Secretary Moniz Hosts Energy Security Symposium, Honors Dr. Daniel Yergin with First James R. Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security WASHINGTON— To commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) opening in 1977 and to kick off National Energy Action Month, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today hosted the first Schlesinger Medal Ceremony and Symposium on… Keep reading →
A proposed electric transmission line connecting Quebec to New York will receive a key federal approval, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Energy Department’s decision to issue a Presidential permit to Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. focuses attention on the nation’s international trade in electricity, and may suggest increased reliance on power imports.
Pursuant to two Executive Orders — EO 10485 (September 9, 1953), as amended by EO 12038 (February 7, 1978) — no electricity transmission facilities may be constructed, operated, maintained, or connected at the U.S. border without first obtaining a Presidential permit from the Department of Energy. In 2010, Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. applied to DOE for a Presidential permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a 1,000-megawatt (MW), high-voltage direct current (HVDC) merchant electric power transmission system across the U.S./Canada border.
Private Companies, Federal Agencies and National Labs Join Better Buildings Challenge to Drive Greater Efficiency in U.S. Data Centers WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a part of the Administration’s effort to support greater energy efficiency through the Better Buildings Challenge, the Energy Department today announced the first data center owners and operators who have committed to… Keep reading →
On September 15, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2996, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act. The Act “earmarks up to $300 million in federal funding — $30 million annually for 10 years” from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account, and would be available to regional centers to develop new products and train workforces. Fields mentioned in the bill as eligible for the money include “nanotechnology, advanced ceramics, photonics and optics, composites, biobased and advanced materials, flexible hybrid technologies and tool development for microelectronics.” The RAMI Act has a companion bill in the Senate where it could be voted on as early as this fall. More information on the RAMI Act is available online. The full text of the RAMI Act can be found online.
There’s more evidence that the U.S. oil and natural gas industry is driving economic growth – not just in the industry itself, but also in the vast supply chain that sustains energy development – adding to overall GDP, wages and revenues to government. A new IHS study, commissioned by the Energy Equipment & Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA) estimates… Keep reading →
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on WhiteHouse.gov. Solar energy is shattering records in the U.S. Since President Obama took office, installed solar power has increased thirteen fold, topping nearly 16 gigawatts today — enough to power the equivalent of 3.2 million average American homes. As solar energy continues to grow, it is becoming a major… Keep reading →
Last week, the U.S. Department of Interior released its new proposal for development of solar and wind resources on public lands. The proposal, referred to as the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DREC), focuses on the desert land across seven California counties — Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. It was developed through collaboration among California state agencies as well as the federal government in an attempt to facilitate California’s renewable electricity portfolio and renewable energy development on federal lands.
Energy, Petrochemical & Natural Resources
Action item: To avoid and discourage duplicative and unnecessary federal oil and gas regulations, oil and gas operators should resist federal efforts to federalize hydraulic fracturing regulations and should actively engage with state regulators to craft innovative and practical regulations at the state level.
Historically, states have taken the lead in regulating oil and gas development given the states’ primary interest in securing rational oil and gas development in their own boundaries. Hydraulic fracturing—a 60-year-old technology used for oil and gas development—is a temporary process of pumping fluids underground for the purpose of extraction of natural gas or oil from deep formations lying 5,000 to 8,000 feet or more below the surface. Fresh groundwater is located from about less than 600 feet below the surface. Hydraulic fracturing has been practiced routinely for decades by operators in many states, including New York.
Shale Insight: Economist Says Natural Gas Boom Carrying U.S. Recovery Observer-Reporter: For nearly an hour, Stephen Moore expended a lot of energy speaking about energy and the economy – and their inextricable link. “You cannot understand economics unless you understand energy,” he said in his opening. “The industry is carrying the rest of the U.S.… Keep reading →
Congress has recessed until after the November elections, and we turn our attention this week to energy and climate issues on the Administration and international fronts.
The House approved the continuing resolution (H.J. Res. 124) last week, keeping the government open through December 11, and the Senate’s approval followed shortly thereafter. The House also passed an energy package, the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act (H.R. 2) September 18. The measure, consisting of 13 already-House-approved bills, would approve the Keystone XL pipeline (H.R. 3, H.R. 3301), limit environmental regulations (H.R. 1582, H.R. 3826), and open federal lands to energy extraction (H.R. 4899). The House also approved a tax and deregulatory package, the Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4). The White House announced last week that the president would veto both the energy and tax packages if they came to his desk. The Senate will not act on the measures, but they afford a preview of the issues the upper chamber would consider if Republicans assume control of the Senate in 2015.
