Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts

10 Years Ago Dems Blocked Drilling In ANWR Because It Would Take 10 Years to Produce OIl

From Gateway Pundit -Ten years ago, Senate Democrats blocked energy production in a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). At the time, they claimed that ANWR should be off limits because the oil would take 10 years to reach the market. Ten years later, ANWR remains closed, gas prices have skyrocketed, and Democrats continue to block additional energy production.

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Fill Up at Home?

NewsNM note - If you have natural gas in your home you have the basic infrastructure to fill up your car with fuel that costs about 60 cents a gallon.
Business Insider - CNBC's Rick Santelli will be making some noise on Monday. He plans on demonstrating to the world that cars can easily be converted to run on natural gas. Remember, Santelli arguably started the whole Tea Party movement with his famous rant about paying for his neighbors' mortgage. Santelli was interviewed by King World News: "But, being somewhat of a mechanic by hobby, I had an idea several weeks ago. I’m from the Midwest and I remember lots of guys I went to college with, in Champaign, telling me how they converted various vehicles, trucks, tractors, on the farms to natural gas, and it was no big deal. Well, we’re drowning in natural gas. To me it should be the energy that every politician should be pushing. I think we could have an energy revolution, create boatloads of jobs, have lower energy (costs) and cleaner energy. So, to that end, this Monday I am going to be in Oklahoma City at CNG Industries...
What I’m going to do personally is drive in a brand new Ford, F-150, 5-liter V-8, that runs on gas, and convert it to run both on natural gas and regular gasoline. I will then drive it out on natural gas by the end of the day, probably during one of the afternoon shows."
Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Another "Solar Trust" Fantasy Files for Bankruptcy

Washington Examiner - In keeping with the recent trend of so-called green companies going into the red, another solar energy company supported by President Obama's top administration officials declared bankruptcy today. Solar Trust for America received $2.1 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the Department of Energy -- "the largest amount ever offered to a solar project," according to Energy Secretary Steven Chu -- for a project near Blythe, Calif., but declared bankruptcy within a year. It is unclear how much of the guarantee, if any, was actually awarded. Senior officials in Obama's administration had very high hopes for the Blythe project. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar attended the groundbreaking ceremony, which he described as "a historic moment in America’s new energy frontier" and "another important step in making America’s clean energy future a reality." Chu trumpeted at the time that Solar Trust would prove that "when we rev up the great American innovation machine, we can out-compete any other nation." The embarrassment should be bipartisan. "This is a huge milestone for our community," Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., said when the company received its loan guarantee. "I look forward to continuing my work supporting projects . . . that will harness our local energy resources and help reduce our nation’s dangerous dependence on unstable foreign oil.” Read full story here: News New Mexico
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NM Ranked First In Solar Power Per Capita

From bizjournals.com - The national Solar Energy Industries Association has ranked New Mexico No. 1 in the nation for installed solar power per state resident in 2011. The association’s annual Solar Market Insight report, released in mid-March, said New Mexico installed 116 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity last year, the fourth highest amount among all U.S. states.  The report says New Mexico has reached a total of 166.9 megawatts of cumulative installed solar generation, equal to 77.3 watts of solar power per capita. That makes New Mexico No. 1 in the U.S. for solar per person, and No. 1 in per capita additions in 2011, said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch.  More News New Mexico
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President Welcomed in NM by Protests

From wsj.com - New Mexico’s biggest utility welcomed President Barack Obama to the Land of Enchantment Wednesday evening with full-page newspaper ads protesting an Environmental Protection Agency order to curb the pollution that causes haze. But there’s a catch. The utility, PNM, is joined by the Navajo Nation, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Prosperity Works, an advocacy group for low-income New Mexico residents. The ad, which ran in the state’s four largest newspapers, protests an EPA order that would require the utility to retrofit an old coal-fired power plant to reduce haze. The company has taken the agency to court, arguing a state requirement accomplishes the same goal at a fraction of the cost. The advocacy groups joined the fight because, they argue, the EPA order would result in increased electricity costs for New Mexico residents because the utility would pass the costs of an upgrade on to consumers.  More News New Mexico
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Obama in Roswell: "I Come in Peace"

From abcnews.com -President Obama had a simple greeting for his New Mexico hosts when upon arriving at a Roswell airfield this afternoon: “I come in peace,” he said. The words – a playful reference to the famous 1947 Roswell UFO incident that continues to capture imaginations – could have as easily been directed to skeptics of his energy policy. Obama’s visit to an active oil field on federal lands was squarely aimed at countering criticism from the right over rising gas prices and claims that domestic oil production is declining on his watch. “We’ve quadrupled the number of operating oil rigs to a record high. More than 70 of those rigs are right here in this area,” Obama said in a speech before a ConocoPhillips rig, idled for the event. “In fact, business is so good that today the biggest problem is finding enough qualified truck drivers to move all the oil that’s coming out of these wells down to the refinery. Too much oil – that’s a good problem to have,” he said.  Domestic oil production overall in the U.S. is at its highest level in the past eight years, according to the Energy Department.  But production on federal lands was down 14 percent year-over-year in 2011, and overall remains 13 percent lower than it was in 2003. Still, Obama – who has made renewable energy a hallmark of his administration — insisted he’s not backing away from drilling or searching for more oil. “You wouldn’t know it from listening to some of these folks running for office, but producing more oil here in our own country has been, and will continue to be, a key part of our energy strategy,” Obama said.  “We’re drilling all over the place,” he said.  More News New Mexico

