New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is on a mission to reduce, actually eliminate, the use of natural gas to produce electricity in the state (see New York Pulls the Trigger, Commits Energy Suicide with New Law). Yet a consortium led by Dutch pension fund investor APG has just cut a deal to buy two natural gas-fired electric plants operating in New York City. Go figure.
Read More “Dutch Pension Fund APG Buys 2 NYC Gas-Fired Electric Plants”
Last April President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Transportation to write a new rule allowing specially constructed tanker cars for railroads (DOT-113 tank cars) to ship LNG, i.e., liquefied natural gas (see Here Come the “Bomb Trains” – Trump to Allow LNG by Rail). The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (draft regulations) to move the process forward in October (see US DOT Gets Serious About LNG by Rail – Publishes Proposed Rules). Monday was the final day for comments on the proposed rules. Unsurprisingly 16 uber-partisan Democrat state attorneys general filed a joint letter opposing the new regs.
Read More “16 Democrat State AGs Oppose Trump Plan to Ship LNG via Rail”
This no longer qualifies as a minor miracle, it’s a MAJOR miracle. The Cuomo-corrupted New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has just approved the only remaining way NY benefits from the Marcellus–by allowing a landfill in Steuben County to expand so it can accept more drill cuttings from PA Marcellus drillers.
Read More “NY DEC Approves Landfill Expansion to Accept More PA Drill Cuttings”
As we reported in December, New York Attorney General Tish James and her highly-paid associates were thoroughly, completely, 100% humiliated in court when their case against Exxon Mobil accusing the company of screwing shareholders by keeping secret knowledge they are toasting Mom Earth, is itself toast (see Judge Finds Exxon Not Guilty in Fraud Case – NY AG Humiliated). Exxon is being sued by other states, including Massachusetts, for the same thing. Those cases are also close to collapse. The good news is that Tish has had enough humiliation–she won’t appeal the Exxon case to a higher court. That is, NY has lost, Exxon has won. There is still justice in the wacky world of New York State–who knew?
Read More “NY AG Gives Up on Trying to Shake Down Exxon After Court Decision”
This is so outrageous we don’t even have words for it. New York State’s highest court, with its judges appointed by Gov. Cuomo, ruled in 2014 that local municipal “home rule” laws to block fracking are just fine (see Shale Drilling in NY is Over – High Court Upholds Town Bans). Yet another group of Cuomo appointees–who sit on the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment–have just ruled that a NY town’s recently enacted wind law was passed too late in the process, so its conditions do not apply to the current wind project developer. This is NOT justice. THIS IS WRONG. We have some advice for other Upstate NY towns (important advice) based on this miscarriage of justice.
Please see our update at the bottom about the home rule issue.
Read More “NY’s Uneven Treatment of Wind Energy vs. Natural Gas Fracking”
New York State is experiencing the worst possible nightmare–and we can’t wake up. Following the November 2018 election, Democrats now control not only the governorship, but also both houses of the legislature–for the first time since 1964. Sure we’ve always had a Democrat-controlled Assembly (the lower chamber), but the Senate stayed in Republican hands, providing a check against rampant socialism. That check and balance disappeared beginning this year and the state’s far-left Democrats have used it to great advantage. Many of our Constitutional freedoms have disappeared *this year* in NY State. It’s sad and tragic. Before the Senate changes back to Republican control in the future, the state’s radicalized Democrats want to pass a permanent (instead of the existing temporary) ban on fracking statewide.
Read More “Radical Dems in NY Legislature Aim to Make Frack Ban Permanent”
In August the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled that the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took too long to deny a federal Clean Water Act “Section 401” water crossing permit for the Williams Constitution Pipeline project (see Victory! FERC Overrules NY DEC to Allow Constitution Pipeline). Which means the project is now back on, approved by FERC itself. The DEC, thoroughly corrupted and politicized by NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said it will “fight” FERC’s ruling (see NY DEC Will “Fight” FERC over Constitution Pipeline Decision).
Read More “FERC Upholds Decision to Allow NY Constitution Pipe Construction”
On Wednesday, President Trump presided over the swearing in of Dan Brouillette to serve as the 15th U.S. Secretary of Energy. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office. President Trump nominated Brouillette in November following the announcement of former Secretary Rick Perry’s resignation. He was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 70-15. The second day on the job as Secretary, Brouillette came out swinging–at both New York and Russia.
