Energy & Environment

 
OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Moniz era to begin as Senate weighs exports
Ben Geman and Zack Colman - 05/20/13 06:48 PM ET

Ernest Moniz will be sworn in as Energy secretary in the department’s cafeteria Tuesday, several days after winning Senate approval.

Oil industry eyes opportunity in Burma
Zack Colman - 05/20/13 04:10 PM ET

Oil-and-gas companies are concerned about reporting requirements for doing business with Burma now that the United States has established relations with the country.

Companies are lobbying the State Department on the reporting issue as the administration works to build diplomatic ties. President Obama on Monday hosted Burmese President Thein Sein at the White House in the latest sign of growing cooperation.

Oil-and gas-firms are interested in buying blocs in the resource-rich Bay of Bengal off of Burma’s western coast. Burma has offered up several plots to European Union bidders in recent auctions, and U.S. firms are also beginning to show interest.

Billionaire activist Steyer: Donors will flee Obama if Keystone XL approved
Ben Geman - 05/20/13 03:13 PM ET

Activist Tom Steyer said approving the Keystone pipeline would create political hurdles for Obama's second-term agenda.

Moniz era to begin at Energy Department
Ben Geman - 05/20/13 01:49 PM ET

Ernest Moniz will be sworn in as the next Energy Secretary on Tuesday, and a day later will go on-the-record publicly for the first time in his new role.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist, who won 97-0 Senate approval last Thursday, will have a swearing in ceremony in the Energy Department’s (DOE) cafeteria Tuesday morning that’s open to employees.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, he will do a “town hall” event with DOE employees, and the question-and-answer event will be webcast, giving the press and other observers a chance to gauge his plans and views as secretary.

Groups push Congress, White House to approve energy-efficiency bill
Zack Colman - 05/20/13 12:18 PM ET

An array of groups joined forces Monday to urge congressional leaders and President Obama to approve an energy-efficiency bill that’s currently waiting for floor time in the Senate.

The Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, Alliance to Save Energy, Bipartisan Policy Center and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are seeking to build momentum for legislation co-sponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

Report: 36 shipwrecks may pose ‘oil pollution threat’
Ben Geman - 05/20/13 11:35 AM ET

Thirty-six sunken ships in U.S. waters could pose a coastal “oil pollution threat,” and about half of them should undergo further evaluation and potential efforts to retrieve the fuel, a new federal report finds.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing the data to the U.S. Coast Guard to help it plan, as possibly help determine the source of “mystery” oil sightings, among other uses.

“This report is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the potential oil pollution threats from shipwrecks in U.S. waters,” said Lisa Symons, resource protection coordinator for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in a statement Monday.

The Atlantic Coast has the highest concentration of the 17 wrecks that deserve the most attention. “The distribution of vessels is skewed heavily to World War II casualties in the Battle of the Atlantic,” NOAA states in a summary.

Green group launches ad campaign against proposed Alaskan mine
Zack Colman - 05/20/13 11:03 AM ET

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is expanding its campaign against a proposed Alaskan mine that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says would damage a thriving sockeye salmon population.

The NRDC launched a six-figure advertising effort Monday that features Bristol Bay, Alaska, residents who oppose the proposed Pebble Mine. The green group is beginning with advertisements in publications both inside and outside the Beltway.

“We want policymakers here inside the Beltway to see the places and see the faces of people who will be severely impacted if Pebble Mine is allowed. The mine — as anybody in these ads can tell you — will be utterly devastating to this irreplaceable region, its people and its wildlife,” Bob Keefe, an NRDC spokesman, told The Hill in an email.

Week ahead: House set to approve construction of Keystone XL pipeline
Zack Colman - 05/20/13 09:58 AM ET

The House will vote Wednesday on legislation that would expedite construction of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline’s northern leg.

The Northern Route Approval Act, H.R. 3, is likely to pass with overwhelming GOP support. Republicans expect at least 20 Democrats to support it as well.

The bill would eliminate the need for pipeline builder TransCanada Corp. to get a cross-border permit from President Obama to complete the Canada-to-Texas project.

News bites: Coast Guard opens Shell hearings, fallout from Energy Dept. gas decision, and more
Ben Geman - 05/20/13 06:11 AM ET

Bloomberg reports that natural gas futures prices rose after the Energy Department approved a U.S. export terminal.

The Associated Press reports on the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation of how a Royal Dutch Shell offshore drilling rig ran aground in Alaska in December.

