News coverage of the Arctic has been steadily growing in tandem with the rising importance of the region in recent years. The focus of international politics often tends to revolve around energy security within the context of a global scramble for resources to keep individual countries’ economic growth engines humming. In view of the possibilities… Keep reading →
In This Issue:
– Doing Business in China
– U.S-China Relations
– Energy & Environmental
– Food Safety
– Health Care
– Trade
– Excerpt from Doing Business in China:
The U.S.-China Business Council has released the results of its 2014 China Business Environment Survey, identifying the following Top 10 issues: Competition with companies in China; IPR enforcement, Foreign investment restrictions; Human resources: Talent recruitment and retention; Cost increases; Uneven enforcement/implementation of Chinese laws; Licensing; Transparency; Nondiscrimination/national treatment; and Overcapacity in the Chinese market. According to the USBC, “Doing business in China can be a study in contrast for American companies. On the one hand, it remains a strong and growing market for American goods and services. On the other, it is a challenging and sometimes frustrating place to do business for multinational companies, with numerous regulatory barriers preventing the market from being as accessible — and large — as it should be.”
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein penned a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx this week urging the need for stricter oil tank car regulations, an issue some business have been pushing back against. Production from unconventional resource plays has overwhelmed existing oil transportation infrastructure – particularly pipelines – forcing producers to use railroads to get their… Keep reading →
The FERC has authorized Dominion’s Cove Point LNG terminal to export up to 5.75 million metric tons of LNG per year from its existing import terminal at Calvert County, Maryland. On September 29, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP to construct and operate facilities for liquefaction and export… Keep reading →
There have been a variety of efforts in recent years to harmonize energy policy and markets across the US, Canada, and Mexico. At the North American Gas Forum meeting this past week in Washington D.C. some of these efforts were discussed. The most important change in the energy landscape has clearly been the shale boom with surprising… Keep reading →
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.
Photo credit Texas State Comptroller Susan Combs is no fan of the Texas wind energy sector. The state has the largest wind capacity in the U.S., but Combs doesn’t seem to see the benefit of subsidizing wind energy; indeed, her office released a report that details the tax breaks given to wind power and recommends that they… Keep reading →
Analysts at investment bank Credit Suisse cut their 2015 benchmark global oil price expectations in the face of bearish fundamentals, forecasting Brent to average $97 per barrel and WTI to average $89/bbl. All eyes are on Saudi Arabian exports, which are currently at the lower end of the historical spectrum and could decrease further when… 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.
