Effort

Stung by strong customer and community criticism, San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Tuesday announced a five-part, multi-year effort to greatly strengthen the safety and reliability of its natural gas transmission pipeline system. Called Pipeline 2020, the program will augment initiatives implemented by the combination utility in the wake of the Sept. 9 pipeline explosion and fire that killed seven people in San Bruno, CA.

A $21 million effort among federal, state and industry sources was announced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on Wednesday to support the development of natural gas engines and vehicles.

A $21 million effort among federal, state and industry sources was announced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on Wednesday to support the development of natural gas engines and vehicles.

After nearly five months of effort, federal officials announced that the Macondo 252 well that spewed nearly five million bbl of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is officially dead.

Already winning state utility support and approval as a three-phase research effort, the 250 MW Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) project won an initial thumbs up from the California Energy Commission (CEC) staff in the first of a two-part preliminary assessment released the end of August. The project, which enjoys backing from some global energy giants, is slated for a site near the oil and gas fields of the southern end of California’s central valley near Bakersfield.

Already winning state utility support and approval as a three-phase research effort, a 250 MW Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) project won an initial thumbs up from the California Energy Commission (CEC) staff in the first of a two-part preliminary assessment released Tuesday. The project that enjoys backing from some global energy giants is slated for a site near the oil/gas fields of the southern end of California’s central valley near Bakersfield.

In an effort to prevent fires and explosions caused when natural gas is used to clean or purge gas pipes of debris, air or other substances, typically during facility construction and maintenance, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in a 4-1 vote last week approved a list of “urgent recommendations” for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and others.

In an effort to prevent fires and explosions caused when natural gas is used to clean or purge gas pipes of debris, air or other substances, typically during facility construction and maintenance, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) in a 4-1 vote Monday night approved a list of “urgent recommendations” for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and others. Among the recommendations is to require “the use of inherently safer alternatives such as air blows or pigging with air in lieu of flammable gas.”

The G-20 nations Sunday in Toronto pledged to continue with their effort to phase out subsidies for oil, natural gas and coal. But the agreement — like the one forged at the summit in Pittsburgh last year — lacks teeth because it doesn’t include a timetable for when the subsidies should be unwound (see Daily GPI, Sept. 28, 2009).