Mackenzie pipeline gets a boost A decades-old northern dream has taken a major step ahead after the panel that was assigned to review the Mackenzie Valley natural gaspipeline concluded that it should go forward. Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 30-Dec-2009
... more 30 Dec 2009
Review Panel blesses Mackenzie Gas Pipeline "In the Panel’s view, the Mackenzie Gas Project and the associated Northwest Alberta Facilities would provide the foundation for a sustainable northern future." Joint Review Panel Report, Mackenzie Gas Project, 30-Dec-2009
... more 30 Dec 2009
China to buy stake in oilsands Industry Minister Tony Clement has approved a deal in which a state-owned Chinese company will invest $1.9 billion in Alberta oilsands properties. Financial Post, 30-Dec-2009
... more 30 Dec 2009
Coast Guard runs two probes of grounding The last and perhaps final working voyage of the tugboat Pathfinder appeared to have been routine and uneventful until it struck notorious Bligh Reef last week on the way home from an ice-scouting mission. Ricahrd Mauer, Anchorage Daily News, 29-Dec-2009
... more 30 Dec 2009
Crews abandon efforts to skim oil The owner of the disabled tugboat Pathfinder gained approval Thursday evening to begin pumping the remaining diesel fuel from the tug's two tanks that were slashed open on the unforgiving rock of Bligh Reef the night before. Richard Mauer & Elizabeth Bluemink, Anchorage Daily News, 25-Dec-2009
... more 26 Dec 2009
Accord reached on global warming An international deal on global warming was reached late Friday, a last-minute breakthrough that was described as only a first step and insufficient to fight climate change. Kelly Cryderman, Vancouver Sun, 19-Dec-2009
... more 19 Dec 2009
Saskatchewan: Nuclear? Not Now Saskatchewan residents won't see a nuclear power plant on the horizon in the next decade but a reactor might still make sense in the future, the provincial government said Thursday. Angela Hall, Leader-Post, 18-Dec-2009
... more 19 Dec 2009
Alberta shale gas play in spotlight A new natural-gas shale play, akin to the Horn River gas field in northwestern British Columbia, is emerging in Alberta, and explorers made a multi-million gamble on the zone earlier this week. Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 17-Dec-2009
... more 17 Dec 2009
The Enbridge Oil Sands Gamble Patrick Daniel, the CEO of Enbridge Inc, is bullish about the future of unconventional oil from Canada’s massive tar sand deposits. Andrew Nikiforuk, CorpWatch, 14-Dec-2009
... more 15 Dec 2009
Northern Gateway Pipeline: Availability of Funding The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) is making available $600,000 under its Participant Funding Program to assist groups and individuals to participate in the environmental review of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. Notice, CEAA, 04-Dec-2009
... more 06 Dec 2009
Pipeline review draws criticism Federal terms of reference for assessing the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline brought instant condemnation from environmental groups yesterday. Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist, 05-Dec-2009
... more 06 Dec 2009
Northern Gateway Pipeline: Joint Review Panel Agreement Issued The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the National Energy Board issued today the Joint Review Panel Agreement, including the Terms of Reference, for the environmental and regulatory review of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. News Release, NEB & CEAA, 04-Dec-2009
... more 04 Dec 2009
Copenhagen: Seattle Grows Up "If Seattle was the 'movement of movements' coming-out party, then maybe Copenhagen will be a celebration of our coming of age," says John Jordan. He cautions that growing up doesn't mean playing it safe, eschewing civil disobedience in favor of staid meetings. "I hope we have grown up to become much more disobedient."
... more 29 Nov 2009
EnCana grapples with gas glut Starting Monday when EnCana splits into two companies, Eric Marsh will be charged with finding ways to use natural gas when he takes over the position of "Executive Vice-President Natural Gas Economy"--a fancy way of describing a natural gas evangelist. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 28-Nov-2009 'Size of the prize' huge for shareholders:Cenovus CEO Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 28-Nov-2009
... more 29 Nov 2009
Pipeline to West Coast gains backing Commercial support is building for a new pipeline to carry oil sands crude on its way to Asia, as Canada's energy industry seeks diversification from the U.S. market and an escape valve from potentially punitive climate-change regulations. Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 19-Nov-2009
... more 20 Nov 2009
Climate Denial Industry Costs Us $500 Billion a Year The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced in its latest World Energy Outlook that every year of delayed action to address climate change will add $500 Billion to the price tag of saving the planet. James Hoggan, desmogblog, 16-Nov-2009
... more 18 Nov 2009
Vast majority of stimulus projects escape environmental-impact studies More than 90 per cent of the thousands of new infrastructure projects across the country are slated to get funding from the Harper government without being required to undergo a federal assessment of their environmental impact, Canwest News Service has learned. Mike de Souza, Victoria Times Colonist, 16-Nov-2009
... more 16 Nov 2009
Shale or sham? Art Berman didn't set out to become the Cassandra of shale gas. That's simply been the result as the Sugar Land petroleum geologist and consultant has persisted in raising doubts about the hottest play in the domestic energy industry. Loren Steffy, Houston Chronicle, 12-Nov-2009
... more 13 Nov 2009
'Oil sands?' Bite your tongue First they were tar sands. Then they were oil sands. Now? Enhanced oil projects. At least according to En-Cana Corp. and its oil-sands spinoff, Cenovus Energy Inc. Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 13-Nov-2009
... more 13 Nov 2009
Wind energy delivers 53% of Spain's electricity demand Wind Energy covered more than 50 percent of the electricity demand the whole of Sunday morning. It also achieved a record high of simultaneous generation with 11,546 megawatts.br>Asociación Empresarial Eólica, 13-Nov-2009 Spain reaches new wind record: 45.1% of Spain’s total electricity demand Regulación Eólica con Vehiculos Electricós, November 8 2009
... more 13 Nov 2009
Canada steps up oil sands push in United States Canada has mounted its biggest campaign yet to sell the United States on the energy security benefits of the oil sands as Washington debates new environmental policy, the country's energy minister said on Friday. Jeffrey Jones, National Post, 06-Nov-2009
... more 07 Nov 2009
Spill in Australia On Aug. 21 this year, a blowout ripped through an oil drilling rig operating in Australian water, more than 100 miles offshore. The rig had to be evacuated as the blowout sent crude oil spewing into the ocean. Two months later, the blowout was still raging Editorial, Anchorage Daily News, 31-Oct-2009
... more 01 Nov 2009
Get ready for triple-digit oil again soon Nothing is shrinking faster these days than global trade. For the first time in decades, world trade volume, the lifeblood of the global economy, is actually falling. And chances are that downsizing is here to stay. Jeff Rubin, Globe and Mail, 30-Oct-2009
... more 31 Oct 2009
Suzuki & Pembina: Climate Leadership, Economic Prosperity Canada can succeed economically while meeting targets to reduce global warming pollution, according to an economic modelling study commissioned by the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation. Media Release, David Suzuki Foundation, 29-Oct-2009 Climate policy cost report casts light on the coming reckoning for the Canadian federation George Hoberg & Stephanie Taylor, Green Policy Prof, 30-Oct-2009
... more 30 Oct 2009
Quebec, N.B. strike $4.8B deal for NB Power Quebec and New Brunswick have reached a proposed deal that would see Hydro-Québec buy the majority of NB Power's assets for $4.8 billion. New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced the historic deal in Fredericton on Thursday, concluding a week of speculation. CBC News, 29-Oct-2009 Hydro-Québec eyes N.B. as 'energy hub' Hydro-Québec is committed to making New Brunswick into an “energy hub” with the acquisition of most of the assets of New Brunswick Power Corp., says the head of Quebec's giant hydroelectric utility. Bertrand Marotte, Globe and Mail, 29-Oct-2009
... more 29 Oct 2009
Alberta-Superior pipeline takes center stage in world climate debate The Enbridge "Alberta Clipper" project will result in 3,000 construction jobs. The influx of workers already has created a shortage of rental housing in Bemidji. On Sept. 3 a coalition including the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Bemidji-based Indigenous Environmental Network filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco to stop the pipeline. Richard Thomas, Business North, 27-Oct-2009 Scraping bottom Editorial, Business News, 27-Oct-2009
... more 28 Oct 2009
New book outlines the PR effort behind climate-change skeptics Climate Cover-up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming is an analysis by a well-informed insider of how the debate was skilfully framed by public relations experts to call that science into question, exploit the media's weakness for a good controversy and ultimately to sow confusion and doubt in the public's mind. Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun, 28-Oct-2009
... more 28 Oct 2009
Shale gas could delay Alaska pipeline plans The more abundant Lower 48 shale gas reserves become, the more likely a delay for a natural gas pipeline between Alaska's North Slope and North American markets, a federal energy analyst says. Rena Delbridge, Alaska Dispatch, 27-Oct-2009
... more 28 Oct 2009
Pipeline dream in peril Ottawa has decided not to proceed with its investment in the $16.2-billion Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, sources said, throwing the future of Canada's largest construction proposal into doubt. John Ivison and Carrie Tait, National Post, 27-Oct-2009
... more 27 Oct 2009
America's dirty little secret The United Nations Climate Change Treaty, signed in 1992, committed the world to “avoiding dangerous anthropogenic interference in the climate system.” Yet, since that time, greenhouse-gas emissions have continued to soar. The United States has proved to be the biggest laggard ... Jeffrey Sachs, Globe and Mail, 22-Oct-2009
... more 22 Oct 2009
On a cost basis, carbon-capture projects are madness Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes so many spending announcements, flying like Mary Poppins on speed around the country to distribute billions of dollars, that the news media have given up analyzing any of them. Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, 19-Oct-2009
... more 22 Oct 2009
Gas shale may be next bubble to burst The promise of enough natural gas to last the United States more than 100 years based on discoveries of vast shale formations could be the country's next speculative bubble to burst, a speaker warned Monday at a conference exploring the notion that the world's oil and gas are diminishing rapidly. Judith Kohler, Houston Chronicle, 12-Oct-2009
... more 16 Oct 2009
Curbing Emissions by Sealing Gas Leaks To the naked eye, there was nothing to be seen at a natural gas well in eastern Texas but beige pipes and tanks baking in the sun. But in the viewfinder of Terry Gosney’s infrared camera, three black plumes of gas gushed through leaks that were otherwise invisible. Andrew C. Revkin & Clifford Kraus, New York Times, 14-Oct-2009
... more 16 Oct 2009
Hot air fuels carbon-capture pact Carbon dioxide might be an invisible gas, but the Alberta government is doing its best to use it as a political smokescreen. Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal, 08-Oct2009
... more 13 Oct 2009
A new route beyond the Last Frontier The melting polar ice cap is opening the forbidding waters at the top of the world to shipping -- and intensifying concerns about regulating maritime operations and protecting the fragile environment. Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 11-Oct-2009
... more 13 Oct 2009
Alberta announces 15-year $850M carbon capture and storage project The Alberta and federal governments promised $865 million in funding for a carbon capture and storage project near Edmonton on Thursday, but officials acknowledge that it will be years before any greenhouse gas emissions are piped underground. The Canadian Press, Red Deer Advocate, 09-Oct-2009
... more 12 Oct 2009
Suncor sues Greenpeace Environmental protesters say they will continue to target oilsands facilities in the face of lawsuits and criminal charges after Suncor Energy filed a $1.5-million lawsuit against the environmental group Greenpeace in the wake of a protest at its Fort McMurray mine earlier this month. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 09-Oct-2009
... more 12 Oct 2009
House bill requires two tugs for tankers Federal legislation authorizing Coast Guard appropriations for 2010 has a provision expanding the requirement for dual tug escorts of oil tankers traveling through Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Wesley Loy, Petroleum News, 11-Oct-2009
... more 10 Oct 2009
Push for LNG pipeline from Oregon's Coos Bay Coos Bay snakes from the Pacific into the hilly Oregon coast, its waters sheltered from the ocean by a long, sandy spit. Resident Jody McCaffree sees it as a place of sand dunes and shore birds, where the slumping local economy hasn't destroyed a high quality of life. But a group of energy companies, including PG&E Corp., sees Coos Bay as a potential source of fossil fuel. David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 04-Oct-2009
... more 05 Oct 2009
As Oil Enriches Australia, Spill Is Seen as a Warning Visitors hoping to peek at Australia’s exotic marine life usually head straight for the Great Barrier Reef. But conservationists say that an equally remarkable, but lesser known, marine environment is under threat from the booming oil and gas exploration taking place among the reefs and atolls off Australia’s northwest coast. Meraiah Foley, New York Times, 27-Sep-2009
... more 28 Sep 2009
Past spills and ongoing risks of oil companies are omens When Exxon spilled millions of gallons of crude in Prince William Sound, it immediately hired an army of spin doctors to re-write history. Now, we're seeing the very same historical shape-shifting with the Drift River Oil Terminal incident. Bob Shavelson, Anchorage Daily News, 24-Sep-2009
... more 28 Sep 2009
Will the Electric Car Ever Make It to the Mass Market? Germany's automakers are proudly showing off their concept electric cars at the Frankfurt motor show, which opens to the public Thursday. But the shiny new designs on display are just a pipe dream. It's still not clear when, or even if, viable electric cars will make it onto the mass market. Christian Wüst, Der Spiegel, 16-Sep-2009
... more 28 Sep 2009
Study shows high level of potentially toxic air pollution in DISH A new study shows high level of potentially harmful air pollution in the town of DISH in Denton County. DISH sits next to several large compressor stations, which process natural gas from the Barnett Shale and pressurize it for shipment across the country. Residents have complained for years about the smell and the noise. Mike Lee, Star-Telegram, 26-Sep-2009
... more 27 Sep 2009
Canada and climate change: Nothing gets done, fingers get pointed The “tragedy of the commons” occurs when something – a pasture, a lake, a fish stock, the atmosphere – becomes degraded by the actions of all. No single action causes the degradation, and no single action will reverse the negative trend. So nothing gets done, fingers get pointed and the “commons” degradation continues. Canada is one of the worst carbon emitters on the planet. Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, 25-Sep-2009
... more 25 Sep 2009
Carbon capture plan 'sheer folly' A major prong of Canada's climate change plan is so flawed that to pursue it now – with neither the proper science nor proper laws in place – would be “sheer folly,” concludes a new report. Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 24-Sep-2009
... more 24 Sep 2009
Oil sands: The muddied message Alberta's former energy minister warned the oil sands industry to “wake up” and start fighting an aggressive public relations battle, telling producers they should be embarrassed that 25 protesters were able to sneak into and temporarily shut down a major mine last week. Nathan VanderKlippe & Katherine O'Neill, Globe and Mail, 24-Sep-2009 Oil sands under attack on environment Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 15-Sep-2009
... more 24 Sep 2009
Quicksilver Resources stock jumps on news of Canadian well output The stock of Fort Worth-based Quicksilver Resources soared to a yearly high Tuesday, buoyed by an announcement of strong results from a Horn River Basin natural gas well in British Columbia. Jack Z. Smith, Star-Telegram, 22-Sep-2009
... more 24 Sep 2009
Extended OCS comment period produces 350,000 comments, Salazar says The US government received more than 350,000 public comments on possible Outer Continental Shelf resource development strategies during the 6-month comment period that expired Sept. 21, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on Sept. 22. Nick Snow, Oil and Gas Journal, 22-Sep-2009
... more 24 Sep 2009
Poop-to-power plant now online It takes slightly more than three gallons of liquid cow manure to create one kilowatt-hour of electricity. A lot of poop. A small amount of electricity. A big environmental boost to a dairy farmer. John Stang, Seattle Post Intelligencer, 21-Sep-2009
... more 22 Sep 2009
Renewable power decisions create a tangled web More big solar power plants in the Mojave Desert. Fewer solar panels on homes and businesses. More hydroelectric dams in British Columbia. David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 21-Sep-2009
... more 21 Sep 2009
New gas supplies 'could eat Arctic gas's lunch' For decades, Alaskans have dreamed of another pipeline boom, hoping
for a giant natural gas project to generate tens of billions of
dollars in tax revenue and put thousands of people to work. Rena Delbridge, Alaska Dispatch, 19-Sep-2009
... more 21 Sep 2009
Greenpeace protest sparks questions about security of Alberta oilsands While the oilsands industry tries to calm any frayed nerves after a splashy protest by Greenpeace at a Shell work site in northern Alberta, some analysts say the infiltration of such a huge operation should serve as a warning about the security of energy installations. Lisa Arrowsmith, Canadian Business, 20-Sep-2009
... more 20 Sep 2009
Alaska Gov Says Gas Pipeline Competitors Should Work Together Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell said Thursday that he expects developers of two competing natural gas pipelines, from Alaska's North Slope to Canada and the contiguous U.S., to find a way to work together before he will consider agreements on production tax incentives for the projects. Cassandra Sweet & Siobhan Hughes, Wall Street Journal, 18-Sep-2009
... more 19 Sep 2009
Shell, Greenpeace negotiate calm end to protest
Shell officials and Greenpeace activists negotiated a peaceful end Wednesday to a demonstration that saw protesters chain themselves to heavy machinery at Shell's Muskeg River oilsands mine ahead of a Washington meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U. S. President Barack Obama. Richard Warnica, Edmonton Journal, 17-Sep-2009
... more 17 Sep 2009
Nuclear power costly: Wall Nuclear power may be too large and too costly for a province like Saskatchewan, which needs to keep its energy options open, Premier Brad Wall said Wednesday. James Wood, The StarPhoenix, 17-Sep-2009
... more 17 Sep 2009
No special treatment for tar sands In 1988, when I addressed the U.S. Congress on the dangers of global warming, I warned leaders that it was time to stop waffling. Humans were changing the climate in new and dangerous ways and we needed to take action. At the time, I knew we could expect stiff resistance from the usual suspects, but if you had told me that 20 years later, one of the most stubborn holdouts would be a self-interested Canada, I wouldn't have believed you. James Hansen, The Star, 16-Sep-2009
... more 17 Sep 2009
Revealed: The ghost fleet of the recession The biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history lies at anchor east of Singapore. Never before photographed, it is bigger than the U.S. and British navies combined but has no crew, no cargo and no destination - and is why your Christmas stocking may be on the light side this year
The 'ghost fleet' near Singapore Simon Parry, Daily Mail, 13-Sep-2009
... more 15 Sep 2009
Cap and trade debate heats up The debate surrounding Canada's position on capping greenhouse gas emissions is heating up ahead of a global warming summit in Copenhagen this year. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 10-Sep-2009
... more 10 Sep 2009
Natural Gas Hits a Roadblock in New Energy Bill The natural gas industry has enjoyed something of a winning streak in recent years. It found gigantic new reserves, low prices are encouraging utilities to substitute gas for coal, and cities are switching to buses fueled by natural gas. But its luck has run out in Washington... Clifford Krauss, New York Times, 09-Sep-2009
... more 07 Sep 2009
Another Astroturf Campaign It was probably only a matter of time, but the oil lobby has taken a page from the anti-health-care-reform manual in an effort to drum up opposition to climate change legislation in Congress. Behind the overall effort — billed, naturally, as a grass-roots citizen movement — lie the string-pullers at the American Petroleum Institute... Editorial, New York Times, 04-Sep-2009
... more 07 Sep 2009
Renewable-power fight at crossroads A fierce and complicated fight has broken out in Sacramento over a simple idea with broad support - increasing California's use of renewable power. The fight isn't over the basic goal. Two bills pending in the Legislature ... David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 04-Sep-2009
... more 07 Sep 2009
Oil Sands: Destroyer or Savior? Few energy resources stir passions like Canada’s oil sands.
