Energy Exchange

Biden tiene la oportunidad de acelerar la recuperación en Puerto Rico

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 26, 2021

Es un nuevo día para Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Con un nuevo presidente y gobernador, Puerto Rico entra en una nueva etapa, mejor que antes, para continuar con su reconstrucción. Esto no podía llegar en un mejor momento. La estrategia del presidente Biden para abordar el cambio climático y la energía es la más audaz y de mayor alcance que jamás hayamos visto de un presidente de E.E.U.U. Según su plan, Puerto Rico debería recibir apoyo federal para alcanzar sus propias metas de energía limpia. Al hacerlo, la isla puede convertirse en un modelo de resiliencia e innovación para la nación y el Caribe.

New report: Routine flaring in Texas’ Permian can be eliminated at little to no cost

By Colin Leyden / Published: January 26, 2021

A new analysis commissioned by EDF from Rystad Energy makes clear that flaring from Texas’ Permian oil and gas operations is persistent and is likely to increase in coming years as production rebounds from 2020, but that industry can eliminate most routine flaring at zero cost with simple rules and operator changes.

Following are key takeaways, but you can download Rystad’s entire report here.

Posted in Flaring, Methane, Natural Gas, Texas / Comments are closed

How oil & gas states did (and did not) protect land and water in 2020

By Adam Peltz / Published: January 25, 2021

More than 30 states actively regulate oil and gas development with a variety of practices and rules designed to reduce health, safety and environmental impacts. States engage in a process of continuous improvement by adopting new rules and practices as technologies and risk mitigation techniques evolve — even in an extraordinary year like 2020. EDF tracks state trends in oil and gas regulation related to the protection of land, water and local communities, reporting notable state actions each year.

2020 presented multiple challenges for the oil and gas industry and state regulators, including the twin shocks of an OPEC price war and a steep decline in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, many states showed strong commitment to ensuring environmental integrity by adopting critical new rules across a variety of topics.

Here are the big things we saw in 2020.

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons, Natural Gas, produced water / Comments are closed

What Biden’s methane focus means for energy industry, its investors

By Ben Ratner / Published: January 21, 2021

A journey of miles starts with a single step, and for the U.S. oil and gas industry and its financiers, supporting strong and swift methane regulation by the incoming Biden administration is a big step on the road to climate progress.

Cutting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is the single fastest thing we can do to limit the rate at which our climate is warming. There is no more impactful way to make up for lost time than finally instituting stringent standards to slash methane emissions from all sources across industry.

That’s because the emissions problem is egregious, the technology solutions abundant and cost effective, and the policy routes straightforward.

The old voluntary versus regulatory debate is behind us. Now, with the Biden administration firmly committed to reducing oil and gas methane emissions, a new era has begun.

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons, PermianMAP / Comments are closed

What our climate goals mean for natural gas, and what states should do about it

By Natalie Karas / Published: January 13, 2021

The transition to a low-carbon economy will have a big impact on the way we think about natural gas: how we produce, use and transport it. One area where this challenge is particularly acute is the state regulatory frameworks governing gas utilities across the country, and in particular, how those rules line up against the climate goals now being set by a growing number of states.

States that don’t re-envision the way their gas utility systems run will be challenged to meet their climate targets. To help states avoid that fate, EDF has developed a new guide suggesting ways that state regulators can navigate this complex challenge.

Posted in California, Clean Energy, Colorado, Gas to Clean, Natural Gas, New York / Comments are closed

In 2021 we must set more ambitious targets for zero-emission trucks and buses

By Larissa Koehler / Published: January 8, 2021

There is no question that 2020 was a hard year — for some, it was the hardest year of their lives. Yet despite the historic difficulty of 2020, there were some climate and air quality bright spots. For example, the march toward zero-emission trucks and buses is on. In 2021, we should increase our ambition.

Falling battery and vehicle prices, increased vehicle availability and a growing recognition that we must reduce climate and local air pollution from the transportation sector have sparked the transformation away from fossil fuel trucks and buses — classified as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. In July, a coalition of 15 states and Washington D.C. committed to accelerating the transition of diesel trucks and buses to zero-emission alternatives. In so doing, they are committing to zero-emission sales targets — 30% of new truck and bus sales by 2030 and 100% by 2050.

Given that these states represent about one-third of the U.S. truck market, this commitment is a big step forward.

However, these goals do not represent the level of speed or scope needed to adequately address the significant health and climate change concerns posed by trucks and buses.

Posted in Air Quality, Electric Vehicles, NESCAUM / Comments are closed