The high cost of drilling for oil in the Arctic, combined with the lowest oil prices in five years, have caused Chevron Corp. to drop their test well drilling program in Canada's Beaufort Sea.
"Chevron Corp. told Canadian regulators Wednesday that it has 'indefinitely' suspended plans to drill for oil in Arctic waters, citing uncertainty over the outlook for crude prices," writes Chester Dawson of The Wall Street Journal.
Chevron holds an exploratory license to a Beaufort Seas lease 155 miles off the coast of Tuktoyaktuk, a town in the Northwest Territories. The company planned to start exploratory drilling by 2020, according to the [National Energy Board], Canada’s chief energy regulator
The second largest U.S. oil company is experiencing the fall-out from plummeting world oil prices, "50% since June." Unconventional sources, be they shale oil, oil sands, or drilling in the Arctic are all expected to see capital investment recede due to their higher drilling and exploratory costs. [See "Fracking's Formidable Foe"].
The Arctic holds billions of barrels of untapped oil reserves, but offshore-drilling costs there are among the highest in the world due to its remote location and severe weather.
On another Arctic front, but in a different sea, country and with a different oil company, Alex Guillen of Politico Morning Energy writes that over 100 House Democrats have written [PDF] Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to request that she reject a new Environmental Impact Statement [a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)] for a lease sale in the "Chukchi Sea off the Northwest of Alaska" originally sold to Shell OIl in 2007. Among the reasons they cite is the "complete inability to respond to an oil spill in this remote and sensitive region."
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)