03.29.22- HB11's hydrogen-boron laser fusion test yields groundbreaking results
Loz Blain

Australian company HB11 says it's well on the way to nuclear fusion energy generation without the radioactive fuels or super-high temperatures

HB11 is approaching nuclear fusion from an entirely new angle, using high power, high precision lasers instead of hundred-million-degree temperatures to start the reaction. Its first demo has produced 10 times more fusion reactions than expected, and the company says it's now "the only commercial entity to achieve fusion so far," making it "the global frontrunner in the race to commercialize the holy grail of clean energy." Read More

03.28.22- How Hydrogen Will Transform Geopolitics
Global Risk Insights

While reinforced by recent events, the push to scale-up clean hydrogen energy has been underway by governments, energy suppliers, and environmentalists alike in recent years. In January 2022, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released their anticipated report, “Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor,” anointing it as the “missing piece of the clean energy puzzle,” and making clear the broader implications of this transition for geopolitics and the global economy. IRENA purports that by 2050 the emergence of clean hydrogen as a mainstream energy source is likely to redefine global trade relations, spur energy independence in countries around the world, and shift geopolitical dominance away from oil and natural gas giants including Russia and the UAE. Read More

03.26.22- The Skyrocketing Price Of Fertilizer Has Caused A Worldwide Nightmare That Global Leaders Can No Longer Deny
Michael Snyder

Please read this article very carefully, because it contains very important information that is going to affect you and your family.  In fact, it is going to affect every man, woman and child on the face of the planet.  For the past couple of years, I have been specifically warning that a major global food crisis was coming.  In fact, in recent months I have been writing about this multiple times per week.  At first, I think that a lot of people out there thought that I was exaggerating, but at this point the reality that we are heading into a major global food crisis has become undeniable.  In fact, Joe Biden just told a press conference in Brussels that worldwide food shortages are “going to be real”. Read More

03.25.22- Investment In Tidal Energy Is Growing
Felicity Bradstock

Following the pandemic, interest and investment in tidal and wave energy projects went above and beyond pre-pandemic levels. With governments looking to diversify their renewable energy mix and transition away from fossil fuels, ocean energy projects offer a reliable alternative to traditional renewable energy developments. Read More

03.24.22- How Gas Prices Compare
Around The World
Tyler Durden

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven up oil and other commodity prices in many countries, with gasoline prices turning into a topic of discussion around the world. However, as Statista's Katharina Buchholz details below,as taxes are making up a big chunk of the gas price in the majority of industrialized nations, countries taxing gasoline at lower rates will still see lower gas prices in comparison. One example of this is the United States.Read More

93.23.22- Food, famine, fear: Beware the great agricultural reset
John Klar

Americans awakening to the Orwellian Rule of Joe Biden and his crew of thieves have noticed that the perpetual lying is designed to inculcate pliancy through fear.  When the COVID-19 hysteria began to wane, Big Brother Biden switched gears to the Ukraine crisis.  Intriguingly, both crises have been caused by the government Biden heads — COVID-19 was crafted in Wuhan, and the Obama administration set the scene for making Ukraine America's pawn in the current conflict.  Conning Americans with one fear-lie to eclipse the previous, the biggest lie is yet to come.  It is called Build Back Better, and it will unleash a greater terror than any virus or war: nationwide famine. Read More

03.22.22- Liquid salt greases wheels of high-density lithium metal battery design
Nick Lavars

Doping the cathode material with ionic liquid fills structural voids and improves contact with a solid electrolyte in lithium metal batteries, scientists have found

Scientists at Japan's Tokyo Metropolitan University have taken aim at a common problem plaguing next-generation lithium metal batteries, finding a promising solution in a salty liquid that reduces problematic resistance between key components. The result is a prototype battery with greatly improved stability, pointing to promising new pathways for a battery chemistry with exciting potential. Read More

03.21.22- GE produces world's largest recyclable wind turbine blade
Nick Lavars

The Zero Waste Blade Research (ZEBRA) Project has produced the world's largest recyclable wind turbine blade

Through its massive wind turbines and innovative offshore designs, GE continues sharpening its toolkit in a bid to built the future of sustainable energy, and a newly unveiled turbine blade shows how that can extend to the materials used. A consortium led by the company has manufactured the world's largest thermoplastic blade, designed to serve as full-scale example of a fully recyclable wind turbine blade. Read More

03.19.22- Weekend Rant: Ever Wonder Why Our Leftist Government is Intent on Putting Us
in Electric Cars?
Dr. Jay Lehr and Tom Harris

The utility companies have thus far had little to say about the alarming cost projections to operate electric vehicles (EVs) or the increased rates that they will be required to charge their customers. It is not just the total amount of electricity required, but the transmission lines and fast charging capacity that must be built at existing filling stations. Neither wind nor solar can support any of it. Electric vehicles will never become the mainstream of transportation! Read More

03.18.22- War In Ukraine May Boost
Renewables Investment
Tsvetana Paraskova

The Russian war in Ukraine exposed Europe’s high energy dependence on Russian oil and gas and made Western governments rethink their energy policy strategies.   

