State and U.S. officials on Tuesday heralded completion of a draft plan for renewable energy development in the deserts of Southern California, one they hope will ease conflicts that have grown in number and intensity since work began on the plan five years ago. As an answer to climate change, conservationists have overwhelmingly supported President… Keep reading →
Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, September 18, 2014, as the Department of Energy’s Deputy Secretary. “Liz’s confirmation comes at a historic time in our nation’s energy evolution,” said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “She joins us with deep expertise in the Department’s nuclear security mission, including both nuclear weapons and… Keep reading →
Please find below a summary of recent development regarding U.S. sanctions against Russia and a summary of the U.S. sanctions to date.
U.S. Sanctions
On September 12, the United States, in coordination with the EU, imposed additional sanctions against Russia in connection with events in Ukraine. Specifically,
the Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”): (i) placed additional Russian persons on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (“SDN”) list; (ii) placed additional Russian persons on OFAC’s Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List (“SSIL”); (iii) amended the bar on activities by U.S. persons relating to debt of SSIL-listed persons from the Russian financial services sector to cover new debt of more than 30 days maturity (previously the bar related to debt of 90 days or longer); (iv) imposed a bar on activities by U.S. persons relating to new debt of more than 30 days maturity of SSIL-listed persons from the Russian defense and related materiel sector; and (v) imposed a bar on activities by U.S. persons in support of deepwater, Arctic offshore, or shale exploration or production projects that have the potential to produce oil in Russia and that involve any person designated on the SSIL in connection with the bar; and
the Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce (“BIS”): (i) added five entities from the Russian defense or related material sector to the BIS Entity List; (ii) added five entities from the Russian energy sector to the BIS Entity List, which are now subject to an export licensing requirement for certain energy projects; and (iii) imposed an export licensing requirement on certain Commerce Control List items known to be destined to Russia for a military end use or user (expanding the current licensing requirement for such exports to China to also cover Russia).
Will America Take Advantage of Its Natural Gas Opportunity? Washington Examiner op-ed (Karen Harbert): America’s economic recovery is being fueled by energy. Increased natural gas production is at the center of our energy revolution, creating new opportunities at home and abroad. Not long ago, conventional wisdom was that America’s natural gas production would decline over… Keep reading →
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new program designed to reduce energy consumption in buildings as part of the city’s greenhouse gas reduction goal. The program called NYC Built to Last is modelled after the NYC Clean Heat initiative that cut soot pollution from heating oil by 50 percent. “Representing three quarters… Keep reading →
Under the Dome: Inside the Maine State House provides a high-level overview of recent activity at the Maine State House. If you would like more specific information regarding an item in this newsletter or related to government relations, please contact a member of our Government Relations Practice Group: John Delahanty, Andrea Cianchette Maker, or Avery Day.
America’s oil and natural gas industry supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. Industry’s extensive network of 30,000 vendors, suppliers, and contractors create and support jobs and grow the economy in every state in the union and almost every congressional district. What this speaks to is the unprecedented opportunity created by America’s 21st century energy… Keep reading →
But a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector disagrees. An advanced seismic study conducted by utility PG&E to determine the safety of California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has found that the facility is “designed to withstand and perform [its] safety functions during and after a major seismic event.” The Central Coastal California Seismic Imaging Projectreport was submitted to the Nuclear… Keep reading →
Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bills 1168 and 1319 (both Pavley, D-Agoura Hills) and Assembly Bill 1739 (Dickinson, D-Sacramento), which together establish the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The Act comprehensively regulates groundwater for the first time in California’s history.
Washington should keep pressuring Baghdad to make early, ungrudging goodwill gestures toward the Kurds instead of reverting to hardball negotiations and broken promises. A vital first step in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is the consolidation of a base of operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is ideally positioned as a launch… Keep reading →
