California

U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico via West Texas are once again heading upward this year, according to analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Exports from West Texas “have grown steadily in recent years, doubling from 0.6 Bcf/d in 2019 to 1.2 Bcf/d in 2021 as more connecting pipelines in Central and Southwest…

Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request to the California Energy Commission (CEC) to shoot for more “ambitious” climate goals, the regulator last week adopted a planning goal to develop 25 GW of offshore wind by 2045.  In its latest report, Offshore Wind Energy Development off the California Coast, CEC said that the “preliminary planning goals are…

Amid the Golden State’s latest strike against oil and natural gas leasing, the state’s largest producer, California Resources Corp. (CRC), said it would launch a carbon capture, storage and sequestration (CCS) venture to curb 5 million metric tons/year (mmty). Last week, CRC disclosed a joint venture (JV) with Brookfield Renewable Partners LP, which contributed $500…

As parts of California face wildfires and the persistence of extreme dry conditions, PG&E Corp. estimates that around 90% of its wildfire risk has been mitigated by technology and program enhancements. CEO Patricia Poppe said during a second quarter conference call that new safety settings for lines and vegetation control have helped increase safety and…

California has reached a settlement with federal officials to cease leasing public land for natural gas and oil development in the central part of the state until potential risks are assessed. State Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta said the moratorium announced Monday followed years of legal challenges by environmental groups and state officials.  One lawsuit,…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week turned up the heat on climate change initiatives with a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in which he stressed state agencies to prepare for an energy transition that involves no new natural gas plants.  “The state’s draft carbon neutrality road map doesn’t go far enough or…

California commissioners last week approved a ruling that opens the door for programs that would allow utility customers to adjust their electricity use in response to price signals. In late June, the Energy Division (ED) of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recommended in a white paper that the commission take on policies that promote…

California regulators handed Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) a citation last week after the utility allegedly failed to promptly correct faults in its system used to prevent corrosion in natural gas infrastructure. In the first quarter of 2021, the San Francisco-based utility submitted an internal review to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Safety…

Additions in U.S. grid-scale energy storage during the first three months of the year outpaced the same period last year four times over, with a record 2,399 MWh brought online despite supply chain-related delays.  A recent report by consultancy Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association (ACP) found that residential, nonresidential and grid-scale storage…