With diesel prices at record highs, restricting U.S. diesel exports has an obvious appeal. Keep more American-made diesel at home, increase domestic supply, and take some pressure off farmers, truckers, construction companies, and ultimately consumers. […]
Why U.S. Refineries Keep Closing
One of the arguments I have heard repeatedly during the recent surge in diesel prices is that refiners created this problem themselves by shutting down refineries. Let’s examine this claim. The United States had 135 […]
Are Oil Companies Gouging Drivers on Diesel Prices?
Some claims making the rounds on social media start with an observation that is basically correct: crude oil was more expensive after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 than it is today, yet diesel prices are […]
The Oil Route Built to Bypass Hormuz Is Now Under Threat
For decades, the biggest geopolitical risk hanging over the oil market has been the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict in Iran began in late February, roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum liquids moved through […]
Diesel Prices Surge Toward A 2026 Annual Record
Diesel prices in the U.S. just climbed above the previous weekly record set in 2022, and the 2026 annual-average record is now within striking distance. Gasoline prices, while still elevated, are unlikely at this point […]
Does The U.S. Really Have Only 14 Days Of Oil Left?
Claims have been circulating on social media that the United States has only about two weeks of oil left. The calculation appears to compare the 286.6 million barrels currently held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve […]
How To Make Money Manipulating The Oil Market
President Donald Trump made a potentially market-moving announcement last Friday evening. He said the United States had reached what he called “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY,” giving the U.S. majority control over more […]
AI Is Ending America’s Era of Flat Electricity Demand
Global data-center electricity demand is growing at a remarkable pace, and no country is driving that growth more than the United States. The Energy Institute’s 2026 Statistical Review of World Energy helps put the scale […]
Battery Storage Growth Exploded In 2025, Led By China
For the past several weeks, I have been working my way through the major findings in the Energy Institute’s 2026 Statistical Review of World Energy. This article concludes that series. For readers who want to […]
Solar Overtakes Wind, But Fossil Fuel Demand Keeps Rising
In 2007, nearly two decades ago, I wrote an article called “The Future Is Solar.” At the time, my argument was largely based on efficiency. I had been comparing biofuels with direct solar energy and […]