Some, like the United States and the United Kingdom, which can afford to go without Russian fossil fuels without a massive hit to their energy supply, industries, and economies have banned imports of Russian oil, or in the UK’s case, plan to phase out such purchases by the end of the year. Read More

03.17.22- Symmetrical flow battery may strike right balance for grid-scale storage
Nick Lavars

As useful and impressive as current battery technology is, versions that store renewable energy for grid-scale use may look vastly different to those inside today's phones and electric vehicles. One promising technology is flow, or redox flow, batteries, which store energy in fluids inside tanks that could be upsized to satisfy energy demands as they increase. A new symmetrical design takes us a step closer to unlocking their potential, and leans on more environmentally friendly materials while it's at it.  Read More

03.16.22- Oh Great, Now We Could Lose The Petrodollar…
Michael Snyder

The economic sanctions that have been imposed upon Russia have caused immense damage, but a loss of the petrodollar would be absolutely devastating for the U.S. economy.  Since making an agreement with the Nixon administration in 1974, the Saudis have traded oil exclusively for U.S. dollars.  Today, approximately 80 percent of all oil produced in the entire world is traded for dollars, and the “petrodollar” has become one of the foundational pillars of the current global financial system. Read More

03.15.22- Renewable Energy Projects Are Facing Resistance Around The World
Felicity Bradstock

Governments around the world are pushing for the rapid development of renewable energy projects in an attempt to move away from fossil fuels. But as Europe and the U.S. speed ahead with new solar and wind projects, the criticism these projects are facing is ramping up as well. Whether or not energy firms can develop the largescale projects necessary for an energy transition in the face of such opposition remains to be seen. Read More

03.14.22- Russia May Ban Wheat, Rye, Barley And Corn Exports Until June 30
Tyler Durden

Just in case the coming global famine, which One River CIO Eric Peters likened to the original Holodomor (which incidentally took place in Ukraine under Stalin), isn't bad enough, moments ago Russia warned that it could be even worse.

According to Interfax, Russia's Agriculture Ministry said that the country could ban wheat, rye, barley and corn exports from March 15 to June 30. Read More

03.12.22- Why Aren’t Investors Interested In Geothermal Energy?
Felicity Bradstock

The need to develop a variety of energy sources has never been so evident. As the global reliance on a few specific oil and gas sources becomes clear, it seems obvious that we should be investing in diversifying our energy mix. But while governments are looking to expand their solar and wind power, is enough being done to develop other options that could help boost the global energy supply? Read More

03.11.22- U.S. Oil Supply... Incredible!
Jeffrey Bennett

About 6 months ago, there was a news program on oil and one of The Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. Have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “More than all the Middle East put Together.”

The U.S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only Scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and Extreme eastern Montana. Read More

03.10.22- Hydrogen On Track To Become A $1 Trillion Per Year Industry
Felicity Bradstock

New reports suggest that the hydrogen market could be worth $1 trillion per year by 2050 as it becomes viewed as a vital energy source in the transition from fossil fuels to greener alternatives. With greater numbers of energy companies and governments investing in hydrogen projects, it could form a major part of the energy mix in the coming years.  Hydrogen is expected to be worth a fortune in the future if investment trends in the energy source continue. Several countries around the world are producing hydrogen, but the type of production varies significantly. Many oil and gas firms produce grey or blue hydrogen, transforming waste carbon from fossil fuel into hydrogen, which still relies on gas operations. But now, following two years of pandemic and the COP26 climate summit, several countries are looking to invest in green hydrogen, creating the energy source using water electrolysis.  Read More

03.09.22- China plans a mammoth 450 GW of wind and solar in its deserts
Loz Blain

(Editor's Note: The impact that this will have on the price of silver is tremendous. - JSB)

The Gobi desert is already home to vast solar and wind resources, but China has renewable expansion plans totaling nearly half a terawatt in the works

China already dominates renewable energy production. Its installed capacity of around 895 GW in 2020 was more than the European Union, the USA and Australia combined. And while the world in general is accelerating its transition to renewable power, China is growing its capacity faster than anyone else as well. Read More

03.08.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Role of Nazis in Ukraine Can No Longer Be Hidden or Denied
Mike Billington

