The DOI’s fourth competitive renewable energy lease sale on the Outer Continental Shelf has nearly doubled the federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects. Despite the expanded acreage, the U.S. offshore wind industry continues to face unique challenges of high costs, mitigation of environmental impacts, project installation, and grid interconnection, and continued federal offshore…...
Bipartisan Bills Aim to Expedite DOE Decisions on LNG Export Applications According to domestic producers and other stakeholders, a more predictable LNG export terminal approval timeline would provide industry and markets with much-needed certainty to drive forward multi-billion dollar investments. On January 29, 2015, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on…...
Governor Cuomo’s 2015 Opportunity Agenda reiterates his commitment to early stage energy technology and grid resiliency investments. In his 2015 State of the State address on January 21, 2015, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed significant initiatives to advance clean energy, environmental protection, and climate resilience efforts that support the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) proceeding…....
President Obama’s recommendation seeking wilderness designation to 12.3 million acres of ANWR could block drilling opportunities in the 1.5-acre Coastal Plain estimated to contain up to 10.4 billion barrels of petroleum. On January 25, 2015, the Department of the Interior (DOI) released a revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)…....
The DOE’s continued support of advanced vehicle technology research, development, and demonstration projects helps expand offerings, cut costs, and improve sales. On January 22, 2015, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $55M to develop and deploy advanced vehicle technologies aimed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce petroleum consumption. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports DOE’s 2012 EV…...
Wholesale Demand Response Hinges on Order 745 Decision Demand response (DR) participation and compensation in organized electricity markets has grown over the previous five years, in part due to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order 745. Order 745 sets compensation levels for DR in wholesale energy markets; however, its future validity is uncertain with…...
EPA emissions rules and legislative actions will impact every aspect of the energy value chain in 2015 Key Takeaways: Policies impacting energy independence and associated environmental impacts are coming head-to-head at the federal level Legislators will aim to settle long-debated oil and gas infrastructure and export bills and will use legistive authorities to delay, defund,…...
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing on EPA’s coal ash rule centered on compliance mechanisms to incorporate federal requirements into state programs. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on January 22, 2015 to consider the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule to regulate disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) from electric utilities….…...
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In his State of the Union Address, the President made a forceful call for climate action, asserting that the U.S. will double its emissions reduction pace. In his State of the Union (SOTU) speech on January 20, 2015, President Obama made a resolute call for climate action, stating that no challenge poses a greater threat…...
The Justice Department has sought Supreme Court review of the May 2014 invalidated FERC Order 745 vacatur, considering its importance for the future of electricity-market regulation. On January 15, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) — on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — petitioned the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to…...
An amendment to the Keystone XL Bill aims to eliminate the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. On January 16, 2015, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced the “Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015” as an amendment to the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (S1) introduced on January 6. The…...
EPA Regulations Could Add Costs to Constrained Industry On January 14, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined measures to reduce methane emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the oil and natural gas (O&G) industry, with a new goal to reduce methane emissions by 40-45 percent by 2025 from 2012 levels, despite methane reductions…...