Oil & Energy News
Reports on oil drilling, pipelines, and energy policy debates. Conservative analysis and commentary included from The Daily Signal.
-
news
Gunman Kills at Least 58 in Las Vegas, Thought to Be ‘Lone Wolf’
In what authorities are calling the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, a gunman killed at least 58 people and wounded more than 500 Sunday night at an outdoor country music concert in Las Vegas by firing from the 32nd floor of a hotel. The number of deaths—updated from 50 to 58 about 11:30… -
news
Group Sues Vermont AG for Withholding Emails About Climate Crusade Against Oil Groups
Vermont is refusing to comply with a court order forcing officials to release communications about the state’s supposed involvement in a climate inquisition against fossil fuel groups, a conservative legal group said Monday. Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan denied conservative group E&E Legal’s request for communication between former Attorney General William Sorrell and New York… -
opinion
America’s Energy Dominance Won’t Sacrifice Environmental Quality
President Donald Trump declared during energy week that the United States would “usher in a golden age of American energy dominance.” From rolling back egregious offshore drilling restrictions and power plant regulations to a policy review to revive nuclear energy, the Trump administration is making important headway to unleash America’s vast energy resources. But energy… -
news
Rick Perry’s Plans for US Energy Dominance
America is approaching energy independence, but still needs to remove obstacles, Energy Secretary Rick Perry says. “The previous administration talked about energy independence, but wouldn’t drill and transport. It was all talk,” @SecretaryPerry says. “We are very close to being energy independent,” Perry told The Daily Signal in a brief interview. “Regarding our ability to… -
news
Energy Department Looks at Green Impact on Power Grid
Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the upcoming Department of Energy study on power grid’s reliability is needed to address the facts after the Obama administration placed a premium on politics—but green energy is reportedly ready to push back. The study, set to be released in the coming weeks, will look at the effect of green… -
opinion
Trump’s Action on Energy Empowers Local Leaders, Lays Groundwork for Prosperity
“One step forward, two steps back.” That’s how we summed up the situation the last time an offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling proposal was announced. That was in January 2015, when the Obama administration included several areas off the coast of Alaska and parts of the Atlantic coast in the 2017-2022 federal leasing… -
opinion
Unlocking Our Immense Oil and Gas Supply Can Make America Great Again
American lawmakers would be wise to embrace the ongoing energy revolution. The Baker Hughes oil rig count for the United States increased on Friday for the 10th consecutive week to 809 operating rigs, resulting in a 20-rig increase from the week before and a 345-rig addition in the past 12 months. While OPEC countries have… -
opinion
Trump’s Budget Takes a Cleaver to Cronyism and Waste at the Energy Department
President Donald Trump released his budget blueprint today, and his proposal for the Department of Energy is a breath of fresh air. This proposal reflects the president’s priority of “[putting] America first by keeping more of America’s hard-earned tax dollars here at home.” Opponents have pilloried the draft as anti-science, anti-clean energy, and even extreme—all… -
opinion
Next Farm Bill Shouldn’t Play Favorites With Energy
The House Agriculture subcommittee on commodity exchanges, energy, and credit is holding a hearing March 9 titled “The Next Farm Bill: Rural Development & Energy Programs.” The 2002 farm bill was the first to contain an energy title, which has since grown to include direct handouts and loan guarantees for advanced biofuels and biorefineries, renewable chemicals, and… -
opinion
While Draining the Swamp, Drain Government-Controlled Oil Reserves
As the new administration seeks to reduce the regulatory burden on the energy market, one critical change is to liquidate the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The government-controlled stockpile of crude oil is a waste of taxpayer money and ignores how the private sector more effectively responds to price changes. President Gerald Ford and Congress created the… -
opinion
Dakota Access Pipeline Easement Marks a New Day for US Energy
The final easement granted on Wednesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Dakota Access pipeline project sent a clear signal to our nation: Infrastructure development is once again a priority. Last November, America chose a president who campaigned on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, encouraging energy development, and championing job creation. Now, only weeks… -
opinion
One Super Bowl Ad’s Surprisingly Beautiful Message About Oil
When we think of oil, most of us think of fuel for cars and trucks. Oil is certainly crucial to transportation, but a 30-second Super Bowl commercial reminded viewers that too often, the hundreds of other uses of oil go overlooked. The American Petroleum Institute commercial featured a colorful display of the uses of oil… -
opinion
US Energy Takes a Major Step Forward
For years, the Obama administration used its executive authority to obstruct two crucial energy infrastructure projects: the Dakota Access pipeline and the Keystone XL pipeline. Today, the obstruction finally came to an end when President Donald Trump signed two executive orders. This action affirms our new president’s respect for the rule of law and his… -
opinion
How Rick Perry Can Free Up US Energy From Government Favoritism
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently had his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. If confirmed as energy secretary, Perry should work with Congress to reduce the size and scope of the agency’s intrusive reach into energy markets. Here are three priorities: 1. Stop and eliminate taxpayer-backed loans and loan guarantees…. -
opinion
When Energy Efficiency Rules Hurt the Public and the Environment
Over the last several years, an extreme and ideologically-driven environmental agenda has hijacked our national energy policy. Whether its goal is to keep fossil fuels in the ground or to electrify America based on a naïve belief that all electricity will be renewable within 30 years, or some combination, this bias is what we now… -
opinion
Let’s Make American Energy Great Again
For the past eight years, President Barack Obama and his allies in Congress have feverishly worked to centralize energy regulatory power in Washington, empowering federal bureaucrats to micromanage how energy producers operate their facilities and run their businesses. The fundamental problem with centralized regulatory authority is the tendency of Washington bureaucrats to be ignorant of—and… -
opinion
Drain the Swamp? This Energy Bill Is More Big Government Paternalism
Time is running out for negotiations between the Senate and House of Representatives on a conferenced energy bill. For opponents of big government paternalism, that’s a good thing. The Senate-passed energy bill is fraught with provisions that would increase government’s micromanagement of the energy sector. It is a continuation and extension of the idea that… -
news
Shuttered Nuclear Plants Aren’t Being Replaced by Green Energy
Natural gas and other conventional energy sources are replacing power generated by shuttered nuclear reactors, according to federal energy data. Despite numerous claims that solar and wind power would replace nuclear sources, both wind and solar combined have historically replaced only a small fraction of shuttered capacity. The same pattern is expected to continue as… -
opinion
Alternative Energy Is Likely to See a Big Boost in Taxpayer-Funded Subsidies During Lame-Duck Session
Members of Congress are preparing to be quite active during the lame-duck session. That’s good news for cronies who want to use the political system to secure handouts but bad news for taxpayers and the economy. The targeted tax credits Congress is considering include windfalls for hybrid solar lighting systems, fuel cells, geothermal, biomass, combined… -
opinion
DC School’s ‘Green Academy’ Selling False Hope With Renewable Energy Training
Children are filtering back to school in the nation’s capital, but one school is getting students off on the wrong foot by promoting careers propped up on the backs of the taxpayer: renewable energy. H.D. Woodson High School has three career and technical education program tracks. Two of them line up with traditional educational training…