California

An oil spill offshore Southern California over the weekend has shut down some local beaches and a cleanup effort is ongoing. Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp. in a note Monday said subsidiary Beta Offshore notified the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on Saturday of an oil sheen about four miles off the coast. As of 8 a.m.…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 423 to accelerate the deployment of “firm zero-carbon resources” for electricity production. The bill was one of 24 signed Friday alongside a $15 billion spending package focused on climate and clean energy efforts, as well as wildfire and drought resiliency. SB 423 defines…

The Department of Energy (DOE) has approved a request by California’s electric grid operator to dispatch more than 200 MW of natural gas-fired generation capacity beyond currently permitted levels to compensate for projected shortfalls in power supply. In a letter Wednesday (Sept. 7) to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) Mark…

BP plc subsidiaries are set to expand their renewable natural gas (RNG) resources in a deal with a Gevo Inc. Iowa facility now under construction BP Canada Energy Marketing Corp. and BP Products North America Inc. would buy the RNG, produced from dairy farm cow manure, from Gevo NW Iowa RNG LLC. Earlier this month…

In a major step toward eventual electrification, the California Energy Commission (CEC) on Wednesday proposed limiting the use of natural gas in new and remodeled buildings beginning in 2023. The standards still need approval by the California Building Standards Commission, which is scheduled to take up the issue in December. “The impact of climate change…

The Eagle Ford Shale and Williston Basin led a surge in U.S. onshore drilling activity during the week ended Friday as the domestic rig count rose nine units to an even 500, according to the latest figures from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). Ten oil-directed rigs were added in the United States for the week, offsetting…

After another run toward $4.200/MMBtu last week, natural gas futures took a nosedive on Monday as long-range weather forecasts continued to cool while liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand remained well off recent highs. The September Nymex gas futures contract settled at $4.060, off 8.0 cents from Friday’s close. October dropped 7.9 cents to $4.075. Spot…

Natural gas futures traded both sides of the $4.00/MMBtu mark on Monday as bullish weather forecasts and persistently sagging storage levels quickly reversed the losses from late last week. The September Nymex gas futures contract hit a $4.042 intraday high but ultimately finished the day at $3.935, up only 2.1 cents from Friday’s close. Spot…

Facing new criminal charges for its alleged involvement in a massive 2020 wildfire, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) CEO Patti Poppe said the combination utility is making “profound changes,” such as burying its power lines to significantly lower the risks of future fires for both California and the company. Speaking on a 2Q2021 earnings…