Tom Zeller Jr., New York Times, 06-Sep-2009
... more 07 Sep 2009
China Oil Deal Is New Source of Strife Among Iraqis When China’s biggest oil company signed the first post-invasion oil field development contract in Iraq last year, the deal was seen as a test of Iraq’s willingness to open an industry that had previously prohibited foreign investment. Timothy Williams, New York Times, -05-Sep-2009
... more 06 Sep 2009
Quebec Innu wage battle to halt huge hydroelectric project Nearly 40 years after Cree and Inuit won an injunction to stop the massive James Bay hydro project, an Innu community is waging a similar battle against Hydro-Quebec, the province and the federal government to halt another major hydroelectric project on Quebec's Lower North Shore. Marianne White, National Post, 04-Sep-2009
... more 05 Sep 2009
Native & Green Groups Challenge State Dept. Permit for Dirty Oil Pipeline Native American and environmental groups filed suit in federal court today challenging the Enbridge Alberta Clipper, a proposed tar sands oil pipeline that would bring the dirtiest oil on Earth from Canada to the United States. Media Release, Earthjustice, 03-Sep-2009 Enbridge pipeline faces U.S. court challenge Canwest News Service, 04-Sep-2009
... more 04 Sep 2009
CO2 'white elephant' Eric Beynon and Marlo Raynolds do not deal with the amount of CO2 that would have to be removed by “carbon capture and storage” (CCS) facilities. The quantities of CO2 to be removed are huge. Fred Langford, National Post, 02-Sep-2009
... more 03 Sep 2009
Yukon minister's resignation threatens to collapse government Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie's government is at risk of collapse after the resignation of the territory's energy minister, who says the Premier "lied" to the public in denying that private talks took place regarding selling off the government's energy assets. Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 01-Sep-2009
... more 01 Sep 2009
Alberta to U.S.: Use the oil sands or lose them To lift a quip from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Arctic sovereignty policy and apply it to the American view of Alberta’s oil sands: use it or lose it. Don Martin, National Post, 31-Aug-2009
... more 01 Sep 2009
China's bold move into the oil sands PetroChina's $1.9-billion acquisition of stake in Athabasca Oil shows deep-pocketed investors still see value in Alberta resource Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 31-Aug-2009Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 01-Sep-2009
... more 01 Sep 2009
BRAZIL: New Law Would Put Oil Revenue into Development On what he referred to as "a new independence day for Brazil," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Monday proposed new legislation that would increase state control over the management of the country's enormous offshore oil finds, with the aim of channeling much of the state's oil revenue into a national social fund. Fabiana Frayssinet, IPS, 31-Aug-2009
... more 01 Sep 2009
Please Mrs. Nixon Michael Broom, Rainforest Action Network, August 2009
... more 31 Aug 2009
Time for Natural-Gas Autos? The plan is to offer tax credits worth up to $12,500 on the purchase of new cars and trucks. The catch is that your new vehicle must run on natural gas -- compressed natural gas, or CNG, to be precise. A Senate bill, the counterpart to the House's NAT GAS Act, also would offer up to $64,000 in tax credits on fleet vehicles, and up to $100,000 to anyone opening a CNG filling station. Mike Hogan, Barron's Online, 29-Aug-2009
... more 31 Aug 2009
Tesoro moves oil to Pacific on reversed Panama line Tesoro has shipped its first barrels of crude oil from the Atlantic to the Pacific Basin on a reversed Panama pipeline, the company said Thursday.Reuters News, 27-Aug-2009
... more 30 Aug 2009
Carbon disaster vs Hell Yes CCS You may soon be asked to save the planet from global warming by hosting an underground carbon dioxide storage facility. You and your neighbours will be told not to worry about carbon dioxide poisoning your water supplies. Lawrence Solomon, National Post, 15-Aug-2009 Hell yes, back CCS Eric Beynon & Marlo Raynolds, National Post, 29-Aug-2009
... more 29 Aug 2009
Coal is still king We can’t continue to use the atmosphere as a dump for carbon dioxide emissions, say governments concerned about global warming. Rather than storing this colourless, odourless, tasteless gas way up there, they reason, let’s store the carbon dioxide way down here, buried under ground or in the oceans. And since burial solves the carbon dioxide problem, they then conclude, we can with a clear conscience crank up our use of coal. Lawrence Solomon, Financial Post, 29-Aug-2009
... more 29 Aug 2009
Awash in natural gas, prices hit new 7-year lows Natural gas prices slumped to their lowest level in seven years Thursday after the government reported that salt caverns, aquifers and other underground areas where it is stored are filling up. Chris Kahn, Washington Post, 27-Aug-2009
... more 29 Aug 2009
Weak dollar pushes energy prices higher The effect of the weak dollar is again pushing oil prices higher in the face of little demand for energy and huge surpluses of crude. The Associated Press, 28-Aug-2009
... more 29 Aug 2009
Oil, Ecuador and its people (Part 1) Today, a swath of the Ecuadorean Amazon remains contaminated beyond imagining. Neither side disputes the devastation, only who should pay for it. Chevron says it is the state oil company's responsibility. Editorial, Los Angeles Times, 28-Aug-2009
... more 29 Aug 2009
First Nations take oilsands concerns to U. K. Three First Nations people from northern Alberta are in London, protesting the involvement of United Kingdom companies in oilsands development. Hanneke Brooymans, Edmonton Journal, 28-Aug-2009
... more 28 Aug 2009
Natural Gas Markets Headed for A Crash? Natural gas prices have retreated in recent days as the prospect of full storage suggests the industry will be forced to curtail production unless demand picks up. Domestic gas producers are facing the eventuality of all having to curtail their production. When that happens, we should expect a meaningful drop in natural gas prices. G. Allen Brooks, Rigzone, 18-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Is It Possible to Have Sub $4/Mcf Gas for Five Years? Jim Simpson of BENTEK Energy, LLC presented his case for sub $4 Mcf natural gas prices through 2010. He dismissed the likelihood this distressed price scenario would last for 10 years as low gas prices did throughout the 1990s, but he did say it was possible the low price could last five years. Berntzen suggested $3 gas following a question about the impact of Exxon's Horn River gas discoveries in Canada on the U.S. market. No one in the audience ventured another - possibly out of fear they would be bidding down future gas prices. by G. Allen Brooks, Rigzone, 04-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Critics say work on power lines premature A move by the Alberta government to authorize two companies to start work on controversial state-of-the-art north-south transmission lines in advance of approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission has sparked outrage from consumers. Darcy Henton, Edmonton Journal, 26-Aug-2009
... more 26 Aug 2009
‘Peak Oil’ Is a Waste of Energy REMEMBER “peak oil”? It’s the theory that geological scarcity will at some point make it impossible for global petroleum production to avoid falling, heralding the end of the oil age and, potentially, economic catastrophe. Well, just when we thought that the collapse in oil prices since last summer had put an end to such talk .... A careful examination of the facts shows that most arguments about peak oil are based on anecdotal information, vague references and ignorance of how the oil industry goes about finding fields and extracting petroleum. Michael Lynch, New York Times, 24-Aug-2009
... more 26 Aug 2009
Time to unleash seabed methane? Methane hydrates have a huge potential as an energy source. But hydrates are also making headlines this week as a worrying harbinger of climate change. Anna Barnett, Climate Feedback, 21-Aug-2009
... more 25 Aug 2009
Natural-gas producers hoping for cold winter With vast underground natural-gas storage cells almost full across North America months earlier than normal, producers hope for an early, cold winter to eat up some of the surplus. And perhaps even a hurricane or two to hit the Gulf of Mexico and take some gas production off-line. Dave Cooper, The Province, 23-Aug-2009
... more 23 Aug 2009
New meter to crank up power bills Households face an average $263-a-year leap in electricity bills with the installation of new smart meters that begins in 10 days' time. Leon Gettler, The Age, Australia, 23-Aug-2009
... more 22 Aug 2009
Oil spill threatens ocean as driller faces multimillion bill THE operator of an oil rig responsible for a massive oil leak off the West Australian coast will be forced to pay millions of dollars to clean up the spill, which authorities warn poses a serious threat to the environment. Josh Gordon, The Age, 23-Aug-2009
... more 22 Aug 2009
(US) Permit for Alberta Clipper Pipeline Issued The US State Department issued a Presidential Permit to Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership for the Alberta Clipper pipeline. It found that "the addition of crude oil pipeline capacity between Canada and the United States will advance a number of strategic interests of the United States." U.S. approves Alberta Clipper pipeline project Reuters, Globe and Mail, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 Alberta Clipper pipeline approved for U.S. midwest Lisa Schmidt, Calgary Herald, 21-Aug-2009
... more 21 Aug 2009
Is the Mackenzie Pipeline dead? Here’s a thorny question to pose as Prime Minister Stephen Harper moves about the Canadian North this week promoting Arctic sovereignty and use-it-or-lose it development: is the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline dead? Peter Foster, National Post, 18-Aug-2009
... more 19 Aug 2009
Oil Industry Backs Protests of Emissions Bill Hard on the heels of the health care protests, another citizen movement seems to have sprung up, this one to oppose Washington’s attempts to tackle climate change. But behind the scenes, an industry with much at stake — Big Oil — is pulling the strings. Clifford Kraus, Jad Mouawad, New York Times, 18-Aug-2009
... more 19 Aug 2009
States weigh benefits, risks of drilling in parks State parks aren't just for hiking, camping and other recreation anymore. Increasingly, these lands are being used for oil and gas drilling as budget-strapped states seek new sources of revenue. Julie Carr Smyth, Google News, 17-Aug-2009
... more 18 Aug 2009
Oil lobby to fund campaign against Obama's climate change strategy The US oil and gas lobby are planning to stage public events to give the appearance of a groundswell of public opinion against legislation that is key to Barack Obama's climate change strategy, according to campaigners. Suzanne Goldenberg, guardian.co.uk, 14-Aug-2009
... more 17 Aug 2009
Support lawmakers for escort tug efforts We Alaskans have always fared best when our state leaders have put politics aside and pulled together for the common good. The latest example of this spirit is the effort to preserve the system of escort tugs that help protect Prince William Sound from oil spills. Stephen K. Lewis, Anchorage Daily News, 14-Aug-2009
... more 16 Aug 2009
Alberta frets over U.S. climate change tariff bill The Alberta government is worried about a provision in a U.S.
climate change bill that would grant the president the power to slap tariffs on imports that have a carbon footprint larger than American-made goods. Renata D'Aliesio, Calgary Herald, 13-Aug-2009
... more 14 Aug 2009
NEB Reports Highest Pipeline Worker Injury Rate Since 2000 The NEB reports that nearly two out of every 100 pipeline workers suffered a serious workplace injury in 2007, almost double the seven-year average. It is the highest worker injury rate since the NEB began reporting on safety performance indicators in 2000. News Release & Reports, NEB, 11-Aug-2009
... more 13 Aug 2009
Revival or dam-nation? Thanks partly to Boeing's new jet factory, Snohomish County, Wash., is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. The north Seattle county's energy demand is expected to increase 25 percent over the next decade, and its local utility is scrambling for new sources of power. Joshua Zaffos, High Country News, 27-Jul-2009
... more 12 Aug 2009
Oil sands test of Obama’s green credentials The Obama administration faces a test of its environmental credentials in deciding whether to approve a pipeline carrying greenhouse gas-intensive oil sands fuel from Canada into the US. Sheila McNulty, Financial Times, 10-Aug-2009
... more 12 Aug 2009
Canada's oil patch open for Chinese business: Flaherty Finance Minister Jim Flaherty rolled out the welcome mat for Chinese investment in the Canadian energy sector Monday, saying this country's foreign-investment rules pose little hindrance to the growth of a Chinese presence. Jorge Barrera, Financial Post, 10-Aug-2009
... more 11 Aug 2009
NATURAL GAS: Market glut could push prices lower U.S. natural gas producers continue to increase production volumes past market demand, leading many to predict a price plunge that could put some small firms out of business. Greenwire, 07-Aug-2009
... more 07 Aug 2009
Is it time to press reset on nuclear? In a throwback to its tumultuous past, nuclear power is teetering on the brink of renaissance or relapse, waffling between a return to its golden age and a slow demise. Kathryn Blaze Carlson, National Post, 31-Jul-2009
... more 01 Aug 2009
A flurry of upbeat news from Enbridge A trio of news items: Enbridge on Track for 20% Plus Growth in 2009, 10% Plus Through 2013 Enbridge Inc., Rigzone, 29-Jul-2009 Enbridge Proposes $500MM Walker Ridge Gathering System for GOM Enbridge Inc., Rigzone, 29-Jul-2009 Enbridge to Start Multibillion-Dollar Pipeline Project in August Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer, 27-Jul-2009
... more 29 Jul 2009
Hydropower boom may not be a bust for salmon "What we have been able to do is provide more power with the same amount of water," said Tracy Yount, the Chelan County utility district's external affairs director. "We're saying, let's skip the new facilities, skip the regulatory issues associated with new dams and go to our existing facilities and get more value from them." Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 27-Jul-2009 Boom in hydropower pits fish against climate Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 27-Jul-2009
... more 27 Jul 2009
Desertec: an energy, CO2, water and food solution The DESERTEC Concept. "It simultaneously tackles efficiently all the global challenges of the upcoming decades: shortage of energy, water and food as well as excessive emissions of CO2." Hmm, intriguing.
