While the Kremlin pours money into the military, Russia’s infrastructure is crumbling, inviting more tragedies like the building collapse in southern Russia this week that killed 39.
(Fri, 04 Jan 2019) U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.72 per gallon (gal) in 2018, 30 cents/gal (13%) higher than in 2017 and 57 cents/gal higher than in 2016. However, a rapid price decline beginning in October led to U.S. average regular gasoline prices ending the year lower than they began for the first time since 2015. In 5 of the 10 cities for which EIA collects weekly retail price data, gasoline prices exceeded $3.00/gal at least once in 2018.
(Thu, 03 Jan 2019) Brent crude oil averaged $72 per barrel (b) in 2018, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) averaged $65/b in 2018. The prices for both crude oils finished the year lower than they began it. Brent and WTI each hit their highest prices during the year on October 3 at $86/b and $76/b, respectively. Prices for each benchmark fell quickly after that, and on December 24, Brent reached an annual low of $50/b and WTI reached an annual low of $43/b.
(Wed, 02 Jan 2019) After increasing 25% from January through the beginning of October in 2018, the spot energy index in the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) ended the year 21% lower than at the beginning of the year. The S&P GSCI is a weighted average of commodity prices intended to reflect global commodity production quantities and futures contractsâ trading volumes. Although all components of the S&P GSCI fell in 2018, the S&P GSCI energy index fell more than any other sub-index.
Subways in the Northeast are falling apart and losing riders. Cities on the West Coast are pouring money into their transportation networks.
(Thu, 27 Dec 2018) Nearly 40%, or 10.4 gigawatts (GW), of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems operating in the United States at the end of 2017 were fixed-tilt PV systems rather than tracking systems. Of the utility-scale fixed-tilt solar PV systems, 76% of the capacity was installed at a fixed angle between 20 degrees and 30 degrees from the horizon.
Security flaws threaten our privacy and bank accounts. So why aren’t we fixing them?
(Wed, 26 Dec 2018) U.S. energy expenditures declined for the fifth consecutive year, reaching $1.0 trillion in 2016, a 9% decrease in real terms from 2015. Adjusted for inflation, total energy expenditures in 2016 were the lowest since 2003. Expressed as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP), total energy expenditures were 5.6% in 2016, the lowest since at least 1970.
A giant dam was supposed to help lift Ecuador out of poverty. Instead, it’s part of a national scandal, and a future tethered to China.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced key 2018 achievements in protecting public health by ensuring the safety of meat, poultry and processed egg products.
