Some interesting perspective on New York’s decision to ban hydraulic fracturing – from neighboring Pennsylvania, where safe fracking has lifted the state economy while directly benefiting cities and towns all across the commonwealth. Jeffrey Sheridan, press secretary for Governor-elect Tom Wolf’s transition team (to the Philadelphia Business Journal): “Governor-elect Wolf opposes a ban, and he… Keep reading →
Big things happened this year at the Energy Department and we were on the ground to record and bring many of those moments to you. We swore-in our new Deputy Secretary Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, we kicked off our #WomenInSTEM video series, and we met the next generation of leaders in science. 2014 was also a momentous… Keep reading →
On December 18, 2014, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released revised draft guidance on the consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.[1] The CEQ previously issued this guidance in draft form in February 2010.[2] Rather than finalize that draft, the CEQ opted to issue significantly revised draft guidance and open a 60-day public comment period, which closes on February 23, 2015.[3]
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 →
To help you save money by saving energy, we launched #AskEnergySaver — an online series that gives you access to some of the Energy Department’s home energy efficiency experts. During 2014, experts from the Department and our National Labs have answered your energy-saving questions and shared their advice on ways to improve your home’s comfort.… Keep reading →
Fracking received much attention and debate in the fourth quarter. Fracking is the process of injecting large amounts of water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressures in order to release oil and natural gas into underground rock formations.
Enjoying Your Cheap Gas? Thank Fracking One of the biggest stories of 2014 has been the astonishing drop in global oil prices. The price of the benchmark Brent crude went from over $100 per barrel at the beginning of the year to the $60 range as of this writing. It’s worth noting how massive… Keep reading →
Conceptualizing a policy as broad and ambitious asEnergiewende – Germany’s goal to transition nearly 100 percent of its electricity supply to renewable energy by 2050 – is one thing. Implementing it is another thing entirely. For this, ‘good governance’ is required – or as the Hertie School defines it: “an effective, efficient, and reliable set… Keep reading →
Energy Secretary Moniz and Nevada Governor Sandoval Formalize Working Group to Advance Shared Interests at Nevada National Security Site Department of Energy and State of Nevada also Finalize Record of Decision on Key National Security Activities at NNSS WASHINGTON—U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)… Keep reading →
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 19, 2014, issued a much anticipated and certain to be controversial final rule under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) on the RCRA regulatory status of coal combustion residues (CCRs) from coal-fired power plants. EPA issued the final rule largely in an effort to protect communities from coal ash impoundment failures, like the Kingston, Tennessee spill in 2008. The rule establishes the first-ever federal regulations for the management of CCRs and is intended to prevent groundwater contamination and air emissions from coal ash disposal. In the final rule, however, EPA chose to regulate CCRs as non-hazardous solid waste under RCRA, opting to not regulate the large volumes of CCRs as hazardous waste.
