Gov. Kathy Hochul blasted the plan shortly after the utilities publicly announced it.
natural gas
Posted inNews & Opinion
Power plant sold
The complex network of industrial utilities inside Eastman Business Park is getting a new owner, again. And the buyers will pay to retrofit the park’s power plant with high-efficiency natural gas boilers, replacing its coal-fired ones. Recycled Energy Development reached a deal to sell its portfolio of site-specific power and utility systems – which includes […]
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Decline in shale gas production expected
Gas production from domestic shale formations is expected to decline in September, says a new report from the US Energy Information Administration. The drop would come just a few months after gas output peaked in May. The explanation for the decline is fairly straightforward: older wells aren’t producing as before, and the new wells aren’t […]
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Group’s answer to fracking ban: use propane
The first real test of the state’s newly-enacted fracking ban is on the way. And it’s not, as many supporters and opponents of the ban expected, a lawsuit directly challenging the prohibition. Yesterday, a group of farm owners and Tioga Energy LLC announced plans to file an application with the state to extract natural from […]
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EPA issues study on fracking and water
The US Environmental Protection Agency has released a long-awaited draft assessment of high-volume hydraulic fracturing’s impact on water resources. And it’s been interesting to watch the response to the study. The EPA analyzed state and industry well and spill data, which resulted in 20 peer-reviewed scientific reports, according to a news release from the agency. […]
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Finger Lakes gas storage hearing under way
Today marks the second day of a hearing on Crestwood’s Holdings’ controversial proposal to use dormant salt caverns along Seneca Lake to store 88 million gallons of liquefied petroleum gas. The hearing, technically called an issues conference, is part of the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s review of the proposal. The hearing, which is supervised […]
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Report: substantial fossil fuel reserves must remain untapped to avoid worst of climate change
Countries worldwide have massive oil, natural gas, and coal reserves that they could tap. But much of those reserves must remain unused in order to keep global warming under 2 degrees through the end of the century — an important tipping point, according to scientists. A new study published in Nature breaks down the reserves […]
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Finger Lakes’ fuel, tourism industries clash
Residents of the Finger Lakes are fiercely protective of the region’s land and waters. As a result, the area is known for open roads and farmland; thick forests and sprawling vineyards; fresh air and, of course, gleaming freshwater. Residents know full well that the 11 Finger Lakes are an asset that few places in the […]
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The legacy of New York’s fracking decision
New York’s long struggle with fracking is over, except that it isn’t. Next month, the State Department of Environmental Conservation will officially wrap up its review of high-volume hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas extraction technique under review since late 2008. The big news: it intends to prohibit high-volume fracking in New York, DEC Commissioner Joseph […]
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New York officials reject fracking
State environmental and public health officials have concluded that high-volume hydraulic fracturing is too risky to allow in New York. In January, the State Department of Environmental Conservation will finalize its environmental statement on high-volume fracking, and as part of that process will officially prohibit the extraction technique in New York. Fracking is used in […]
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O’Brien, environmental group push fracking legislation
New York has a de facto moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, but some of the state’s landfills and water treatment plants have been taking in out-of-state fracking wastes. Some local governments — none in Monroe County — have even used brine from fracked wells to de-ice roads. During a press conference this afternoon, Democratic State […]
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That’s a lot of fracking money
A new report from Common Cause/NY says that between 2007 and July 2013, pro-fracking interests outspent anti-fracking interests nine to one. The report, released yesterday, says that pro-fracking companies and groups contributed $15.4 million to political committees and spent $48.9 million on lobbying, while fracking opponents spent $1.9 million on political contributions and $5.4 million […]