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Fossil Fuel Production on Public Lands at 9 Year Low

From directorblue -Last fall the U.S. government’s Energy Information Administration reported a 40 percent decline in oil and natural gas production on federal lands compared to 10 years ago. The White House and prominent liberal in Congress protested. They said EIA, a trusted source for reliable energy information, was wrong. They complained that EIA hadn’t accounted for all data from the Department of Interior.  EIA released an updated analysis last week. And while the number isn’t as drastic as originally reported, EIA confirmed the Obama administration is overseeing a sharp decline in fossil fuel production (coal, oil, and natural gas) on federal lands, which recently hit its lowest point in nine years...More News New Mexico

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N.M EIB Repeals Green House Gas Rule

From capitolreportnewmexico.com -A little more than a month after repealing New Mexico’s cap and trade program, the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) on Friday (March 16) repealed the second of two climate regulations passed in the final weeks of the administration of former Gov. Bill Richardson - this one calling for a limit on greenhouse gas emissions. “We examined the rule thoroughly,” EIB chairwoman Deborah Peacock told reporters moments after the board voted 5-0 to repeal what’s commonly called Rule 100, that mandated that generating facilities in the state could not emit more than 25,000 metric tons of CO2. “I think we had the benefit of information that the previous board didn’t have in order to repeal it.”  More News New Mexico
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The Predestined Failure of Obama's Energy Policy

From the American Thinker - By Anthony J.Ciani - One of the greatest failings in leftist thinking stems from the mistaken belief that societies can be easily manipulated.  President Obama's adopted energy policy makes for a wonderful example of this failure in thought.  The entirety of "green energy" is filled with micro-thinking, where a cursory (at best) understanding of technology and engineering has combined with narrowed visions and worldly ignorance to create "energy solutions" which fail in technological readiness, suitability to purpose, or market support. The failure of "green" becomes readily evident with one simple statement of fact: most "green" technologies are well over 100 years old, and there has been no significant scientific achievement in these technologies for approximately 30 years.  With the possible exceptions of photovoltaics and batteries, the "green" technologies are all mature.  For a mature technology to have little market presence or demand is highly indicative that it fails the cost-benefit analysis of its potential consumer.  If the various "green" technologies provided desirable benefits at appropriate price points, then they would be booming, without massive government subsidies or dictates. Read more

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Navajos Look to Invest in Grid Connection Project

From cbsnews.com -A $1.5 billion effort to link the United States' three major electricity grids has caught the attention of one of the country's largest American Indian tribes as it looks to enter the energy race.  Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly has met with developers of the Tres Amigas Superstation and sees the project as an opportunity for electricity generated on the reservation — which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah — to reach other markets. "Our future in Tres Amigas is to establish a connection to be a major energy partner and to bring a permanent stream of revenue to the nation," Shelly said in a statement.  Tres Amigas would open the door to more energy development on the Navajo Nation and a broader market for selling that energy, Zah said. The tribe could also establish its own distribution contracts. "We're looking now to become actual partners and producers rather than being dependent upon outside companies giving us lease fees and royalty fees," he said. "We're looking to be a player rather than being a dependent."  More News New Mexico
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One Final Government Intervention Swan Song for Departing Senator Bingaman


Jeff Bingaman
Bloomberg - Natural gas, which already is edging aside coal in American electricity generation, would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of a clean-energy mandate for utilities under consideration in Congress this year.
Senator Jeff Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced a measure March 1 to force electricity companies to use an increasing share of energy produced from “clean” sources over the next two decades.
The bill reshapes the energy debate by calling for sources that emit less carbon than coal, a definition that includes natural gas, instead of focusing on zero-emission renewable sources such as wind and solar, both critics and supporters say. While the proposal faces long odds of getting enacted this year, Bingaman’s plan may gain a powerful ally -- and new opposition from environmental groups.
“The obvious goal is to expand it beyond renewables in order to get enough votes,” said Dan Simmons, director of regulatory and state affairs at the Institute for Energy Research in Washington, a group critical of the legislation. “By including natural gas, it’s a way to broaden support.”
Bingaman’s clean-energy mandate may benefit companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) of Irving, Texas and Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK), the two largest producers of natural gas in the U.S.  Read full story here: News New Mexico

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Looks Like Another $400 Million Flushed Down the Toilet on Abound Solar

ABC - Another recipient of Energy Department loan funds has run into financial trouble. Colorado-based Abound Solar announced this week it has been forced to lay off 180 of its 400 workers as it tries to retool to produce a more efficient type of solar panel in order to keep a technological edge on Chinese manufacturers who are flooding the market with less expensive models. Abound received approval in 2010 for a $400 million government loan. "As you know the solar market has been extremely difficult for all manufacturers," said Craig Witsoe, the CEO of Abound Solar, in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday. "To continue to make the panel we make today, to have to sell it below cost, it's a tough environment to operate in." Read full story here: News New Mexico




