Virginia Energy News

2010-08-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Oil up to $82 a barrel on weak dollar/weak recovery

2010-08-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg just posted this.

Three month high. Joy.

Manufacturing jobs a focus of the Democrats

2010-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

One way to make manufacturing in America more competitive is to lower energy costs.

That should be part of the overall strategy.

Washington Post has a story on manufacturing jobs as a focus for the Democrats in the upcoming elections.

Roanoke Times Editorial on Coal Ash

2010-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

How widespread of a problem is coal ash in Virginia?

This editorial leaves no room on where the Roanoke Times editorial board stands.

AWEA Launches Offshore Wind Development Coalition

2010-07-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced yesterday that it has launched the Offshore Wind Development Coalition, known as OffshoreWindDC. As noted in AWEA’s press release, “OffshoreWindDC will both expand and sharpen the focus of the industry efforts already underway through AWEA,” and many industry and government stakeholders are expected to take part in the effort.

Heat Wave in U.S. Driving Coal to 18-Month High: Energy Markets

2010-07-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

Prices have gained 30 percent this year on hotter-than normal weather from California to New York. Demand from utilities increased amid stiffer federal scrutiny of the mining industry after the Massey Energy Co. disaster on April 5 curbed operations in Appalachia, home to 33 percent of U.S. coal production. Output has dropped 6.9 percent in the past 12 months, Energy Department data show.

Pollution fight cools climate talks

2010-07-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Closed-door meetings between a select group of environmentalists and a handful of electric utility executives may determine the fate of climate change legislation in the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s top energy aide, Chris Miller, nudged the small group to the bargaining table earlier this month in the hope they could resolve more than a decade of dispute on Clean Air Act regulations and reach agreement on a first-ever cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

Why President Obama loses by winning

2010-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Having moved swiftly toward achieving the very policy objectives he promised voters as a candidate, Obama is still widely perceived as flirting with a failed presidency.

“[Cap-and-trade] is not in my vocabulary” — Reid

2010-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring a sweeping energy and climate bill to the floor as early as the week of July 26, including a controversial cap on emissions from power plants,” Greenwire reporter Darren Samuelsohn writes today in Politico. Except that Reid — like Sens. John Kerry (D.-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) – won’t call a spade a spade.

Regional Carbon Cap Gets Second Look as 'Template' for National Plan

2010-07-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, operating in 10 states from Maine to Maryland, restricts emissions just from the utility sector, like one of the leading ideas to address climate change now percolating on Capitol Hill. The impetus began to grow last month after a meeting at the White House before the congressional recess. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) called the regional program a "template" for national climate legislation.

New Offshore Drilling Moratorium Issued

2010-07-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

It is unnecessary and shortsighted to shut down a major part of the nation's energy lifeline while working to enhance offshore safety. The new moratorium threatens enormous harm to the nation and to the Gulf region. It places the jobs of tens of thousands of workers in serious and immediate jeopardy and promises a substantial reduction in domestic energy production. No certain and expeditious path forward has been established for a resumption of drilling.

A Disaster Congress Voted For

2010-07-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

In a 1995 attempt to encourage more exploration, Congress agreed to reduce the cut of the proceeds the government could collect on oil and gas drilling in deep waters. Ten years later, despite higher oil prices and declarations from President George W. Bush that more incentives were not needed, a Republican-led Congress reduced royalties yet again.

Obama is right to impose moratorium on risky offshore drilling

2010-07-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

After the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and its well began spewing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration took the logical step: It virtually shut down deepwater drilling until officials could determine what happened and why, and then develop a plan to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Any response short of that would have been irresponsible.

Bingaman draft outlines utility-only climate approach

2010-07-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

The 50-page Bingaman draft echoes several key talking points Democratic leaders and centrists in both parties have been sounding off on lately on what it will take to get 60 votes for a combined carbon pricing and energy production strategy.

