Energy Today - April 22, 2011

Rayola Dougher
Posted April 22, 2011

New York Times: State Regulators List 33 Ways EPA Rules Aren't Working: If the administration is going to strip away some red tape, as President Obama said when he penned an executive order telling federal agencies to get rid of ineffective and outdated regulations, one group of top state officials has 33 good places for U.S. EPA to start. The executive order, which was signed in January, asked the members of the public to air their grievances. So far, EPA alone has received nearly 1,500 comments on its rules, which have been placed under a microscope on Capitol Hill as Republicans have advanced the argument that regulations are the reason the economy has been slow to recover from the woes that began when the financial sector nearly collapsed three years ago. Politico: Look to Natural Gas to Revive Economy: In short, we need to change the way we transport goods and use energy. The federal government has to establish a national energy policy focused on domestic sources and innovation in the private sector. U.S. natural gas reserves offer a substantial opportunity for rebuilding our economy and increasing our energy security with a clean and sustainable domestic fuel...The U.S. has an abundance of natural gas, and recent developments in extracting gas from shale deposits mean we could soon be an exporter --even if we increase domestic demand. Embracing this clean-burning fuel has tremendous potential for creating jobs and enhancing our energy future.

Pal-Item: American Energy is Solution to America's Energy Crisis: Producing more of our own energy here at home will help to provide the United States with the independence it needs while creating jobs, providing a cleaner environment and strengthening national security...Unfortunately the president does not seem to share this view. Under his administration, there is a de facto moratorium on oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The United States has a drilling ban off both coasts, on Alaska's continental shelf and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Yet, on his trip to South America last month, President Barack Obama told Brazilian leaders that the United States would stand at the ready to assist the country of Brazil in helping develop its oil reserves, adding that when Brazil is "ready to start selling, we (the United States) want to be one of your best customers."

Additional Resources:

The Hill's Congress Blog: Policy Post-Macondo: A Year of Living Dangerously

Bloomberg: U.S. Fuel Demand Climbed in March, First Quarter, API Reports