Democratic

Republicans are trying to muster enough votes in the North Carolina House of Representatives to override Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s veto of an energy bill that would allow onshore hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and offshore natural gas drilling to proceed.

Two Democratic senators have taken the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to task for failing to capture the extent of proprietary trading by banks, an oversight that they claim will make it difficult for regulators and policy makers to implement restrictions on proprietary trading, including trading of energy commodities.

The North Carolina Senate voted to go against the wishes of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, overriding her veto of an energy bill that would open the door to offshore natural gas drilling.

Two Democratic senators have taken the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to task for failing to capture the extent of proprietary trading by banks, an oversight that they claim will make it difficult for regulators and policy makers to implement restrictions on proprietary trading, including trading of energy commodities.

The North Carolina Senate voted Wednesday to go against the wishes of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, overriding her veto of an energy bill that would open the door to offshore natural gas drilling.

Major producers last Thursday tried to ward off a Senate Democratic assault on the billions of dollars of federal oil and gas tax breaks that they currently receive (see NGI, May 9).

Just days after leaving office, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has signed on for two new positions that could allow him to keep a hand at the political table and a presence in the public forum.

A coalition of 48 House lawmakers led by Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Jared Polis (D-CO) have fired off a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar expressing their support for the department’s plans to require public disclosure of the chemicals that producers use in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process for development of shale gas.

Marcellus Shale operators — and drilling opponents — waiting for the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to issue proposed natural gas development rules should get their wish Thursday morning, officials said.