
Energy and Environment News
February 12, 2015
Top Stories
Natural Gas. The price of natural gas for March delivery is up slightly (0.1%) due to increasingly cold weather forecasts over the next few weeks. Given that half of U.S. homes use natural gas for heat, winter cold is traditionally a big driver in demand for this resource. WSJ
Oil. While low oil prices will continue to benefit U.S. consumers and the broader economy this year, economists surveyed by the WSJ predict that slower business investment will offset some of these gains. They contend that cheap oil is a double-edged sword for the economy in that as falling prices squeeze earnings, the energy sector will scale back on capital spending — as evidenced by energy producers’ sharp recent cuts in purchases of new rigs, drilling machinery, and other supplies. WSJ
Climate Change. A survey released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China reveals that pollution is a growing issue for foreign companies operating there. For example, companies reported encountering trouble in attracting and retaining executives to work there for the first time in the survey’s 17-year history because of the growing perception that large Chinese cities have become less hospitable places to live and work as a result of the high pollution levels. NY Times
Energy Outlook. According to a new report, universities that shed their investments in fossil fuel stocks could hurt the value of their endowments. A series of stock indices reveals that funds without energy-sector stocks underperform those with them by as much as 0.7 percent, according to the analysis. NY Times