Archive for Energy
Synergizing the Grid: Mapping the ASEAN Tech-Energy Collision
The global race for Artificial Intelligence dominance has officially collided with the realities of 21st-century infrastructure. While market attention remains hyper-focused on software models and processing power, the ultimate bottleneck is physical: the electrical grid. In my latest analysis for Forbes—which has just been syndicated globally across Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Finance Canada, and Singapore—I explore […]
Beyond the Wire: Why I Wrote “When the World Stops Counting on the US”
While my latest column is appearing in nearly 30 newspapers this week—including the Miami Herald and the Kansas City Star—there is a deeper technical story behind the headlines that I want to share with my readers here: the global energy transition. The Insight: In my decades of covering this energy transformation, I’ve noticed a subtle […]
India’s Grids Must Now Be Smart Enough For Clean Power
In my latest analysis for Forbes—recently syndicated by Yahoo Finance—I dive into why India’s grid must now be smart enough to handle the volatile surges of a low-carbon future. The Competitive Shift For the first time, India has officially surpassed the United States in annual solar installations (38 GW vs. 33 GW). But as I […]
The $1 Trillion AI Bottleneck: Why the Grid is the New National Security Frontline
In my latest reporting for Forbes and Yahoo Finance, I explored a concept I call the “Geopolitical Tax.” It is the hidden cost of our aging infrastructure, and it’s about to collide head-on with the AI revolution. America is currently racing to deploy $1 trillion in AI-driven capital over the next decade. But there is […]
Clean Energy Traverses Through Some Dangerous Waters
Is the green transition just trading one geopolitical risk for another? For decades, energy security meant oil pipelines and the Strait of Hormuz. As we pivot to renewables, the map is changing—but the chokepoints aren’t disappearing. My latest column for the Boston Herald (marking 4 weeks of consecutive coverage!) dives into the “Geopolitical Tax” of […]
Beyond the Wires: The Data Revolution in African Power Grids
In this feature for Forbes, which also appeared in Yahoo Finance, I examine the critical infrastructure gap threatening Africa’s role in the global economy. While the narrative often focuses on total energy poverty, the more immediate hurdle for industrialization is the unreliability of existing urban grids. Through an interview with Bim Adisa of Beacon Power […]
Erdoğan, Israel, and the Azerbaijan Oil Pipeline: Why the Valves Stay Open
The Erdoğan Israel energy connection remains a critical, if quiet, pillar of regional stability. While global headlines focus on the escalating rhetoric between Ankara and Jerusalem, the underground reality of the energy trade remains remarkably stable. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline—the 1,100-mile artery of the Caspian—continues to deliver Azerbaijani crude to Israeli refineries via Turkish soil. […]
AI is Here to Stay, but It Shouldn’t Drain Your Town
This column was originally syndicated via InsideSources and has appeared in the DC Journal, the Frederick News-Post, and the Charleston Gazette-Mail. The “AI Boom” is no longer just a digital story—it’s an infrastructure story hitting town halls from West Virginia to Iowa. Neighbors aren’t just looking at the potential for digital jobs; they’re worried about […]
The New Energy Map: Why Central Asia is China’s Strategic Insurance Policy
While global markets panic over the Strait of Hormuz, a quiet tectonic shift is occurring in the heart of Eurasia. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan are no longer just “former Soviet republics”—they are the pillars of a new energy corridor that bypasses both Western sanctions and Middle Eastern volatility. The End of the Russian Monopoly For […]
The Resource Curse in Real-Time: Iraq’s Flaring Crisis and the Iran Dependency
By Ken Silverstein Iraq is currently a study in geopolitical irony. It holds the world’s fifth-largest proven oil reserves, yet it cannot reliably keep the lights on in Baghdad or fully pay its government workers. As I explored in my latest column for Forbes, the “resource curse” is no longer just an academic theory—it is […]
The Iran War and the End of Fossil Fuel Leverage
The conflict in the Middle East has moved the energy conversation beyond carbon footprints and climate targets. It is now a matter of national security. In my latest for Forbes, I explore why the war in Iran is the ultimate signal to accelerate the clean energy transition. While fossil fuels remain vulnerable to maritime chokepoints and […]
The Infrastructure Contest That Will Decide Global Power
While reporting from the Panama Canal recently, I watched massive container ships navigate the Gatun Locks—a century-old testament to American engineering and global influence. But standing there, it became clear that the geopolitical contest of this century has shifted. It’s no longer just about military might or political ideology; it’s about “connectography”—who builds the ports, […]
Why the Iran War is a Stress Test for Green Energy | Ken Silverstein
While the world watches the Strait of Hormuz for oil spikes, a quieter crisis is unfolding for the green energy supply chain. As I discussed recently on Al-Ahad TV, the minerals powering our net-zero future travel the same volatile routes as crude oil and natural gas. This isn’t just a story about shipping delays; it’s […]
Global Natural Gas Markets: A Bigger Crisis Than Oil
My latest reporting, featured on Yahoo Finance and Forbes, examines the unprecedented shift in global natural gas markets. While oil often dominates the headlines, the overnight strikes on Qatar’s LNG hubs have disrupted supply with no strategic reserves to fall back on. This crisis mirrors the energy weaponization I have covered regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, […]
Guns, Energy and Free Speech
November 2013 With the holiday season upon us, it is time for joy and warmth. But it is also time to recollect — time to consider the tragedy of what occurred nearly a year ago when a deranged man gunned down small children and their teachers in Connecticut. Like everyone else in this country and […]