Energy

Budget Battles

  • usFILE PHOTO: A bulldozer moves coal at the Murray Energy Corporation port facility in Powhatan Point, Ohio

    Trump's Coal Job Push Stumbles in Most States

    By Valerie Volcovici, Reuters

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's effort to put coal miners back to work stumbled in most coal producing states last year, even as overall employment in the downtrodden sector grew...

  • The massive Big John dragline works to reshape the rocky landscape in some of the last sections to be mined for coal at the Hobet site in Boone County

    Why US Coal Producers Are Having a Very Good Year

    By Tom DiChristopher, CNBC

    U.S. coal exports are rising this year, giving the fossil-fuel friendly Trump administration reason to cheer, but analysts believe the good times won't last. The surge in exports doesn't herald a...

  • Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro waves during a pro-government rally with workers of state-run oil company PDVSA, in Barcelona

    The Crisis in Venezuela Could Send Oil Prices Soaring

    By Nick Cunningham, Oilprice.com

    Venezuela’s deteriorating crisis is “going to be the biggest geopolitical story to watch in the oil markets," according to Helima Croft of RBC Capital Markets. The economic, political and security...

  • FILE PHOTO: A sign is painted on a parking space for electric cars inside a car park in Hong Kong

    The Battery Problem That Could Slow the Electric Car Revolution

    By Zandi Shabalala, Reuters

    Producers of processed lithium - an essential element for batteries used in electric cars - are agreeing long-term contracts with their customers to fund the investments needed to address a looming...

  • A prototype of the Tesla Model 3 is on display in front of the factory during a media tour of the Tesla Gigafactory which will produce batteries for the electric carmaker in Sparks, Nevada, U.S. July 26, 2016. REUTERS/James Glover II

    The Great Battery Battle: Tesla Sparks an Arms Race in Energy Storage

    By Ryan Browne, CNBC

    Elon Musk's car company Tesla appears to be leading the "arms race" for lithium-ion batteries — for now. Musk recently announced plans to build the world's biggest lithium-ion battery storage project...

  • Would You Pay $25 for This Lightbulb?

    By PAUL GLADER, The Fiscal Times

    SOMERSET, N.J. — Ed Crawford wants to unscrew 130 years’ worth of the light bulb’s history. But how many MBAs, engineers and lobbyists will it take to help him do that? As retailers and governments...

  • Oil Prices Rise Near $87 as Recession Fears Ease

    By Chris Kahn, Bankrate

    A series of encouraging economic reports sparked oil prices Friday, pushing the benchmark to the highest level in nearly a month. Investors shrugged off declining oil demand forecasts that came out...

  • Oil Above $84 on Better Than Expected US Jobs Data

    By PABLO GORONDI

    Oil prices climbed above $84 a barrel Monday after better than expected U.S. jobs data and a vow from European leaders to support the region's bank sector hampered by the sovereign debt crisis. By...

  • Chu Takes Responsibility for Solyndra Loan Deal

    By CAROL D. LEONNIG, The Washington Post

    Energy Secretary Steven Chu acknowledged Thursday making the final decision to allow a struggling solar company to continue receiving taxpayer money after it had technically defaulted on a $535...

  • Clean Coal: Lost Jobs, Wasted Money as Feds Dither

    By Merrill Goozner, The Fiscal Times

    Congress’ failure last year to pass an energy bill that would price carbon emissions has forced industry over the past year to back away from major subsidized projects that would have deployed carbon...