** The ozone layer — the atmospheric shield that prevents harmful ultraviolet light from reaching the Earth’s surface — is on track to recover, United Nations (U.N.) scientists said on Monday. The U.N. said the ozone layer has shown recovery and will return to its 1980 levels over the next several decades. ** The Congressional Western …
Category: EPA
Energy headlines
** An alleged terror attack temporarily disables a 100 MW solar array in Nevada that provides power to 13 Las Vegas casinos. ** The U.S. Department of Energy has rejected the first batch of bids from oil companies to resupply a small amount of oil to the nation’s emergency crude oil stockpile in February, according to a …
Headlines of other energy stories
** U.S. natural gas futures plunged close to 11% to a one-year low on Thursday on a smaller-than-expected storage draw and forecasts for warmer-than-normal weather to continue into late January. That should keep heating demand low during what is usually the coldest part of the year and allow utilities to leave more gas in storage …
EPA backs off crackdown of oil producers in Permian Basin
The EPA apparently decided against a proposal to crack down on smog in the Permian Basin and it was called a “win” for oil producers in the region. Devon Energy is among those producers. The idea was not part of the EPA’s recent release of an agenda of planned regulations reported Bloomberg. Click here …
Other energy headlines
** The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied the proposed $2.6 billion acquisition of American Electric Power Co. Inc.’s Kentucky Power Co. unit by Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., saying the Ontario-based buyer hasn’t provided sufficient assurances that transmission rates will not climb as a result of the transaction. ** Republicans said they would do away …
Headlines of other stories
** President Joe Biden has named Willie Phillips, a Democrat, acting chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC said on Tuesday. Phillips joined the commission in December, 2021 after being appointed by Biden and approved by Congress. Phillips will be the first Black person to take the reigns at FERC. ** Two men were charged Tuesday …
Energy headlines
** The states hit hardest by blackouts in last week’s winter storm have significantly increased reliance on heating homes with electricity over the last decade, putting more strain on the power grid when temperatures plummet. ** General Motors has begun the long process of installing the 40,000 Level 2 charging stations it announced as part of …
Biden administration shows poor performance in environmental enforcement
As much as he is anti oil and gas and a proponent of green energy, President Biden’s administration hit a two decade low this year in Federal environmental enforcement. A new report by the Environmental Integrity Project said the 72 civil enforcement cases closed in court during the fiscal year that ended in September …
Headlines
** The National Weather Service has warned that a “reinforcing shot” of cold air from Canada could cause more snowfall across the Great Plains and Midwest this week, and the eastern half of the country would remain in a deep freeze. In Erie County — which includes Buffalo, N.Y. — the death toll jumped to …
Headlines of other energy stories
** Three power substation facilities were vandalized in Pierce County, Washington, on Christmas morning, knocking out power to more than 14,000 customers, authorities said. ** The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude ended last week’s rally up by 5.46%. Saudi Arabian stocks climbed on Sunday, the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI), inching 0.2% higher. The global …