Energy news in brief

** The House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources plans a hearing Tuesday, Sept. 22  entitled “Trump Administration Broken Promises on Renewable Energy.” It begins at 12 p.m. eastern time.

** Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. announced the completion of its reverse stock split and other business updates. Northern completed the previously announced 1-for-10 reverse split of its common stock.

** Recently released documents show a concerted effort a year ago by Pennsylvania officials to push Exxon to build a petrochemical plant south of Pittsburgh that was ultimately unsuccessful.

** Federal regulators reject opponents’ request for a rehearing on a Mountain Valley Pipeline extension into North Carolina.

** A West Virginia gas utility is abandoning service to dozens of rural households because no one wants to pay to replace aging pipes.

** Ultra Petroleum Corp., one of the largest oil and gas drillers in Wyoming emerged from bankruptcy on Sept. 16 as a private operator with the new moniker UP Energy. Faced with $2 billion in debt, the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May.

** Founder and Executive Chairman of Nikola Corp. Trevor Milton is stepping down from the electric-truck startup in light of allegations that he and his company made false statements to investors about the readiness of their technology and how much of it is proprietary. Stephen Girsky, who sits on the company’s board and formerly worked at General Motors Co., is planned to replace Milton, who has called the allegations false.

**  Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker walks off from a press conference after attendees chant for a moratorium on utility shutoffs.

** MidAmerican Energy is investigating why a wind turbine blade broke off and crashed into a nearby field in Iowa.

** Several Democratic attorneys general in the Midwest join in urging a federal appeals court to halt the Trump administration’s rollback of methane emission rules. 

**  An investigation finds that oil companies have for decades profited from inland spills linked to a controversial fracking technique by recovering and refining the oil.

** Climate change is emerging as a ballot issue in Colorado’s elections, with former Gov. John Hickenlooper favored to win the state’s senate race.

** Montana’s coal production is down 21% through the first seven months of this year due to declining consumption during the coronavirus pandemic.

** Residents of a Northern California city file a lawsuit aiming to stop PG&E’s plan to cut more than 260 trees as part of its wildfire mitigation efforts.