Dumb as We Wanna Be
It is great to see that we finally have some national unity on energy policy. Unfortunately, the unifying idea is so ridiculous, so unworthy of the people aspiring to lead our nation, it takes your breath away. Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season.
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, 30-Apr-2008 ... more
03 May 2008

Those who control oil and water will control the world
At present, a race for the world's resources is underway that resembles the Great Game that was played in the decades leading up to the First World War. Now, as then, the most coveted prize is oil and the risk is that as the contest heats up it will not always be peaceful. But this is no simple rerun of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, there are powerful new players and it is not only oil that is at stake.
John Gray, The Observer, 30-Mar-2008 ... more
30 Mar 2008

Partners to study nuclear role in oilsands
Use of atomic power for oilsands development will be investigated by a research partnership, announced today, between the Alberta and United States governments.
Gordon Jaremko, Edmonton Journal, 28-Mar-2008 ... more
28 Mar 2008

Lessons from Germany's energy renaissance
The solar energy market needs priming. Arise Technologies, a Canadian company, would like to make a buck. The ever-so-generous Germans tracked it down and made an offer it couldn't refuse – free money, and lots of it – as long as Arise promised to build a PV factory on German soil.
Eric Reguly, Globe and Mail, 21-Mar-2008 ... more
23 Mar 2008

French utility eyes Spanish energy market
The French utility Electricite de France SA has had exploratory talks with the Spanish construction company ACS and is interested in the Spanish energy market, a spokeswoman for EDF said Friday.
Globe and Mail, 21-Mar-2008 ... more
23 Mar 2008

The Rising Price of Coal
As the global energy/climate crisis deepens, coal has become the starkest symbol and most telling measure of our predicament.
Kelpie Wilson, truthout.org, 21-Mar-2008 ... more
22 Mar 2008

States’ Battles Over Energy Grow Fiercer With U.S. in a Policy Gridlock
In the absence of clear federal mandates for emissions from smokestack industries, states that have been proving grounds for new environmental approaches to energy are becoming battlegrounds as well.
Felicity Barringer, New York Times, 20-Mar-2008 ... more
22 Mar 2008

Energy giant eyes $5B hydro project
Energy and pipeline giant TransCanada Corp., along with ATCO Power Ltd., is eyeing the development of Alberta's last remaining major hydroelectric prospect, on the Slave River -- a potentially $5-billion project supplying emissions-free power.
Geoffrey Scotton, Calgary Herald, 20-Mar-2008 ... more
20 Mar 2008

Australia plans carbon storage under ocean
Australia plans to allow greenhouse gas emissions to be stored in the ocean floor around the island continent, with exploration for suitable sites possibly starting in 2008.
Michael Perry, Globe and Mail, 19-Mar-2008 ... more
19 Mar 2008

Alberta's nuclear reactor plan doubles to four
Bruce Power, a private sector consortium that operates a nuclear site in Ontario, revealed a bold $10-billion plan to build as many as four reactors and bring nuclear power to Alberta, a province that is run on fossil fuels.
Shawn McCarthy, The Globe and Mail, 14-Mar-2008 ... more
17 Mar 2008

U.S. may protect oilsands
In response to concerns that new U.S. environmental legislation will drastically impact development of Canada's oilsands, Washington is considering classifying oil produced from the region as "conventional" fuel rather than subject it to the stringent standards expected of "alternative" fuels.
Claudia Cattaneo, National Post, 11-Mar-2008
Put carbon burden on consumers, petro leaders say
Oil industry leaders called for a national carbon tax on consumers Monday to help pay for building new greenhouse-gas disposal systems.
Gordon Jaremko, National Post, 10-Mar-2008 ... more
13 Mar 2008

Forest Grove passes resolution against LNG terminals
Forest Grove has became the first Oregon city to pass a resolution opposing construction of liquefied natural gas terminals near the mouth of the Columbia River and pipelines to Central Oregon.
Jill Rehkopf Smith, The Oregonian, 11-Mar-2008 ... more
12 Mar 2008

Enbridge mulls reversal of pipeline
Enbridge Inc. is looking at moving oil sands crude to the U.S. Northeast and Eastern Canada by reversing the flow of one of its pipelines or building a new one, its chief executive officer said Monday.
Reuters, Globe and Mail, 10-Mar-2008 ... more
11 Mar 2008

SaskPower tries retrofit route
Saskatchewan's provincially owned utility said Wednesday it will spend $758-million, on top of $240-million provided by this week's federal budget, to rebuild an aging power plant into North America's first clean-coal unit that will capture and store carbon dioxide.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 27-Feb-2008
Clean coal
James Wood, Saskatchewan News Network, 27-Feb-2008 ... more
29 Feb 2008

Alaska town sues 24 energy companies on climate change
Village sues energy firms for climate change
Elizabeth Bluemink, Anchorage Daily News, 27-Feb-2008
Alaska town sues 24 energy companies on climate change
Timothy Gardner, Reuters/Guardian, 27-Feb-2008
... more
28 Feb 2008

Stelmach wants full report on oilsands moratorium
The Alberta Conservatives will not decide for months on a request from several major oilsands companies to halt development leases in three huge and environmentally sensitive swaths of the oilsands region, Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach said today.
Jason Markusoff & Renata D'Aleisio, Calgary Herald, 25-Feb-2008 ... more
26 Feb 2008

AECL: Canada's nuclear fallout
He was a newcomer to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a refugee from the Crown-owned nuclear facility at Chalk River who brought with him a sparkling bit of inside knowledge.
Jessica Leeder, Globe and Mail, 23-Feb-2008 ... more
24 Feb 2008

Enbridge gets pipeline approval from NEB
This week, the National Energy Board has gave its approval to the $2-billion Alberta Clipper oil pipeline proposed by Enbridge Inc. The pipeline will stretch 1078 km from Alberta to Wisconsin.
Globe and Mail, 23-Feb-2008
On Feb 20, the NEB approved Enbridge's $2.2 billion Southern Lights diluent pipeline from the US Midwest to northern Alberta.
Globe and Mail, 21-Feb-2008 ... more
24 Feb 2008

Enbridge revives $4-billion pipeline
Enbridge Inc. has lined up enough support from a clutch of Asian refiners and Canadian oil producers to revive its $4-billion plan to build a pipeline from the oil sands to the West Coast, just months after China pulled out of the project.
Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 22-Feb-2008 ... more
24 Feb 2008

Water Provides an Ocean of Opportunity for Clean Energy
As researchers continue their search for new sources of clean energy, their attention has turned to the Gulf Stream. Rushing at 8.5 billion gallons per second, the Gulf Stream represents a potential non-stop flow of new energy.
RedOrbit News, 14-Feb-2008
Oceans Eyed As New Energy Source
Brian Skoloff, AP, 14-Feb-2008 ... more
15 Feb 2008

Oilpatch profits to hit $23B this year
Record high oil prices and rising production from the oilsands should see profits in Canada's oilpatch hitting almost $23 billion this year, the Conference Board said Thursday.
CBC News, 14-Feb-2008 ... more
14 Feb 2008

Groups say federal review of Keystone line is inadequate
The TransCanada Keystone Pipeline shouldn’t have a final go-ahead yet because a federal environmental study failed to heed the increased global warming caused by the “dirty” tar sands oil the line would carry, environmental groups said Wednesday.
Janell Cole, The Dickinson (ND) Press, 14-Feb-2008 ... more
14 Feb 2008

Proportionality
There is a strange clause in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that applies to only one country­, Canada. The clause states that Canada must continue to supply the same proportion of its oil and gas resources to the US in future years as it does now. That’s rather a good deal for the US.
Energy Bulletin, 7 Feb 2008 ... more
08 Feb 2008

When oil crisis hits, fantasyland will become nightmare
IN 1980, furious Albertans slapped bumper stickers on their cars stating "Let the eastern bastards freeze in the dark" to protest Ottawa's "Canada First" National Energy Program. Every federal government since has ceded national energy policy to the provinces and, by proxy, to the North American marketplace. This appalling abdication of leadership leaves Canada completely exposed to the supply crisis experts predict is inevitable once the world enters the dark and uncertain time of Peak Oil.
Frances Russell, Winnipeg Free Press, 06-Feb-2008 ... more
06 Feb 2008

