by Jeff Ihnen | Jul 28, 2025 | Energy Rant
Michaels Energy was founded in 1984 in the wake of the 1970s energy crises when fear of energy starvation gripped the nation and world. Forecasts indicated natural gas and crude oil reserves would soon be depleted. Policymakers were so freaked out that, for a short...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 14, 2022 | Energy Rant
As of last week, year-to-date energy prices are up 58% for NYMEX crude oil, 91% for NYMEX gasoline, and only 39% for retail gasoline. Retail prices seem to have a long way to climb as the high NYMEX prices make their way to the local gasoline pump. This week we look...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 7, 2022 | Energy Rant
I drove the 3.5-hour route to see my mother last weekend. In preparation, I decided to fill my little tank the night before. And besides, I thought, prices are likely to be higher tomorrow. It was $4.149 per gallon. The next day, about 45 miles down the road on I-90...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jan 14, 2019 | Energy Rant
Last week, we explored ethanol carbon content, carbon caps and markets, and refiner profits on gasoline and diesel fuel. Wasn’t it fantastic stuff? This week, we describe precisely how the fluids you use to fuel and lubricate your vehicle are manufactured, what drives...
by Jeff Ihnen | Nov 5, 2014 | Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant
Paid any attention to news lately? Need any ideas for a Halloween costume? Whoops – too late for that. A good costume would be the Ebola virus – the current obsessive, 24/7 news feeding fixation. Other than Ebola, it is fair to say the region between Morocco and...
