BP Report: 2014 Was a ‘Watershed’ Year for the Energy Transition

The Telegraph: BP Sees 'Tectonic Shift' in World Energy Production

Global energy consumption slowed to its slowest rate of growth since the late 1990s last year in what BP’s chief economist Spencer Dale has described as a “watershed” moment as production of oil outside the OPEC cartel surged.

Total energy consumption growth slowed to just 0.9%, while in China, consumption growth slowed at the fastest rate since 1998, according to BP’s closely watched Statistical Review of World Energy.

Mr. Dale wrote in the report: “In years to come, it is possible that 2014 may come to be seen as something of a watershed for the energy industry. Not so much because of the near-term volatility associated with the sharp fall in oil prices and the various adjustments that triggered. That volatility is more a return to business as usual. But rather because some of the longer-term trends which are likely to have a huge bearing on the shape of the energy sector over coming years came to the fore.”

Green Car Reports: Which Used Electric Cars Hold Their Value Best?

Used electric cars starting to enter the market in higher numbers, letting advocates suggest that if the purchase price of a new plug-in car is too high, buyers can look at used options.

The usual metric of retained-value calculations can be tricky for plug-ins, though, because most buyers take advantage of federal income-tax credits of $2,500 to $7,500.

Nonetheless, the National Automobile Dealers Association has taken a look at how used electric cars have held their value so far.

Christian Science Monitor: Elon Musk Says Model X to Arrive in Fall

If you love the idea of owning an electric vehicle from a startup automaker but find the Tesla Model S too small for your rugged/schleppy/soccer-parent lifestyle, we have good news: according to Bloomberg, Tesla is on track to deliver its new Model X crossover within the next three or four months.

That comes directly from the mouth of CEO Elon Musk, who made the announcement this week during Tesla Motors’ annual shareholders meeting in Mountain View, California.

Canadian Press: Canadian and U.S. Scientists Call for Halt to Oil Sands Projects

A group of 100 leading Canadian and U.S. scientists has issued an urgent call for a moratorium on new oil sands development and listed 10 reasons why no more projects should be permitted.

"I believe we have a duty to speak up,'' said Mark Jaccard, an energy economist at B.C.'s Simon Fraser University who spent more than a year drafting a letter to make sure it was scientifically sound.

Jaccard was a co-author of a 2014 essay in a scientific journal that made a similar argument. But the current letter, released Wednesday, represents a much wider cross-section.