** BP’s sprawling oil refinery in northwest Indiana has resumed normal operations more than six weeks after a power outage prompted the energy giant to temporarily shut down the complex and evacuate workers. ** The chief of the largest US producer of natural gas has warned that a lack of pipelines and storage facilities will trigger dramatic …
Category: Wind Energy
Wind farm moratorium considered in Lincoln County
Enel Green Power has run into more opposition for another of its wind farms. This time, the company’s Cedar Run Wind Project faces a possible moratorium on any wind farms in Lincoln County. County Commissioners have voiced their support for a moratorium and will officially decide next Tuesday in Chandler. Apex Clean Energy has …
Energy quick reads
** The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday finalized a rule that would ban using and importing cancer-causing asbestos, a material still used in some vehicles and in some industrial facilities in the U.S., the first chemical banned under a 2016 chemical safety law. * The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) will unveil final rules that …
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 …
Energy quick reads
** After coming under attack from both environmentalists and investors in the first half of his seven-year tenure at the helm of Exxon Mobil Corp., Darren Woods is on the offensive. ** Sacramento has taken proactive steps to accelerate the phasing out of dirty-fuel-powered vehicles in the city, announcing a plan to ban new gas stations. That …
Large law firms hired by Enel Green Power in fight to save wind turbines in Osage County
Ever since a Tulsa federal judge ruled against Enel Green Power and ordered it to remove 84 wind turbines built several years ago in Osage County, Enel has been racking up the legal bills. According to energy and political writer Robert Bryce, the wind energy company is fighting the judge’s order, a ruling that …
Energy quick reads
** Top oil executives and ministers descend on Houston this week for one of the world’s biggest energy conferences emboldened by blockbuster mergers, stable oil prices and less pressure for a large scale move to clean fuels. ** As U.S. sales of gas-electric hybrid vehicles surge and electric-vehicle sales cool, automakers and suppliers are betting …
Energy short reads
** A major environmental group has sued to challenge new rules issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requiring public companies to report climate-related risks, arguing they do not go far enough to protect investors. The Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the …
Energy quick reads
** U.S. power consumption will rise to record highs in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday. EIA projected power demand will rise to 4,099 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2024 and 4,128 billion kWh in 2025. ** U.S. energy firm CNX Resources said on Tuesday …
Energy quick reads
** A Texas appeals court recently declared an 1872 jobs agreement between Palestine, Texas, and Union Pacific to be unenforceable. The ruling moves Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) a step closer to its goal of closing a rail car shop in the east Texas town of 18,000. ** Enbridge Inc. concluded its acquisition of The East Ohio Gas Company …