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…...
The EPA has proposed revisions to dispersant and bioremediation efficacy and toxicity testing protocols based on lessons learned from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. On January 13, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed amendments to Subpart J of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) requirements regarding use of dispersants…...
ISO-NE’s current Winter Reliability Program boasts increased fuel and resource availability through a restructured and expanded compensation structure. On January 12, 2015, ISO New England (ISO-NE) released a report on the resource participation of its 2014/2015 Winter Reliability Program (WRP), a temporary out-of-market solution to maintain electric system reliability. ISO-NE expressed confidence that a diverse…...
The Cape Wind Project faces a major setback after losing power purchase agreements with National Grid and NSTAR. On January 7, 2015, National Grid and NSTAR announced a decision to cancel their Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Cape Wind, citing Cape Wind’s failure to meet the December 31, 2014 deadline to close financing. Cape Wind…...
