New Media
A fire waiting to happen? Researcher warns SE Portland could mirror L.A.-style wildfires
There aren’t any fire detection systems at Oaks Bottom like the cameras at Forest Park.
McCullough believes cameras with artificial intelligence could allow fire crews to respond faster.
“The AI can identify smoke and flames 60 times a minute and get that information directly to the people who need to know it. Now, Eaton didn’t have one either and that was a mistake of the modeling at [SoCal Edision].”
Portland expert warns of LA-style wildfire risk here
The Portland economist, a frequent energy-sector consultant, argued that the Eaton fire in Southern California in January 2025 holds a frightening lesson for the Rose City.
“The risks are real that a major event can actually cause the same level of problems here,” McCullough said.
He pointed at Oaks Bottom in Southeast Portland as an unrecognized high-risk area, with more than 10,000 nearby homes vulnerable to a fast-moving wildfire like the one that quickly overwhelmed Altadena and other communities in the Eaton fire.
Portland lacks resources for urban wildfire response, expert warns
Recently, McCullough created an analysis of what it would be like if Portland had an urban wildfire on the same level as the Eaton Fire, which destroyed 9,000 structures and killed at least 17 people in the Altadena community of California in January of 2025.
Comparing Los Angeles’ level of preparedness to Portland, McCullough said residents have reason to worry.
New Articles
The Altadena fire: Could it really happen here?
One year ago, the Eaton Fire, one of the costliest wildfires in U.S. history, destroyed L.A.’s Altadena neighborhood. Nineteen people lost their lives, and over 9,400 buildings were destroyed. Total property values lost amounted to $25 billion. Are there lessons from the Easton Fire for Portland?
Yes. The Eaton fire provides a clear list of missteps Portland needs to avoid as droughts, heat, and high winds increase wildfire risk in North America. While L.A. is larger and more populated than Portland, there are similarities.
The solution to high gas prices is using less oil, not delaying California’s climate programs
Since Trump’s war on Iran began, Californians have watched gas prices jump dramatically, forcing families to cut back on necessities. It’s a stark reminder of the pitfalls of relying on volatile commodities to power our lives and businesses.
Yet in one of the more egregious examples of an arsonist crying at the fire, Chevron and other fossil fuel companies have seized this moment to try and lobby against California climate policies, in an attempt to pass the blame for their own high prices.
As a market analyst who has spent more than four decades advising governments and businesses on energy issues, I have significant expertise in market manipulation. I can say with certainty that these oil industry claims about climate policy being the driver of high gas prices are false and dangerous.
The Supremes sing a new tune: U.S. Supreme Court tariff decision, energy prices
On Feb. 20, the Supremes (the American judges, not the musicians) announced that they have rejected President Donald Trump’s wild misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. As I have noted before, the bizarre emergency orders that initiated a trade war with much of the planet might well have been written while on drugs, not simply responding to drugs.
New Reports
What Really Drives California Gas Prices: Global Oil and Refinery Profits, Not Climate Policy
The West Coast of the U.S. has a highly concentrated supply system with serious concerns about market power and collusion in pricing. Statistical evidence indicates that California oil refiners actually increase their profit margins when global oil prices increase. Contrary to claims that the cost increases reflect California’s environmental programs, these are not correlated with gasoline prices. The reality is that gas prices are most impacted by global market dynamics, and dependence on petroleum for transportation is an expensive option in an uncertain world.
Per Chevron’s statements that it may close refineries in response to reduced imports of refined fuels, the data they cite are questionable, at best. California both imports and exports gasoline – frequently exporting more than it imports.
Trump and Energy: Mercantilist or Simply Confused?
Mercantilism in its simplest form is government intervention in international trade to block imports and expand exports. Over the last fourteen months, the United States has embarked on the second largest set of tariffs in its history. Only the Smoot-Hawley legislation of June 17, 1930, was more significant, and Smoot-Hawley was a major cause of the Great Depression.
New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) Scheduling Interruptions and Net U.S. Exports to Quebec
Quebec is in its third year of a major drought, and reservoirs continue to be drawn down to meet peak winter loads. Lower reservoirs hamper operational flexibility, which can lead to interruptions in NECEC exports, and increased imports to Quebec to address loads.