A couple of important takeaways from this week’s Capitol Hill hearing on a proposed federal well control rule for offshore drilling: First, offshore drilling is safer today than it has ever been – for the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and Pacific regions. In coordination with federal regulators, industry has improved the safety of offshore development… Keep reading →
One of the country’s largest leaks ever of natural gas, which is primarily made up of the potent greenhouse gas methane, has been going on in California’s Aliso Canyon for over a month. The volume that’s been leaking has been staggering—and the impacts to local residents severe enough to warrant relocating hundreds of families. Major… Keep reading →
According to a report by Reuters, Devon Energy is in discussions to acquire privately held Felix Energy. [The Motley Fool] Google is nearly doubling the amount of renewable energy feeding its massive data centers that enable more than 1 billion people to search for information. [ABC] Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was convicted Thursday… Keep reading →
On Monday, November 30, California Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”) Supervisor Steven Bohlen submitted his resignation to Governor Jerry Brown, less than 18 months after taking the position.
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 →
A new Israeli diplomatic office in the UAE is a rare public indication of a broader trend. Last week, the United Arab Emirates gave Israel formal permission to establish a diplomatic office in Abu Dhabi under the auspices of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a multilateral body with 144 member states. Although officials from… Keep reading →
This week’s climate summit in Paris will be filled with talk of ways to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s an important discussion for sure, but it’s one that should focus on achievable, real-world initiatives. A couple of starting points for an action agenda: The first is an acknowledgement – that the availability of safe,… Keep reading →
Bill Gates has pulled together a multinational band of investors to put billions into clean energy. [CNN Money] India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has launched an international solar alliance of over 120 countries with the French president Francoise Hollande at the Paris COP21 climate summit. [The Guardian] The energy giant Petrobras received another blow on… Keep reading →
From Apple to General Electric, it is common practice in the corporate world for established juggernauts to invest significant sums for research and development. Why? Maintaining one’s reign atop a sector requires dynamic, cutting edge innovation. The same logic applies to state economies. And when it comes to energy, Texas – where oil and gas… Keep reading →
U.S. Customs and Border Protection expanded U.S.-flag requirements in a recent ruling requiring shippers to use costly U.S.-flag vessels.
