natural gas
What does it mean to call natural gas “green?”
Earlier this month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation to redefine natural gas as “green energy” and to require state agencies to lease out state lands for oil and gas exploration and production. With the redefinition of natural gas as “green,” Ohio follows a summer decision by the European Union aiming to provide guidance for […]
DeWine, Ohio Republicans redefine natural gas as ‘green energy’ in service to fossil fuel industry
Folks in my line of work are wise to the “Friday night news dump.” It’s an old tactic used by politicians and PR types who have to release unfavorable news they don’t want anyone to see. Pols never drop good news late on a Friday afternoon (or over a holiday) when the public is less […]
Ohio ‘green’ natural gas bill motivated by ESG investing concerns, lawmaker says
The author of an Ohio amendment that would classify natural gas as “green energy” said he hopes the legislation can help companies meet ESG investing standards. ESG refers to environmental, social and governance practices. ESG investing generally limits financing choices to companies or funds that meet certain criteria for those categories. The practice has been […]
Why Ohio’s top oil and gas producing counties continue to lag in jobs
A decade after the start of Ohio’s shale gas boom, counties with the most oil and gas production continue to have higher-than-average unemployment rates. A review of state data shows that unemployment rates in Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble Counties have exceeded the statewide average every year since 2010, casting doubt on […]
Columbia Gas poised to get big rate increase
Amid high consumer inflation and spiking energy costs, Columbia Gas of Ohio could start charging each Ohio customer much more in fixed costs. And, while outside advocacy groups are opposing the move, it would be doing so with the support of the state’s official consumer representative. A “stipulation” that is now before the Public Utilities […]
Clean energy is about more than just climate change
Imagine for a moment that climate change wasn’t happening. That the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change hadn’t determined major inevitable and irreversible climate changes are likely on the horizon due to release of greenhouse gases. Would our transition past coal to a new energy economy still make sense? According to a new working paper by […]
Looking for jobs in all the wrong places: Ohio policymakers’ misguided belief in natural gas
If you’re looking for economic development that will deliver job growth, increase local commerce, and improve quality of life, you can’t do much worse than natural gas extraction, gas-fired power plants, and infrastructure. They don’t provide many jobs and they impose serious costs that discourage other kinds of job-creating economic activity. Apart from contributing to […]
U.S. Supreme Court curbs federal power to regulate greenhouse gases, in blow to Biden
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday the Environmental Protection Agency lacks authority to broadly regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants, siding with a group of Republican attorneys general and coal companies in a major blow to the executive branch’s power to curb climate change. The opinion was a victory for the Republican-led states that undertook the […]
Biden sanctions Russian natural gas pipeline company Nord Stream 2
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday sanctioned the Russian company tasked with building and operating the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, as well as its corporate officers. Biden said in a statement the sanctions are part of the “initial tranche” of economic restrictions the United States began imposing on Russia earlier this week after it […]
World science community watching as natural gas-hydrogen power plant comes to Hannibal, Ohio
There are not a lot of people living in Hannibal, Ohio. It is a tiny port stop on the Ohio River, with just 1,000 people living in Ohio Township, and just about 14,000 in Monroe County. About 35 miles upstream is Wheeling, West Virginia, and about 45 miles downstream is Marietta, Ohio. But this tiny […]
Ohio Supreme Court to continue considering Duke Energy pipeline case
The Ohio Supreme Court will again consider arguments in an appeal related to a natural gas pipeline Duke Energy, Ohio, Inc., wants to bring to Hamilton County. The state’s highest court asked that parties in the case file arguments within 20 days so that the court can proceed with consideration of the case. The case […]
Methane pollution poses serious risks to our health
As the oil and gas industry expands rapidly in Ohio, so does the risk of methane pollution. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and is emitted at all stages of the oil and gas supply chain. The climate warming impact of methane over a 20-year period is estimated to be at least 86 […]