A U.S. appeals court has dismissed petitions from Texas, Wyoming, and industry groups against EPA’s greenhouse gas permitting requirements. On July 26, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting requirements, dismissing a suit from Texas, Wyoming, and industry groups claiming that… Keep reading →
The tight oil being developed in North America is certainly not the lowest-cost oil in the world. But of the opportunities available to major oil companies, relatively low cost is just one of many advantages it offers over other sources of production. “The shale revolution has changed the competitive landscape, because every investment decision we… Keep reading →
The steady upward march of oil prices over time is putting increasing pressure on remote communities in Alaska that rely on diesel-fueled generators for much of their power supply, but displacing diesel with other electricity sources, such as renewables, is often an even higher-cost option. Alaska’s rural communities pay some of the highest prices for… Keep reading →
Several of the Lower 48 United States, such as North Dakota, are in the midst of rapid oil sector growth. Meanwhile, oil output in Alaska – traditionally a producing state – is declining. And who owns the land could be a factor in that disparity. US oil production has grown rapidly over the past… Keep reading →
The Northeast has joined Texas as a hotbed for energy lawyers, driven by our nation’s insatiable demand for energy and the lack of a coherent national energy policy. In addition, the industry is moving from a time-worn regulated monopoly model to free-market competition – complicated by climate change concerns on the one hand and the… Keep reading →
It sounds counterintuitive, but Texas’ energy boom its taxing its energy capacity. “Many municipalities and businesses are bracing for big surcharges this year, after having been hit hard last summer, as energy use by oil drilling and production equipment outpaces the capacity of the region’s power grid.” [Wall Street Journal] India’s oil imports from Iran… Keep reading →
A National Research Council report, which was mandatory under a 2011 pipeline safety law, found that Canadian heavy oil is no more likely to spur pipeline leaks than other crude oils are, which could bode well for the future of the Keystone XL pipeline. Of course, there is still the issue of the cold, dead… Keep reading →
By Scott Cohn What a difference a few years make. When we launched America’s Top States for Business in 2007—before the housing market implosion and the financial crisis—our Top States were attracting not only businesses but people: families and home buyers. Four of our Top Five that year were Southern states: Virginia followed by Texas, Utah,… Keep reading →
Texas is a surprising poster-child for robust investment in renewable energy generation. “No other State comes close to Texas’ more than 12 GW [gigawatts] of installed wind capacity,” says economic and financial research firm the Brattle Group in a report for the Texas Clean Energy Coalition, Partnering Natural Gas and Renewables in ERCOT. Both gas and wind… Keep reading →
The Energy Information Administration has upped its estimates for global technically recoverable shale gas resources by 10% from its 2011 estimate, and opted to include shale oil in its latest report, with technically recoverable resources pegged at 345 billion barrels. The EIA’s estimates are “highly uncertain” by its own admission, though in fairness, it only… Keep reading →
