Political

A policy analyst for a conservative think tank in Ohio blasted Gov. John Kasich’s plans to levy new severance taxes for natural gas, accused the Obama administration of waging a “war on coal” that hurts the state and urged legislators to repeal renewable energy requirements.

Veteran broadcast journalist and anchor Ted Koppel threw the burning brand into an otherwise predictable ‘he-said (Republican) — she-said (Democrat)’ political debate at the Marcellus Shale Gas Insight conference Thursday, questioning the public benefit of exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Calgary-based Encana Corp. and Denver-based Bill Barrett Corp. are stirring up interest in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin, where they are working separately with area drillers to explore in the Mancos Shale.

Political and regulatory indicators point to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) giving the green light to pending applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to non-free trade agreement (FTA) nations by no later than early next year, according to Sempra Energy CEO Debra Reed.

Canada “is a nation built on energy, and energy is a key part of our economic and political reality,” so Canada should act to become a global “energy powerhouse,” said the non-profit Energy Policy Institute of Canada (EPIC), which on Thursday released a 151-page report laying out the conclusions of a two-year examination of the country’s energy issues and opportunities.

The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has outlined an initiative for wrestling with the growing mix of economic, political and environmental issues cropping up on public lands. BLM’s “Landscape Approach for Managing the Public Lands” initiative is to examine ecological conditions, patterns and management opportunities that may not be evident when managing smaller land areas, a BLM spokesperson said. This approach is designed to help the federal agency better manage the increasing demand for the use of public lands for recreation and energy development. BLM said its “landscape” approach will be a national program built on, connected to and supported by efforts in its field offices. The program was put together by a 12-member team consisting of managers from the Washington, DC, office, National Operations Center and state field offices in Alaska, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The program will focus on two components: rapid ecoregional assessments and ecoregional direction.

An investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) has revealed that a political assistant to New Brunswick’s energy minister asked the province’s electric utility, NB Power, to remove anti-shale signs from its utility poles last summer.

A progressive political advocacy group said the government of British Columbia (BC) should cap annual natural gas production and end subsidies to the industry over fears that it is expanding too rapidly at the expense of air, water and power resources.

California Gov. Jerry Brown is unleashing what may be a major political battle in the waning days of the state legislative session over whether to extend an energy surcharge that provides up to $400 million for research and development (R&D) in energy saving and alternative energy. Brown is trying to make the case that the $1-2 monthly charge on residential utility bills is a job-creating mechanism.