Calgary Herald by Lauren Krugel. The CEO of Enbridge Inc. says he sees momentum shifting in favour of his company's controversial Northern Gateway
pipeline, with an agreement between Alberta and British Columbia on West Coast oil exports the latest encouraging sign. "We think it's quite positive, actually, that we're seeing some good collaboration between the provinces. I think it shows leadership by both of the premiers," Al Monaco told analysts and reporters on a conference call Wednesday.
Commentary: Yesterday, we spent a few minutes talking .JPG)
with visiting Congressman Doc Hastings, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee as he met with other Alaska friends and supporters in a downtown Anchorage restaurant. (NGP Photo in downtown Anchorage, 11-5-13)
Faithful NGP readers share our respect for this tireless advocate of responsible resource development in Alaska and throughout the country.
| We thank CONSUMER ENERGY ALLIANCE FOR THIS LINK TO yesterday's Huff Post Op-Ed (Politics) T. Boone Pickins said,
"The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was built more than 30 years ago, and at one time we were getting more than 2 million barrels a day out of it. Now that number has fallen almost 75 percent to about half a million barrels a day. … We both know that every barrel of oil that flows through the Alaskan Pipeline is one less barrel that we have to import. It's time to open up ANWR and get the oil going back through the Alaskan pipeline." We appreciate Pickins' common sense Op-Ed, but would only insert that, to date, Doc Hastings and the Alaska Congressional Delegation have not been successful in moving the Obama Administration toward support for ANWR, National Petroleum Reserve, OCS and other reasonable natural resource projects that could again fill the pipeline. Perhaps Pickins' significant voice in the public square will help. Thanks, Boone! -dh P.S. Obama's opposition to reasonable Alaska resource development is another reason it is so critical that Alaska reasonably develop resources on State lands. That is why it is so critical that all Alaskans join in opposition to next August's referendum that would repeal Alaska's oil production tax reform law. |
Just as the Federal administration has threatened America's reputation for maintaining the "rule of law", so has Hastings continually challenged the overreaching jurisdiction and improper uses of power for which this opaque Administration has become so widely known.
He has supported Alaska positions against Administration and environmental activism in multiple areas, including: improper Endangered Species Act designations of critical habitat, unbudgeted and overreaching activities associated with the Ocean Policy Executive Order, intimidation practices and anti-job policies designed to slow or block reasonable development and multiple use of federal lands (i.e. ANWR, NPR-A, OCS, etc.)
Hastings heard our local opinions on Secretary Sally Jewell's new Administration of the Department of the Interior. He expressed concern with the Administration's priorities after reading a transcript of her National Press Club presentation last week, followed by the President's newest Executive Order (See our report, here).
Yesterday, he also expressed his outrage at the way the federal government is heaping debt upon our children's generation. "We are at a critical time," he said. "The American people can no longer ignore the country's undisciplined spending."
Hastings said that he, "becomes highly agitated", when he hears the President talk about increased oil and gas production around the country when any increased production has occurred 1) on private and state lands, and 2) in spite of increased opposition to oil and gas development coming from the Administration and the environmental community. "The question I have," he said, "is, 'what happened to the independent news media in this country?'"
Toward the end of this informal meeting, wherein Hastings and supporters generally discussed the state of the nation, Hastings said, "What's at issue here is the freedom of our country. Citizens don't always realize that as they lose this little freedom and that little freedom, eventually they will experience a noticeable loss of freedom."
"We are losing the freedoms the country has afforded us and we need to regain our footing," he said.
"I want to believe that the resiliency of the American people will enable them to restore and maintain their freedoms," he concluded.
Today's Consumer Energy Alliance Energy Links:
Huffington Post: Open Up ANWR
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was built more than 30 years ago, and at one time we were getting more than 2 million barrels a day out of it. Now that number has fallen almost 75 percent to about half a million barrels a day. I'm all for getting it back up to 2 million, aren't you? We both know that every barrel of oil that flows through the Alaskan Pipeline is one less barrel that we have to import.
The Florida Current: Policy Note: Oil and Gas Production
The Consumer Energy Alliance-Florida held an "Energy 101" briefing on Nov. 5, 2013 at the Capitol on natural gas and hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking." Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Fort Myers, said news reports in 2012 about interest in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Southwest Florida led him to file legislation dealing with the issue. Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting large volumes of water, sand or other materials and specialized chemicals into wells under enough pressure to fracture the formations holding the oil or gas, according to the Congressional Research Service. Concerns have been raised about groundwater contamination and air pollution from fracking, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is studying the issue.
Colorado Statesman: EPA covers earth, wind, fire in Denver hearing
A storm of environmental issues blew through Colorado this week as the Environmental Protection Agency took comments in Denver on creating strong carbon pollution standards for power plants, while the state grappled with air quality violations, devastating fires and shrinking water resources.
Reuters: TransCanada begins work on Nederland-to-Houston pipeline
TransCanada Corp on Tuesday said it has begun construction on a 47.2 mile (76 km) pipeline lateral that will connect its Gulf Coast pipeline to refineries in the Houston, Texas area.