Suncor presses ahead with Voyageur expansion
Barely hours after reaching an agreement with the province on royalties, Suncor Energy Inc. on Wednesday pushed ahead with its $20.6-billion Voyageur oilsands expansion.
Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 31-Jan-2008 ... more
31 Jan 2008

B.C. firm gets U.S. funds for ethanol plant
A Vancouver bioenergy company has been awarded up to $30 million by the U.S. Department of Energy to build a small-scale biorefinery in Colorado.
Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, 31-Jan-2008 ... more
31 Jan 2008

Oil Demand, the Climate and the Energy Ladder
Royal Dutch Shell's Jeroen van der Veer: The crux of the matter is, if the people say, “Hang on, we are really concerned about the climate and we’d better do something on carbon emissions,” that is in the end the powerful force which politicians and companies cannot ignore. And I think we are past that point.
Jad Mouawad, New York Times, 19-Jan-2008 ... more
19 Jan 2008

Pipeline rivals race to U.S. Gulf Coast
The race is on to the U.S. Gulf Coast to ship Alberta oilsands to Texas, but it could be a case of pride coming up the backstretch for two old rivals.
Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 19-Jan-2008 ... more
19 Jan 2008

Elk Valley Coal pleads for competitive freight rates
British Columbia's biggest mining operation is describing itself as a railway monopoly "captive" in need of freight rate relief in a new submission to a federal competition review panel.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Jan-2008 ... more
19 Jan 2008

The great coal hole
There used to be a joke about taking coal to Newcastle but these days the laughing stock is getting the stuff out.
David Strahan, New Scientist, 17-Jan-2008 ... more
17 Jan 2008

Pipeline to B.C. back on track
Asian demand for Alberta crude makes 1,300-km route to B.C. port feasible, Enbridge president says
Gordon Jaremko, The Edmonton Journal, 29-Dec-2008 ... more
17 Jan 2008

How coal can power your portfolio in 2008
Patricia Mohr, commodities market specialist at Bank of Nova Scotia is calling for coking coal prices to jump by 49 per cent in 2008. Ms. Mohr expects thermal prices to climb too.
Conor McCreery, Globe Investor Magazine Online, 02-Jan-2008 ... more
12 Jan 2008

TransCanada's Keystone pipeline reaches milestone in U.S.
TransCanada Corp. says its Keystone pipeline partnership has received a favourable assessment from U.S. regulators that asserts the project will have “limited” negative effect on the environment.
Globe and Mail, 11-Jan-2008 ... more
11 Jan 2008

Environmentalists target oilsands customers
The Natural Resources Defense Council, a powerful American environmental lobby group, launched a campaign Thursday against airlines using fuel derived from the Alberta tar sands, using the same tactics that proved so successful in limiting clearcut logging in B.C. rainforests.
Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, 10-Jan-2008
Seeking Friendlier Skies
Natural Resources Defense Council, 10-Jan-2008
Under-Mining the Environment
The Oil Sands Report Card
Pembina Institute & WWF, 10-Jan-2008 ... more
11 Jan 2008

Nova Scotia to create test centre for tidal power
Nova Scotia is creating a centre to test tidal power projects in the Bay of Fundy.
Globe and Mail, 08-Jan-2008
N.S. to harness Fundy tide power
The Chronicle Herald, 08-Jan-2008
Parrsboro mayor hopes to turn tide
Tom McCoag, Chronicle Herald, 08-Jan-2008 ... more
08 Jan 2008

Nuclear watchdog president blasts Lunn over letter
The president of the Nuclear Safety Commission is accusing Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn of improper interference with the agency.
Globe and Mail, 08-Jan-2008 ... more
08 Jan 2008

AECL waits anxiously as Britain considers its nuclear future
Britain's government is expected this week to give the go-ahead for new nuclear reactors in that country, a move that could boost the fortunes of beleaguered Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.
Richard Blackwell, Globe and Mail, 07-Jan-2008 ... more
08 Jan 2008

The $100 prize
As one of the world's foremost experts on energy, particularly oil and gas, along with geopolitics, Daniel Yergin is sought out for his insight on the dynamics of world crude and natural gas markets and their impact on the economic and political sphere.
Geoffrey Scotton, Calgary Herald, 06-Jan-2008 ... more
07 Jan 2008

Alaska picks TransCanada pipeline bid
ransCanada Corp.'s proposal to build a massive natural gas pipeline from Alaska to Canada is the only one that will be officially considered by the state, Gov. Sarah Palin said on Friday.
Alaska picks TransCanada pipeline bid
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 04-Jan-2008
Gas pipeline applicants pared to one
Jeannette J. Lee, Anchorage Daily News, 04-Jan-2008
AGIA Completeness Review Finalized
News Release, Governor Sarah Palin, 04-Jan-2008 ... more
04 Jan 2008

California Sues EPA Over Emissions Rules
California, joined by 15 other states led by New York, sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday over its refusal to allow the state to set its own, tougher vehicle-emissions standards to control greenhouse gases and combat global warming.
Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post, 03-Jan-2008 ... more
03 Jan 2008

Did Hydro-Québec miscalculate?
Jean Charest inaugurated Hydro-Québec's newest generating station, the $1.5-billion Péribonka IV project in the Saguenay, with the same boast Quebec premiers have been using on their subjects for nearly half a century.
Konrad Yakabuski, Globe and Mail, 03-Jan-2007 ... more
03 Jan 2008

Clean energy attractive
Investment in clean energy worldwide rose by a third last year to $117 billion US, according to a report by London-based New Energy Finance.
Vancouver Sun, 03-Jan-2008 ... more
03 Jan 2008

Dialing it down
Most pundits see weakening activity levels in the gas-conscious Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in 2008, as oil prices stay high, gas prices remain depressed, and winter weather continues to be a non-factor
Paul Stastny, Oilweek Magazine, Jan 2008 ... more
03 Jan 2008

Liquefied natural gas poised to surpass oil as energy source
Oil may be the energy source on everyone's mind right now, but there is a good chance that liquefied natural gas (LNG) will surpass it as oil prices remain astronomical.
Leah Bower, Gulf News (Dubai), 24-Dec-2007 ... more
25 Dec 2007

Russia’s Big Energy Secret
Putin wields gas as a weapon. But the reality is that Russia can barely meet its own growing demand.
Owen Matthews, Newsweek, 22-Dec-2007 ... more
25 Dec 2007

Big Oil lets sun set on renewables
Shell, the oil company that recently trumpeted its commitment to a low carbon future by signing a pre-Bali conference communique, has quietly sold off most of its solar business.
Terry Macalister, Guardian, 11-Dec-2007 ... more
24 Dec 2007

Petrocan's Libyan dream
Petro-Canada already once had a dream of creating a huge business empire in North Africa, in which it would supply energy to Europe after developing vast natural gas projects in Algeria and Tunisia. What happened?
Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 14-Dec-2007 ... more
21 Dec 2007

Last Major Russian Gas Field Goes Online
Europe depends on Russia for its natural gas, but, as Gazprom begins production at the last major field, it is unclear how much gas is left in Siberia. Developed fields are almost exhausted, and tapping new reserves involves huge technical difficulties.
Christian Wüst, Der Spiegel, 18-Dec-2007 ... more
18 Dec 2007

More Bali-hoo
UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION: BALI ROAD MAP
Geoffrey York, Globe and Mail, 17-Dec-2007
Disappointments on Climate
Editorial, New York Times, 17-Dec-2007
Stalling in Bali
Editorial, Washington Post, 18-Dec-2007
Bully for Bali
Editorial, The Sunday Times, 16-Dec-2007
Canada, U.S. back off Bali deal
Mike De Souza, National Post, 17-Dec-2007
Willingness to talk climate change what counts
Richard Gwyn, Toronto Star, 18-Dec-2007
The Day After..
Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South, 16-Dec-2007
HAPPY ENDING ON BALI
Markus Becker, Der Spiegel, 15-Dec-2007
We've been suckered again by the US.
George Monbiot, The Guardian, 17-Dec-2007 ... more
18 Dec 2007

