Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.
Government Shutdown: Atlantic Seismic Permitting Blocked by Judge
A federal court judge on Friday ruled that the federal government cannot process seismic testing permits for offshore oil drilling during the ongoing government shutdown, dealing a blow Trump administration's energy agenda.Judge Richard Gergel of the U.S. District Court in South Carolina issued the decision in response to a motion filed by a range of conservation and business groups and coastal cities opposed to the adminstration's efforts to expand U.S. offshore drilling.The Justice Department had sought a delay in the court proceedings arguing that it did not have the resources it needed to work on the case during the shutdown.Gergel said in his decision that he would grant the stay…
U.S. Oil Firms Restoring Operations in Storm-tossed Gulf of Mexico
Oil producers on Thursday were checking Gulf of Mexico production platforms and beginning to return crews to more than 90 offshore facilities evacuated this week as Hurricane Michael moved through the Gulf.Production shut-ins that temporarily halted 42 percent of Gulf oil output and nearly a third of natural gas production was restarting in some areas.BP Plc conducted its first flyovers on Wednesday to check the status of four platforms that were evacuated, said spokesman Jason Ryan.Restarting production can take several days. Producers lost about 1.7 million barrels of oil through Wednesday as a result of shut-ins and the figure is expected to rise.
U.S. Approves Williams' Atlantic Sunrise Natgas Pipe for Service
U.S. federal energy regulators on Thursday approved a request by Williams Cos Inc's Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co (Transco) unit to put the Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to South Carolina into service.The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in a filing approving the startup of the nearly $3 billion project that Transco has "adequately stabilized the areas disturbed by construction and that restoration is proceeding satisfactorily."Atlantic Sunrise is one of several pipelines designed to connect growing output in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins in Pennsylvania…
Williams to Put More of Atlantic Sunrise Natgas Pipe in Service
U.S. federal energy regulators on Tuesday approved Williams Cos Inc's request to put in service parts of its nearly $3 billion Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to South Carolina:* The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in a filing the new facilities will enable bi-directional flow on Williams' existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co (Transco) pipe.* The facilities will enable an additional 0.15 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of bi-directional gas flow through parts of Transco between Maryland to North Carolina.* Williams said it has already had some of the Atlantic Sunrise project in service since September…
Williams Wants More of Atlantic Sunrise Natgas Pipe in Service
Williams Cos Inc sought permission from U.S. energy regulators to put in service more of its nearly $3 billion Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, according to a filing made available on Monday:* Williams' Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co (Transco) unit filed with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday for permission to put in service about 0.15 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of capacity of the 1.7 bcfd project.* The company has had some of the project in service since September, enabling…
EPA Announces Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions
Preference given to fleets in areas facing air quality challenges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to modernize the nation’s diesel fleet by retrofitting or replacing vehicles with cleaner, more efficient diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $40 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds. “These grants will incentivize improvements to aging diesel fleets and improve air quality throughout the country,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
California to Ban Crude from Trump Offshore Drilling Plan
California will block the transport of petroleum from new offshore oil rigs through its state, officials told Reuters, a move meant to hobble the Trump administration’s effort to vastly expand drilling in U.S. federal waters. California's threat to deny pipeline permits for transporting oil from new leases off the Pacific Coast is the latest step by states trying to halt the biggest proposed expansion in decades of federal oil and gas leasing. Officials in Florida, North and South Carolina, Delaware and Washington, have also warned drilling could despoil beaches, harm wildlife and hurt lucrative tourism industries.
US Senators from 12 States Seek Offshore Drilling Exemptions like Florida's
Twenty-two Democratic U.S. senators from 12 states on Thursday joined the chorus of local representatives seeking exemptions from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's newly proposed offshore drilling plan, after his surprise move on Tuesday to shield Florida. Zinke surprised lawmakers, governors, and industry groups on Tuesday night by announcing that Florida would be removed from the Interior Department's proposal to open up over 90 percent of federal waters to oil and gas leasing. Zinke had met in Tallahasee with Republican Governor Rick Scott who told the Interior chief that drilling puts his state's coastal tourism economy at risk.
After Florida, more States Press US for Offshore Drilling Exemptions
Governors and other officials from several U.S. coastal states ramped up pressure on the Trump administration on Wednesday to exempt their waters from an offshore drilling plan, hours after the Interior Department granted Florida's request to opt out. The backlash could complicate President Donald Trump's efforts to expand oil and gas production offshore. A proposed leasing plan unveiled last week aims to open up all U.S. coasts to drillers over the next five years. Alaska and Maine are the only two U.S. states whose governors have expressed support for the plan.
