Loren C. Steffy's Blog, page 39
August 6, 2012
Nabors’ Petrello loses — again — in home sale fight with neighbor
An appeals court upheld a Houston judge's decision saying the energy executive had no basis for suing his neighbors over the sale of their house.
Discussing energy issues in paradise
A few weeks ago, I gave a speech on energy issues facing the country to a public policy forum in Crested Butte, Colo. At the time, I also mentioned I did an interview the following morning with the local radio station, KBUT. You can listen to the interview, with host Roger Kahn, here.
August 2, 2012
Curiouser and curiouser: more quesitons about wholesale electric market
A new report makes the latest developments in Texas' deregulated electricity market look more and more like a scene from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
July 30, 2012
What I’m reading with my morning coffee | 7.30.12
The drought is changing how business is done. The effects are being felt in everything from sugar cane prices to companies’ market value. Unhappy birthday to financial reform: A tiny Texas bank challenges Dodd-Frank. Dollar’s strength eats into the bottom line. Gain in greenbacks cuts value of overseas sales, hurting some companies’ profits. Nuclear “hard [...]
July 26, 2012
BP Texas City: deja vu all over again
In 2010, BP's Texas City refinery released massive amounts of pollutants into the air, as financial concerns again overrode safety.
July 25, 2012
Ex-Citi CEO Sandy Weill calls for breaking up big banks
With no apparent irony, Sandy Weill calls for undoing the system he created.
What will airlines charge fees for next?
Despite the government's efforts to make airlines disclose full travel costs more clearly, fees are here to stay. Given the economics of the airline business, most carriers would rather collect fees than actually fly. A few years ago, it sounded like a joke, but can fees for pressurizing the cabin or a successful landing be far off?
July 23, 2012
Seven years after BP’s Texas City blast, industry still fights transparency
Despite adopting new rules designed to reduce catastrophic accidents that can lead to the loss of lives, the energy industry continues to oppose transparency that could make operations safer. That was the theme of today’s discussion at a two-day public hearing by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Tomorrow, the board will release its preliminary findings [...]
Seven years after Texas City blast, industry still fights transparency
Despite adopting new rules designed to reduce catastrophic accidents that can lead to the loss of lives, the energy industry continues to oppose transparency that could make operations safer. That was the theme of today’s discussion at a two-day public hearing by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Tomorrow, the board will release its preliminary findings [...]
As consumers face higher prices, NRG buys GenOn
NRG's $1.7 billion merger with Houston-based GenOn doesn't address the most pressing electricity problem in Texas: keeping the lights on.
