The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft of its annual update to the U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGI). The draft, which now includes emissions data for 2016, estimates oil and gas operators released 8.1 million metric tons (MMT) of methane of the course of the year through leaks, venting, and… Keep reading →
In its 2017 GHGI Inventory, published last week, EPA estimates 2015 methane emissions from the U.S. oil and gas industry were 8.1 million metric tons,which is enough to fulfill the domestic heating needs for over 5 million homes. In addition to estimating 2015 emissions, EPA has revised their estimates of previous years’ emissions based on… Keep reading →
A new study sheds light on looming key policy choices to be made by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in finalizing the Clean Power Plan this summer. The peer-reviewed study has recently been published in the online edition of “Nature Climate Change” and constitutes the culmination of a joint research endeavor under the auspices of… Keep reading →
The desert Southwest will be the hardest hit. The effects of climate change could hamper electric generating capacity in the Western U.S. during peak summertime energy use by about 3 percent on average, and up to nearly 9 percent if there is ongoing drought. A new study from Arizona State University looked at the effects… Keep reading →
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released its US Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report for the time period of 1990-2013. In this report the EPA tracks total annual US emissions and removals by source, economic sector, as well as greenhouse gas using national energy data, data on national agricultural activities, et alia in order… Keep reading →
With the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon pollution from the nation’s power plants nearing finalization, all sides are looking closely at the capacity of our existing infrastructure to deliver emission reductions from the power sector — including the natural gas infrastructure that could help reduce the need for aging, carbon-intensive coal-fired… Keep reading →
China is the world’s largest coal producer and consumer and the world’s leading emitter of carbon dioxide emissions. China is also the world’s most populous country and is suffering from high pollution levels due to its unrestrained fossil fuel use. China’s leadership is under a great deal of pressure to both reduce air pollution and to… Keep reading →
Shale gas revolution will result in cleaner electricity generation mix Coal is slowly retreating as natural gas and renewables gain market share in the electric power generation. That is old news. What is new is the accelerating speed in a sector not known for moving fast. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Energy Outlook projections,… Keep reading →
Rising energy costs are increasingly dominating political agendas in many countries around the world both developed and developing. The U.S. shale revolution with domestic cheap natural gas has started to bite into coal’s U.S. power generation market share, which can be attributed to the coal-to-gas switch of power utilities. Note, that any change in U.S.… Keep reading →
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced support for a draft bill aimed to scale back EPA’s proposed emissions rules for new power plants. On November 11, 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote to Congress expressing support for a draft bill that would limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to set greenhouse gas… Keep reading →