... more 27 Jul 2009
U.S. clean energy stimulus both a boon and a threat to B.C. companies The Obama administration's $70-billion commitment to renewable energy is creating eye-popping opportunities in the U.S. that threaten B.C. clean-energy companies as much as it opens doors. Gordon Hamilton, The Vancouver Sun, 25-Jul-2009
... more 27 Jul 2009
Teck resurrects plans to expand coal output Teck Resources Ltd. is dusting off plans to expand its coal operations and meet a sudden increase in demand, marking yet another milestone in the dramatic resurrection of Canada's largest base metals miner. Andy Hoffman, Globe and Mail, 24-Jul-2009
... more 25 Jul 2009
Plans shelved for new Saint John refinery Irving Oil Ltd. and partner BP PLC have shelved plans for an $8-billion refinery in Saint John, based on a stunning 30-year forecast that North American gasoline consumption has peaked for the foreseeable future. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 25-Jul-2009
... more 25 Jul 2009
California Legislature plan falls short of closing entire deficit The Legislature passed a plan today that fell short of closing the state's gaping $26.3 billion deficit in part because lawmakers did not approve two controversial bills - one for new oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast and the other a plan to take gas-tax funds away from counties. Matthew Yi, Carla Marinucci, Richard Procter, San Francisco Chronicle, 24-Jul-2009 California Coast Spared by Vote of Assembly David M. Greenwald, California Progress Report, 24-Jul-2009 53 Environmental Groups Oppose Use of Budget Process To Approve New Offshore Oil Drilling Project California Progress Report, 24-Jul-2009
... more 24 Jul 2009
Climate and CCS debate: Coal can’t have it both ways Coal lobbyists argue that “clean coal” is here, but then also demand that climate legislation be further watered down, to give them more time to perfect and deploy carbon capture and storage technology. Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, 23-Jul-2009
... more 23 Jul 2009
Realistic Costs of Carbon Capture There is a growing interest in carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a means of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However there are substantial uncertainties about the costs of CCS ... which are examined in this discussion paper. Costs of abatement are found typically to be approximately $150/tCO2 avoided. Mohammed Al-Juaied & Adam Whitmore, Harvard University, June 2009 Carbon capture for coal costly, study finds Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, 21-Jul-2009 Clean Coal: Competitive Someday, Just Not Today Keith Johnson, Wall Street Journal, 20-Jul-2009
... more 23 Jul 2009
Dig the coal, bury the carbon Corn used for ethanol may be renewable, but coal is still king of energy crops in the boot tip of the Hoosier State. Yet if coal is to keep its crown, the phrase “clean coal” will need to be more than a slogan. Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor, 21-Jul-2009
... more 22 Jul 2009
At what price 'white man's money'? Long excluded from the development of Canada's natural resources, many native leaders now insist their people must take part, and warn that failure to include them could derail projects. The five candidates in next week's vote to choose a successor to Phil Fontaine as Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations have all promised to pursue resource development as a way of alleviating the appalling poverty and social conditions on reserves. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 21-Jul-2009
... more 21 Jul 2009
TransAlta offers $654 million in cash to acquire Canadian Hydro Developers After a failed attempt at a friendly deal with renewable power producer Canadian Hydro Developers, TransAlta Corp. says it is taking its $654 million all-cash hostile takeover offer directly to the target company´s shareholders. Canadian Press, Oilweek, 20-Jul-2009 TransAlta signals green intentions with Canadian Hydro bid Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, Tuesday, 21-Jul-2009
... more 20 Jul 2009
Operators See No Immediate Need For Pipelines To Kitimat Opening up Asian markets for growing oilsands production is a top strategic goal for producers, although pipelines that could further support this, such as like proposals to Kitimat, British Columbia, are still a ways off, major pipeline operators said Wednesday. Richard Macedo, Oil Sands Review, 09-Jul-2009
... more 20 Jul 2009
Chinese buying spree bypasses Canada If anyone doubts China's growing need for energy and its continued quest to shore up supply, having a look at the activity of its national energy companies on the international stage will put those thoughts aside. What's curious, however, is that none of those deals has taken place in Canada. Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Herald, 15-Jul-2009
... more 20 Jul 2009
Oil sands catches break from recession The current slowdown could prove a boon for Canadian oil sands producers, driving down construction and operating costs and giving time for the development of infrastructure needed for the industry's growth. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 17-Jul2009
... more 18 Jul 2009
US: offshore drilling in the news We're seeing offshore drilling debates on all of America's coasts - Alaska, California, the Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina. This sampler of news items looks as some of the action, and includes an early pick for the candidates to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
... more 17 Jul 2009
Five 'threat groups' identified for Alberta, B.C. oil industry Violent acts or blockades against northern Alberta's oil and gas industry will likely continue in the years ahead, but the disruptions are unlikely to be organized or widespread unless disparate groups come together. Kelly Cryderman, Calgary Herald, 14-Jul-2009 Resource Industries and Security Issues in Northern Alberta Tom Flanagan, Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, Jun-2009
... more 14 Jul 2009
Thawing Arctic relations There are new signs of Russia's openness in the Arctic. At a news conference in Canada June 30, Russia called for cooperation with Canada in managing the Arctic. Three weeks ago, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin set aside some 3.5 million acres in the Russian Arctic as a national park. Leah Zimmerman, San Francisco Chronicle, 10-Jul-2009
... more 11 Jul 2009
Barge hauling 1 million gallons of gas runs aground in Columbia Gorge Hood River awoke today, as it did Thursday, to an unwelcome guest at its front door: a barge laden with 1 million gallons of gasoline run aground in the Columbia River. Matthew Preusch, The Oregonian, 09-July-2009
... more 11 Jul 2009
Who's doing the math here? An announcement at the end of June provided an especially glaring indication that it would seem as though the Conservative caucus had lost all of its calculators, and that its collective mental capacity was not up to the mathematical challenge of understanding that two minus three equals negative one.Ricardo Acuña, Vue Weekly, 02-Jul-2009
... more 10 Jul 2009
New US Natural Gas Pipeline Displacing Canadian Gas A new natural gas pipeline in the United States is allowing cheap gas from the Rockies to displace more than 10% of Canada’s gas exports to the Midwest US, forcing more Canadian gas into storage and lowering natural gas prices for Canadian producers. Keith Schaefer, Oil and Gas Investments Bulletin, 07-Jul-2009
... more 07 Jul 2009
Swimming in natural gas The suggestion that natural gas is worthless may be extreme, but it is an indication of the challenge the industry faces. Market experts continue to expect weak prices for natural gas as a surge in unconventional gas discoveries, such as shale plays, pour on to an already-flooded market. Add in unpredictable weather and a slower-than-forecast economic recovery, and the outlook doesn't get much brighter. Jonathan Ratner, Financial Post, 04-Jul-2009
... more 07 Jul 2009
The Graph: A Picture of the Present and Future The multi-coloured graph sprawls across two facing pages of the New Scientist. All the lines begin to rise steeply after 1950, and by 2000 they have converged in a nearly vertical ascent. Taken together, they are a picture of the present and a prospect for the future, a future that seems to hint at some uncertain but inevitable climax. Ray Grigg, Shades of Green, 05-Jul-2009 How our economy is killing the Earth Special Report, New Scientist, 16-Oct-2008 The facts of overconsumption Special Report, New Scientist, 15-Oct-2008
... more 05 Jul 2009
Grit leader flatters Alberta, criticizes Tories Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff touted Saturday the economic virtues and national reach of Alberta's oilsands, urging Canadians to take pride in the mammoth industrial development, which has touched off international environmental opposition. Renata D'Aliesio, Calgary Herald, 05-Jul-2009
... more 05 Jul 2009
On Canada, trade and climate change A digest and commentary on Canada, trade and climate change, particularly in the context of US "Buy American" initiatives. Brent Patterson, Council of Canadians, 02-Jun-2009
... more 02 Jul 2009
Preparing for Oil Spills in the Future Arctic Within the next two decades, scientists estimate that the Arctic Ocean will be free of multi-year ice in the summer. The thawing of Arctic Ocean ice during summer months will lead to increased maritime transportation and tourism. It will also lead to increased oil and gas exploration. National Ocean Service, 29-May-2009
... more 02 Jul 2009
Opponents try late rally against Enbridge pipeline Opponents of the Enbridge Alberta Clipper pipeline rallied today in Duluth to announce they are trying legal and political efforts to stop the oil pipeline. John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, 30-Jun-2009
... more 02 Jul 2009
Alaskan oversees gas line coordination for Obama administration Beyond its $30 billion cost, there are thousands of steps on the path to the proposed pipeline that will take North Slope natural gas 1,700 miles through Alaska and Canada. One small federal agency, the Office of the Federal Coordinator, is overseeing the effort. The office is headed by Drue Pearce, an Alaskan who is based in Washington. Erika Bolstad, Anchorage Daily News, 28-Jun-2009
... more 30 Jun 2009
The Environmental Risks of Arctic Shipping As the Arctic warms, an expected increase in shipping threatens to introduce invasive species, harm existing marine wildlife and lead to damaging oil spills, according to a recent report from the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum of Arctic nations. Stefan Milkowski, New York Times, 29-Jun-2009
... more 30 Jun 2009
Supreme Court rules against Chevron The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Chevron Corp., the second-largest U.S. energy company, in a fight with the Ecuadorean government over potentially tens of billions of dollars in liability for environmental damage. Greg Stohr, Bloomberg News, 29-Jun-2009
... more 30 Jun 2009
Oil sands to take hit from U.S. bill Alberta's oil sands producers and their U.S. refiners face sharply higher costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and championed by U.S. President Barack Obama. Shawn McCarthy & Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 30-Jun-2009
... more 30 Jun 2009
House Passes Historic Waxman-Markey Clean Energy Bill The US House of Representatives has passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act, also referred to as the Waxman-Markey Bill. News Release, House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, 26-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
DuPont’s new game The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a global warming bill that represents the largest transfer of wealth from U.S. consumers to corporate interests in history. The mammoth bill’s cap-and-trade system not only gives DuPont and other major emitters a windfall in free emission allowances, but also boosts a host of the technologies that DuPont specializes in. As a cherry on top, DuPont will not only receive subsidies for upgrades and other investments it would have made regardless. Lawrence Solomon, National Post, 27-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
A public tarring in Saudi Canada Earlier this month, Dr. John O'Connor, a dedicated family physician, and I got badly tarred by another one of Ottawa's disturbing political gangs. Andrew Nikiforuk, Toronto Star, 28-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
Energy firms get $3B boost Oil and gas industry players welcomed up to $3 billion in Alberta royalty credits under an extended drilling incentive program unveiled Thursday, but continued to demand long-term answers to the province’s fiscal competitiveness woes. Dan Healing, Calgary Herald, 26-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
Fraser Institute: Global Petroleum Survey 2009 Manitoba has dethroned both Saskatchewan and Alberta as the most attractive Canadian province or territory for oil and gas investment, according to an international survey of petroleum executives and managers released today by independent research organization the Fraser Institute Gerry Angevine,
Fraser Institute, 24-Jun-2009 Global Petroleum Industry Views Arkansas as Best Place in the World for Investment Fraser Institute,
finance.yahoo.com, 24-Jun-2009 Survey ranks Alberta last for energy investment Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 25-Jun-2009 Report critical of Alaska's relationship with oil industry Rena Delbridge, Fairbanks News Miner, 28-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
Exxon's Weapon of Gas Destruction ExxonMobil has a loaded gun pointed at the U.S. natural-gas market --
and it isn't the only one. The ammunition is liquefied natural gas. Liam Denning, Wall Street Journal, 25-Jun-2009
... more 26 Jun 2009
Report: US natural gas reserves surge 35 percent The country's natural gas reserves are much bigger than previously thought, according to a report released Thursday. Mark Williams, SFGate.com, 18-Jun-2009
... more 19 Jun 2009
Short-term pain, long-term gain from TransCanada's Keystone purchase: analyst TransCanada Corp. will suffer some "short-term pain" after buying the rest of the Keystone crude pipeline from ConocoPhillips', but the purchase will be a beneficial in the long-term, an analyst said Wednesday. Lauren Krugel,
The Canadian Press, 17-Jun-2009
... more 17 Jun 2009
WGA Day 2 - Clean up Alberta oilsands: U.S. officials Two of U.S. President Barack Obama's top advisers on energy and climate change said Monday the Alberta oilsands are a key part of the U.S. energy mix. But they warned its development must be cleaned up, because there's "a lot of concern" south of the border about their environmental footprint. Jason Fekete, Vancouver Sun, 16-Jun-2009 Officials vow support for renewable energy in West Cabinet leaders in the Obama administration promised Monday to help Western states develop a robust system for delivering renewable energy. Mike Stark, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 15-Jun-2009
... more 16 Jun 2009
WGA Day 1 - Canada-U.S. energy corridor idea promoted Western premiers and U.S. governors hailed their push yesterday to develop a cross-border "Western Energy Corridor" that will be the largest on the planet and one that develops both non-renewable and clean-energy options. Jason Fekete, Canwest News Service, 15-Jun-2009
... more 15 Jun 2009
BPs Statistical Review of World Energy2009 A vast compendium of energy data, accessible and well-presented. Not cheering info, however. If we're a global Exxon Valdez, the first chart suggests we're still picking up speed. Carbon-dioxide emissions jump as countries burn coal World carbon-dioxide emissions from energy use rose 1.8 percent last year as China, India and Russia burned more coal, the most polluting fuel for generating power. Vancouver Sun, 15-Jun-2009
... more 15 Jun 2009
Fracking Is: 1) A Process; 2) An Expletive. Choose One In fracking, otherwise known as hydro-fracturing, drillers sink several horizontal wells from a single wellhead; then, under pressure, they pump in millions of gallons of water laced with chemicals and sand. The pressure cracks the shale deposits and releases much more gas. Andrew Reinbach, Huffington Post, 08-Jun-2009 Just a ‘FRAC’ away Peter McKenzie-Brown, Alberta Oil Magazine, 01-Apr-2009
... more 10 Jun 2009
The answer's blowing in the wind, but not all of us want to hear it To see wind turbines fully assembled and running is a jaw-dropping experience the first time. To see them every day, however, is causing some people's teeth to grind. Roy MacGregor, Globe And Mail, 08-Jun-2009
... more 09 Jun 2009
Bellingham Pipeline Tragedy: 10 years on The Bellingham Herald and the Pipeline Safety Trust have each created memorials to the three lads who died in the June 10, 1999 pipeline explosion in a park in Bellingham. The legacy of those tragedies lives on in the Trust, and is echoed in BC. Pipeline victim Stephen Tsiorvas remembered as curious, thoughtful Every once in a while, Stephen Tsiorvas' family would find toys the 10-year-old boy left behind. Kie Relyea, The Bellingham Herald, 08-Jun-2009
... more 08 Jun 2009
Northwest's biofuel boom goes bust Encouraged by tax breaks and Oregon and Washington standards designed to require biofuels' use, one biodiesel and two ethanol plants have been built in the Northwest. They promised environmental benefits on an industrial scale, and nearly 30 more projects were under discussion. Then came this year. In January, Cascade Grain filed for bankruptcy six months after it opened ... and Imperium has idled its Grays Harbor plant indefinitely. Scott Learn, The Oregonian, 05-Jun-2009
... more 08 Jun 2009
Decision to allow sour-oil drilling in Tomahawk area 'a joke': resident The Energy Resources Conservation Board says higher than expected levels of deadly hydrogen sulphide in new wells (as high as 21%!) don't pose a greater risk to public safety. Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal, 04-Jun-2009
... more 04 Jun 2009
Energy supply crunch brewing
Forget low oil prices. The worry of the moment is a spike in oil prices and how long it will take before a supply crunch sends prices soaring. Deborah Yedlin, Calgary Herald, 28-May-2009
... more 30 May 2009
Natural gas in Arctic mostly Russian Nearly one-third of the natural gas yet to be discovered in the world is north of the Arctic Circle and most of it is in Russian territory. Staff report, Anchorage Daily News, 28-May-2009
... more 30 May 2009
Recession benefit: Alberta can pause and rethink the oil sands Alberta has an extraordinary opportunity, one it did not wish or seek, but one that could revolutionize the province's future. The opportunity, paradoxically, is being provided because the recession has slowed down, or halted, oil-sands projects, previously the fastest-growing source of greenhouse-gas emissions in Canada. Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, 27-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
Fearing water pollution, NWT towns call for oil sands slowdown With growing evidence that pollutants are causing fish deformities in the Athabasca River and one native village struggling to understand its elevated cancer rates, 33 communities in the Northwest Territories have called for a moratorium on oil sands developments because of fears about water quality. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 26-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
