Today’s Washington Brief:
- The DOT sent the White House a final draft of rules for tank cars carrying crude oil for review. The agency declined to say if the rules had been changed since they were proposed in July. More from the Wall Street Journal.
- The League of Conservation Voters released a special edition of its environmental scorecard yesterday. The report ranks Senators based on their votes on twenty energy/environment amendments to the Keystone bill.
- Speaker John Boehner scolded the State Department yesterday for refusing to release comments submitted by agencies on the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The Hill
Today’s Business Brief:
- Union leaders rejected an offer from Royal Dutch Shell as the refinery strike enters its sixth day. The union represents workers who produce over 60 percent of the nation’s oil. Fuel Fix
- Oil major BP Plc said it will back a resolution from activist investors calling on the company to improve transparency on its climate change risk exposure. Reuters
- Violence in Libya and strong U.S. economic growth have put oil prices on track for their second weekly gain. More from CNBC.
Today’s Chart Review:
Survey finds Chicago investors bullish on renewables
from Midwest Energy News by Keri Lydersen
Bradenton Herald: Gerard: U.S. can’t afford further delay of Keystone XL
Rigzone: Deloitte: Oil price slump to improve efficiency in upstream operations
Reuters: Major oil companies failed to replace output with new finds last year, figures show
United Press International: Lower 48 oil output declined 0.3% last week, report says
Reuters: State Dept. “stonewalling” Keystone XL review, Boehner says
Oil & Gas: Official: North America should improve cooperation to attain energy renaissance
POLITICO
TODAY – ADMINISTRATION SECURITY STRATEGY HIGHLIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE: The Obama administration today will unveil its second-ever National Security Strategy, and for the first time will list climate change as one of the top threats facing the U.S., alongside terrorist strikes, cyberattacks and dangerous epidemics. Nahal Toosi has more: http://politi.co/1EJMxCd
HISTORY LESSON: Obama’s previous NSS, released in May 2010, included a short section on climate change, calling the danger it presents “real, urgent, and severe.” It describes some moves that have since been made, including greater investment in renewable energy and more efficiency standards. Read it here: http://bit.ly/1yOSl6H
W.H. REVIEWING TANK CAR RULE: The Wall Street Journal reports: “Federal railroad regulators have forwarded their final draft of new regulations for tank cars that haul crude oil and other flammable liquids to the White House for review. The review by the Office of Information of Regulatory Affairs is one of the last steps before the implementation of new tank-car standards and operating procedures.” WSJ: http://on.wsj.com/16KqayJ
Things have gotten a lot more partisan on the environment, added Ruckelshaus, who noted Republican President Richard Nixon created the agency. “There [was] still a lot of bipartisan support for environmental protection back in the ’80s during Reagan’s two terms. But that’s all changed today. The issue divides almost entirely along partisan lines,” Ruckelshaus said. “The public demand for action has declined so that those people in Congress in Republican districts are not feeling any pressure from their constituents to do anything about the environment.” Read the full CPI interview: http://bit.ly/1zQKrxM
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ESPCS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK: The Congressional Budget Office has a neat report out running down the federal government’s use of energy savings performance contracts. Under and ESPC, an outside party pays for an energy-conservation upgrade to federal facilities in exchange for payments based on the reduction in energy costs. CBO’s report: http://1.usa.gov/1yNUVK1
QUICK HITS
– It’s unclear how much ethanol has spilled from a derailed train in Iowa into the Mississippi River. AP: http://bit.ly/1xvt6Vp
– Wyoming mining and oil groups are getting behind LGBT anti-discrimination legislation. Star-Tribune: http://bit.ly/1DLszne
– Norway’s $850 billion Government Pension Fund Global has dropped a number of coal mining companies and oil sands producers from its portfolio. Guardian: http://bit.ly/1DiVxwK
– Sting lives in an old coal station. Bloomberg: http://bloom.bg/1ugWbJ2
Tags: energy, fuel, Keystone XL, oil