Finance
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Legal & Regulatory
Europe Faces Capacity and Cost Challenges in 2014
This is expected to be the year when modest economic growth at last returns to a recession-hit Europe. Recent depressed power demand from industry has already allowed the 27 countries of the European Union
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Gas
China’s Shale Gas Development Outlook and Challenges
Thanks to sustained and rapid development of China’s economy, demand for natural gas has been increasing. From 2000 to 2010, China’s demand for natural gas increased from 24.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) to
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Legal & Regulatory
A Rising Tide of Regulation and the “Kick-the-Can” Gambit
A tidal wave of pent-up federal regulations could surge across much of the electricity industry in 2014. In recent years, Congress has been unable to enact new laws in energy, which has led a frustrated
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Environmental
Black & Veatch Foresees U.S. and Global Opportunities
Black & Veatch expects sustained growth across global energy markets in 2014 with several ongoing themes continuing. Key market drivers supporting power infrastructure spend remain the same, centering on
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Finance
Trend: Banks Retreat as Regulators Advance
It seemed like a good idea at the time. About 10 years ago, large investment banks that had long traded in energy commodities and derivatives, including playing in the wholesale, organized electric markets regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), concluded that it made sense to combine physical assets—power plants, pipelines, and the like—with […]
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Finance
Master Limited Partnerships: Useful Tool or Green Finance Gimmick?
A legal tax avoidance tool for small investors in the oil and gas industry is getting a lot of buzz among renewable energy financial gurus and advocates. But are “master limited partnerships” a path to new piles of money for green energy, or just a passing fancy? And should MLPs replace the current panoply of lucrative tax gimmicks available for renewables, or be available on top of such items as the production tax credit, investment tax credits, accelerated depreciation, and state and local renewable energy mandates?
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Legal & Regulatory
What Is Holding Back Offshore Wind?
The potential of offshore wind generation in the U.S. is being held back by a regulatory no-man’s-land.
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Finance
Mexico’s Power Sector Attracts New Investors
Opportunities abound in the Mexican energy sector as investors rediscover one of Latin American’s breakout markets. -
Finance
Financing U.S. Renewable Energy Projects in a Post-Subsidy World
Subsidies for renewable energy projects, a mainstay of U.S. policy for 20 years, is coming to an end. What next?
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Finance
Trend—How Strong Is the Urge to Merge?
After a slowdown in the first half of 2012, merger activity in the power sector may be heating up again. One surprising target given the current environment: Coal.