Markets and Trends - Related

China—Leader or Laggard on the Path to a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Future?

jdunton — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

There has been a great deal of talk about whether and how China will manage its need to provide enough energy to ensure continued economic growth while avoiding the local and global environmental impacts of its energy production and use. To listen to the political discourse, China is either a global leader on clean energy technologies and transformation or the largest source of emissions with serious, systemic local environmental degradation. How can it at once be a low-carbon leader and a laggard?

Energy in the State of the Union: Not a Bad Place to Start

ecurran — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address to Congress. The speech is being characterized by many in the media as many things: populist in tone, a campaign year positioning speech, and a mild tongue-lashing for Congress.

A Pragmatic Approach to Energy Policy: The President’s Job Council Report

ecurran — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Yesterday, the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness released a report, “Road Map to Renewal,” on a variety of ways to boost jobs and competitiveness in the United States.

Fracking and Seismic Activity

ecurran — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Recent earthquake tremors centered on Youngstown, Ohio, have resurrected safety concerns related to hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction. Are the tremors related to fracking activity?

Iran Sanctions and Oil Market Implications

kate — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q: With tensions escalating between Iran and the West as both the United States and Europe prepare to impose additional sanctions, Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz have driven up oil prices and sent purchasers scurrying to find replacement barrels. What is the likelihood of Iran following through on the threat, and what are the implications for the oil market?

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Energy and Development Trends

jdunton — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

One of the least understood but potentially important trends in the energy field is how emerging economies’ development priorities are shaping energy markets.

Much Ado about a Pipeline

ian — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government is in the final stages of deciding whether a major new pipeline project bringing oil-sands-derived crude oil from Canada to the United States is in the U.S.

China's New Balkan Strategy

bbocka — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Communist China did not assume a direct role in the volatile Balkan region until the late 1970s. Despite robust cooperation with Albania, mainly built upon a shared opposition to Soviet claims of world communist leadership, it was not until the summer of 1978 that Beijing articulated a coherent policy to deal with Southeastern Europe.

A New Narrative for Mexico

cwatson — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

UP CLOSE: A New Narrative for Mexico

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Returning Government to Colombia's Post-conflict Zones

IN BRIEF: Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chile updates

Security Implications of the Changing Energy Landscape

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Even before the onset of the credit crunch and the global economic meltdown, energy markets were already in the midst of signifi cant change. Energy demand growth earlier in the decade had eroded existing spare capacity, creating persistently tight markets in which any geopolitical or weather-related supply interruption often resulted in precipitous spikes in commodity prices.

Nuclear Power after Fukushima

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan’s tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami have triggered the most serious nuclear emergency in 25 years and have raised questions about the future viability of nuclear power in the energy system around the world.

“NOPEC” Legislation and U.S. Energy Security

ian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Following the recent spike in gasoline prices, the No Oil Producing Exporting Cartels (“NOPEC”) Act has once again gained popularity. The act seeks to hold OPEC member states liable for violations of U.S. antitrust legislation for what are seen as anticompetitive attempts to limit the world’s supply of petroleum.

Hemisphere Insider Volume I, Issue 2 - April/May 2011

cwatson — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In Brief:

Understanding Saudi Stability and Instability: A Very Different Nation

mentman — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Saudi Arabia is scarcely immune to protest and dissent, and has long struggled with the challenges of reform. What is most striking about the Kingdom over the past weeks of crisis, however, has been the lack of any major challenge to government and the way it functions

Middle East Civil Unrest and Oil Prices

ian — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: How have increased political tensions and antigovernment demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa affected global oil supplies?

The Impact of Egyptian Unrest on Oil Markets

mentman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Oil prices have moved steadily upward in the past few weeks. How will the crisis in Egypt affect price movements?

Potential Secure, Low Carbon Growth Pathways for the Chinese Economy

lhyland — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program commissioned this paper as part of its ongoing work focused on the implications of secure, low carbon pathways. The following paper, prepared by Jiang Kejun of the Energy Research institute, part of the National Development and Reform Commission, outlines the possible pathways that China could follow to reach its energy and climate goals

Developing America's Unconventional Gas Resources

jdunton — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Access, higher prices, and advances in technology have made it possible to commercially develop unconventional gas resources. The magnitude and potential impact of this resource has attracted a great deal of public- and private-sector interest, as well as increasing scrutiny.

Ghana: The Opportunities and Dangers of Oil

Online Africa Policy Forum — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Ghana is about to enter the ranks of Africa’s oil producers, joining long established producers like Nigeria, Angola, and Gabon, and more recent entrants like Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe. The quantities involved are comparatively modest.

The Geopolitics of Energy

jdunton — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

For a variety of reasons—population growth, development, economics, investment and infrastructure needs, geopolitics, policy/governance, and the expected impacts of climate change, to name but a few—the current global energy system is unsustainable in its present form.

Impact of Iran Sanctions Legislation: An Energy Perspective

mentman — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q: Last week, the House and Senate both overwhelmingly approved legislation (HR 2194) authorizing the president to sanction businesses that supply Iran with refined petroleum products or help Iran to produce them. How does this legislation target the energy sector, and how effective is it likely to be?

The Gulf Oil Spill and Efforts to Cap the Well

ian — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Third in a series of Critical Questions on the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the Gulf oil spill.

Q1: What is the status of BP’s latest attempt to cap the Gulf oil well?

Adapting for Future Resource Challenges

mentman — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

To date, efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to slow and eventually reverse the negative impacts of a changing climate have received most of the political and popular attention afforded to the issue of climate change.