The facts regarding the multiple fascist organizations in positions of influence in Ukraine since the 2014 coup has generally been kept out of the Western press, although a number of independent journalists and several Israeli institutions have documented (and strongly objected) to the fact that these Nazis were not only tolerated by the Ukraine government, but in fact had power over many aspects of policy—and, this was accepted by Kiev’s controllers in London and Washington. Read More

03.07.22- California’s Green Energy Mania Prices Electricity Like a Luxury Good
Ted Gaines

With predictable blackouts, unreliable electric grid, state is creating dreadful imbalances that will lead to energy rationing

California is failing at the government basics. Public safety, homelessness, roads, and water storage are all in shambles. But as long as that shameful list is, it’s about to get longer. With summer around the corner, when demand is at its zenith, our energy supply will not be up to the task. Read More

03.05.22- The West’s Most Potent Weapon
Dan Amoss

As more sanctions are put on Russia by NATO countries, we must look ahead to the economic consequences for the West when Putin responds. What will oil supplies along with severed supply chains look like for global economies when that happens? We will unpack these questions today…

A wave of public support from around the world is encouraging Ukraine in its valiant resistance. Read More

03.04.22- Don’t Be Fooled By Wall Street Sentiment, Clean Energy Is A Buy
Julianne Geiger

Investors may be disappointed in guidance for renewable energy stocks, but the Ukraine situation has changed everything—there are tons of buying opportunities in this sector right now. 

All attention might be on crude oil as the Russian invasion of Ukraine hits day seven, but it’s a distraction that sets the stage for potential rewards for investors who take advantage of cut-rate deals on clean energy stocks. Read More

03.03.22- Economic Warning! Russia & Energy = Imminent Financial/Economic Disaster
Chris Martenson

View Video

03.02.22- "The Market Is Starting To Fail": Buyers Balk At Russian Oil Purchases Despite Record Discounts, Sanction Carve Outs
Tyler Durden

While in their unprecedented broadside of sanctions on Russia, the U.S. and Western allies went out of their way to spare Russian energy shipments and keep economies humming and voters warm, the oil market has gone on strike anyway. Acting as if energy were already in the crosshairs of Western sanctions officials, refiners have balked at buying Russian oil and banks are refusing to finance shipments of Russian commodities, the WSJ reports citing traders, oil executives and bankers. Read More

03.01.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: The US, EU and Nato
Just Committed Suicide
Bob Moriarty

Power is something that very few people understand. Certainly none of the ignorant and corrupt fools at the helm of the US government, the EU and Nato understand it.

I’m going to ask my readers to learn to think for themselves on a vital issue. I will ask a simple question and I want you to reflect on the answer. Don’t worry about being wrong; no one I have ever asked has gotten it dead right. Read More

02.28.22- Porous battery layer pulls once-a-week EV charging a step closer
Nick Lavars

Lithium-sulfur batteries could make for electric vehicles that only need to be charged once a week, and a new breakthrough brings them a step closer

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a hugely promising energy storage solution with the type of density that could see smartphones run for five days, and scientists continue to make exciting advances that bring them closer to commercial reality. The latest comes from researchers at Australia's Monash University, who have developed a novel layer component that shapes as a critical piece of the puzzle, offering these devices both a high capacity and long lifetime. Read More

02.26.22- Is Big Oil Overselling Its Energy Transition Efforts?
Haley Zaremba

February has been a month marked by explosive reports revealing sweeping greenwashing campaigns by the fossil fuels industry. As the dust settles from the first waves of the novel coronavirus pandemic, investigative watchdogs are taking stock of which institutions made what promises for curbing their carbon footprints, and how their actual measures and action plans measure up. Read More

02.25.22- Fusion tech is set to unlock near-limitless ultra-deep geothermal energy
Loz Blain

Quaise says it has a plan, and the technology, to drill deeper than ever before and unlock the vast geothermal power of the Earth to re-power fossil-fired electricity plants with green energy

MIT spin-off Quaise says it's going to use hijacked fusion technology to drill the deepest holes in history, unlocking clean, virtually limitless, supercritical geothermal energy that can re-power fossil-fuelled power plants all over the world. Read More

02.24.22- Tesla Is Reviving
Old School Battery Technology
Alex Kimani

In the vast majority of cases, technological innovation leads to newer, cheaper, and more efficient designs than their predecessors. But every once in a while, technological progress goes into reverse gear when progress turns out to be turbocharged regress.

And that appears to be happening in the world of EV batteries. Read More

02.23.22- Bitcoin Miners Are Fighting
Over Flared Gas
Felicity Bradstock

Partnerships between oil producers and crypto miners are becoming more commonplace across the U.S. as bitcoin firms fight over flared gas. While bitcoin and other digital currency producers have struck up several deals with local American oil firms to repurpose their waste gas for mining, it’s only recently that oil majors have started to pay attention. With huge carbon-cutting potential through mutually beneficial partnerships, this could be a win-win for crypto and Big Oil. Read More

02.22.22- Oil Prices Will Hit $100 And Stay There
- Vitol CEO
Irina Slav

Oil prices have higher to go, and they will stay there for an extended period of time, says the chief executive of Vitol, Russell Hardy.

