In March, RENEW Northeast and the American Clean Power Association (ACPA) filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) asking the agency to find that ISO New England market rules “provide undue preference to natural gas only resources” and to direct the grid operator to fix its ruled to end that preference.
Topics: Solar, natural gas, renewable energy, ferc, offshore wind
Topics: natural gas, EPA, Carbon Emissions, clean air act, power plant emissions, coal, obama
A Harvard University study has concluded that 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas escapes the aging pipelines in Boston - an amount that means we're losing $90 MILLION dollars worth of natural gas through leakage annually.
The problem with leakage, outside of the obvious environmental and health concerns, as well as the fact that consumers bear the cost of the leakage, is that this leakage is responsible for almost all of the methane emissions given off by the city. As we've discussed previously, methane has a 25 times larger impact on the environment than carbon, and for that reason it's been the focus of new proposed regulations from the Administration and the EPA.
Topics: natural gas, EPA Mandate, Fracking, methane
The most recent AltWheels Fleet Day in Norwood was once again a great success. We've been part of AltWheels from the beginning, back when biodiesel was a niche product and who had ever even heard of ethanol gasoline?
Topics: natural gas, Biodiesel, Ethanol, environment, altwheels, electric vehicles
The EIA is projecting lower heating bills for consumers this winter - especially if you use propane or oilheat versus Natural Gas.
Topics: natural gas, EIA, national grid, propane, heating oil
Topics: natural gas, Utility Rates, algonquin pipeline, tennessee pipeline, national grid, electricity rates
We talked before about the White House's proposed new regulations on Methane emissions, which came on the heels of the Administration supporting increased natural gas exports in response to the Russia/Ukraine debacle. Well the EPA whitepapers have come out now outlining proposed changes on each of the industries involved - you can check those out here: EPA Methane Whitepapers
The Admin proposed changes cite the Agricultural sector as the largest methane producer, followed by Nat Gas. The difference however, is changes proposed for Agriculture are "voluntary" versus regulatory changes for the Nat Gas sector. As usual, environmental groups cheered and said too little too late, while the industry said given it's in their financial best interest to control leakage (their main source of environmental methane), new regulations are an uneccessary burden.
As we said before, it's hard not to infer from the timing that increasing regulations on methane is at least in part due to environmental and consumer backlash on exports over environmental and supply/pricing concerns. However, given that exporting should increase revenue greatly for the industry it's a pretty savvy time to introduce regulations that may be costly.
On the consumer side, news has been breaking recently on the number of gas leaks in communities. In the wake of several explosions, there has been some digging into just how big a problem neighborhood leaks may be, and the news is not good. Some estimates (including a Boston University Study) peg the number of neighborhood leaks in the City of Boston alone at over 3400, and over 20,000 statewide. (You can read the Boston Globe article on the BU Study here: "Boston Riddled with Mostly Small Natural Gas Leaks" )
The issue with these leaks goes beyond the obvious safety and environmental concerns as well. Gas that escapes en route to the consumer is paid for by the consumer. Its estimated that Massachusetts ratepayers are paying an average of $39 million dollars a year for leaked gas ($640 million-1.5 Billion from 2000-2011 according to a study by Senator Ed Markey's Office)
Topics: natural gas, EPA, methane, gas leaks
Folks looking at different options for alternatively fueled vehicles are apparently increasingly considering moving to propane Autogas. Propane is currently the third most popular engine fuel (after diesel and gasoline) and given the changes in our domestic energy production, namely increases in Natural Gas and Crude Oil production/refining, propane is looking like an increasingly good choice.
Topics: Environmentally Friendly Products, natural gas, Energy Independence, Propane Autogas
Even in the wake of the collapse of several government "fast tracked" (ie subsidized) projected winners in the energy industry (think Solyndra, Evergreen Solar, et al) and the imminent declaration of bankruptcy by taxpayer supported Fisker Automotive on the horizon, several Northeastern States are proposing "fast tracks" to expand natual gas pipelines courtesy of the taxpayer.
Topics: Oil & Energy Magazine, natural gas, Fracking, Heat Tax
