In the years ahead, 2019 could go down in the history books as a pivotal year in the energy transition. This year may be a “tipping point when global capital markets accepted the technology-driven inevitability and grid parity cross-over from polluting thermal coal and the increased uptake of sustainable clean renewable energy,” Tim Buckley, Director Energy Finance Studies at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, wrote in a report . It was the year in which the hype around U.S. shale finally burst, as debt-driven production growth finally lost its luster . Share prices for shale companies across the board were down sharply, and largely failed to rebound even as oil prices climbed. Coal has fared even worse, although the trouble for coal predated the latest downturn for shale. Climate change became increasingly top-of-mind for the energy sector as well, even as governments continue their paltry efforts […]