Center for Strategic Communication

The Big New Push to Export America’s Gas Bounty

Mark Scott/NY Times

As one of the first United States companies to be granted an export license, Excelerate Energy is looking to capitalize on an American oil and gas boom that is reshaping the global energy markets.

Arctic oil and gas exploration could revitalize West Coast

David Holt/Washington Times

The United States took a giant step toward securing its energy future this month with the initiation of drilling exploratory wells in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. The development of these wells marks the first time in nearly two decades that multiple oil drilling rigs have been working off Alaska’s shore simultaneously. While this may seem like a minor development, it has the potential to profoundly change America’s economic and energy future.

Army Crafts 30-Year Plan to Safeguard Research, Development

Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr./AOL Defense

To guide the Army through the coming budget crunch, the service’s acquisition agencies are putting together an unprecedentedly comprehensive 30-year modernization plan. By coming up with a single road map that integrates research, development, procurement, as well as equipment sustainment, they hope to protect the investments they believe are critical to the Army’s long-term future.

Putin Urges Shift in Response to Shale Gas

Andrey Ostroukh and Alexander Kolyandr/Wall Street Journal

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged national-gas giant OAO Gazprom OGZPY to retune its strategy to adapt to the growing threat from shale gas, marking a shift in Russia’s stance to the competitive threat it poses. Mr. Putin, who for years followed Gazprom’s line that shale gas poses no threat to the company’s exports, said that “politicians, experts and businessmen are talking about shale revolution,” noting that shale-gas developments and growing trade in liquefied gas is reshaping the market.

Major powers examine long-shot options in Iran talks

Justyna Pawlak and Fredrik Dahl/Reuters

Global powers may ask Iran for stricter limits on its nuclear work if it wants an easing of harsh sanctions – a long-shot approach aimed at yielding a negotiated solution that has eluded them for more than a decade. The longer the impasse goes on, the closer Iran could get to the technological threshold of a capability to build an atom bomb, raising the odds of Israeli strikes against its installations.

Former Israeli Spymaster: We Need To Talk to Iran

Laura Rozen/Al-Monitor

Former Israeli spy chief Efraim Halevy said Israel and the US must engage in a dialogue with Iran to understand how their adversaries think, a position rarely heard from top Israeli officials.

Nuclear test ban body’s new head to seek compliance of key powers

Fredrik Dahl/Reuters

A 183-nation body set up to monitor a ban on nuclear bomb tests elected a new head on Tuesday to face the tricky task of helping convince the United States and other hold-outs to finally turn the landmark treaty into global law. Burkina Faso geophysicist Lassina Zerbo was picked as new executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO.

In the News

Small modular reactors provide path forward for nuclear power

Nick Cunningham/The Hill

 ASP Policy Analyst Nick Cunningham summarizes some of the findings in ASP’s recently released report, “Small Modular Reactors: A Possible Path Forward for Nuclear Power.”  His article discusses some of the benefits that SMRs may hold over conventional large reactors, including advantages in cost, flexibility and safety.

 

 

About the American Security Project: The American Security Project is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21st century challenges.