The Kansas Transportation Department is launching an experiment to switch from paying taxes at the fuel pumps to paying taxes on each mile driven by motorists. The state has asked for volunteers in a pilot program that begins in April. An alternative system where drivers are charged for miles driven will be studied. …
Energy quick reads
** The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) will unveil final rules that will significantly soften its proposal that would have slashed electric vehicles’ (EV) mileage ratings to meet government fuel economy requirements in 2027, sources said. ** Hertz, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a …
Head of world’s largest energy company says world needs to accept that oil will be around for a long time
As head of the world’s largest energy company, Amin Nasser says get over it….the “hard realities” that oil and natural gas will be around for a long time should be accepted by the world. Nasser is CEO of Saudi Aramco and carried his message this week to Houston where he spoke at the annual …
Study finds home values aren’t greatly harmed by nearby wind farms
One of the long-time complaints about wind farms is the harm it causes to the value of nearby homes. But a new study shows the harm isn’t as great as some have claimed. It’s only about 1%. The new nationwide study analyzed data from 300 million home sales and 60,000 wind turbines and found …
How crazy is this….people stood in line all night to be first customers at Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s
Crowds started gathering late Sunday night. Not to be first in line for a concert or a footbal game in Colorado. It was for Monday’s grand opening of the state’s first Buc-ee’s store, one located on I-25 north of Denver. Hard to believe, isn’t it? People stood in line all night long to …
Crude oil prices hit 4-month high while natural gas made a gain too
Monday’s trading brought a 2% gain for crude oil prices as they hit a four-month high following word of lower crude exports from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Plus, there were indications of stronger demand and economic growth in China, according to Reuters. West Texas Intermediate crude, considered the U.S. benchmark, went up $1.68 or 2.1% …
Senators repeat their call for Biden administration to end freeze on new LNG exports
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, joined Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jim Risch (R-ID) in sending a letter to President Biden’s Climate Envoy John Podesta, urging an “immediate reversal” of the Biden administration’s ban on new LNG exports. Specifically, the letter warns of the “dire …
Springfield looks into making improved natural gas from city landfill
The City of Springfield, Missouri recently launched an effort to improve its biogas production potential at a local sanitary landfill and Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant. Indications from Erick Roberts, assistant director of Environmental Services show the collected gas would go through an upgrading process to remove impurities and result in a natural gas quality. …
Biden’s war on fossil fuels hasn’t worked so far
Despite President Biden’s war on fossil fuels, the U.S. not only had increased crude oil production in 2023 but also record crude oil exports. The U.S. Energy Information Administration issued a report this week showing the U.S. crude oil exports were a record last year, averaging 4.1 million barrels a day. The amount was …
Colorado bill to ban oil and gas drilling could devastate state’s economy
While state lawmakers in Colorado push a bill to end oil and gas drilling in the state by 2030, researchers with one group say if it happens, it will pose a catastrophic threat to the state’s economy. It’s the contention of researchers at the Common Sense Institute after they studied the impact of Senate …