Read More “2nd Day on Job New Energy Sec. Blasts NY for Blocking Pipes”
There is a double standard in existence in New York. A CORRUPT double standard. And the corruption comes from Andrew Cuomo. In 2014 judges on NY’s highest court, the Court of Appeals (all them appointed by the governor) voted to uphold a disastrous energy policy that grants town boards of local municipalities the right to ban fracking, should the state ever allow it, in an entire community (see Shale Drilling in NY is Over – High Court Upholds Town Bans). BUT, when a local town baned wind farms in Western NY, Cuomo stepped in and like the tin horn dictator he is, he overruled them (see NY’s Grotesque Energy Double Standard re “Home Rule”). CORRUPT! It’s happening again–this time in MDN’s own back yard.
Read More “NY Corruption: Home Rule OK to Ban Fracking, but Not Ban Windmills”
As it turns out, Exxon didn’t know. You may recall the hue and cry from radical anti-fossil fuelers that #ExxonKnew–knew they were toasting mom earth by extracting and encouraging the burning of oil and natural gas. The New Attorney General’s office launched an investigation, and then a lawsuit, charging the same thing. The NY AG claimed Exxon had defrauded shareholders by covering up knowledge of global warming. The first lawsuit to go to trial against Exxon for causing global warming was in NY, where the AG (Letitia “Tish” James) headed up a disaster of a lawsuit. She (and her office) was thoroughly and completely humiliated by a NY judge who said she never proved anything. Her team’s performance was worse than that of a first-year law student.
Read More “Judge Finds Exxon Not Guilty in Fraud Case – NY AG Humiliated”
In a new report titled “Getting Greener: Cost-Effective Options for Achieving New York State’s Greenhouse Gas Goals,” the Citizens Budget Commission (of New York) attributes the 13% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions drop New York State saw between 1990 and 2016 to an increased usage of natural gas and nuclear power. According to the nonpartisan Commission, New York is “already green” and if it wants to stay that way, it needs MORE natural gas, not less!
Read More “NY Budget Commission Says More NatGas, Nukes Needed to Lower GHG”
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday refused to hear a case that challenged a ruling in the Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe case–a ruling/case that has HUGE implications for Williams’ Constitution Pipeline running through New York State. The Supreme Court rejection is a crushing defeat for Big Green groups Trout Unlimited and California Trout, and very good news for the Constitution project.
Read More “Ruling Stands: States have 1 Calendar Yr to Review Water Permits”
In what is at least the second (maybe third or fourth) serious attempt, radical Democrats in the New York State legislature have floated a bill that would force NY’s public employee pension fund to completely divest any stock holdings in fossil fuel companies. Are NY retirees ready to take a $1 TRILLION hit in their wallets if it happens?
Read More “Radical Dems Make Another Run at Forcing NY to Divest Fossil Fuels”
In October, MDN reported that Williams had temporarily withdrawn three of four applications with the New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to build its Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline project to offshore Long Island (see Williams Withdraws NESE Pipe Permit in NJ, Resubmit Soon). In September NJDEP gave Williams an extra month with the permits (see Williams Gets Extra Month to Refile NESE Pipeline Permits in NJ). Williams said it would refile the three permits “in the next few days.” Never happened. Now the company has pulled the fourth NJ permit.
Read More “Is NESE Pipeline to NYC Dead? Williams Withdraws Final NJ Permit”
We know, we know! You’re tired of MDN hammering man-child Andrew Cuomo, the tinpot dictator who styles himself “governor” of New York State, over his role in blocking pipelines and causing a natgas shortage crisis in the greater New York City area. But stick with us. If you read MDN (and Tom Shepstone’s Natural Gas Now website) you will have read all of the arguments in a blow-the-doors off article appearing in the New York Post, written by Bob McManus, former editorial page editor for the Post.
Read More “NY Post: Andrew Cuomo Stands with America’s Energy Enemies”
When bullies get away with their bullying, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has done with natural gas utility National Grid (see Andrew “Don Corleone” Cuomo Extorts National Grid, Wins Pipe Battle), they turn around look for more “marks” to bully. That’s how bullies behave. That’s how Cuomo is behaving since his big “win” in bullying National Grid to give up on its plan to get new gas supplies via pipeline. As we told you last week, sometimes the bad guys win. This is one of those times.
Read More “Cuomo Now Threatening to End Con Edison’s NatGas Franchise”