Tax reform talk is heating up in Congress as they hurry to pass a tax extenders bill before year end. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley wants the controversial wind energy production tax credit included in the bill. “I’m concerned about rumors that some are working to leave out or shorten the extension of the wind energy… Keep reading →
Energy Department Launches Mobile App for Energy Emergencies Lantern Live to Help Users Find Critical Information during Power Disruptions WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Energy launched a mobile app called Lantern Live that helps consumers quickly find and share critical information about nearby gas stations and power outages during energy emergencies. The app builds… Keep reading →
On Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 59 percent of voters elected to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing (“fracing”) in the city of Denton, which sits on top of the hydrocarbon-rich Barnett Shale. Although the ban does not prevent conventional drilling operations, the ban essentially forbids fracing, effectively expelling the drilling industry from city limits. Other municipalities sitting on top of the Barnett Shale—such as Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington—have grappled with urban drilling as well, but Denton’s complete prohibition marks the first of its kind in Texas.
Controversy is brewing as utilities consider “repowering” old coal-fired power plants across the US with natural gas. Several environmental groups initiated lawsuits to stop these plants from converting from coal to gas. Environmentalists want to shut the plants and replace the power they generate with renewables. Utilities argue this is not always possible, particularly in… Keep reading →
The Green Climate Fund seems to be off to a decent start with funding pledges in place from various countries around the globe ahead of today’s first donors’ conference in Berlin (Germany). The Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approved the governing instrument and the fund itself in… Keep reading →
New government standards appear well-timed for improving the resiliency of critical network operations in electric generation and transmission systems and combatting cybersecurity and physical security threats. In April 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided to adopt the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Version 5 standard for cybersecurity. This decision was… Keep reading →
Ed. note: This is a new weekly column by Elie Mystal, Managing Editor of Above the Law Redline. This space will focus on the laws that exist, should exist, and should be put out of their misery. OVER-REGULATED Chinese Diplomacy: Let me get this straight: our new “deal” with China involves the U.S. agreeing to… Keep reading →
The UN Environment Program released a report ahead of the upcoming international climate meetings in Lima, Peru that finds global carbon neutrality should be attained by mid-to-late century. “Countries are giving increasing attention to where they realistically need to be by 2025, 2030 and beyond in order to limit a global temperature rise to below… Keep reading →
It’s #GridWeek on Energy.gov. We’re highlighting our efforts to maintain a reliable, resilient and secure electric grid across the country, and what that means for you. We’ll be hosting a Twitter chat on How the Grid Works on Thursday November 20 at 2 PM EDT. Send us your questions on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ using #GridWeek. Starting in the late… Keep reading →
Responsible Fracking and Successful Operations: Enabling the Energy Industry to Keep Its Machinery Running
By Brian RobsonHydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a dynamic source of power – for oil and gas development, job creation and domestic energy independence. Its reach goes far beyond any physical depths in which advanced machinery and innovative means of extraction penetrate thick layers of rock. Its proliferation is a matter of fact, which depends on sophisticated… Keep reading →