Reassessing Alaska's Energy Frontier
Less than 80 miles from Prudhoe Bay, home to the giant oil fields that feed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, lies the site of USGS’ latest oil and gas assessment: the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and adjacent areas. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the NPR-A covers 22.8 million acres, more than the entire state of South Carolina. The new USGS assessment estimates 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources. This is a more than sixfold increase from the previous USGS estimates in the region, which include parts of the 2005 Central North Slope assessment and the 2010 NPR-A assessment.
Trump Aims to Open Nearly All US Offshore to Oil Drilling
The Trump administration on Thursday proposed opening nearly all U.S. offshore waters to oil and gas drilling, a move aimed at boosting domestic energy production that sparked protests from coastal states, environmentalists and the tourism industry. The effort to open previously off-limits acreage in the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans comes less than eight years after BP Plc's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - the largest in American history. The disaster caused billions of dollars in economic damage and led former President Barack Obama's to increase regulation of the industry.
Nuclear Newbuild Projects at Decade Low -Report
The number of nuclear newbuild projects worldwide has dropped to a decade low in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster and due to the rising cost of atomic energy, an industry report showed. From a high of 15 in 2010, the number of construction starts of nuclear reactors worldwide dropped to 10 in 2013, eight in 2015, three in 2016, and just one in the first half of 2017, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR). China, the most active builder of nuclear plants in the past decade, saw its newbuild activity slow from 10 in 2010 to six in 2015 and just two last year. "This may be the end of the Chinese exception," lead author Mycle Schneider told reporters in Paris.
Retail Gasoline Prices Surge in Harvey's Choppy Wake
Nearly a quarter of U.S. refining capacity out; Motiva down for two weeks; Corpus Christi starts to reopen. Retail U.S. gasoline prices hit two-year highs and global shipping routes were scrambled as the nation's largest refiners remained shut on Friday, even as Harvey was losing strength. Major fuel pipelines feeding the U.S. Northeast and Midwest have been either closed or severely curtailed, prompting shortages in some areas and dramatic spikes in wholesale prices. The storm has roiled global fuel markets and tankers carrying millions of barrels of fuel have been rerouted to the Americas to avert shortages. European refining margins hit a two-year high on a surge in exports.
VA Governor urges Trump to drop VA Offshore Drilling Plan
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe urged the Trump administration to exclude his state from a federal offshore oil and gas drilling plan, citing concerns about revenue sharing and environmental issues, in a letter that his office revealed on Thursday. McAuliffe, a Democrat, had previously said that any federal drilling plan that includes his state must include a revenue-sharing program. In the letter, dated Aug. 11 and sent to Kelly Hammerle, national program manager of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), McAuliffe said he could not trust President Donald Trump…
Green Power Law Impacting U.S. Utilities
In the last four years, North Carolina has become the second largest solar market in the United States, behind only California. It has installed more solar energy than Texas, which has nearly three times the population; more than Arizona, which has twice as many sunny days; and more than New York, which has far more aggressive renewable energy targets. North Carolina’s solar boom is rooted in a federal law enacted four decades ago – one that has only recently had much impact. The law is now emerging as a boon for many solar developers in select states, but a nuisance to many power companies, including North Carolina’s top utility, Duke Energy Corp .
Dakota Denial Dampens U.S. Pipeline Outlook
The U.S. Army's denial of an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline, after permitting and legal obligations were followed, sets an uncertain precedent for new projects despite President-elect Donald Trump's promise to support energy infrastructure. The decision came after months of protests by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and others who said the line could desecrate tribal grounds, or a spill could contaminate drinking water. While most of the 1,172-mile (1,885-km) pipeline is complete, Energy Transfer Partners, the line's owner, needed an easement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to drill under Lake Oahe.
Fuel Crunch Looms, Terminals in Path as Hurricane Matthew Nears US
The Southeast United States is expected to be hit with fuel shortages in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, as the storm barrels toward one of the largest energy-consuming regions in the country. Some states are already experiencing supply constraints as motorists fill up tanks as an emergency precaution. The region is not known for energy production, but there are significant storage facilities directly in the path of the storm that have already been evacuated. Roads in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina were jammed on Thursday, while gas stations and food stores ran out of supplies as the Category 4 hurricane…
Southern, KMI finalize Southern Natural Gas Pipeline venture
Southern Company and Kinder Morgan, Inc. today announced the closing of their natural gas pipeline venture through Southern Company’s acquisition of a 50 percent equity interest in the Southern Natural Gas (SNG) pipeline system through a subsidiary of Southern Company Gas. As previously announced, Kinder Morgan will continue to operate the system and the companies are pursuing specific growth opportunities to develop additional natural gas infrastructure for the strategic venture. Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest natural gas consumers and distributors…
