OK, many already know the US lacks a comprehensive energy policy, but an IEA study released this week reaches that same conclusion. The long-term nature of energy development projects does not mesh well with 2-year and 4-year election cycles. “A chief obstacle in US energy policy a lack of clarity, the report says. This month’s temporary, one-year renewal of the wind production tax credit is an example of that uncertainty, van der Hoeven said; a one-year renewal of the tax break doesn’t provide wind power producers with the certainty they need to plan long-term investments. Uncertainty also hangs over crude oil exports. Earlier this year, the Commerce Department approved permits to export lightly-processed condensates, but many in the oil industry have struggled to interpret what exactly the department’s ruling means. Many have also questioned the logic of cutting coal use at home, only to export the carbon-heavy fuel overseas.” [Christian Science Monitor]
Vantage Energy Appalachia LLC racked up a raft of environmental violations in Pennsylvania, the most serious involving a landslide that impacted local streams. The Department of Environmental Protection ordered the company to pay a $999,900 penalty and remediate contaminated surface and groundwater by the end of 2015. “The landslide impacting the streams occurred on Jan. 16, 2014. In July, a Vantage subcontractor, Elite Well Services, dumped two truckloads of drilling wastewater into the landslide area where remediation work was underway. Also in July, the company was cited for constructing an access road along the streams without a required permit.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
French Power and Transportation company Alstom pleaded guilty to bribery charges that come with a $772 million penalty. GE purchased the firm’s energy business earlier this year. “Alstom and subsidiaries tried to hide the bribes by purporting to employ consultants working on its behalf. In reality, those consultants — with code names like ‘Mr. Geneva,’ ‘Quiet Man,’ and ‘Old Friend,’ simply served as conduits for the bribes, according to the Justice Department.” [Fuel Fix]
