Overwhelmingly

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Thursday overwhelmingly voted out the nomination of Ernest J. Moniz to head up the Department of Energy (DOE) to the Senate floor.

The House Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a Republican-sponsored bill that would expand oil and natural leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf during 2012-2017. But the victory may be short-lived because it’s unlikely that the GOP plan, which was proposed as a replacement to the Obama administration’s slimmed-down OCS leasing plan, will be voted out of Congress.

The U.S. chemical industry “feels overwhelmingly upbeat” these days in part because of abundant, low-cost natural gas supplies from shale resources, but operators need to prepare for a big transformation of their businesses before chemical supply outstrips demand, according to a new report by KPMG LLP.

The Ohio House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of an energy bill that also creates new rules for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state. The bill is to be sent to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.

The House last week overwhelmingly passed legislation to exempt commercial end-users from margin requirements and ease regulations for affiliate transactions.

The House Monday overwhelmingly passed two bills that would exempt commercial end-users from margin requirements and ease regulations for affiliate transactions.

Based on a preliminary count of votes, El Paso Corp. shareholders have overwhelmingly voted in favor of a merger with Kinder Morgan Inc. About 70% of outstanding El Paso common shares were voted, and of these more than 95% were in favor of the merger. El Paso CEO Doug Foshee said closing is anticipated in the second quarter. The company plans to file a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission with the final voting results as soon as they are available. The deal is moving forward with the reluctant blessing of a Delaware business court judge who recently admonished Foshee and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. for “disturbing” behavior that led to the transaction (see NGI, March 5; Oct. 24, 2011).

Legislators in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill designed to entice companies to build an ethane cracker in the state by slashing the facility’s property taxes for its first 25 years.

The West Virginia legislature has overwhelmingly approved a landmark Marcellus Shale regulatory reform bill, but advocates for the shale gas industry, surface owners’ rights and the environment told NGI the bill isn’t all they had hoped for.