O’Rourke might halt new oil and gas drilling on federal land
Scott Sonner, AP News, April 25, 2019
The Democratic presidential hopeful told reporters while campaigning in Nevada on Thursday that the nation needs to rethink how it protects its public lands and “keep them from being diminished in size as has happened under” the Trump administration. O’Rourke said that concern, combined with the need to reduce total greenhouse emissions, makes it especially important that U.S. taxpayers don’t allow oil and gas companies “to contribute more to the problem.”
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From Daily on Energy, April 29, 2019
BETO O’ROURKE RELEASES $5T PLAN TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE: 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke released a plan Monday to combat climate change, vowing to mobilize $5 trillion in spending over 10 years to address what he called “the greatest threat we face.”
His plan calls for $1.5 trillion in “fully paid for” government spending to mobilize a total of $5 trillion in funding over a decade, to be spent on infrastructure, tax incentives, clean energy research and development, housing and transportation grants in low-income communities, and mitigation measures to help communities prepare for extreme weather events.
To help pay for it, O’Rourke says he would raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy, while ending “tens of billions” of dollars in tax breaks for fossil fuel companies.
Oil Prices Retreat Further From Six-Month High
Dan Molinski, The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2019
Oil prices fell further Monday as investors continued to book profits after prices hit a six-month high last week and President Trump urged OPEC to boost production to lower oil and fuel prices.
President Trump said his call for OPEC to boost oil production was aimed at reducing U.S. retail gasoline prices, which now stand at $2.88 a gallon, 19 cents higher from a month ago and 8 cents higher from a year ago, according to price-tracking firm GasBuddy. “The national average has resumed its upward climb in the last week with average gas prices rising in nearly all states yet again,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “This spring certainly has brought furious price increases at faster paces than we’ve seen in past years.”
U.S. wildlife regulator slams Trump’s Arctic refuge drilling study
Valerie Volcovici, ArcticToday, April 29, 2019
The Fish and Wildlife Service said the ANWR Coastal Plain draft environmental impact study (EIS) failed to include oil spill response plans, analyze the effects of climate change on the Arctic, or ensure that surveys of polar bear denning habitats are required.
“BLM has an obligation to consider all of these comments — including those from its sister agency (Fish and Wildlife) — and anticipates they will inform the Final EIS in multiple ways,” spokeswoman Molly Block said in an email.
Department of Defense awards deal for new polar icebreaker
Associated Press, April 27, 2019
The U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday that it has awarded a Mississippi-based shipbuilder a roughly $745.9 million contract to construct a Polar Security Cutter to bolster the defense’s Arctic presence. The department announced that VT Halter Marine Inc. will construct one of three ships intended to revitalize the U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet of heavy icebreakers, KTVA-TV reported on Friday.
