Passing

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Wednesday he will continue to take legal action against cities and counties that insist on passing bans on the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Longmont, CO, voters Tuesday approved a hotly contested ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within its jurisdiction, passing a ballot measure (Question 300) by a comfortable margin, according to reports.

While President Obama pledged to support domestic oil and natural gas development, he said he “will not let oil companies write this country’s energy plan.”

The Democrats’ national energy platform is heavy on clean energy, but it leaves the door open for the safe and responsible development of the nation’s “cheap, abundant natural gas” reserves.

Citing the the recent disclosure of a “crucify them” enforcement mentality of a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official and several agency missteps involving the use of hydraulic fracturing to develop unconventional gas, Congress Wednesday was called upon to exercise greater oversight over EPA’s regional officials and their activities.

The long and winding road to passing a drilling impact fee in Pennsylvania hit another pothole Wednesday when nine Republican state senators whose districts are outside the Marcellus shale signed a letter opposing restrictions on local zoning contained in the bill.

The long and winding road to passing a drilling impact fee in Pennsylvania hit another pothole Wednesday when nine Republican state senators whose districts are outside the Marcellus shale signed a letter opposing restrictions on local zoning contained in the bill.

With production and personnel almost completely restored in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) after Tropical Storm Lee’s passing and Tropical Storm Nate likely to steer clear of U.S. energy interests, traders on Friday put downward pressure on natural gas futures values. The October contract ended up dropping 6.5 cents on the day to close at $3.915, which is 4.3 cents higher than the previous week’s finish.

As Pennsylvania approaches a June 30 deadline for passing a state budget, its governor and lawmakers are debating whether or not to include a tax or fee on Marcellus Shale development in the fiscal document.