Daily Caller: Environmentalists regret blocking Keystone XL pipeline
After a summer of lackluster protests and the failure to gain wide-ranging public support for the campaign, prominent liberal columnist Jonathan Chait called the Keystone opposition a “huge environmentalist mistake,” arguing that the focus on the pipeline project came in 2011 after environmentalists had been dealt a defeat on cap-and-trade policies.
New York Times: Votes on Fracking Limits Show Mixed Results
The national debate over hydraulic fracturing and oil and gas drilling found its way to ballots on Tuesday in several communities in Ohio and Colorado, where voters considered proposals to ban or restrict fracking.
E & E News: Green alert flares after McCarthy's hometown comments on KXL, fracking
A Boston Globe reporter yesterday alarmed environmentalists with a preview of his interview with U.S. EPA chief Gina McCarthy that indicated she has an open attitude about the Keystone XL pipeline and hydraulic fracturing.
Associated Press: Ohio city defeats fracking ban again
Voters in Youngstown have rejected a fracking ban in the city for a second time this year. Opponents of the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — failed again in trying to ban it in the northeastern Ohio city. But they say they’ll be back for a third try next year.
CNN: The 'nuclear renaissance:' What went wrong?
For more than 30 years, Dan Dominguez helped operate the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station near San Diego. Now he's helping to button it up for good. Dominguez is one of nearly 600 people still working at the two-reactor plant, down from a work force of more than 1,500 when the plant was still running — "all solid, middle-class jobs," he said.
Denver Post: Sides square off over $900,000 spent on Colorado anti-fracking measures
Broomfield is too close to call. With 18,186 votes counted, 248 separate supporters and those opposed to the five-year moratorium on fracking. Opponents lead with 50.68 percent.
Coloradoan: Oil, gas industry mum on Election Day losses
As hydraulic fracturing moratoriums and one ban passed in Fort Collins, Boulder and Lafayette on Tuesday night, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association declined to talk about the result of elections it has spent more than half a million dollars campaigning against.
Broomfield Enterprise: Five-year fracking ban in Broomfield defeated by 13-vote margin
Broomfield voters narrowly said no to a five-year ban on fracking on Tuesday. In final unofficial election results, with nearly 20,733 ballots — or slightly more than 59 percent of registered voters — voters struck down Broomfield Question 300, which aimed to create a moratorium on all hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Broomfield. The margin of defeat was 13 votes — 10,253 for the ban, 10,266 against.
The Blade: B.G. residents vote against so-called citizen's bill of rights
Three-quarters of Bowling Green's voters cast their ballots against a proposed charter amendment to create a so-called citizen's bill of rights. The proposal was brought by activists opposed to hydraulic fracturing of bedrock, or fracking. It asserted city residents have a right to clean air, water, land, among other things – but was attacked by Mayor Dick Edwards and the local business community as being vague and potentially stifling to economic development.
Youngstown Vindicator: Youngstown voters reject anti-fracking amendment again
For the second time this year, Youngstown voters rejected a citizen-initiative charter amendment to ban fracking in the city. But supporters of the proposal that failed Tuesday and in the May primary said they’ll be back for a third time next year.
Broomfield Enterprise: Broomfield voters say no to five-year fracking ban
Broomfield voters said no to a five-year ban on fracking on Tuesday. In election results with nearly 18,186 ballots — or more than 52 percent of registered voters — tallied as of 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, voters struck down Broomfield Question 300, which aimed to create a moratorium on all hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Broomfield.
9 News: Fort Collins votes to extend fracking moratorium until 2018
Four Front Range communities voted on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and oil and gas restrictions.
Fort Collins voted to extend its fracking moratorium 5 years, until 2018. Fifty six percent voted for the moratorium and 44 percent voted against it. Boulder and Broomfield voted on essentially the same thing.
So far it appears the moratorium will also pass in Boulder by a wide margin.
The Hill: Iowa governor visits White House over renewable fuel rule
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) met with White House staffers last week to discuss an upcoming federal biofuel regulation. Branstad and two aides met with officials from the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)Wednesday, according to a record of the meeting recently posted on the OMB’s website.
Time: Six Things You Didn’t Know About the Texas Oil Boom
The energy revolution in the United States is transforming communities across the country, but the effect is felt nowhere more acutely than in Texas. No stranger to the oil business, Texans have seen boom times before as well as the busts that tend to follow close behind. Still, even with the accumulated experience of generations reliant on the local oil industry, Texans are in uncharted territory today.
Weirton Daily Times: Marcellus gas set to heat parts of Eastern Seaboard
About 1 million residents along the Eastern Seaboard will heat their homes with Marcellus shale natural gas drawn from northern West Virginia this winter, thanks to the Williams Energy Transco pipeline.
E & E News: BUSINESS: Consol chases gas liquids with Appalachia Big Coal assets behind it
Consol Energy Inc.'s geologists have added a shape, and perhaps a strange taste and texture, to the richest gas-bearing region in Ohio's Utica Shale formation. They call it "The Pickle."
E & E News: BARNETT SHALE: After dangerously high methane level detected, no reaction by EPA, Texas agency
On a late November day last year, two men pulled up in front of Shelly Perdue's home near Weatherford, Texas, in rented pickups. They were there to sample the water next to her home. The results, requested by U.S. EPA, showed the water had dangerously high levels of methane, the primary component of natural gas. But after that, nothing much happened.
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