Circumventing Cap and Trade with an Another Bad Energy Bill

2010-07-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a crisis in the Gulf, some Senators are making a final push to pass energy and climate legislation this year. Senators John Kerry (D–MA) and Joe Lieberman (I–CT) are introducing a scaled-back version of their original cap-and-trade bill but still want to maintain a carbon cap. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) wants to bring an energy bill up for debate the week of July 26 that addresses the oil spill response and a greenhouse gas reduction plan for utilities only. A draft leaked from Senator Jeff Bingaman (D–NM) would go after utilities and aim to “cut emissions from the electric utility industry by 17 percent in 2020 and 43 percent by 2030.”

Farmers must be part of renewable energy plans

2010-07-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

The resounding message at the recent Minnesota Ag, Climate and Energy Forum in Willmar was clear: Agriculture must come to the table when energy, especially alternative energy, policy is discussed to capture revenue opportunities.

Bechtel, B&W unite on mini-reactor work

2010-07-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy Inc. and Bechtel Power Corp. have formed an alliance to design, license, and deploy a small modular nuclear power plant, the first commercially viable facility of its type in the world, a press release said.

Clean Energy Builds Slowly, Despite Federal Cash

2010-07-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Recovery Act has provided billions of dollars in matching grants for clean energy programs. Despite this massive infusion of federal money, it is unlikely that these technologies will make a dent in Americans' fossil fuel consumption anytime soon.

Reid may include Pickens' gas proposal in Senate energy bill

2010-07-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

A plan promoted by investor T. Boone Pickens to encourage more natural-gas vehicles will likely hitch a ride on a Senate energy bill that is to come up for a vote at the end of July.

Survey shows 73% of Americans are against drilling moratorium

2010-07-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

Most Americans oppose President Barack Obama’s ban on deepwater oil drilling in response to BP Plc’s Gulf of Mexico spill, even as they hold the company primarily responsible for the incident.

API cites boost in oil, gas well completions in second quarter

2010-07-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

After posting a 22% decline in the first quarter, US oil and natural gas drilling activity staged a turnaround in Q2, with completions rising 38% from the same period of 2009, the American Petroleum Institute said in a report this week.

House, Senate call for new oil spill panel

2010-07-15T08:44:00.001-07:00

The House Natural Resources Committee has joined a Senate panel in approving the creation of a bipartisan oil spill commission that would effectively compete against President Obama’s.

Virginia Energy News for July 15, 2010

2010-07-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

FedEx CEO Takes Stock of Alternative Energy, Obama and China

2010-07-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Frederick W. Smith, chairman and chief executive of FedEx Corp. sat down in late June with Wall Street Journal reporter Jennifer Levitz at the company's headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., to talk about the U.S. economy, his new fuel-efficient planes and other subjects ranging from China to President Barack Obama to whether cargo jets will ever fly without pilots.

Reid throws climate lifeline to greens

2010-07-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has pledged to bring to the Senate floor an energy and climate package that includes controversial greenhouse gas curbs, throwing a lifeline to liberals who say the legislation falls short without them.

Oil-Industry Group Hires New Leader for Media Team

2010-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

As it works to reshape the oil industry's image, American Petroleum Institute's media shop has nabbed a former spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Eric Wohlschlegel started work yesterday as API's director of media relations. Running the team that talks to reporters, Wohlschlegel said he is focused on communicating the oil and natural gas industry's importance.

API opposes new offshore drilling moratorium

2010-07-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

The American Petroleum Institute (API) in the US says it believes the Interior Department’s latest moratorium on deepwater drilling is not necessary for safety and will cost jobs, harm the Gulf region and weaken our nation’s energy security.

Virginia Energy News for July 14, 2010

2010-07-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

Virginia Energy News for July 13, 2010

2010-07-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

Read the latest Virginia Energy News supplement here.

Virginia Energy News for July 12, 2010

2010-07-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

Whither Cap & Trade?

2010-07-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today, the prospects for climate legislation remain highly uncertain, while the clock runs out on the current Congressional session. And if all that weren't enough, the EPA has just issued new regulations covering interstate emissions of conventional air pollutants that could effectively terminate the highly-successful sulfur-dioxide market upon which cap & trade for GHGs was based. Can cap & trade survive these travails, and should it?