“The 100 million-barrel number is probably going to be exceeded this year,” Hardy told Bloomberg, adding, “Demand is going to surge in the second half.”

According to him, demand for crude this year could surpass 100 million barrels daily. Read More

02.21.22- Engineered ammonia-producing bacteria could replace crop fertilizers
Ben Coxworth

Ammonia is commonly used in commercial crop fertilizers, which in turn can pollute waterways when they run off of fields. New research, however, suggests that engineered bacteria could one day take the place of such fertilizers.

In a study led by Asst. Prof. Florence Mus, scientists at Washington State University genetically engineered new strains of a soil-inhabiting bacteria by the name of Azotobacter vinelandii. While the bacteria was already known to convert ambient nitrogen gas into ammonia, the new strains are able to consistently produce and excrete ammonia at much higher concentrations, regardless of environmental conditions.Read More

02.19.22- Supply Shortages Are Wreaking Havoc On The Energy Industry
David Blackmon

Energy-related news has been filled lately with reports about shortages of, well, everything. Oil prices have spiked into the mid-$90s per barrel as explosive demand outstrips supply. Global supplies of diesel are shrinking as the refining industry lacks the capacity to keep up with demand. 

The price for natural gas in the U.S. is up 25% over the past week, largely as a result of Europe’s thirst for the commodity now creating shortages in Asia and other parts of the world. We see daily reports of supply shortages impacting key minerals like copper, lithium, as well as commodities like steel and aluminum, all of which are critical elements for facilitating supplies of fossil fuels and renewables. Read More

02.18.22- Rising Lithium Prices Could Derail
The EV Boom
AG Metal MIner

As the price of lithium has skyrocketed over 400% in the past year, the demand for lithium-ion batteries appears more intense than ever. Lithium has earned the ‘white petroleum’ label due to its dramatic need for supplies from the rise of battery giga-factories, electric vehicles, powerwalls and energy storage businesses. Battery makers including Tesla, Panasonic and LG Chem, have to budget for the rising cost of lithium.  Batteries that go into electric cars require lithium. More battery makers will need to expand production to keep up with demand from electric cars. Read More

02.17.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Canada Shocks the World
James Howard Kunstler

I’ve said it over and over again: History is a prankster. It can surprise you at the darndest times.

Who would have guessed that Canada, demure, inoffensive, shrinking violet among nations, would rise to lead a worldwide revolt against the Satanic dominion of digital neo-Bolshevism?

I’m talking about the Canadian truckers’ protest against the pernicious mandates. Read More

02.16.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Biden’s Popularity is Sinking Like the Titanic
Brian C. Joondeph, M.D.

President Job Biden is beginning his second year in office. Just over a year ago when he was elected, or selected, tears of joy flowed in blue cities. Political experts like Taylor Swift expressed, “Quiet, cautious elation and relief.” ABC News, a major player in the Biden campaign, proclaimedthrough their own tears of joy, “A new day of hope for America.”

Is the rest of America thrilled that Biden is in the White House? Was such optimism due Biden’s election, or was this just a sense of relief that the tweeting orange man was on his way out the door? Read More

02.15.22- The Global Energy Policy Problem No One Wants To Acknowledge
Haley Zaremba

More than a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the nuclear debate is once again raging in global forums. While fear about nuclear fallout and future tragedies like those that took place at Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island remains clear and present in the minds of many policymakers, the pressing need for rapid decarbonization of the global economy has brought nuclear, a zero-emissions proved technology, back to the forefront of energy policy debates. Read More

02.14.22- 2022 Will Be A Critical Year
For Wind Power
Felicity Bradstock

Both GE and Siemens lost out on revenue from wind power last year, so what’s happening in the world of wind and can we expect better results this year? With Germany and other developed renewable energy regions experiencing low wind speeds in 2021, it has left many to wonder whether wind is the reliable form of power it’s so often been portrayed to be.  

