Author: Erick Parel

Silver Market Plunge Wipes Out Investors, and We Have Questions

Energy News Beat The silver market’s dramatic plunge on January 30, 2026, has left investors reeling, wiping out trillions in market value and sparking widespread debate about manipulation, market fundamentals, and broader economic implications. Spot silver prices collapsed 37% in a single session, marking the worst day on record, while futures plummeted 31.4% to settle […]

The Monroe Doctrine in Full Display as Danish Firm Maersk Temporarily Takes Over Operations of Two Ports on the Panama Canal

Energy News Beat In a move that echoes the historical tenets of the Monroe Doctrine—asserting U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere—the Danish shipping giant A.P. Møller-Maersk A/S has stepped in to temporarily operate two key ports at the entrances to the Panama Canal. This development follows a Panamanian Supreme Court ruling that annulled the long-standing […]

Largest Power Project In US Approved For West Texas Amid Gas Plant And Data Center Buildout

Energy News Beat In a landmark development for the U.S. energy sector, Pacifico Energy has secured approval for its GW Ranch project in Pecos County, West Texas. This 7.65 gigawatt (GW) gas-fired power campus, combined with 1.8 GW of battery storage and 750 MW of solar capacity, has been hailed as the largest permitted power […]

New NERC Grid Risk Assessment for 2026: Breaking Down the Challenges Ahead

Energy News Beat Given the impact of AI and Data Center demand on a previously flat growth market, we need to examine the overallocation of resources to integrate wind, solar, and storage into a grid system not designed for intermittent power sources. Consumers in Blue states pay an average of 38% more for energy, and […]

US Oil Drilling Adds 2 Rigs This Week, But Down 36 Over Last Year

Energy News Beat By Stuart Turley, Energy News Beat January 31, 2026 The latest Baker Hughes rig count report, released on January 30, 2026, shows a modest uptick in U.S. drilling activity with the total rig count climbing by 2 to 546. This marks a slight rebound from the previous week’s 544 rigs. However, the […]

Exxon Beats Expectations as Record Production Offsets Lower Oil Price

Energy News Beat In a resilient performance amid volatile energy markets, ExxonMobil (XOM) reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings that surpassed Wall Street estimates, driven by unprecedented production levels that mitigated the impact of declining oil prices. The company’s focus on high-margin assets in the Permian Basin and Guyana underscored its operational strength, even as broader industry […]

California Pipeline Closes, 100 Trucks Hit Roads: Is This the Breaking Point for California Consumers and High Gas and Diesel Looming?

Energy News Beat In the heart of California’s oil country, a critical artery for the state’s energy supply has been severed. The San Pablo Bay Pipeline, the largest inland crude oil pipeline in the Golden State, has shut down, forcing thousands of barrels of oil to be transported by truck instead. What was once a […]

Chevron Beats Profit Estimates with Venezuela on a Roll

Energy News Beat In a year marked by fluctuating oil prices and geopolitical uncertainties, Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) has delivered a strong finish to 2025, surpassing Wall Street’s profit expectations for the fourth quarter. The energy giant’s performance, bolstered by record production levels and strategic positioning in key markets like Venezuela, underscores its resilience amid […]

Energy Wars: How Oil and Geopolitics Collide. ⁨Robert Bryce Stops by the Energy News Beat Podcast.

Energy News Beat Robert Bryce is an author and movie producer, and he has a great Substack at Robertbryce.substack.com. We consider him a national treasure, and he holds nothing back in this great interview. We explore the world to see how energy, oil, and geopolitics collide. As we release this podcast, US Ships are approaching […]

Ensuring a Reliable and Affordable Texas Grid: An Interview with Dr. Brent Bennett of the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Energy News Beat Just in time for the potentially crippling storm hitting the Southern Half of the United States, this podcast interview with Dr. Brett Bennett of the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlights the money spent on wind and solar, but not on resilience. While significant improvements have been made to the ERCOT Grid system, […]