|
 |
 |
|
OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House to advance GOP-led drilling bill
The handy House Rules Committee website lists the amendments here.
The underlying bill is designed to speed up onshore oil-and-gas drilling and delay several Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution rules while an interagency panel reviews their cumulative effect on the economy.
Opponents say it would dismantle needed environmental reviews of drilling projects and thwart health protections.
The bill is expected to pass, but won’t go anywhere in the Senate, and the White House has threatened to veto the measure.
NEWS BITES:
Interior Secretary says ‘the Gulf is back’
Top Interior Department officials went to New Orleans to announce the results of the sale, which attracted $1.7 billion in winning bids for drilling blocs off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
The highest single bid — $157 million — was offered by Statoil, while Shell submitted the highest amount of total wining bids with roughly $407 million.
Shell, BP, Exxon, Statoil, Chevron as well as several big independent companies spent considerable sums, which Interior tallied up here.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was cheerful about the the level of bidding two years after the BP oil spill, calling it a sign that new development and tougher drilling-safety rules imposed after the spill can go hand in hand.
“Today is a good day because it is proof positive that the oil-and-gas industry is confident that they can meet the heightened safety standards,” Salazar said Wednesday after the lease sale.
“It shows that the Gulf is back, that there is great robustness in terms of oil-and-gas activity currently under way in the Gulf and interest in additional exploration,” he told reporters on a conference call.
Renewables forum includes lawmakers, White House official
Thursday brings the 15th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum. Speakers include White House energy aide Dan Utech and senior officials from the Interior and Energy departments and EPA.
The event will also feature Defense Department officials working on the military’s green-energy programs and several members of Congress. Check out the lineup and schedule here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Check out these stories that ran on E2-Wire Wednesday ...
- GOP seeks to punish vulnerable Senate Dems on EPA vote
- House Dems press Interior to toughen fracking rule
- House panel advances bill that slashes EPA funding
- Bill to kill EPA coal plant rules thwarted in Senate
- Discontent with Obama in coal country grows
Please send tips and comments to Ben Geman,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Follow E2 on Twitter: @E2Wire, @Ben_Geman
