Majors Face New Shareholder Climate Resolutions
An activist group is increasing the pressure on five big U.S. and European oil companies with shareholder resolutions urging them to meet the Paris climate goals and cut carbon emissions.Dutch group Follow This is targeting U.S. giants ExxonMobil, Chevron and their European rivals Royal Dutch Shell, BP and Equinor with climate resolutions ahead of next year's annual general meetings (AGMs) scheduled for the first half of 2020.Follow This owns minor…
San Diego Port Buys Eco-Friendly Fleet
The Port of San Diego in the US is planning to purchase seven vehicles for its work fleet that will run on renewable diesel fuel, in its efforts to act as an environmental champion of San Diego Bay.The Board of Port Commissioners approved a $700,000 agreement with 72 Hour LLC, DBA National Auto Fleet Group at its November 5, 2019 Board meeting.The emissions produced from renewable diesel do not result in a net increase of CO2 emissions because renewable…
NextDecade in Rio Grande LNG Site Lease Deal
US LNG export project developer NextDecade Corporation signed a lease agreement with the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) for its Rio Grande LNG project.The proposed $15 billion Rio Grande LNG export terminal and pipeline at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, was considered and approved during a meeting of the BND Board of Commissioners.The lease agreement, which covers an approximately 984-acre parcel of land in Cameron County, Texas, carries an initial term of thirty years…
Port of Amsterdam CEO Appointed Energy Commissioner
Port of Amsterdam CEO Koen Overtoom and ten other Amsterdam residents have been named Energy Commissioners by Platform 02025, a non-profit that aims to make Amsterdam a leader in clean energy.Amsterdam port said in a press release that the appointment was co-initiated by the National Energy Committee, which is headed by the National Energy Commissioner, Ruud Koornstra.Platform 02025 seeks to motivate and inspire Amsterdam residents to transition to clean, safe and natural energy by 2025.
ExxonMobil Shareholders Want GHG Reduction Goals
A number of institutional investors in ExxonMobil Corp have said they will file a shareholder resolution which calls on the world's largest oil company to set targets for lowering its greenhouse gas emissions.The call, led by the New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) and the Church Commissioners of England (CCE), comes in the wake of shareholder moves at other major energy firms seeking to make them more responsive to climate change and its impact on the business.The statement released on Sunday by the CCE asked Exxon to disclose, for the first time,
TransCanada Urges U.S. to Help Gas Pipeline Approvals
The United States should help the natural gas industry overcome environmental challenges to new pipeline projects by adjusting regulations or adopting new laws favoring infrastructure, an executive at TransCanada Corp said at a conference this week. Suppliers in the United States, the world's biggest natural gas producer, have had a harder time getting shipments to market as more environmental lawsuits by U.S. states, green groups and property owners have tied up pipeline construction.
MN Regulators Signal Support of Enbridge Pipeline
Three of five members of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission said on Thursday they support issuing a certificate of need for Enbridge Inc to rebuild its Line 3 oil pipeline, angering environmentalists but offering hope to Western Canadian oil producers. The two other commissioners did not explicitly say they would vote in favor of the certificate but approval appeared to be imminent. It was not yet clear what conditions would be placed on the approval or whether the commission would approve the pipeline route preferred by Enbridge.
Minnesota Regulators Question Enbridge Pipeline Expansion
Commissioners on a Minnesota regulatory board questioned crude oil demand for Enbridge Inc's Line 3 pipeline on whether work can proceed on a proposed expansion of the line. Enbridge wants to replace the aging 1,031 mile pipeline that runs from Alberta to Wisconsin, but approval is needed from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Bottlenecks in Alberta have steepened a price discount for its heavy crude this year. Line 3, placed into service in 1968, operates at half its capacity due to integrity concerns.
FERC Seeks Delay of Coal, Nuclear Rule
The new chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission late on Thursday requested a 30-day delay on a decision on a plan promoted by Energy Secretary Rick Perry to subsidize aging nuclear and coal-fired power plants. Kevin McIntyre, a Republican, wrote a letter to Perry proposing to extend the deadline for a decision on the so-called Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule. Perry in September had issued FERC a directive to consider the rule and decide on it by Dec. 11.
PHMSA Orders Further Keystone Analysis, Studies
A U.S. regulator's preliminary investigation into the biggest oil pipeline spill this year has raised a red flag that could trigger an extensive and costly inspection of tens of thousands of miles of underground energy lines. The 5,000-barrel leak on TransCanada Corp's Keystone pipeline on Nov. 16 in South Dakota might have stemmed from damage caused by a weight put in place when it was built in 2008, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a report published on Tuesday.
