Practice

Two separate bills calling for a comprehensive study of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in North Carolina — a state where the practice is currently illegal — are expected to be sent to Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue this week.

Under increasing criticism from state and federal regulators, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) said it favors phasing out the practice of using historic operating pressures to establish the maximum allowable operating pressures (MAOP) for pipelines in heavily populated areas. The utility favors this change for pipelines in California and nationally.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected several potential sites across the country to study the effects of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) on drinking water and groundwater.

If the natural gas industry has its way, Gasland director Josh Fox won’t be “thanking the academy” for an Oscar on Feb. 27.

New York should proceed cautiously as it considers how to regulate hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in shale drilling operations, but the state shouldn’t wait for federal authorities to complete a lengthy review, the incoming Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) chief said Tuesday.

Rick Smead, a director in Navigant Consulting Inc.’s Energy Practice, co-authored the firm’s 2008 North American Natural Gas Supply Assessment, which was considered a breakthrough in recognizing the potential of unconventional natural gas supplies. However, many of the two-year-old supply assumptions already need to be updated because of remarkable advancements in technology, he said Wednesday.

An official with a major New York-based environmental advocacy group said he supports the practice of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in the production of shale gas, and believes it can be done safely, despite what critics claim.

The practice of running U.S. business fleet vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) continues to gain momentum as evidenced by the deals being announced on almost a weekly basis. The latest involves Clean Energy Fuels Corp. subsidiary BAF, which has received an order from Verizon to convert 501 new Ford E-250 Series vans to CNG power.

The practice of running U.S. business fleet vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) continues to gain momentum as evidenced by the deals being announced on almost a weekly basis. The latest involves Clean Energy Fuels Corp. subsidiary BAF, which has received an order from Verizon to convert 501 new Ford E-250 Series vans to CNG power.