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A collection of companies and industry groups have asked to intervene in a lawsuit filed by seven Pennsylvania municipalities against recently passed shale legislation.

A majority of recently surveyed U.S. voters believe that increasing taxes on oil and natural gas producers, as well as restricting access to energy resources, will only contribute to the escalation in the price of gasoline, according to a new poll by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Xcel Energy’s Colorado combination utility recently announced decreases in its second quarter natural gas utility bills, along with a slight decrease for its electric utility bills. Xcel’s utility filed its gas cost adjustment and electric commodity adjustment with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission March 15, calling for gas bill decreases of 13-15% for residential and small business customers, compared to the second quarter last year. The yearly comparisons recognize the seasonal nature of gas use. Electric bills for the same residential and small business customers will decrease slightly less than 1% (0.7%) compared to the first quarter this year and up to 7% less than a year earlier. Residential customers using 40 therms paid 44.5 cent/therm last year in the second quarter ($33.83/month) and will pay 33.03 cents/therm this year in the second quarter ($29.27/month).

After getting a first hand look at hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale — and with a comprehensive study of the practice due out in her state later this spring — North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue on Wednesday said she believes fracking can be done safely.

Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) recently appointed George Jugovic Jr. president and CEO. Jugovic replaces Jan Jarrett, who resigned after 13 years with the statewide environmental organization. Jugovic previously served as a senior attorney for PennFuture. Before joining the organization, he served as the southwest regional director for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in Pittsburgh.

A pair of Maryland lawmakers have introduced a bill that would implement a 15% severance tax on the wholesale market value of natural gas produced in the state beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

Another link in the national natural gas highway was established recently when Seal Beach, CA-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. opened a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station in Seville, OH. The public station will support an expanding fleet of LNG trucks by Dillon Transport, a major contract freight carrier serving Owens Corning. The station is on property owned by Pilot Flying J Truck Travel Centers, a partner with Clean Energy in establishing the natural gas network for long-haul truck operators (see Daily GPI, Aug. 25, 2011). The Ohio LNG station received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the federal stimulus program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The station will support Dillon-operated trucks delivering raw materials to Owens Corning production plants that produce residential and commercial building materials.

California’s recently streamlined oil/gas drilling permits process has been achieved after warnings about the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) were stifled and two top state officials were fired by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to a front-page report in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA) Monday cut its estimate of the U.S. shale gas resource base almost in half, based on a dramatic drop in Marcellus Shale estimates.