Featured Articles in Energy Business News

ComEd to get $50 million grant from taxpayer funds for Rockford grid expansion

(The Center Square) – Tens of millions of federal tax dollars are coming to Illinois to further support Rockford’s electric grid. During an event in front of a banner saying “Biden-Harris Administration; Investing in America,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the $50 million in federal tax funds coming to the community to help achieve his “ambitious Read More…

Gianforte Celebrates $700 Million Investment in Montana’s Energy Infrastructure

Governor Greg Gianforte joined community leaders today to announce a $700 million investment aimed at enhancing affordable and reliable energy in Montana through the North Plains Connector Interregional Innovation project. This initiative will establish the first high-voltage transmission line connecting Montana’s eastern and western power grids. “Access to affordable and reliable energy is a top Read More…

California may lose two more refineries, would have to rely on gas from abroad

(The Center Square) – Short on the heels of another major refinery closure, Valero signaled it is considering closing its two California refineries that produce over 14% of the state’s gasoline. Refinery closures already have the state importing 8% of its gasoline supply, which means the state could soon have to significantly increase its imports Read More…

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EPA chief: Carbon dioxide isn’t a ‘primary contributor’ to global warming

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Thursday that he does not believe carbon dioxide is a “primary contributor” to climate change. “I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact. So no, I would not Read More…

Colstrip power plant owner pushes for tax break to keep plant units open

Talen Energy is pushing Montana lawmakers for a tax break worth millions to keep two units of the coal-fired Colstrip power plant open, with one Republican leader saying Tuesday the units could close within the year without some form of assistance. House Speaker Austin Knudsen, R-Culbertson, said the $10 million coal severance tax reduction proposed Read More…

Job Surge in Bakken

There has been a sudden surge in job openings in the Bakken – particularly for hydraulic fracturing and completion crews – as companies ramp up to put more wells on line in the first half of 2017, reports Oil Patch Hotline. Pay scales are running between $16 and $30 an hour. The number of job Read More…

BLM action okays first 500 turbines of Chokecherry Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project

Renewable energy and Wyoming jobs received a boost Wednesday as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the first 500 wind turbines for the Chokecherry Sierra Madre (CCSM) Wind Energy Project. The BLM action followed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Record of Decision (ROD) indicating that it would issue an Eagle Take Permit Read More…

Wyo. reports highest underground storage tank compliance rates in the US

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Storage Tank Program (STP) reported the highest underground storage tank (UST) operational compliance rates in the country to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) during federal fiscal year 2016. STP regulates the installation and operation of regulated storage tank systems (such as gas stations) and oversees cleanup Read More…

License issued for $1B Montana power storage project

A Montana company has been granted a license to build a $1 billion, 400-megawatt power storage project in the central part of the state that would supplement electricity from wind turbines and other sources, according to documents released Thursday by federal regulators.   The 50-year license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allows Absaroka Energy, Read More…

CorEnergy says Ultra Petroleum will assume Pinedale lease

CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust (CORR) has announced that a subsidiary of Ultra Petroleum has agreed to assume the lease on its Pinedale Liquids Gathering System without amendment, through a motion filed today in bankruptcy court. CORR is the first publicly listed real estate investment trust focusing on energy infrastructure. According to the CORR website, the Pinedale Read More…

GTUIT Makes Inc. 500 List

Billings-based GTUIT, LLC has earned the 203rd position on Inc. magazine’s 2016 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private American companies with a three- year revenue growth rate of 1,894%. For 35 years, Inc. has tracked the fastest-growing private companies which have included firms like Microsoft, Under Armor, Oracle and Yeti Cooler. GTUIT stands out because Read More…

In a hopeful sign, Wyoming unemployment rate falls for first time in 18 months

Wyoming’s unemployment rate fell in August for the first time in 18 months, the Department of Workforce Services reported Tuesday. The shift from 5.7 percent unemployment in July to 5.5 percent last month is not a statistically significant drop, but it offers hope that the state economy is stabilizing. Natrona County had the fourth-largest decrease Read More…

Supporters of North Dakota pipeline protests gather in Great Falls

Members of the Chippewa Cree Tribe gathered along the bank of the Missouri River in Great Falls on Tuesday evening to show their support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. The group is joining in protest of the multi-billion dollar Dakota Access Pipeline that would cross the Missouri River several times across Read More…

One of ND’s largest oil producers posts wider loss on oil price slump

HOUSTON—Continental Resources Inc., North Dakota’s second-largest oil producer, posted a quarterly loss on Wednesday that missed Wall Street’s expectations because of the slump in crude prices. The loss is an example of the difficulty facing the oil industry as it seeks to offset the period of low prices. Many companies have slashed costs to survive. Read More…