oilsands

China's Solar Industry Outshines the U.S.

Rarely have I seen so many cogent, effective, even elegant posts.
My deepest concerns have been covered with panache.

Keep plugging away, all. We owe it to the next generations to try to recoup some of the economic advantage which has been frittered away.

We are succeeding only at one thing transferring wealth. I am thankful only that my late father and my late father-in-law, both true conservatives, did not have to see this.

The Great Geopolitical Battle Over Natural Gas Transit Routes

Thank you for a very worthwhile dose of what's going on outside the USA.
Unfortunately it will be mostly lost on our folks. Cheap energy equals jobs, but that message seems to difficult to comprehend.

Cadmium: Spent Energy?

Thanks for a great background article.

China May Be Eying Metallurgical Coal Acquisition

makes sense; actually I've been expecting this scenario. China needs to trade our treasuries for tangible assets, so why not what they already import.

Loans to Congress: The Untold Debt Story

Thanks, Zach. So many people are in denial about the consequences of our policies over the past few decades that it is important to state the obvious. We will have to pay the piper. Or should I say, our children and grandchildren will pay. Radically reduce oil consumption, end the importation of oil from the middle east, do preventative health care, educate our children to cope with the harsh economic realities we face, and develop our free alternative energy sources and we will lessen the pain. We owe that much to our children. Expose the huge subsidies given to foreign oil companies and our coal companies so people will understand the true economics of alternative energy. Those who are getting rich off those subsidies have bought our congressional reps, so it will be a tough fight.
Educating or children to be "good employees" when most of the jobs around won't support a family is morally wrong. They need to be trained to make their way as independent contractors.
Health care costs can be slashed without denying it to millions of Americans. But the major pharmaceuticals and many other parts of our health care for profit system don't want that to happen. Again, Congress is bought and paid for, so it will be a tough fight.
Doctor shortage? Who controls the number of doctors? Doctors.
Our system is ridiculous. All we have is a huge number of legal drug pushers. And the drugs don't even cure. Why, because the major pharma corporations have no financial incentives to use the stuff that would effect cures. The right way; the moral way, is the cost effective way. Business as usual is immoral and is bankrupting us.

The Trouble with Clean Coal

While the goal should be to eliminate coal as a basic fuel source,
I don't understand why there isn't a huge push to make the current stacks cleaner. Technology exists.

All of this discussion, which has been helpful, points to the one simple, immutable fact. Renewables, esp. hydro, are cost effective, and do not pose the cataclysmic problems of the coal and oil choices.

Converting coal plants to natural gas would be another good step, as the support for Picken's plan to power semis with natural gas does not seem to be there yet.

Destroying water supplies and mountains is inexcusable. Right now, the water on our family's New Mexico land is worth more than the natural gas. That differential will only continue to widen.

Next year should be the year of energy choices, as much of the health care debate will be behind us. (Unfortunately, since the focus in that debate should be on prevention and better care; the savings would be enormous and pay for extended coverage.)

Investors Jostle over the Oil Sands Prize

Think outside the box, friends. For sure, we do not want to continue helping the middle eastern Arabs who hate us. Bankrupting ourselves "to use their oil" is incredibly stupid.
Likewise, we do not need to destroy the planet to power our cars and computers. But all the whiners who insist on a single magic bullet to solve all problems keep denying that it is possible. I fear for the future of my grandchildren, both economically and environmentally. I also know that we can provide a much better future for them, but only over the objections of the vested interests who have no interest in the next generation.
Cheap oil is nearly gone. The price is just going up. We need to kick our addiction to petroleum for transport. Think what not buying all that Arab oil would do for our balance sheets.
Besides, the pipeline which China is having constructed from the oils sands processing plant to the port of Vancouver isn't there to provide oil to us. It is there to insure China's future supply. They don't need to own the production, only the transport.
There are hundreds of ways to beat the problem of power without buying Arab oil or despoiling the planet. Only the lazy and selfish deny that. My wife and I are happy to receive our oil checks, and have no fear that they will still arrive when we use natural gas, wind, solar, and hydro for energy we need. The value of oil for producing products will always be high; we do not need to burn it up.

