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Oil.  Oil prices posted the largest one-week gain in three years after a turbulent week.  While market participants predict that prices could be finally bottoming out amid expenditure cuts and reduced drilling activity by major oil companies,  analysts caution that prices could slip again due to an oversupplied market and few signs of increasing demand.  WSJ

Climate Change.  A new study reveals that emissions reductions reported by U.S. manufacturers between 1990 and 2008 resulted from process improvements rather than U.S. manufacturers “offshoring” environmentally harmful processes to countries with lax pollution laws – a conclusion reached in many previous previous studies on the same topic.  The author created an index of technological change that fell as quickly as actual emissions in the analysis, suggesting that emissions reductions were due to technological changes within industries, rather than shifting output among industries.  Forbes

Energy Policy.  The White House received federal railroad legislators’ final draft of new regulations governing standards and operating procedures for tank cars that haul crude oil and other flammable liquids.  The proposed regulations —  which come in response to a series of oil-train accidents that began in July 2013 — call for tank cars to be replaced or retrofitted on a faster schedule to make them more puncture-resistant during derailments.  WSJ

Oil.  Despite the fact that diesel-power vehicles can deliver up to 30 percent better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts, less than 1 percent of the passenger vehicles sold in the United States run on diesel, compared to 50% of vehicles sold by European car manufacturers. There are three main reasons for this trend: diesel-power cars often cost a few thousand dollars more than cars that run on gasoline, diesel fuel costs more and the price can vary widely within a few miles, and diesel vehicles require the periodic addition of an additive called AdBlue.  NY Times

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Oil.  The U.S. Commerce Department reported that the U.S. trade deficit for petroleum was the lowest on record last year, indicating that the boom in U.S. oil production has directly affected U.S. trade.  Additionally, lower oil prices have indirectly affected the U.S. economy by making gasoline cheaper, which has in turn freed a portion of Americans’ disposable income to purchase other goods and services.  WSJ

Oil.  In recent months, economists and policymakers have largely dismissed concerns that falling oil prices might be a harbinger of global economic slowdown.  However, as more data is released, many are increasingly worried about deflation – oil is a major driver of slowdown in inflation, and low or falling prices for goods and services can restrain consumer spending, deter business investment, cap wages, and hurt debt.  WSJ

Energy Policy.  The Brookings Institute discusses recent efforts to cut methane emission leaks and notes that pipeline repairs present an opportunity for significant improvement.  The scholars contest that reducing methane emissions leaks is essential to realizing the full environmental benefits of using natural gas in place of other fossil fuels, and that partnerships between key stakeholders  — companies, utility commissions, consumers, and governments — will be essential moving forward.  Brookings

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Renewable Energy.  A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows that energy capacity from wind and solar sources has more than tripled since 2008 while becoming increasingly cost-competitive.  Additionally, the analysts note that electricity demand has remained flat despite the economic rebound — a significant sign of improvement for the energy productivity of the U.S. economy.  WP

Oil.  The recent plunge in oil prices has led to a wave of credit rating downgrades in the oil and gas sector, increasing the risk of default for corporate bonds.  There were more downgrades in oil and gas than in any other sector during the past four months – marking the largest set of credit rating downgrades for a single sector since 2009.  FT

Energy Policy.  The New York Times notes that governments such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Angola, and Ghana are beginning to take advantage of low oil and natural gas prices by cutting fuel subsidies.  Though these subsidy cuts comprise only a small percentage of all fuel subsidies globally, experts report that the cuts are “beginning to add up”.  NY Times

Oil.  Despite a fall in oil prices of more than 50% since June, U.S. crude production remains at multi-decade highs.  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. crude oil inventories grew to the highest level for this time of year in at least 80 years, and analysts expect inventories to continue growing in coming weeks due to scheduled seasonal maintenance at many U.S. refineries.  WSJ

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Energy Outlook.  Some utility experts have expressed fears that energy conservation efforts among Americans will render electric utility companies unable to bring in revenues required to maintain the nation’s electric infrastructure.  Electricity sales to homes and businesses have been declining since 2007; in response, some utility providers have proposed different payment structures to regulators while a minority of others have begun to embrace decentralization and personal power systems.  WSJ

Oil.  Oil prices continued to rally today as investors bet that the oversupplied global market would be offset by a sharp decline in U.S. drilling activity.  Data show that the number of U.S. oil-drilling rigs — a leading indicator of future crude production — fell to its lowest level in three years last week.  WSJ

Keystone XL.  In a letter to the State Department yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency urged the White House to reject the expected Keystone XL pipeline bill on grounds that plummeting oil prices undermine most arguments in favor of the pipeline, as well as new analysis suggesting its construction would be more harmful to the environment than previously predicted.  The House of Representatives will vote on the measure next week.  EPA, WP

Oil.  Major U.S. airlines reported 2014 as their best year ever — most earned record profits largely due to constant fare prices and ancillary fees amid a dramatic decline in fuel prices.  While many carriers have received public complaints for not trimming prices, Dan Reed defends that the industry has a “more-bust-than-boom history” and airlines are accordingly sensitive to their investors’ keen desire to maximize profits during a rare boom.  Forbes