Latest news
France: a new method of shale gas extraction was proposed
France might be interested in testing a new technique of shale gas extraction with non-flammable propane, which has still to be confirmed as a secure and efficient one. Even though the exploitation of shale gas is prohibited in France, the Minister for Industrial Renewal, member of President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party, Arnaud Montebourg, has recently announced that he is in favor of extracting shale gas with the help of a new method of extraction, an experimental type of “clean fracking” which employs fluoropropane.
read more... 13/02/2014
2013: a great year for Enel and for geothermal energy
Last year the geothermal energy industry celebrated 100 years of commercial geothermal power generation. Italy is the country where geothermal energy was first exploited for industrial reasons and it is still one of the main producers of geothermoelectric energy in the world. The first example of a geothermal power plant went into operation in 1905, in Larderello, Tuscany.
read more... 13/02/2014
Spain sets out new electricity bill structure to protect consumers
Spain’s Industry Ministry will use a new method to determine consumer power bills, giving up the old auction system, which last year, had a major impact on household electricity bills while a spike in the scheme led to huge cost increases.
read more... 13/02/2014
USA: Coal production at lowest level in 20 years
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), coal production in the USA plunged to its lowest level in 20 years, totaling 996 million short tons at the end of 2013, or a 2% decrease compared to 2012 levels. It is the first time in 20 years that annual coal production was below 1 billion short tons.
read more... 12/02/2014
Is the US close to its energy independence?
Looking at the whole U.S. energy picture, which includes natural gas, coal, nuclear, crude oil and renewables, the country is close to being self-sufficient. As a result of the hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, the U.S. is set to become the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer. The American energy boom is also drastically reducing oil and gas imports at a time when much of the world is becoming more reliant on energy imports.
read more... 10/02/2014