Siemens Gamesa’s renewable energy business saw its market cap almost halve over the last year as supply chain disruptions and low wind levels negatively affected operations. Siemens said its revenue dropped to $2.06 billion between October and December 2021, marking a year-on-year decrease of 20.3 percent. Operating losses totaled almost $353 million. Read More

02.12.22- IEA: Chronic OPEC+ Undersupply Could Propel Oil Prices Even Higher
Tsvetana Paraskova

If OPEC+ continues to fail in delivering its oil production targets amid rising demand and inventories at multi-year lows, oil prices will remain under upward pressure and are set for more volatility, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

The gap between OPEC+ output and its target levels surged to as much as 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January, the IEA said in its closely watched Oil Market Report for February. Read More

02.11.22- Rare form of sulfur offers a key to triple-capacity EV batteries
Nick Lavars

Lithium-sulfur batteries hold great potential when it comes to powering electric vehicles of the future 

As electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, scientists see great potential in lithium-sulfur batteries as a more environmentally friendly way to power them. This is because they don't rely on the same expensive and difficult-to-source raw materials, such as cobalt, but other problems relating to their stability has held the technology back so far. Engineers at Drexel University have made a breakthrough they say takes these batteries closer to commercial use, by leveraging a rare chemical phase of sulfur to prevent damaging chemical reactions. Read More

02.10.22- Landmark experiments smash energy record for nuclear fusion
Nick Lavars

In 1991, scientists working on a pioneering energy facility made a a momentous breakthrough, achieving the controlled release of nuclear fusion power for the first time. In 1997, the Joint European Torus (JET) tokamak reactor was then used to set an energy output world record of 22 megajoules. Twenty-five years later, scientists have now smashed this world record in what they say is a landmark moment in the quest for nuclear fusion energy. Read More

02.09.22- Could This Be The Last Great American Oil Boom?
Clint Siegner

Recently, ExxonMobil, (NYSE:XOM), and Chevron, (NYSE:CVX) announced their intention to sharply ramp up production in their shale output by about 25% this year. The companies both have a large production base already with XOM having added about 85K BOEPD to their 460K BOEPD total in 2021. CVX is a little behind XOM with around 300K BOEPD, and plans similar growth of about 25% in 2022. If this comes to fruition, it will add another 180-200K BOEPD to the increase in U.S. shale output that the Energy Information Agency-EIA, projects will rise by ~800K BOEPD this year. Read More

02.08.22- The World's Most Popular
Renewable Energy
James Howard Kunstler

The hydropower market will continue its upward trajectory in 2022 as global capacity exceeds 1,200 gigawatts (GW) for the first time and investments climb to $36.3 billion, Rystad Energy research shows. As the energy transition gathers pace and countries search for reliable, large-scale infrastructure projects to meet future demand, hydropower is solidifying its position as the most popular renewable energy source. Read More

02.07.22- Get on the Right Side of
“Carbon Inflation”
Andrey Dashkov

Prices are soaring due to inflation…

By now, I’m sure you’ve felt the effects on your wallet.

But one thing is critical for your understanding of where inflation is headed next.

It’s a massive, hidden inflation driver… and it’s up 155% in the last year alone. You won’t find it on the front page of popular financial networks…Read More

02.05.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Air Vaxxidents...
The F-35/USS Vinson Incident
Joseph P Farrell

Navy Pilot Crashes Plane, Ejects, After Vax Reaction

Throughout the Plandemic Real Raw News has written about incidents of vaccinated pilots either falling ill or outright dropping dead midflight, catastrophic events that endanger not only the pilots but also the millions of passengers entrusting their safety to the airlines. This issue, obscured by the FAA in matters involving civilian pilots, and the DoD\ Read More

02.04.22- Germany Is Shuttering Nuclear Reactors Amid EU Power Crisis
Tyler Durden

Despite some countries embracing nuclear power as the obvious solution to the green energy problem that it is over the last 12 months, Europe is still shuttering reactors at a time when it needs them most. 

With Europe is a massive energy crisis, what remains of a nuclear industry in Germany is about to be taken offline. This comes as "wholesale power prices are more than four times what they were at the start of the coronavirus pandemic,"  Read More

02.03.22- The Unstable World of
The Geopolitics of Energy
Bill Blain

“The strongest of all warriors are these two: time and patience.”

Ukraine is giving the media their next Covid-level dose of excitement, but highlights just how quickly events creep up on markets. Unwise decisions years ago by western governments in terms of energy security and global priorities have created the current crisis. It will have massive effects on energy transition, global growth and bodes ill for European st ability. Read More

02.02.22- The Consequences Of A 500% Rally In Lithium Prices
Josh Owens

The energy transition is driving the next commodity supercycle, with immense prospects for technology manufacturers, energy traders, and investors. Clean energy technologies require more metals than their fossil fuel-based counterparts, with prices of green metals projected to reach historical peaks for an unprecedented, sustained period in a net-zero emissions scenario. After surging 500% over the past year, lithium prices have continued their meteoric rise in China, with Chinese lithium carbonate prices climbing 35% month-on-month thanks to a jump in electric-vehicle registrations. Read More

02.01.22- "Game-changing" anode exchange membrane promises cheaper green hydrogen
Loz Blain

