FOSSIL FUELS
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…...
NASA has launched a new mission to measure global distribution of carbon dioxide sources and sinks. On July 2, 2014, the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) launched the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) dedicated to study the Earth’s carbon dioxide (CO2) sources and sinks. The observatory, launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from…...
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…....
New York Energy Week kicked off Monday morning with the Natural Gas Markets Breakfast at CME Group. The event brought together broad market participants — from upstream producers to financiers and entrepreneurs — to address the revolutionary shift in fossil fuels economics over the past six years. Moderated by Peter Gardett, Founding Editor of Breaking Energy, the…...
DOE has announced a major milestone for its carbon capture and sequestration efforts, capturing more than one million metric tons of CO2. On June 26, 2014, the Department of Energy announced that its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project – operated in partnership with Air products and Chemicals Inc. – has captured more than one million metric tons of…...
The Supreme Court has ruled that EPA exceeded its statutory authority in interpreting Clean Air Act requirements by requiring permits based solely on GHG emissions. On June 23, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations for new motor vehicles did not automatically trigger permitting requirements…...
FERC has authorized Cameron LNG’s $10B natural gas liquefaction and export project, the second LNG export proposal to receive final FERC approval after conditional DOE approval. On June 19, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Cameron LNG LLC, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy Corp, to construct and operate a natural gas liquefaction and…...
DOI has initiated a public engagement process to develop the next five-year plan for potential oil and gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf. On June 13, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced publication of a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register to initiate a…...
Under a cooperative agreement with DOE, Southern Company will evaluate carbon capture technologies and advanced fossil-fuel conversion systems. On June 12, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has signed a five-year, $187M cooperative agreement with Southern Company to test advanced carbon-capture and gasification technologies at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in…...
The Repeal and Rebuild Act would repeal the federal gas tax and increase the per-barrel tax of oil processed into gasoline to solve the current transportation funding crisis. On June 11, 2014, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced the Repeal and Rebuild Act (HR 4848), which seeks to eliminate the current per-gallon gas tax and increase…...
