Popular electric car manufacturer Tesla is augmenting its electric vehicle charging station services with an experimental foray into battery swapping. The idea behind the battery swapping trial is much faster than fully charging an electric car. Tesla Gigafactory, Carson City, NV. Credit: Tesla Motors Tesla already has its supercharger stations at several locations and owners… Keep reading →
Building on President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with tribal nations, Secretary Moniz traveled to Arizona for a summit and roundtable dialogue with tribal leaders. This marks the first official visit of a Cabinet Secretary with tribal leaders in Indian Country after the White House Tribal Nations Conference earlier this month. As a… Keep reading →
The guidance will significantly affect infrastructure projects located on federal land and federal permitting of major energy projects.
On December 18, the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued draft guidance regarding how federal agencies should evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change impacts when conducting environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The guidance updates an earlier draft issued in 2010 and responds to recommendations submitted to the White House in November by the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
New York’s statewide ban on fracking is a vindication for communities around the country that have been hit hard by unconventional natural gas production, writes Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund’s president, in a Dec. 22 op-ed piece in The Washington Post. It demonstrates what can happen when oil and gas producers erode public trust by brushing… Keep reading →
Secretary Ernest Moniz has made improving project management a priority at the Energy Department. In August 2013, the Secretary established a special working group that includes project management experts from across the Department. Over the past year, this group’s in-depth analysis culminated in a new report, being released today. Titled Improving Project Management, the… Keep reading →
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered the New York Independent System Operator, Inc. to reopen and resettle billings for electricity it supplied during the November/December 2012 billing periods, and to refund to DWT client GDF Suez Energy Resources, NA over-charges erroneously billed to Suez as a result of Hurricane Sandy. GDF Suez Energy Resources, NA v. New York Independent System Operator, Inc. and Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., 149 FERC ¶ 61,257 (2014). Suez was represented in this proceeding by Jim Mitchell, a partner in the Washington, DC office of DWT.
Enjoy it while it lasts When oil prices went from where ever they were to $100 and above, everybody said oil is expensive. Consumers and oil importers complained when it hit $115 in July 2014. Gradually, however, everyone got used to $100+ oil. In the past couple of months, oil prices have plunged, hitting low… Keep reading →
Hi all, it’s your friendly neighborhood cartography and interactive graphics engineer here at Energy.gov. It’s been a fun year for us building maps and graphics that we hope have helped you explore new ideas (and age-old ones). Here are the top five maps and interactive graphics as selected by yours truly. 1) Space-Based Solar… Keep reading →
On December 18, President Barack Obama signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (UFSA) into law. Passed by the Congress in response to Russia’s support of the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine, it authorizes expanded sanctions on Russia and the provision of certain types of weapons to the government in Kiev. This new wave of potential sanctions places even more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin amid dropping global oil prices and the fall in the value of the Russian ruble. On December 15, Russia’s central bank raised its key interest rate from 10.5 to 17 percent, the largest single increase since 1998 and the sixth increase this year.
The energy industry – oil & gas sector in particular – is bracing itself for a massive wave of retirements over the short to medium term, which has been dubbed “The Great Shift Change.” As the industry prepares for this turnover, companies are looking to the next generation of candidates with skills ranging from finance, geology,… Keep reading →
