Officially

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins June 1, is likely to produce above-average numbers of tropical storms, according to a growing list of forecasters, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and MDA EarthSat Weather.

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins June 1, will produce above-normal numbers of tropical storms and is likely to be more damaging to the United States than the 2010 season, which produced a near-record number of storms but had little impact on the coastline and energy industry, according to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially begins in just two weeks, will be active but produce fewer tropical storms than previously expected, according to forecasters at MDA EarthSat Weather, who said warming waters in the Pacific Ocean will also keep a lid on summer temperatures.

California’s ambitious 33%-by-2020 renewable energy goal officially was passed by the legislature and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown last Tuesday, the latest attempt to codify the goal in state law. Backers of the measure (SB 2X), which passed the Assembly by a 59-19 vote, said Brown is expected to sign it into law.

The transition to spring may have officially occurred Sunday, and sources indicated that many people were enjoying the appropriate weather. But there seems to be some trouble getting Old Man Winter off the seasonal stage, as a significant winter storm bearing snow starts moving westward from the Plains into the Midwest as early as Tuesday. From there colder conditions will continue spreading through the Northeast and eventually the South.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which officially began Sunday, represents an “unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs — unless Congress steps in,” said Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the incoming chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) officially may be open to deepwater drillers but the offshore production industry is leery about returning to a region that has been forever changed, a Deloitte LLP executive said last week.

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) officially may be open to deepwater drillers but the offshore production industry is leery about returning to a region that has been forever changed, a Deloitte LLP executive said Thursday.

Fall may have officially begun a day earlier, but with parts of the Northeast joining the South and desert Southwest in conditions that felt more like summer, prices continued to rise at nearly all points Thursday. The cash market got an additional boost from Wednesday’s 4.7-cent gain by October futures, and a concern about the pending formation of a new tropical storm in the Caribbean likely played a role.