“On January 6, 2017, the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) Task Force released the second installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review report titled “Transforming the Nation’s Electricity System.” The second installment (QER 1.2) finds the electricity system is a critical and essential national asset, and it is a strategic imperative to protect and enhance the value of the electricity… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Energy
House moves forward rules to ease constraints to sell federal lands
Washington Post: “House Republicans on Tuesday changed the way Congress calculates the cost of transferring federal lands to the states and other entities, a move that will make it easier for members of the new Congress to cede federal control of public lands. The provision, included as part as a larger rules package the House approved… Continue Reading
WaPo – Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility – updated
Correction to WaPo story via Washington Post – Russian government hackers do not appear to have targeted Vermont utility, say people close to investigation – “U.S. officials are continuing to investigate the laptop. In the course of their investigation, though, they have found on the device a package of software tools commonly used by online criminals… Continue Reading
Earthquake Track
“Earthquake Track was created to make understanding earthquakes easier. It contains information on earthquakes since the year 1900. New earthquakes usually appear on the site within a few minutes. All Earthquake Data Courtesy USGS” Today: 5.7 magnitude earthquake near Hawthorne, Nevada, United States Today: 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Nereju Mic, Vrancea, Romania See also related… Continue Reading
The Induced Earthquake Database
“The Induced Earthquake Database (TIED) is the largest and most up-to-date database of earthquakes proposed to have been induced or triggered by human activity. The data are freely available to view online or can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel format for your own analysis. We endeavour to keep the database up to date and accurate.… Continue Reading
Pew – Most Americans favor stricter environmental laws and regulations
“More Americans say environmental regulations are “worth the cost” than say such regulations come at too steep a price, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. These views come amid speculation about what President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees may mean for future regulatory policy. A majority of U.S. adults (59%) say stricter environmental laws… Continue Reading
EPA Launches Clean Water Act Jurisdictional Website
Clean Water Act Approved Jurisdictional Determinations – “This site is currently in beta testing. Please send us your feedback. See the Frequent Questions for more information. This website presents information on approved jurisdictional determinations (JDs) made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water… Continue Reading
Congressional caucus of conservative Republicans seek to revoke over 200 regulations
House conservatives want Trump to undo regulations on climate, school lunches and Uber – “The House Freedom Caucus list covers 232 regulations, including funding for smoke-free public housing and paid sick leave for federal contractors.” From the caucus mission statement of this invitation-only group formed in 2015: “The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to… Continue Reading
Will Government Science from agencies be deleted from public sites?
Motherboard – Researchers are preparing for Trump to Delete Government Science From the Web Written by Jason Koebler, December 13, 2016 – “When Donald Trump takes over the federal government on January 21, his administration will also gain complete control over much of the .gov suite of websites, which currently hosts a treasure trove of… Continue Reading
EPA Report – Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas
U.S. EPA. Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources in the United States (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-16/236F, 2016. “This final report provides a review and synthesis of available scientific information concerning the relationship between hydraulic fracturing activities and drinking water… Continue Reading
24/7 Wall St – America’s 25 dying industries – America’s 25 thriving industries
“Valued at nearly $20 trillion, the U.S. economy is the largest in the world. Maintaining a competitive edge necessitates remaining diversified and dynamic. While this means that some U.S. industries thrive, others inevitably decline or are rendered obsolete. As certain industries fade, so do hundreds of thousands of American jobs. 24/7 Wall St. analyzed employment… Continue Reading
Energy Dept. survey by Trump transition targets staff on climate issues
Washington Post: “The transition team has asked department officials to identify which employees have worked on forging an international climate pact, raising concerns that Donald Trump’s team may be singling out people who have helped implement certain policies under President Obama….The Trump transition team has issued a list of 74 questions for the Energy Department,… Continue Reading
