Energy Today – August 16, 2013
Mary Schaper
Posted August 16, 2013
USA Today – Our View: Ethanol Quotas Pump Money from Your Pocket
USA Today’s editorial says that the increasing ethanol mandate is “bad public policy” that the “Obama administration has some flexibility to lower mandates, but a better approach would be to repeal the law entirely.”
City Journal – The View from Marcellus
Hydraulic fracturing “brings breathtaking economic and environmental benefits – at least to places that welcome it,” writes James Panero. He also notes that in 2000, shale produced only 2 percent of our domestic oil and natural gas supply. According to government studies, 50 percent now comes from shale and unconventional sources.
Detroit News – Overtaxing Energy Industry Could Slow Economy
The uncertainty of governmental actions is a significant reason that investment as a percentage of gross domestic product has fallen almost 3 percent in the last quarter, argues economist William Simon. Oil and gas exploration has bucked this trend. Yet the administration continues to single out the industry for increased taxation, threatening to further dampen the economic recovery.
Bloomberg – North Dakota Posts 1.4 Percent Increase for June Bakken Oil Output
Oil output from the Bakken Shale play increased to a record 756,980 barrels a day in June – up from 746,340 in May. This increase, along with increases in other domestic shale plays, has propelled U.S. crude production to the highest level in 24 years. Even more impressive: The U.S. met 87 percent of its energy needs in the first four months of 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Washington Times – Beauprez: EPA’s Renewable Fuel Folly
Corn is good for cattle, but bad for cars, writes former Colorado U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez. He also argues that “the ethanol mandate is one of the most convoluted and unworkable programs ever enacted by the U.S. Congress.”
About The Author
Mary Schaper is a Digital Communications Manager for the American Petroleum Institute. She previously worked on Capitol Hill for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as Digital Director and for Senator Lisa Murkowski. Before coming to D.C., she spearheaded digital strategy for Murkowski's successful Senate write-in campaign in 2010. Schaper enjoys traveling and taking in the local culture alongside her husband, their son and loyal springer spaniel.