Research, analysis and opinion on the ongoing energy transition. Writing about it at: https://powering-the-planet.ghost.iohttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvupuq3wbc2qOk. Pep talk over. Time to try to write. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Sep 2026 12:50 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvupuq3wbc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvsqk5qzak26"Surging renewables are dislodging gas, and gas consumption in China may have already entered a plateau. LNG has long faced an uphill battle in the electric power sector in China. Analysts say LNG becomes competitive with coal when prices are $6/MMBtu. Current spot prices are five times higher." https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/demand-scenarios-diverge-at-gastech/18 Sep 2026 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsqk5qzak26https://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvsfbav7as2s"Coal use for electricity [in China} is plateauing." [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Sep 2026 14:35 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsfbav7as2shttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvsegswx7c2s"Brazil, China and India are meeting rising electricity demand without turning to gas. The world’s three largest emerging economies, which accounted for 42% of global electricity demand in 2025, continue to grow while maintaining relatively low levels of gas generation in their power systems." https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/06/Gas-share-in-global-power-mix-has-declined-for-a-fifth-consecutive-year-1.pdf18 Sep 2026 14:20 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsegswx7c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvsd4w35fk2mI expect continued new record sales of electric vehicles in the EU. Why? See next post.18 Sep 2026 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsd4w35fk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvs2yepod22uIf you base your economy on expensive imported LNG, you will lose. Count the ways. "Higher LNG prices have added to inflationary pressure and imposed a substantial burden on public finances." How can you tell your product is too expensive? When nuclear is considered a good value in comparison. https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Taiwan-Mulls-Nuclear-Revival-to-Cut-Its-LNG-Exposure.html18 Sep 2026 11:31 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs2yepod22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvs2buv5tc2bI recently pointed out carbon capture doesn't work. Today Exxon agrees with me!! "Other changes in ExxonMobil’s outlook include fewer emission-reduction technologies. Projections for carbon capture and storage, and use of low-carbon hydrogen, dropped by about one-third from last year." [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Sep 2026 11:18 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs2buv5tc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvs24urcws2b"Exxon Sounds Alarm Coal Use Is Accelerating Global Warming" "ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. says the world is on course for rapid global temperature increases as coal use persists...." They seemed very concerned about rapid global temperature rise now. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-17/exxon-sounds-alarm-on-worsening-global-warming-on-coal-pollution18 Sep 2026 11:15 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs24urcws2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvqefxcce22i"At current prices, LNG-fired generation costs around $212 per MWh" "Analysis presented by Richard Katz, Special Correspondent at Weekly Toyo Keizai, showed new solar-plus-storage systems could fall below the operating cost of existing gas plants by 2030, at around $71 per MWh" https://energytracker.asia/lng-struggles-to-deliver-stable-power-for-asias-data-center-boom/17 Sep 2026 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqefxcce22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvqdovvdss2qThis investment was driven in part by supplier pressure rather than realistic demand projections. “A huge amount of capital will get stranded,” he said. Sounds like the AI industry, right? But it's the global LNG industry. https://energytracker.asia/lng-struggles-to-deliver-stable-power-for-asias-data-center-boom/17 Sep 2026 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqdovvdss2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvq7lk6gds2j"there are signs that Germany's wind generation trends are beginning to turn around, with output during August coming in more than 30% above the average for that month during the prior two years, according to generation data from LSEG." 30%! Interesting winter ahead in Europe. https://www.reuters.com/commentary/reuters-open-interest/super-el-nino-may-blow-europes-gas-demand-forecasts-off-course-2026-09-16/17 Sep 2026 17:48 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvq7lk6gds2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvq66uaigs2qCoal is really cheap in India. And they have a lot of it. But guess what is cheaper? Storage plus renewables. https://www.ess-news.com/2026/09/15/storage-plus-renewables-could-save-indian-state-1-billion-over-new-coal-says-think-tank/?utm_source=Global+Energy+Monitor&utm_campaign=38db5e21a4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_09_12_12_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-38db5e21a4-43802801417 Sep 2026 17:23 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvq66uaigs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvpktphgfk2d"Asia's imports of liquefied natural gas are set for the weakest September in eight years as high spot prices deter buyers in China and South Asia."17 Sep 2026 11:36 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvpktphgfk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnzhhvbwc2r"I will terminate Kamala’s insane electric vehicle mandate and we will end the green news scam once and for all. We will quickly become energy