FOSSIL FUELS
In November, three Colorado cities approved hydraulic fracturing bans, and the state is now proposing new regulations governing methane emissions from oil and gas development. Overview In November 2013, the cities of Boulder, Broomfield, and Fort Collins each approved a five-year moratorium on the natural gas extraction method of hydraulic fracturing. At the same time,…...
Oil and gas industry groups have expressed disapproval of a Senate tax-reform draft citing proposals that would deter domestic investment and job creation. On December 13, 2013, a group of 14 oil and gas trade groups led by the American Petroleum Institute (API) sent a letter to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), stating that…...
DOE has released an $8B loan guarantee solicitation to finance innovative and advanced fossil energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On December 12, 2013, the Department of Energy (DOE) launched its $8B loan guarantee program, soliciting applications to finance projects that employ innovative or significantly improved fossil energy technologies, such as advanced resource development,…...
EPA’s annual report on average fuel economy shows that MY 2012 vehicles achieved record-high fuel economy and record-low carbon emissions. On December 12, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its annual report on average fuel economy, emissions, and powertrain technology of new U.S. personal vehicles, including passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, minivans, pickup…...
A new study finds that U.S. methane emissions are highly underestimated by current studies. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on November 25, 2013 found that U.S. methane emissions could be 50 percent higher than current estimates. Specifically, nationwide anthropogenic methane emissions are likely to be 1.5 times…...
The House has passed a bill aimed to expedite federal review of natural gas pipeline permit applications. On November 21, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act (H.R. 1900), a bipartisan legislation aimed to expedite review of licenses, permits, and approvals pertinent to siting, construction, expansion, and operation…...
A new House Bill would repeal fossil fuel tax breaks and expand fossil fuel companies’ liability for spills and cleanup tasks. On November 21, 2013, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced the 2013 End Polluter Welfare Act (H.R. 3574) aimed to end fossil fuel subsidies. The bill would close tax loopholes…...
A new methanol production facility proposed for Texas will be the largest of its kind in the U.S., spurred by cheap and abundant natural gas availability. On November 21, 2013, OCI N.V., a Dutch fertilizer company, announced plans to build a methanol production facility in Beaumont, Texas. The facility, with an estimated annual capacity of…...
The House has approved two energy bills that would expedite permit issuance for drilling on federal lands and prevent duplicative hydraulic fracturing regulations. On November 20, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives approved two bills – Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act (H.R. 1965) and Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act…...
President Obama’s Senior Advisors today recommended he veto two new energy bills which respectively seek to block Interior Department regulations on hydraulic fracturing and speed up oil and gas drilling permits. On November 19th, 2013, the White House Administration issued a pair of statements strongly opposing two new energy bills: (1) H.R. 2728 – Protecting…...
An EIA report shows that U.S. monthly crude oil production in October 2013 exceeded net imports for the first time in two decades. On November 13, 2013, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Short Term Energy Outlook, showing that U.S. monthly estimated crude oil production averaged 7.7 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in October,…...
IEA’s 2013 World Energy Outlook finds technology is opening new oil resources in the U.S., but the Middle East remains key to the longer-term outlook. The International Energy Agency (IEA) today released its annual World Energy Outlook, indicating that “although rising oil output from North America and Brazil reduces the role of OPEC countries in…...