Critic

Commissioner Scott O’Malia of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a frequent critic of the agency’s Dodd-Frank actions, last week said many of the rules approved by the agency so far are “unnecessarily complicated, confusing and, in some cases, redundant.”

The controversy over hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the production of shale gas was a key issue in a congressional race in upstate New York. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), a vocal critic of fracking who is seeking his 10th two-year term, was leading George Phillips, a Republican from Broome County, NY, who supports shale development and state regulation of fracking, by 90,412 to 82,292, or 52.4% to 47.5% on election night, but Phillips refused to concede as of Friday, the Daily Freeman reported. Phillips said he was awaiting the outcome of 12,600 absentee votes that remain to be counted. Fracking was an issue in House races in Pennsylvania and in Texas, but the race in New York was “the most contentious one,” said Phillips spokesman Jazz Shaw. Fracking, which is used to stimulate many shale wells, is a process in which fluids are injected at high pressure into underground rock formations to fracture the rock and increase the flow of fossil fuels. “The public made [fracking] an issue” in the congressional race, Shaw said.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a frequent critic of FERC’s handling of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, has asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to review and revoke the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent order extending until 2011 ConocoPhillips’ and Marathon Oil Corp.’s permit to export LNG from the Kenai terminal in Alaska.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a frequent critic of FERC’s handling of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, has asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to review and revoke the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent order extending until 2011 ConocoPhillips’ and Marathon Oil Corp.’s permit to export LNG from the Kenai terminal in Alaska.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), an avid critic of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has placed holds on three nominations to the five-member agency.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a vocal critic of FERC’s handling of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, last Monday called on the agency to refrain from taking any action on Bradwood Landing LLC’s proposed LNG terminal in the Pacific Northwest and associated pipeline facilities until critical environmental and economic issues have had an opportunity to be vetted in a public meeting.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), a vocal critic of FERC’s handling of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, has called on the agency to refrain from taking any action on Bradwood Landing LLC’s proposed LNG terminal in the Pacific Northwest and associated pipeline facilities until critical environmental and economic issues have had an opportunity to be vetted in a public meeting.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), an avid critic of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), has placed holds on three nominations to the five-member agency.

The toughest aboriginal critic of Canada’s arctic natural gas development as well as the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline has signaled no quarter will be given in the marathon battle over benefits that slowed the project down to a glacial pace.