New York Times op-ed columnist Joe Nocera’s piece on the “poisoned” politics of the Keystone XL pipeline decision is a must read. Better get to it right away, before some of the folks posting comments to  Nocera’s column descend on the Gray Lady with pitchforks and battle axes, demanding that the article be pulled down. Nocera:

Surely, though, what the Keystone decision really represents is the way our poisoned politics damages the country. Environmental concerns notwithstanding, America will be using oil — and lots of it — for the foreseeable future. It is the fundamental means by which we transport ourselves, whether by air, car or truck.

Nocera’s point about oil (and natural gas) is spot on. According to the Energy Information Administration, oil and gas will supply most of ou... more »

With the Keystone XL pipeline back on President Obama’s to-do list, let’s hope he does the right thing and approves this shovel-ready project – to create thousands of jobs and help make America more energy secure, which most Americans support.

Recent legislation extending the payroll tax cut, which the president signed, also requires him to decide on the Keystone XL within 60 days. He should say yes. Previous objections to the pipeline’s path through Nebraska are being worked out, and Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman is onboard. All that’s needed is a green light from the White House to bring good-paying jobs to Americans.

Amazingly, not everyone supports the creation of more U.S. jobs and greater energy security from the Canadian oil sands crude that would come to the U.S. through the Ke... more »

We have received lots of questions about the draft EPA report yesterday regarding hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming.  We're looking at the report and will follow it throughout the review process, but for now we note the report is raising a number of questions. Most of the concerns so far focus on the scientific methodology behind the report. 

The Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) points out:

1. EPA's monitoring wells were drilled into gas bearing zones (~900 ft and ~700ft) so the fact that methane, benzene and other hydrocarbons were detected at high levels is not surprising.

2. After several rounds of testing of private domestic water wells, only one organic compound was found to exceed State or Federal Drinking Water standards.  Th... more »

On EPA's proposal to regulate emissions from oil and natural gas drilling, API's Howard Feldman, director of regulatory and scientific affairs, has suggestions including:

• Take more time - Four months isn't long enough to consider sweeping rules that Feldman says would affect hundreds of thousands of natural gas development operations.
• Longer time frame for implementation - Once regulations are finalized, industry will need years to manufacture the equipment needed for compliance and to train operators to use it. "The equipment prescribed to conduct reduced emission well completions will simply not be available in time to comply with the current final rule schedule," Feldman says.
• Improved cost analysis - EPA's analysis uses a model that doesn't represent all the equipment and compliance c... more »

The Energy Department's natural gas/hydraulic fracturing subcommittee is out with its draft report. Here's the takeaway line from the document's executive summary:

"The Subcommittee shares the prevailing view that the risk of fracturing fluid leakage into drinking water sources through fractures made in deep shale reservoirs is remote."

Certainly, the panel had lots to say about standards and practices, protecting the air, surface wastewater containment, transparency and safety - all important - but the sense here is that Americans' chief concern is whether "fracking" threatens their drinking water. Indeed, that's the main claim of people who oppose natural gas as a breakthrough energy source, as well as the technique that has revolutionized its development.

The subcommittee's conclusion:... more »