A new AEM electrolysis technology developed in Korea promises lower costs, increased performance and at least 10X the durability of prior AEMs

Electrolysis is a key component of the cost of green hydrogen, and a Korean team says it's made a huge breakthrough with an anion exchange membrane that's not only much cheaper than current proton exchange tech, but offers some 20 percent better performance. Read More

01.31.22- A Geology Insider Explains Why The Global Energy Crisis Is Going To Get
Much, Much Worse
Michael Snyder

It is becoming clear that we are in far more trouble than we are being told.  In recent months, all forms of traditional energy have become significantly more expensive, and this is fueling price increases all over the planet.  This new global energy crisis is directly responsible for the astounding rise in fertilizer prices, it has resulted in a tremendous amount of pain at the pump for millions of average Americans, and since virtually everything that we buy has to be transported it is a major contributing factor to the “inflation boom” that we are currently witnessing.  Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Read More

01.29.22- The 6 Best Home Battery Storage Systems of 2022
Arricca SanSone

Home battery storage systems have skyrocketed in popularity during the past few years for many different reasons. Besides the obvious fact that they provide clean power, more and more people are recognizing that the grid isn’t always reliable. “Energy independence is one of the biggest reasons people install home battery storage systems,” says Gerbrand Ceder, professor at UC Berkeley and faculty staff scientist at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory. “It’s seamless, so you don’t even notice when power switches from the grid to your battery backup system.” Read More

01.28.22- Net-Zero By 2050 Needs $9.2 Trillion Annual Investment
Tsvetana Paraskova

The energy transition will be a very expensive and complicated endeavor in which different countries and regions will be unevenly impacted, analysts and forecasters have been saying for years.  The world cannot just flip the switch off on the current energy systems and start running on renewables, however noble, emission-reducing, and climate-protecting this sounds.  

As a growing number of countries are committing to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century, or a decade or two later, all must start acting now if the world has any chance of meeting the Paris Agreement goals by 2050. Read More

01.27.22- Nuclear fusion milestone creates "burning plasma" for the first time
Nick Lavars

A key goal in nuclear fusion research is to achieve self-heating plasma, and scientists at the National Ignition Facility claim to have done just that in newly published research

For the prospect of limitless, clean energy produced through nuclear fusion to become a reality, scientists need the reactions at the heart of the technology to become self-sustaining, and newly published research has edged them closer to that goal. Scientists using a high-powered laser at the National Ignition Facility have achieved "burning plasma" for the first time, demonstrating for a fleeting moment how the fuel can provide much of the heat needed to keep the reactions going.  Read More

01.26.22- What Is Holding The Solar Boom Back?
Haley Zaremba

In 1975, Ford-era energy expert and policymaker Robert C. Seamans declared that solar power could likely represent a quarter of the United States’ energy production by 2020, while wind power would never represent more than 1% of the nation’s energy mix. Instead, solar power has never cracked 3% of the United States energy mix, while wind power has gone on to reach about 8% in the past year. In general, the United States lags far behind other Western developed countries when it comes to renewable energy production and adoption, but the lack of growth from solar is particularly surprising compared to the high hopes that experts had for photovoltaics in the not-so-distant past. Read More

01.25.22- Thermoelectric device wraps around hot pipes to generate electricity
Ben Coxworth

We've already heard about hoses that get wrapped around existing hot water pipes, using heat radiated from the pipe to heat water inside the hose. A new wrap-around device, however, uses that same pipe-heat to generate electricity.

Created via a collaboration between Pennsylvania State University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the experimental thermoelectric device is made up of multiple flat, square modules known as couples. Read More

01.24.22- When Will The U.S. Tap its Massive Geothermal Energy Potential?
Felicity Bradstock

Following the COP26 summit in November, it seems governments are racing to develop their renewable energy sectors. But as they turn their backs on fossil fuels, many appear to be focused almost solely on wind and solar power, largely overlooking alternative options. After years in the making, the U.S. geothermal industry is finally gaining momentum, but will it attract the investment and support it needs to fully develop? Read More

01.22.22- Quantum dots make for stabler, more efficient perovskite solar cells
Michael Irving

Perovskite solar cells have come a long way in a short time, but there’s still room for improvement. Engineers have now added a layer of quantum dots to the recipe, resulting in a more stable solar cell with near-record efficiency.

Perovskite materials make effective solar cells for a few reasons. Thin films of them are able to efficiently absorb the entire spectrum of visible light, they’re cheap to make, lightweight and flexible. Read More

01.21.22- Energy Limits Are Likely To Push The World Economy Into Recession In 2022
Gail Tverberg

In my view, there are three ways a growing economy can be sustained:

1. With a growing supply of cheap-to-produce energy products, matched to the economy’s energy needs.

2. With growing debt and other indirect promises of future goods and services, such as rising asset prices. Read More

01.20.22- Energy Storage Could Emerge As The Hottest Market Of 2022
Irina Slav

A few years ago, battery energy storage began drawing attention as what one industry executive at the time called the Holy Grail of renewable energy. In the years since, EVs have stolen the spotlight but now battery storage is back, larger than life and, quite likely, twice as expensive.

