Energy Exchange

California’s smart and economically savvy plan for electrifying trucks

By Lauren Navarro / Published: March 6, 2020

California is working on a bold new plan that will put more electric trucks on the streets, and take dangerous pollution out of the air. Under this plan, manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be required to sell more new electric and fuel-cell options in California, starting in 2024. The final details of this rule will be released over the next few months.

The rule stands to have huge benefits for the 12 million Californians who live in areas with high levels of air pollution. Despite making up just 7% of vehicles on the road, medium- and heavy-duty trucks release 35% of the state’s total NOx and 25% of diesel particulate matter, significantly impacting nearby communities’ health. In fact, vehicles and the fossil fuels that power them create more air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than any other source across the state.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

Ready for delivery: Electric package trucks

By Jason Mathers / Published: March 6, 2020

Each March, truck makers and fleets from all over the country gather in Indianapolis to talk about industry trends and share the newest vehicle offerings. At this year’s Work Truck Show, which wraps today, the top discussion topic was the emergence of electric trucks, especially for local delivery.

But two product announcements in particular made headlines, and for good reason. They are evidence that what industry observers have long speculated is coming to fruition: local delivery is the next market segment that will go big for EVs.

Posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

The defining decade for oil and gas in the energy transition

By Ben Ratner / Published: February 19, 2020

Business as usual for the oil and gas industry is over. Investor confidence is flagging just as the talent pool shrinks and competition from cleaner energy sources intensifies. Pressure on companies to respond to the climate crisis to maintain their future viability has never been higher.

BP’s recent “net-zero” announcement is a case in point. And though time will tell whether BP delivers on its ambition, CEO Bernard Looney deserves credit for putting his company on the right path. It’s critically important — for the planet and the entire industry — that other energy companies meet or beat the mark of BP’s ambition, and that all turn their sights next to implementation.

As BP’s new plan changes the conversation in boardrooms around the world, energy companies that are serious about performing while transforming will need to step up in four areas. Here’s what to watch for as industry’s defining decade begins.

Posted in Methane, Methane regulatons / Comments are closed

Clean water regulators at the brink — Changes to the Clean Water Act spell trouble for New Mexico

By Nichole Saunders / Published: February 14, 2020

Earlier this year, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its proposal to dismantle significant portions of the Clean Water Act. Historic federal protections for some rivers and streams and wetlands will no longer be there — essentially allowing polluters to dump untold amounts of waste into our waterways unless state provisions stop them.

The decision could generate unknown repercussions to waterways across the country, and perhaps no state is more vulnerable than New Mexico.

The reason? New Mexico has very few surface water protections of its own, which means without federal standards, the state is facing an uphill battle to develop the tools it needs in order to step in and prevent polluters from contaminating water.

Posted in Natural Gas, produced water / Tagged New Mexico, produced water | Comments are closed

How oil & gas states did (and did not) protect land and water in 2019

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 6, 2020

By Adam Peltz and Nichole Saunders

Regulating the day-to-day details of an oil and gas operation can be a complex task, with both regulators and operators working hard to prevent leaks, explosions and other threats to worker safety, community health and the environment. As we learn more about technical advancements in the oilfield as well as risks from various aspects of production, it is vital that the regulations requiring best practices are kept up to date.

EDF believes this process of continuous improvement is foundational for protecting land, water and communities from development-related impacts. That’s why we track what states are up to on a consistent basis. Building on our review of state progress toward this goal in 2018, we’ve gathered up the big changes states made this past year and assessed the trends.

Here are the big things we saw in 2019.

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

California’s new long-term gas plan is a win for customers and the environment

By Michael Colvin / Published: January 15, 2020

As California moves to decarbonize its electric grid by 2045 and implement its broader economy-wide decarbonization targets, state regulators are beginning to develop a coordinated, equitable and cost-effective plan to proactively manage the transition of the legacy gas system.

Tomorrow, the California Public Utilities Commission is set to open a new rulemaking on its long-term gas planning, the first such rulemaking since 2004 — well before the state’s greenhouse gas laws went into effect. The California energy system has evolved dramatically in the last 15 years, which is why this type of planning is so important for customers, workers, the economy, and ultimately, the success of the state’s climate goals.

Posted in California, Natural Gas / Comments are closed