Blog

Side-by-Side Comparison of Democratic and Republican Energy Policies [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 32]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On August 30, 2016
  • 0 Comments
The platforms for both American political parties dedicate several pages to energy policy. This language was drafted by committees of party leaders, approved by the presidential candidates, and then adopted at their national conventions. In the table below, I have juxtaposed the words of the parties’ platforms for six energy policies: (1) climate change/energy sources; […]
Read More

What Boy Scouts Can Teach the Energy Industry [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 31]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On August 19, 2016
  • 1 Comments
Over the last thirty years, participation in Boy Scouts has declined by ~50%.  My children now have many more options. Back in the eighties, we stalked real coyotes and rattlesnakes through the brush—not imaginary Pokémon. While scouting was certainly entertaining, it also taught me important lessons.  One in particular often comes to mind—incrementalism.  It’s also […]
Read More

The Democrats’ Bold New Energy Platform: Zero Fossil Fuels [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 30]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On July 25, 2016
  • 0 Comments
“America must be running entirely on clean energy by mid-century” – 2016 Democratic Party platform Delegates to the Democratic Party’s national convention released their new platform on July 21st. Its energy policy spans several pages and ranks as the sixth most important issue for the party—ahead of education (7th), health care (8th), and national security […]
Read More

Brexit’s Impact on the Energy Industry [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 28]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On July 1, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • brexit
“Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods . . . [but] there is no underlying loyalty to the idea of Europe.” – Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London and supporter of Brexit The British people shocked the world when they […]
Read More

Niger Delta Avengers: Inspired by Marvel Comics? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 27]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On June 7, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • Avengers
“To the International Oil Companies and Indigenous Oil Companies, it’s going to be bloody. Your facilities and personnel will bear the brunt of our fury.” – The Niger Delta Avengers Nigeria’s oil output has plummeted in recent months, falling to about 1.5 million barrels per day. What’s the cause of this decline? It’s the Avengers […]
Read More

The Republican Party’s Energy Platform [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 26]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 18, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • Republican Energy Platform
I was a delegate to last week’s State Republican Convention in Dallas, which adopted a new platform for the party.  Each of the platform’s 266 positions was individually voted on by the entire convention.  Interestingly, the Chairman of the Platform Committee was former State Representative Wayne Christian, who is running for Texas’ Railroad Commission (the […]
Read More

Shale Acreage = Out of the Money Options [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 25]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 9, 2016
  • 0 Comments
“Out of the money (OTM) is a call option with a strike price that is higher than the market price of the underlying asset. . . . An out of the money option has no intrinsic value, but only possesses extrinsic or time value.” – Investopedia As buyers evaluate shale packages in bankruptcies and foreclosures, […]
Read More

Do Energy Laws Need Expiration Dates? [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 24]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On May 1, 2016
  • 0 Comments
“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 was exacerbated by safety mechanisms that didn’t fit the crisis. When the well started spewing mud and gas, the crew redirected it into a safety device called the ‘mud-gas separator.’ But the device ‘was quickly overwhelmed, enveloping much of the rig in explosive gas. Without this device, the […]
Read More

President Obama’s $10 Per Barrel Oil Tax [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 23]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On April 26, 2016
  • 0 Comments
  • "carbon tax" "oil tax"
Earlier this month, I debated the merits of President Obama’s proposed $10 per barrel oil tax at the 2016 Energy Forward Conference (sponsored by the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business) with, among others, Ron Minsk, Former Special Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Environment. The new $10 per barrel tax would be […]
Read More

Game of Thrones: Resolving Negotiation Impasses [Gaille Energy Blog Issue 22]

  • Posted by scottgaille
  • On April 18, 2016
  • 0 Comments
Energy companies often use a letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, or heads of agreement (“LOIs”) to quickly establish a transaction’s principal terms. LOIs are a few pages long and may only capture the basics of price and quantity. In contrast, definitive agreements often span more than 100 pages. The process for agreeing to the […]
Read More