Natural Gas
Puerto Rico Hands Control of its Power Plants to a Natural Gas Company
Puerto Rican authorities have hired a natural gas company to operate the island’s publicly-owned fleet of fossil fuel power plants, despite the commonwealth facing increasing pressure to rapidly transition its aging energy system to renewable sources. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced Wednesday that his government had signed a contract with New Fortress Energy, a New York-based […]
Read MoreMaryland’s Largest County Just Banned Gas Appliances in Most New Buildings—But Not Without Some Concessions
Montgomery County, Maryland, home to more than a million residents, passed landmark legislation this week requiring new residential and commercial buildings to be all-electric—barring some exceptions—starting 2027. While advocates celebrated the significance of the legislation, it came with an asterisk. Passed unanimously by the county council on Tuesday, the amended “Comprehensive Building Decarbonization” legislation—or Bill […]
Read MoreCiting Health and Climate Concerns, Activists Urge HUD To Remove Gas Stoves From Federally Assisted Housing
Federal officials are considering a request from environmental, public health and public housing activists asking that they remove gas stoves from properties that are supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Citing concerns about climate change and adverse health effects that have been linked to exhaust from the stoves, advocates asked HUD officials […]
Read MoreEnvironmental Advocates Call on Gov.-Elect Wes Moore to Roll Back State Funding for Fossil Fuel Industry
Contrary to Maryland’s climate and clean energy goals, the Maryland Energy Administration has announced $9.25 million in grants for expanding natural gas infrastructure in the state, angering environmentalists who have called the move a handout to the fossil fuel industry at ratepayer’s expense. The MEA grant announcement came the day after Maryland became one of […]
Read MoreMassachusetts Utilities Hope Hydrogen and Biomethane Can Keep the State Cooking, and Heating, With Gas
There is great uncertainty in Massachusetts’ path to decarbonization, and two conflicting visions are emerging for the future of the state’s gas system. Central to the conflict are questions over the role of alternative gases in the transition to clean energy, as well as the future of the gas industry as a whole. And as […]
Read MoreProtesters Rally at Gas Summit in Louisiana, Where Industry Eyes a Fossil Fuel Buildout
The U.S. today sells more compressed methane gas on international markets than any other country, though the export sector here is barely 6 years old. Fossil fuel industry leaders intend to continue on this soaring trajectory with plans to build a slate of new gas export terminals on the Gulf Coast. More than half of […]
Read MoreIs natural gas the solution to Africa’s energy needs? New research says no.
Should African countries use natural gas to power their economies until they can build more climate-friendly renewable electrical grids? The question has been at the heart of an acrid debate this year, pitting would-be fossil fuel powerhouses like Senegal and Mozambique against climate activists on the continent, who say a new round of resource extraction […]
In Court, the Maryland Public Service Commission Quotes Climate Deniers and Claims There’s No Such Thing as ‘Clean’ Energy
Maryland’s Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) has asked a state circuit court to order the Maryland Public Service Commission to investigate a gas utility company for deceiving its customers by falsely claiming that natural gas is cleaner than electric power and undermining the state’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The disagreement emerged when OPC, […]
Read MoreOhio Senate Contest Features Two Candidates Who Profess Love for Natural Gas
COLUMBUS, Ohio—In the race for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat, Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat, fought off a debate attack by talking about his fondness for natural gas. “In the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re going all in on natural gas,” Ryan said in an Oct. 11 debate in Cleveland. “I’ve been a natural gas proponent […]
Read MoreWith fracking promising a quick energy boost, can Colombia say no?
“For the first time ever, there is a government that is against fracking,” says Amarilys Llanos Navarro. An activist and lawyer with the Cesar Without Fracking and Gas Movement, an anti-extractivist movement in Colombia’s northern department of Cesar, is referring to Gustavo Petro, who took office as president in August and has vowed to ban […]