AP analysis: Firms crimping oil supplies

Why would Shell Oil Co. simply close its Bakersfield refinery? Why scrap a profit maker?

The rumor seemed to make no sense. Yet it was true.

Whatever the truth in Bakersfield, an Associated Press analysis suggests that big oil companies have been crimping supplies in subtler ways across the country for years. And tighter supplies tend to drive up prices.

High court to hear global warming case

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court hears arguments this week in a case that could determine whether the Bush administration must change course in how it deals with the threat of global warming.

US "will miss" window to tackle climate change

US senator Jeff Bingaman has warned that the US will not be able to take sufficient action to curb its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the timeframe scientists say is necessary.

Ben Bova: Intrigue over hydrogen as auto fuel? It’s not the science fiction you may think

Nissan plans to sell electric cars in 3 yrs: Nikkei

TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. plans to develop and start selling subcompact electric cars powered by self-developed lithium-ion batteries in about three years, the Nihon Keizai (Nikkei) business daily reported on Sunday.

Friendly Fire

Most of those advocating the new energy technologies are not suggesting any reduction in overall energy consumption.

Utilities try PR blitz as lawmakers consider keeping electric rate freeze in place

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. — Just when Illinoisans thought they had seen the last of those menacing campaign commercials, along comes the most ominous televised message yet: Support us … or your lights might go out.

Scenes From a New Mall: Urban Shopping In Suburbia

The ersatz urbanity does leave some aghast. "Lifestyle centers are corporate attempts to mitigate the fact that we've turned our nation into a parking lot filled with places that are not worth living in or caring about," says author Jim Kunstler, who decries suburbia in his book, "The Geography of Nowhere."

Admiral Rickover: The future of fossil fuels

A friend of mine in Pennsylvania sent me a care package yesterday (from the era when newspapers still considered Americans literate), and in it he put a copy of an article he stumbled upon in a 1957 issue of The Christian Science Monitor. Amazing stuff below:

Power Companies Order Up Texas Toast

Texas is already the number one CO2 polluter in the United States, which is the number one CO2 polluter in the world. If Texas were a separate country, it would rank as the world's tenth largest greenhouse gas emitter.

Wind power can't match coal potential

Americans need economical, dependable electricity - and plenty of it. For the time being, that means coal.

Accord on coalfield survey signed

KARACHI: China Machinery Import Export Corporation (CMC) on Saturday signed an agreement with Sindh Government to carry out a comprehensive geological survey of Sonda-Jherruk coalfield, renewing hopes for a long-awaited breakthrough in coal-based power generation.

How to Prepare for Peak Oil and Climate Change

Corn supply must grow, some say

Scientists warn higher yields will be vital to balance needs of food, ethanol industries

Choose food or fuel? No, we can produce both

Report: Coal-power ethanol plant emissions 92% higher than with gas

Ethanol boom has its downside

“Most ethanol plants use a lot of water,” [City Councilman Robert] Fiala said, “and our wells have gone down about 14 feet in the last 10 years, I think.”

Raising more corn in the area will take more water and more agricultural chemicals, said the retired Concordia University professor. “I guess I personally think we should put a lot more money into raising our mileage possibilities for cars and trucks.”

Japan: Don't use biofuels to power farm industry

The main purpose of promoting biofuels for vehicles is to help prevent global warming, rather than shoring up the nation's agricultural industry. Unfortunately, this fact seems to have slipped the minds of some government officials.

Indigenous Amazonian people score rare victory against oil company

By taking drastic action, the Achuar people of the Amazon have forced an oil company to finally start cutting back on pollution

Opec to cut output if market unbalanced: Saudi oil minister

World oil database seeks better producer reporting

RIYADH - Nigeria, Russia and Venezuela are among major oil producers that have yet to fully comply with global oil database JODI, set up to increase transparency in energy markets, its coordinator said yesterday.

Odd choice of enemies, allies

In Moscow, Putin warned China and the United States that he was drawing on Russia's new oil and gas wealth to expand and improve its nuclear-war capabilities. He announced that in 2007 alone he would be spending $ 11.2 billion on new weapons, including 17 new nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles. He added that between now and 2015 he would be spending $ 188 billion on new weapons.

EU official urges caution on Russia-Algeria gas deal

ORAN, Algeria - The European Union should be "on guard" about Gazprom's cooperation deal with Algeria's Sonatrach because it cannot take security of supply for granted, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said on Sunday.

India, China to form joint venture to acquire oil assets

Energy-hungry India and China, often fierce rivals in the race for global oil and gas supplies, have agreed to form a joint venture company for acquisition of hydrocarbon assets in Africa and Latin America.

Fire-hit Kuwait oil refinery back to full capacity

A Kuwaiti oil refinery shut down by a fire three weeks ago has resumed operations at its full capacity of 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), officials said.

Algeria considers windfall tax on foreign oil firms

A tax on windfall foreign oil company profits could earn Algeria $1 billion in 2007, a move that is both fair and politically necessary in view of high prices, the country told energy multinationals.