Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday issued long-awaitedproposed rulesfor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for new power plants, leaving gas-fired plants mostly unaffected but making construction of new coal-fired plants problematic.

The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) wants to begin certifying producers in the Appalachian Basin that adhere to its standards by the end of the year.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told a Senate panel Thursday that the public comment period on the proposed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) rule would be extended by 60 days, giving producers, state regulators and environmentalists a total of 90 days to pore over the 171-page document.

The Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) at Colorado State University announced that it has created a new online database of energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states, “from solar to natural gas and everything in between.”

EQT Corp.’s decision to focus development operations in the Marcellus Shale appears to be paying off as the company reported Thursday that 1Q2013 production sales volumes increased by 47% over last year’s quarter and that production sales volumes from the Marcellus alone increased by 103%.

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance on Tuesday called on his colleagues to make the case for “smart” regulations and government collaboration to ensure the shale revolution is not suppressed by uninformed critics.

For California and other states that want to emulate its precedent-setting low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), some industry leaders are warning that there may be unintended environmental and economic consequences waiting around the bend.

For California and other states that want to emulate its precedent-setting low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), some industry leaders are warning there may be some unintended environmental and economic consequences waiting around the bend.

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) on Tuesday approved RRC staff-recommended revisions to proposed changes to commission rules governing casing, cementing, drilling and completion of wells; cathodic protection wells; and seismic holes and core holes. Changes were initially proposed in September in response to action by the Texas Legislature. The revised proposal for changes takes into account responses received by commission staff during a public comment period. The current 45-day public comment period will end at noon April 1. A public hearing is scheduled for 1:30 CST Feb. 21 at the RRC’s Austin office.