It’s day two of the federal government shutdown, and there’s no real sense yet of how long it might last. In the meantime, investment bank Simmons & Co has helpfully laid out some possible effects on the oil and gas industry, depending on its duration. This could include delays to additional Department of Energy approvals for… Keep reading →
There will be enough workers to “keep the lights on” at key agencies if the shutdown persists. At 12:03 a.m. this morning, after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach agreement on funding the government, thousands of federal employees lumbered out into the streets of Washington, D.C. looking for taxpayer money to spend. They knocked over… Keep reading →
Natural gas’s environmental impact can be viewed in a positive light as a lower-emitting power generation source than coal or petroleum derivatives, or in a negative light as a source of methane emissions and driver of drilling activity. The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund and nine natural gas… Keep reading →
A regulatory framework that penalizes carbon dioxide emissions would improve nuclear’s competitiveness in the US, but greater policy clarity may be required for new nuclear investments to replace shuttered facilities like San Onofre and Yankee. Nuclear is not without its detractors, which have a laundry list of concerns, ranging from potential for terrorist attacks to… Keep reading →
Policy matters. Whether in one of the world’s richest countries or one of its poorest, access to clean and secure energy supplies relies on clear and reliable policy and regulatory signals, the results of a recent ranking of 129 nations by the World Energy Council and Oliver Wyman indicate. But given room to comment in… Keep reading →
Supporters of coal have called the planned new rules from the EPA on CO2 emissions from coal-fired power generation a war on coal and have pledged to fight the rule-making process. It is true that there will almost certainly not be a new coal-fired electric generating station built in the U.S. for at least the… Keep reading →
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its proposal for Clean Air Act standards to limit carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants on Friday. The agency also announced that it has begun coordinating with state and local governments, industries and non-profit organizations to establish carbon dioxide emissions standards for existing power plants. “Power plants are the… Keep reading →
Oilfield workers near Tomsk, in Western Siberia, have taken in a 6 month-old bear cub that they found digging around near their trash heap. “By now the cub is on a comfortable diet of rolls and pieces of salo, which is cured pork fat.” [Interfax] A new study from The University of Texas at Austin indicates that… Keep reading →
On September 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider a major challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of greenhouse gas regulations under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, a hearing that could affect President Obama’s timetable for existing power plants and state implementation plans. The EPA will likely face ongoing litigation on most… Keep reading →
Bad news for Gazprom: sources say that Russia is going to break the gas giant’s monopoly on LNG exports. “[State-controlled oil giant] Rosneft signed an agreeement with ExxonMobil to develop a LNG project in Russia’s Far East. [Independent gas producer] Novatek clinched a deal with CNPC for a joint development of the Yamal LNG project.” [Natural Gas Europe] Bad news for… Keep reading →
