30 item(s) were returned.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an arm of the Department of the Interior (DOI), last updated its hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) rules in 1988, before many current technologies and techniques were adopted. Now, after more than 20 years, BLM has released a set of proposed changes to the regulations, including a requirement for disclosure of the chemicals used in fracking on federal lands, and standards for gas well construction. Currently, most fracking occurs on private lands, and is subject only to state regulations. A recent report found that only 5% of active shale wells in the past decade were on… [more]
View InsightIn 2007, US EPA began using renewable identification numbers (RINs) to track fuel producer compliance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which calls for fuel blends to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuels. RINs quantify the biofuel, produced or imported, used in fuel blends. Fuel producers buy and sell them, and then submit them to demonstrate compliance. The complexity of RIN markets and RFS compliance has come under scrutiny lately, as several instances of fraud have emerged. In 2010, two small biofuel producers – Clean Green Fuel and Absolute Fuels – started selling fraudulent… [more]
View InsightAt the Methanol Policy Forum – held March 27, 2012 in Washington, DC – energy industry and policy experts convened to discuss the fuel’s potential as a transportation fuel. The Forum’s opening remarks were made by DOE Assistant Secretary David Sandalow, who offered that methanol offered advantages as a transportation fuel but also brings along some challenges. Among the advantages: “First, and perhaps most important, methanol is inexpensive to produce. At today’s low natural gas and high oil prices, methanol could help reduce fuel costs consumers pay at the pump. “Second, methanol is a liquid at room temperature. It doesn’t… [more]
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In a Yardeni Research blog post highlighted by an article in the New York Times, economist Ed Yardeni argued that rising oil prices “may actually be good for the best stocks and shares ISA market, up to a point.” This is due, in part, to energy sector companies like Chevron and Exxon making up more than 12% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization. Yardeni notes that since late 2008 there has been “a strong positive correlation between energy prices and the stock market.” If prices continue to rise, however, the odds of that positive effect lasting diminishes. “At some point,”… [more]
View Insight“Jobs, the Energy Sector, and Government” February 16th, 2012 Capitol Hill, Washington, DC Opening Remarks: WILLIAM SQUADRON, President, OurEnergyPolicy.org Speakers: KENNETH P. GREEN, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute JIGAR SHAH, CEO, Carbon War Room ROBERT H. TOPEL, Professor, Urban and Labor Economics, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago YOSSIE HOLLANDER (moderator), Founder and Chairman, OurEnergyPolicy.org MR. SQUADRON: Thank you all for coming. There’s still a few people outside coming in, in a little bit of a line, but we should get started, because I know all of you have busy schedules, and we appreciate your taking the… [more]
View InsightJ.C. Ward Jr. Professor of Nuclear Energy Engineering
Cornell University
The President said in his State of the Union Address, “And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.” He then talked about opening federal land for oil and gas exploration, implied that relying on foreign oil is not a good thing, and stated, “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.” Considering the President’s all-of-the-above platform, and the goals implicit in it, we’d be wise to evaluate our national relationship to oil. The U.S. currently produces around 7.6 million… [more]
View InsightNote: Synopsis adapted by OurEnergyPolicy.org from report summary. Synopsis intended solely for purposes of generating discussion. Alternative Fuels for Military Applications By James T. Bartis & Lawrence Van Bibber, RAND Corporation The U.S. military has expressed interest in being early users of alternative fuels in their tactical weapon systems. Doing so would supplement the services’ use of gasohol and biodiesel in administrative and other nondeployable vehicles. Each of the services has established programs geared toward reducing dependence on the use of fossil fuels in tactical weapon systems, such as aircraft, combat ships and vehicles, and supporting equipment. If the services… [more]
View InsightNote: Synopsis based on OurEnergyPolicy.org review of draft legislation as well as media summaries. Synopsis intended solely for purposes of generating discussion. Key provisions of H.R. 1687, the Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011 (as of May 5, 2011) Would require defined percentages of light-duty automobile manufacturer’s inventory to operate on nonpetroleum fuels in addition to, or instead of, petroleum-based fuels along the following timetables 50% of new vehicles in 2014 80% of new vehicles in 2016 95% of new vehicles in 2017 and each subsequent year Qualified vehicles would include passenger automobiles and light-duty motor vehicles which: operate solely… [more]
View InsightNote: Synopsis from Senator Lugar’s office. June 9, 2010—U.S. Senator Dick Lugar’s Practical Energy and Climate Plan, S.3464, prioritizes targeted policies that can bring real money and energy savings while providing flexible frameworks that encourage investment in a more secure energy future. Title I. Reducing Foreign Oil Dependence Vehicle efficiency standards for passenger vehicles (Sec 101). Currently, fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and trucks do not increase unless Congress or the Administration acts. This expectation will be reversed, providing long-term, predictable increases with annual 4% target CAFE improvements that are cost effective. Vehicle efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty… [more]
View Insight[Note: The statements below are intended solely to stimulate discussion among the Expert community, and do not represent the position of OurEnergyPolicy.org. Text in italics indicates clarification or expansion.] Critical policy recommendations mentioned above (Flex fuel GEM mandate, Alternative fuel infrastructure tax credit, and Government vehicle purchase mandate). We must solve the “chicken and egg” problem of the alcohol fuel market by forcing initial demand. Increase the blending mandate of ethanol in the gas that we currently buy to 15%. Mandate fuel blenders to buy any ethanol offered to them until they meet the 15% minimum. Cars can… [more]
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