Kerry Looking to Strike Deal With Utilities on Carbon Emissions Cap

2010-07-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters yesterday that conversations between Democrats and utilities are ongoing and that he remained optimistic that they could strike a deal. Convincing the electric power industry to back a scaled-down carbon cap as part of a utility-only proposal is widely seen as the Senate's best shot at directly limiting greenhouse gas emissions this year.

Economic Damage of Drilling Ban May Dwarf Oil Spill

2010-07-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

The six-month drilling ban, which the U.S. Interior Department revised today following lawsuits from local businesses, may affect as many as 24,000 jobs in Louisiana, Michael Hecht, president and CEO of economic-development group Greater New Orleans Inc., told a presidential commission today.

NC congressman won't support offshore drilling

2010-07-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

A North Carolina congressman said Monday that he won't support offshore drilling until the cause of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is fully understood.

Landrieu criticizes Obama drilling limits

2010-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Louisiana Democrat told the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling in New Orleans that the moratorium announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — which would halt deepwater drilling until Nov. 30 — threatens the Gulf economy.

Poll: Confidence in Barack Obama hits low

2010-07-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Fifty-eight percent of the 1,288 adults polled nationwide said that they have “just some” or no confidence in the president, the low mark of his presidency in the poll.

Offshore Wind Energy Agreement between Maine and Nova Scotia

2010-07-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) issued the following statement by AWEA CEO Denise Bode on the memorandum of understanding signed between the state of Maine and the province of Nova Scotia on offshore wind power and tidal power : “AWEA is pleased to see the MOU between Maine and Nova Scotia that is focused on offshore renewable energy collaboration through research and data sharing. This type of partnership will help the North American offshore wind energy industry reach its potential, and realize its many environmental, economic and job creation benefits.”

A good energy strategy doesn't fit in a slogan

2010-07-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Green energy, which is promoted endlessly by business as well as the government and various pols, is a great idea. It sounds great, and it would be great. But it's being way oversold and will take years -- or decades -- to have any major effect.

A Watchdog’s Warning on Nuclear Waste

2010-07-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

When President Obama said he wanted to discontinue work to develop a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, one of the entities that filed suit to protect the project was Washington State, where vast amounts of nuclear waste accumulated at the Hanford nuclear reservation, a weapons site. As I reported on Sunday, a new report suggests that Hanford has a lot more plutonium waste that the Energy Department had acknowledged.

China Stockpiling Uranium in Rush to Build More Nuclear Plants

2010-07-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

China is stockpiling uranium and purchasing the yellow metal in unprecedented quantities as part of its effort to build new nuclear reactors and provide electricity for its power hungry populace.

The New-Old Drilling Ban

2010-07-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

When it comes to a showdown between jobs and ideology, the Obama Administration never fails to choose the latter. The latest example is Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision yesterday to reimpose a ban on Gulf drilling after the courts had declared his first moratorium illegal.

New offshore oil moratorium not focused on depth

2010-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration issued a new moratorium Monday on deep-water offshore drilling that no longer bans operators by the depth of water they're operating in and stresses new evidence of safety concerns, hoping the revised ban will pass muster with the courts after the initial one was rejected.

Another line for an energy bill to cross

2010-07-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Eleven governors from the Northeast have signed a letter to Senate leaders protesting the latest energy bill's plan (PDF) to promote a giant electric power transmission line to link the windy Great Plains to the Midwest population centers. The governors say that the transmission line, expected to eventually cost $160 billion, would be subsidized by citizens in their states.

Senators question if BP played role in Pan Am bomber's release

2010-07-13T11:22:00.001-07:00

A group of U.S. lawmakers have called for an investigation into whether BP may have played a role in lobbying for the release of Abdel Basset al Megrahi to secure an oil contract with the Libyan government.