China's environmental hot air and hypocrisy China's call last week for developed nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent could have been a sign that the soon-to-be superpower is taking environmental issues seriously, but closer inspection reveals naked self-interest is still dominating its calculations. Editorial, Calgary Herald, 24-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
The Waxman - Markey Bill - Will the US and Canada go Head to Head? A U.S. House of Representatives committee passed the draft American Clean Energy and Security Act on May 21st (the Waxman - Markey Bill) sparking a flood of commentary and speculation on its potential impacts at home and abroad. Of particular interest to many was the potential impact on Canada. GLOBE-Net, 26-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
Imperial gives Kearl project green light Imperial Oil Ltd.'s approval of a major new $8-billion project is sparking optimism for a revival in the oil sands after months of project delays due to low crude prices and high costs. Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 26-May-2009
... more 26 May 2009
Gas explosion details kept under wraps Apache Energy has had a legal win to restrict the release of information about the Varanus Island gas explosion. The explosion off the Karratha coast happened almost a year ago and cut Western Australia's gas supplies by a third. ABC News, 23-May-2009
... more 23 May 2009
All eyes on renewables as Sen. Bingaman sprints to finish markup The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will attempt to finish marking up comprehensive energy legislation this week, including a renewable electricity standard, if Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and panel members can work out an agreement by Thursday. Katherine Ling, New York Times, 18-May-2009
... more 19 May 2009
Blue gold? Not likely This is a big week for Canada's made-in-Washington energy and climate policy. The U.S. Senate is likely to finalize comprehensive energy legislation that will have a significant impact on our economy and environment. Robert Silver, Globe and Mail, 19-May-2009www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/SilverPowers/
... more 19 May 2009
Ecotrust Canada, First Nations launch green energy fund Ecotrust Canada and two aboriginal capital corporations have partnered to help First Nations take ownership of power projects on their traditional territories. Colleen Kimmett, The Tyee.ca, 10-May-2009 News Release, Ecotrust Canada, 15-May-2009Funding powers aboriginals Scott Simpson,
Vancouver Sun, 20-May-2009
... more 15 May 2009
Green oil would cost US$105 a barrel: CERI Canada's oil sands can meet the challenge of turning "dirty oil" into "green bitumen," but oil prices would have to climb as high as US$105 a barrel to pay for the cost of integrating new technologies Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, 12-May-2009
... more 12 May 2009
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill - 20 Years After: The Analysis Twenty years ago, the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound and ran aground, releasing at least 10 million gallons of crude oil into the surrounding sea. It remains the worst oil spill in US maritime history. A study in 2005 showed that the remaining oil was decaying at a maximum of just 4% annually (with some samples showing zero decay). The prognosis: oil residue will persist for up to a century. ecomichael, ecoworldly.com, 01-May-2009
... more 02 May 2009
Oil punt makes big bucks but coastlines at risk Big international oil companies are making hundreds of millions of dollars storing crude on tankers offshore in a trading play that environmentalists say sidesteps shipping rules and puts coastlines at risk. Tom Bergin, Guardian, 01-May-2009 Floating oil lake likely to curb future oil prices Christopher Johnson & Joshua Schneyer, Reuters, 30-Apr-2009
... more 02 May 2009
Natural gas clean and green The emergence of immense new supplies of clean-burning natural gas from shale deposits in North America is shaking up the energy industry. Claudia Cattaneo, National Post, 27-Apr-2009
... more 28 Apr 2009
Alaska's drilling debate moves offshore A federal appeals court this month put the brakes on a plan to lease more than 78 million acres of the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering seas to oil and gas developers, ordering a full environmental review before the program can proceed. But that could be little more than a speed bump in the rush to commercialize the Arctic, which global warming -- and the resulting shrinking sea ice -- has made accessible as never before. Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 26-Apr-2009
... more 26 Apr 2009
Can science save the oil sands? If Selma Guigard is right, an elusive key to reducing the oil sands' emissions could lie in the science of the super-critical molecule. Nathan Vanderklippe, Globe and Mail, 24-Apr-2009
... more 25 Apr 2009
California rule could hit oil sands producers Canadian oil companies face an effective U.S. tax on their greenhouse gas emissions if climate change regulations adopted by California this week are copied by other American jurisdictions. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 25-Apr-2009 New California fuel rule may violate NAFTA -lawyer Scott Haggett, Reuters, 24-Apr-2009
... more 25 Apr 2009
Miliband's coal decision is cynical and meaningless It's simple: there should be no new coal burning without 100% carbon capture and storage (CCS) to bury carbon dioxide emissions underground where they cannot influence the climate. George Monbiot, The Guardian, 23-Apr-2009
... more 24 Apr 2009
Clean coal push marks reversal of UK energy policy No new coal-fired power stations will be built in Britain from now on unless they capture and bury at least 25% of greenhouse gases immediately and 100% by 2025, the climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, announced today. John Vidal, guardian.co.uk, 23-Apr-2009
... more 24 Apr 2009
Alaska crude headed for U.S. Gulf Coast - Exxon The last single-hull supertanker carrying Alaska North Slope crude oil is headed for the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, an unusual destination for crude from Alaska. Bruce Nichols, Reuters, 22-Apr-2009
... more 24 Apr 2009
Oil sands brace for American green fuel regulation Federal and Alberta officials will make a last-ditch effort in California on Thursday to head off a regulation that would target oil sands emission levels and create a new barrier to the export of the unconventional oil. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 22-Apr-2009
... more 23 Apr 2009
Safety lapses at record level High commodity prices sparked fevered activity in Canada's oilpatch in 2008, sometimes with tragic results, said Canada's federal energy regulator. Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald, 21-Apr-2009
... more 23 Apr 2009
GE: Energy Business the Savior, But Even That’s Got Headwinds General Electric’s first-quarter earnings were as dire as expected, with a 9% drop in sales and a 35% fall in profit. Once again, the single bright spot was the energy business—but even there, good news was mixed with bad. Keith Johnson, Wall Street Journal, 17-Apr-2009
... more 20 Apr 2009
Pipe Down: Alaska May Get a Gas Pipeline, Just Not the Big One Juneau is buzzing about a last-minute addition to the state’s capital budget giving Gov. Palin funds to push ahead on a small pipeline to bring gas from the North Slope down to Fairbanks and Anchorage, where most Alaskans live. Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, 17-Apr-2009
... more 20 Apr 2009
Californians voice concerns to Obama administration over offshore drilling For all his green talk en route to the White House, President Barack Obama remains a cipher on one of the most critical environmental and economic issues facing California: whether to expand drilling for oil and gas off the coast for the first time in a generation. Maria L. La Ganga, Los Angeles Times, 17-Apr-2009
... more 18 Apr 2009
TransCanada, Shell's plan for LNG rejected Plans by Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. and Shell to build a floating liquefied natural gas( LNG)terminal in the water off New York City were dealt a potentially fatal blow Monday after the United States'Commerce Department rejected the project. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 14-Apr-2009
... more 14 Apr 2009
CN plans 'pipeline on rail' to tar sands CN could gear up its capacity to ship by rail up to four million barrels a day of oil at less cost and more quickly, bypassing the need to finance huge pipelines. Diane Francis, Financial Post, 09-Apr-2009
... more 09 Apr 2009
Earth Hour is a joke There are probably already some people who are complaining about how Earth Hour was soooo much less commercial back when the whole thing started (in 2007). Editorial, National Post, 27-Mar-2009
... more 30 Mar 2009
Natural gas faces two-year squeeze Kevin Meyers, the head of Conoco-Phillips' Canadian unit, said he doesn't see a meaningful recovery for natural gas--and expects the possibility of even lower prices--for at least 18 to 24 months. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 28-Mar-2009
... more 29 Mar 2009
Alberta faces hot debate on nuclear power
It certainly doesn't look explosive. But don't be misled. This is a report with the potential to ignite a firestorm. Paula Simons, Times Colonist, 29-Mar-2009
... more 29 Mar 2009
Did Goldman Goose Oil? When oil prices spiked last summer to $147 a barrel, the biggest
corporate casualty was oil pipeline giant Semgroup Holdings. Some of the people involved in cleaning up the financial mess are suggesting that Semgroup's collapse was more than just bad judgment and worse timing. Christopher Helman & Liz Moyer, Forbes Magazine, 13-Apr-2009.
... more 29 Mar 2009
Irving's next frontier: electricity Irving Oil Ltd. is looking to expand its energy exporting empire into electricity with a proposal to build a 600-megawatt gas-fired power plant that would be a key supplier to an ambitious new “energy corridor” that New Brunswick and Maine plan to develop. Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 25-Mar-2009
... more 26 Mar 2009
Environmentalists in a Clash of Goals As David Myers scans the rocky slopes of this desert canyon, looking vainly past clumps of brittlebush for bighorn sheep, he imagines an enemy advancing across the crags. By Felicity Barringer, New York Times, 24-Mar-2009
... more 25 Mar 2009
Safeguards on drilling make sense No one would suggest we can revive the auto industry by eliminating air bags or catalytic converters and going back to leaded gasoline. No one thinks we should stimulate the housing industry by canceling modern safety and environmental standards. Yet some suggest that protections recently adopted by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission be delayed or dropped. This would be an historic mistake. Michael P. Dowling, The Denver Post, 22-Mar-2009
... more 25 Mar 2009
U.S. may tug on B.C. wallet for shipwreck protection It was the 42nd time in 10 years that the tug has churned to the aid of a crippled ship -- the 42nd time that we Canadians have piggybacked on Washington taxpayers who have been shouldering the entire cost of preventing shipwrecks in the strait. Jack Knox, Times Colonist, 17-Mar-2009
... more 24 Mar 2009
Natural Gas, Suddenly Abundant, Is Cheaper The decline in crude oil prices gets all the headlines, but the first globalized natural gas glut in history is driving an even more drastic collapse in the cost of gas that cooks food, heats homes and runs factories in the United States and many other countries. Clifford Krauss, New York Times, 20-Mar-2009
... more 21 Mar 2009
Tri-National Meeting of Energy Sector Workers Representatives from leading energy sector unions and civil society organizations from Mexico, the United States and Canada met in Mexico City March 16-18, for the third annual round of meetings. This network formed in 2007 to confront the secretive and undemocratic Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) being discussed in meetings of the leaders of the three countries. Carleen Pickard, Council of Canadians, 18-Mar-2009
... more 18 Mar 2009
Obama Tries to Draw Up an Inclusive Energy Plan After gasoline prices rose above $4 a gallon last summer, Republican cries of "drill, baby, drill" forced candidate Barack Obama into a rare retreat. Under pressure, he said he would support some expansion of offshore oil drilling, while still emphasizing conservation and renewable energy. Jad Mouawad, New York Times, 17-Mar-2009
... more 18 Mar 2009
Washington big guns take up oil sands cause From the recently formed Center for North American Energy Security (CNAES), headed by former Republican Congressman Tom Corcoran, to the American Petroleum Institute (API), some of the world's major oil companies and former U.S. ambassadors to Canada like Gordon Giffin, some big guns in Washington's lobby community are taking up the oil sands cause. Claudia Cattaneo,
Financial Post, 10-Mar-2009
... more 11 Mar 2009
Legislation makes Strait's oil-spill boat permanent For more than two decades, environmentalists and their allies have pushed for a tugboat to be stationed at a pivotal point along Washington's coast to rescue ships in danger of running aground and spilling oil. Now, it looks like they are finally about to win that fight. Robert McClure, Post-Intelligencer, 08-Mar-2009
... more 10 Mar 2009
Wake up, Alberta – Obama's going for the hard cap on emissions On Thursday, President Barack Obama will present his 2010 – yes, 2010 – budgetary proposals. Albertans in particular and Canadians in general might get a shock. Heads firmly in the sand, such as those in the Alberta cabinet, might miss what will be proposed, but no one else will. Jeffrey Simpson,
Globe and Mail, 23-Feb-2009
... more 24 Feb 2009
Bust-town, Alta. In a snow-swept field northeast of Edmonton, a slender green smokestack rises like an impudent finger gesturing rudely at the economic carnage around it. The stack is surrounded by industrial debris. This is the would-be home of a massive bitumen upgrading project, which, after a $530-million investment in land, equipment and technology, now lies abandoned by all but security guards. Its corporate owner, BA Energy, is in bankruptcy protection. The province's long-running pursuit of industrial diversification is once again on hold. Gordon Pitts, Globe and Mail, 20-Feb-2009
... more 22 Feb 2009
Harper & Obama: A new era of co-operation Barack Obama and Stephen Harper reset Canada-U.S. relations in three hours of meetings Friday, bending over backwards to dispel tension from the George W. Bush era and pledging to co-operate at the border and around the world. Campbell Clark, Globe and Mail, 20-Feb-2009 Obama's élan, and trumped up 'clean energy dialogue' The U.S. administration is too new and Canada too internally divided for the two countries now to tackle together, and seriously, greenhouse-gas emissions. Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, 20-Feb-2009 Obama edginess in Ottawa Stephen Harper with the security legions, got a discomfited look on his face when Barack Obama asked if they could step outside to wave to the crowd. Oh no, he seemed to fret. I don't want it to end this way: taking a bullet for the big-spending liberal. Rick Salutin, Globe and Mail, 20-Feb-2009 Obama and Harper forge common front Barack Obama swept aside eight years of jangled Canadian nerves and cross-border tensions yesterday, singling out his northern neighbour as the first choice for a new American partnership with the world Mitch Potter, Bruce Campion-Smith, Toronto Star, 20-Feb-2009
... more 20 Feb 2009
I Hope Obama Jumps the Right Way on Canada's Tar Sands Does Obama believe Canada can green its tar sands, or will his environmental measures destroy tar sands production by making it prohibitively expensive to sell south of the border? George Monbiot, The Guardian, 19-Feb-2009
... more 20 Feb 2009
Majors stake out oil sands holdings While no one seems to be looking, the oil sands landscape is poised to change once again as global oil majors take steps to stake out even bigger holdings. Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, 17-Feb2009
... more 17 Feb 2009
Ignatieff eyes energy as way to win western votes Michael Ignatieff used his first visit to Regina since becoming Liberal leader to acknowledge some of his party’s past missteps in Western Canada's energy sector and appeal to voters in the “new economic centre” of the country. Angela Hall, Regina Leader-Post, 16-Feb-2009
... more 17 Feb 2009
Gauging gouging After last summer’s extraordinarily high gas prices, the Alaska House Judiciary Committee was tasked with investigating why state prices didn’t drop when the rest of the nation’s did. The report came out February 2, authored by Judiciary Committee Chair Jay Ramras (R-Fairbanks), but it didn’t contain any definitive answers to why our prices remained high. By Brendan Joel Kelley, Anchorage Press, 11-Feb-2009 No evidence of illegal activity behind high Alaska gas pricesTwo investigations into high state gas prices found no illegal activity but are offering ammunition for people for and against legislation that would prevent price gouging by setting profit margin caps. Rena Delbridge, Fairbanks News-Miner, 12-Feb-2009
... more 14 Feb 2009
Oilsands critics blast plan The Alberta government Thursday outlined what it believes is a more environmentally and socially responsible approach to oilsands development, but the plan failed to quiet growing criticism. Darcy Henton & Hanneke Brooymans, Edmonton Journal, 13-Feb-2009 Responsible Actions: A Plan for Alberta’s Oil Sands Media Release, Alberta Treasury Board, 12-Feb-2009 Alberta's Oil Sands Just Got Dirtier Media Release, The Pembina Institute, 13-Feb-2009 Oilsands critics blast plan Darcy Henton & Hanneke Brooymans, Edmonton Journal, 13-Feb-2009 Alberta's new oilsands plan focuses on economic growth, environment Renata Daliesio, Calgary Herald, 12-Feb-2009 'Devil's in the details,' say cautious producers Lisa Schmidt, Calgary Herald, 13-Feb-2009 Oilsands report calls for increased focus on environment Darcy Henton & Hanneke Brooymans, Vancouver Sun, 13-Feb-2009 Oil-sands plan vague, critics say Katherine O'Neill & Nathan Vanderklippe, The Globe and Mail
13-Feb-2009
... more 13 Feb 2009
Syncrude charged in duck deaths The federal and Alberta governments laid unprecedented charges yesterday against the Syncrude Canada Ltd. oil sands venture over last year's death of 500 ducks in a tailings pond. Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, 10-Feb-2009 Syncrude execs may face time in jail Darcy Henton & Hanneke Brooymans, The Edmonton Journal, 10-Feb-2009 Syncrude charged over Alberta duck deaths Dawn Walton & Nathan Vanderklippe, Globe and Mail, 9-Feb-2009
... more 10 Feb 2009
Market elusive for US West Coast LNG imports Woodside Petroleum's decision to scrap a liquefied natural gas import terminal in California last month bodes ill for developers on the U.S. West Coast already struggling to bring projects to fruition. Edward McAllister, Reuters UK, 04-Feb-2009
... more 08 Feb 2009
The mighty tug protects state waters Trade-dependent port communities throughout Washington are subject to the benefits and risks posed by maritime traffic. But we can't limit environmental protections to flush times, for we need to trade responsibly and there's no good time for a major oil spill. Fred Felleman, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 03-Feb-2009