US Shale Eases Into Detente with OPEC as Supply Cut Extended
U.S. producers applauded Thursday's decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers led by Russia to extend output cuts until the end of 2018. Texas and North Dakota - the two largest U.S. shale-producing states - described it as a boon for their producers. Their appreciation was in contrast to a more combative style in recent years, when shale states seemed to relish openly bashing the group. "Now that it seems prices are looking to stabilise with this OPEC deal around $60 (per barrel)…
Keystone's Spill Assessment Scrutinized
TransCanada Corp's existing Keystone pipeline has leaked substantially more oil, and more often, in the United States than indicated in risk assessments the company provided to regulators before the project began operating in 2010, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. The Canadian company is now seeking to expand the pipeline system linking Alberta's oil fields to U.S. refineries with its proposed Keystone XL project, which has U.S. President Donald Trump's backing.
Plan to Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
U.S. industries that rarely agree - gas drillers and renewable energy producers - urged a federal agency on Monday to dump a government directive to prop up ageing nuclear and coal plants, saying the electricity grid was already reliable. The split in the energy industry showed that a Trump administration push to make the country energy "dominant" by boosting output from every part of the sector may face hurdles. A group of 20 organizations including…
EU Divided On New US Sanctions against Russia
European Commission preparations to retaliate against proposed new U.S. sanctions on Russia that could affect European firms are likely to face resistance within a bloc divided on how to deal with Moscow, diplomats, officials and experts say. A bill agreed by U.S. Senate and House leaders foresees fines for companies aiding Russia to build energy export pipelines. EU firms involved in Nord Stream 2, a 9.5 billion euro ($11.1 billion) project to carry Russian gas across the Baltic, are likely to be affected.
EU Proposes Shorter Extension of China Solar Duties
The European Commission has softened its proposal to extend anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese solar panels after opposition from a majority of EU countries, according to a document seen by Reuters. The Commission, which oversees EU trade policy, recommends limiting the extension of measures to 18 months, from an original 24, and making clear that this period represents a final phasing out of duties that have been in place since 2013. The proposal will be put to a meeting of the EU's 28 commissioners on Wednesday, a source said.
U.S. Natgas pipeline companies seek FERC decisions before Bay leaves
Three U.S. natural gas pipeline companies on Friday asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to move forward on their projects by Feb. 3, which is when one of the FERC commissioners will step down. Only one of the three companies, Nexus Gas Transmission, specifically said it was making the request for a certificate to build its pipeline because Norman Bay, the former FERC chairman, said he would step down at the end of next week.
EU Regulators Poised to Seek Deeper Cut in Energy Use
EU regulators are poised to propose a binding target to cut energy use by 30 percent by 2030, a more ambitious goal than previously discussed, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. The draft law, which the European Commission is expected to publish next month, is part of a set of proposals to implement 2030 goals on cutting emissions, increasing renewable energy use and preventing energy waste. A preliminary agreement was reached in October…
Long Beach Port : LEED 'Gold Status' for Conservation Efforts
Four structures at the Port of Long Beach’s newest marine terminal recently earned the coveted “gold” status in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which encourages the use of Earth-friendly features that save energy, conserve water and use recycled materials. Located at Long Beach Container Terminal’s new Pier E facility at Middle Harbor, the four buildings function as administrative offices and meeting space, an information technology center, and maintenance and operations structures.
Mexico Sets Its First Deepwater Gulf Oil Auction
Contract awards for Mexico's first-ever deepwater oil auction covering 10 potentially lucrative blocks are expected to take place on December 5, oil regulator CNH said on Friday, a tender that will test investor interest given a worldwide price slump. The 10 blocks are located in the country's territorial waters in the Gulf of Mexico. A formal vote to approve the date is expected to pass by a unanimous vote of CNH commissioners. (Reporting by David Alire Garcia)
North Dakota 'man camps' Face Eviction
Providers of temporary housing for North Dakota's oilfield workers are fighting a plan by the state's energy capital to evict their "man camps," fearing it could set an example for others and add to the sector's woes caused by a global commodity slump. Earlier this month, the Williston City Commission voted 3-2 in favor of an ordinance that would deny "man camps" occupancy permit extensions beyond July 2016. Should the ordinance pass in a final vote on Nov. 24, which appears likely, it would mark the first time since the U.S.