Proponents hope to get pipeline flowing
Proponents of the $16-billion Mackenzie Valley Pipeline have presented a new financial plan to the federal government in hopes of kick-starting the long-stalled gas pipeline from the Arctic, Industry Minister Jim Prentice said yesterday.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 14-Dec-2007
Prentice reviewing Mackenzie Valley pipeline financial plan
CanWest News Service, 17-Dec-2007> ... more
17 Dec 2007

No opposition to Chevron plan to sell Aitken
Chevron Canada's application to turn B.C.'s main natural gas storage facility into a saleable asset is meeting virtually no opposition, according to documents on file with the B.C. Utilities Commission. Earlier this year the BCUC granted Chevron's Aitken Creek facility, the only world-class gas storage venue in the province, exemption from regulation on the price it charges producers to store gas coming out of northeastern B.C.'s gas patch.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 15-Dec-2007
Moneta Targets Gas Storage Opportunities
Nickel's Energy Analects, 12-Dec-2007
Moneta Energy Services Will Be Taking Producers Old Reservoirs and Turning Them Into New Natural Gas Storage
Moneta News Release, Marketwire, 14-Dec-2007 ... more
15 Dec 2007

Bali climate delegates eke out `weak' deal
Canada's Harper government and the Bush administration caved in to international pressure at the United Nations climate change summit on Saturday, accepting the "Bali roadmap" towards a new comprehensive agreement to stop human activity from causing irreversible damage to the earth's atmosphere and ecosystems.
Canada Bows to Pressure at Bali's 11th Hour
Canadian Action Network on Climate Change, 15-Dec-2007
Climate delegates eke out `weak' deal
Peter Gorrie, The Star, 15-Dec-2007
Bali breakthrough launches climate talks
David Fogarty, Reuters, 15-Dec-2007
FACTBOX: Achievements at Bali climate talks
Reuters, 15-Dec-2007
Isolated Canada grudgingly accepts Bali deal
Geoffrey York, Globe and Mail, 15-Dec-2007
U.S., Canada agree to framework at climate conference
Mike De Souza, CanWest News Service, 15-Dec-2007
Canada's environment minister regrets watered-down climate deal
Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press, 15-Dec-2007
A Look at the Bali Climate Change Plan
The Associated Press, 15-Dec-2007
WWF says Bali Roadmap "weak on substance"
China View, 15-Dec-2007
Bali Action Plan ... more
15 Dec 2007

LNG Knocking On Canada's Door, Energy Policy Needed
Liquefied natural gas will become a more important player in the continent's commodity mix over the next decade, the National Energy Board predicts in its long term energy outlook released Thursday.
Richard Macedo, Nickle's Daily Oil Bulletin, 16-Nov-2007 ... more
16 Nov 2007

Natural gas exports take a hit
One of British Columbia's biggest cash generators, its natural gas exports, are taking a substantial hit from the increasing value of the Canadian dollar.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 08-Nov-2007 ... more
08 Nov 2007

Oil firms need a new game plan
PetroChina's remarkable ascendancy yesterday to the world's first trillion-dollar company is an important event for energy consumers and private sector energy companies.
Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, 06-Nov2007 ... more
06 Nov 2007

Alaska Debate Over Tax On Oil Cos Reflects Global Changes
If oil companies want to continue taking Alaska's oil, state officials say they need to up the ante ... oil giants are warning lawmakers ... But after Western oil companies have been effectively kicked out of Venezuela and Russia, these could just be hollow arguments.
Steve Quinn, Wall Street Journal, 03-Nov-2007 ... more
04 Nov 2007

Enbridge to build oil pipeline
Enbridge Inc. said Friday it will build a $2-billion, 250,000 barrel-per-day, 480 km oil pipeline to handle tar-like bitumen from Petro-Canada's planned Fort Hills oilsands project to an upgrader near Edmonton.Vancouver Sun, 03-Nov-2007 ... more
03 Nov 2007

Assess climate risk, firms urged
Corporate executives and directors face a growing threat of investor lawsuits if they fail to assess and mitigate the risk their companies face from climate change, accounting experts warned Tuesday.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 30-Oct-2007 ... more
30 Oct 2007

Oil sands seen as 'threat No. 1,' as U.S. may target dirtier fuels
Canadian oil sands producers should brace for further bad news - this time from south of the border, as the U.S. government moves toward a national climate change policy that could target dirtier fossil fuels such as the oil sands bitumen, a former U.S. energy official said yesterday.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 30-Oct-2007 ... more
30 Oct 2007

Power Plant Rejected Over Carbon Dioxide For First Time
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment yesterday became the first government agency in the United States to cite carbon dioxide emissions as the reason for rejecting an air permit for a proposed coal-fired electricity generating plant, saying that the greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment.
Steven Mufson, Washington Post, 19-Oct-2007 ... more
19 Oct 2007

Little Green Lies
The sweet notion that making a company environmentally friendly can be not just cost-effective but profitable is going up in smoke. Meet the man wielding the torch.
Ben Elgin, Business Week, 29-Oct-2007 ... more
19 Oct 2007

Another Inconvenient Truth
Behind the feel-good hype of carbon offsets, some of the deals don't deliver
Ben Elgin, Business Week, 26-Mar-2007 ... more
19 Oct 2007

The Peace Prize - Who are the real Winners?
The award to Al Gore and the U.N. Climate Panel of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize last week ... signals not only a quantum shift in thinking about the focus of the Peace Prize Award, but also about the seriousness of the crisis facing mankind.Editorial, GLOBE-Net, 17-Oct-2007 ... more
18 Oct 2007

U.S. LNG imports take bite out of Canada's natural gas sales
Canadian natural gas producers are suddenly finding themselves in competition for lucrative U.S. markets with counterparts in places like Nigeria and Egypt, as imports of liquefied natural gas displaced Canadian exports earlier this year.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 16-Oct-2007 ... more
17 Oct 2007

Canada maintains LNG tanker stance despite study
Ottawa unmoved by positive LNG study
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 06-Oct-2007
Canada maintains LNG tanker stance despite study
Energy Current, 09-Oct-2007
Unstable Mix: Politics and Liquefied Natural Gas
Rob Annandale, The Tyee.ca, 11-Oct-2007 ... more
11 Oct 2007

Paying for No
The old political rule to "follow the money" never makes more sense than in ballot measure campaigns, since ballot measures never grant interviews.
David Sarasohn, The Oregonian, 03-Oct-2007 ... more
06 Oct 2007

Coal "whipping boy" for greens
Brett Harvey, CEO of coal mining giant Consol Energy, whimpered in a media statement that environmentalists were picking on his industry. Harvey was responding to the launch of the No New Coal campaign by Rainforest Action Network
Brett Harvey, Consol Energy, 04-Oct-2007
Media Announcement, Rainforest Action Network, 02-Oct-2007 ... more
06 Oct 2007

Royalty advice: don't act, talk...
An outbreak of world peace and respect for human rights would be disastrous for Alberta. Global happiness would bankrupt this province. It's not obvious how Alberta prospers by the world's misery. Let's connect the dots.
Only threat to Alberta is onset of world peace
David L. Yager, National Post, 18-Sep-2007
Beyond royalty hysteria
Diane Francis, Financial Post, 06-Oct-2007
Wall Street to Alberta: Don't be ‘so stupid'
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 05-Oct-2007
Energy giant rages against plan to hike Alberta royalties
CBC News, 05-Oct-2007 ... more
06 Oct 2007

Alaska: Image problem plagues gas line
The hurdle is letting the rest of North America know that shipping North Slope natural gas means heating for Lower 48 homes and business, not simply a lining of the state's pockets. This means overcoming an image of Alaska as the national symbol for pork barrel spending.
Steve Quinn, Anchorage Daily News, 29-Sep-2007 ... more
30 Sep 2007

