I have a new article out at Slate arguing that even though many energy companies and government agencies like to use simple “energy intensity” to measure the energy efficiency of the economy, it’s a misleading metric that, among other things, fails to recognize the embedded energy (and carbon emissions) in goods imported from other countries.

Read it here: The Worst Way to Measure Energy Efficiency

(more…)

For SmartPlanet this week, I detailed the woefully inaccurate past forecasts of the oil majors and contrasted their bullish outlooks with their actual production,which has been declining since 1999 despite massive investment. Be sure to check out the links to the posts by Matt Mushalik and Matthieu Auzanneau.

Read it here: Oil majors are whistling past the graveyard

(more…)

For SmartPlanet this week, I explored the cost data (such as it is) on carbon capture and storage (CCS), and concluded that it will never pay off. Renewables have simply gotten too cheap, and the public subsidies that would be required to get CCS to the point where it’s economically viable are just too huge.

Read it here: Why carbon capture and storage will never pay off
(more…)