Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill recently giving state regulators authority over gathering lines. The law makes the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) the “state agent” of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a designation shared by the regulatory body in every natural gas producing state except Alaska. With the authority the PUC can now inspect and investigate pipelines that are not public utilities. Because the law only allows the PUC to enforce federal regulations, it does not give the agency oversight over pipelines in sparsely populated corners of the state, known as “Class I” gathering lines. But the law does allow the PUC to hire at least 12 additional inspectors to ease the increased workload, with the positions paid for by a combination of federal funds and industry fees.
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Pennsylvania Closer to Regulating Gathering Lines
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday to give state regulators oversight over gathering lines in the state.
PG&E Gets OK to Raise Some Pipeline Pressures
California regulators last Thursday gave Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) approval to begin lifting pressure restrictions on some major natural gas transmission pipelines in the wake of last year’s San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion.
Colorado, Texas Establish Frack Fluid Disclosure Rules
Last week regulators in Colorado and Texas established rules governing the disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluids used in their states.
PG&E Gets OK to Raise Some Pipeline Pressures
California regulators on Thursday gave Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) approval to begin lifting pressure restrictions on some major natural gas transmission pipelines in the wake of last year’s San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion.
California Regulators Push Efficiency, Utility Incentives
California regulators reiterated on Thursday their strong reliance on energy efficiency programs and the need to provide utility shareholder incentives to expand the efforts. In doing so they ignored calls from consumer advocates to end the rewards to shareholders.
Industry Brief
California-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp.’s compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kit manufacturer, BAF, has received clearance from California air quality regulators to sell its 2012 dedicated CNG Ford Motor Co. Transit Connect taxis in the state. The certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is effective immediately, according to Dallas-based BAF. In this case CNG is used in traditional gasoline internal combustion engines that BAF modifies to operate on natural gas (see Daily GPI, Sept. 27). As a Clean Energy subsidiary, BAF has been certified by Ford to convert standard Transit Connect taxis to run on CNG. BAF said it already has CARB authorizations for other 2012 utility and shuttle models, and it has federal Environmental Protection Agency authorization for CNG-powered versions of Ford vans, shuttles and pickup trucks.
Texas Regulators Adopt Barnett Shale Air Rules
Texas regulators Wednesday approved new air emissions rules affecting producers in the Barnett Shale of North Texas. Industry groups have said the rules are too strict, while environmentalists said they don’t go far enough.
New York Told to Get Fracking on Deficit
One day after New York regulators announced they would extend the comment deadline on a proposed rulemaking on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), former Gov. George Pataki urged officials to move forward to develop the Empire State’s portion of the Marcellus Shale, calling it “the right thing to do.”
PG&E Fined $38M for 2008 Pipeline Failure
Sending a message to the natural gas industry, California regulators on Thursday handed out the biggest penalty ever for a gas utility, increasing a penalty to $38 million against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) for a fatal distribution pipeline failure and explosion on Christmas Eve in 2008 in a Sacramento suburb.
