Robert Rapier

Latest articles from Robert

• Where The US Got Its Oil in 2013

  Published 01 July 2014 | viewed 48,380 times

  How Much Oil Do We Import?As events in Iraq continue to unfold, we have been getting quite a few queries on just how much oil…

• When the Wind Doesn’t Blow

  Published 11 June 2014 | viewed 13,770 times

  Every morning after I wake up, I have a routine. The first thing I do, regardless of how sleepy I might still be, is slip…

• The MLP Parity Act is a No-Brainer for Renewable Energy

  Published 03 June 2014 | viewed 5,681 times

  Introduction to MLPSA Master Limited Partnership (MLP) is a publicly traded partnership with a tax structure that enables it to attract low-cost capital. The main…

• Keystone XL’s Miniscule CO2 Impact and the Bigger Picture

  Published 12 February 2014 | viewed 10,743 times

  A Disproportionate ResponseI had intended to write an article today outlining some potential solutions to the Midwest’s ethanol predicament, but some recent exchanges on Twitter…

• The Battle between Oil Sands and the Environment

  Published 12 November 2013 | viewed 10,228 times

  I spent the past week in the heart of the Athabasca oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta. I was there as a guest of the…

• How the 1973 Oil Embargo Still Affects US Energy Agenda Today

  Published 24 October 2013 | viewed 59,184 times

  America’s Wake Up CallForty years ago Americans were getting a wake up call on energy security. For the first time, the point was being driven…

• The Reason for the ‘Fall’ in Gas Prices

  Published 09 October 2013 | viewed 35,712 times

  Fall Means Falling Gasoline PricesFall is always a welcome change of pace for most people after a long, hot summer. Not only from the temperatures,…

• Why the Advanced Biofuel Industry is Struggling

  Published 13 September 2013 | viewed 12,965 times

  Ask and Ye Shall ReceiveLast week, The Economist posed the following question: “What happened to biofuels?” The biofuels in question are so-called second generation biofuels…

• Hydropower and Geothermal Energy in 2013

  Published 20 July 2013 | viewed 12,840 times

  This is the 2nd instalment in a series that looks at the recently released 2013 BP Statistical Review of World Energy. The previous post –…

• The Renewable Energy World in 2013

  Published 16 July 2013 | viewed 8,779 times

  Today I begin a series that looks at the recently released 2013 BP Statistical Review of World Energy. Because the past two posts have dealt…

• Why Considering the Environmental Impact of Keystone XL is Irrelevant

  Published 04 July 2013 | viewed 16,573 times

  Last week President Obama unveiled a new plan to combat climate change in a speech at Georgetown University. While there is generally broad consensus that…

• Did Global Oil Consumption Slow in 2012?

  Published 19 June 2013 | viewed 9,576 times

  I hate the phrase “Innocent until proven guilty.” When serial killer Ted Bundy killed his first victim, he wasn’t innocent just because a court had…

• Oil Industry Works Hard to End the E15 Fuel Blend

  Published 12 June 2013 | viewed 14,954 times

  I just finished reading a story that made my blood boil. It was about how the oil industry is using dirty tricks to keep the…

• Is a Freefall in Oil Prices Really Underway?

  Published 06 June 2013 | viewed 8,431 times

  Over the past three weeks, there have been numerous headlines insinuating that a freefall in oil prices is underway. Last week I read that the…

• As Natural Gas Prices Rise, Who Stands to Lose the Most?

  Published 22 May 2013 | viewed 8,641 times

  Chemicals and Fertilizer IndustriesIn last week’s post As Natural Gas Prices Rise, Who Benefits the Most?, I discussed the sectors that would benefit from rising…

• As Natural Gas Prices Rise, Who Benefits the Most?

  Published 15 May 2013 | viewed 9,854 times

  Over the past two years the spot price of natural gas fell from nearly $5 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in June 2011 to…

• North Dakota Oil Boom Set to Continue for Some Time

  Published 10 May 2013 | viewed 8,536 times

  Last week the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided an update of oil and gas resources in the Bakken region. This was their first update since…

• Energy Storage: The Final Barrier to Wind and Solar’s Success

  Published 02 May 2013 | viewed 17,795 times

  Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of solar and wind power is their intermittency. In locations like Hawaii, where I live, wind and solar power are already…

• A Quick Quiz on US Oil Production

  Published 17 April 2013 | viewed 6,960 times

  As a result of the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) revolution, US oil and natural gas production have been rising for several years. According to the Energy…

• Finding Good Investments in Areas with Growing Oil Production

  Published 17 April 2013 | viewed 6,501 times

  Fortunes are being made in North Dakota right now as a result of the oil boom there. Not only the oil producers but pipeline operators,…