It holds the potential to cause problems, but so far hasn’t – that seems to be the thrust of a long-awaited government study on fracking and its impact on drinking water that was released on Thursday. Going back several years, this has been one of the hot-button issues involving hydraulic fracturing, a key technique that has helped unlock extensive… Keep reading →
A quarter of the nation’s electricity would still come from coal in 2030, so it’s hard to view the Obama administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan as the wholesale remaking of the U.S. power sector that the increasingly dire science on global warming would seemingly compel. Nevertheless, a new U.S. Energy Information Administration analysis shows the… Keep reading →
The Obama administration on Monday proposed a groundbreaking rule on fossil-fuel power plants that it said would lead to a 30 percent reduction in U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels. In introducing the draft rule, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy leaned heavily on the word “flexibility,” insisting that by giving states wide… Keep reading →
EPA’s proposed update for petroleum refinery emission standards includes benzene concentration monitoring for the first time. On May 15, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule updating toxic air pollution standards for petroleum refineries located near neighborhoods. It is the first EPA proposal requiring monitoring of air concentrations for benzene around fence… Keep reading →
No doubt the Energy and Utilities industry has witnessed increasing complexity and significant challenges in recent years, centering around compliance issues, competitive pricing pressures, and business continuity. These issues, amongst others, will remain the focus for Board and Management’s corporate strategy and 2014 planning meetings around the world. Looking back on year 2013, and ahead… Keep reading →
Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy blog. Yesterday, President Obama issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to redouble efforts to use renewable energy and manage their energy usage more efficiently and effectively. In addition to setting an ambitious new target for federal agencies to increase their consumption of… Keep reading →
In the United States, coal is facing hard times. The welcome, though unexpected expansion of unconventional natural gas resources and production in North America has made natural gas the economically attractive fuel choice for new electricity generating power plants and, in many cases, has replaced older existing coal fired plants. From 2003 to 2013 coal’s… Keep reading →
In a rare move, the UK government has come out in defense of BP regarding the US EPA’s decision to suspend the company from new government contracts. Members of the UK government filed a midnight brief on Monday saying the EPA’s decision could negatively impact jobs and pension funds invested in the UK super major.… Keep reading →
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the appointment of its new Scientific Integrity Officer, Dr. Francesca Grifo, in a press release yesterday. Dr. Grifo’s appointment is part of a broader EPA scientific integrity policy, released in early 2012, which aims to ensure that the agency’s regulatory efforts are based on sound science. “EPA’s mission to protect human health… Keep reading →
Senator Shaheen: “If we can’t do this, it’s going to be very difficult to do anything else on energy policy.” It’s been more than five years since Congress passed a national energy bill. But that doesn’t mean legislators stopped trying. There have been four attempts from Democrats to introduce a national renewable energy standard, with no traction… Keep reading →
