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Electricity and gas prices are soaring across Europe, with bills close to double from last year in most European capitals, according to new data from the Household Energy Price Index—a monthly tracker of energy prices for households across 33 European capitals, including the 27 EU member states and several non-members. According to the data collected for the HEPI, natural gas bills in Europe have gone up by as much as 111 percent over the past year, with electricity prices up by an average of 69 percent. Taken together, Euronews calculates these two make for a total 90-percent increase in household...

European natural gas inventories rose by +42 BCF over past week. EU nat gas storage 95% full. Current inventories at 3651 BCF. 26.2% higher than 1 year ago. EU goal is at least 80% full by Nov 1st for winter. Current projection is for EU to reach 95% by Nov 1st.

As California expands its efforts to phase out natural-gas use in homes, the nation’s largest gas utility is trying to reinvent itself for a future in which far fewer customers use its core service. Southern California Gas Co., a unit of Sempra, is studying how to repurpose its system—and handle the costs of doing so—as the state works to ban the sale of gas furnaces and water heaters starting in 2030. The state’s initiatives are the latest in a series of measures aimed at reducing future gas use to address climate-change concerns. Already, about 50 California cities and towns have...

Texas has a natural gas problem. That may come as a surprise since we’re talking about one of the most plentiful energy-producing regions in the country, if not the world. But the problem in Texas isn’t that they’re running out of natural gas. They’ve got enough of that to last well into the next century. What they don’t have is enough volume in the available pipelines to get all of that gas to where it needs to be, particularly the supplies coming from the western Permian Basin. In fact, the production of natural gas has been so plentiful that they...

HARRISBURG – The General Assembly has sent the governor legislation that will create a new program to encourage the development of technology to convert fracked gas into hydrogen through $141.6 million a year in tax credits. The approval of House Bill 1059 came over the objections of environmental groups and some Democrats who said that the plan will keep Pennsylvania invested in fossil fuel production for decades even as much of the world turns toward renewable energy. “State lawmakers have clearly not learned from example after example of broken promises,” said former Secretary of Environmental Protection Patrick McDonnell, now the...

If you thought that American life became expensive under the Biden administration, you haven’t seen the worst of it yet. The U.S. Energy Department projects heating bills for Americans who rely on natural gas, which is roughly half of Americans, to increase by 28% this winter. Here is the average increase in costs for heating this winter according to the Energy Information Administration: Natural Gas: $931 (+28%) Heating Oil: $2,354 (+27%) Electricity: $1,359 (+10%) Propane: $1,668 (+5%) It’s no surprise that natural gas has become so much more expensive. The United States used to be one of the leading producers...

While U.S. natural gas futures gained more than 4% on Monday, natural gas in the Waha part of the Permian Basin was falling and trading close to zero, traders told Bloomberg on Monday. Flourishing natural gas production in the Permian has swamped pipelines, putting an undue burden on takeaway capacity, resulting in an oversupply situation that has caused natural gas prices to sag to as low as 20 cents, traders have reported, and up to 70 cents per MMBTU. That compares with overall U.S. natural gas futures that are trading at more than $5 per MMBTU. Meanwhile, Europe’s nat gas...

The mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, installed a new gas line and gas-powered fireplace in his home despite his push for the city to phase out fossil fuel usage and boost electrification. City permits show Christopher Taylor, a Democrat who has served as mayor of the city since 2014, installed the gas line to hook up to his new fireplace earlier this year, MLive reported. Taylor has been a strong proponent of climate policies, including the so-called A2Zero carbon neutrality plan that calls on residents to buy electric vehicles, install solar panels and rely less on fossil fuels. […] Ann...

We all know how this has played out. This summer Russia started monkeying with the natural gas supply to Germany and the rest of Europe, claiming there was some technical problem that required maintenance. Then they cut the gas off completely and not long after that someone blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. The result of all this has been a huge spike in energy prices in Europe and concern that there might not be enough gas to heat homes this winter.But here we are in late October and the situation is looking very different. For one thing, Europe has...

Germany could be completely out of gas by February, the country’s gas agency has said, with some experts saying that the country needs to cut consumption by 30 per cent to make it through the crisis intact. A reduction in gas consumption of up to 30 per cent may be required if Germany wants to make it through the coming winter intact, some experts have claimed, while the country’s gas agency has expressed concern that the nation could run out of the hydrocarbon by February.