independent and we will frack, frack, frack and drill baby drill. I will cut your energy prices in half within 12 months." Donald Trump Oct 2024 https://www.rev.com/transcripts/trump-rally-in-detroit-michigan16 Sep 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnzhhvbwc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnrqf3nhs26Another sad billionaire. Are any of these billionaires happy? They seem like a sorry lot. Is he sad because the government is broken and run by fascists and criminals and people are losing health care to make people like him richer? No. Sad about ICE? No. War in Iran? No. Genocide? Nope! https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/crypto/article/crypto-billionaire-on-clarity-act-dying-the-government-feels-broken-095309640.html16 Sep 2026 18:34 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnrqf3nhs26https://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnglq5ykk2vA lot of good info in this piece but this line deserves attention. "This is the key reason why gas-fired power plants and other gas-fired processes, at least in their existing form, are some of the worst targets for any form of carbon capture." Carbon capture doesn't work. Another reminder. https://industrydecarbonization.com/news/yaras-ccs-project-shows-limitations-of-blue-hydrogen-and-ammonia.html16 Sep 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnglq5ykk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnfw6hric2j"Firm renewables are here - Some 75% of the planet can get firm solar + battery + backup supply for under $100/MWh" https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/09/SLIDEDECK-The-Age-of-Power.pdf16 Sep 2026 15:03 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnfw6hric2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnfdiriht2r@nickcunningham.bsky.social does a great job of summing up the state of things in the LNG world. Will the high price and risk of LNG result in the world moving on to renewable energy instead or will the world double down on LNG like Exxon says it will? https://gasoutlook.com/analysis/gastech-bullish-talk-angst-over-prices/16 Sep 2026 14:53 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnfdiriht2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnebaqlhk2rJapan has bought more LNG than it can use. Instead of trying to help address climate change and having the world use less LNG, Japan is looking for new customers. They see profit in climate destruction. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-16/japan-s-jera-looks-to-pivot-lng-buying-muscle-into-global-sales?srnd=phx-industries-energy16 Sep 2026 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnebaqlhk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvndkld2hc2aSome good news in the world of journalism. @rebleber.bsky.social and @emdashsanders.bsky.social are launching a new publication. Follow @pointsourcenews.org https://pointsourcenews.org/introducing-point-source/16 Sep 2026 14:21 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvndkld2hc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvnc7erfzs2f "New England demand was also down with regional electricity generation from natural gas lower by 6% compared with the same period in 2025" "During the same period, wind generation increased by 59% and utility-scale solar generation increased by 29%" Natural gas demand destruction. https://naturalgasintel.com/news/abundant-appalachian-canadian-supply-take-new-england-natural-gas-prices-to-historic-lows/16 Sep 2026 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnc7erfzs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvn5joekws2l"Fusion start-ups are attracting vast investment with promises of abundant, cheap and clean energy. But there's a catch: no fusion experiment has yet produced more electricity than it consumes." Bit more of a "fatal flaw" than a "catch", right? And when you say "cheap", please show your math. [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Sep 2026 12:33 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvn5joekws2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvn5e73shs2fUnlike oil and gas renewable power uses very little water. Bonus! It also can't be turned into a bomb. Double bonus! "Experts have warned cyberattacks on ships can be extraordinarily dangerous, depending upon the sophistication and the type of vessel involved." https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-probes-cyberattacks-on-energy-tankers-bound-for-american-coast-33d92f3a?mod=energy-oil_news_article_pos216 Sep 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvn5e73shs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvkzgpoj2k2yIf you want to compete in the global economy, don't base your industry on LNG. "High LNG prices are slowing Bangladesh's industrial growth, forcing electricity outages and stifling spending on development projects " https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/bangladeshs-industrial-growth-hurt-by-high-lng-prices-minister-says-2026-09-14/15 Sep 2026 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkzgpoj2k2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvkwu2ivus2xDetlev Helmig, an atmospheric scientist with air quality program Boulder AIR, said, “The analyses of our monitoring data provide evidence that oil and gas operations in the Loving area are a likely source of atmospheric releases of radioactivity.” https://capitalandmain.com/studies-link-new-mexico-drilling-to-radiation-air-pollution-health-risks15 Sep 2026 15:28 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkwu2ivus2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/justinmikulka.bsky.social/post/3mvkrpdmhas27“After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change,” a copy of the email shared with the outlet said. “As a result, today is your last working day.” Did AI write that? https://www.sfchronicle.com/tech/article/oracle-layoffs-morning-email-22431544.php15 Sep 2026 13:56 +0000at://did:plc:6ml4nxrk45cy23jay5hc2npp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkrpdmhas27