isaac the terrible

Why Is Congress Agnostic About Natural Gas?

John- I couldn't agree more about the potential for a hybrid CNG vehicle (hopefully a plug-in). M. Fitzpatrick wrote a piece highlighting the idea here on alpha last winter. Seems like a no brainer- maybe that's why its not being developed. Please- Taiwan, Israel, Ann Arbor, someone.

How Natural Gas Can Save the U.S. Economy

Hey Fitz,
Don't forget Encana (ECA). Big reserves of oil and gas, and earnings in Canadian money.

Oil Is Still the Key to U.S. Economic Future

Davewmart-
I very much agree with you that we need to redouble ( or triple) our nuclear output, and we have alot of very old plants.
Unfortunately we are late to the game here. If the country decided this would be aggod move, how long would it take to get electricity online?
Some say 8 years for a new plant, but that may be optimistic in this country. We need to get on with it for sure, but it will not be quick enough. I think a similar time element can be applied to a massive solar buildout in the southwest.
But we better get to it.

Oil Is Still the Key to U.S. Economic Future

Welcome back from the mountains.
Dollar down= Oil up.
Craig Cooper is right to a point. That point being when oil gets tight.
2-3 yrs.

Stay Away from U.S. Treasuries - Invest in Energy Stocks

Folks,
We are on the verge of an energy cliff, and our prosperity and lifestyle will be severely challenged. No one knows the timing, but the only two things could derail this impeding massive shortfall in a meaningful way (sorry Mike, but I fear its too late for a comprehensive energy policy to be implimented in time).
One possibility would be a recurrent and increasingly severe global economic downturn that would massively depress oil demand.
The second factor would be an energy breakthrough the likes we haven't seen since oil was first discovered. Don't hold your breathe- this latter possibility will be along time in coming even if we're very lucky.
So unless you subscribe to the severe prolonged depression scenario, then Mikes energy suggestions make perfect sense.
There are other good proxies- OIH, ECA, SU, among many others. Pick your own

My Thoughts on Oil

Another excellent investment vehicle for this sector is OIH- ETF. The 2 biggest holding are Transocean Offshore and Schlumberger and the fund has high volume and good options. I am doing very well with its LEAPS. I would suggest that anyone investing in this sector compare its chart with any alternative stock or ETF at various timeframes. OIH is a bigtime winner. The services of these companies will be in huge demand as the big oilfields deplete, and the attempted replacement oil will come from increasingly smaller and more remote fields.

Time to Get Long Black Gold? How Option Spreads Can Pay Off

Try using OIH (oil services ETF) for these options trades.

Geopolitical Energy: Centered on the Caspian Sea (Part 2 of 2)

Thanks for the book review. I will definately read it. I would ask you to read a short article by a very intelligent commentator Charles Krauthammer- he makes some very good points that you may want to take to heart (and no, I do not condon Isreal policy to Gaza. i think they ought to just send one missile into Gaza for every missile that comes their way (average of 6 /day in the past three years).
www.washingtonpost.com...
Anyway,
Thanks for the great article.

Cheap Crude: A Flash in the (Oil) Pan

Our lack of a comprehensive energy policy will mean the crude price jump on the next round will be much more painful than the last round. Its timing will be critical to the chance for the country to get some solid ground under its econmic self. The next chapter isn't looking too pretty.
Good to have you back fitzmeister.

The Economics of Political Spin

I'm older now, than I was before- so I'm more skeptical/realistic. Neither party, operating in this disfunctional partisan environment which is dominated by those with a primary concern of re-election, and by special interests, will deliver an effective multi-faceted energy policy. And we will not have the wherewithall as a nation to adapt in a timely fashion. Our ability to afford new technologies has been greatly squandered by government and by individual families, our domestic capacity for basic industrial infrastructure output is a faint shadow of its former self, everyone wants power from someone elses backyard, and the environmental lobby is even trying to block electric grid expansion aimed at bringing Mojave desert solar and wind to the coastal CA cities.
We will see our collective efforts at energy independence and security fall far short, and way behind schedule, no matter who controls the white house or congress. Thank you Fitzmeister for keeping up with beating this drum. Keep it up, louder. I'm sorry to say, though, that you are going to be disappointed with any politician who is partisan (puts their career and their party above principle and country).

Oil Will Only Fall So Far

I'm not too suprised to see crude prices bouncing around so much- up or down. The market is huge, messy, and delayed in responding to news/ rumors/ trends. Its like having a drunk and stupid captain trying to steer a big ship through narrow channels. Hopefully the price will drop low enough for us all to get a great buying oppurtunity, and so that the economy gets a breather. I'd rate the worlds chances of properly responding to peak oil as close to zero, atleast in a 10-20 year timeframe.

An Energy Policy That Makes Sense, Revisited

Fitz- good thinking, and know that I with you about 99%. I havn't figured out where the 1% difference is yet. Hey Brian P, I've got news for you- the earth is a sphere. If you sail out far, you don't fall off the edge. And hey, humans evolved up a chain of life all the way from monkeys, and beyond. And rain really does from clouds. And no, there is no tooth fairy or Santa Claus, and yes, fire is hot. Get a grip.