U.S. shale industry braced for bankruptcies
Falling oil prices put groups with high costs under a severe financial strain.
California’s Brown, de Leon abandon push for 50 percent cut in gasoline use
In a major setback for Gov. Jerry Brown’s climate agenda, the governor and legislative leaders on Wednesday abandoned an effort to require a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use in motor vehicles by 2030.
People living near 60 Freeway in Ontario breathe the worst air in SoCal
People in one neighborhood near the 60 Freeway in Ontario have a dubious new distinction: They are breathing the dirtiest air in Southern California, according to new measurements by pollution regulators.
Myths and facts about California’s Senate Bill 350
Opponents of the bill, led by profit-driven oil companies and their lobbyists, have mobilized an aggressive misinformation campaign designed to intimidate lawmakers and diminish public support.
Tesla has to compete for customers. So should fuels
Americans love their freedom to choose. Someone invents something, and competitors rush in with their own similar products to fight for a market that didn’t exist before.
This is what Tesla has done with the electric vehicle: The Model S is making cold-eyed journalists swoon, and the next few months are huge: The company will soon release its eagerly awaited crossover SUV, the Model X, followed by its more-eagerly awaited “affordable” sedan, the Model 3.
But Tesla shouldn’t get too comfortable, because the established auto-makers want to steal some of its quiet, zero-emission thunder with EVs of their own: In the past week, Toyota unveiled the new Prius, trying to assure everyone it can be cool as well as get 10 percent more miles out of a battery charge; Edmunds gave its blessing for the 2016 Chevy Volt; there was a possible sighting of the 2016 Nissan Leaf, the best-selling EV in the U.S.; and there were rumors that Mercedes-Benz is working on an electric car than has a range of 311 miles.
It’s a basic rule of economics: Competitive markets are good for consumers. Which is why drivers should be demanding fuel choice as well.
Gasoline is cheap now, but it doesn’t take much to cause a price spike: The threat of a supply constriction overseas; a refinery going down (and staying down, in California’s case); output quotas in OPEC nations. Anything can cause volatility in the global market. Businesses don’t like uncertainty, and it’s bad for consumers as well.
The only way to reduce the cost structure of fuels over the long term is to create fuel choice, something the United States has never known. To quote former Shell Oil president John Hofmeister: “We will never get past the volatility of oil until we get to alternatives to oil.”
We’re not advocating an end to fossil fuels. We just want fuel choice: Ethanol, methanol, CNG, LNG, biodiesel, hydrogen and, yes, electric batteries. Anything that reduces our dependence on oil is good for America.
If gasoline, the same fuel we’ve been stuck with for more than a century, is the superior fuel for vehicles, let it compete with other choices at the pump. If oil companies don’t want competition, what are they afraid of?
Related posts:
- Pearson’s CA growth proves there’s demand for E85
- Tesla approaches a moment of truth
- Oil is cheap, so why is gas sky-high in some places?
- Hofmeister: Oil companies actually hate high prices
Governor, top lawmakers ready to modify climate change measure as negotiations continue
Facing resistance from even some fellow Democrats, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders were scrambling Tuesday to find a compromise on a controversial bill that embodies some of the governor’s most ambitious environmental goals.
Gas-price drop takes Americans’ interest in fuel economy down with it
Google searches for “MPG,” shorthand for the fuel-economy measure miles per gallon, decreased 32% in the last week of August compared with two years earlier, according to the data from the technology giant.
Most of the U.S. won’t get 2016 Chevy Volt
Every major plug-in vehicle launch in the US has been a patchwork operation, with automakers focusing their initial efforts on targeted locations like California where they expect to sell the most units. Today, we learned that even five years into the plug-in car project, the game remains the same. According to GM, the second-gen Chevy Volt is going to be rolled out in the same manner.
NTSB signals possible slowdown in rail shipments of crude
U.S. railroads may not be obligated under federal law to carry freight including crude oil and hazardous materials from Jan. 1 if they fail to meet a year-end deadline for implementing new train safety technology, according to a top federal regulator.
California considers sweeping proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Some of the world’s most ambitious climate change legislation is currently under consideration in America. But the lawmakers in question aren’t in D.C. — they’re in Sacramento.
