Oil and Gas Development to Accelerate in the US

Trump executive order will aim to prevent states from blocking pipelines, energy infrastructure


PUBLISHED TUE, APR 9 2019 • 8:02 PM EDT UPDATED WED, APR 10 2019 • 11:35 AM EDT Tom DiChristopher@TDICHRISTOPHER KEY POINTS Some states are using authority under the Clean Water Act to block fossil fuel pipelines and infrastructure.President Donald Trump will sign an executive order that seeks to limit states’ ability to delay construction.The same executive order contains several other provisions to promote energy infrastructure development.📷President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order to advance construction of the Keystone XL pipeline at the White House in Washington January 24, 2017. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters. Reposted by Scott Shields Houston, Scott Shields Katy.
President Donald Trump will issue an executive order that aims to prevent states from blocking pipelines and other energy infrastructure by using authority granted to them under the Clean Water Act.
Senior administration officials on Tuesday previewed the action and several others, which are contained in two executive orders that Trump will sign during a trip to Texas on Wednesday. They are the latest in a series of executive orders by Trump meant to roll back energy regulations and promote fossil fuel development.
The new executive order represents a shot from the White House in the ongoing battle between beltway Republicans and Democratic governors opposed to fossil fuel developments in their states. It has been anticipated for nearly three months and is expected to be challenged in court.
The state powers are laid out in federal law, and a presidential order cannot override them, some lawyers and energy analysts have said.
Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, companies must obtain certifications from the state before they can build federally-approved infrastructure, like pipelines, within that state’s borders.

States can refuse to issue the certifications if they determine the project will have a negative impact on water quality within their jurisdiction, even if the project has gotten the green light from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the independent panel that regulates interstate pipelines and transmission lines.
Republican lawmakers have accused Democrat-controlled states of abusing their power under Section 401 to block FERC-approved infrastructure tied to fossil fuels.
New York has refused to issue a water permit to the developers of the Constitution Pipeline, a 125-mile project that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to the region around New York City. Washington state has also denied the operator of a port on the Columbia River certifications to develop a coal export terminal.
The new executive order will direct the Environmental Protection Agency to review its existing guidance on Section 401 to states. The EPA will focus on making sure states exercise their authority consistent with the intent of the statute and with existing case law, a senior administration official said.
The official said that while many states implement the law “faithfully,” others have exercised their power in a way that has delayed energy infrastructure projects.
The same presidential order also calls for a review of safety standards for liquefied natural gas export terminals and rules that prevent LNG from being transported by rail car.
It also orders the Department of Labor to review existing guidance on fiduciary responsibility related to energy infrastructure investments. Further, it tasks the Energy and Transportation Departments with preparing reports on limitations to transporting natural gas to the Northeast and West Coast.
A separate executive order will clarify that the final decision to approve certain cross-border infrastructure rests with the president. The responsibility is currently delegated to the Secretary of State. Reposted by Scott Shields Houston, Scott Shields Katy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Energy Here are 5 big questions about Alaska’s gas line deal with China   Author:   Alex DeMarban ,  Nathaniel Herz    Updated: November 9, 2017    Published November 9, 2017 The Sinopec logo is seen at one of its gas stations in Hong Kong. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip/2010 file photo) Share via Emai Prin Repost by www.morganshields.com  Gov. Bill Walker on Wednesday heralded an agreement between Alaska and three Chinese entities to advance the state's $43 billion gas-export project as the most  "significant step"  in the state's quest to sell its North Slope gas. But the apparently nonbinding deal, signed in Beijing as the U.S. and Chinese leaders watched, raises plenty of questions. And the agreement itself won't be publicly released until next week, leaving lawmakers, analysts and others unsure of its significance. Is this the real deal? ...
Read more
Image
Broker-Dealers Leading the STO Market by Tatiana Koffman and Henry Elder  about 23 hours ago As we move out of the era of ICOs and into a new era of digital securities, sometimes referred to as “Security Token Offerings (STOs),” issuance platforms and other technical solutions for tokenization tend to receive the most attention. A successful and compliant fundraise, however, depends upon a number of regulated service providers, one of the most important of which is an experienced broker-dealer (BD). After soliciting feedback from 50-plus industry players, we’ve compiled below some of the current movers and shakers in the space. Entoro Based in Houston, Texas, under the leadership of James Row, Entoro has established itself as a leader in the digital securities space, most recently leading the  Lottery.com  and  Soluna Power STOs. Although Entoro has a team working across industries, its core experience lies in the energy sector, i...
Read more

Saudi Aramco to Buy Part of Reliance - Will this change the energy landscape?

BUSINESS NEWSAUGUST 12, 2019 / 1:24 AM / UPDATED 20 MINUTES AGO Saudi Aramco aims to buy Reliance stake, reports 12% earnings slide Rania El Gamal, Saeed Azhar 6 MIN READ. Reposted by Scott Shields Katy, Scott Shields Houston DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco is planning a blockbuster investment in Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), the Indian firm announced on Monday, as the energy giant diversifies its business, where weaker oil prices pared its first-half profit by 12%. State-run Aramco disclosed its closely guarded financials for the first time earlier this year, revealing its 2018 earnings in order to obtain a public rating and start issuing international bonds. The world’s top oil producer plans to launch an initial public stock offering or IPO by 2020-2021, having postponed its flotation from 2018. Aramco signed a letter of intent to take a 20% stake in Reliance’s oil-to-chemicals business in one of the largest ever foreign investments in India, Reliance said. Aramco is expanding ...
Read more