Leader

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is drafting legislation for an impact fee on natural gas drillers in the state, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. Over the past week Corbett said he could support a fee for mitigating local impacts and some statewide issues, but not for unrestricted revenue.

The New York Assembly has overwhelmingly approved legislation to limit hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state’s portion of the Marcellus Shale, but whether the latest attempt to limit drilling will be approved in the state Senate remained a question on Tuesday.

Since the cessation of injections at two natural gas saltwater disposal wells in the Fayetteville Shale nearly two weeks ago, a swarm of earthquakes there that began last summer seems to have died down, a researcher said. However, it will be at least a few more weeks before any link between the wells and quakes might be seen, and with how much certainty remains unclear.

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.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on Thursday said the promised natural gas severance tax for Marcellus Shale production “clearly is dead,” blaming the General Assembly’s GOP members for refusing to “negotiate in good faith.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has signaled that a vote on energy legislation — largely focused on oil spill safety, natural gas vehicles, home energy retrofits and possibly a renewable electricity standard (RES) — will be delayed until after the November elections, but energy officials don’t expect to see an energy bill out of Congress this year and maybe not even next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has signaled that a vote on energy legislation — largely focused on oil spill safety, natural gas vehicles, home energy retrofits and possibly a renewable electricity standard (RES) — will be delayed until after the November elections, but energy officials don’t expect to see an energy bill out of Congress this year and maybe not even next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) decision last week to table consideration of competing Democratic and Republican energy/oil spill bills until the Senate returns in September came as no surprise, and in fact was a relief to the oil and natural gas industry.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has pulled the plug on plans to consider the competing Democratic and Republican energy/oil spill bills before Congress leaves for the August recess, pushing action to September.