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October 23rd, 2012 Archives
Study: 20 million acres of federal oil, gas leases in Gulf of Mexico idle
By Steven Mufson, Published: October 22
Oil and natural gas companies are not exploring, developing or producing on more than 20 million acres of federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico, 40 percent of them owned by the five biggest private oil giants, according to a study by the office of Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
The study is the latest salvo in a politicized election year battle over whether the Obama administration should be blamed for what Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has called a slow pace of leasing or whether the oil industry owns more drilling leases than it can handle.
The study found that 131 oil and gas companies hold about 3,700 leases in the Gulf of Mexico that are not undergoing exploration, development or production.
To read the entire article go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/study-20-million-acres-of-federal-oil-gas-leases-in-gulf-of-mexico-idle/2012/10/22/d764031a-1c47-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story.html
Share This PostMystery in Gulf of Mexico: Why is oil leaking from Deepwater disaster site?
Oil identified as coming from the Macondo well, site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of 100 gallons per day. The Coast Guard is investigating.
By Mark Guarino, Staff writer / October 19, 2012
The sheen has varied in size since its detection. Samples taken to Coast Guard laboratories in Morgan City, La., and New London, Conn., concluded the oil originated from the Macondo well.
On Sunday, the Coast Guard dispatched remotely operated vehicles to collect oil samples from the underwater site. The agency reported on Wednesday it suspected the oil was leaking from a discarded containment dome, one of several technologies used to contain the original oil spill. The dome is located about 1,600 feet from the Macondo site.
In a statement, Capt. Duke Walker, on-scene coordinator for the Coast Guard, said the agency “is further evaluating what is believed to be seepage from the containment dome to determine how best to respond.” The Coast Guard is not yet specifying how the oil could be seeping from the dome or what may be causing it to do so now.
To read the entire article go to: http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2012/1019/Mystery-in-Gulf-of-Mexico-Why-is-oil-leaking-from-Deepwater-disaster-site
Share This PostAging Pipeline Poses Threat to Great Lakes, Report Says
By DAN FROSCH October 18, 2012, 6:27 pm
A report released on Thursday by the National Wildlife Federation questions the safety of a network of oil pipelines operated by Enbridge that run through the Great Lakes region.
The group contends that Enbridge’s pipelines in the area are especially susceptible to spills because of their age and the company’s recent history of accidents — creating a situation the environmental group said could be disastrous for the fragile ecosystems in Lake Michigan.
The report was prompted in part by Enbridge’s recent plans to expand its enormous Lakehead System of pipelines, which carry oil and other products from Canada to the United States. In particular, the environmental group focused on Enbridge’s Line 5, which cuts across the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron, and whose pumping capacity the company wants to increase by 50,000 barrels a day.
To read the entire article go to: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/aging-pipeline-poses-threat-to-great-lakes-report-says/
Share This PostFirst renewable project prepares to connect to Sunrise Powerlink
Carl Dombek | Oct 22, 2012
The Ocotillo Wind project, a 265-MW facility located about 25 miles west of El Centro, Calif., is close to becoming the first renewable energy project to connect to the recently completed Sunrise Powerlink.
To read the entire article go to: http://www.energybiz.com/article/12/10/first-renewable-project-prepares-connect-sunrise-powerlink-0&utm_medium=eNL&utm_campaign=EB_DAILY2&utm_term=Original-Member
Share This PostBillboards Urge L.A. Mayor to Up City’s Renewable Energy
by Chris Clarke on October 22, 2012 5:22 PM
Original source: http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/utilities/billboards-urge-los-angeles-mayor-to-up-citys-renewable-energy.html
Given the last renewable energy-related billboard that mentioned Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- a well-placed sign on the 10 near its entrance to the Coachella Valley slamming the mayor for his support of the proposed "Green Path North" transmission line -- you might expect him to be a little jumpy to hear there are new ones. But unlike the earlier billboards, which helped turn the tide against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's (LADWP) ill-advised transmission route through the unspoiled High Desert, this campaign is patting Villaraigosa on the back for LADWP's past accomplishments, and urging him on to new accomplishments.
The billboards, two in the Wilshire corridor at Wilton and La Brea, and one at Sepulveda and La Tijera, convey the Sierra Club and Los Angeles Business Council's appreciation for the mayor's efforts to break California's largest city of the coal habit, while creating green jobs in the process.
"The LADWP, working under Mayor Villaraigosa's goals to get our city off of coal by 2020, has taken major steps forward in just the past few weeks alone to prepare a switch to clean energy" said Evan Gillespie of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, in a press release.
"The expansion of renewable energy, which now includes a groundbreaking agreement to build a solar project on the Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation -- one of the first of its kind on Native American tribal land -- represents a major tipping point for Los Angeles."
Share This PostSiemens exits solar business
Will concentrate on wind and hydro
Bill Opalka | Oct 22, 2012
Siemens AG will exit the solar business and concentrate its renewable energy interests in wind and hydro, the company announced on Oct. 22.
To read the entire article go to: http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/12/10/siemens-exits-solar-business&utm_medium=eNL&utm_campaign=RB_DAILY2&utm_term=Original-Member
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