2012

Exporting liquefied domestic natural gas to world markets would generate a net benefit to the U.S. economy, and the more liquefied natural gas (LNG) that’s exported, the greater the benefit, according to a macroeconomic analysis of the impact of LNG exports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and released for public comment Wednesday.

Dow Chemical Co. officials on Monday said a comprehensive plan to connect U.S. operations with “cost-advantaged feedstocks” from abundant supplies of domestic shale gas is moving forward and is on track to deliver long-term competitive advantages for the worldwide operations.

With the right regulations and a “common market” among Canada, Mexico and the United States, North America could become the 21st century version of the Middle East for hydrocarbons, a panel of experts from the three nations said Monday at a Manhattan Institute forum.

With electricity generation becoming ever more dependent on natural gas, coordination between the two markets will continue to be a top priority and a series of other issues need to be resolved, according to panelists at the Energy Bar Association (EBA) Mid-Year conference in Washington, DC, Friday.

Two top energy lawmakers in the Senate confirmed last week that the long-awaited second part of a Department of Energy (DOE) report on the economic impact of exporting domestically produced natural gas will likely be released before the end of the year, and that the results will be favorable to gas exports. Congress was called on to express its support for gas exports.

Two power groups have called on FERC to reject ISO New England Inc.’s (ISO-NE) proposal to share real-time information on individual natural gas-fired power generators with interstate gas pipelines serving the region. The ISO has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve its proposal quickly to head off concerns about unreliable generation dispatch this winter in an increasingly gas-dependent region.

Two power groups have called on FERC to reject ISO New England Inc.’s (ISO-NE) proposal to share real-time information on individual natural gas-fired power generators with interstate gas pipelines serving the region. The ISO has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve its proposal quickly to head off concerns about unreliable generation dispatch this winter in an increasingly gas-dependent region.

An estimated 1 Tcf of natural gas has been found off the southeastern coast of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, according to a unit of BP plc.

The time may be right to push for a carbon tax, both to reduce emissions and to help stabilize the U.S. economy, according to policy wonks and academics. Whether the Obama administration or Congress, however, are ready to tackle sweeping climate change legislation again after a bill foundered in Congress two years ago is questionable.