Requiring

A number of states that have laws requiring utilities to use renewable fuels to produce a specific amount of electricity are considering scaling back their mandates — or even repealing them altogether — given the prolific supply of natural gas that has caused prices to plunge.

A number of states that have laws requiring utilities to use renewable fuels to produce a specific amount of electricity are considering scaling back their mandates — or even repealing them altogether — given the prolific supply of natural gas that has caused prices to plunge.

Canada’s frontier shale drilling hot spot lived up to hopes for a new source of premium-grade oil, according to first results disclosed from 2012-2013 winter exploration in the central Mackenzie Valley region of the Northwest Territories.

A petition by Southern Natural Gas (SNG) pipeline to amend a stipulation and agreement requiring it to file a new rate case by the end of February has come under attack at FERC.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) settled a Clean Water Act (CWA) case for wetlands violations, requiring PDC Mountaineer (PDCM) to pay a penalty of $177,500 to resolve violations involving construction activities at Marcellus Shale gas extraction facilities in northern West Virginia. According to EPA, Bridgeport, WV-based PDCM failed to apply for necessary permits to discharge fill materials into wetlands or streams in Harrison County, WV. PDCM, which also agreed to restore and/or complete mitigation projects at four sites in the state pursuant to separate CWA orders, did not admit to violating the CWA. Earlier this month, PDC Energy reported that PDCM, a joint venture of PDC and Lime Rock Partners V LP, completed three horizontal Marcellus wells since mid-September. The wells were expected to be turned-in-line by year’s end, once a permit for a gathering line river crossing is received, PDC said.

Four trade associations last Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring publicly traded domestic oil and natural gas producers to disclose to the public commercially sensitive information that could put them at a major disadvantage with foreign-owned energy companies.

Four trade associations Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring publicly traded domestic oil and natural gas producers to disclose to the public commercially sensitive information that could put them at a major disadvantage with foreign-owned energy companies.

Natural gas groups Tuesday expressed their support for the Obama administration’s new standards requiring automakers to increase the average fuel efficiency of new cars and light-duty trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025, nearly double that of cars currently on the road.

Consolidated Edison Co. (Con Ed) of New York is projecting natural gas demand from utility conversions will grow 3.5% through 2017, requiring substantial new pipeline capacity to be up and running, according to the director of the utility’s gas supply.