One reason for its capability (and impressive success over the years) is the international cooperation that typifies the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) - a unique non- governmental organization that functions with public and private representation from the US, all of the Canadian provinces, and Mexico's Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). [...] NERC preceded NAFTA by many years, but much of the "togetherness" in energy grew out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the side-agreement that also created the trilateral Commission for Environmental Cooperation. [...] The gas and electricity industries themselves have converged, as a result of the increased use of gas-fueled generating equipment and thanks to electronic billboards and futures-hedging in the marketplace that serve both. [...] But it was heartening, for instance, that the blackout investigation - and the search for ways of making such incidents even rarer - was carried out jointly by officials of the United States and Canada, in close cooperation with the North American Electric Reliability Council. [...] Continental trade contributes to the adequacy, affordability, reliability and overall environmental acceptability of energy - which remains the lifeblood of every society and economy.

US 'independence' from energy imports has been a key source of political dispute ever since the October War in 1973 and the Arab oil embargo that followed. Much of this debate has ignored or misstated the nature of the data available on what the US options are, as well as the uncertainties involved in making any long range projections. This report offers a new analysis of the recent trends in official International Energy Agency (IEA) reporting and US Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis of these issues and addresses the need for fundamental changes in the way the US government assesses the risks of energy import dependence and the cost-benefits of energy independence.

From the bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia—the gripping story of four CIA agents during the early days of the Cold War—and how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world. “Enthralling … captivating reading.” —The New York Times Book Review At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear—to some—that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling the fascinating lives of four agents, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies: Michael Burke, who organized parachute commandos from an Italian villa; Frank Wisner, an ingenious spymaster who directed actions around the world; Peter Sichel, a German Jew who outwitted the ruthless KGB in Berlin; and Edward Lansdale, a mastermind of psychological warfare in the Far East. But despite their lofty ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government.

"Argues that obtaining energy through the hydraulic fracturing of shale rock is based on unstable economic foundations, and is having much more destructive effects on the economy and the government of the United States than its advocates claim"--