U.S. Household Gasoline Expenditures in 2015 On Track to Be Lowest in 11 Years EIA Today in Energy: The average U.S. household is expected to spend about $550 less on gasoline in 2015 compared with 2014, as annual motor fuel expenditures are on track to fall to their lowest level in 11 years. Lower fuel… Keep reading →
Christopher A. Smith Confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy WASHINGTON – Christopher A. Smith was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, December 16th, 2014, as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. “Chris Smith’s depth of expertise and experience in the fossil energy field make him extremely well qualified for this position.… Keep reading →
Congress this week passed the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, which extends a number of expired or expiring tax provisions through the end of 2014. The President is expected to sign the Act soon. The Act renews several energy-related tax provisions, including the production tax credit under Section 45 of the Internal Revenue Code (PTC) for certain renewable energy facilities. In the case of wind, geothermal, landfill gas, trash, marine, and hydrokinetic facilities and certain closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, and qualified hydropower facilities, a taxpayer will be eligible to claim the PTC if construction begins before January 1, 2015. The Act also extends Section 48(a)(5)(C), which allows a taxpayer to claim the investment tax credit in lieu of the PTC with respect to the facilities listed above if construction begins before January 1, 2015.
Since the New York Public Service Commission (Commission) opened its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) proceeding in the spring to modernize the state’s electricity system, a lot has happened. Namely, New York utilities are already working to align themselves with the broad objectives outlined in the REV proceeding. Here is an overview of efforts by… Keep reading →
Energy Department Announces Achievement of Major Cleanup Milestone at Savannah River Site Department Issues Path Forward for Closing Additional Radioactive Waste Storage Tanks in H Tank Farm WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Energy reached a major milestone in efforts to clean up the Cold War legacy at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South… Keep reading →
The ban comes in light of a report from the New York State Department of Health claiming there is insufficient information to understand the health risks.
On December 17, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration announced that the State of New York will ban hydraulic fracturing in response to conclusions presented in a report prepared by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and comments made by the Acting Health Commissioner and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Commissioner.
Approval of Con Edison’s BQDM Program is a significant step for the utility to pursue non-traditional infrastructure investments to meet local demand. On December 12, 2014, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an order in Case 14-E-0302 approving Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc.’s (Con Edison) Brooklyn/Queens Demand Management (BQDM) Program to address overload… Keep reading →
The decline in oil prices will depress the regime’s revenues, and the threat of increased sanctions is newly credible given the composition of the next Congress. With another deadline missed and another extension inked in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the White House finds itself squeezed on two sides. It faces pressure from Iranian negotiators —… Keep reading →
For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat… Keep reading →
In 2012, the city of Philadelphia announced plans to privatize the Philadelphia Gas Works (“PGW”). PGW is the nation’s largest municipality-owned natural gas utility with more than 6,000 miles of gas mains and service pipes supplying approximately 500,000 customers in the city of Philadelphia. The sale was positioned as a means to fix the municipal pension fund as well as the first step in developing Philadelphia as an energy hub, taking advantage of its proximity to the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays as well as its status as a coastal port.