Simulations highlight risk of oil disaster
A computer model developed in the United States to track oil spills shows what will happen if tankers go down, or an offshore well starts to leak, on British Columbia's rugged and beautiful coastline.
Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, 27-Sep-2007
Try the animations at the Living Oceans website ... more
27 Sep 2007

More whining about Alberta's royalty report
Alberta could raise oil and natural gas royalties but this week's recommendations for major increases are “Draconian,” according to Murray Edwards, vice-chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. [CNQ-T], the country's No. 2 producer in the oil patch.
Parts of royalty report called 'Draconian'
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 20-Sep-2007
We'll listen to oilpatch, Stelmach says
Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald, 20-Sep-2007
More room to manoeuvre
Editorial, Calgary Herald, 20-Sep-2007
Good direction on environment
Editorial, Edmonton Journal, 20-Sep-2007
Scare tactics too predictable
Graham Thomson, The Edmonton Journal, 25-Sep-2007 ... more
20 Sep 2007

Pipeline worries landowners' group
Oil spills, soil erosion, soil contamination and crop loss top the list of concerns of an organization of landowners about a proposed oil pipeline.
Stefan Schussler, Regina Leader-Post, 19-Sep-2007 ... more
20 Sep 2007

Energy CEOs call for national policy
In Alberta's oil patch, the words “national energy program” are usually uttered as a curse, a reference to the ill-fated 1980s program of oil nationalization and price controls.
Doug Saunders, Globe and Mail, 19-Sep-2007 ... more
19 Sep 2007

Take Action on Climate Change by Sept 20!
You have until 20-Sep-2007! Click here now to tell Minister Baird to Take Real Action on climate change.
Environmentalists file lawsuit over Kyoto law
Mike De Souza, National Post, 19-Sep-2007 ... more
19 Sep 2007

Alberta Royalties Report Released
Royalty Review Panel final report released to public
News Release, Province of Alberta, 18-Sep-2007
Alberta royalties report made public today
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 18-Sep-2007
Alberta should hike oil sands royalties
Katherine Harding & David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 18-Sep-2007
Royalties hit would kill 'golden goose'
Claudia Cattaneo and Jon Harding, National Post, 19-Sep-2007
Energy stocks plunge after call to raise royalties
David Ebner and Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 19-Sep-2007 ... more
19 Sep 2007

Montana accuses B.C. of breaking green pact
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is accusing Premier Gordon Campbell of breaching a four-year-old pact to protect environmentally sensitive areas that straddle the border.
Don Whiteley, Globe and Mail, 14-Sep-2007
BAUCUS TO BP EXECS: HALT COALBED METHANE PLANS
Press Release, Max Baucus, 10-Sep-2007 ... more
18 Sep 2007

EUB's private eyes ruled illegal
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach would not rule out firing the Energy and Utilities Board, after a damning report was issued today finding the organization had violated provincial law when it hired private eyes to spy on them at EUB hearings.
Geoffrey Scotton, Calgary Herald, 13-Sep-2007
Alberta's spy games
Editorial, Globe and Mail, 17-Sep-2007
Knight fumbles on EUB stage
Graham Thomson, The Edmonton Journal, 18-Sep-2007 ... more
13 Sep 2007

Reactor-maker backs Alberta project
The maker of Canada's Candu nuclear power plants remains committed to a partnership with proponents of a plant in Alberta despite the absence of a buyer for most of the electricity, an official at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. said Wednesday.
Calgary Herald, 13-Sep-2007 ... more
13 Sep 2007

Royalty review muddle hands Stelmach options
Before the royalty review panel even reports, its chairman has managed to annoy both the industry and the government, and thoroughly confuse the rest of us.
Don Braid, Calgary Herald, 13-Sep-2007 ... more
13 Sep 2007

Explosive interlude on a summer weekend
On Saturday Sept. 1, Toronto averted a catastrophe. You can search in vain for news reports about the near tragedy.
Andrew Mitrovica, The Star, 11-Sep-2007 ... more
12 Sep 2007

Methane from the oceans could power the world
The Economist Magazine recently reported on the effort that is quietly going into the pursuit of what is probably the world's greatest store of fossil fuel - caches of methane, the primary component of natural gas, stored in structures called methane hydrates found in cold Arctic regions and in the marine sediment near continental shelves.
GLOBE-Net, 06-Sep-2007 ... more
10 Sep 2007

Green ambition
The most astonishing news from the recent APEC summit in Australia is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's rhetoric on climate change has almost caught up to Paul Martin's. This is not unalloyed good news, of course, given Martin's tendency to become so intoxicated by the wonders of his imaginary world that he never got around to doing much about climate change, or anything else.
Susan Riley, Ottawa Citizen, 10-Sep-2007 ... more
10 Sep 2007

U.S. Draws Map of Rich Arctic Floor ahead of Big Melt
In the Arctic this week, researchers aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy are mapping claims to the spoils of global warming.
Robert Lee Hotz, Wall Street Journal, 31-Aug-2007 ... more
10 Sep 2007

ExxonMobil CEO: Mackenzie Pipeline Costs Could Top C$16.2 Bln
Costs for the troubled Mackenzie gas pipeline could top the last cost estimate of C$16.2 billion, ExxonMobil Corp.'s (XOM) chief executive warned Friday.
Hyun Young Lee, Wall Street Journal, 08-Sep-2007 ... more
09 Sep 2007

Chevron's Great Game

By creating an on-line simulation along the lines of SimCity, Chevron is trying to prove that figuring out how to provide civilization with enough energy is not an easy game.
Stanley Florek, Seattle Times, 06-Sep-2007 ... more
07 Sep 2007

Palin offers oil tax plan for session in Juneau
Gov. Sarah Palin will call lawmakers to Juneau for a special session next month, where she will ask them to increase oil taxes by adopting a new hybrid system combining gross-production and net-profits taxes.
Tom Kizzia & Sean Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News, 05-Sep-2007
BP dislikes call for higher taxes in Alaska
Steve Quinn, Anchorage Daily News, 04-Sep-2007
Build trust on oil taxes
Editorial, Anchorage Daily News, 05-Sep-2007
BP Alaska President Doug Suttles talks taxes
John Tracy, KTUU News, 05-Sep-2007
Oil companies, associations express displeasure with tax proposal
Stefan Milkowski, Fairbanks News Miner, 06-Sep-2007 ... more
06 Sep 2007

Speakers Urge Debate On Hydro-Quebec Privatization
A conference today in Montreal was told that partial or full privatization of Hydro-Quebec would produce greater value for the Quebec's water resources.
Nickle's Energy Analects, 29-Aug-2007 ... more
29 Aug 2007

Firm to build $6.2B nuclear plant in Alberta
Energy Alberta Corporation has chosen Peace River as the site of a proposed $6.2 billion, twin-Candu reactor, nuclear power plant.
Jamie Hall, Edmonton Journal, 28-Aug-2007
Company seeks approval to build Alberta's first nuclear reactor
Jon Harding, Financial Post, 28-Aug-2007
Firm to build $6.2B nuclear plant in Alberta
Canadian Press, 27-Aug-2007
Alberta nuclear proponent has mystery power buyer
Jeffrey Jones, Reuters, 28-Aug-2007
Energy Alberta Corporation ... more
28 Aug 2007

Exxon seeks legal sympathy over Valdez
In his Savile Row threads, the senior partner from a distinguished Los Angeles law firm rose in a Seattle courtroom and argued a case that made the blood leave my face: The Exxon Corp. had suffered enough.
Joel Connelly, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 23-Aug-2007 ... more
26 Aug 2007

Looking to the sun
Faiman and his team have been experimenting with using concentrated sunlight and a very durable solar panel to produce more electricity than ever thought possible. In theory, this is the breakthrough that solar energy has been waiting for — the one that makes it more practical, reduces the price of production and makes it cheaper than coal-fired, nuclear or even hydro-electric plants.Tom Parry, CBC, 15-Aug-2007 ... more
23 Aug 2007

