Climate Change

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $11.5 million in funding for 12 research projects as part of Phase One of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) FLExible Carbon Capture and Storage (FLECCS) program.  To adapt to conditions in an environment with high variable renewable energy (VRE), FLECCS projects awarded funding are to develop…

The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Wednesday announced a final rule updating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, a controversial move designed to limit reviews of proposed infrastructure projects, including natural gas and oil pipelines. The final rule would modernize environmental reviews, streamline infrastructure approvals and “reverse years of burdensome overregulation…

Looking for ways to lower emissions and improve energy technologies will continue under a renewed collaboration by ExxonMobil and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. The new five-year agreement, which builds on ExxonMobil’s participation beginning in 2015 in Princeton’s E-filliates Partnership, aims to help accelerate research, development and deployment of technologies that…

Dominion Energy closed out the holiday weekend with two bombshell announcements, disclosing Sunday that it is selling its natural gas transmission and storage assets to an affiliate of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in a transaction valued at $9.7 billion. It also has decided, along with joint-venture partner Duke Energy, to cancel the 600-mile, 1.5…

Oil and natural gas exploration will play an essential role in meeting global energy demand through at least 2040, even if human-induced global warming is kept under 2 C, according to a recent analysis by Wood Mackenzie. “Only about half the supply needed to 2040 is guaranteed from fields already onstream,” said Wood Mackenzie’s Andrew…

Dow Inc. has outlined a series of initiatives in order to combat plastic waste and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In its recently issued 2019 Sustainability Report, Michigan-based Dow said that by 2030, it would reduce its net annual carbon emissions by 5 million metric tons (mmt), or 15% from its 2020 baseline. Additionally, the…

A recent publication from the Pew Research Center reveals that while a majority of American adults acknowledge the effects of climate change in their communities and believe the federal government does too little to reduce its consequences, an even greater majority (79%) say developing alternative energy sources should take precedence over other issues for the…

Minnesota Attorney General (AG) Keith Ellison on Wednesday sought to prevent ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and three Koch Industries entities from continuing “deceptive practices” regarding climate change.  In the complaint filed in Ramsey County, Ellison said he is seeking to hold the companies and API “accountable for perpetuating fraud against Minnesotans” regarding “claims…

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Monday introduced a multi-year regulatory effort to promote more low- and zero-emission vehicle sales, including natural gas vehicles (NGV) and the use of renewable natural gas (RNG).  New regulations, targeted for 2024, would be part of the “Clean Cars Nevada,” involving the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and Department…