NATURAL GAS
DOT has released a rulemaking proposal for safe rail transportation of flammable material based on new Bakken crude oil data. On July 23, 2014, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released a rulemaking proposal to improve rail transportation safety for crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable materials. The proposal includes a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)…...
Thirty-five members from California’s congressional delegation have urged DOI to prohibit new offshore oil and gas lease sales on California OCS Planning Areas. On July 22, 2014, 35 members of California’s congressional delegation, led by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), wrote a letter urging the Department of Interior (DOI) to exclude the Northern California, Central California,…...
Alaska LNG Project partners have applied for DOE authorization to export LNG to FTA and non-FTA countries. On July 21, 2014, the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project participants – ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, BP, TransCanada, and Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) – announced the submission of an LNG export application to the Department of Energy (DOE)…....
BOEM has issued a Record of Decision facilitating geological and geophysical survey activities to explore energy resources off the Atlantic Coast. On July 18, 2014, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Record of Decision (ROD) to advance appropriate geological and geophysical survey activities (G&G) in the Mid- and South-Atlantic Planning Areas to…...
Construction has begun on the first U.S. commercial-scale post-combustion CCS project aimed to annually capture 1.4 million metric tons of CO2. On July 15, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that construction has begun on the Petra Nova Project, the first U.S. commercial-scale post-combustion carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) retrofit and the largest in…...
The “Stop the EPA Act” calls for a retroactive review of all EPA regulations and Congressional approval for major EPA actions. On July 9, 2014, Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) introduced the Stop the EPA Act of 2014 (H.R. 5034) that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations until EPA completes a review of…...
Industry groups have written the State Department urging approval of the final cross-border permit for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. On July 8, 2014, a coalition of 44 industry groups wrote a letter requesting the State Department to complete the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline’s National Interest Determination without delay and grant final presidential permit approval…....
NYSERDA has launched two major Fuel NY programs aimed to address challenges to gasoline access in the aftermath of major weather events. On July 14, 2014, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) launched the Portable Emergency Generator Program and State Strategic Gasoline Reserve to ensure gasoline access to motorists, first responders, and…...
The North Atlantic Energy Security Act would streamline approval processes for energy production, reduce flaring, and expedite LNG exports to U.S. allies. On July 11, 2014, Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND), John McCain (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced the North Atlantic Energy Security Act aimed to streamline approval process for energy production…...
API has released a community engagement guide to facilitate alignment of oil and gas operations with community values and priorities. On July 9, 2014, the American Petroleum Institute (API) published Community Engagement Guidelines for oil and gas development activities. The guidelines represent the first industry standard – ANSI/API Bulletin 100-3 – for community engagement and details steps for oil and natural…...
The DOE and Congress have responded to industry pressure to expedite the LNG export approval process. To streamline the application process, the DOE has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – open to public comment until July 21, 2014 – to give FERC the responsibility to conduct environmental reviews for each application before the DOE…...
The NY Court of Appeals has ruled that state municipalities can use local zoning ordinances to ban hydraulic fracturing activities. On June 30, 2014, the New York Court of Appeals in Albany upheld the authority of state municipalities to enact local zoning laws to ban hydraulic fracturing, dismissing two lawsuits – Norse Energy Corp. v…....