FOSSIL FUELS
New York lawmakers approved a bill on Feb. 5 that would block oil and gas development off the state’s coastline. The legislation would put New York in line with California, New Jersey, and Oregon that have enacted similar measures following the Trump administration’s plan to open up vast amounts of coastal waters to drilling activities. The measure…...
The New York Department of Public Service will conduct an analysis of the changing market conditions that led to Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc.’s decision to stop enrolling new gas customers, according to a Jan. 28 press release. The study will focus on Westchester County and other areas facing supply and demand issues,…...
U.S. energy exports in 2020 are projected to surpass imports for the first time since 1953, thanks to the continued growth in petroleum and natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency’s Annual Energy Outlook released on Jan. 24. The trend is expected continue for the next three decades driven by large increases in the…...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that that adverse environmental impacts from Tellurian Inc.’s Driftwood LNG project in Louisiana can be reduced to less-than-significant levels with avoidance and mitigation measures, according to a Jan. 18 notice. The project includes a liquefied natural gas export facility having a capacity of 27.6 million tons per year, and…...
The U.S. Energy Department announced funding for cost-shared research and development projects aimed to develop advanced technologies that enhance the performance, reliability, and flexibility of existing coal power plants, according to a Jan. 23 press release. The research effort is intended to lower emissions and foster new technologies that benefit the grid. Projects will support…...
Montana House lawmaker Rodney Garcia, a Republican, introduced legislation on Jan. 15 that would allow the state to sell bonds for up to $500 million to purchase coal-fired generation facilities whose acquisition would be in the public interest. The bill aims at saving the Colstrip plant, which is facing a bleak future as climate change…...
The U.S. natural gas export trend continues thanks to increases in liquefied natural gas export capacity and expansion of the cross-border pipeline network into Mexico, according to a Jan. 7 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2017, the U.S. became a net exporter of natural for the first time since 1958. The agency…...
The Maryland Board of Public Works on Jan. 2 unanimously rejected a permit for Columbia Gas Transmission LLC to build a pipeline across the state to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to West Virginia. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan joined Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp to vote against an easement required to install a…...
The U.S. shale revolution which kicked off a decade ago ushered in a new era for natural gas which has reshaped the power grid overtaking coal as the dominant source of electricity generation and established a thriving market for liquefied natural gas exports. The U.S. has remained the world's top producer of natural gas since 2009, and natural gas accounts for a third of all U.S. electricity generation. Last year, the U.S. became a net natural gas exporter for the first time in almost 60 years. The trend is expected to continue with growing production, increasing export capacity, and expanding gas infrastructure.
U.S. crude oil exports are growing and reaching an increasing number destinations since the removal of the export ban in December 2015. Exports almost doubled from 2016 to 2017, thanks to growing U.S. production, expansions in pipeline and export infrastructure, and a wider discount of the domestic crude oil prices to international prices. U.S. production surpassed that of Russia in June and August, for the first time since 1999, after beating Saudi Arabia in February. Several pro-oil policies implemented recently by the Trump Administration seek to continue the bullish trend.
The low price of natural gas makes it the go-to choice for ensuring reliability in several states where renewables have captured a large market share. On the other hand, the dominance of natural gas in the power sector is facing a backlash in states that are aggressively pushing for renewable resources. In both cases, however, regulators have become increasingly more concerned about grid reliability as the share of natural gas in the fuel mix continues to grow.
To overcome protests against oil and gas pipelines, at least 8 states are advancing bills creating new penalties for disrupting pipeline operations. Despite the Trump administration's moves to support pipeline developers, the opposition - consisting of environmentalists, landowners, and a few state governments - has dramatically slowed down some projects.