As we enter summer, the hot-button energy discussions have turned from cap and trade to stimulus and renewables. Renewable technologies offer a real promise for the future and will ensure that we have alternatives to hydrocarbon-based fuels. But renewables are still in their infancy, opening up questions not only about their status but about their reliability. Recently our secretary of the interior made several statements regarding offshore wind that need closer examination.

Can we really generate massive amounts of energy with current technology in the deepwater off the East Coast? The answer is … well, we aren’t really sure. The debate around wind energy needs to be focused on the reality of wind technology, which means we need to get serious, ditch the rhetoric and understand the facts behind the hype. In this month’s cover story, “The Answer Ain’t Blowin’ in the Wind (Yet),” we look at the offshore wind capacity, Cape Wind and other details circulating around this timely topic.

Also this month, as the price of natural gas has continued to drop and the industry has been pulling back and putting projects on hold, one industry veteran warns that as an industry we must continue to drill or we will see a snap back in price that could really hurt us. Michael J. Newport’s article is a must-read for anyone concerned about domestic energy supply. As Michael points out, U.S. complacency over oil prices is leading to a wake-up call of serious proportions.

June’s North America spotlight focuses on a contentious three-way battle for Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination and how each contender’s energy platform serves as a dig to his opponents’. Also, take a look at how embattled Michigan hopes to reinvent its economy by recasting autoworkers as energy technicians.

Our Latin America spotlight begins with Mexico, where the declining oil production gets a rebound prediction, albeit one that will not take effect until 2015. Realistic or optimistic? Meanwhile, Venezuela continues to conduct strong-arm “negotiations” with PDVSA service providers – and the country is not making any new friends by seizing the assets of some 60 service companies.

Energy and politics. They have always been connected in some way, but these days you simply cannot discuss one without invoking the other. Old-fashioned party loyalty has devolved into mutual distrust that stretches from Capitol Hill to Main Street. With Democrats and Republicans at each other’s throats on virtually every social issue, will we see a time when Americans will pull together to realize a sustainable energy future?

Richard R. Loomis
Editor-in-Chief