Plans to greatly expand the production of low-carbon energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be found just about everywhere, from national and international policy discussions to debates at the state and local levels. Given the potential for dramatic economic, social, and geopolitical impacts over the coming decades, it’s no surprise that top-down mandates for a transition to a more renewables-centric energy mix and away from fossil fuels can stir up concern over the pace, scale, and ultimate effectiveness of such a massive undertaking. In some places, like California, critical voices are largely drowned out. In other spots, apprehension may fester just below the surface. But in a state like Texas that identifies so closely with the energy industry, the conversation is right out in the open. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how that debate is playing out in Texas, where renewable energy is booming in a state known for fossil fuels.
Renewable Energy Analytics
There’s a new wind blowing in energy markets. Renewable supply sources, long considered a noble yet uneconomic cause when compared to traditional hydrocarbon markets, have now taken the forefront in new project development. Gone are the days when environmental impacts could be disregarded. In today’s world, companies’ outlooks are increasingly tied to their prospects for participating in the market’s green evolution, and those that don’t adapt will struggle to attract the capital needed for growth.
Renewable Energy Analytics (REA) has been developed by RBN to address the need for information in this burgeoning space. We cut through the noise and biased opinions to deliver the straight scoop on what actually works in renewable energy markets — and we’ll back it up with the economic and infrastructure fundamentals that underlie RBN’s foundational market analysis. The REA initiative is a vehicle for leveraging our expertise and knowledge of traditional hydrocarbons — oil, gas, and NGLs — into renewable sources like solar, wind, hydro-electric, and foremost in our new suite of analytics, hydrogen.
Don’t get lost in Hydrogen unit conversions.
Studio Session
It’s a Gas! CO2 – Watch the Replay!
If you missed our It’s a Gas: CO2 Studio Session, you’re in luck! A full REPLAY of the live session is now available, including the expert presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As led by RBN senior analysts and industry leaders. How are companies managing their carbon footprint, what infrastructure is needed to handle produced CO2, what government incentives and regulations are out there, how can CO2 be used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and what are the investment challenges facing the industry? Our speakers and panels address these questions and more.
You can also purchase the It’s a Gas: Hydrogen session or the entire It’s a Gas series, including the CO2, Hydrogen, and Propane sessions here.
Renewables Blogs
If you’re vying for billions in federal dollars, a predictable selection process with measurable criteria is probably what you’re hoping to see. And while there was much speculation about what projects would be ultimately picked for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) regional clean hydrogen hubs initiative, H2Hubs, the selections made October 13 included no curve balls and matched the agency’s previous guidance. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll look at the selections and how they fit into the DOE’s stated criteria.
Second chances don’t always come around, but when they do, you’d do well to learn from your previous experiences and make the most of them. For the Petra Nova carbon-capture/enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) project southwest of Houston, its previous three-year run largely confirmed the preconceived notions of critics as a highly touted project that fell short of expectations for a variety of economic and technical reasons. But it also enjoyed some significant successes, and now the facility has been given a second life, courtesy of a new owner and higher oil prices. In today’s RBN blog, we look at the long-awaited restart of the Petra Nova project, what its owner hopes to gain from it, and what it could mean for the carbon-capture industry.
It makes perfect sense, really. If you’re planning to build a large, low-carbon ammonia production facility that’s targeting the export market, why not site it alongside the Gulf Coast’s leading deepwater ammonia terminal? That helps to explain why INPEX Corp., LSB Industries, Air Liquide and Vopak Moda Houston — the last a joint venture of Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream that recently developed the ammonia terminal — are collaborating on the development of a planned 1.1 million ton per annum (1.1 MMtpa) clean ammonia production plant along the Houston Ship Channel. In today’s RBN blog, we discuss the proposed production facility, the markets its clean ammonia would serve, and the benefits of building the project at an existing terminal.
The uncertainties around solar power are well understood. When the sun doesn’t shine as much as expected, power grids that rely heavily on solar must turn elsewhere to meet consumer demand. And while a shortfall in solar generation can be tricky to navigate, the difference between actual and forecast levels is typically only a few percentage points, and power grids are usually ready and able to make up any difference. But what happens when the daytime sun is obscured for hours at a time? Much of the U.S. is about to find out. In today’s RBN blog, we’ll preview the path of the October 14 solar eclipse, detail its expected impact on the generation of electricity, and describe what steps are being taken to keep power grids performing as usual.