... more 04 Feb 2009
Bishop spurns oilsands development The bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese that covers Fort McMurray has waded into the environmental debate over the oilsands, saying future development there "constitutes a serious moral problem" and goes against God's teachings. Kelly Cryderman & Florence Loyie, The Edmonton Journal, 27-Jan-2009
... more 31 Jan 2009
Big Energy companies announce 2008 record results No recession here: first round of 2008 annual results from the oil and gas majors $45.2-billion: Exxon's record year John Porretto, Globe and Mail, 30-Jan-2009 Shell makes first quarterly loss in a decade Terry Macalister & Graeme Wearden, The Guardian, 29-Jan-2009 Imperial racks up record 2008 profits Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 30-Jan-2009 Petro-Canada posts loss, coy on Fort Hills Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 29-Jan-2009
... more 31 Jan 2009
Oil patch blues not as lowdown as feared So far, so good. Sort of. Thursday's much-feared round of oil patch fourth-quarter reports was not nearly as grim as had been originally forecast. Charles Frank, National Post, 31-Jan-2009
... more 31 Jan 2009
Conservatives ground green energy plan Green energy proponents were disappointed by the federal government's decision to exclude renewable power from a $40-billion economic stimulus package announced in Tuesday's budget. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 28-Jan-2009
... more 28 Jan 2009
State not ready for oil spill Washington's state government and maritime industry are dangerously underprepared to handle an oil spill even one-fifth the size of an Exxon Valdez. Robert McClure, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 23-Jan-2009
... more 25 Jan 2009
Ignatieff touts Alberta tar sands "The stupidest thing you can do (is) to run against an industry that is providing employment for hundreds of thousands of Canadians." Andrew Chung,
The Star, 22-Jan-2009
... more 22 Jan 2009
U.S. plans to open offshore drilling The U.S. Interior Department, acting in President Bush's final days in office, proposed on Friday opening up 130 million acres off of California's coast to drilling for oil and natural gas, including areas off Humboldt and Mendocino counties and from San Luis Obispo south to San Diego. Jane Kay, San Francisco Chronicle, 17-Jan-2009 Proposal could lead to more offshore drilling Jim Tankersley, LA Times, 16-Jan-2009 Feds issue offshore drilling plan, including Alaska's Bristol Bay H. Josef Hebert, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 16-Jan-2009 MMS News Release, Fact Sheets & Draft Program
... more 18 Jan 2009
Canadian oil, gas entities fight for their lives As oil sands developer BA Energy Inc. seeks help from an Alberta court Friday to prevent a fire sale of its assets and appease nervous bankers, it joins a growing list of Canadian oil and gas companies fighting for their lives amid the credit crunch. Claudia Cattaneo & Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 15-Jan2009
... more 16 Jan 2009
Oil giant comes in from the cold Exxon funded global warming denial for years. Yesterday, in an astonishing U-turn, it called for the imposition of green taxes. Stephen Foley, The Independent, 10-Jan-2009
... more 15 Jan 2009
Alyeska plans to sell Berth 1, keep Berth 3 for other options The owners of the big tanker port in Valdez say two of the four berths there are no longer needed for loading crude oil from the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Anchorage Daily News, 13-Jan-2009
... more 15 Jan 2009
BA Energy first oil sands developer to file for protection BA Energy Inc., developer of the $4-billion Heartland Upgrader near Edmonton, Wednesday became the first oil sands company to file for bankruptcy protection, fearing its parent company's major lender, Credit Suisse, will recall a US$507-million loan. Claudia Cattaneo & Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 14-Jan-2009
... more 15 Jan 2009
Russia resumes pumping gas to Europe Russia's Gazprom state gas monopoly resumed pumping gas to Europe via Ukraine Tuesday after a six-day cutoff that left large parts of Europe cold and dark. Associated Press, Globe and Mail, 13-Jan-2009
... more 13 Jan 2009
Saudi to cut oil supply below OPEC targets Saudi Arabia plans to go beyond OPEC's deepest ever single cut in supply as the world's top oil exporter looks to halt a slide that has lopped over $110 (U.S.) off the oil price since July. Mayank Bhardwaj, Globe and Mail, 13-Jan-2009
... more 13 Jan 2009
Russia vows to restore gas flow to Europe Russia today vowed to fully restore the flow of gas to the European Union as quickly as possible, and blamed Ukraine for the crisis. Julia Kollewe, The Guardian, 12-Jan-2009
... more 12 Jan 2009
Huge gas project set for 2011 B.C.'s Horn River play estimated to hold as much as 13 trillion cubic feet. Last November, natural-gas giant EnCana Corp. quietly filed a multi-billion dollar natural-gas plant proposal with provincial regulators in B.C. Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald, 11-Jan-2009
... more 12 Jan 2009
Exposing the Myth of Clean Coal Power If you paid any attention to last year's Presidential campaign, you'll remember ads touting the benefits of "clean coal" power, sponsored by the industry group American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. Bryan Walsh, Time Magazine, 12-Jan-2009
... more 12 Jan 2009
Feed-In Frenzy A simple green tariff has transformed Germany. Why isn’t Canada following suit? Chris Turner, The Walrus, Jan/Feb 2009
... more 11 Jan 2009
Canadians tell oil men to clean up their act Canadians are telling oil sands companies they need to do a better job of protecting the environment, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers admitted on Thursday. Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, 08-Jan-2009
... more 08 Jan 2009
Teck Cominco slashing 1,400 jobs Teck Cominco Ltd. is cutting 1,400 jobs globally, or 13 per cent of its work force, because of slumping demand for coal and plunging commodity prices. Virginia Galt, Globe and Mail, 08-Jan-2009
... more 08 Jan 2009
Alberta resident suing Syncrude over dead ducks An Alberta resident is suing one of the country's largest oil-sands' operators, alleging that it was responsible for killing 500 ducks at its northern Alberta facility last spring. Caroline Alphonso, Globe and Mail, 07-Jan-2009
... more 07 Jan 2009
Russia-Ukraine gas crisis intensifies as all European supplies are cut off Gazprom, the state-owned Russian gas group, today cut off all supplies to Europe travelling through Ukrainian pipelines, intensifying the political and economic crisis that has arisen out of a payments dispute between the two countries.Russian gas flows to Europe through Ukraine shut down completely on Wednesday, reducing power to industries and homes in south-east Europe and disrupting supplies to major economies. David Gow, The Guardian, 07-Jan-2009 Russia completely turns off gas spigot Dmitry Zhdannikov & Pavel Polityuk, Reuters, 07-Jan-2009
... more 07 Jan 2009
Oregon exceptionally generous with green-energy subsidies Oregon taxpayers are shelling out tens of millions of dollars to subsidize green energy projects, making the state a magnet for solar and wind companies. Harry Esteve, The Oregonian, 02-Jan-2009
... more 05 Jan 2009
Barnett Shale drilling and natural gas prices down The number of drilling rigs active in the Barnett Shale finished the year down 26 percent from its peak in early October, mirroring a decline in drilling nationwide as natural gas prices have plunged amid worries about weak demand. Jim Fuquay, Star-Telegram, 03-Jan-2009
... more 04 Jan 2009
Russia gas row disruption spreads Russian gas flows to four European Union countries were below normal levels on Saturday after Moscow cut off supplies to Ukraine in a pricing row, and there were no talks in sight to resolve the dispute. Reuters, Globe and Mail, 03-Jan-2009
... more 03 Jan 2009
Premier's climate-change hypocrisy could doom first nation's way of life We are the Fort Nelson First Nation. We have just under 800 members comprising 14 major families. You may not have heard of us, or have yet to visit the far northeastern corner of the province that is our home, but we're here. And right now, we're trying to reconcile the Premier's words on preventing climate change and advancing first nations with his performance in our backyard. Chief Kathie Dickie, Vancouver Sun, 22-Dec-2009
... more 23 Dec 2009
B.C. only province with rising greenhouse gases British Columbia was the only province in the country to report an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from major industries in 2008, according to figures released by Environment Canada. CBC News, 21-Dec-2009
... more 22 Dec 2009
Ingmar Lee's Statement On December 19, Ingmar climbed the flagpole on the front lawn of the BC legislature Ingmar Lee, 20-Dec-2009
... more 20 Dec 2009
Oil pipeline to Kitimat prompts flagpole climb Environmental protester Ingmar Lee was arrested by Victoria police yesterday morning after scaling the flagpole at the B.C. legislature in full climbing gear. Louise Dickson, Times Colonist, 20-Dec-2009 CHEK News, 20-Dec-2009
... more 20 Dec 2009
B.C.'s gas sector expects an extra $600m in 2010 British Columbia's natural gas stimulus package will generate at least $600 million in additional investment in the province next year, according to a new study. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Dec-2009
... more 18 Dec 2009
Independent power costs raise questions about B.C. policy Depending on whom you choose to believe, a wholesale expansion of British Columbia's electricity supply is either fiscal folly or a wise investment in the future. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 04-Dec-2009
... more 05 Dec 2009
The fight for our future begins On the eve of a pivotal United Nations climate conference that many observers are already describing as a failure, some of the gloomiest climate research data on record has been making its way into the public realm. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 05-Dec-2009
... more 05 Dec 2009
Enridge project's potential hazards making opponents edgy Against a pristine backdrop of blue mountains and ocean mist, a solitary grizzly surveys a bountiful realm. That captivating image appeared on a poster last week, advertising a speaking tour by two West Coast journalists opposed to an oil pipeline promising prosperity and jobs in northern B.C. Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun, 03-Dec-2009
... more 03 Dec 2009
Oil exports to Asia drive expansion plans at B.C. ports in Vancouver and Kitimat Flying completely under the radar and blissfully ignored by environmental and first nations organizations is an existing and rapidly growing crude oil shipment business through the Port of Vancouver, complete with its own significant expansion goals and sights also set on future Asian markets. Don Whiteley, Vancouver Sun, 01-Dec-2009
... more 02 Dec 2009
Group formed to oppose pipeline plan A new environmental group based in Prince George has been formed to fight Enbridge's proposed $4.5-billion oil and condensate pipelines through northern B.C. Gordon Hoekstra, Prince George Citizen, 26-Nov-2009
... more 29 Nov 2009
Shell Scratches Surface The same year that Royal Dutch Shell's Canadian subsidiary was forced to put their coalbed methane plans on hold in BC's Sacred Headwaters region, the company was quietly laying the groundwork for a large coalbed methane project in northeast BC Eric Swanson, Dogwood Initiative, 24-Nov-2009
... more 26 Nov 2009
Customer groups absent in naming of committees Organizations representing BC Hydro's industrial, commercial and residential customers are absent from the rosters of four committees charged with transforming British Columbia into an electricity export powerhouse. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 21-Nov-2009
... more 21 Nov 2009
The 10-billion-barrel battle Henry Lyatsky is a man on a mission. The Calgary-based oil industry consultant is on a one-man campaign to lift the moratorium on offshore oil drilling on Canada’s West Coast. Dave Simms, CBC News, 20-Nov2009
... more 20 Nov 2009
BC Hydro pares bid list for Clean Power, calls for price cuts BC Hydro will begin awarding electricity sales contracts in December after paring its Clean Power Call list to 13 successful bidders and asking for lower price bids from 34 other hopefuls, the Crown corporation announced on Tuesday. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Nov-2009
... more 18 Nov 2009
Nexen plans big expansion in British Columbia Nexen Inc. will spend $200 million on its Horn River shale gas play in B.C. over the next year to quadruple its current output, chief executive Marvin Romanow said at an investor conference in New York Tuesday. Vancouver Sun, 18-Nov-2009
... more 18 Nov 2009
BC Hydro proceeds with next step of Clean Power Call BC Hydro is continuing to advance the Clean Power Call to acquire clean, renewable and cost-effective electricity, the crown corporation announced today. News Release, BC Hydro, 17-Nov-2009
... more 17 Nov 2009
First nations lawsuit seeks to halt power line to Lower Mainland A lawsuit filed by first nations in the Okanagan seeks to quash a key certificate needed for a proposed high-voltage power line to the Lower Mainland, claiming the province never consulted with aboriginals about the project and two existing high-power lines. Richard J. Dalton Jr., Vancouver Sun, 16-Nov-2009
... more 16 Nov 2009
AltaGas short-circuits BC Hydro Proponents of a major independent power project in northwest British Columbia have quit BC Hydro’s bidding process in favour of cutting a power sales deal directly with the provincial government, documents show. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 13-Nov-2009
... more 14 Nov 2009
Natural gas returns less likely on Island Despite hopes earlier this decade that central Vancouver Island could soon be the centre of a vibrant natural gas industry, those expectations have faded dramatically. Robert Barron, Nanaimo Daily News, 06-Nov-2009
... more 07 Nov 2009
Will it be bye, bye Burrard Thermal? Well, not so fast The press release from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources last week might have you thinking the Burrard Thermal generating plant in Port Moody will soon be shut down and our air quality will be much improved as a consequence. Wrong on both counts. Elaine Golds, Tri-City News, 06-Nov-2009
... more 06 Nov 2009
Island coal operation would supply Asian steel mills The coal seam stretching 25 kilometres in the hills between Fanny Bay and Courtenay on Vancouver Island might soon become a component of Korean and Japanese steel. By Marcel Tetrault, Vancouver Sun, 31-Oct-2009
... more 05 Nov 2009
Total impact of hydro projects on B.C.'s rivers unknown, experts say British Columbia is decades behind other North American jurisdictions when it comes to confronting the impacts that hydroelectric development may have on the environment, a green energy conference heard Tuesday in Vancouver. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 04-Nov-2009
... more 05 Nov 2009
BC Hydro board shuffles CEO Bob Elton aside British Columbia’s biggest Crown utility is looking for a new leader, one with vision, political acumen and perhaps a ruthless streak that was lacking in the outgoing president and CEO. BC Hydro chairman Dan Doyle announced on Wednesday that Bob Elton is being shuffled out of his role as president and chief executive officer. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 04-Nov-2009 BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton 'transitioning' to special adviser to utility's board Steve Mertl, Canadian Press, 04-Nov-2009 This looks like a sideways move Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 05-Nov-2009
... more 04 Nov 2009
B.C. powering up for green initiatives British Columbia will ask private industry for a new slate of green electricity proposals in the spring, Premier Gordon Campbell says, as the government pushes to more quickly develop clean energy for the province and for export. David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 03-Nov-2009
... more 04 Nov 2009
B.C. launches green-power policy review Premier Gordon Campbell on Monday announced a sweeping, fundamental review of energy policy in British Columbia. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 03-Nov-2009
... more 04 Nov 2009
New independent power could add $26.1 billion to B.C. economy The independent power sector could inject $26.1 billion into the British Columbia economy by 2020, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study to be released today in Vancouver. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 03-Nov-2009
... more 04 Nov 2009
Task Force, Committee to Lead Clean Energy Development The Province will establish a Green Energy Advisory Task Force, as committed in the August 2009 throne speech, and a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Action and Clean Energy, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today at the Independent Power Producers of B.C. annual conference. News Release, Office of the Premier, 02-Nov-2009 Premier Campbell announces sweeping B.C. energy policy review Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 02-Nov-2009
... more 02 Nov 2009
LTAP: MEMPR "clarifies intention" on Burrard Thermal The Province has clarified its intention to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to end BC Hydro’s reliance on the Burrard Thermal Generating Facility for energy needs. Media Release, MEMPR, 28-Oct-2009 B.C. government orders Burrard Thermal writeoff Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 29-Oct-2009 Burrard Thermal goes to back burner Tom Fletcher, BC Local News, 29-Oct-2009 Government clears way for greener power expansion Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 30-Oct-2009
... more 29 Oct 2009
Carbon trust faces tonnes of work B.C. could be paying $25 million a year to compensate for its carbon emissions. That is what you, as taxpayers, are forking out to support the B.C. government's ambitious, precedent-setting plan to make itself carbon-neutral before 2011. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 24-Oct-2009
... more 24 Oct 2009
Valley residents are ready to fight Metro's plan to burn garbage Serious concerns have been raised about Metro Vancouver's plan to install six waste incinerators around the Lower Mainland: The prohibitive costs, the potential impact on the environment and the inherent disincentive to recycle that comes with incineration. Patricia Ross, Vancouver Sun, 24-Oct-2009
... more 24 Oct 2009
Gas auction attracts $370 million to B.C. There appears to be no letting up in the race to lock up natural-gas wealth in northeast British Columbia. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 23-Oct-2009
... more 23 Oct 2009
Province halts major transmission system inquiry The provincial government has put the brakes on a major inquiry into the future of British Columbia's electrical transmission system. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 20-Oct-2009
... more 17 Oct 2009
Pollution charges laid in dramatic Burnaby oil pipeline rupture Larry Pynn , Vancouver Sun, October 5, 2009 METRO VANCOUVER -- The B.C. Ministry of Environment has laid charges in connection with the dramatic rupture of a crude oil pipeline in Burnaby in 2007. Kinder Morgan Canada and Trans Mountain...