The ongoing energy crunch in Europe is one good illustration of why, if we are going down the renewable energy path, we need to build battery storage - and a lot of it. One cause of the crunch, admitted unwillingly but still admitted, was lower than usual wind power output. With storage, at least some of that output might have been stored for later use. Read More

01.19.22- Will America Ever Be Able To Challenge China’s Lithium Battery Dominance?
Robert Rapier

In the early days of the oil industry, the U.S. quickly established dominance as the world’s most important producer and consumer of petroleum. But over time, depletion in the U.S. and discoveries abroad caused U.S. dominance of the petroleum industry to fade. Although the U.S. remained the world’s largest consumer of petroleum, it became increasingly dependent on foreign oil. Read More

01.18.22- Targeting an enzyme in fat cells drives rapid weight loss in obese mice
Nick Lavars

One hormone we are seeing implicated more and more in obesity research goes by the name of leptin, and scientists continue to demonstrate how changing the way the body responds to it might lead to improved health. A new study has shown how targeting an enzyme within fat cells can alter sensitivity to leptin and in turn drive rapid weight loss in obese mice, while also improving overall metabolic health. Read More

01.17.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Should You Move While You Can, Or When You Must?
Charles Hugh Smith

This gives an extreme advantage to those few who move first, long before they must. The financial advantage for first movers is equally extreme.

Moving is a difficult decision, so we hesitate. But when the window to do so closes, it's too late. We always think we have all the time in the world to ponder, calculate and explore, and then things change and the options we once had are gone for good. Read More

01.15.22- Biden May Cut 2022 Biofuel Blending Mandates: Report
Charles Kennedy

President Joe Biden is considering a cut to this year's biofuels blending mandates focusing on ethanol and eying a cut below the 15 billion gallons proposed by the EPA, Reuters has reported, quoting unnamed sources close to the White House.

The move comes after last month the Environmental Protection Agency proposed lower biofuels blending mandates for 2020 and 2021 in a bid to quell the growing concern about oil refiners about their blending bill amid soaring inflation. Yet at the time, the EPA kept the 2022 mandates higher, at 20.77 billion gallons in total, according to a December Reuters report. The bulk of this biofuels mix is ethanol. Read More

01.14.22- Ocean Battery stores renewable energy at the bottom of the sea
Michael Irving

As useful as renewable energy sources are, they need to be backed up by storage systems that hold energy for times when the Sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Ocean Battery is a new design for an energy storage system that functions a bit like a hydroelectric dam at the bottom of the sea.

Developed by Dutch startup Ocean Grazer, the Ocean Battery is designed to be installed on the seafloor near offshore renewable energy generators, like wind turbines, floating solar farms, tidal and wave energy systems. It is made up of three components that together function on a principle similar to that of a hydro dam. Read More

01.13.22- Uranium Stocks Are Glowing Hot As Global Nuclear Ambitions Grow
Alex Kimani

For decades, the nuclear energy sector has been regarded as the black sheep of the alternative energy market family thanks to massive cost-overruns, poor public perception as well as a series of high-profile disasters such as Chernobyl, Fukushima and Three Miles Island. However, last year, the sector received a much-needed shot in the arm after the Trump administration sought a $1.5B bailout in a bid to create sufficient federal uranium stockpiles for national security purposes.

And, suddenly, the out-of-favor industry has been receiving support from numerous quarters. Read More

01.12.22- Why Are Renewables Stocks Plunging?
Alex Kimani

Back in 2013, an announcement by the Federal Reserve about pulling back on the central bank's easy-money policies sent markets into a tizzy. Treasury bond yields skyrocketed, junk bond prices fell, emerging-markets stocks tumbled, and stock volatility was off the charts leading to the coining of a new phrase on Wall Street, "taper tantrum." Investors were expecting a similar scenario after the Fed met at its annual gathering at Jackson Hole in August to discuss tapering of asset purchases. Read More

01.11.12- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: Fourth Turnning 2022 -
Bad Moon Rising
Alex Berenson

“Try to unlearn the obsessive fear of death (and the anxious quest for death avoidance) that pervades linear thinking in nearly every modern society. The ancients knew that, without periodic decay and death, nature cannot complete its full round of biological and social change. Without plant death, weeds would strangle the forest. Without human death, memories would never die, and unbroken habits and customs would strangle civilization. Social institutions require no less. Just as floods replenish soil and fires rejuvenate forests, a Fourth Turning clears out society’s exhausted elements and creates an opportunity.” – Strauss & Howe – The Fourth Turning  Read More

