Jo Ann Lawrence, Author at The American Energy News Page 14 of 17

PG&E won’t appeal $1.6 billion penalty for deadly pipeline blast

PG&E fined for deadly explosion in San Francisco suburb in 2010 California regulators approved a record $1.6 billion fine Thursday against PG&E for a 2010 gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and destroyed more than three dozen homes in suburban San Francisco. The penalty comes as the state’s top utility regulator, Public Utilities Commission […]

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2010 San Francisco gas pipeline blast – PG&E penalized $1.6B

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San Francisco gas pipeline explosion killed eight people California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to penalize Pacific Gas & Electric Co. $1.6 billion for a 2010 suburban San Francisco gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and destroyed more than three dozen homes. The penalty comes as the state’s top regulator, Commission President Michael Picker,

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Bloomberg donates $30M to Sierra Club anti-coal campaign

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Sierra Club goal of replacing half US coal plants with renewable energy by 2017 Billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced Wednesday that he is donating an additional $30 million to a Sierra Club initiative working to reduce the nation’s use of coal. The Sierra Club has a goal of replacing half the nation’s coal plants with renewable

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Shell buying BG Group, major player in Canadian oilsands, LNG

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Shell shells out $69.7 billion in cash and stock in purchase Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy British gas producer BG Group for the equivalent of US$69.7 billion in cash and stock, a move that could strengthen Shell’s position in the global energy sector. Shell said the takeover will add 25 per cent to

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Energy independence will strengthen Texas: Porter

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Fostering relationships with Mexico and Canada will help build energy independence By David J. Porter The United States needs to take the lead and work with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico to end our reliance on fuel from hostile regimes. The U.S. traditionally relies on oil from terrorist-supporting and aggressively anti-American nations that make up

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New Jersey Exxon clean up: Clean up cost calculation could take years

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New Jersey Exxon clean up likely much more than $225M settlement The price tag for cleaning up two petroleum refineries in northern New Jersey will cost Exxon Mobil much more than the $225 million settlement brokered by Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, but critics of the proposal say it could be years until it’s clear how

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Sanctions by any other name…

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Sanctions against US oil export called ‘policy’ Years of sanctions imposed on the sale and export of crude oil have wreaked havoc on Iran’s economy and helped force them to the international bargaining table to discuss their nuclear program. What has gone unreported in all the recent coverage is the link to our economy here at

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US safety board: Upgrade oil train tank cars to protect against fires

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Oil train tank cars upgrades may include thermal blankets, better valves Ethanol or oil train tank cars urgently need to be retrofitted to make them more fire-resistant after a spate of explosive accidents in recent months revealed the shortcomings of industry-backed safety standards, U.S. officials said Monday. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a series

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Greenpeace activists board Shell Arctic offshore drilling

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Shell Arctic offshore drilling rig boarded northwest of Hawaii Six Greenpeace activists protesting Shell Arctic offshore drilling on Monday boarded a drill rig as it was transported across the Pacific Ocean toward Seattle, where it will be staged for drilling on Shell leases in Alaska waters. The 400-foot Polar Pioneer, owned by Transocean Ltd., was

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Wood heating systems gain favour in cold Northern forest

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High efficiency, low emissions wood heating systems produce very little ash With the touch of a finger on an iPod-style screen, Eric Besenfelder can monitor and troubleshoot the shiny, wood-pellet furnace that heats Athens Elementary School in the Hudson Valley. Like the smoky, outdoor wood boilers that have proliferated in rural areas over the past

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