AP also has the latest on gasoline prices.

The Wall Street Journal
reports on a big move within the natural gas industry’s executive ranks.

“Chesapeake Energy Corp. has plucked a 46-year-old executive from a rival oil-and-gas company to succeed its co-founder, Aubrey McClendon, as chief executive of the nation's second-largest natural-gas producer,” the paper reports.

The Boston Globe reports that a Massachusetts Institute of Technology experiment with nuclear fusion will soon shut down unless Congress steps in.

Bill calls on feds to address health impacts of climate change
Zack Colman - 05/18/13 10:14 AM ET

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) said climate change has factored into recent increases in allergies, asthma and tropical diseases.

Current and Previous Articles

05/17/13 05:37 PM ET Green group taps new chief for political arm
05/17/13 01:30 PM ET DOE gives green light to controversial natural gas export project
05/17/13 12:35 PM ET Holder urged to investigate price-fixing by oil companies
05/17/13 11:53 AM ET Federal judge denies rehearing on mining ban
05/17/13 08:05 AM ET News bites: Fracking pollution debated, refinery strike called off, and more
05/16/13 06:46 PM ET OVERNIGHT ENERGY: New battles for EPA pick, Obama lauds climate consensus, and more
05/16/13 04:38 PM ET Obama administration unveils fracking rules
05/16/13 02:22 PM ET Hacker group Anonymous plans attack on oil-and-gas industry
05/16/13 11:42 AM ET EPA to review claims of bias against conservatives amid fight over IRS
05/16/13 06:22 AM ET News bites: Survey shows 97 percent of scientific papers agree on global warming
05/15/13 06:55 PM ET OVERNIGHT ENERGY: EPA showdown redux, Energy secretary vote arrives, and more
05/15/13 03:27 PM ET Top aide for Rep. Scalise lands at offshore oil and gas industry group
05/15/13 02:58 PM ET Dems warn sequester will lower federal oil and gas revenue
05/15/13 12:51 PM ET Major business group backs Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency plan
05/15/13 10:52 AM ET GAO: Feds should improve their help to local governments on climate change
05/15/13 08:03 AM ET News bites: Oil price probe, climate and politics in Alaska, and more
05/15/13 05:53 AM ET Report: Corruption, mismanagement plagues energy-rich nations
05/14/13 07:25 PM ET OVERNIGHT ENERGY: DOE, EPA nominees in focus
05/14/13 03:21 PM ET Reports: Turkey, ExxonMobil strike Iraqi oil deal
05/14/13 03:04 PM ET Senate energy chief seeks May floor action for efficiency bill
05/14/13 12:36 PM ET Bill calls for increased US oil production to displace Iranian oil
05/14/13 12:28 PM ET Acting DOE chief: US not backing down on Indian solar practices
05/14/13 11:57 AM ET Visiting Sweden, Kerry offers ‘regret’ that US hasn’t done more on climate
05/14/13 10:16 AM ET Report: Obama officials giving wind farms a pass on eagle deaths
05/14/13 08:07 AM ET News bites: Energy firm lays out shale oil potential in Texas formation
05/13/13 07:19 PM ET OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Senate panel gases up
05/13/13 02:28 PM ET Feds warn sequester cuts weakened readiness for wildfire season
05/13/13 01:01 PM ET Biofuel group taps new communications director
05/13/13 11:44 AM ET Hurricane Sandy forced third-most people from homes worldwide in 2012
05/13/13 11:19 AM ET UK’s Cameron wants ‘global standard’ on energy payments disclosure
05/13/13 09:28 AM ET The week ahead: Energy Dept. awaits new chief, an EPA showdown sequel, and more
05/13/13 07:29 AM ET News bites: Climate change and species loss, tumbling energy prices, and more
05/11/13 09:35 AM ET Electric car chief bails on Zuckerberg group after Keystone, drilling ads
05/10/13 07:48 PM ET Panel to try again on EPA nominee
05/10/13 02:00 PM ET White House outlines framework for managing Arctic
05/10/13 12:58 PM ET Carbon dioxide hits new high
05/10/13 10:30 AM ET Senate to vote on Energy secretary nomination
05/10/13 07:26 AM ET Pro-Obama group hits Boehner, GOP ‘tin foil hats’ on climate change
05/09/13 06:16 PM ET OVERNIGHT ENERGY: EPA nomination faces some hard math
05/09/13 05:27 PM ET Biden defends Obama’s climate change record
 
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