Rocky Mountain Institute
Electricity Manager at the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy think-tank in Boulder, Colorado; host of The Energy Transition Show; co-author of Profit from the Peak: The End of Oil and the Greatest Investment Event of the Century and Investing in Renewable Energy: Making Money on Green Chip Stocks; former columnist for SmartPlanet.com
Is Germany Leading the Way on Green Energy Transition? It didn't last long, but the fourth largest economy in the world set a kind of record this week for renewable energy. Wind farm in Lower Saxony, Germany Photo: Phillip May Sometime around noon this past Sunday, 90% of Germany's total electricity demand was powered by wind, solar, hydro and biomass . There was so much renewable energy that government had to pay people to use it. Chis Nelder is an energy futurist and electricity manager at the Rocky Mountain Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He's also host of a podcast called The Energy Transition Show.
Is $4 Gas the New Normal? A month ago, a gallon of regular gasoline cost an average of $3.30. Now it's $3.75 nationwide — and well over $4 in California. In the winter, gas prices generally go down. But for the past 34 days, the AAA Auto Club reports they've been going up -- faster than at any time since 2005. What's the answer, and why is the oil industry suggesting we ought to pay more? Chris Nelder is an independent energy analyst and columnist for SmartPlanet.com .
The Price of Gasoline and the Race for the White House Americans are suffering from increased pain at the gas pump, and Republicans are blaming President Obama. What are the real causes of increased gasoline prices? Can the President persuade voters it's not his fault and that he's doing all he can?
The Price of Gasoline and the Race for the White House A US president can't really do much to influence gasoline prices, but this year's Republican candidates insist that he can, and two-thirds of the voters believe them. So President Obama will devote three days this week to an energy tour of the country, emphasizing what he claims is solid energy policy . What are the major factors leading to recent increases in the price of gas at the pump? Are the oil companies exploiting opportunities for domestic drilling? Did the President blow it by delaying development of the Keystone XL Pipeline ?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?