Economy

Pennsylvania is growing more slowly than the rest of the nation, but the expansion of Marcellus Shale natural gas operations will provide significant opportunities to the state in coming years, according to a report issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

Emphasizing education and his state’s economy, Oregon’s new governor last week offered an inaugural address that was devoid of any clues as to how he will treat energy issues in a state buffeted by high unemployment and a $3.5 billion budget deficit. However, a spokesperson in the state energy department said Gov. John Kitzhaber has indicated that he wants to focus on energy efficiency, biomass and long-term energy planning.

Three experienced state energy officials were selected by Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Tom Corbett on Tuesday to helm the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and another was tapped as the state’s first Energy Executive.

Emphasizing education and his state’s economy, Oregon’s new governor on Monday offered an inaugural address that was devoid of any clues as to how he will treat energy issues in a state buffeted by high unemployment and a $3.5 billion budget deficit. However, a spokesperson in the state energy department said Gov. John Kitzhaber has indicated that he wants to focus on energy efficiency, biomass and long-term energy planning.

After growth of 2.4% in 2010, Nova Scotia will see its economy slow in the coming year, according to the Provincial Monitor report by BMO Capital Markets Economics. However, future exports of natural gas are a bright spot on the horizon.

For the first time since the economy turned sour in mid-2008, Canadian natural gas exporters have chalked up a month of across-the-board gains in sales volumes, prices and revenues.

For the first time since the economy turned sour in mid-2008, Canadian natural gas exporters have chalked up a month of across-the-board gains in sales volumes, prices and revenues.

More than 242,000 acres in the Vermillion Basin region of northwestern Colorado, considered to hold huge amounts of natural gas, would be off limits to drillers under a proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP), the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said last week.

In a coal-dependent state whose economy depends on energy exports, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert last Tuesday rolled out a framework for a statewide energy initiative that he hopes will include coal, renewables and various alternatives.