01.10.22- And Now, for Something Entirely Different: With America's Death Plunge Being Rushed To Completion, These Maps Show Why Population Density Will Be Critically Important To Surviving America's Dark Days
Stefan Stanford

'The Decline And Fall Of Civilizations Are Barely Noticed By Most Of Its Inhabitants'

On January 5th, Susan Duclos published this story on ANP titled “Get Out Now Before It Is Too Late: Soros District Attorneys Handing Whole Cities Over To Criminals And This Is Their Plan For The Rest Of America!” within which she warned of the coming real world repercussions to cities across America because of horrendous political decisions. Read More

01.08.22- The Lone Star State May Host The World’s Next Big Hydrogen Hub
Alan Mammoser

It is widely thought that a future low-carbon hydrogen industry will arise in industrial clusters. The emphasis is on ports, where concentrations of basic industries, pipelines, and shipping will support large scale production and efficient supply. Plans for major industrial ports in Europe, such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, are enhanced with the possibility of offshore storage of carbon dioxide.  In the US, the region that appears best equipped for widespread adoption of clean H2 is the Texas Gulf Coast centered on Houston. The Houston region's industrial sector comprises approximately 30% of US refining capacity and more than 40% of US petrochemical capacity. Its industrial sector accounts for 40% of the state of Texas’ industrial emissions. Read More

01.07.22- This Metal Will Skyrocket in the New Energy Revolution
Laurynas Vegys

Copper is a remarkable metal.

It goes into just about everything we use today – from plumbing to power lines, computers to motors.

In fact, it’s in so many of the things we use daily that its price can act as a signal for what’s going on in the overall economy.

As such, it’s hardly a surprise that copper was one of the top performers of the “COVID recovery” in 2021. It hit an all-time high of $10,480 per tonne in May. Read More

01.06.22- Chinese tokamak keeps plasma 2.6 times as hot as the Sun for 17 minutes
Loz Blain

Good news for fusion energy progress and a new world record for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as its Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), or "artifical sun," maintains 70 million degrees Celsius (126 million °F) for 1,056 seconds.

High-temperature plasma is a critical part of many large-scale fusion energy initiatives, which attempt to replicate some of the conditions that make the Sun a powerful enough fusion reactor to warm our solar system, with the goal of eventually supplying safe, clean energy for humankind. Read More

01.05.22- COVID Is Dead. Energy Is The New Crisis
Bill Blain

“Trying to fire-up the induction hob by rubbing two sticks together proved a waste of time..”

Markets are welcoming victory versus COVID, but the next crisis is upon us: Energy instability. The consequences could be dramatic...

Back to the grindstone with a vengeance today – holidays are over and the Christmas decorations are back in their boxes. Time to get serious about 2022. Time to buy or time to sell? Read More

01.04.22- The Hottest Energy Storage IPOs
In 2022
Alex Kimani

One of the biggest electric-vehicle battery companies in the world is going public. 

After years of disappointment, the U.S. IPO market has been recording a strong comeback. Traditional initial public offerings raised more money than ever before in 2021, as early investors tried to cash in on sky-high valuations. This year, a record nearly 400 traditional IPOs and an additional 600 special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) listed on the markets. Total deal value for traditional IPOs clocked in at $153.5B while SPACs fetched $162.3B, both record highs. Read More

01.03.22- New England Is One Cold Snap Away From An Energy Crisis
Tyler Durden

At its core, the human body is a symphony of chemical reactions. The complexities and interdependencies of the molecular machinery that makes our bodies function are almost too staggering to ponder. As any chemist can attest, chemical reactions are usually quite sensitive to temperature, and sensitivity to temperature varies substantially across reaction pathways. As such, temperature control not only dictates reaction rates, but it also influences product and byproduct distributions. At one temperature, two reagents might react cleanly to produce a desired product with high purity. At a different temperature, an undesirable pathway might become more kinetically favored, leading to the accumulation of unwanted impurities. Read More

01.01.22- Soaring Natural Gas Prices Are Weighing On Global Aluminum Production
AG Metal Miner

As our colleague Fouad Egbaria noted this week, rising power costs in Europe, almost wholly down to the cost of natural gas, resulted in reduced output at Europe’s largest aluminum smelter, Aluminium Dunkerque Industries France. Losses there ballooned to €20 million ($22 million) during November, as natural gas prices quadrupled this year.

Most aluminum smelters operate on long-term power contracts. However, spot prices do impact costs for many mills, either with contracts linked to spot prices or when contracts come up for periodic adjustment when the prevailing spot price comes into play. Read More