Imposed

Energy industry-supported legislation in Colorado, which would have imposed higher penalties for oil and natural gas operators that violated state regulations, was defeated Wednesday on the final day of the session for the General Assembly.

Legislation in Colorado that would have imposed higher penalties for oil and natural gas operators that violated state regulations — supported by the governor and the energy industry — went down in defeat Wednesday, the final day of the session.

Three bills that if enacted would place a moratorium on using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in drilling operations, as well as review oil and gas drilling practices, have advanced in the California legislature along partisan lines in a body dominated by Democrats.

Despite producing less wastewater per unit of natural gas produced compared with conventional wells, the enormity of the Marcellus Shale’s growth has increased total wastewater generated in the region by about 570% since 2004, “overwhelming current wastewater disposal infrastructure capacity,” according to a study by researchers at Duke and Kent State universities.

Confronted with the possibility of having to pay the largest penalty ever imposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for market manipultaion, Barclays Bank PLC Friday attempted to lay out its case that it had neither the intent nor the ability to manipulate prices in the wholesale electric power markets.

A legislator in the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Monday said the state Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) decision to withhold nearly $1 million in impact fee revenue from four townships amounted to extortion.

Citizens for Property Rights (CPR), a five-member group that opposes what members believe are too-strict restrictions on gas drilling imposed by the city of Southlake, TX, failed to get enough signatures on a petition to relax some of the rules. However, CRP Chairman Stephen Oren said the group will try again.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has delayed implementation of Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law, “due to an ambiguity with an injunction imposed by the state’s Commonwealth Court,” the PUC said late Thursday.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has delayed implementing Act 13, the state’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law, “due to an ambiguity with an injunction imposed by the state’s Commonwealth Court,” the PUC said Thursday.