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.
Popular electric car manufacturer Tesla is augmenting its electric vehicle charging station services with an experimental foray into battery swapping. The idea behind the battery swapping trial is much faster than fully charging an electric car. Tesla Gigafactory, Carson City, NV. Credit: Tesla Motors Tesla already has its supercharger stations at several locations and owners… Keep reading →
Here are our top stories of the past year – enjoy the holidays! At Ivanpah Solar Power Plant, Energy Production Falling Well Short of Expectations Whether scorched birds are a major issue at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California is a matter of dispute. But the “power tower” solar plant and its owners… Keep reading →
Gold prices will continue to retreat, as of today, December 6, 2014 it is $1,192 an ounce. I believe it will be below $1,000 an ounce before year end 2015. Oil prices will be below $60 a barrel by year end 2015. The S&P 500 will exceed $2,200 a share sometime in 2015. The Supreme… Keep reading →
Building on President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with tribal nations, Secretary Moniz traveled to Arizona for a summit and roundtable dialogue with tribal leaders. This marks the first official visit of a Cabinet Secretary with tribal leaders in Indian Country after the White House Tribal Nations Conference earlier this month. As a… Keep reading →
The guidance will significantly affect infrastructure projects located on federal land and federal permitting of major energy projects.
On December 18, the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued draft guidance regarding how federal agencies should evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change impacts when conducting environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The guidance updates an earlier draft issued in 2010 and responds to recommendations submitted to the White House in November by the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.
New York’s statewide ban on fracking is a vindication for communities around the country that have been hit hard by unconventional natural gas production, writes Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense Fund’s president, in a Dec. 22 op-ed piece in The Washington Post. It demonstrates what can happen when oil and gas producers erode public trust by brushing… Keep reading →
Randy Knowles figures he’s moving in the right direction. “They used to call me crazy,” he said with a self-effacing chuckle. “Now they’re calling me audacious.” For well over a decade, the Klickitat (Washington) Public Utility District commissioner has promoted building a big pumped storage project off-stream from the Columbia River at the John… Keep reading →
Infused with Energy, But Empty on Creative Fuel: The Necessity of Creative Development
By Lewis FeinThe energy industry is a source of technological innovation and remarkable engineering. From the use of advanced machinery to extract previously inaccessible volumes of natural gas and shale oil to the management of global projects and the benefits of real-time intelligence, pioneers abound in one of the world’s most important areas of commerce and economic… Keep reading →