Offshore deal worth $16-billion to Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams said Wednesday that an offshore deal reached with four major oil companies represents an unprecedented gain for the province. The agreement to develop the Hebron-Ben Nevis offshore oilfield gives the province an equity stake of 4.9% in the project, estimated to contain 731 million barrels of recoverable oil.
CanWest News Service, 22-Aug-2007
Nfld. strikes Hebron deal
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 22-Aug-2007 ... more
22 Aug 2007

Squeezing oil from stones
OSUM Oil Sands Corp. believes it might have the answer to one of the oil patch's most perplexing problems - extracting the billions of barrels of crude trapped in Alberta's limestone deposits.
Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 22-Aug-2007 ... more
22 Aug 2007

Alberta Energy loses gas decision
National Energy Board approves new LNG terminal to be built in Quebec. Alberta Energy has lost a quiet but hard-fought national duel with importers and consumers over the future of the province's top money-earner: natural gas.
Gordon Jaremko, Vancouver Sun, 21-Aug-2007 ... more
21 Aug 2007

Proposed plant in Cowlitz County to test pollution law
When Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a new law in May to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, she called it a "testament to the unique, broad-based coalition that came together - utilities and environmentalists, faith communities and business leaders." Four months later, that coalition is already splintering over one of the first real tests of the new law
Craig Welch, Seattle Times, 20-Aug-2007 ... more
21 Aug 2007

The new dirty energy
It's big, it's growing -- and it's bad for the environment. Inside the other alternative-energy movement.
Drake Bennett, Boston Globe, 19-Aug-2007 August 19, 2007 ... more
19 Aug 2007

Royalties: As Big Oil pumps Alberta
Royalties have existed as long as humans have spun wealth from the world's underground riches, digging and drilling to produce personal and collective fortunes. But what the rate should be is a difficult debate, as the arguments are relative in the absence of absolutes – reflected in the fact that there are a thousand or so royalty systems for energy around the world. The question is also clouded and confused by the word at the heart of the argument: Fair.
Dave Ebner, Globe and Mail, 18-Aug-2007 ... more
18 Aug 2007

In Alaska, scandal flows like crude

"I had to cheat, steal, beg, borrow and lie."
Allen: "I own your ass."

And then there were six!
On June 8, 2007 landowners opposing the AltaLink’s 500 KV export transmission line uncovered four private investigators spying on their group. The Alberta Energy Utilities Board (EUB) subsequently admitted to hiring four private investigators.
Joe Anglin, Lavesta Area Group, 16-Aug-2007 ... more
17 Aug 2007

Will Electric Utilities Be the Fueling Stations of the Future?
What if you could buy a car that got over 100 miles per gallon (100+ MPG), and emitted almost no greenhouse gases. Instead of paying $3.50 a gallon to fill up your car, you could pay 50 cents a gallon? Instead of foreign oil, what if your car ran on clean northwest electricity and biofuels? What if electric utilities become the gas stations of the future?
Northwest Public Power Association, Jun-2007 ... more
02 Aug 2007

Juxtaposition in the oil sands
Greenpeace vs Royal Dutch Shell, Suncor, et al.
Western Oil Sands directors approve $6.6-billion Marathon deal
CanWest News Service, 01-Aug-2007
Suncor ramps up oil sands plans
Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 01-Aug-2007
Greenpeace comes to Edmonton
Nicki Thomas, Edmonton Sun, 31-Jul-2007 ... more
01 Aug 2007

Canada, U.S., Mexico sign trilateral energy accord
Canada, the United States and Mexico signed what officials are calling a historic energy accord on Monday, sharing information about the science and technology of energy.
CBC News, 23-Jul-2007 ... more
23 Jul 2007

Investigation, Oversight of Refinery Operations and Profits Is Urgent, Says Group
Oil refineries' deliberate failure to boost gasoline inventories, in combination with unusual maintenance and accident shutdowns, drove this spring's record pump price spike, concludes a study conducted for OilWatchdog.org and The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
PRNewswire-USNewswire, 23-Jul-2007 ... more
23 Jul 2007

Lots of energy, shortage of policy
The U.S. National Petroleum Council's new report on global energy markets, believed to be one of the most extensive studies of its kind, received mixed reviews this week from greens and others whose policy ideas depend on an ever-present looming catastrophe.
Terence Corcoran, Financial Post, 21-Jul-2007 ... more
23 Jul 2007

SaskPower eyes clean-coal facility
Saskatchewan's provincially owned utility is set to deliver a reality check for the notion that the world can increasingly rely on coal-fired electricity, while aggressively battling climate change.
Shawn McCarthy, 16-Jul-2007 ... more
16 Jul 2007

PetroChina walks away from Gateway
PetroChina, one of China's national oil firms, has withdrawn its support for Enbridge Inc.'s Gateway pipeline, citing a lack of progress in the $4-billion project that it says is the result of a lack of support from both Canadian companies and the federal government.
Norval Scott, Globe and Mail, 12-Jul-2007 ... more
15 Jul 2007

Costs Surge for Building Power Plants
General Electric called in reporters yesterday for a briefing on a nuclear plant it is trying to sell in partnership with Hitachi. But what will it cost? "There's massive inflation in copper and nickel and stainless steel and concrete," said John Krenecki, president and chief executive of GE Energy. The uncertainty is not just in nuclear plants, he said; coal plant prices are now similarly unstable.
Matthew L. Wald, NY Times, 10-Jul-2007 ... more
10 Jul 2007

Preston Manning's market based approach to the environment inspires coalition
Preston Manning's market based approach to the environment inspires coalition. "Balancing the ecological budget,‘‘ he says, and the most important thing the environmental movement can do is bring big business on board.
Oilweek Magazine, 31-May-2007 ... more
10 Jul 2007

IEA sees oil supply crunch looming
Global oil companies will reap the windfall from growing demand and constrained supply for years to come – and consumers should expect higher fuel prices for the foreseeable future, the International Energy Agency says in a report released Monday.
Shawn McCarthy, Globe and Mail, 09-Jul-2007 ... more
09 Jul 2007

(Coal fired) Power plant would bury greenhouse gas
For people worried about global warming, it's one of the Holy Grails: Figuring out how to affordably take greenhouse gases and permanently store them underground. Now, a small Northwest company says it will do just that in a coal-fueled power plant it wants to build near the banks of the Columbia River in Southeast Washington.
Warren Cornwall, Seattle Times, 06-Jul-2007
Wallula Energy Resource Center ... more
06 Jul 2007

25 Coalbed Methane development wells in Peace River
GeoMet and Canada Energy Partners announced the intention to drill 25 wells in the Peace River Project. In the government’s “3-Phase process” for coalbed methane (evaluation/exploration, feasibility/development, production) , this project is the first in BC to move to the feasibility stage.
News Release, GeoMet, Inc., 03-Jul-2007 ... more
03 Jul 2007

Is This the Beginning of the End for Damming America's Big Rivers?
Usually shareholders meetings don't include traditional Native American salmon bakes and intertribal healing dances. But at the recent shareholders meeting for Berkshire Hathaway -- owned by investment icon Warren Buffett -- Omaha, Neb., got a taste of native culture -- all the way from the Pacific Northwest.
Tara Lohan, AlterNet, 02-Jul-2007 ... more
02 Jul 2007

Nuclear power too expensive
The world must start building nuclear power plants at the unprecedented rate of four a month from now on if nuclear energy is to play a serious part in fighting global warming, a leading think-tank said yesterday. Not only is this impossible for logistical reasons, but it has major implications for world security because of nuclear-weapons proliferation.
Reuters, 28-Jun-2007 ... more
28 Jun 2007

MPs call for Northern B.C. oil-tanker ban
Growing interest in routing new oil and gas pipelines to British Columbia's northern coast has some decades-old fears about oil spills bubbling to the surface again.
Scott Sutherland, Globe and Mail, 25-Jun-2007 ... more
25 Jun 2007

