Praising

Early reaction to the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission’s (MSAC) final report is mixed, with environmental groups praising some recommendations while criticizing omissions, industry promising cooperation and lawmakers offering a skeptical shrug.

President Bush, in a much-anticipated speech last Wednesday, laid out a plan to stop the growth of heat-trapping greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States by 2025.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned somewhat to the Republican fold Wednesday, praising President Bush for acknowledging that the nation and world have a climate change problem. But he reminded the president he has now also said the nation has a responsibility to do something to help fix the problem.

Environmentalists and energy industry advocates are generally praising a Roan Plateau plan by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, who Thursday called on federal officials to compromise in their plans for the northwestern landmark. Ritter wants to increase the federally protected lands around the Roan by 72%, but he also wants natural gas drillers to have access via narrow corridors.

Environmentalists and energy industry advocates are generally praising a Roan Plateau plan by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, who Thursday called on federal officials to compromise in their plans for the northwestern landmark. Ritter wants to increase the federally protected lands around the Roan by 72%, but he also wants natural gas drillers to have access via narrow corridors.

The American Public Gas Association (APGA) sent a letter to President Bush last week praising the recent introduction of a new roadless rule governing national forest access and management. APGA said the rule could provide access to 11-23 Tcf of natural gas that was previously off limits. However, some experts say it’s premature to expect all the states to suddenly throw open the gates to national forest land for gas drilling.

While praising its safety record and consistently high government ratings, President Bush wants tighter financial controls for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in place by Sept. 30 to reduce its burgeoning debt and improve its stature in the competitive electric marketplace.