The latest budget deal struck in congress – which has yet to pass the House and Senate – does not repeal oil and gas industry tax breaks, but would mean an end to the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research Program, a public-private partnership seeking to develop technology for harnessing energy from frontier areas, and a cap on interest payments to oil and gas companies for overpayment of prepaid royalties to the federal government. [Fuel Fix]

John Poedsta’s return to the White House as senior counselor to the president could see an intensified focus on using the powers of the executive branch to advance climate change initiatives. “He could influence the president’s decisions on issues ranging from whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline to whether to block a massive copper and gold mine near Bristol Bay, Alaska.” [Washington Post]

The decentralized control techniques used to route internet service, if applied to Europe’s natural gas transmission and distribution network, could help mitigate the impact of supply disruptions. “However, that will only possible with a much greater degree of co-operation across Europe.” [MIT Technology Review]