Nothing’s changed in the long run; California is still aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. But with one marker along the way – parity with 1990 emissions by 2020 – apparently in the bag, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday set a bold new interim target: a reduction of… Keep reading →
Why the US should strive for a Holistic Regional Framework on Sustainable Offshore Natural Resource Development Over the weekend, the US assumed the two-year rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum, at the conclusion of the 2015 ministerial meeting in Iqaluit (Canada). The US has outlined a policy agenda with a focus on… Keep reading →
On April 2, 2015 representatives of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia (collectively, the “P5+1” countries) announced that they had agreed with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Parameters for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Nuclear Program (the “Parameters” or “Framework Agreement”).
When countries meet in Paris for the United Nations climate talks later this year, their representatives will come armed with the best data, research and ideas on how to reach a climate agreement and avert catastrophic climate change. But a new report from Rhodium Group, commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund, shows that countries have so… Keep reading →
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz’s has emerged as a central figure in the Iran nuclear negotiations with his background as a nuclear physicist making him a key player in the high-profile bilateral framework. “President Obama and aides have asked Moniz to explain the technical details of an agreement in which Iran would give up the means… Keep reading →
Sometimes new regulations come out of nowhere. And sometimes it is just a matter of time. Last week’s unveiling of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (“BSEE”) offshore blowout preventer and well control regulations falls into the latter camp.
Insight for Industry – New Offshore Regulations Respond to Key Failure On April 13, 2015, the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposed new offshore oil and gas regulations that will cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars. However, offshore oil and gas producers will have several years… Keep reading →
Well, it depends on who you ask, of course. But some suggest the existing US nuclear regulatory framework contains flaws – that in some cases – allow cost to trump safety. There has always been tension between the nuclear industry and the regulators that oversee it. The strongly-held views that permeate discussions around safety, economic… Keep reading →
On April 10, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lodged with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia a proposed consent decree to resolve litigation challenging the delay in issuing Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) for 2014 and 2015 brought by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) against EPA.
Opinion: Oil and Economics at a Geopolitical Crossroad
By Nabegh Al SabbaghThe Middle East would have had a different shape today, if the US dollar were never pegged to oil trading. The ‘Petrodollar’ was born out of a US-Saudi agreement where oil sales would be denominated in dollars in return for US protection. Being established on a geopolitical infrastructure, the petrodollar has developed dimensions of security,… Keep reading →