FOSSIL FUELS
On September 23, the EPA updated its 2012 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rule, which indirectly regulates fugitive methane emissions at the production phase of oil and natural gas development. Data from the rule will determine whether the EPA will directly regulate methane from oil and…...
Florida has approved contracts to build its third natural gas pipeline – from Southwest Alabama to South Florida. On October 24, 2013, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) prudence review request for contracts to construct a $3.5B, 591-mile, interstate natural gas pipeline. PSC determined that the pipeline will provide…...
EPA’s latest GHG emissions data show that power plant emissions declined by 10 percent between 2010 and 2012 due to increased natural gas use. On October 23, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) released its third annual report detailing facility-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from large industrial sources across…...
2012 EIA data show that U.S. energy-related emissions dropped to lowest levels since 1994 due to a decline in energy consumption and overall carbon intensity. On October 21, 2013, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its 2012 report on U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The report, derived from EIA’s monthly energy data, highlighted that 2012…...
Earlier this month, California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a draft Update to the Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32) Scoping Plan, describing the progress made towards objectives and defining priorities and activities to reduce emissions. Overview AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, created a…...
On October 15, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to review whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas regulations for motor vehicles should also result in regulations for stationary sources. The Court’s decision could have direct implications for the EPA’s rulemaking on future power plants and would affect President Obama’s timetable for existing plants and…...
The U.S. ranks 5th out of 13 heavily oil-dependent countries that are highly vulnerable to global oil price fluctuations. On October 14, 2013, Securing America’s Future Energy and Roubini Global Economics released the Oil Security Index, which assesses the relative oil security of 13 countries including the U.S. The report emphasizes the need for active…...
The Senate has unanimously approved a bill to implement the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement aimed to facilitate offshore drilling cooperation in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 12, 2013, the Senate unanimously approved S. 812 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement the 2012 U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement. The agreement establishes a legal…...
A new study reveals that the U.S. tops the world in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) development and calls for a sharp increase in global CCS projects to achieve climate mitigation goals. On October 10, 2013, Australian research group Global CCS Institute released its annual report on the global status of CCS development. The report…...
The API has challenged EPA’s 2013 RFS mandate, claiming that the volumetric targets are unrealistic. On October 8, 2013, the American Petroleum Institute (API) filed a lawsuit in the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumetric requirements, claiming the 6 million gallon (MG)…...
The Alaska LNG project team has selected Nikiski as the lead site for the proposed liquefaction plant and terminal. On October 7, 2013, ExxonMobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada, announced the selection of Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula as a lead liquefaction plant and terminal site for the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project. Prior…...
EIA estimates show the U.S. is poised to become the world’s largest petroleum and natural gas producer in 2013, overtaking Russia and Saudi Arabia. On October 4, 2013, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a comparative estimate of petroleum and natural gas production in the U.S., Russia, and Saudi Arabia, showing that the U.S. is…...
