The people who operate Master Resource believe to the bottom of their pocketbooks that hydrocarbons are THE prime energy product. They often attempt to disguise their assumption; here is their explanation of the etymology of their chosen blog title: MasterResource is a blog dedicated to analysis and commentary about energy markets and public policy. Precisely…
On November 22, 2011, I spoke to the student ANS chapter at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. It was a fairly compact, but enthusiastic gathering of bright individuals who have recently decided to make a career in nuclear technology. Some are interested in nuclear medicine, some in the materials used in nuclear reactors, and…
The Bakken Shale formation near Williston, North Dakota is fueling a rapid oil boom and change in lifestyle for the residents. Oil production in North Dakota is nearing a half a million barrels of oil per day (in a nation that consumes roughly 19 million barrels of oil per day during a recession and a…
A November 9, 2011 Platts headline caught my attention this morning New Calvert Cliffs nuke ‘almost inconceivable’: Exelon CEO. I have been following the Calvert Cliffs Unit 3 story for several years. I used to be a Maryland resident and made a couple of trips down to Calvert County for public meetings on the proposal…
On Friday, Nov. 5, I heard an inspirational talk given by a man who had a big influence on my early career; he was the Brigade Commander who welcomed the class of 1981 to the US Naval Academy on July 6, 1977. Col. Art Athens, USMCR (Ret.) is now the Director of the Stockdale Center…
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently ran a story titled Exelon’s Rowe an unlikely booster for shale gas. The headline writer was wrong; John Rowe is one of the most motivated natural gas salesmen in the United States right now. Though he will not receive any commission checks for his efforts, he stands to profit immensely if…
I hope this helps you get pumped up to work to improve the American economy and restore American power. I admit it, I am feeling a little sarcastic this morning. Perhaps a better word would be jealous – why doesn’t my industry run ads like these? Please forgive me for this one, but one of…
For the past few months, I have been rereading Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Though the book was first published more than 50 years ago, it is remarkably prescient about some of the risks that society can face when too many people forget how to produce items of real value and quality. It is a book…
I remain baffled about why so many people who consider themselves to be political liberals fight the use of nuclear energy. It is not only an emission-free, reliable, low cost power source with a demonstrated record of safety, it is also a source of some excellent, career employment at wages that allow people to raise…
I have frequently wondered why Representative Ed Markey is such a powerful antinuclear activist. The mystery has not been just trying to understand why he is so actively opposed to nuclear energy, but how he accumulated so much legislative power so early in his career. A few days ago, I started piecing together some interesting…
My wife and I just spent a glorious weekend with some old friends who were entertaining a number of people I had never met at their lake house. As I too often do when socializing over adult beverages, I got engaged in a conversation about energy. One of the participants stated that he thought that…
Daniel Yergin is one of the most informed and perceptive energy analysts in the world. His recently released book titled The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World is a densely packed political and economic history lesson. It is a worthy follow-on to one of the most dogeared and frequently reread books…