Driven

Driven by carbon emission reduction and renewable energy goals, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber recently released a new 10-year energy plan for the state that calls for conservation and energy efficiency to take care of all increased energy demand during the period. Fossil fuel use is discouraged, and natural gas is virtually unmentioned in the 49-page document..

A final evaluation by Nebraska environmental officials is expected during early January regarding TransCanada Corp.’s alternative route for its proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid environmentally sensitive areas in the Sand Hills region of the state.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has accepted Avista Utilities’ long-term integrated resource plan (IRP) in which shale gas-driven low prices and abundant supplies dominant the next 20 years. Customer demand is projected to grow at slightly more than 1% during the period.

Economic contributions from unconventional development mostly are driven by the 16 states with oil and natural gas production, but a “significant portion” comes from states with no production, according to a state-by-state analysis by IHS Inc.

Economic contributions from unconventional development mostly are driven by the 16 states with oil and natural gas production, but a “significant portion” comes from states with no production, according to a state-by-state analysis by IHS Inc.

Economic contributions from unconventional development mostly are driven by the 16 states with oil and natural gas production, but a “significant portion” comes from states with no production, according to a state-by-state analysis by IHS Inc.

The University at Buffalo (UB) will close its Shale Resources and Society Institute (SRSI), which during its seven-month life issued a hydraulic fracturing (fracking) study that was the target of criticism from several areas, including some UB staff, university President Satish Tripathi said Monday.

Cash natural gas prices jumped more than 14 cents on average as weather-driven demand in the Northeast set off price increases that more than matched lower prices on the West Coast resulting from capacity constraints. Midcontinent prices rose and Rockies gains kept pace. December futures gained 6.3 cents to $3.617, and January added 7.0 cents to $3.748. December crude oil jumped a stout $3.06 to $88.71/bbl.

A report issued by American Clean Skies Foundation last Thursday projects that technology-driven changes in oil and gas production since 2007 will lead to annual employment gains of 835,000 to 1.6 million new jobs nationwide by 2017 — more than the entire U.S. auto manufacturing industry — and increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by $167 billion to $245 billion net.