Issues in International Political Economy - The Unending Campaign against NAFTA - February 2010 - Number 122

adyne — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Many Mexicans and Americans display vague misgivings about the North American Free Trade Agreement; their comments indicate that this is largely because the agreement did not turn out to be a development panacea.The core of Mexico´s growth problem, in my view, is political—namely, the inability to deal with structural problems affecting taxes, energy, education, labor markets, monop

Next Steps for the Transatlantic Climate Change Partnership

jdunton — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

For much of the last two years the international community has worked toward developing an international agreement to lay out the basic framework of a new climate change regime. The slow progress to date does not result from a lack of effort or opportunity. The European Union has set forth ambitious goals and continues to urge all developed countries to follow suit.

The Day after Copenhagen

ian — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As the international negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen draw nearer, negotiators and political leaders are struggling to combat the growing public perception that the talks are destined for failure.

Issues in International Political Economy - November 2009 - Number 119 - The Cost of Questionable Policies

adyne — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Until Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, it was taken for granted that no African-American could become president of the United States. Any great talent in that population group, about 13.5 percent of Americans, was discarded for the top position in the country. The situation has changed, and the United States is surely better for it.

Energy and Geopolitics in China

jdunton — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The world was surprised when China emerged in 2004 as a major importer and consumer of oil. Today, that surprise has been replaced by growing concern that the China of tomorrow may be in a position to challenge the United States not only for economic leadership but for political leadership as well.

The Future Role of the International Energy Agency

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On October 14, 2009, Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, CSIS Counselor and Trustee, delivered a keynote address to the International Energy Agency in Paris to mark the 35th anniversary of its creation and discuss its future amidst a landscape of evolving energy, climate, and geopolitical realities.

The Geopolitics of Russian Energy

jdunton — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Russia is a major player in both oil and gas exports, and much of the country's current and likely future economic growth is based on the income these exports will generate, particularly when high market prices prevail. When prices and demand decline drastically as they have recently, dependence on export income becomes a burden.

India and the United States in the 21st Century

jdunton — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

"There are few more knowledgeable observers of US-India relations than Teresita Schaffer, a former senior US diplomat, who has served in virtually every south Asian capital and is now a doyenne of Washington’s still surprisingly small coterie of India watchers. . . .

Russian Energy Dependency and the Conflicting Interests of Old and New Europe

pfrank — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

When the new democracies of East Central Europe (ECE) were accepted as members of the European Union (EU), there was a widespread expectation among the new democracies that being part of the EU would provide crucial “soft security” in the event that Moscow reverted to more aggressive policies in the region.

Why that Tank of Gas May not Be Cheap for Long

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

With gasoline prices now averaging well under $2.00 per gallon, Americans have all but called off their plan to storm big oil’s castle with pitchforks and torches.

New Forecasts Paint a Bleak Picture for Global Oil Markets in 2009

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In January 2009, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the U.S.

The Oil Market

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

OPEC Agrees to Lower Production

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil ministers meeting in Algeria on December 17 agreed to reduce oil production by an additional 2.2 million barrels per day beginning in Januar

Russia and European Energy Security

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Officials of the Putin/Medvedev administration routinely deny that Russia employs its energy resources for political purposes. But Russia’s actions demonstrate again and again that the Kremlin leadership will use its enormous energy wealth to increase its political and economic influence in Europe and the wider world.

OPEC Production and the Falling Price of Oil

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

What does the apparent lack of a price response to an OPEC production quota cut tell us about the current market and what can we expect going forward?

South Asia Monitor: India's Economy: Slowing, But Still Delivering - September 02, 2008

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In recent years India's economy has grown at breakneck speed, averaging 8.7 percent per year since 2003. The downturn in the United States and rising oil and food prices has contributed to a recent slowdown. GDP growth in India is projected at 7 and 8 percent for 2008/2009, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is down, and inflation is now in double digits.

Corruption, Not Dependency is the Risk to Western Europe from Russian Energy Trade

pfrank — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The growing dependency in Europe on non-transparent financial transfers in the energy trade is as great a danger to Europe as is the increasing dependency on Russia as the primary energy source. Non-transparent and corrupt business practices can have a corrosive effect on European governments, and especially on the new EU member states of East Central Europe.

Global Oil Prices

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What is driving the surge in crude oil prices—market fundamentals, dollar weakness, geopolitical tensions, or speculators?

South Asia Monitor: India in Africa

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A 14-nation "Africa Summit" in New Delhi in April might have sounded like a throwback to the strongest days of the Nonaligned Movement. But India's policy today in Africa is different, driven chiefly by energy. India hopes to secure energy assets through a vigorous commercial presence, the beginnings of an aid program, and political engagement.

Managing the Transition to a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Future

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In the years to come, the world must meet the energy needs of a growing and developing world population while mitigating the impacts of global climate change.

Africa, China, the United States, and Oil

Online Africa Policy Forum — Tue, 08 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Two Chinese academics wrote last year in the Far Eastern Economic Review that “energy security is already playing an increasingly important role in Sino-U.S. relations, intensifying friction on regional issues.” They cited, for example, policy disagreements between the United States and China over Sudan.

Energy Cooperation in the Western Hemisphere

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Is there a model for Western Hemisphere energy cooperation? How would individual countries and the hemisphere as a whole benefit from cooperative understandings for hemispheric oil and natural gas? What are the impediments to creating cooperative agreements, and how can the region overcome them? What would be the consequences of not adopting a plan for energy cooperation in the Americas?

India's international Oil Ties Risk U.S. Displeasure

Thu, 07 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Already sixth in global petroleum demand, India meets 70 percent of its needs through crude oil imports. By 2010, India should replace South Korea to emerge as the world's fourth-largest energy consumer, after the United States, China and Japan.

Indian Diplomacy Energized by Search for Oil

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Steady economic growth over the past decade has caused a sharp spike in India's energy requirements. As a result, Indian diplomats are looking beyond the Middle East, in places like Venezuela, to diversify its oil supplies.

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