Governors Help Launch NextGen

U.S. lifts moratorium on new solar projects
Under increasing public pressure over its decision to temporarily halt all new solar development on public land, the Bureau of Land Management said that it was lifting the freeze, barely a month after it was put into effect.
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British Columbia carbon tax kicks in
British Columbia's carbon tax went into action, raising the price of fossil fuels by just over two cents. Despite some tax concessions in other areas, many drivers remain opposed to the carbon tax.
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Kentucky partners with energy companies to study carbon storage
Gov. Steve Beshear said the state is partnering with the new Western Kentucky Carbon Storage Foundation to look into long-term carbon storage opportunities within the state.
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Report: Carbon capture and storage can mitigate global warming
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has the potential to reduce one-third of the total global emissions of carbon dioxide from stationary sources, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
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Dominion starts building Virginia City coal plant
Dominion Virginia Power began construction of the $1.8 billion Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Southwest Virginia.
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Utah senators slam congressional oil-shale development moratorium
A congressional moratorium on oil shale leasing and development hurts an established industry's efforts to find investors and imperils the nation's hopes for energy independence, Utah's senators said.
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Is Carbon Capture And Storage Needed? (United States Carbon Sequestration Council, June 2008)
Carbon sequestration is critical to providing future energy, and efforts are under way to bring projects to market sooner.
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ConocoPhillips to work with Colorado researchers on biofuels
ConocoPhillips has signed a $5 million, multiyear research agreement with the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels (C2B2) to develop new ways to convert biomass into low-carbon transportation fuels.
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DKRW outlines CTL process at Medicine Bow
The project will use ExxonMobil's proprietary methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) technology to convert methanol to gasoline.
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Natural Gas and Electricity Costs and Impacts on Industry (DOE/NETL, April 2008)
An explanation of how the cost of electricity and natural gas affect a business' bottom line.
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Senators introduce carbon reduction legislation
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), both senior members of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced the "Carbon Reduction Technology Bridge Act of 2008."
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Calif. board outlines plans to whip greenhouse gases
California's air board unveiled the nation's most ambitious plan to require cleaner cars and fuels, energy-efficient buildings and more electricity from the sun and wind to cut greenhouse gases in the state.
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EDITORIAL: Consumers will pay if coal plants are replaced
If the plan moves forward, consumers would be socked with much higher utility bills than necessary.
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Coal may hold solution to gas prices
Later this year, a plant in China will begin churning out liquid fuel made from coal, a technology that - if all breaks right for the coal industry - is headed to American shores.
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Report projects energy, fossil fuel use to grow
A government report says global energy demand will grow by 50 percent over the next two decades despite high oil prices.
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EDITORIAL: McCain defies energy taboos
John McCain deserves credit for expanding the nation's energy debate to include such potent but politically controversial solutions as nuclear power and drilling for oil on the continental shelf.
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Colorado area's geology prime for CO2 project
If storing carbon dioxide in coal-bed methane reservoirs proves feasible, the San Juan Basin could be the first place in the world that the process will be used on a commercial scale.
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Utah aims high on curbing emissions
"Our goal is to reduce our emissions to 2005 levels by 2020," said Rick Sprott, director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
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Transmission line will carry wind power
A monthlong open auction will begin at the end of the month for transmission space on the proposed Wyoming-Colorado Intertie, a 345-kilovolt power line that will deliver power from eastern Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range.
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Exec: Coal still foundation for U.S. electricity needs
Coal is the foundation for the biggest share of America's energy needs, especially when it comes to producing electricity.
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N.D. utility to unveil plans to capture C02
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is unveiling a project to capture carbon dioxide at its coal-fired power plant in central North Dakota, then pipe the gas to Canada where it will be pumped underground to force oil to the surface.
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Malmstrom coal-to-liquids proposal deadline reached
The deadline for developers to pitch proposals for a coal-to-liquid fuel plant at Malmstrom Air Force Base has passed, but the Air Force agency in charge of evaluating the offers isn't releasing much information about the number or names of those interested.
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Montana governor touts state's energy potential
Gov. Brian Schweitzer told a gathering of electric power cooperative and business leaders in Kalispell that the state must take advantage of all its energy resources.
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Regional alternative-energy effort urged in Arizona
If Arizona is to lead in the research and use of solar and other alternative sources of energy, a regional approach is needed, says an expert on sustainability.
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Basin Electric, Powerspan team on N.D. coal project
A 120-MW commercial scale CO2 capture and sequestration project at Basin's Antelope Valley Station is under way.
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As the Earth cools: What does it mean for the energy industry?
Recent data from NASA - a global warming proponet - shows that the world's oceans are cooling and are expected to cool for several years.
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OPINION: Nuclear opponents off-base
Nuclear power can help solve our energy crisis.
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Big Oil's hydrogen future
How's this for irony: The clean fuel of the future could end up being developed by the oil titans of today.
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Congressional stalemate over renewable energy
Even as lawmakers of both parties talk about the need to shift the country toward clean, renewable energy, Congress is in danger of letting key tax credits that have fueled the growth of wind and solar power expire at the end of the year.
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Nevada senator seeks renewable energy development
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said the rest of the country should adopt Nevada's requirement that 20 percent of its power come from renewable energy by the year 2015.
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