Flathead: Fish odyssey may help sink energy development plan
The cross-border sexual odyssey of six fish from northern Montana to southern B.C. could help sink a planned multi-billion-dollar Canadian energy development that has spawned years of conflict between the U.S. and Canada.
Randy Boswell, CanWest, 21-Jun-2007
The Missoulian, 18-Jun-2007 ... more
22 Jun 2007

Customers, 1; fish, 0
A mad scramble to meet Northwest energy demands forces the BPA to make a tough -- and illegal -- call to put salmon protections second
Michael Milstein, The Oregonian, 21-Jun-2007 ... more
21 Jun 2007

Role of major north slope producers unclear with signing of AGIA
The Alaska Gasline Inducement Act is now law. Gov. Sarah Palin signed the potentially historic legislation last night, setting up a competition to build the natural gas pipeline. But as Alaska moves into uncharted territory, the role of major north slope producers remains a big question mark.
Bill McAllister, KTUU Television, 09-Jun-2007
A delicate balance between Slope's gas, oil
Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News, 10-Jun-2007 ... more
10 Jun 2007

Alcan bid prepared by Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro, the Oslo energy, power and metals company, is preparing a more than $30 billion bid for Montreal aluminum producer Alcan Inc., the online edition of Canada's Globe and Mail reported on Monday.
Robert Daniel, MarketWatch, 28-May-2007 ... more
03 Jun 2007

Backlash against a whistle-blower
For years, Dr. John O'Connor has made headlines by continually asking why natives near the oil sands have so much cancer. But that's not the only reason he's in such hot water now.
Andrew Nikiforuk, Globe and Mail, 19-May-2007 ... more
23 May 2007

A cowboy with a cause
Butte Creek cowboy Tony White says “The oil and gas industry and the provincial government are getting too greedy. They’re endangering the health and safety of the students in Fort St. John elementary schools.”
Sage Birchwater, Williams Lake Tribune, 17-May-2007 ... more
21 May 2007

Hydroelectric power's dirty secret revealed
Contrary to popular belief, hydroelectric power can seriously damage the climate. Proposed changes to the way countries' climate budgets are calculated aim to take greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower reservoirs into account. Man-made reservoirs convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into methane - with 21 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide.
Duncan Graham-Row, New Scientist, 24-Feb-2005 ... more
21 May 2007

Warming up to nuclear power
So far, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire has taken a cautiously open-minded tack on a Tri-City Industrial Development Council (TRIDEC) proposal that, if successful, could expand nuclear activities in the state.
Kate Riley, Seattle Times, 20-May-2007 ... more
21 May 2007

Do we want Pipeline Canada?
The Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline, for decades a glimmering mirage on the horizon of Canada's northern economic future, may soon become the nightmare of Canadian energy policy.
Terence Corcoran, National Post, 18-May-2007 ... more
18 May 2007

Russia to Build Underwater Tunnel to Alaska
Official from the Russian Economy Ministry told reporters on Wednesday, April 18, that Russia plans to build the world’s longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.MOSNEWS.com, 19-Apr-2007
Also, articles from Anchorage Daily News and CNN.com. ... more
15 May 2007

How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke and Launched the Global Green Power Movement
Thirty years ago this month, in the small seacoast town of Seabrook, New Hampshire, a force of mass non-violent green advocacy collided with the nuke establishment.
Harvey Wasserman, CommonDreams.org, 13-May-2007 ... more
15 May 2007

Tory MPs storm out of meeting on energy sharing
Amid heated charges of a coverup, Tory MPs on Thursday abruptly shut down parliamentary hearings on a controversial plan to further integrate Canada and the U.S.
Ottawa Citizen, 11-May-2007 ... more
11 May 2007

Alaska legislators (22 of them) still stumping for VECO
To put into perspective what legislators who take bribes have cost Alaska: Gazprom agreed to develop a Libyans oilfield for 10 percent of the profits, giving Libya 90 percent. It's a split unheard of in North America. Is bribery of legislators a factor? ... more
07 May 2007

Fighting to uphold a 35-year moratorium
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has shrugged off a 35-year practice to ban oil tankers plying B.C.'s inside passage.
David Beers, Globe and Mail, 28-Apr-2007 ... more
28 Apr 2007

North American Oil Sands Corp. said Friday it intends to sell all of its outstanding common shares to Norway's Statoil ASA in a transaction worth $2.2-billion.
Canadian Press and Associated Press, 27-Apr-2007 ... more
27 Apr 2007

Ottawa to cut emissions 20 per cent by 2020
The federal Conservatives have reworked their much criticized environmental plan to significantly cut the time frame for reducing the gases linked to climate change.
Gloria Galloway, Globe and Mail, 26-Apr-2007 ... more
26 Apr 2007

Canada's water supplies up for grabs in closed-door talks
The leaked document of a prominent Washington-based think-tank obtained by the Council of Canadians revealed that government officials and business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States are scheduled to discuss bulk water exports in a closed-door meeting in Calgary. The April 27 roundtable on the "Future of the North American Environment" will discuss "water consumption, water transfers and artificial diversion of bulk water" with the aim of achieving "joint optimum utilization of the available water."
Maude Barlow, Edmonton Journal, 26-Apr-2007 ... more
26 Apr 2007

Canada's energy insecurity
A prominent right-wing think-tank based in Washington is the lead host to two closed-door meetings in Calgary. The meetings are to discuss ways to enhance American energy security by getting more Canadian oil and gas. Why are Canadians involved in discussing American energy security when Canada has no energy policy, and no plans for ensuring oil for Eastern Canadians during a supply crisis?
Gordon Laxer, Toronto Star, 26-Apr-2007 ... more
26 Apr 2007

Canadians want leadership on climate change
"The only thing missing in [Baird's] study is that all our children will contract smallpox and a can of maple syrup will cost $100. Canadians are not idiots. The government should stop treating them as if they were," said Hugo Séguin, Equiterre. ... more
20 Apr 2007

Baird's Green scare wears thin
Some media comment on Environment Minister John Baird's report that meeting the Kyoto Protocol carbon emission reduction targets would be devastating for Canada's economy. "We finally got step one of the Conservatives' two-step climate change plan yesterday: Scare the bejeesus out of everyone."
Green scare wears thin
Susan Riley, Ottawa Citizen, 20-Apr-2007
Conservatives' Kyoto analysis based on voodoo economics
Don Martin, Edmonton Journal, 20-Apr-2007
Kyoto forecast 'alarmist'
Mike de Souza, Kevin Dougherty, Montreal Gazette, 20-Apr-2007
Kyoto study raises alarm
Allan Woods, Toronto Star, 20-Apr-2007
Like Kyoto? Don't vote Liberal!
Lorrie Goldstein, Edmonton Sun, 19-Apr-2007
Baird bites back
Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun, 20-Apr-2007
Failure to act on environment a crime against future generations, Suzuki says
Guelph Mercury, 20-Apr-2007
The Senate should gas over-the-top environmental bill
Editorial, The Province, 20-Apr-2007 ... more
20 Apr 2007

CO2 Tax Proposed As Long Term Solution For Greenhouse Gas Reductions
A properly designed, broadly-applied carbon dioxide tax would be the most effective way in the long run to tackle the global issue of greenhouse gases, an industry spokesman said Wednesday.
Elsie Ross, Nickle's Daily Oil Bulletin, 19-Apr-2007 ... more
20 Apr 2007

Baird says Kyoto will lead to economic collapse
Environment Minister John Baird attacked the Kyoto accord on Thursday as a costly measure that lead to economic collapse.
Baird says Kyoto would lead to economic collapse
CTV.ca News Staff, 19-Apr-2007
Baird paints apocalyptic scenario of Kyoto compliance for committee
Dennis Bueckert, The Canadian Press, 19-Apr-2007
Ottawa rolls out 'validators' to bolster anti-Kyoto stand
Steven Chase, Globe and Mail, 19-Apr-2007 ... more
19 Apr 2007

Gov't to be fuelled by Exxon?
Exxon Mobil Corp. - the largest and one of the most powerful companies in the world - appears to have offered to help the provincial government lift the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas development.
Sean Holman, 24 HOURS, 04-Apr-2007 ... more
05 Apr 2007

