To be a climate scientist means to live with a dour outlook. The news is never good. We’re always at a tipping point beyond which irreversible damage to the planet will result. Humanity may die out. Therefore, it was cheering to find some good news in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Outlook 2025, albeit […]

Last week an investor asked us for ten reasons why they should commit funds to midstream energy infrastructure now. Typically, three or four bullet points will suffice to make the case, but in this case the request was for ten. Believe it or not, we were up to the challenge! Here they are: Valuations are […]

Your blogger is routinely critical of the Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) — for good reason, as its narrow universe and tax-paying structure offer ample points of weakness. They’ve even struggled to calculate taxes owed, which resulted in two downward NAV adjustments in 2022-23 (see AMLP Fails Its Investors Again). At times I’ve even been critical […]

I just finished reading Andrew Ross Sorkin’s new book 1929, which relies on a lot of previously unpublished material to tell the story of the Great Crash through some of the protagonists. For those who enjoy economic history or even a good story, this will not disappoint. Benjamin Strong ran the Federal Reserve until his […]

The link between inflation and fee increases for liquids pipelines doesn’t draw much attention, but it proved to be valuable to midstream investors three years ago when the Biden administration’s excessive stimulus drove the Producer Price Index (PPI) up 13%. Maintaining purchasing power is the goal of most long-term investors. Inflation is reasonably close to […]

Last week there were two pieces of news that confirmed the bullish long term outlook for natural gas. On Thursday the WSJ reported on the Behind The Meter (BTM) arrangements that are becoming common (see AI Data Centers, Desperate for Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants). This is faster than connecting with the grid […]

The last few weeks have been challenging for the bullish story on natural gas. On Thursday evening Venture Global (VG) disclosed that they’d lost an arbitration case with BP over their Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) found that VG had breached its obligation to make a timely declaration of the […]

BP recently published their 2025 Energy Outlook. When big oil producers make projections about consumption it becomes a political document. Climate extremists are quick to accuse companies of opposing the energy transition and consigning the world to ruinous warming. Yet capital commitments need to be based on rational expectations, not aspirational ones. Earlier this year […]

The energy sector is leaving investors unimpressed. YTD the American Energy Independence Index (AEITR) is +5% and seems to be marking time. The S&P500, increasingly dominated by tech and AI exposure, is +13%. Long-time clients, having enjoyed several strong years, hope the better days will soon return. More recent investors demand to know what’s gone […]

Investors are routinely advised to incorporate some international exposure into their portfolios. This can be to add diversification or, in the case of emerging markets, to participate in faster-growing economies. For a US-based investor, this is at best a waste of time. Worse, it can introduce unneeded complexity, cost and poor returns. By investing in […]