... more 06 Oct 2009
NTL: Does B.C.'s new power line fall short of being green? Prime Minister Stephen Harper came under attack from environmentalists last week following his announcement, in Washington, that Ottawa will provide $130-million from the Green Infrastructure Fund for a power line in northwestern British Columbia. Was the criticism justified? Or did Mr. Harper get unfairly attacked? Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 22-Sep-2009
... more 22 Sep 2009
Follow the money, not the trash pile, in solving waste management mess In Delta, where I live, we play host to the garbage of Vancouver, Richmond, south Surrey, White Rock and Richmond, not to mention our own. Please, don't give it another thought. I know you don't. Pete McMartin, Vancouver Sun, 22-Sep-2009
... more 22 Sep 2009
COAL: Copper Mountain rejects Taseko bid Copper Mountain Mining Corp. has rejected an unsolicited, conditional share-exchange merger proposal by Taseko Mines Ltd. which would give Taseko control of Copper Mountain near Princeton. Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun, 17-Sep-2009
... more 17 Sep 2009
NTL: Northwest Transmission Line gets critical subsidy $404-million power line key to billion-dollar boost for B.C.'s northwest The province promised it will push ahead with construction of the $404-million transmission line through northwestern B.C. following Prime Minister Stephen Harper's announcement Wednesday that the federal government would cover up to $130 million of the cost. Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, 17-Sep-2009 Harper pledges $130-million for northern B.C. power line Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, 16-Sep-2009 Transmission line to power northwest B.C. Clare Ogilvie, The Province, 17-Sep-2009 PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP TO ELECTRIFY THE NORTH News Release, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, 16-Sep-2009
... more 17 Sep 2009
COAL: Raven Coal Project on CBC John Tapics of Compliance Energy and Arthur Caldicott speak to CBC's Gregor Craigie about the proposed Raven Underground Coal Project. On the Island, CBC Radio, 14&15-Sep-2009
... more 15 Sep 2009
Will the environment be a vanishing interest for Campbell too? At one time, it was Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade, an ambitious bit of target-setting that was going to make British Columbians global leaders in everything from literacy to healthy living. But soon the handful of worthy objectives would be mostly forgotten ... Gary Mason, Globe and Mail, 08-Sep-2009
... more 08 Sep 2009
BOMB: Climate of fear grips gas country It is early evening in Tomslake and the rural roads are eerily quiet. This corner of northeastern British Columbia is no longer the place to go for an idle drive, even on one of summer's last beautiful days. As tension ratchets up around the 11-month search for the EnCana bomber, chances are a watchful, nervous neighbour will call the RCMP. Hanneke Brooymans, Edmonton Journal, 07-Sep-2009
... more 07 Sep 2009
GATEWAY: Haida Nation says no way to oil tanker traffic Plans by a Calgary company to pipe crude oil to Kitimat, allowing it to be shipped through north coast waters, are "ludicrous" and "unbelievable", and will never be allowed to happen, says Haida Nation president Guujaaw. Alex Rinfret, Queen Charlotte Island Observer, 02-Sep-2009
... more 03 Sep 2009
GATEWAY: B.C. natives object to pipeline project The Haisla First Nation on the British Columbia coast has raised concerns about a proposed new northern pipeline and tanker port that is now under federal review. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 01-Sep-2009
... more 02 Sep 2009
BOMB: "It's Like the Wild West Out Here" (2/2) The once serene road to Tim and Linda Ewert's organic farm near Tomslake in northeastern British Columbia has become a mess of dust clouds, drilling rigs and hordes of pick-up trucks as the area transforms into the newest frontier of Canada's natural gas boom. Chris Arsenault, IPS, 30-Aug-2009
... more 31 Aug 2009
Save Burrard Thermal, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: Mark Jaccard A former B.C. Utilities Commission chair, Mark Jaccard, has said he supports the B.C. government’s decision to issue a directive to the BCUC. But in a phone interview with the Straight, the SFU professor of resource management added a caveat: he supports phasing out the burning of natural gas—which creates greenhouse-gas emissions—to generate electricity as long as there is no carbon-capture-and-storage facility. Charlie Smith, Georgia Straight, 27-Aug-2009
... more 30 Aug 2009
BOMB: Pipeline Sabotage Blows Image of Stable Canada (1/2) North America's largest natural gas corporation hopes a one-million-dollar bounty will take down the saboteur who is blowing up their pipelines in northern Canada. Chris Arsenault, IPS, 27-Aug-2009
... more 28 Aug 2009
B.C. environment minister eyes Cache Creek landfill expansion Environment Minister Barry Penner is pitching the Cache Creek landfill expansion as a possible alternative to exporting waste to Washington, setting the scene for another showdown with a local first nations group. Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun, 27-Aug-2009
... more 28 Aug 2009
So many new challenges for SE2 vanquisher For someone who says she doesn't like fighting, Patricia Ross throws one heck of a punch (figuratively speaking) when Fraser Valley air quality is threatened. And threatened it is by the increased urgency for Metro Vancouver to build up to six waste-to-energy incineration plants to burn roughly 600,000 tonnes of garbage annually. Brian Lewis, The Province, 27-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Victoria faces free-fall in resource revenues The collapse of British Columbia's resource industries is expected to push provincial government revenue projections into a steep decline, far deeper than the $2.8-billion drop forecast in last February's budget. Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, 27-Aug-2009 Falling energy revenues push Alberta $6.9 billion into deficit Trish Audette & Archie McLean, Canwest News Service, 27-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Liberals' new energy moves draw mixed reaction The provincial government's plan to "maximize" B.C.'s green electricity sector drew cheers and jeers on Wednesday. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 27-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Overruling utilities regulator puts Campbell in tricky spot The B.C. government chipped away at the independence of the British Columbia Utilities Commission this week, announcing its intention to overrule a decision rejecting BC Hydro plans that included downgrading the Burrard generating plant. Robert Matas, Globe and Mail, 26-Aug-2009 Utilities watchdog gets choke chain Tom Fletcher, Black Press, 25-Aug-2009
... more 27 Aug 2009
Throne speech focuses on cost-cutting measures as revenues plummet The Liberal government warned in a grim throne speech Tuesday that costs must be dramatically cut, requiring everything from public-sector wage freezes and possible layoffs to significant reviews of health authorities, boards of education and Crown corporations. Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, 26-Aug-2009 Energy in the Throne Speech Excerpts, Throne Speech, 25-Aug-2009
... more 26 Aug 2009
Natural gas prices in Canada could fall below $1, report warns Natural gas in Canada, already scraping along at prices below $2, a low not seen since 2002, may fall below $1 in the coming weeks, according to a report from FirstEnergy Capital. John Morrissy, Financial Post, 25-Aug-2009 Natural gas prices can't find a bottom David Parkinson, Globe and Mail, 20-Aug-2009
... more 26 Aug 2009
COAL: Raven Underground Coal Project - New coal mine on Vancouver Island Compliance Coal Corporation, 60% partner in the Comox Joint Venture with Japanese and Korean partners each holding 20%, is proposing to open a new underground coal mine in the Tsable River watershed between Parksville and Courtenay on Vancouver Island. The mine is estimated to produce 2.2 million tonnes of coal per year. Project Description, Compliance Coal, 12-Aug-2009
... more 23 Aug 2009
The big drill What energy crisis? Despite what you may be hearing about a global peak in oil production, waning reserves, and $100-plus oil prices, North America is suddenly awash in fossil fuel. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 21-Aug-2009
... more 22 Aug 2009
Peace River region rejects another hydro dam Northeast British Columbia won’t yield to BC Hydro’s Site C mega-hydroelectric project without a fight. Directors of the Peace River regional district have voted to recommend the B.C. government reject Hydro’s request to undertake geotechnical surveys of potential locations for the estimated $6-billion Site C dam and its reservoir. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Aug-2009
... more 19 Aug 2009
LTAP: Commission ruling leaves private power producers crying a river You can bet your bottom dollar that the July 27 ruling by the BC Utilities Commission on BC Hydro's 2008 Long Term Acquisition Plan sent a jolt through the premier's office, the provincial energy and environment ministries, and their friends in the private power industry. Melissa Davis, Vancouver Sun, 18-Aug-2009
... more 18 Aug 2009
Gas plant must curb emissions, watchdog says A proposed $500-million natural gas processing plant in northeastern British Columbia will become the province's single-largest source of carbon dioxide unless the government tightens the rules for greenhouse gas emissions, the Pembina Institute said Monday. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Aug-2009 Climate Change Implications of the Proposed EnCana Cabin Gas Plant Media Release, Pembina Institute, 17-Aug-2009
... more 18 Aug 2009
LiveSmart's death wounds companies The phones at City Green have been ringing since Friday. The calls have mostly been about the sudden end of LiveSmart B.C., a rebate program for energy-efficient homes. Ann Hui, Times Colonist, 18-Aug-2009
... more 18 Aug 2009
Haida take $240-million stake in NaiKun wind project The business arm of the Haida Nation announced Thursday an agreement with NaiKun Wind Energy Group to acquire a 40-per-cent equity stake in a $2-billion green power project on British Columbia's north coast. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 13-Aug-2009
... more 13 Aug 2009
B.C. awards $120 million in credits for roads and pipelines The British Columbia government has awarded $120 million in royalty credits to support 31 new road and pipeline projects, Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom announced on Wednesday. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 12-Aug-2009
... more 13 Aug 2009
Hope is blowing in the wind for British Columbia Standing under the mesmerizing blades of the new wind energy park up at Dawson Creek last week was a moment to celebrate: The gentle giants at British Columbia's first wind farm are now feeding clean electricity onto the grid. Tzeporah Berman, Vancouver Sun, 12-Aug-2009
... more 12 Aug 2009
LTAP: Private power comes with a huge cost The B.C. Utilities Commission deserves a slap upside the head for its ruling on B.C. Hydro's plans to sign deals with private power companies that will cost consumers billions of dollars. Paul Willcocks, Times Colonist, 12-Aug-2009
... more 12 Aug 2009
Plutonic's EIS will be delayed until early 2010 It's going to take longer than first thought for Plutonic Power to submit an environmental impact statement (EIS) for its massive Bute Inlet Hydroelectric proposal. Dan MacLennan, Courier-Islander, 12-Aug-2009
... more 12 Aug 2009
Opposition to dams reaches high-water mark When a public information meeting on a proposed power project was held in the small village of Kaslo earlier this year, nobody was clear about what to expect. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 10-Aug-2009
... more 11 Aug 2009
B.C. emerges as natural gas player For four years, Alfred Sorensen and his tiny team at Galveston LNG Inc. worked to develop a natural gas import terminal on B.C.'s northwest coast, but were unable to court international producers to support the project. Then, a year ago, the company came up with a new idea: Export gas to Asia. David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 11-Aug-2009
... more 11 Aug 2009
Apache to supply Kitimat LNG The prospects for liquiefied natural gas(LNG) exports off the West Coast took another step forward Monday, after Calgary-based Kitmat LNG signed an agreement with Houston-based Apache Corp. to supply its proposed liquifaction facility in northern British Columbia. Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 11-Aug-2009
... more 11 Aug 2009
Big oil confronts big wind in Hecate Strait Shell Canada and Chevron Canada claim their pre-existing rights in Hecate Strait will be infringed upon by the Naikun Offshore Wind Energy Project
... more 10 Aug 2009
LTAP: Squamish Nation lashes out at energy decision The Squamish Nation has lashed out against the B.C. Utilities Commission following a ruling that refuses to endorse B.C. Hydro’s massive call for clean energy. Sylvie Paillard, Squamish Chief, 07-Aug-2009 Several first nations have challenged the B.C. Utilities Commission for putting up a regulatory roadblock to development of wind and water power within their traditional territories. First nations fume over BCUC's sudden coolness to green power Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 01-Aug-2009
... more 09 Aug 2009
A flood of fears over U.S. dam plans You couldn't ask for a more deceptive location for a hydroelectric dam to flood southern B.C.'s rarest and most productive grassland landscape. The shallow Similkameen River flows languidly across the international border southeast of Keremeos near Osoyoos into Washington state's Okanogan County... By Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun, August 8, 2009
... more 08 Aug 2009
LTAP: B.C. Utilities Commission ruling creates uncertain future for private power Billions of dollars of potential [green energy] investment are at stake, according to Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom, and some commentators worry that any misstep by the B.C. Liberal government or BC Hydro could chase jobs and revenue right out of the province. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 07-Aug-2009
... more 08 Aug 2009
Incentives aim to boost gas exploration in northeastern B.C. The British Columbia government is discounting some of the royalties it collects on natural gas and oil resources in a bid to drive new investment in the northeast. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 07-Aug-2009 B.C. and Alberta in a natural gas poker game Carrie Tait, Financial Post, 06-Aug-2009 OIL AND GAS STIMULUS TO BOOST PROVINCIAL ECONOMY News Release, MEMPR, 06-Aug-2009
... more 07 Aug 2009
Wind-generated electricity finally feeds B.C.'s power grid The initial trickle of electricity from British Columbia's first successful wind-power project will feed BC Hydro's provincial grid, beginning today.Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 06-Aug-2009
... more 06 Aug 2009
Biomass projects to join Hydro grid Four projects that will burn wood waste to generate electricity have the green light to join BC Hydro's power grid, the Crown corporation announced on Tuesday. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 05-Aug-2009 Bioenergy projects given green light to start producing clean, made-in-BC energy News Release, BC Hydro, 04-Aug-2009
... more 05 Aug 2009
LTAP: Kibosh on province's clean-energy call fuelled by logic If humans were wired with electric circuits, a lot of fuses would have been blown last week when the British Columbia Utilities Commission rejected BC Hydro's long-term acquisition plan. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 03-Aug-2009
... more 03 Aug 2009
LTAP: Watch for Libs to rein in run-of-river spoilers Last week's regulatory smackdown of Premier Gordon Campbell's clean-energy plan threw the government for a loop, not to mention the private power producers set to pump billions of dollars into B.C.'s green energy revolution. Michael Smyth, The Province, 02-Aug-2009
... more 03 Aug 2009
LTAP: Why the BC Utilities Commission Rejected BC Hydro’s Long Term Plan The Commission is critical of the lack of evidence or analysis underlying BC Hydro’s Long Term Acquisition Plan. The decision is best viewed not as a challenge to government policy, but as a criticism of BC Hydro for not providing sufficient evidence that it was complying with government policy. The one exception to this conclusion is the refusal to endorse BC Hydro’s desire to reduce reliance on Burrard Thermal. That decision is harder to understand and seems more at odds with government policy. George Hoberg and Lisa Jung, Green Policy Prof, 01-Aug-2009
... more 03 Aug 2009
BOMB: The bomber dividing Tomslake Bill Mazanek will not soon forget the time, two years ago, when his peaceful ranch in northeastern British Columbia turned into a little slice of Texas. He could walk to his front yard and see six drilling rigs and a dozen natural-gas flares, their flames licking high into the sky. Nathan Vanderklippe, Globe and Mail, 01-Aug-2009 First came the energy boom. Now, the bombs Since 2000, when the boom really got going, just over 10,000 gas and oil wells have been drilled in the Peace River region. Three of them are on Ken and Loretta Vause's 1,200-acre spread. Pete McMartin, Vancouver Sun, 01-Aug-2009
... more 02 Aug 2009
LTAP: Commission accused of "regulated racism" The Sechelt Indian Band has accused the British Columbia Utilities Commission of "regulated racism." Sean Holman, Public Eye Online, 30-Jul-2009 First nations fume over BCUC's sudden coolness to green power Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 01-Aug-2009
... more 01 Aug 2009
LTAP: BC’s Summer of Energy Discombobulation There’s nothing like a BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) ruling to get our heated brain cells overworking. For a start, they don’t just say “yes” or “no”. They take evidence from witnesses, record cross-examinations, and sum it all up in 180 pages of technical argument, at the end of which they conclude, “Better to burn dirty gas than green power”. Guy Dauncey, BCSEA Blog, 31-Jul-2009
... more 01 Aug 2009
LTAP: Government mulls response to B.C. Hydro ruling B.C.'s energy minister says the government is preparing a swift response that could include a legal challenge to the B.C. Utilities Commission's bombshell ruling against B.C. Hydro's massive call for clean energy. Sam Cooper, Victoria Times Colonist, 30-Jul-2009
... more 30 Jul 2009
LTAP: Burrard Thermal won’t be cranked up, BC Hydro says BC Hydro will not be boosting production at the Burrard Thermal Plant, its natural-gas-fired generating station, despite a decision by the BC Utilities Commission that pointed to the station as the potential source of more power. Fiona Anderson, Vancouver Sun, 30-Jul-2009
... more 30 Jul 2009
LTAP: Media coverage of BCUC decision Utilities commission snubs B.C.'s energy plan Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 30-Jul-2009 Green Premier's agenda hits snag as energy plan rejected Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 29-Jul-2009 Hydro power plans take body blow Vaughn Palmer, Vancover Sun, 29-Jul-2009 Green power stocks fall on surprise utilities commission ruling Nicole Mordant, Vancouver Sun, 29-Jul-2009 BC Utilities Commission decision murky on clean power Greg Amos, The Tyee, 30-Jul-2009
... more 30 Jul 2009
The elephant in the room BC in the climate crisis - not even close to a real solution Katherine Palmer Gordon, FOCUS Magazine, 28-Aug-2009
... more 30 Jul 2009
LTAP: Reaction to BCUC rejection BCUC Decision Good News for Hydro Ratepayers. News Release,
John Horgan, NDP Energy Critic, 28-Jul-2009 Utilities Watchdog Bites Private Power News Release, COPE 378, 28-Jul-2009 BC Energy Watchdog Sides With Fossil Fuels Tzeporah Berman, zero carbon canada, 28-Jul-2009 Energy Minister Calls NDP Response to Rejection of Private Energy Proposal Surprising Andrea Boyes, CFAX-1070, 28-Jul-2009 Energy regulator’s shocking rejection of BC Hydro energy plan Media Release, BC Sustainable Energy Association, 29-Jul-2009
... more 29 Jul 2009
BOMB: Letter gives EnCana three months to leave or attacks will 'get a lot worse' A letter sent to a daily newspaper and addressed simply to “EnCana” says attacks against the company will stop for three months to give it a chance to leave the area.