Taking initiative on clean energy

2010-07-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Over the past 18 months, the president has taken unprecedented action to make a down payment on our clean energy future. Under his leadership, this administration has invested tens of billions of dollars in clean energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Oil spill may influence climate bill

2010-07-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day will go down in history as the start of perhaps the country’s worst environmental disaster. But will the BP oil spill — now on Day 84 — actually change any environmental laws or lead to new ones?

Drilling ban reissued

2010-07-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reissued a moratorium on deepwater offshore drilling Monday, after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the White House’s appeal of a lower court decision to halt the drilling ban.

Moment of truth for energy bill

2010-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

The next three weeks represent Democrats’ last, best shot at getting an energy and climate change bill passed this year. In the White House and the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, it’s moment-of-truth time. People on every side of the energy debate say that Reid must unveil a concrete plan backed by a full-court press from the president this week, or the entire effort will fall apart in the run-up to the midterm elections.

The public is ready for clean energy legislation. Is the Senate?

2010-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Cohn, writing at his new must-read blog, has a fascinating piece on the policy implications of the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The gist of his argument is that the public push for clean energy policy -- in the form of marches on Washington and calls to Congress -- is more subdued than should be expected in the wake of such a devastating environmental catastrophe, and that this dynamic is largely responsible for the Senate's slim chances of moving comprehensive legislation this year.

BP Is Said to Explore Asset Sale

2010-07-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

BP has already said that it will sell about $10 billion worth of assets as part of its financing strategy. It has already suspended its dividend to help conserve about $8 billion in cash, and plans to cut capital spending by several billion dollars. The company has been lining up financing from a group of banks as well, though it has also said it does not plan to issue new equity to potential new investors.

US Senate set for energy, environmental bill debate

2010-07-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Democrats in the U.S. Senate aim to debate in late July a bill clamping down on offshore oil drilling practices and fostering more alternative energy use, but no decision has been made on whether to include controversial climate change provisions, aides said on Friday.

Vitter argues ban on offshore drilling has led to 'de facto moratorium' in the Gulf

2010-07-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

In an interview on the conservative "Dateline Washington" radio program, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) said, "The good news is that the courts so far have rejected so far the president's having proper authority to impose the drastic moratorium." He explained that the full case will not be heard for a couple weeks, and "because of all this uncertainty, no companies are rushing out to restart operations in the gulf, so there is a de facto moratorium that is killing us economically. If this continues," argued Vitter, "it will cost us far more jobs than the oil itself."

America must ban offshore drilling

2010-07-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Due to the inability of adequate responses that I have witnessed from the Exxon-Valdez oil spill and now the BP gulf oil spill, it is necessary for us to protect our coasts from this type of disaster from ever happening again. In order to accomplish this I urge President Obama to ban offshore drilling in new areas and lead the charge for a clean energy economy.

Should Congress Expand Offshore Drilling?

2010-07-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Should Congress push forward on offshore oil and natural gas exploration in light of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? And should we be concerned that a moratorium on offshore drilling may make us even more dependent on foreign oil?

U.S. to Issue New Drilling Moratorium

2010-07-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration on Monday issued a new order banning most new deepwater-drilling activities until Nov. 30, setting up a fresh round of conflict with the oil industry over when it will be safe to drill again offshore.

Note to EPA: 'Coal' isn't a dirty word

2010-07-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

The EPA’s attempts to control climate change through regulation and stall the approval of mining permits can only lead to coal states like West Virginia bearing the brunt of poorly thought-out policies that translate into greater job loss and higher energy costs.

Seven Things Republicans Were For, Before They Were Against Them

2010-07-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

So many Republicans have changed their ideas on so many major issues that it's hard to keep up. With the return of Congress this week, two of those issues – campaign finance disclosure and climate change – could play out in the Senate over the next month.

5 Alternative Energy Options That Are Bad Bargains

2010-07-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

A hard look at natural gas fracking, clean coal, corn ethanol, tar sands and oil shale.

Algae: The World's New Alternative Energy Source?

2010-07-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Forget the Toyota Prius; a team of students and professors from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia are attempting to turn algae from Lake Matoaka into biodiesel for cars.

