The Shifting Geopolitics of Energy: Insights from The Merchant's News

The Global Energy Markets are changing, and Giacomo Prendelli (Jack) stops by the Energy News Beat podcast. There are just some great days in the world, and today was no exception. I had the honor of visiting with Giacomo Prandelli of the Merchant’s News Substack. It was a great time. After doing over 1,000 episodes, I can tell if the conversation feels like 5 minutes, it was a good Conversation in Energy. I started reading The Merchant’s News Substack and was impressed with Giacomo’s (Jack) articles and research. Today’s discussion was really a great setup for the geopolitical issues the Trump Adminstration is facing while trying to keep energy prices down. Key Discussion points: 1. The current state of the oil and energy markets, including factors affecting oil prices such as geopolitical tensions, production levels, and demand. 2. The shifting global power dynamics, with the United States, Russia, China, and India emerging as the key players, while the European Union and the UK are seen as declining in influence. 3. The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy markets and the potential role of the United States in shaping the outcome. 4. The challenges faced by the renewable energy transition, including the reliability and cost-effectiveness of technologies like wind and solar compared to traditional fossil fuels. 5. The potential for countries like Libya and Guyana to become important oil producers with low production costs. 6. The issues facing the energy infrastructure and policies in California, particularly the reliance on oil pipelines and the push towards renewable energy. 7. The background and motivation behind the Merchant’s News Substack, which the host sees as a valuable source of analysis and insights on energy and commodity markets. Time Stamps: 00:18 Introduction in Switzerland 02:18 Shadow Fleet Ends 05:00 Energy Policies and the EU, and UK 07:57 World bifurcating into new trading blocs 13:18 NATO 18:26 Investment Charts Gold, metals, and Oil 25:29 Biden and Trump have different moves as leaders 29:17 Russia, North Africa, and Europe Do not judge the site based on the landing page. The great cartoons are eye-catching with fantastic details behind the story. When I first started reading his articles and finding out what he was writing about, I was shocked. When you jump into his articles and financial discussions, you can walk away with a great appreciation for the work he is putting into every article. You can also find Jack on his LinkedIn here. Check out his post on X. Jack Prandelli For the Full Transcript: https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/ or https://energynewsbeat.co/