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Focus Lawmakers pass spending bill with funds for clean energy GREENTECH MEDIA – Mar 23 Congress cleared a spending bill last Friday for the 2018 fiscal year that allocates $1.3 trillion. Despite the Trump administration’s requests for drastic cuts, lawmakers set aside increased funds for clean energy programs. In the final text, the Department of Energy received a $3.77 billion boost in funding, bringing the agency’s budget to a total of $34.5…

The second to last week of withdrawal season saw a withdrawal of 63 Bcf. The average expectation, based on a Reuters survey, was 70 Bcf. The withdrawal was tighter than both last year’s 58 and the five-year average of 46. As far as overall storage we now have 32.7% less than last year, and a full 20% less in storage than the five-year average. While this data suggests the bulls…

In today’s competitive marketplace, it is vital that you have a comprehensive plan in place to protect your intellectual property. While most companies include patents and trademarks as key components of their plan, many overlook the existence, role, and/or value of trade secrets. That mistake can prove costly. Trade secrets are prevalent in the clean energy sector. In the solar industry alone, the United States has secured convictions of several…

Week 20 of the natural gas withdrawal season saw a draw on storage of 86 Bcf. The average expectation, based on the Reuters survey, was a nearly identical 87 Bcf. This year’s week 20 withdrawal was considerably lower than 2017’s 137 Bcf figure, however it was greater than the five year average of 53 Bcf. Exceeding the five year average did not have the impact one might expect, as the…

By now you may have seen our new ad, “Air Up Here,” highlighting the role natural gas has played in helping to lower U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to their lowest levels in nearly 25 years. While the ad focuses on how the industry is helping reduce greenhouse gases in our air, you may not realize that every cut in the ad features consumer goods the industry makes possible or makes better. Take a…

Three hospitals in England recently cut energy costs in half after spending the equivalent of $18 million in energy efficiency upgrades. The projects got a much-needed boost from a certification that gave investors confidence the retrofits would bring returns. With millions of buildings in need of upgrades and the emergence of a $20-billion retrofit industry in the United States alone, there is neither a shortage of projects nor capital looking for environmental opportunities in…

Shoulder season-like weather across much of the country to close out February created a stagnant market for the week ending March 2nd. The prompt month opened the week at $2.70, while the week closed at a nearly identical $2.71. The lack of a weather related impact on the market was also on display in this week’s withdrawal number. The uninspiring withdrawal of 57 Bcf was in line with the expectation…

Heating demand continues to be unimpressive as this week’s withdrawal of 78 Bcf fell right in line with the market expectation of 77 Bcf. Last year, a paltry 7 Bcf was pulled, but the five-year average stands strong at a 118 Bcf withdrawal. Our current draw sits right in the middle of these past values, which is clearly reflected in our sideways market that has occurred over the past few…

Despite attempts by the Trump administration and the coal industry to limit clean energy in favor of fossil fuels – including a tariff on solar energy, a thinly-disguised bailout for coal and nuclear power plants (that was rightly rejected), and a dramatic proposed cut to energy research – we are accelerating the transition to a cleaner electric grid. In fact, last year was the first time the reduction in power sector emissions can be attributed more to…

Expectation nearly met with reality this morning as the 124 Bcf storage withdrawal narrowly exceeded the anticipated pull of 120 Bcf. Falling short of the five-year average draw of 145 Bcf but managing to surpass last year’s value of 92 Bcf, this week’s storage movement leaves little excitement in a continually sideways market. As weather expectations turn colder in early March, particularly in the Northwest, Henry Hub futures on the…