In the Pipeline: 1/4/13

Why has Gov. Cuomo been sitting on a state report that shows that hydraulic fracturing is safe? What does he have against job creation and economic growth in upstate New York? NYTimes(1/3/13) reports: “The state’s Health Department found in an analysis it prepared early last year that the much-debated drilling technology known as hydrofracking could be conducted safely in New York, according to a copy obtained by The New York Times from an expert who did not believe it should be kept secret… The analysis and other health assessments have been closely guarded by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration as the governor weighs whether to approve fracking. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has long delayed making a decision, unnerved in part by strident opposition on his party’s left. A plan to allow a limited amount of fracking in the state’s Southern Tier along the Pennsylvania border is still seen as the most likely outcome, should the drilling process receive final approval.”

Can I get an amen? I said, can I get an AMEN?! Washington Times(1/3/12) reports: “At a time when jobs and the economy were, as they still are, in the forefront of each American’s mind, the president turned down an opportunity that would have created upward of 20,000 new jobs in the energy and manufacturing industries… At a time when unrest in the Middle East disrupted global oil supply, the president declined a pipeline that would have prevented the United States from spending $70 million per day to purchase oil from this volatile region… At a time when cash-strapped states were struggling through an anemic economic recovery, the president wrote off $585 million in potential state and local tax revenue the pipeline would have generated… None of this makes sense.”

Did you know that Al sold this thing to Al Jazeera rather than Glenn Beck because Al Jazeera was more in line with his ideology?  Think about that for a second. WSJ (1/2/13) reports: “Al-Jazeera, the Pan-Arab news channel that struggled to win space on American cable television, has acquired Current TV, boosting its reach in the U.S. nearly ninefold to about 40 million homes. With a focus on U.S. news, it plans to rebrand the left-leaning news network that cofounder Al Gore couldn’t make relevant… The former vice president confirmed the sale Wednesday, saying in a statement that Al-Jazeera shares Current TV’s mission ‘to give voice to those who are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the stories that no one else is telling.’”

I dig contrarianism.  Especially when it is directed at folks like EPA. Energy Tribune (1/2/13) reports: “The Supreme Court, in Mass v. EPA, stated that the EPA must treat CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), as “pollutants” and then carryout an analysis to determine whether the increasing concentrations in atmospheric CO2 may reasonably be anticipated to endanger human health and welfare. The Court did not mandate regulation; rather it mandated that EPA go through an Endangerment Finding process.”

“A multiyear extension in conjunction with a well-crafted phase-out”?  Who in the world does Senator Udall think he is kidding?  This thing is the poster child for everything wrong with Federal energy policy.  And by the way, when has Senator Udall come up with a well-crafted anything? National Journal (1/3/12) reports: “The battle to get Congress to renew the wind-energy production tax credit before year’s end strained relationships among utilities, splintered support within the industry’s biggest trade group, and is setting up the industry—and its supporters in Congress—for a 2013 even more contentious than 2012… Many utilities, environmental groups, and lawmakers from both parties are cheering the news that the production tax credit was extended by one year as part of the fiscal cliff deal. But the bruising fight over the last year doesn’t bode well for the sector as it must now agree on how to ramp down the tax subsidy that was first created 21 years ago.”

How many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn’t see? The answer my friend, will no doubt be uncovered by these two gentlemen. Politico (1/3/13) reports: “Lankford, in an interview with POLITICO Wednesday, said he was interested in looking into energy tax credits on his subcommittee… ‘The wind Production Tax Credit is a fertile field for congressional oversight, especially in light of the decision to expand the program’s eligibility requirements in the recent fiscal cliff legislation,” said Benjamin Cole, spokesman for the American Energy Alliance, a group that has ties to the oil industry. “The wind industry owes the American people full transparency in how this credit works at the ground level, and Chairman Issa is particularly well-suited to explore the potential for fraud in this billion dollar annual program.’”