News release: “The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued today the “Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Lending” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook. This revised booklet replaces the “Oil and Gas Production Lending” booklet issued in April 2014. This booklet provides updated guidance to examiners on the risks inherent in lending to… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Energy
Natural gas to surpass coal in mix of fuel used for 2016 US power generation
“For decades, coal has been the dominant energy source for generating electricity in the United States. EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) is now forecasting that 2016 will be the first year that natural gas-fired generation exceeds coal generation in the United States on an annual basis. Natural gas generation first surpassed coal generation on a… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – Social Security Disability, Oil and Gas Management, U.S. Secret Service
Social Security Disability: SSA Could Increase Savings by Refining Its Selection of Cases for Disability Review, GAO-16-250: Published: Feb 11, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 14, 2016. Oil and Gas Management: Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Restructuring Has Not Addressed Long-Standing Oversight Deficiencies, GAO-16-245: Published: Feb 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 11, 2016. U.S.… Continue Reading
Toxic coal ash pollution impacts residents in hundreds of communities
Via Mother Jones – Weird Ailments, Toxic Water, Dismissive Officials—and No, This Isn’t Flint – The environmental justice disaster you’ve never heard of, by Julia Lurie “…coal ash—a toxic byproduct of burning coal that has quietly become one of America’s worst environmental justice problems. The ashes are often laden with arsenic, lead, mercury, and other… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – Bee Health, Oil and Gas Management, US Secret Service
Bee Health: USDA and EPA Should Take Additional Actions to Address Threats to Bee Populations, GAO-16-220: Published: Feb 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 11, 2016. Oil and Gas Management: Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Restructuring Has Not Addressed Long-Standing Oversight Deficiencies, GAO-16-245: Published: Feb 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 11, 2016. U.S. Secret… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – Defense Weather Satellites, Emergency Communications, Stewardship of Clinical Trials, Space Acquisitions
Defense Weather Satellites: Analysis of Alternatives Is Useful for Certain Capabilities, but Ineffective Coordination Limited Assessment of Two Critical Capabilities, GAO-16-252R: Published: Mar 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 10, 2016. Emergency Communications: Actions Needed to Better Coordinate Federal Efforts in the National Capital Region, GAO-16-249: Published: Mar 10, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 10, 2016. Energy… Continue Reading
EIA United Kingdom Country Analysis Brief
“The United Kingdom (UK) is the largest producer of oil and the second-largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The United Kingdom (UK) is the fifth-largest economy in the world in terms of gross domestic product. Following years as a net exporter of crude oil and natural gas, the UK became a net… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – Data Center Consolidation, Modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise
Data Center Consolidation: Agencies Making Progress, but Planned Savings Goals Need to Be Established [Reissued on March 4, 2016], GAO-16-323: Published: Mar 3, 2016. Publicly Released: Mar 3, 2016: The 24 agencies participating in the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative have collectively made progress on their data center closures efforts. As of November 2015, agencies… Continue Reading
ProPublica – It is not if, but when Houston’s perfect storm will hit
“Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country. It’s home to the nation’s largest refining and petrochemical complex, where billions of gallons of oil and dangerous chemicals are stored. And it’s a sitting duck for the next big hurricane. Learn why Texas isn’t ready…” This is a visual and content rich piece of reporting that… Continue Reading
Dept. of Energy Notice – Protection of Human Subjects in Classified Research
Via Steven Aftergood – Secrecy News – “The Department of Energy last month issued new guidance on the conduct of classified scientific research involving human subjects. While all human subject research is governed by federal regulations, the new DOE policy imposes several additional requirements whenever such research is to be performed on a classified basis.… Continue Reading
GAO reports on huge costs to modernize National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy: Observations on Efforts by NNSA and the Office of Environmental Management to Manage and Oversee the Nuclear Security Enterprise, GAO-16-422T: Published: Feb 23, 2016. Publicly Released: Feb 23, 2016. “The Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)—a separately organized agency within DOE—continues to face several ongoing challenges in modernizing the… Continue Reading
Legislative Options for Financing Water Infrastructure
Via FAS – CRS Report – Legislative Options for Financing Water Infrastructure – Claudia Copeland Specialist, in Resources and Environmental Policy; Steven Maguire, Section Research Manager; William J. Mallett, Specialist in Transportation Policy. February 18, 2016. “This report addresses several options considered by Congress to address the financing needs of local communities for wastewater and drinking… Continue Reading