Offshore drilling: Walk along the Oregon coast, and think of Louisiana

2010-07-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

As we all know, drilling for oil off the Oregon coast didn't happen. I don't really know why. Today I can't seem to find anyone who remembers anything about the issue. Whatever the reason, it was a victory for the Oregon coast. Oregon's drilling scheme died in 1981 and seemed buried for all time when Congress banned drilling for oil and gas in offshore waters.

Oil is still king in energy circles

2010-07-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama promises to rejuvenate America’s economy with countless green jobs by turning away from conventional fuels. The painful reality is that the world won’t be weaned off of fossil fuel any time soon, as China demonstrates with plans to pursue 20 new, large coal mines within five years

Many farms finding wind cash a breeze

2010-07-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

President Obama made the encouragement of renewable energy a cornerstone of his policy of allocating federal stimulus money. And a state law took effect in Illinois in 2008 requiring Commonwealth Edison and the state's other power companies to get 5 percent of their power from renewable sources last year, 6 percent this year and a quarter of their power from renewable sources by 2025.

GOP: Dems wrongly linking carbon caps, oil reliance after spill

2010-07-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

Republicans are increasingly accusing Democrats of exploiting the BP oil spill to win traction for global warming legislation, but they maintain that leading climate plans would do little to wean the country off oil.

World’s First Hybrid Solar-Coal Power Plant Opens in Colorado

2010-07-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

In a traditional coal-fired power plant, coal that has been pulverized into a fine dust is burned to heat water until it becomes steam. The steam then turns the blades of a large turbine, which turns the generator and produces electricity. But if the fresh water is heated before it enters the boiler, less coal is needed in order to make the steam -- and that is the principal behind Xcel Energy's brand new solar-coal hybrid power plant in western Colorado.

EPA unveils draft interstate clean air rule

2010-07-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

The proposed Clean Air Transport Rule replaces – and strengthens – a Bush-era rule in cutting soot-forming sulfur dioxide and smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions from electric utilities that cross state lines, mainly in the eastern United States.

Opinion: BP oil disaster has huge repercussions

2010-07-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Will the oil stay in the Gulf of Mexico? Or will it circulate out into the Atlantic to be borne by the Gulf Stream to contaminate foreign shores? How much oil is yet to escape into the oceans? And how will it affect the world’s economy?

Drilling's dangers

2010-07-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

The politics of offshore drilling couldn't be clearer: No politician wants to pass up the chance to curry favor with one of the world's richest industries. But the consequences of this craven behavior are even more stark, as hour by hour thousands more gallons of toxic oil pour into the ocean, the same ocean that washes up on our shores.

Renewable energy options abound from state to state

2010-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

While solar energy has made inroads across the nation, some regions remain particularly well-suited for several different types of clean power production, including wind turbines.

Guest Opinion: End oil addiction, invest in clean energy

2010-07-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Remarkably, there’s a concerted attempt to discredit and misinform the public of the extraordinary progress that has already occurred in moving to clean, renewable, inexhaustible sources of energy. When political pundits and lobbyists for fossil-fuel industries try to convince the public that renewable energy is technologically off in the distant future, or too expensive, it is time to look at the facts and evidence at hand in Montana.

Obama takes to the road to stump for clean energy jobs bill

2010-07-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today President Obama repeated his call for Congress to pass energy legislation this summer, this time emphasizing the jobs that would result from expanding clean energy manufacturing tax credits.

MIT Releases Report on Natural Gas: Promising ‘Transitional Fuel’ Toward Renewable Future

2010-07-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Natural gas has “great potential” to help curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on oil, paving the way toward a future that can run on renewable resources, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT said this could be done by replacing coal plants with more efficient combined-cycle gas plants.

California utilities struggle to meet renewable-power requirement

2010-07-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

State law requires the Golden State's three large investor-owned utilities to procure 20% of their retail electricity sales from clean sources by the end of 2010. But with less than six months left to meet that requirement, even government watchdogs don't expect the power companies to make it.

