The New York Times - Energy & Environment
President Trump Approves Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska
Following through on a January executive action, President Trump announced Friday that he was approving the oil pipeline that his predecessor had rejected over a year ago. Oil is already flowing from Steele City, Nebraska to Gulf Coast refineries.
Energy Agency Totals Annual Death Toll from Air Pollution at 6.5 Million
The study by the Paris-based International Energy Agency finds a direct connection to the energy industry. Credit goes to IEA executive director Fatih Birol for expanding the organization's mission beyond its traditional purpose, energy security.
Leasing to Spur Growth in Small and Medium-Sized Wind Turbines
Can wind power gain the popularity of rooftop solar? A Brooklyn start-up is betting it can with the leasing of turbines, particularly to farmers and rural residents.
Beware of Energy Rankings for Cities
In a special "Energy for Tomorrow" report, The New York Times looks at "clean city rankings" of energy efficiency and land use. But ranking cities is no easy task—"winners on one list may appears as sinners on another."
Climate Talks Won't Tackle the 'Car Problem'
The COP21 talks in Paris won't take on transportation directly, "the world’s fastest-growing energy-based contributor to greenhouse gases," writes David Jolly for The New York Times. Electric vehicles and fuel efficiency face formidable challenges.
Renewable Diesel Gets Huge Boost from UPS
Renewable diesel, a biofuel that differs from biodiesel by the feedstock used and its chemical makeup, making it indistinguishable from petrodiesel, is a small but growing industry. The announcement from UPS was welcome news for three companies.
Record Memorial Day Travel Due to Low Gas Prices, Improved Economy
In addition to record travel this Memorial Day, the U.S. DOT reports that March broke the record for the most vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Gas prices, though rising since late March, are predicted to drop and remain low through the end of 2015.
Five Days after DOT Releases Crude-by-Rail Rule, Another Oil Train Explodes
Critics warned that a Department of Transportation rule allowing up to 10 years to phase out existing oil tank cars would result in more explosions. The rule was issued on May 1; an explosion occurred May 6.
Wave of the Future? Tapping Wave Energy for Desalination
The future has arrived in Western Australia thanks to new technology created and implemented by Carnegie Wave Energy. The CETO project marries renewable power with desalination—a timely marriage when droughts and climate change take center stage.
Emergency Crude-by-Rail Safety Orders Take Effect
The emergency rules issued by DOT, including lowering oil-train speeds to 40 mph in urban areas, go into effect on April 20. They are in addition to rules expected to be released May 12 that address oil tanker car construction.
North Dakota to Reduce Volatility of Bakken Crude-By-Rail
Bakken crude is considered more volatile than other types of oil, which presents a safety problem when moved by rail. New regulations approved Tuesday require oil producers to separate flammable and volatile liquids prior to shipment by rail.
Port of Albany is a Major Destination for North Dakota Oil
Crude-by-rail from the Bakken shale formation has transformed the sleepy Port of Albany, NY into a major supplier of cheaper crude for East Coast refineries. Jad Mouawad writes two articles on the importance of the port and the dangers from the oil.
U.S. Oil Boom to Reduce World Prices While Global Coal Consumption Surges
Gas prices will drop due to surging U.S. oil production according to an U.S. Energy Dept. report. Another report from the International Energy Agency points to surging carbon dioxide emissions, not from oil but from coal burning, largely from China.
Energy Boom Warrants Rethinking 1970's Energy Policies
Harkening back to the long lines at gas stations that erupted after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, followed by diminishing oil production, US crude oil exports were prohibited. With production booming, energy czar Ernest Moniz may reconsider that policy.
Record U.S. Oil Production, but How Long Will it Last?
A milestone was reached last month in oil imports: For the first time in 18 years, the U.S. produced more oil than it imported thanks to fracking and reduced consumption. But according to a new IEA report, shale oil growth will peak within a decade.
Oil Boom Lays Waste to North Dakota's Air and Ground
A pair of articles in The New York Times look at two different kinds of waste generated from North Dakota's booming oil industry: natural gas from oil wells is burned due to the absence of pipelines, and the disposal of waste in landfills.
Innovative Energy-Storing Solar Power Plant Debuts in Arizona
Energy storage is acknowledged by many as a missing link of renewable energy, particularly by those quick to cite the intermittency of solar and wind power. A new solar thermal plant in Arizona stores energy in the form of heat for peak hour needs.
EPA Power Plant Rule Hinges on Unproven Technology
In order for new coal power plants to meet the EPA's new rules for reduced emissions, they will have to rely on unproven carbon capture and storage (or sequester) technologies, putting the legality of the rule in doubt.
Trucks & Trains Turn Toward LNG to Lower Costs
Just as the power industry turned toward lower priced natural gas and away from dirtier coal, there are signs that trucks and trains are looking to lower priced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace diesel-powered vehicles, but there are challenges.
The Paradox of the EPA's Clean Fuel Rules
The EPA's newly proposed rules to reduce sulfur in gasoline may have the perverse effect of making alternative vehicles, that is, those that don't run on gasoline, less competitive with conventional vehicles and ensure that we remain addicted to oil.
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