Budget & Policy

GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 The journal Nature examined the viability carbon capture and storage technology in an article and accompanying editorial in its May 1 edition, concluding that numerous questions remain about CCS and its ability to be widely deployed. While the editorial—headlined “No Magic Fix for Carbon—expressed skepticism about the ability of CCS to fulfill […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is making up to $30 million available to help U.S. teams develop new detection systems for methane emissions associated with the production of oil and natural gas. The new MONITOR (Methane Observation Network with Innovative Technology to Obtain Reductions) program […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation May 1 that seeks to boost funding for the Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program’s in FY 2015, proposing an authorization of $435 million for coal research and development, an increase of more than $132 million over the Obama Administration’s $302.4 million request. “It […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 PITTSBURGH, Pa.—The question of to what degree new regulations can aid, or hamper, the development of new CCS technologies was a key point of discussion here this week at this year’s Annual CCUS conference. Former Wyoming Governor David Freudenthal said that a regulation which, instead of laying out an […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 Contrary to prior reports that the Kemper County Energy Facility was on schedule to begin full operations later this year, the company announced earlier this week that they will be pushing that date back to the first half of 2015. In the monthly Kemper County energy facility project status […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Clean Coal Julio Friedmann called this week for more investment into the development of new technologies to reduce GHG emissions. “For 10 years I’ve wanted to give this speech and say these words. Spend the money,” Friedmann said here at the 13th […]

Q&A’s Provide Insight into DOE’s Approach to University Consortium Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 5/2/2014 The Department of Energy this week issued a final Request for Proposals for Research and Development—Implementation and Support (RADIS) Services at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, surprising many potential bidders with a quick turnaround on the final RFP that was released […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 The Environmental Protection Agency earlier this week granted a draft Class VI underground injection well permit to the FutureGen Alliance for its carbon capture and storage project in Illinois, the first Class VI permit to be issued by the agency.  EPA will accept comments on the draft permits through May […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz faced questions about cuts to the Department of Energy’s fossil energy R&D budget request for FY 2015 and the commercial viability of carbon capture and sequestration technology at a hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee April 3. “At NETL, fossil energy research is […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 The cost of Mississippi Power’s Kemper County IGCC project has increased by another $177 million to $5.22 billion, according to the company’s April 2 filing with the Mississippi Public Utility Commission. The $177 million increase includes $152 million in construction costs and $25 million in start-up costs. “Additionally, management is […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory last week issued a Request for Information seeking potential opportunities for carbon-dioxide storage via enhanced oil recovery that may ultimately lead to competitively awarded funding for related projects. Specifically, the March 28 RFI seeks information on “opportunities and knowledge gaps that, if […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy’s appearance before House lawmakers this week took on familiar refrains, with Republicans repeatedly pressing McCarthy on the agency’s New Source Performance Standards that essentially mandate carbon capture for any new coal-fired power plant as well as on the agency’s plans for new regulations for […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 ExxonMobil is confident that none of its oil and gas reserves will become “stranded” due to current and future greenhouse gas emission reduction policies in the U.S. and abroad, the company said this week in a report on managing climate risk that was completed as part of an earlier agreement […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/4/2014 The Environmental Protection Agency will release a series of white papers this spring and solicit input from independent experts “on several potentially significant sources of methane in the oil and gas sector” to help inform whether additional regulations are needed, according to the Obama Administration’s March 28 methane reduction strategy. […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/28/2014 Additional clarification is needed from the Department of Energy on its draft Request for Proposals for Research and Development – Implementation and Support (RADIS) Services at the National Energy Technology Laboratory if there is to be adequate competition on the contract, potential bidders told GHG Monitor this week. The draft […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/28/2014 Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) introduced broad legislation this week aimed at accelerating the commercial deployment of carbon capture and sequestration through a combination of loan guarantees, tax credits, multi-year R&D funding and government-industry cost-share projects. The bill, the Advanced Clean Coal Technology for Our Nation (ACCTION) Act, “seeks to remedy […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/28/2014 Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy defended the EPA’s FY 2015 budget request in two hearings on Capitol Hill this week, highlighting the Obama Administration’s emphasis on combating climate change as lawmakers focused primarily on new water regulations and a employee scandal at the agency involving a senior manager posing […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/28/2014 Acting Department of Energy fossil energy chief Chris Smith faced few direct questions from House appropriators during a March 25 hearing on DOE’s applied energy budget request for FY 2015, though proposed cuts in the Department’s fossil energy request did come in for criticism from Republicans on the panel. “I […]

