Ever heard of the broken window fallacy? In economic circles, it’s a common parable used to dismiss arguments that damage – like the breaking of a window – has a silver lining: spending to fix the window boosts the window repairman, which boosts the folks who make panes of glass and so forth. In this video below,… Keep reading →
As expected, this week blew through the Columbus Day holiday and into a flurry of legislative activity. Dozens of bills went back and forth between the chambers this week, and many have already landed on the governor’s desk. Additionally, the Corbett administration announced a resolution in the five-year dispute over Mcare fund transfers and assessments.
Despite the long days and daily – sometimes multiple – Rules Committee meetings, there still isn’t quite enough time to get everything crossed off the legislative to-do list. While big-ticket items like pension reform and liquor privatization have fallen into the dust heap of this session’s history, the two chambers are wrapping up other last minute details, some of which stand to have significant impact in the areas of health care and human services, economic development and tax credits. Both the House and the Senate added a voting session day. Originally, the House and Senate were both to have adjourned until after the November 4 election as of Wednesday, but the Senate added Thursday, October 16 as a voting day, and the House added Monday, October 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the precipitous decline in oil prices is not a “tragedy” for the budget of his petro-state and its people. That same day on Friday, Moody’s downgraded Russia’s debt ratings to Baa2 with a negative outlook, citing, among other things, the ongoing erosion of Russia’s foreign exchange buffers due to low oil prices. Experts… Keep reading →
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 →
A new report from Brookings’ Energy Security Initiative adds more scholarly weight to the analytical case for lifting America’s decades-old ban on crude oil exports. Echoing earlier studies by IHS and ICF International, the Brookings research finds that allowing the export of domestic crude would stimulate more oil production here at home, provide broad economic benefits and strengthen U.S. energy… Keep reading →
Agricultural and forestry waste like corn stover and lawn clippings can be used as a source of sustainable fuel to power vehicles of all types—even racecars and airplanes. This non-food biomass contains the raw materials and molecular compounds needed to create cellulosic ethanol, a fuel source that has the potential to slash carbon emissions by… Keep reading →
Dallas-based privately held E&P seeks to hire a Senior Drilling Engineer. Qualified candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a minimum of 12 years of experience with both service companies and operators (3-4 years maximum on the service side). Candidates with domestic horizontal drilling experience will be shown preference. The Senior Drilling… Keep reading →
Following up on last week’s rebuttal of a truth-challenged attack on hydraulic fracturing in a USA Today op-ed, in which we detail how federal and state regulation, combined with industry standards are protecting the environment, water supplies and communities. The op-ed by the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Amy Mall opens by posing a false choice for Americans: economic and energy security from… Keep reading →
Supply matters. The impact of the U.S. energy revolution on global supply, with real benefits reaching consumers, is seen we head into the Labor Day weekend. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports the U.S. average retail price for gasoline on Aug. 25 was the lowest price on the Monday before Labor Day since 2010: EIA explains:… 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 →
