"In energy, next year promises to be just as unconventional as the last."

"North America's boom in unconventional oil and gas will continue to expand and the shale success could spread elsewhere. Easy-to-reach conventional oil is dwindling, but 2014 could see a reprieve as production from Iraq, Libya, and other war-torn oil nations seems to be stabilizing. And easing relations with Iran has the potential to bring major amounts of oil back onto global markets.

Investments in wind, solar, and other renewables have plateaued, and some countries are scaling back on ambitious energy transition plans. But prices for solar and wind continue to drop, and the drive to promote carbon-free energy isn't going away anytime soon."

David J. Unger reports for the Christian Science Monitor December 27, 2013. [2]