FDIC: A New Concern for Bank Liquidity

Thanks for the update, good article.
Kirby, I appreciate your info, but after carefully rereading the article, I do not see how your comment invalidates or even seriously challanges what the author stated.

The Economic Impact of the G20 Ending Oil Subsidies

Thanks for a very interesting article. As usual jerrydd makes essential points. We have to end our addiction to oil. The ANWR will not make any difference. It has been used as a red herring by the last administration. We have unlimited free clean energy to harness. We already have the necessary technology. We can make changes to the way we do things.
There is no silver bullet; the success of our transition depends upon multiple sources. But continued dependence upon oil is poison. I received both oil and natural gas money, but the future of our country is way more important.
We must stop putting a millstone (incredible debt levels) around the necks of our grandchildren. Business as usual will turn this country into a second rate power and lead to a much lower standard living. The military can not save us from our own folly.
Disclosure: long oil and gas and royalties in both.

Picking Solar Energy Winners

Sako shooter, the price of oil is highly subsidized. Depletion allowances for a start account for 90 billion dollars per year, not counting the defense spending to "protect our interests".
You might also look at the subsidies for various forms of transportation before you draw conclusions about prices.
Technology already exists to stop bankrupting ourselves importing oil.
The lack of alternative energies use is determined more by lobbying than by what is cost justified. The bottom line of mega corporation campaign contributions is the determinant, not what is cost effective.
The upgrade of transmission is another major component of any approach, but it is rarely discussed.

Offshore Wind: Europe Now, U.S. When?

manya05: I don't believe there is any environmental objection to replacing coal and or oil with wind farms. The trade offs are solidly in favor of alternative energies. We just returned from Colorado and saw many wind units in operation in Iowa and Illinois. They take up so little space and leave agricultural production in tact. Offshore tidal is another alternative. Spain is now energy independent using wind and tidal. Guess you think sending money to the middle east is better. Especially since that foreign oil forces us to print more unsupported currency.

Natural Gas: An Energy Resource Whose Time Has Come

Brian, your comment to Norman is subject to misinterpretation.
The 15% tax withheld turns into a tax credit, i.e., it offsets US taxes dollar for dollar. The 15% credit is not a deduction, but a tax credit. I have owned Can Royals for years and to my knowledge, that is the only tax which affects Americans as of this time. The whole issue is subject to re-negogiation at any time, just as are any taxes. It is also an investment risk. If you expect the price of oil to permanently skyrocket in four to six years, as I do, then the risk seems worthwhile.

A. Palmer is right, "whatever it takes to get us off middle eastern oil. "
Worrying about relative costs of alternative energies is silly when we are bankrupting ourselves buying foreign oil. Besides, as earlier commentators have mentioned, the subsidy on oil in both tax write-offs and defense is probably over $3.50 per gallon. AND we have abundant coal and natural gas. The clean fuel concern can be solved by coal gasification, which seems to be totally overlooked. We need to convert to renewable energies, but the latter would solve a lot of interim problems. Germany has been using coal gasification for some time.

Mercedes: Hundreds of Thousands of Hydrogen Cars Coming

jerrydd makes many good points. Gasoline is going up sharply. If the big auto companies try to flim-flam us again, they will find competition from start ups. Or from large companies overseas. A quick to produce composite of medium and low technologies will have a tremendous cost advantage, which is what this market needs now. We can afford to subsidize these efforts because it is internal USA economic stimulus, rather than a dead loss of paying out for middle eastern oil. We will survive by a combination of approaches, not a silver bullet. We need natural gas vehicles, electric vehicles and mass transit, among other things. Think WWII and the battle for survival, because that is the reality.

Asian Solar Names to Raise Guidance for Q3, Q4

Kevin, thanks for the review. I was wondering about the statement about China signaling preference for solar. I remember a discussion of that a while back. Could you add some detail?
Thanks

Tiber Oilfield Spells Major Upside for Prices

Wonderful article. Thanks, Elliott.
Among the many fine comments Kiwichick's are worth noting. Kiwichick, you did overlook one Chinese move to provide oil for its needs, the activity in Africa. While China is pursuing a coherent policy to insure its future supplies, it also is working on making oil much less of a vulnerability by actually building alternate energy sources. Sounds like a plan. Maybe we should take note.
The bottom line is that oil is going to become very expensive, sooner rather than later.