Nathan VanderKlippe & Wendy Stueck, Globe and Mail, 17-Jul-2009 RCMP scout locales in hunt for bomber Nathan VanderKlippe, Globe and Mail, 17-Jul-2009
... more 17 Jul 2009
Olympics executive takes new appointment at BC Hydro
The head of construction efforts for Vancouver's Olympic organizers is taking on a to a new position as chairman of the BC Hydro board of directors. Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, 17-Jul-2009
... more 17 Jul 2009
BC Hydro announces fiscal results for 2009 BC Hydro today announced its financial results for Fiscal 2009, including a consolidated net income of $366 million for the year ended March 31, 2009, which is comparable to the prior year's net income.Press Release, BC Hydro, 10-Jul-2009 Drop in demand means lower profits at BC Hydro Fiona Anderson, Vancouver Sun, July 10, 2009
... more 12 Jul 2009
Local voices must be heard in decisions on power projects Last week, Sierra Club staff and volunteers boated up the 75-kilometre inlet, and travelled along overgrown logging roads to remote river valleys that could soon house turbines and transmission lines. We wanted a first-hand view of the scope of the development owned by Plutonic Power Corp and its partner General Electric. George Heyman & Sarah Cox, Vancouver Sun, 11-Jul-2009
... more 12 Jul 2009
BOMB: Land of suspicion There is anger in the Peace, and suspicion. Someone is making homemade bombs, planting them beside natural gas wells and pipelines. Setting them off. Scaring families, exposing them to harm. Brian Hutchinson, National Post, 11-Jul-2009
... more 12 Jul 2009
BOMB: Hunt for pipeline bomber draws harassment complaints An RCMP team hunting for the EnCana pipeline bomber in northeastern British Columbia has been accused of harassing and intimidating people in an attempt to get a break in the case. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 10-Jul-2009
... more 10 Jul 2009
NaiKun offshore wind farm presents environmental dilemma It’s a dilemma that forward-thinking, environmentally conscious people do not want to face: Will moving toward carbon-free energy sources mean disrupting bird migration routes and having a negative impact on wildlife populations? Anne Murray, Georgia Straight, 09-Jul-2009
... more 09 Jul 2009
BOMB: RCMP buoyed by new leads in B.C. pipeline bombings Investigators probing a series of bombings that have hit EnCana Corp. gas pipelines in northeastern British Columbia — which RCMP have called acts of "domestic terrorism" — say they're encouraged by several new leads. Becky Rynor, Renata D'Aliesio and Dan Healing, Canwest News Service, July 6, 2009
... more 07 Jul 2009
Spain's Gas Natural may take stake in Canadian LNG Following an agreement in June with Korea Gas, Spain's Gas Natural has agreed to take 30 percent of the output from the proposed Kitimat LNG terminal, as well as equity interest in the project. Reuters, 06-Jul-2009 LNG pumped about $3B facility near Kitimat Dave Cooper, Edmonton Journal, 07-Jul-2009
... more 06 Jul 2009
China gives Teck breathing room on debt China is taking a major stake (about 17.2 per cent of Teck's equity and a voting stake of 6.7 per cent) in Teck Resources Ltd. in a $1.7-billion deal that will give the Canadian miner a partnership with the world's largest commodity buyer and much needed cash to reduce its debt load. Andy Hoffman, Globe and Mail, 03-Jul-2009 China's resource plays Reuters
July 3, 2009
... more 04 Jul 2009
BOMB: Explosion caused pipeline leak, EnCana says A spokeswoman for EnCana says a gas leak in northern B.C., not far from the site of four pipeline bombings, appears to have been caused by an explosion. Sunny Dhillon, Globe and Mail, 01-Jul-2009 B.C. pipeline leak may have been caused by blast: EnCana Laura Drake, Edmonton Journal, 01-Jul-2009
... more 02 Jul 2009
Glowing reviews Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia president and chief executive officer Gavin Dirom wants the Campbell administration to rescind its prohibition on uranium and thorium exploration and mining. Sean Holman, Public Eye Radio, 28-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
BC Hydro's $825 Million Dam Deal Representatives of both B.C. Hydro and Teck Resources Ltd. say they are happy with the $825-million price they negotiated for B.C. Hydro to take one-third ownership in the Waneta Dam, near Trail in southern B.C. Andrew MacLeod, TheTyee.ca, June 26, 2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
Crowd protests IPP project Opponents of the proposed Glacier/Howser private hydro project crammed into a school gym in Kaslo, filling every chair, lining the walls and sitting on the floor during a project open house on June 23. Sam Van Schie, Nelson Star, 24-Jun-2009
... more 29 Jun 2009
Companies have big plans for Metro's garbage As Metro Vancouver inches closer to deciding what to do with its garbage, some of the companies offering potential solutions are doing their best to be noticed. Today, it's the turn of Covanta Energy and Green Island Energy, two companies that planned to unveil an update of a plan to turn a long-closed pulp mill at Gold River into a garbage incinerator. Rebecca Tebrake, Vancouver Sun, 26-Jun-2009
... more 26 Jun 2009
Energy producers make $178-million bet on B.C. shale gas play Amid a supply glut of natural gas, companies have slapped down a surprise $178-million bet in British Columbia on the long-term future of the commodity. Globe and Mail, 19-Jun-2009
... more 19 Jun 2009
Carbon tax no cash cow in its first year The provincial government paid out $38 million more in carbon tax breaks to British Columbians than it collected in carbon taxes in the first year of the climate-change initiative's implementation. Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, 10-Jun-2009
... more 10 Jun 2009
B.C. Transmission Corp. receives approval for 255-km power line The British Columbia Transmission Corp. on Tuesday received provincial environmental approval for its $602-million power transmission line between the Interior and the Lower Mainland. Vancouver Sun, 10-Jun-2009
... more 10 Jun 2009
Support for run-of-river projects runs along party lines B.C. political parties are starkly divided on IPPs, with the NDP calling for a moratorium on run-of-river operations and the Liberals pushing for increased use. Sam Cooper, The Province, 07-Jun-2009
... more 09 Jun 2009
Private power industry is booming in B.C., but is that a good thing? Gordon Campbell wasn't kidding when he warned that the future of B.C. was at stake in the last election -- or at least its energy future. The fate of a booming clean-energy industry worth up to $14-billion hung in the balance ... Sam Cooper, The Province, 07-Jun-2009
... more 09 Jun 2009
Propaganda pipeline Enbridge is footing the bill for a northern advocacy group to generate community support for its proposed $4.5-billion project The recently-formed Northern Gateway Alliance which is advocating support for Enbridge's $4.5 billion pipeline through northern B.C. is the brainchild of Enbridge and is being bankrolled by the company Gordon Hoekstra, Prince George Citizen, 29-May-2009
... more 03 Jun 2009
Tar sands and coast focus of forums Oil sands and the risk to BC’s coastline was the topic for two authors at the end of a five-day tour of BC’s northwest. Ian McAllister and Andrew Nikiforuk presented a packed room what pipeline development will mean not only for the local ecosystems but also for the nation-at-large. Kitimat Sentinel, 03-Jun-2009
... more 03 Jun 2009
KOGAS signs MOU with Kitimat LNG Kitimat LNG Inc. announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), under which KOGAS will acquire up to 40 per cent of Kitimat LNG’s production and an option to acquire an equity stake in Kitimat LNG’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal. News Release, Kitimat LNG, 01-Jun-2009
... more 02 Jun 2009
NTL: Power to the northwest's people? A northern pro-development group is attempting to seize the dual zeitgeist of carbon reduction and economic stimulus to kick-start construction of a power transmission line into the remote northwest. Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, 30-May-2009
... more 30 May 2009
Hydro pays $62 million for homes near power lines BC Hydro will pay $62 million to purchase about 100 homes near a controversial Tsawwassen power line Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, 27-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
BC Hydro spends $62 million on homes near high-voltage power lines BC Hydro will pay $62 million to purchase about 100 homes near a controversial Tsawwassen power line, a document filed by the Crown corporation reveals. Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, 26-May-2009
... more 27 May 2009
Valley airshed attracts pollution, power plants Producing electricity within the high-demand Lower Mainland makes sense economically but can carry a high price environmentally. That's particularly pertinent in the Fraser Valley. Brian Lewis, The Province, 26-May-2009
... more 26 May 2009
Hydro seeking an overhaul of 'cornerstone' power plant G.M. Shrum, the "cornerstone" generating station in British Columbia's electricity system, is in "poor health" due to the age and risk of failure among its oldest turbines. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 26-May-2009
... more 26 May 2009
B.C. Liberals show a paler shade of green Idea that Liberal victory was due to climate policy is just plain silly. Reflecting on the noise of the just concluded provincial election, an amusing turn of phrase comes to mind: "Yea, Though I Walk Through the Valley of Dumb, I Shall Fear No Idiocy." Chris Genovali, Times Colonist, 22-May-2009
... more 22 May 2009
Campbell's carbon tax may go way of dodo So where is Campbell's precious carbon tax? Out in the cold. The carbon tax is now effectively dead, south of the border. And if cap-and-trade becomes a reality in the U.S., Canada will surely follow suit, snuffing out any more carbon-tax brainstorms here as well. Michael Smyth, The Province, 21-May-2009
... more 21 May 2009
The Green Rift On this night, the eve of Good Friday, not everyone's here to show respect. People are sharpening their verbal knives as they wait to form an audience with Tzeporah Berman. Jesse Ferreras, Whistler Pique, 20-May-2009
... more 21 May 2009
Letter from Guujaaw to John Carruthers (Enbridge) - Northern Gateway John Carruthers President of Enbridge "Northern Gateway Pipeline" In response to your letter dated April 29th. You have invited us to attend a meeting in Kitimat on June 18 and 19, "to guide the design, construction, and operations of the...
... more 20 May 2009
Police relieved at silence of pipeline bomber One-hundred-thirty-five. That’s how many days have passed since the Dawson Creek pipeline bomber last struck EnCana’s sour gas line near the tiny hamlet of Tomslake, 28 kilometres south of Dawson Creek, B.C., close to the Alberta-B.C. border. Jamie Hall, Edmonton Journal, 19-May-2009
... more 19 May 2009
Is Canada a petro-state or prosperous nation? Imagine a Canada with an abundance of nature and wildlife, clean air and water, healthy citizens, and a prosperous economy. Sounds close to what we have, doesn’t it? But it may not be for long if we keep heading down the road we’re on. David Suzuki and Faisal Moola, Georgia Straight, 19-May-2009
... more 19 May 2009
NTL: B.C. power grid goes under the microscope The B.C. Utilities Commission, acting upon orders from the Ministry of Energy, is in the early stages of an inquiry into the the shaping of the province's economic future -- and to realize the Liberal's ambition to make B.C. electricity self-sufficient through the expansion of its high-voltage electricity grid. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 19-May-2009
... more 19 May 2009
Oil cube lifted out of Robson Bight 'cleanly' Observers on a barge in Robson Bight ecological reserve held their breath yesterday afternoon as a metal cube containing 1,400 litres of hydraulic oil was carefully pulled to the surface. Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist, 16-May-2009
... more 17 May 2009
Bute Inlet Project referred to Joint Panel Review Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced today that the proposed Bute Inlet Hydroelectric Project located about 150 km north of Powell River in British Columbia will undergo an environmental assessment by a federal review panel. News Release, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 14-May-2009
... more 14 May 2009
Nelson ordered to stop exporting electricity An alleged electricity arbitraging operation by the city of Nelson has been halted by the British Columbia Utilities Commission after protests by BC Hydro. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 13-May-2009
... more 13 May 2009
BC Hydro, Teck talk power purchase BC Hydro is negotiating with Teck Resources to purchase electricity from the company's Waneta generating facility near Trail in southeastern B.C. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 12-May-2009
... more 12 May 2009
Oil spill at Kinder Morgan is 'fully contained' About 200,000 litres of crude oil spilled from one of the tanks at the Kinder Morgan facility on Burnaby Mountain this week C Myers, Burnaby Now, 09-May-2009
... more 11 May 2009
BC Libs zapped regs for private power, doc shows B.C.’s powers to protect key wildlife areas have been chiselled away by a government directive intended to placate private power companies, according to two environmental groups. Geoff Dembicki, The Tyee.ca, 07-May-2009
... more 11 May 2009
B.C. scientists urge strategic voting to protect watersheds Five leading conservationists and environmental scientists said yesterday that British Columbia watersheds are threatened by provincial government policies, and they urged the public to “vote strategically” in next week's election. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 06-May-2009
... more 07 May 2009
The Angriest Riding in BC Cecil Dunn fought the provincial government and lost. For four years, he battled a proposal to build steel power poles in the backyards of Tsawwassen homes. Geoff Dembicki, TheTyee.ca, 07-May-2009
... more 07 May 2009
Does a carbon tax make the Liberals green? The New Democratic Party's opposition to a carbon tax is a mistake. The result is that the NDP are pilloried as environmental dinosaurs, while the Liberals escape scrutiny for their own abysmal environmental record. Vicky Husband, Times Colonist, 06-May-2009
... more 06 May 2009
Kitimat project could be worth more than $1b to first nations Some first nations stand to gain more than $1 billion in profits, taxes and business opportunities from a proposed liquid natural gas project in northern British Columbia, The Vancouver Sun has learned. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 30-Apr-2009
... more 30 Apr 2009
Beyond the Carbon Tax Despite the economic doom and gloom, catastrophes in fish farms and wild rivers, controversial multi-billion dollar highway schemes, in this election no one seems to care. Instead, the first 10 days of the election have been "virtually a referendum on the carbon tax." Michael M'Gonigle & Blake Anderson, The Tyee, 30-Apr-2009
... more 29 Apr 2009
Bullfrog Power Brings New Choice to British Columbians Bullfrog Power, Canada’s leading provider of 100 per cent green electricity, announced today that it is now offering British Columbia residents and businesses a new way to take a stand in support of low-impact renewable electricity and reduce their environmental impact. News Release, Bullfrog Power, 24-Mar-2009 Tiny Bullfrog Power making a mark Peter Gorrie, Toronto Star, 26-May-2008
... more 28 Apr 2009
The devil is in the details of environmental policies Voters have been presented with a bewildering array of environmental policies in the B.C. election. Kathryn Harrison & David Green, Vancouver Sun, 28-Apr-2009
... more 28 Apr 2009
B.C. projected to rival Alberta for gas production British Columbia could rival Alberta as Canada's largest producer of natural gas within 10 to 20 years, a Vancouver Board of Trade energy forum heard Friday. By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 25-Apr-2009
... more 25 Apr 2009
Tapping Our Wild Rivers Can't Fix Climate Change Tzeporah Berman and her influential allies want us to believe that only by harnessing renewable "green" energy can we reduce global warming. And that the time for debate is past; now we must just do it. I'm one long-time environmentalist who couldn't disagree more. Michael M'Gonigle, TheTyee.ca, 20-Apr-2009
... more 21 Apr 2009
NDP jolt to power producers just what critics want It didn't take independent power producers long to respond when the NDP released its campaign platform last week. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 13-Apr-2009
... more 13 Apr 2009
Kitimat LNG pipeline takes another step forward A proposed $1.2-billion natural gas pipeline took another major step forward on Wednesday with the announcement of overwhelming support from first nations along the route. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 09-Apr-2009
... more 09 Apr 2009
First of its kind tidal energy project closer to reality in Campbell River A $2 million funding announcement Friday by the provincial government will help make Campbell River a leader in the national and global tidal energy field and result in the deployment of the first commercial scale tidal current electrical turbine in North America. Campbell River Courier-Islander, 04-Apr-2009
... more 07 Apr 2009
BC sells Powell Lake to California BC Premier Gordon Campbell and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have signed an agreement that gives California full rights to Powell Lake. Powell River Peak, 01-Apr-2009
... more 02 Apr 2009
California rejects B.C. green power claims British Columbia’s effort to promote its hydroelectric energy exports to California as green power is failing. By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, April 2, 2009
... more 02 Apr 2009
U.S. plan to flood Similkameen Valley draws B.C.'s attention B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner asked U.S. regulators Tuesday for intervenor status on a proposal by a Washington state utility to flood 3,650 hectares of B.C.’s Similkameen Valley for a hydro dam. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 31-Mar-2009
... more 01 Apr 2009
