FOSSIL FUELS
Shell has selected Louisiana’s Ascension Parish as the potential site for its Gulf Coast natural gas-to-liquids facility. On September 24, 2013, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Royal Dutch Shell announced selection of Louisiana’s Ascension Parish as the site for a proposed Gulf Coast natural gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant, a cost of least $12.5 billion. Shell will also fund…...
On September 18, the House Energy and Commerce Committee heard testimony from EPA and DOE officials on the Obama Administration’s climate change policies and continued the debate over the requirement to require Carbon Capture and Sequestration technologies in future sources. On September 20, the EPA released its draft rule to set national emissions limits on…...
The biofuels industry has benefited from the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) since 2005. The standard has since expanded and been a source of debate largely centered on the reliance of U.S. fuel consumption estimates, the feasibility of production levels for various feedstocks, and reaching minimum greenhouse gas reduction levels when weighting direct and indirect greenhouse…...
A Subcommittee report spells out states’ perspective on EPA’s planned regulations for coal-fueled power plants, underscoring that EPA is poised to exceed its authority. On September 13, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) released a whitepaper explaining that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is…...
DOE’s fourth LNG export approval comes just weeks after the previous (Lake Charles) approval, indicating an improved timeline for evaluating pending applications. On September 11, 2013, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced conditional authorization for Dominion Cove Point LNG LP to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-Free Trade Agreement (non-FTA) nations. The authorization, subject…...
California Senate and Assembly passed a bill that would impose the state’s first hydraulic fracturing regulations, facilitating oil and gas development in the Monterey Shale play. On September 11, 2013, Senate Bill 4, a bill that would impose the state’s first regulations on hydraulic fracturing and other oil field practices, cleared the state Assembly by a…...
Freeport LNG has entered into long-term natural gas liquefaction tolling agreements with two Asian companies. On September 9, 2013, Freeport LNG Expansion LP announced that it has signed agreements with two Asian companies to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its proposed natural gas liquefaction and loading facility at Quintana Island, Texas. The two separate…...
On September 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider a major challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of greenhouse gas regulations under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, a hearing that could affect President Obama’s timetable for existing power plants and state implementation plans. The EPA will likely face ongoing litigation on most…...
The Department of Interior announced new efforts during the end of August to collaborate with both the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation to enhance oversight of offshore drilling safety and to update regulations overseeing production safety. Overview The Agency’s efforts will support technological improvements, research and development in offshore operations, data collection on…...
NY Court of Appeals will decide whether state municipalities can use local zoning laws to ban hydraulic fracturing. On August 29, 2013, the Albany Court of Appeals announced its decision to consider two lawsuits challenging the authority of New York (NY) State municipalities to enact local zoning laws to ban oil and gas development using…...
The overwhelming number of public comments to the recent Department of Interior (DOI) hydraulic fracturing rule is an indication of the increased role regulatory policy – and the rulemaking process – is playing in environmental policy during the second term. Overview A large number of industry representatives opposed the rule during the public comment period,…...
The overwhelming number of public comments to the recent Department of Interior (DOI) hydraulic fracturing rule is an indication of the increased role regulatory policy – and the rulemaking process – is playing in environmental policy during the second term. A large number of industry representatives opposed the rule during the public comment period, emphasizing…...