CNN — Pennsylvania Democratic Senate Candidate John Fetterman said in a national television interview last week that he has always supported fracking in his state, but in 2018 Fetterman said he never supported the industry and “never” will. The comments are part of a long and often contradictory series of positions from the Senate candidate on the industry, which provides tens of thousands of jobs and contributes millions to Pennsylvania’s economy. [cut] Said he did not support fracking and never has in 2018 [cut] Called it a “stain” in 2016..

Like much of Europe, New England is transforming its electric grid, retiring coal, oil and nuclear plants, leaving it largely dependent on natural gas...Just over half of the electricity produced in New England comes from gas, which is largely imported through a network of pipelines that were largely laid down decades ago. The remaining balance of gas is imported...from overseas...While New England’s electricity is less carbon-intensive than much of the country’s... residents also pay some of the highest rates in the country...thanks to opposition both in New England itself and in neighboring states, especially New York, to building new pipelines....

Grid officials warn of strain as the region competes with European countries for shipments of liquefied natural gasNew England power producers are preparing for potential strain on the grid this winter as a surge in natural-gas demand abroad threatens to reduce supplies they need to generate electricity. New England, which relies on natural-gas imports to bridge winter supply gaps, is now competing with European countries for shipments of liquefied natural gas, following Russia’s halt of most pipeline gas to the continent. Severe cold spells in the Northeast could reduce the amount of gas available to generate electricity as more of...

Internal divisions are deepening within the EU as countries attempt to lower the price of natural gas while also ensuring they secure enough of it. Germany’s decision to announce a 200-billion-euro aid package to ease its domestic crisis while opposing a price cap has angered some members. EU leaders are meeting again towards the end of the month, and they will aim to find a gas price policy that can please all its members and, most importantly, the sellers…. … As heating season begins, EU member states are turning on each other in their increasingly desperate attempts to secure enough...

Europe is not burning. When writers discuss economics and politics, we sometimes use figures of speech to attract the reader, in the hopes that a powerful visual will help carry the reader through the boredom of statistics and political analysis. So, when activists riot, when protesters mob and chant, we may say "the city is burning." It catches your attention. It gets the reader to keep reading. Sometimes, unfortunately, these words move beyond figures of speech, and become literal. In 2020, the Antifa riots that took over dozens of American downtowns did in fact include arson and fire bombing. Population...

... Russia supplied around 40% of all the gas consumed in the EU in 2021. Germany is especially reliant on this supply of cheap gas. Gas only generates about 15% of the country’s electricity but many rely on it for heating and it is vital to heavy industries such as petrochemicals that use a lot of energy. Drastic measures are now necessary to secure alternative supplies, reduce gas demand and prepare for the possibility of shortages this winter. The EU’s Save Gas for a Safe Winter program aims to reduce overall gas demand by 15% across the bloc this winter...

The hits just keep on coming for residents of the formerly Golden State. Already besieged by high inflation and severe energy shortages, citizens of the erstwhile Land of Milk and Honey will soon face a ban on natural gas (except for Eric Swalwell's). The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, is planning to rid the state of natural gas heaters, stoves, and furnaces. The Hill recently reported that the CARB passed a proposal that will lay the groundwork for phasing out gas-powered space and water heaters, and other such appliances, by 2030. (I guess CARBs really are bad for you.)...

As if residents of the Golden State did not have enough to make them miserable with wildfires, mudslides, mounting crime, high prices, energy shortages, and homeless people leaving various substances on city streets. Now the California Air Resources Board, or CARB (good grief, even the acronyms are ridiculous), is gearing up to rid the state of natural gas heaters and furnaces. According to The Hill, last week, the board passed a proposal that will lay the groundwork to phase out space heaters and water appliances by 2030. The Hill notes that the move is part of an effort to meet...

In its efforts to minimize ozone pollution, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to phase out gas furnaces and water heaters. Beginning in 2030, homes will be required to install zero-emissions alternatives, like electric heaters as the sale of fossil-fuelled appliances will be banned. The move is designed to meet EPA regulations limiting emissions in the atmosphere to 70 parts per billion, but much of the Golden State still exceeds that limit. Speaking to NPR about the ban on gas furnaces, CARB Chair Liane Randolph said, "We need to take every action we can to deliver on our commitments...

Hunter Biden’s laptop hard drive likely holds the answer to House Republican questions over President Joe Biden’s son’s Chinese business deals, including his efforts to work out U.S. natural gas deals with a Chinese government-linked energy conglomerate. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the ranking member on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent letters to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in May, June, and September and argued the Treasury Department continued to stonewall his efforts to get answers on Hunter Biden’s suspicious financial transactions linked to China and elsewhere. Comer's newest letter provided granular details about Hunter's efforts to work out deals...