Investor urges Enbridge to assess risk of delay The prospect that Enbridge Inc. [ENB-T]'s $4-billion Gateway pipeline project, which would connect Alberta's oil sands with lucrative Asian markets, could become mired in disputes with first nations groups has at least one major shareholder demanding a reckoning. David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 30-Mar-2009
... more 31 Mar 2009
BC Hydro attacks conflict allegation A conflict of interest allegation levelled against BC Hydro by an independent power producer should be struck from the record at a B.C. Utilities Commission hearing, the Crown corporation says. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 30-Mar-2009 Brookfield's letter of contrition, 26-Mar-2009
... more 30 Mar 2009
FACTS ON INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCTION The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources corrects misleading claims about electricity generation and independent power production in British Columbia. Media Release, MEMPR, 25-Mar-2009
... more 27 Mar 2009
‘No more run of river’ B.C. Greens B.C.'s Green Party wants to put an end to run of river hydro projects and focus on delivering electricity to British Columbians through conservation, says leader Jane Sterk. Jesse Ferreras, Whistler Pique, 26-Mar-2009
... more 27 Mar 2009
James tells business leaders she will lower, not raise, their taxes Opposition leader Carole James spoke to business leaders in downtown Vancouver on Thursday and reminded them of something that not many of them expected from a New Democratic Party government. Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 27-Mar-2009
... more 27 Mar 2009
Pacific Trail Pipelines Kitimat to Summit Lake project clears another hurdle Pacific Trail Pipelines Limited Partnership said Monday that its proposed Kitimat to Summit Lake Pipeline Looping Project has cleared another hurdle. The Canadian Press, 24-Mar-2009 British Columbia LNG project gets green light Cowan Thant Zin, Portworld News, 24 March 2009
... more 25 Mar 2009
Private power protest goes viral A campaign by groups protesting the development of private power projects on British Columbia rivers has gone viral in an attempt to drown Liberal MLAs in a flood of messages tomorrow. Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 25-Mar-2009
... more 25 Mar 2009
'Green' projects cry for analysis This year's list of British Columbia's 10 most threatened rivers is a warning. A review of the boom in private power projects on rivers and creeks is overdue. Editorial, Times Colonist, 25-Mar-2009
... more 25 Mar 2009
'Green' energy threatens B.C. rivers, report warns Half of B.C.'s 10 most threatened rivers are at risk from so-called green energy projects, according to an annual report released today by the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun, 23-Mar-2009
... more 23 Mar 2009
Proposed Pipeline Sparks Oil Spill Fears With the 20th anniversary of the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill coming up on March 24, concerns are mounting over a proposed twin pipeline megaproject running from Alberta to British Columbia that would cross hundreds of kilometres of untouched wilderness. Chris Wirth & Joan Delaney, Epoch Times, 18-Mar-2009
... more 20 Mar 2009
BC Hydro accused of electricity supply conflict An independent power producer is accusing BC Hydro of an apparent conflict of interest over its management of bids for private sector electricity supply. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 20-Mar-2009
... more 20 Mar 2009
BC Hydro electricity import controversy examined One of the biggest controversies in the British Columbia electricity market revolves around the notion that BC Hydro is somehow overstating the province's dependence on imported electricity. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 17-Mar-2009
... more 19 Mar 2009
IPPs push up power costs, industry says BC Hydro customers could take a $400-million-per-year financial hit if the Crown corporation signs up too many independent power producers to sell it electricity, a spokesman for Hydro industrial customers is warning. Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Mar-2009
... more 18 Mar 2009
First nations win court fight over major B.C. power projects The B.C. Court of Appeal has issued two major rulings upholding the rights of first nations to be consulted by the government, which will affect two major projects in B.C. Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun, 18-Feb-2009 Court rulings delay power projects Mark Hume,
Globe and Mail, 19-Feb-2009
... more 19 Feb 2009
BC Budget 2009: Commentary A fiscal conversion, but not a philosophical one Patrick Brethour,
Globe and Mail, 17-Feb-2009 From surplus to 'frankly scary' in just one short year Gary Mason, Globe and Mail, 18-Feb-2009 Budget sets some important benchmarks for tough months ahead Editorial,
Vancouver Sun, 18-Feb-2009 If, if, if -- modest deficit budget ripe for revision if things don't work out Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 18-Feb-2009
... more 18 Feb 2009
Big money for infrastructure as B.C. faces two-year deficit British Columbia will run a $740-million deficit over the next two years, the government said Tuesday as it released a budget characterized by belt-tightening and fiscal restraint on one hand, and big infrastructure spending on the other. Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, 18-Feb-2009 Highlights of provincial budget Vancouver Sun
February 17, 2009 B.C. heads $495-million into the red Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, 17-Feb-2009
... more 18 Feb 2009
The Liberals struggle to put highlights in this year's throne speech The B.C. Liberal government's throne speech for 2009 was a muted affair, particularly for an election year. Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, 17-Feb-2009 B.C. Throne Speech targets homelessness Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, 17-Feb-2009
... more 17 Feb 2009
Securing our future energy supplies requires integrated planning Given the increasing conflict in B.C. over IPPs, the importance of ensuring the province has a sufficient electricity supply, and the environmental consequences of any new electricity development, we are calling on the government to adopt an integrated provincial or regional planning process for new electricity supply. The status quo is not good enough. Greg Gowe & George Hoberg, Vancouver Sun, 13-Feb-2009
... more 14 Feb 2009
Pipeline would bring tankers into B.C. inlets Caamano Sound is a universe away from the office towers of Edmonton, but these disparate locations are now inextricably linked by plans for the so-called Northern Gateway pipeline, which will connect Alberta with Kitimat on B.C.’s central coast. And you can’t talk about pipelines without discussing oil tankers plying some of the province’s most ecologically rich and diverse waters as they make their way from open ocean into Caamano Sound, around Gil Island, where B.C. Ferries’ Queen of the North foundered in 2006, and northeast up Douglas Channel to the port at Kitimat. Andrew Findlay, Georgia Strait, 05-Feb-2009
... more 07 Feb 2009
Powering the future BC Hydro must cut its greenhouse gas emissions but continue to meet the province's growing power needs, which means choosing either natural gas or electric power as a main fuel source. Both have their supporters. Both need major investment. Both demand a commitment that will be difficult to break. So ... which will it be? Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, 31-Jan-2009
... more 31 Jan 2009
Net-importer or not? It's pretty clear: in 2008, BC generated considerably more power than British Columbians consumed. And that's the aspect of energy self-sufficiency that we should be concerned about, should it not? Arthur Caldicott, GSXCCC, 30-Jan-2009
... more 31 Jan 2009
Haida Nation and NaiKun Form Landmark Partnership NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. and the Council of the Haida Nation announce the formation of a partnership in support of the development of Canada's first offshore wind energy project. News Release, Naikun, 29-Jan-2009
... more 29 Jan 2009
A test case for tackling the CO-2 challenge The steel exhaust tower is the tallest structure for hundreds of kilometres. It spews 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from the natural gas processed at Spectra Energy's massive Fort Nelson plant, the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the province. These emissions are projected to double as a predicted natural gas boom north of town in the Horn River Basin takes off. David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 21-Jan-2009
... more 28 Jan 2009
B.C. Liberals selling out our energy future There is an energy "gold rush" happening in British Columbia. With our mountainous terrain and wet-coast climate, we are poised to become the world's Saudi Arabia of sustainable energy from a variety of sources including run of river, wind and tidal power. Ralph Keller, Arthur Caldicott & Jim Abram, Times Colonist, 28-Jan-2009
... more 28 Jan 2009
Energy production a key to forestry revitalization Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell was on a tour of rural communities in the region last week, including Revelstoke, Nakusp, Castlegar and Nelson. He says he’s looking for ways to reinvigorate the forest industry during the tour and is discussing his proposed four key points for a forestry revitalization. By Aaron Orlando, Revelstoke Times Review, 12-Jan-2009
... more 18 Jan 2009
BC Hydro changes tune over green energy cutbacks Blistered by critics over its plan to scale back contracts for clean electricity because of economic uncertainty, BC Hydro this week moved to "clarify" that it may buy all the clean power it can get. Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, 15-Jan-2009
... more 16 Jan 2009
Island coal mine working at capacity Uncertainty in the global coal market does not appear to have affected Hillsborough Re-sources, which operates the Quinsam coal mine near Campbell River. Andrew A. Duffy, Times Colonist, 16-Jan-2009 Hillsborough Resources Limited Updates Operations and Sales News Release, Hillsborough Resources, 15-Jan-2009
... more 16 Jan 2009
Tips flowing on pipeline bombings after EnCana reward offered Police have received more than a dozen tips since EnCana’s offer Tuesday of a $500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the pipeline bomber near Dawson Creek, B.C. Jamie Hall, Edmonton Journal, 14-Jan-2009
... more 15 Jan 2009
Powerlines linked to leukemia in B.C. report Living close to high-voltage power lines may produce one additional case of leukemia every two years in B.C., according to “ballpark assumptions” by B.C. Centre for Disease Control environmental health experts. Pamela Fayerman, Vancouver Sun, 12-Jan-2009 Is living near power lines bad for our health? Ray Copes, MD & Prabjit Barn, MSc
BC Medical Journal
Vol. 50, No. 9, November 2008
page(s) 494—BC Centre for Disease Control
... more 13 Jan 2009
EnCana to announce reward into B.C. pipeline bombings A “very significant cash reward” was set to be announced Tuesday in a joint news conference held by the RCMP and EnCana Corporation, an oil company that has been targeted in recent bombing attacks in northeastern B.C. By Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service, 13-Jan-2009 Neighbours frantic to catch pipeline bomber After the first pipeline bombing, En-Cana security trucks drove up and down the darkened rural roads of the remote area of northeastern British Columbia every night, headlights flashing into the windows of houses along the unlit gravel pathways. Laura Drake, Calgary Herald, 12-Jan-2009
... more 12 Jan 2009
B.C. beckons ... and EnCana comes calling As symbols go, EnCana's proposed Cabin natural gas plant in northeastern B.C. is big, in every sense of the word. b>Patrick Brethour, Globe and Mail, 09-Jan-2009
... more 09 Jan 2009
Coal-bed methane industry finds a home in Peace Country Condemned in many British Columbia communities as an environmental hazard, coal-bed methane development has found a home in the Peace River Valley. How much is out there What is coal-bed methane?
... more 09 Jan 2009
Gordon Campbell's green dream meets the new world Premier Gordon Campbell's dream of making British Columbia a continental hub of green-power generation may be short-circuited -- by BC Hydro, one of his government's own Crown corporations. Miro Cernetig, Vancouver Sun, 07-Jan-2009
... more 08 Jan 2009
Kitimat LNG has had interest in company stake Kitimat LNG has received interest for a stake in the company, following an invitation for expressions of interest in November, the company told Reuters late on Monday. Edward McAllister & Walter Bagley, Reuters, 06-Jan-2009
... more 07 Jan 2009
Carbon offset venture is catching fire Eleven months after the Pacific Carbon Trust was announced, the outfit is still advertising to do its first offset deal. Les Leyne, Times Colonist, 06-Jan-2009
... more 06 Jan 2009
Pipeline bombers probably local: expert RCMP investigate fourth pipeline bombing in B.C. There has been another pipeline explosion in northeast British Columbia, the RCMP said Monday. Canwest News Service, Vancouver Sun, 05-Jan-2009 Pipeline bombers probably local: expert Jamie Hall, The Edmonton Journal, 06-Jan-2009 Pipeline bombings 'increasingly violent': RCMP The Canadian Press, Globe and Mail, 06-Jan-2009
... more 06 Jan 2009
Lost in transmission Homeowner Debbie McBride feels she has no choice but to accept a B.C.
government offer on her Tsawwassen property and move away from new overhead power lines. Kent Spencer, The Province 06-Jan-2009
... more 06 Jan 2009
Owners in power line fight ponder offer to sell homes A number of Tsawwassen homeowners involved in a high-voltage battle over power lines in their neighbourhood are considering a provincial government offer to buy their houses. Canadian Press, Globe and Mail, 03-Jan-2009
... more 03 Jan 2009
Multibillion-dollar gas plant planned in B.C. EnCana Corp. has taken an early step toward building what could be a multibillion-dollar plant in northeastern British Columbia. Wendy Stueck, Globe and Mail, 03-Jan-2009
... more 03 Jan 2009
"In the Panel’s view, the Mackenzie Gas Project and the associated Northwest Alberta Facilities would provide the foundation for a sustainable northern future."
Nineteen Greenpeace activists have struck again. This time they have scaled three stacks at Shell’s operation in Fort Saskatchewan
Greenpeace activists are disrupting Suncor operations today in the heart of the tar sands north of Fort McMurray by stopping two bitumen conveyor belts to highlight the climate crime of tar sands operations.
When Exxon spilled millions of gallons of crude in Prince William Sound, it immediately hired an army of spin doctors to re-write history. Now, we're seeing the very same historical shape-shifting with the Drift River Oil Terminal incident.
On the eve of the Harper-Obama meeting in Washington D.C., Greenpeace activists are locking down and blockading a giant dump truck and shovel at Shell’s massive Albian Sands open-pit mine
Nearly 40 years after Cree and Inuit won an injunction to stop the massive James Bay hydro project, an Innu community is waging a similar battle against Hydro-Quebec, the province and the federal government to halt another major hydroelectric project on Quebec's Lower North Shore.
The multi-coloured graph sprawls across two facing pages of the New Scientist. All the lines begin to rise steeply after 1950, and by 2000 they have converged in a nearly vertical ascent. Taken together, they are a picture of the present and a prospect for the future, a future that seems to hint at some uncertain but inevitable climax.
A vast compendium of energy data, accessible and well-presented. Not cheering info, however. If we're a global Exxon Valdez, the first chart suggests we're still picking up speed.
Forget low oil prices. The worry of the moment is a spike in oil prices and how long it will take before a supply crunch sends prices soaring.
Nearly one-third of the natural gas yet to be discovered in the world is north of the Arctic Circle and most of it is in Russian territory.
It certainly doesn't look explosive. But don't be misled. This is a report with the potential to ignite a firestorm.
The decline in crude oil prices gets all the headlines, but the first globalized natural gas glut in history is driving an even more drastic collapse in the cost of gas that cooks food, heats homes and runs factories in the United States and many other countries.
The Alberta government Thursday outlined what it believes is a more environmentally and socially responsible approach to oilsands development, but the plan failed to quiet growing criticism.
The U.S. Interior Department, acting in President Bush's final days in office, proposed on Friday opening up 130 million acres off of California's coast to drilling for oil and natural gas, including areas off Humboldt and Mendocino counties and from San Luis Obispo south to San Diego.
On December 19, Ingmar climbed the flagpole on the front lawn of the BC legislature
The once serene road to Tim and Linda Ewert's organic farm near Tomslake in northeastern British Columbia has become a mess of dust clouds, drilling rigs and hordes of pick-up trucks as the area transforms into the newest frontier of Canada's natural gas boom.
North America's largest natural gas corporation hopes a one-million-dollar bounty will take down the saboteur who is blowing up their pipelines in northern Canada.
The head of construction efforts for Vancouver's Olympic organizers is taking on a to a new position as chairman of the BC Hydro board of directors.
Caamano Sound is a universe away from the office towers of Edmonton, but these disparate locations are now inextricably linked by plans for the so-called Northern Gateway pipeline, which will connect Alberta with Kitimat on B.C.’s central coast. And you can’t talk about pipelines without discussing oil tankers plying some of the province’s most ecologically rich and diverse waters as they make their way from open ocean into Caamano Sound, around Gil Island, where B.C. Ferries’ Queen of the North foundered in 2006, and northeast up Douglas Channel to the port at Kitimat. 
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