From staff reports GHG Monitor 3/28/2014 As the Environmental Protection Agency moves forward with a new rule for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants, one important question the agency faces is whether it will only examine options “inside the fence line”—those at the plant itself—or consider options that would be “outside the fence […]

A March 25 article in the magazine Wired sets out the case for coal and carbon capture and storage technology. “Many energy and climate researchers believe that CCS is vital to avoiding a climate catastrophe. Because it could allow the globe to keep burning its most abundant fuel source while drastically reducing carbon dioxide and soot, it may be more important—though much less publicized—than any renewable-energy technology for decades to come.”

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/25/2014 The Department of Energy this week released the long-awaited draft Request for Proposals for the Mission Execution and Strategic Analysis (MESA) contract at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, which combines three previously separate support contracts into a single small business set-aside contract. The draft RFP envisions a three-year contract with […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 4/25/2014 Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said this week that the Department of Energy expects to close loan guarantees on fossil, nuclear, renewable and efficiency projects this year, with a particular emphasis on fossil energy proposals submitted under an $8 billion loan guarantee solicitation earlier this year. “As we go forward […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 4/25/2014   IN THE STATES Environmental officials from 13 states, along with industry officials, met with representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week at an Energy-Producing States Summit held at Bismarck State College National Energy Center of Excellence in North Dakota. The meeting occurred as the EPA is […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 4/18/2014 Pennsylvania environmental regulators are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to give states greater flexibility when the EPA develops carbon dioxide regulations for existing power plants. This week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a white paper with suggestions for the Clean Air Act Section 111(d) proposal the […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 4/18/2014 Michigan companies conducting enhanced oil recovery will benefit from a lower severance rate under House Bill 4885, signed by Lt. Governor Brian Calley April 1 at Western Michigan University’s Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education. Under the bill, sponsored by state Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) EOR projects will […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 4/18/2014 The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a proposed Class VI Underground Injection Control permit for a carbon sequestration injection well in Decatur, Ill. The well, which would be operated by Archer Daniels Midland, would store carbon captured during the production of ethanol at the company’s facility […]

Abby L. Harvey GHG Monitor 4/18/2014 IN EPA The Environmental Protection Agency this week released five technical papers for peer review as part of the Obama Administration’s plans to reduce methane emissions. The five papers cover compressors, emissions from completions and ongoing production of hydraulically fractured oil wells, leaks, liquids unloading and pneumatic devices. The […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/21/2014 A broad array of industry groups and state officials have weighed in on the Environmental Protection Agency’s draft guidance for when operators must transition from Class II wells—in which CO2 is injected for the purpose of enhanced oil recovery—to Class VI wells—in which CO2 is injected for the purpose of […]

Martin Schneider GHG Monitor 3/21/2014 Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy Chris Smith will appear before House appropriators next week to discuss the FY 2015 budget request. Smith, whose nomination is pending in the Senate, will appear alongside DOE officials in charge of the nuclear, renewable energy and electricity delivery programs at the […]

Jeremy L. Dillon GHG Monitor 3/21/2014 The Natural Resources Defense Council’s proposed plan on how to cut carbon emissions from U.S. power plants can potentially achieve even greater reductions for a lesser cost than previously thought, according to the NRDC’s updated analysis released this week. The NRDC had originally proposed a plan in 2012 that […]