In 2024, the United States consumed about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of energy, a 1% increase from 2023, according to our Monthly Energy Review. Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for 82% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2024. Nonfossil fuel energy—from renewables and nuclear energy—accounted for the other … [continued]
The news this morning is filled with stories about how US Senate Republicans have passed a huge budget bill that will blow up the US deficit by providing massive tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. It will also cut policies that would have supported the US economy and created jobs … [continued]
For the past week I’ve been working with a team of deep and broad experts in decarbonization in the Netherlands. The transmission system operator TenneT invited me and other experts to assist them with their Target scenario for 2050 to enable them to plan for transmission upgrades and space requirements … [continued]
The leading US energy provider Ameren indicates that the energy storage movement has broad economic and political clout beyond wind and solar.
Recent adjustments to my projections for global steel demand through 2100, reflecting a significant slowdown in Chinese infrastructure and cement consumption, have sharpened my economic focus on competing new steelmaking technologies. With lower growth trajectories for steel firmly established, every ton produced in the coming decades will increasingly face stringent … [continued]
This week, I had the opportunity to participate in TenneT’s scenario planning for its ambitious 2050 Target Grid project. The session was notable for including Professor Heleen de Coninck, one of the Netherlands’ experts on industrial decarbonization and climate change. Her involvement emphasized the critical importance of identifying scalable pathways … [continued]
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded 15 years ago, killing 11 people and injuring another 17. More than 100 million gallons of oil flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest marine oil spill in US history. Years of ecological destruction followed, and the catastrophic legacy of this disaster is … [continued]
The troubles in the Strait of Hormuz this week highlight the need to transition away from fossil fuels to reduce geopolitical tensions.
In 2024, about 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transited the Strait of Hormuz, primarily from Qatar. The strait is a critical route for oil and petroleum products as well. Qatar exported about 9.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024, and … [continued]
In recent remarks, John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra Energy, laid out a curious and somewhat baffling narrative: renewables should serve as a transition solution toward expanding natural gas generation. Yes, you read that correctly. After decades of framing gas as a so-called “bridge fuel” to a renewable future, the argument … [continued]