Nuclear Energy: Pro And Con

2010-07-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Connecticut has two sites for nuclear power reactors that can be used for the salvation of Connecticut's current inventory of high-wage unemployed manufacturing and construction workers, and for long-term, high-paying plant operations jobs after two 10 year periods of construction. Connecticut can have the low-cost power to bring manufacturing back to the state!

Virginia Energy News for July 8, 2010

2010-07-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

W.H.: We're not anti-business

2010-07-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Obama has been happy to be seen by voters as cracking down on Wall Street but those efforts have had an unintended result: feeding a sense that the president and his party are indifferent or even actively hostile toward big business, whether those businesses are Silicon Valley tech companies, Midwestern manufacturers or Main Street small businesses.

API: U.S. must allow deepwater drilling upon compliance with safety rules

2010-07-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration's contested moratorium on deepwater drilling will take a larger portion out of U.S. oil production next year than previously thought, the government's energy forecasting agency said on Wednesday.

Big Oil Starts Running TV Ads In 10 States Attacking 'Taxes' On ...

2010-07-08T12:45:00.001-07:00

The big Washington trade group representing BP and the other major oil companies says it has begun paying for TV ads in 10 states that attack the introduction of “new taxes” on the petroleum industry as part of comprehensive energy legislation.

60% Support Offshore Drilling, Still Critical Of Obama And Oil ...

2010-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds that just nine percent (9%) rate the response of BP and Transocean, the companies associated with the leak, as good or excellent. This finding is down 20 points from early May and is the lowest level measured in the two months since an oil rig explosion caused the leak. A majority of voters (59%) rate the response of the companies as poor, up 10 points from two weeks ago.

Owner of Exploded Rig Is Known for Testing Rules

2010-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Transocean is the world’s largest offshore drilling company, but until its Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April, few Americans outside the energy business had heard of it. It is well known, however, in a number of other countries — for testing local laws and regulations.

Drilling advocates issue 'call to arms' over ban

2010-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

A day before an appeals court hearing on the administration's deep-water drilling moratorium, lawmakers and industry leaders told a drillers' group in Houston Wednesday that they must bring their employees and small-business partners into the campaign against the ban.

How Much Would Cap and Trade Cost?

2010-07-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

In a preliminary look at the American Power Act—the climate legislation that has been put forward by Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman—the CBO found that the bill would actually reduce the budget deficit by about $19 billion over the 2011 to 2020 period. The CBO estimates that auctions of carbon allowances under the bill—which requires companies to essentially pay for the right to emit carbon dixoide—would raise government revenue by about $751 billion, more than bill would hike government spending through incentives for nuclear power, tax credits for energy efficiency and research and technology for new energy.

Is Asia rising to dominate the global nuclear industry?

2010-07-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal reports July 6 that Japan is aligning its nuclear industry to support exports of nuclear reactors and to respond to the competitive threat from South Korea. Six companies are working under the umbrella of a government backed effort through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

GOP arrogance, hypocrisy on energy policy

2010-07-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Rob Portman previews one of the GOP’s primary lines of attack this midterm election year in a new ad. He blasts the Democrats’ cap-and-trade “energy tax,” saying that the scheme will charge Americans for turning on a light bulb or cooking dinner. Scary? Perhaps. Misleading? Yes. Hypocritical?

Voices, Some Near the President's Ear, Long Supported Narrower Carbon Caps

2010-07-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Four months ago Energy Secretary Steven Chu listened as a key senator appealed for modesty in the chamber's approach to addressing greenhouse gases. The Senate at the time was being swept toward an ambitious -- and politically titanic -- plan designed to cast the nation's vast majority of emissions into a shopping cart, where it would be counted, priced and paid for.

Stop the oil, not job creation

2010-07-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here in the Gulf, where Washington policy decisions have a real impact on the people and businesses most affected by BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, we were thrilled by a federal judge’s recent decision to overrule President Barack Obama’s moratorium on deepwater drilling.

Obama Asks Court to Reinstate Drilling Ban

2010-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration has asked a federal court in Louisiana to reinstate the ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the moratorium was a rational response to the unparalleled emergency of the BP oil spill.

