NATURAL GAS

Permitting Process Highlighted at House Hearing on Transportation Infrastructure

Industry stakeholders call for streamlined rail and pipeline permitting to sustain market impacts from oil and gas production when prices are low. Enhanced oil and natural gas transportation and storage infrastructure is needed to ensure the domestic energy revolution is sustained in the current period of low prices. Streamlining infrastructure permitting processes would aid investor…...

LNG Export Bills Aim to Provide Approval Timeline Clarity

Bipartisan Bills Aim to Expedite DOE Decisions on LNG Export Applications According to domestic producers and other stakeholders, a more predictable LNG export terminal approval timeline would provide industry and markets with much-needed certainty to drive forward multi-billion dollar investments. On January 29, 2015, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on…...

NY Governor Outlines Multi-Billion Dollar Clean Energy Commitment in State of the State

Governor Cuomo’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda reiterates his commitment to early stage energy technology and grid resiliency investments. In his 2015 State of the State address on January 21, 2015, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed significant initiatives to advance clean energy, environmental protection, and climate resilience efforts that support the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) proceeding…....

President Obama Recommends ANWR for Wilderness Designation

President Obama’s recommendation seeking wilderness designation to 12.3 million acres of ANWR could block drilling opportunities in the 1.5-acre Coastal Plain estimated to contain up to 10.4 billion barrels of petroleum. On January 25, 2015, the Department of the Interior (DOI) released a revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)…....

FERC Approves PJM’s Request for Offer Cap Relief

FERC has approved PJM’s request for temporary relief from the $1,000/MWh cost-based offer cap to address winter price spikes that could cause generators’ marginal costs to exceed the offer cap. On January 16, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved PJM Interconnection LLC’s (PJM) Section 206 filing to raise the $1,000/MWh energy offer cap…...

RTOs Look to Tariff Revisions as FERC Petitions Supreme Court to Review Order 745

Wholesale Demand Response Hinges on Order 745 Decision Demand response (DR) participation and compensation in organized electricity markets has grown over the previous five years, in part due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order 745. Order 745 sets compensation levels for DR in wholesale energy markets; however, its future validity is uncertain with…...

The 2015 Political Landscape Will Have Far-Reaching Energy Industry Implications

EPA emissions rules and legislative actions will impact every aspect of the energy value chain in 2015 Key Takeaways: Policies impacting energy independence and associated environmental impacts are coming head-to-head at the federal level Legislators will aim to settle long-debated oil and gas infrastructure and export bills and will use legistive authorities to delay, defund,…...

Enforcement Concerns Raised at EPA’s Coal Ash Rule House Committee Hearing

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing on EPA’s coal ash rule centered on compliance mechanisms to incorporate federal requirements into state programs. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on January 22, 2015 to consider the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule to regulate disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) from electric utilities….…...

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SOTU 2015: Resolute Call for Climate Action

In his State of the Union Address, the President made a forceful call for climate action, asserting that the U.S. will double its emissions reduction pace. In his State of the Union (SOTU) speech on January 20, 2015, President Obama made a resolute call for climate action, stating that no challenge poses a greater threat…...

Justice Department Seeks Supreme Court Review of FERC Order 745 Vacatur

The Justice Department has sought Supreme Court review of the May 2014 invalidated FERC Order 745 vacatur, considering its importance for the future of electricity-market regulation. On January 15, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) — on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to…...

EPA Methane Rule Would Set Costly Bar for Oil and Gas Industry, Despite Current Reduction Efforts

EPA Regulations Could Add Costs to Constrained Industry On January 14, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined measures to reduce methane emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the oil and natural gas (O&G) industry, with a new goal to reduce methane emissions by 40-45 percent by 2025 from 2012 levels, despite methane reductions…...

ISO-NE Details 2014/2015 WRP Resource Participation

ISO-NE’s current Winter Reliability Program boasts increased fuel and resource availability through a restructured and expanded compensation structure. On January 12, 2015, ISO New England (ISO-NE) released a report on the resource participation of its 2014/2015 Winter Reliability Program (WRP), a temporary out-of-market solution to maintain electric system reliability. ISO-NE expressed confidence that a diverse…...