Siobhan Hall
Senior editor, EU energy policy 
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November 27, 2019 13:55 UTC 
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Ending tax breaks for fossil fuels like diesel is a key policy pledge for the incoming EU commissioners, as part of the drive to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. This is set to be a major test of national governments’ commitment to reducing fossil fuel use, as fuel tax changes are very visible to voters. › Continue Reading |
Brian Scheid
Senior editor, oil news
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October 1, 2019 09:16 UTC
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Speculation over a release of crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve may have kept prices relatively in check in the wake of the recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities, but the amount the US government could have got to market may be well below levels needed to offset any significant supply loss. While expectations are that the US could quickly bring tens of millions of barrels of crude in response to a disruption, the SPR may not be able to distribute much more than 1.5 million b/d if a release is authorized. |
J Robinson
Senior Writer 
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May 22, 2019 10:40 UTC
(4)
In December, Mexico’s energy market reform turned five years old. The event was unceremoniously marked by the inauguration of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO—a nationalist, left-leaning presidential candidate elected partly on a promise to dismantle it. While the recent growth of Mexico’s reformed gas market has surpassed the expectations of many, it now faces new challenges ahead. In an early move that rattled investors, president-elect Lopez Obrador in October announced the cancellation of Mexico City’s new international airport. The decision followed an unofficial, popular referendum on the project that AMLO called an exemplary exercise of democracy. |
Sebastian Lewis
Content Director, China 
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April 10, 2019 11:57 UTC
(2)
In March, China’s elite gathered in Beijing for the annual “two sessions” meeting of China’s legislative bodies, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the People’s Political Consultative Conference. While much of what happens at the two sessions is at best marginalia for all but the most dedicated of China watchers, the key themes of the meeting and the government Work Report that outlines policy, priorities and targets for the coming the year, are worthy of attention. As expected, the overall direction follows the 13th Five Year Plan released back in 2016: coordinated “innovation-driven development”, environmental protection and plenty more “opening up”. But as always with Chinese policy documents, the devil is in the detail. › Continue Reading |
Steve Piper
Director, S&P Global Market Intelligence 
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April 5, 2019 08:50 UTC
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Ahead of the S&P Global Platts Global Power Markets conference in Las Vegas, April 8-10, 2019, The Barrel presents a series of articles on the global and US electricity sectors. In this last post of the series, Steve Piper analyzes S&P Global Market Intelligence data to show that renewables are increasingly able to compete with conventional generation. Wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) electric facilities only account for an estimated 11% of US generation, but they are fast closing on a tipping point where they may outperform conventional generation as an asset class. Several factors have come together to drive this result, starting with a rapid decline in costs for new renewable facilities, both wind and solar, that has offset the advantage to natural gas generation brought about by abundant and economical supply. › Continue Reading |
Morris Greenberg
Senior manager, S&P Global Platts Analytics
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April 2, 2019 09:40 UTC
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Ahead of the S&P Global Platts Global Power Markets conference in Las Vegas, April 8-10, 2019, The Barrel presents a series of articles on the global and US electricity sectors. Here, Morris Greenberg explores the drivers behind US coal generation retirements in recent years. The aging US coal fleet is being squeezed from all sides, with policy, cheap domestic gas supply and developments in clean energy generation all contributing to fast-paced closures. S&P Global Platts Analytics data show that since peaking at 317 GW at the end of 2011, US generating capacity with coal as the primary fuel fell by 73 GW, or 23%, due to retirement of 61 GW and primary fuel conversion – mainly to natural gas – of 16 GW. This was offset by additions of 4 GW. › Continue Reading |
S&P Global Platts Staff
Americas
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March 27, 2019 10:31 UTC
(0)
Ahead of the S&P Global Platts Global Power Markets conference in Las Vegas, April 8-10, 2019, The Barrel presents a series of articles on the global and US electricity sectors. Platts’ US generating fuels news team report on policies at state and federal level that will have consequences for energy security and the transition to renewables. As the US power industry contends with reliability concerns due to low electricity prices, rapid renewables growth and baseload generation retirements, policymakers are scrambling to offer solutions. Regulators are also trying to work out how to best incentivize adequate generation capacity additions, and how to ensure compensation of existing power plants and other resources operating in competitive markets. › Continue Reading |
Meghan Gordon
Senior writer, oil
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November 12, 2018 06:30 UTC
(1)
US energy abundance underpinned the Trump administration’s case for rolling back federal vehicle fuel economy standards, a policy the government aims to adopt by March. The US is producing enough oil “to satisfy nearly all of its energy needs and is projected to continue to do so,” the administration argued in the proposal that would freeze fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks at the 2020 target of 43.7 miles per gallon. Booming domestic output has “added new stable supply to the global oil market and reduced the urgency of the US to conserve energy,” it said. |
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Meghan Gordon
Senior writer, oil
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August 30, 2018 06:00 UTC
(3)
As the US government increasingly turns to energy-sector sanctions — or the threat of them — as a foreign policy tool, some have started to question whether the strategy carries long-term risks. Iran and Russia, the chief targets of US sanctions at the moment, would like the world to believe that the US is addicted to sanctions. |
Joseph Innace
Platts metals content director, Americas
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July 3, 2018 13:31 UTC
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Commodities are ubiquitous in everyday American life. We drive cars built of aluminum, drink coffee each day and wear clothes made of cotton. But when it comes to pricing, they aren’t all created equally—even within the same commodity market. Location affects commodity prices, and those differences in prices based on location are called “differentials.” |
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