June 5: Will Flaring Crackdown Mean Fracking Slowdown for N.D.?
North Dakota’s Industrial Commission, a three-member regulatory body chaired by State Governor Jack Dalrymple, penned new rules for the capture of natural gas released in the process of flaring. Energy companies will now be required to submit capture plans prior to being issued a permit for new well sites. Modified rules regarding existing wells are expected to be released July 1. Meanwhile, the state lacks natural gas processing infrastructure, and would require approximate $2 billion in investment to keep pace with current production. (Read More)
June 4: Governor Pat McCrory OK’s Fracking in N.C.
On Wednesday, Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed off as expected on a bill that will allow fracking in the state of North Carolina. While regulations are yet to be put into place, and landowners who will be directly impacted have expressed concerns, McCrory stated: “North Carolina has been sitting on the sidelines for this business for too long.” (Read More)
Watch the signing of the bill here:
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June 4: Shale Gas Lauded in UK as Boon to Economy and Environment
According to a report in UK Edition of The International Business Times, a research paper presented by the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford noted “a sharp reduction in coal production and imports in the US since 2007, when shale gas production took off,” and concluded, “A global shale gas boom could therefore indeed lead to a crowding out of most pollution energy sources, such as coal,” said the research. In the annual Queen’s Speech, Queen Elizabeth included shale gas expansion in her legislative agenda for the year. (Read More)
Watch the Queen’s speech here:
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June 2: Natural Gas Price Spike as EPA Pushes Plant Emission Regs
A Wall Street Journal articles states that “natural gas for July delivery is up 3.6 cents, or 0.8%, at $4.578 a million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange,” citing emerging details of a plan by the EPA to curtail power plant emissions. The new regulations are aimed at further reducing consumption of coal and its resulting carbon pollution in the US. (Read More)
June 2: Keystone Hits (Temporary?) Roadblock in Nebraska
A Morning Edition report on NPR recently focused on the debate over bringing the Keystone XL through the state of Nebraska. In April, the US State Department delayed a decision to move forward with the Keystone Pipeline until the Nebraska Supreme Court had time to rule on whether or not appropriate approval had been obtained. Pipeline opponents, knowing the hold is most likely only temporary, took the victory with a grain of salt. (Read More or Listen Here)
