According to a survey of 813 senior oil and gas professionals by Norwegian risk management firm DNV GL, 64 percent of sector leaders expect to either increase or maintain spending on natural gas projects this year. This demonstrates that natural gas continues to gain traction over oil as a primary energy source. More than three-quarters of survey respondents believe natural gas is what will lead the global economy to a low-carbon future. This finding is also supported by a separate report by the International Energy Agency, which notes that natural gas is on pace to grow by 1.6 percent annually. “Society’s transition to a less carbon-intensive energy mix is already a reality, and oil and gas will continue to be crucial components,” said DNV GL CEO Liv Hovem.
Columbia Gas of Ohio and its parent company, NiSource, have joined the Ohio Business Competes Coalition, which is a nonpartisan coalition of businesses committed to achieving nondiscrimination policies at the state level in order to attract talent, increase business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships, and grow the state’s economy. “We have made a deep commitment to foster a culture of inclusion and diversity for our employees,” said Columbia Gas of Ohio President Dan Creekmur. “We strongly believe in the Ohio Business Competes Coalition mission and that organizations that respect all talents, ideas and perspectives makes them stronger—and will make Ohio stronger.”
This summer, Crowley Maritime Corp. took delivery of one of the world’s first combination container/roll on-roll off, or ConRo, ships powered by liquefied natural gas. El Coquí was built by VT Halter Marine Inc. specifically for Crowley’s shipping and logistics services between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 720-foot-long ship will be able to transport up to 2,400 20-foot-equivalent container units and reach a cruising speed of 22 knots. A sister ship, Taíno, is set to be delivered by the end of the year. “This delivery represents another milestone in our unwavering commitment to Puerto Rico and the Jones Act,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and CEO. “We have dedicated significant time, effort and more than $550 million, which includes these new ships, to transform our Puerto Rico shipping and logistics services to world-class standards.”
Georgia’s DeKalb County was recently named No. 1 in the 2018 edition of The 100 Best Fleets in America, thanks in part to its use of compressed natural gas vehicles. The county’s Green Fleet Policy places a priority on purchasing and using fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles and equipment that are cost-competitive over their lifetime. Additionally, nearly a decade ago, the county partnered with the Clean Cities Atlanta Coalition to write a $14.9 million federal grant for a two-year program to convert methane from DeKalb’s Seminole Landfill into CNG. This is the same grant that enabled the conversion of 70 waste-collection vehicles to CNG.
In an effort to make natural gas heavy-duty trucks—outfitted with the cleanest engines in the world—as affordable as their diesel counterparts, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has introduced Zero Now Financing. According to the company, the program makes the cost of leasing or purchasing a new natural gas truck equal to or lower than the price of the same truck equipped with a diesel engine. Trucks that are financed or purchased through the program also have the ability to buy natural gas fuel at a fixed and significantly discounted price when compared to diesel. “The goal is to significantly reduce the environmental impact of heavy-duty trucking and widen the adoption of natural gas as a clean, American-made fuel to move America’s goods around the country,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy.
The Exelon Foundation and the UN Women HeForShe initiative have partnered to launch the inaugural STEM Innovation Leadership Academy for teen girls in Chicago. As part of Exelon’s ongoing efforts to empower young women and advance gender equality, the academy brought together 50 young women ages 16 to 19 for interactive experiences, field trips, conversations with STEM leaders and energy-focused workshops. A second academy is slated to launch in Washington, D.C. “By creating opportunities for young women to learn about and pursue STEM-related careers, we are nurturing the next generation of leaders,” said Chris Crane, Exelon president and CEO. “Initiatives such as the STEM Innovation Leadership Academy empower female students through education and mentorship, enhance our workforce through diversity and equality and, ultimately, foster fundamental change and a brighter future for all.”
The city of Dubuque, Iowa, has partnered with Greater Dubuque Development Corp., BioResource Development and Black Hills Energy to convert the excess methane from its wastewater treatment plant into natural gas using BioResource Development’s equipment. While three-quarters of the methane produced at the plant was already being used to power and heat the facility, the remaining 25 percent will now be converted to natural gas, a practice that will not only generate energy, but also will help reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. In turn, the natural gas will be directed to Black Hills Energy for redistribution.
Sempra Energy of San Diego plans to sell its underground natural gas storage facilities in central Mississippi and southwest Alabama. This includes its Mississippi Hub facility, located southeast of Jackson, along with its 91 percent share of Bay Gas Storage northeast of Mobile. That’s in addition to selling all of its solar and wind facilities across the country. The move follows a comprehensive strategic review of its businesses and asset portfolio over the past year and is the first phase of a multiphase portfolio optimization initiative, according to Sempra.
Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. has announced that it is selling its Canadian natural gas gathering and processing business to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP and its institutional partners, in a move to recast itself as a pipeline utility. The business, which includes 19 natural gas processing plants and liquids-handling facilities in British Columbia and Alberta, is to sell for $3.28 billion. “The sale ... significantly advances our strategic priority of moving to a pure-play regulated pipeline and utility business model,” said Enbridge CEO Al Monaco.