Some Democrats not comfortable with party's anti-oil stance

2010-07-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

When Republican Rep. Joe L. Barton of Texas accused the White House of shaking down oil giant BP for money and then apologized to the company for the government's actions, Democrats greeted his comments like manna from heaven.

This time it's oil trouble for Lake Pontchartrain

2010-07-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

A relief well being drilled deep into the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico to shut down the gushing well could be completed ahead of a long-set deadline of mid-August only if conditions are ideal, government and BP officials said Thursday.

Tighter regulations may drive independents out of Gulf

2010-07-08T11:56:00.001-07:00

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the world's major oil and gas provinces. The offshore industry was born here in 1947. It's close to the petro-capital of Houston. And, of course, it's in the backyard of the world's oil glutton. But the Gulf is about to get less attractive to work in.

As Oil Industry Fights a Tax, It Reaps Subsidies

2010-07-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

When the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform set off the worst oil spill at sea in American history, it was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. Registering there allowed the rig’s owner to significantly reduce its American taxes.

API begins ad campaign against oil, gas tax-hike proposals

2010-07-08T11:54:00.001-07:00

The American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday began running ads in opposition of a decision by House Ways and Means Chairman Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) to pay for his green energy tax bill by rescinding several tax breaks benefiting the oil and gas industry. The ads are slated to run in 10 states and depict the tax increases as job killers.

Oil spill must spur alternative energy

2010-07-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

As a New York resident who grew up on the Gulf of Mexico and travels back there at least 10 times a year, it is painful to watch the devastation of the environment in the northern Gulf. As Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a longtime Republican, stated recently, "If this disaster does not force all of us to see how we must move to clean energy sources, then I don't know what will!"

Why Choose Renewable Wind Energy

2010-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Renewable wind energy is the fastest growing source of power of any renewable energy sources and technologies. With renewable wind energy, the flow of air turns wind turbines to create electricity. As the speed of the wind turning the turbines increases the amount of power the turbine produces increases as well. In areas where winds are strong, renewable wind energy is a smart choice for providing power to homes and businesses.

Virginia Energy News for July 7, 2010

2010-07-07T08:09:00.001-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

Virginia Energy News for July 6, 2010

2010-07-07T06:14:00.001-07:00

Read the latest Virginia Energy News here.

Hearings to Expand Offshore Drilling Delayed; Salazar Applauds New Legislation

2010-07-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

The same day, according to BNA [subscription required], Secretary Salazar welcomed the prospect of an organic statute to govern the Interior Department and its new offshore energy agencies before a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee.

EPA pushes air pollution regulations

2010-07-06T12:32:00.001-07:00

EPA’s proposed Clean Air Transport Rule is the administration’s most ambitious effort to date to tackle conventional smog- and soot-forming emissions. The agency said its standards, when finalized next year, would lead to hundreds of billions of dollars in public health benefits and help avoid as many as 36,000 premature deaths every year.

API slates ad campaign against bill to end oil, gas tax breaks

2010-07-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

The ads will run in 10 target states, namely Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, starting July 6, API said. The commercial messages will feature working Americans’ responses to proposed new oil and gas taxes that the Obama administration proposed in its fiscal 2011 budget request, API said. Some members of Congress consider such taxes a good way to support alternative and renewable energy technology research and development.

Dow Chemical Standing Apart From Industry on Cap and Trade

2010-07-06T12:30:00.001-07:00

As the climate bill sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) headed for a showdown in the House last year, critics warned that the energy-intensive U.S. chemical industry would be among the primary victims of a cap-and-trade carbon regime.

The Facts On Offshore Drilling and Production Importance ...

2010-07-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has highlighted the risks of offshore oil production and the potential costs involved in drilling deep below the ocean. The explosion on April 20 at the Deepwater Horizon rig, operated on behalf of BP (BP.L: Quote), has also reminded the oil industry of the growing importance of offshore production and the rising proportion of oil pumped from deep-sea wells.

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