Posts Tagged ‘Natural Gas’
Unaddressed Concerns Keep Fracking in the Forefront
By Brian Sewell Nationwide, stories regarding natural gas-related water contamination, waste disposal and property rights concerns keep bubbling up, bolstering arguments used by opponents of fracking. And as natural gas prices rise due to cold weather and a slowdown in drilling, the fuel’s supporters are questioning how long claims of affordability will last. Increased demand…
Read MoreBreaking the Resource Curse
“Future Funds” Could Spur Economic Development in Central Appalachia As Central Appalachian coal production declines, many realize the need to maximize tax revenues from coal and natural gas extraction. For the past three years, a movement to establish a permanent natural resource trust fund has grown in West Virginia. Ted Boettner, the executive director of…
Read MoreOil and Gas Boom Straining America’s Energy Infrastructure
By Brian Sewell The United States is experiencing a natural gas boom largely due to advances in drilling and extraction technologies. And in recent years, some have celebrated the fuel as a bridge to a clean energy and carbon-free future. But according to a report by the Center for American Progress, the other side of…
Read MoreNew Rules Stoke Fear of Fracking on Public Lands
By Brian Sewell When the U.S. Department of the Interior released updated draft rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands, environmental advocates responded much as they did when the initial draft was released in 2012 — with disappointment. In the days following the Interior’s announcement, federal officials and Secretary Sally Jewell were…
Read MoreVirginia Teacher and Landowner Faces Energy Extraction
Landowner and teacher Gail Marney resides on an inter-generational family farm in the south. Her great-great grandfather moved here in the early 1800s and served in the Civil War. Now she finds her home threatened by natural gas extraction.
Read MoreVirginia Bill to Lift Uranium Mining Ban Withdrawn | Inspecting Fracking in Ohio
By Davis Wax On January 31, legislation to lift a 31-year old ban on uranium mining was withdrawn from the Virginia Senate floor before voting could commence that afternoon. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Watkins, removed the bill from the agenda of a panel expected to defeat the proposal. Like many others across the state,…
Read MoreCoal Report
Impoundment Safety Called Into Question Questions and criticism followed a Nov. 30 accident at a CONSOL Energy-operated coal slurry impoundment in West Virginia that left one worker dead. A few days after the incident, The Charleston Gazette reported that records “outlined company concerns that construction to enlarge the dump had not been moving fast enough…
Read MoreSoutheastern Coal Plants Retire and Convert | Other Shorts
The growing share of electricity generated by natural gas and recent announcements of coal plant retirements are rapidly changing the energy sector across the southeast. On Jan. 7, Georgia Power announced its plans to retire 15 coal- and oil-fired units at four plants across the state. The same week as Georgia Power’s announcement, Duke Energy…
Read MoreCoal Generated Electricity Drops To All-Time Low in First Quarter
By Jessica Kennedy Data released in early May show that coal’s current share of U.S. electricity generation is at an all-time low. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report, coal made up only 36 percent of the country’s electricity in the first quarter of 2012, a drop of more than eight…
Read MoreKeeping Up with the Fracking Frenzy
By Brian Sewell The debate surrounding the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas shows no signs of slowing down. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently submitted a final report in its shale gas study to the state general assembly. The report highlights the importance of establishing a strong regulatory framework…
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