West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Austin Caperton, who was appointed by newly-elected Democratic Gov. Jim Justice earlier this month, has fired the agency’s environmental advocate, Wendy Radcliff, and its communications director, Kelley Gillenwater. The Charleston Gazette-Mailreported the firings and said the plan to fill both positions is unclear. The move to fire Radcliff was reportedly met with criticism by the state’s environmental organizations. The Office of Environmental Advocate works as a liaison between the agency and the public to hold it accountable. Gillenwater had served as communications director for about three years and had earned a reputation for responsiveness among the news media. Prior to his appointment, Caperton worked as a consultant for the coal industry. He has asked agency personnel to submit cost-cutting ideas. The state faces a 2017-2018 budget deficit of about $400 million.
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Patrick French, 64, an advocate for the U.S. energy industry, died Saturday in Bethesda, MD. French was president of the Foundation for Energy Education and executive vice president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers (TAEP), which he joined in 2000 and helped to transform into a strong statewide network with members in 300 cities and 29 states. French was named an industry “legend” by Oil and Gas Investor Magazine in 2010. He wrote numerous articles and was a frequent energy industry commentator on television, with his efforts culminating in the ABC television pilot series, “The Hard Question,” which recently debuted in Dallas and Houston. French formed The Association Development Group in 1991 in Washington, DC, which worked with trade associations, including the Independent Petroleum Association of America. He also served on the board of directors of the Global Energy Management Institute at the University of Houston and on the board of directors of the National Corrosion Institute at Rice University.
Fracking Can Hurt Water Supply, Says Colorado NonProfit
Using Colorado as its example, a Boulder, CO-based nonprofit law and conservation group, added its two cents to the growing list of advocate-sponsored studies of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), concluding there are definite impacts on water supplies and the communities they serve from the widespread use of the oil/gas drilling technology.
Financial Players Hyping Prices for Gas-Fired Plants
One of the nation’s largest independent power generators and an avowed advocate of more natural gas-fired generation in the Northeast, Princeton, NJ-based NRG Energy Inc., will not buy any additional gas- or coal-fired facilities in the current over-heated market, according to CEO David Crane.
Financial Players Hyping Prices for Gas-Fired Plants
One of the nation’s largest independent power generators and an avowed advocate of more natural gas-fired generation in the Northeast, Princeton, NJ-based NRG Energy Inc., will not buy any additional gas- or coal-fired facilities in the current over-heated market, according to CEO David Crane.
Firm Corrects Fort Worth Air Monitoring Gaffe
An early report from an ongoing Fort Worth air quality study has been corrected to show that volatile organic compounds (VOC) detected at one of the monitored sites are much lower than stated more than two weeks ago.
Industry Loses Advocate as Murkowski Concedes Alaska GOP Primary
The oil and natural gas industry lost a strong advocate last Tuesday when incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) conceded Alaska’s Republican primary to Tea Party-backed candidate Joe Miller.
Murkowski Concedes Alaska’s GOP Primary to Tea Party Candidate
Although she gained some ground Tuesday during the counting of absentee and provisional ballots, incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — an advocate of the oil and natural gas industry — conceded Alaska’s Republican primary to Tea Party-backed candidate Joe Miller.
People
Jack N. Gerard, former president of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and a long-time advocate of expanded offshore drilling, was elected president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) by the board of directors last Monday, succeeding Red Cavaney, who will leave Oct. 31 after 30 years with the institute. The board also named Devon Energy CEO J. Larry Nichols chairman, making him the first CEO of an independent oil and natural gas company to hold that position at the API, which represents producers mostly on issues before Congress. Although he represented chemical companies as head of the ACC, Gerard has been deeply involved in energy issues — particularly as a critic of the ban on drilling in the federal Outer Continental Shelf and its impact on natural gas prices. Nichols co-founded Devon with his father and has been a director since 1971. He was named chairman of the board of directors in 2000, served as president of the company between 1976 and 2003, and has been CEO since 1980. Cavaney will join ConocoPhillips’ office in Washington, DC, as senior vice president of government and public affairs. At the ACC, Gerard has been succeeded by Cal Dooley, most recently CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association and a former congressman representing California.
Former Chemical Group President Elected to Head API
Jack N. Gerard, former president of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and a long-time advocate of expanded offshore drilling, was elected president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) by the board of directors Monday, succeeding Red Cavaney who will leave Oct. 31 after 30 years with the institute.
