July 28, 2008

You don't have to be a member of the Energy Bar Association to practice energy law, but it helps.

"It's clearly helpful -- it gives you a chance to meet with people you're going to be dealing with outside a situation that is adversarial," says Jason Leif, a partner at Jones Day and past president of the group's regional chapter in Houston. "It carries over into your practice -- you have those relationships you wouldn't have otherwise."

The Energy Bar Association, which is affiliated with the American Bar Association, is a voluntary, nonprofit organization, so it's not like a state bar or the Supreme Court bar, which you have to join if you want to practice law in that jurisdiction.

July 25, 2008

Tight credit won't prevent utility asset sales. The expected increase in power demand coupled with the need for more investment in infrastructure will continue to drive domestic and foreign enterprises to seek opportunities in North America.

The objective is to leverage assets and to increase earnings growth. Today's environment, however, differs from what it was a couple years ago when some megadeals such as Duke Energy and Cinergy were consummated. The lack of liquidity that now exists has trimmed the list of would-be suitors. As such, the firms with the strongest balance sheets that can still get access to debt financing will guide the process.

July 23, 2008

Nuclear energy now has a big endorsement from world leaders who say it is an effective means to slow global warming. But the Group of Eight cautioned that any future development must abide by nuclear nonproliferation standards.

The solid support is more of a symbolic gesture -- one that officially takes nuclear power out of the backrooms and into the limelight. For three decades the fuel source had been a taboo topic. But today the global community is focused on energy security and environmental awareness. Indeed, the growing demand for fossil fuels has not just placed upward pressure on prices but it has also added to concerns over greenhouse gas emissions. Multiple nations have reacted with plans to construct new nuclear power facilities, which is why many international leaders are standing behind the idea.

July 18, 2008

If India is to develop economically, it must have access to new energy resources. It's now dependent on coal. But leaders there are committed to change and to using cleaner technologies that include renewable and nuclear power.

The country is fully in tune with the concerns over global warming. Toward that end, it has laid out a plan to increase its use of wind, solar and nuclear energy -- all in an effort to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels. But it has not set any hard targets with respect to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, noting that it requires international collaboration that involves the transfer of all modern technologies.

Starting in October, you'll save a couple of dollars on your energy bill. That's right. Nevada Power says it's going to lower the electric rates -- for a short time.

The low rates won't last long, because the price of natural gas is skyrocketing and the cash to pay for that will come out of your wallet.

Steve Rypka's energy bill is only $8 a month. That's because the energy in his house runs off of solar panels. He got the idea from the ones at the Desert Springs Preserve.

"If you look at a chart of all the non-renewable resources on the planet, it's minuscule to all the amount of solar energy we get every year," he said.