Union Pacific Railroad just announced handsome Q3 profits driven in large part by the US energy boom. Although crude oil shipments were down from the corresponding period last year, shipments of sand for hydraulic fracturing operations have been strong. Less expensive diesel fuel also helped the rail company’s bottom line. “Today you’re seeing lots of… Keep reading →
The always-ugly battle between US oil refiners and the biofuels industry over EPA’s renewable fuel standards heated up again today when 31 oil executives sent a letter to President Obama urging EPA to stick with fuel blending volumes proposed last November. The proposal aims to find a balance between encouraging the continued growth of the… Keep reading →
On September 17, 2014, the Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing titled “Reforming America’s Outdated Energy Tax Code” to discuss possible reforms to the U.S. energy tax policy. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) underscored the need for predictable, level playing-field tax policy that puts renewables on the same footing as other… Keep reading →
Energy, Petrochemical & Natural Resources
Action item: To avoid and discourage duplicative and unnecessary federal oil and gas regulations, oil and gas operators should resist federal efforts to federalize hydraulic fracturing regulations and should actively engage with state regulators to craft innovative and practical regulations at the state level.
Historically, states have taken the lead in regulating oil and gas development given the states’ primary interest in securing rational oil and gas development in their own boundaries. Hydraulic fracturing—a 60-year-old technology used for oil and gas development—is a temporary process of pumping fluids underground for the purpose of extraction of natural gas or oil from deep formations lying 5,000 to 8,000 feet or more below the surface. Fresh groundwater is located from about less than 600 feet below the surface. Hydraulic fracturing has been practiced routinely for decades by operators in many states, including New York.
Citing pressure from stakeholders and legal proceedings, the EPA said Thursday it’s moving forward with an endangerment finding regarding aircraft emissions that account for an estimated 11% of US greenhouse gas emissions. Proving pollutants from aircraft engines are a danger to the public is the first step in crafting enforceable limits to regulate those emissions.… Keep reading →
Cleaner air, more American jobs: that’s a potential reality for the U.S. if it acts to curb emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas emitted from oil and gas systems around the country. It’s a significant opportunity, and it’s one California Congresswoman Linda Sánchez encountered first-hand when she toured a Cerritos manufacturing plant last week. “I am… Keep reading →
Louisiana is an important energy-producing state – the country’s No. 2 crude oil producer at nearly 1.45 million barrels per day when federal offshore output is included. The state also is No. 2 in petroleum refining capacity. Energy development is boosting Louisiana’s economy. Oil and natural gas extraction, refining and the pipeline industries support 287,000 state… Keep reading →
War on Coal – Already Lost A convenient political sound bite, and not much more The coal lobby and its political supporters accuse President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of waging war on coal. They claim that putting restrictions on burning coal will bring America’s economy to a screeching halt, untold number of… Keep reading →
A report on risk of inaction unlikely to change those still in denial The messenger of the news is sometimes as important as the message, if not more so. In that context, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and former hedge fund manager and environmental activist Thomas Steyer… Keep reading →
Two months after EPA announced its proposal to limit carbon emissions from power plants, outlines of the coming legal battles are emerging. EPA’s rule would require states to limit power plant carbon emissions through a variety of system-wide “building block” measures, including plant improvements; increased deployment of natural gas, renewable and zero-carbon energy sources; and… Keep reading →