2007 Federal Budget: What's interesting?
Environment: Fee slapped on SUVs
Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 19-Mar-2007 ... more
19 Mar 2007

Scrap oil sands tax breaks, MPs' report urges
The Conservative government should scrap the generous tax breaks for the oil sands that some say are worth hundreds of millions annually, recommends a draft report by the Commons natural resources committee.
Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 03-Mar-2007 ... more
03 Mar 2007

Tireless energy has Fortis cooking with gas
Last Saturday morning, the Fortis board met in Toronto to approve its $1.4-billion takeover of a B.C. energy distributor, Terasen Gas. Then its no-nonsense CEO did what he usually does – he hit the road.
Gordon Pitts, Globe and Mail, 03-Mar-2007 ... more
03 Mar 2007

Pipeline review panel told to block oilsands from using Mackenzie natural gas
Environmentalists want Alberta's booming and greenhouse-gas-spewing oilsands blocked from using natural gas flowing through a proposed $7-billion pipeline from the Mackenzie delta.
Bob Weber, Canadian Press, 26-Feb-2007 ... more
27 Feb 2007

Fortis to acquire Terasen Gas for $3.7 billion
Fortis Inc. announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Terasen Inc. from a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Inc., a U.S. energy transportation, storage and distribution company based in Houston, Texas, for a purchase price of $3.7 billion, ...
Fortis buys Terasen's natural gas retailing
Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, 27-Feb-2007 ... more
27 Feb 2007

Electricity Surplus? Depends on Independent Power Impacts
Does the Pacific Northwest electric power system have a surplus supply of electricity for the next 10 years or does it currently have an electricity deficit the size of a nuclear power plant?
Columbia Basin Bulletin, 22-Feb-2007 ... more
25 Feb 2007

Simple fix offered for oil sands
Adding just one extra dollar to the cost of producing a barrel of oil would raise enough money for energy companies to exploit Alberta's vast tar sands and still comply with Kyoto, a Commons committee was told yesterday by the Pembina Institute.
Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 21-Feb-2007 ... more
21 Feb 2007

An Ill Wind off Cape Cod blows into BC
How an article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the New York Time ties to energy projects in British Columbia. ... more
21 Feb 2007

Over a barrel
Within 10 years, Alberta's tarsands could become the single largest source of new oil in the world. "The oilsands hour has come." "But how long will that hour last?"
Andrew Nikiforuk, Canadian Business, 12-Feb-2007 ... more
18 Feb 2007

The New Climate Almanac
The Globe's New Climate Almanac 2007 breaks down the complexity of climate change with a concise miscellany of the latest ideas, facts and predictions
Globe and Mail Update 17-Feb-2007 ... more
17 Feb 2007

The Politics Of Climate Change A Growing Concern For Oilpatch
When you are caught directly in the crosshairs of the most pressing political issue of the day, it is not a time to blink. Such is the case with the oilpatch as it continues to stare down the latest threat to its bottom line: climate change.
Paul Wells, Nickle's Daily Oil Bulletin, 16-Feb-2007 ... more
17 Feb 2007

Harper now says he will 'respect' Kyoto bill
The Conservative government said yesterday it would produce a plan to comply with Kyoto if forced to, a dramatic shift from the previous day when it dismissed legislation passed by opposition MPs that would require Canada to meet the protocol's targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 15-Feb-2007
Harper does it my way
Nigel Hannaford, Calgary Herald, 17-Feb-2007
Dion stripped of his environmental edge
Chantal Hébert, The Star, Toronto, 16-Feb-2007
Harper seems unwilling to find solutions
Linda McQuaig, The Star, Toronto, 16-Feb-2007 ... more
16 Feb 2007

The Hockey Pond
Hockey players should be skating in Ontario in January.
Friends of the Earth video on YouTube ... more
15 Feb 2007

Opposition forces through Kyoto bill
Opposition parties have forced through legislation requiring the Conservative government to respect Canada's commitments under the Kyoto accord, setting the stage for what could be a constitutional quagmire.
Alexander Panetta, Canadian Press, 14-Feb-2007 ... more
14 Feb 2007

Gov't release: new water standards for coalbed methane
BC will require that coalbed methane projects result in no surface discharge of produced water. ... more
14 Feb 2007

NEB OKs TransCanada pipeline conversion for Keystone project
TransCanada Corp. vaulted ahead yesterday in the race to build a new pipeline to handle additional oil sands output as it received a key regulatory approval for its proposed $2.1-billion (U.S.) Keystone pipeline.
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 10-Feb-2007 ... more
11 Feb 2007

IPCC report confirms global warming
IPPC report
Global warming is caused by mankind, is here to stay and is getting worse, leading climate scientists have concluded. In a bleak report to world leaders aimed at assessing the impact and extent of climate change, 2,500 scientists from 113 countries said that the evidence of worsening global warming was overwhelming.
Damning report seeks to end debate over global warming
Lewis Smith, The Times, London, 03-Feb-2007
Britain is to spearhead a new drive against climate change by bypassing President Bush and urging US states to join directly with Europe’s own carbon trading scheme.
New fears on climate raise heat on leaders
Anthony Browne, Tom Baldwin and Mark Henderson, The Times, London, 03-Feb-2007
Science Panel Says Global Warming Is ‘Unequivocal’
Elisabeth Rosenthal and Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times, 03-Feb-2007 ... more
02 Feb 2007

Crude oil lingers from Exxon Valdez spill
Lingering crude from the nation's largest oil spill has weathered only slightly in some places almost 18 years after the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground and fouled hundreds of miles of Alaska shoreline, a new federal U.S. study released Wednesday concludes.
Rachel d'Oro, Globe and Mail, 02-Feb-2007 ... more
02 Feb 2007

Monuments Go Dark For Climate Change
The Eiffel Tower's 20,000 sparkling bulbs went dark for five minutes Thursday night and the lights went out at the Colosseum in Rome and the Greek parliament in Athens in a demonstration of concern about climate change across the European continent.
Associated Press, 01-Feb-2007 ... more
02 Feb 2007

TransCanada set to boost Keystone pipeline
TransCanada Corp. increased the intensity of its competition with archrival Enbridge Inc. yesterday, saying it is ready to spend $700-million (U.S.) more on a proposed oil sands pipeline to expand and extend a project that is already budgeted at $2.1-billion.
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 31-Jan-2007 ... more
31 Jan 2007

beaverguys - stanley park
... more
27 Jan 2007

Radio-Canada's oil sands 'scoop' dug up nothing
Canada's public TV network is a two-headed, English-French creature with a mandate to foster a "shared national consciousness." Just how it's supposed to do this when it speaks out of two mouths, in two languages and to two different audiences is one of those great Canuck incongruities.
Konrad Yakabuski, The Globe and Mail, 25-Jan-2007 ... more
26 Jan 2007

LNG projects hit supply snags
Kitimat LNG’s $500 million LNG import terminal was scheduled to have broken ground in Kitimat on BC's northwest coast this spring, but the project has been pushed back at least until the fall. The company now expects to come on stream in 2010, a year later than planned.
Krisendra Bisetty, Business in Vancouver, 16-Jan-2007 ... more
22 Jan 2007

PM's energy plan hailed
Independent power producers in British Columbia on Friday lauded a $1.5-billon renewable-energy initiative announced in Victoria by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 20-Jan-2007 ... more
20 Jan 2007

Ranchers fear losses from project
B.C. ranchers fear a proposed wind energy project near Chetwynd will cause major losses to their cattle operations by damaging summer grazing areas.
Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun, 18-Jan-2007 ... more
19 Jan 2007

PM to boost funding for tidal power
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit Race Rocks off Metchosin today to announce a major federal investment into alternative energy technology.
Peter O'Neil and Richard Watts, Times Colonist 19-Jan-2007
Like watching a steak guy eat tofu. ... more
19 Jan 2007

U.S. urges 'fivefold expansion' in Alberta oilsands production
The U.S. wants Canada to dramatically expand its oil exports from the Alberta oilsands, a move that could have major implications on the environment.
CBC News, 17-Jan-2007 ... more
18 Jan 2007

