The DOE has announced $125M OPEN solicitation through ARPA-E to catalyze the advancement of transformational energy technologies. On January 7, 2015, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) issued its third OPEN funding opportunity announcement (FOA) – OPEN 2015 – for up to $125M to support potentially disruptive new technologies…
Approval of the project would ease transportation constraints to refiners and decrease reliance on foreign imports, but would have minimal impact on benchmark WTI prices. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Keystone XL approval bill quickly last week under suspension of the rules by a two-thirds majority vote, the Senate companion bill will…
The EPA Clean Power Plan and new generation source emission rule finalization to mid-summer 2015 pushes back compliance deadlines. On January 7, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a revised schedule to finalize rulemakings for power plant emission standards under its proposed Clean Power Plan. The EPA intends to finalize the rules by mid-summer…
The LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act would require DOE to make non-FTA LNG export decisions no later than 45 days after environmental review conclusion. On January 6, 2015, Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act to expedite the Department of Energy (DOE) decisions on liquefied…
Benchmark crude oil price declines may threaten domestic producers’ continued production growth. On January 5, 2015, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report — drawing from the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) — showing that energy commodity prices recorded the largest declines in 2014 compared to non-energy commodities. Notably, the GSCI’s energy component…
$14.5M in funding supports market-ready emissions reduction technologies and is part a larger pool of more than $400M of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) proceeds that could help moderate future RGGI auction prices. On December 30, 2014, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced $14.5M in funding to support market-ready technologies…
The FERC has approved Cheniere Energy’s proposal to construct an LNG terminal and related natural gas pipeline facilities in Corpus Christi, TX. On December 30, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC to construct and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG) export and import facilities on the Corpus Christi…
The Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station has been officially disconnected from the grid. On December 29, 2014, the Vermont Public Service Department (PSD) announced the official closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The plant began operations in 1972 and was acquired by Entergy in 2002. Its current operating license expires on March 21,…
A federal appeals court has rejected portions of revisions to EPA’s 2008 ozone rule that would delay compliance deadlines and revoke transportation conformity requirements. On December 23, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated portions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone. The court…
EPA’s Clean Power Plan, regional programs, and continued solar installation growth aim to improve state-level resource and grid reliability. The proposed Clean Power Plan and regional reliability programs will continue to influence an energy mix shift and electric system improvements in the coming years. The energy mix shift is also being pushed by fuel and…
The continued increase in rail transportation of U.S. crude oil reflects rising production, which reached 8.5 million bbl/d in June 2014, the highest since July 1986. On December 24, 2014, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report showing that the amount of U.S. crude oil and refined petroleum products transported by rail increased by…
Demand response (DR) performance in wholesale power markets has improved over the past six years, in part as a result of multiple FERC Orders. Removal of DR from organized electricity markets would favor generators through increased sales; this could lead to higher associated emissions and peak power prices. The Solicitor General has until January 15 to file…