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Court Denies Request to Delay Pollution Requirements

From therepublic.com -  A federal appeals court Thursday denied a request by Gov. Susana Martinez's administration and Public Service Company of New Mexico to delay pollution control requirements from taking effect at a coal-fired power plant in northwest New Mexico. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals refused their request to put off regulations adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year. The requirements are aimed at curbing haze-causing pollution at the San Juan Generating Station. The ruling means PNM will have to start investing money to comply with the requirements within the next five years while it continues to appeal the agency's mandate in court. PNM said the mandate, which would cost New Mexico ratepayers and others at least $750 million, could eventually be struck down by the courts.  More News New Mexico
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PNM Set To Release Earnings

From therepublic.com -New Mexico's largest electric provider is set to release its earnings report for the latest quarter as environmental groups accused the provider of pushing for rate hikes and higher profits.  Public Service Company of New Mexico is scheduled to release its earnings Wednesday. The company says that it has spent millions of dollars each year to provide customers with "reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy."  But five nonprofit groups, including the Sierra Club and the San Juan Citizens Alliance, say PNM is paying executives increased compensation while rate payers are struggling.  More News New Mexico
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Court Halts Hearing on Pit Rule

From bizjournals.com - The First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe has ordered oil-and-gas industry representatives to stop pursuing changes in New Mexico’s ‘pit rule’ at the state Oil Conservation Division until court processes are completed.  The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico have fought to modify Pit Rule 17 since it was approved in 2008 under former Gov. Bill Richardson.  More News New Mexico
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Chesapeake to Sell Lease Holdings to Boost Gas Liquids

From bizjournals.com -Chesapeake Energy Corp. is preparing to sell up to $12 billion of its oil and gas fields and other assets in New Mexico and Texas. But while the company is significantly reducing its dry-gas production, it plans to boost gas liquid and oil output in New Mexico and elsewhere. The Oklahoma company, which is the second-largest U.S. natural gas producer, announced Feb. 13 it would consider the sale of all its Permian Basin assets, where it owns 1.5 million net acres of lease holdings, if it received a compelling offer. The leasehold sales, along with the divestment of other assets and sale of $1.3 billion in senior notes, could generate up to $12 billion in capital to improve cash flow and help finance gas-liquid and oil production, according to the company.  More News New Mexico
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N.M House Approves Tax Measure For Power Grid

From therepublic.com -The New Mexico House has approved a set of proposed tax incentives aimed at enticing the developers of the $1.5 billion Tres Amigas SuperStation to locate their headquarters and an associated trading exchange in the state.  Democratic House Speaker Ben Lujan is sponsoring the legislation. It passed Thursday on a unanimous vote and now heads to the Senate.  It had support from both sides of the aisle, as lawmakers talked about the jobs and spin-off businesses that are expect to result from the project.  The measure would offer a gross receipts tax deduction for Tres Amigas' trading operations as well as an exemption of certain taxes related to the conversion and transmission of electricity.  More News New Mexico
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Approved: $21.5M Rate Increase for NM Gas Co.

From therepublic.com -New Mexico regulators have approved a $21.5 million rate increase for New Mexico Gas Co.  The Public Regulation Commission made its decision Tuesday after a two-hour meeting in which commissioners heard recommendations from a hearing examiner and the utility's attorneys.  The rate increase was $13 million less than what the utility initially requested. Commissioners say they approved the lower rate to ease the burden on low-income customers.  The rate hike will take effect Wednesday.  New Mexico Gas officials say residential customers will see their monthly bills increase by an average of $3.19, or about $38 a year.  The 6.4 percent rate increase stems from a settlement reached last fall by the utility, ConocoPhillips, an advocacy group and the U.S. Department of Energy.  The utility serves about 505,000 New Mexico customers.
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Overnight Energy: Chu To Tout Obama Energy in N.M.

Steven Chu
From thehill. -Energy Secretary Steven Chu is taking President Obama’s State of the Union energy message on the road Thursday.  Chu will “discuss the Obama Administration’s commitment to energy innovation and advanced manufacturing” in Albuquerque, N.M., according to the Energy Department.  Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will join Chu on a tour of the Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility in the morning. Then Chu will hold a town hall at the University of New Mexico. The trip is part of a broad push by the administration to tout the energy proposals Obama outlined Tuesday night in his State of the Union address.  Obama, in the speech, outlined plans to expand renewable energy on public lands and called on Congress to pass legislation to “help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.”  More News New Mexico
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Wells Fargo Completes Financing for Solar Project

From marketwatch.com -Wells Fargo & Company announced today that equity financing is complete for a 53.5 megawatt (MW) multi-site solar project in New Mexico. The 53.5MW solar project, one of largest photovoltaic solar power projects in the U.S., was fully activated in December. The multi-site solar project was made possible through a power purchase agreement between SunEdison and Southwestern Public Service Company which was previously announced in September.  More News New Mexico
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