Pipeline demands mount
Enbridge Inc. wants to move Canadian oil-sands output all the way to the Philadelphia region, and is working on early plans for a $1.4 billion pipeline that would carry domestic crude to the east coast of the United States for the first time.
Canadian oil pipeline to U.S. East Coast planned
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 17-Jan-2007
Pipeline demands mount
Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald, 18-Jan-2007 ... more
18 Jan 2007

Ottawa set to unveil climate plans
The Conservative government is launching a series of new climate-change policies this week before MPs return for what is expected to be a heated parliamentary session dominated by divisions over the environment.
Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, 16-Jan-2007 ... more
16 Jan 2007

Do carbon offsets live up to their promise?
In 2006, "carbon neutral" became the New Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year, evidence not only of the "greening" of our culture, but of our language as well. As scientists predict another bout of record-setting temperatures this year, climate concerns may soon "green" our wallets as well. By all accounts, 2007 is poised to see the industry of carbon neutrality - so-called carbon offsetting - grow dramatically.
Moises Velasquez-Manoff, Christian Science Monitor, 10 January 2007 ... more
14 Jan 2007

The Polar Dash for Oil
As companies rush to find the new fields that will satiate our world's increasing demand for oil, their mad dash has pushed them to the ends of the earth, literally.
Luke Burgess, Pure Energy Report, 11-Jan-2007 ... more
11 Jan 2007

sqwalk.com energy archives

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2007

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2006

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2005

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2004

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2003

ENERGY ITEMS FROM Jul 1, 2002 to Dec 31, 2002

ENERGY ITEMS FROM Jan 1, 2002 to Jun 30, 2002

ENERGY ITEMS FROM Sept 1, 2001 to Dec 31, 2001

ENERGY ITEMS FROM Jun 1, 2001 to Aug 31, 2001

ENERGY ITEMS FROM Jan 1, 2001 to May 31, 2001

ENERGY ITEMS FROM 2000

Miller Creek project failing: report
An independent power project on Miller Creek near Pemberton is failing to meet its commitments to produce "green power" and to protect species at risk, according to an environmental consulting report.
Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun, Monday, April 28, 2008 ... more
28 Apr 2008

Innergex Renewable Energy to Acquire Rights to Develop 200 MW of Hydro Projects in BC
Innergex Renewable Energy announces it has reached an agreement with Ledcor Power Group Ltd. to acquire 66 2/3% of rights to develop 18 run-of-river hydroelectric power projects with secured water licences located in Lower Mainland in British Columbia. These projects would represent a potential installed capacity of more than 200 MW and produce over 1,000 GW-hr of clean energy.
CNW Group, 23-Apr-2008 ... more
24 Apr 2008

Possibility grows of spectacular gas find in northeast
The possibility that the remote northeastern corner of British Columbia harbours a spectacular, untapped natural gas resource is growing increasingly certain.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 24-Apr-2008 ... more
24 Apr 2008

Province has 8,000 potential run-of-river power sites: B.C. Hydro study
There are more than 8,000 sites in the province with the potential to be developed as run-of-river power projects, a study commissioned by B.C. Hydro and the B.C. Transmission Corporation has found.
Stephen Hui, Georgia Straight, 16-Apr-2008 ... more
19 Apr 2008

Save Our Rivers, Indeed
Do we want private companies to develop our hydro power and make huge profits for shareholders? Were you consulted on this matter of enormous consequences? The answer is, of course, no. This has been policy by stealth.
Rafe Mair, The Tyee, 14-Apr-2008 ... more
19 Apr 2008

B.C. gains on Alberta's power pain
The deregulation of Alberta's electrical system may be controversial here, but it has been a bonanza for British Columbia, say industry observers.
Darcy Henton, The Edmonton Journal, 14-Mon-2008 ... more
14 Apr 2008

BC Hydro introduces Standing Offer Program
Under the Standing Offer program launched Friday, the little guys can fill out some standard application forms online and -- provided they have all necessary permits and other documentation -- they can join whenever they're ready.
Hydro hunts small power sources
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 12-Apr-2008
BC Hydro launches Standing Offer Program to acquire clean energy
News Release, BC Hydro, 11-Apr-2008
Program Overview:STANDING OFFER PROGRAM
... more
12 Apr 2008

Another Side to Private Power
Increasingly, First Nations and municipalities are the IPPs, working with the private sector but retaining full or partial ownership of their utilities and the revenue stream they provide.
Colleen Kimmett, The Tyee, 11-Apr-2008 ... more
11 Apr 2008

Tribal council allowed to appeal Rio Tinto deal
BC Hydro's troubled efforts to renew a power sales deal with Rio Tinto Alcan have hit a new, and potentially monumental snag. The British Columbia Court of Appeal has granted the Carrier Sekani Tribal council leave to appeal the dea.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun 10-Apr-2008 ... more
10 Apr 2008

NEW: Oil and Gas Activities Act
The BC Government has introduced the new Oil and Gas Activities Act (OGAA) in the Legislature. OGAA consolidates a number of related statues, including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act, the Oil and Gas Commission Act, the Pipeline Act and the Forest Practices Code Act.
News Release, MEMPR, 08-Apr-2008
Bill 20 at First Reading
B.C. makes it easier for companies to exploit natural gas reserves
Wendy Stueck, Globe and Mail, 09-Apr-2008 ... more
09 Apr 2008

Amended Utilities Act reflects new government issues
The British Columbia Utilities Commission is expanding its traditional role from minding the public's money into one where social and environmental issues will also weigh on decisions about the future of crown agencies such as BC Hydro, Energy Minister Richard Neufeld said Tuesday.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 02-Apr-2008
Bill 15 - Utilities Commission Amendment Act, 2008 ... more
03 Apr 2008

Natural gas bonanza for B.C.
The rush for natural gas in northern British Columbia reached a fever pitch in the 2007-2008 fiscal year that closes on Monday, Energy Minister Richard Neufeld announced.
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 28-Mar-2008
Alberta's energy crown threatened
David Ebner, Globe and Mail, 27-Mar-2008 ... more
28 Mar 2008

B.C. government rejects Pitt power project
Environment Minister Barry Penner has decided not to recommend to Cabinet or the Legislature that the proposal by Northwest Cascade Power Limited to adjust the boundaries of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park be accepted.
News Release, BC Government, 26-Mar-2008
B.C. government rejects Pitt power project
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 26-Mar-2008
Power project rejected
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times, 26-Mar-2008 ... more
26 Mar 2008

SFU environment prof named B.C.'s 'academic of the year'
Mark Jaccard, a Simon Fraser University resource economist and climate-change expert has won an academic award for his work "challenging conventional wisdom" through environmentalism.
Chantal Eustace, Vancouver Sun, 19=Mar-2008 ... more
20 Mar 2008

Project to Ensure Reliable Power for Vancouver Island
The Province has announced that construction of overhead lines for the Tsawwassen segment of the Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement (VITR) Project will move forward.
Media Release, MEMPR, 17-Mar-2008
Power lines to proceed
Sandor Gyarmati, Delta Optimist, 18-Mar-2008
Buyouts possible for high-voltage-line homes
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 18-Mar-2008 ... more
18 Mar 2008

Run of River Power Inc.: Tsilhqot'in Power Project Submitted to BC Hydro's Bioenergy Call
Run of River Power Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Western Biomass Power Corp. has together with the Tsilhqot'in National Government submitted a formal proposal to BC Hydro, in response to the first Phase of its two Phased Bioenergy Call, to supply energy generated from forest based biomass.
Press Release, Run-of-River Power, Mar-2008 ... more
17 Mar 2008

What's Wrong With the Western Climate Initiative?
The Western Climate Initiative is a path-breaking effort. Insufficient federal progress prompted seven states and two provinces to join together to reduce climate pollution by means of an economy-wide cap and trade program. There's now cause for serious concern.
Eric de Place, SightLine News, 06-Mar-2008
Prominent environmentalist Louise Comeau - one of the premier's key climate action ad