** Drivers in the state of Washington are celebrating the official start of summer with an unwelcome sight: America’s most expensive gas prices. The average cost of regular gasoline in Washington state has jumped by 32 cents over the past month to $4.93 a gallon, according to AAA. That’s 7 cents ahead of California, which is notorious for …
Category: EPA
Exploring more politics of energy—Mitchell Talks Energy
The ever changing world of energy, whether it’s the politics of government decisions, crude oil production or the environment—-you never know what will be included in the weekly discussion by Scott Mitchell and his “Mitchell Talks Energy” program where he interviews Jerry Bohnen of Oklahoma Energy Today. This week? This week Scott and Jerry discuss …
Senators take on California’s engine ban and EPA as well
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin along with senators from Kansas and Nebraska contend California should not have the right to ban car engines that rely on fossil fuels and allow the EPA to grant waivers from an existing environmental law. He and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska are …
Headlines of other energy stories
** A government watchdog group filed an ethics complaint against Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on Tuesday morning, alleging he spread misinformation about climate change. In its complaint, Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) alleged that Kerry violated federal scientific integrity policy — which requires officials to communicate scientific information accurately based on the best available evidence …
Energy briefs
** Missouri regulators approve a $140 million rate increase for Ameren Missouri that environmental groups say will require the utility to report avoided costs if two coal plants shut down early. ** Four townships in an eastern Ohio county will hold public hearings this summer on whether to ban large-scale wind and solar projects. ** Eight Baltimore community organizations intend …
Cleanup still underway for site of $4 billion Panasonic EV plant in Kansas
While Kansas won the race with Oklahoma to land a $4 billion Panasonic EV battery manufacturing plant, it still has some environmental problems to confront—namely the cleanup of the more than 9,000 site that once was the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant in the eastern town of De Soto. It was announced recently by the …
Energy quick reads
** Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), the top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, called on the Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General to investigate Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm after she conceded to wrongly telling the committee she does not own individual stocks. ** The right-to-repair movement has suffered a setback in Massachusetts this week. The …
Biden puts the brakes on the anti-EPA vote by Congress
Trucking rules described by Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen as “draconian” were defended this week by President Biden who vetoed and put the brakes to a congressional effort to overturn them. In his veto message, the President defended the administration’s rule governing pollution from heavy-duty vehicles including trucks and buses. “The rule cuts pollution, boosts public …
Other energy reads
** U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday urged the world to be “very skeptical” about claims from oil and gas producers that emerging technology soon will allow people to adequately capture the climate-wrecking fumes emitted by their cars, planes and businesses. ** West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Carol Miller have teamed …
Other energy highlights
** U.S. oil producer Apache Corp on Friday said it was suspending drilling in the North Sea and reducing its British workforce because high taxes have made the operation less competitive. The unit of APA Corp did not say how many workers would be cut as a result of the move. ** The White House on Friday …