The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers (TAEP) has launched a webinar series to help members stay informed about regulatory changes in the oil/natural gas patch. The webinars will be hosted by TAEP Executive Vice President John Tintera, former executive director of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), and Alliance RRC Committee Chair Brian Miller of Miller Consulting Inc., with logistical coordination/technical assistance by Alliance Public Affairs Consultant Katie Carmichael, said TAEP President Alex Mills. The first webinar is focused on recent changes to the RRC Groundwater Advisory Unit’s (GAU) certification process. The hosts explained new fees associated with the existing GAU Water Board Letters, with an emphasis on form requirements and compliance. For information, visit www.texasalliance.org.

The developers of a natural gas-fired power plant currently under construction in Northwest Ohio have filed a revised application with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to increase capacity to 960 MW from 799 MW. Project backers Ares Management LP, North American Project Development (NAPD) LLC and I-Square Capital filed an application to build the Oregon Clean Energy plant in May 2013 to produce 960 MW of electricity, but at the time developers were concerned about overloading the electric grid. Grid operator PJM Interconnection has determined that 960 MW is manageable, NAPD said. The facility, which is being built in Lucas County, is expected to be operational by 2017. The plant would be one of four newbuild or conversion power plants approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board that would use regionally produced gas to generate electricity.