Top News

US solar installations fell in 2018 after Trump set tariffs

The U.S. solar market is expected to rebound this year after installations declined in 2018 following President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on equipment imports, according to analysts at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association.

Supermajors expected to play 'proactive role' in Permian consolidation

The next big shale deal between an integrated oil and gas company and an independent producer could involve one of the Permian Basin's biggest players, according to private equity investors and industry experts.

Fewer coal mines idled in back half of 2018; Appalachia takes biggest hit

U.S. mines responsible for 1.9 million tons of coal production in 2018 were idle in the last quarter of the year, an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis shows. A majority of the idlings were at mines in Central and Northern Appalachia.

Oil jobs to shift from drilling rig to control room as automation spreads

By bringing together Schlumberger Ltd.'s domain knowledge with Rockwell Automation Inc.'s fundamental control expertise, the newly formed joint venture Sensia is leading the push to bring automation to the oil and gas industry. However, the change will likely come with other industry adjustments, especially around human workflow.

EQM Midstream to acquire ownership in Appalachian gathering pipelines for $1.03B

EQM Midstream Partners LP struck an agreement to buy a 60% stake in Eureka Midstream Holdings LLC and 100% of Hornet Midstream Holdings LLC, both natural gas gathering system operators in the Appalachian Basin, from a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners for $1.03 billion in total consideration.

Quoted

"You've been surpassed, Europe, by Texas," Energy Secretary Rick Perry said, explaining the amount of electricity produced by wind and solar resources in Texas is a higher percentage than what renewables produce in Europe.

Power

* The Trump administration's call to repeal an "energy investment credit" and end accelerated depreciation for renewable energy properties will sow investment uncertainty, the head of the American Council on Renewable Energy said March 13.

* U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Dennis Montali is concerned that another year of wildfires could prevent PG&E Corp. and its utility subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Co. from getting out of financial and legal troubles and could lead to default under a proposed $5.5 billion debtor-in-possession financing, The Wall Street Journal reported.

* The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has terminated the combined operating licenses for the abandoned V.C. Summer nuclear reactors in Fairfield County, S.C.

* Several South Carolina state senators are skeptical of a proposal to sell the state-owned utility Santee Cooper, according to The Associated Press.

* California fire officials confirmed Southern California Edison Co.'s earlier conclusion that its power lines were involved in the December 2017 Thomas Fire. The Edison International subsidiary is questioning the report, saying there were at least two separate ignitions that led to the Thomas Fire.

* Republicans are preparing to table the Green New Deal resolution for a vote in Senate in the final week of March, The Hill in Washington, D.C., reported.

* Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has formalized the state's participation in the U.S. Climate Alliance, which is a bipartisan coalition of 23 governors committing to uphold the goals of the Paris climate pact.

Natural gas

* The Colorado Senate approved on the third reading a bill that would overhaul regulation of the state's oil and gas industry.

* Unconventional oil and gas resources in the United States have transformed the worldwide industry over the past decade, and more change could be on the way as these areas draw the interest of big players with large research and development budgets.

* The American Petroleum Institute signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization on technical cooperation of standards for the natural gas and oil industry.

* BP PLC and the Environmental Defense Fund have teamed up to improve practices and technologies to cut methane emissions from global oil and natural gas supply networks.

* Mediterranean ministers have agreed to join hands to develop the region's natural gas fields, the Houston Chronicle reported.

* An environmental group said the U.S. Interior Department failed to include knowledge gaps on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the Bureau of Land Management's report on possible oil and gas leasing impacts, according to the Alaska Public Media.

* Petróleo Brasileiro SA - Petrobras is giving potential bidders until April 2 to raise their offers for its TAG natural gas pipeline network, Bloomberg News reported.

Oil

* U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the oil and gas industry to work together with the Trump administration to keep Western countries more secure, fighting "bad actors" by exporting not only American oil but also America's commercial value system.

* Environmental risks, board diversity and corporate political spending were among the top issues on which shareholders asked companies to hold votes at their 2019 annual meetings, according to a new report.

* IHS Markit told North Dakota lawmakers that it is predicting slightly higher oil prices but lower production than the state forecast, Houston Chronicle reported.

* Ottawa is poised to finish Indigenous consultation on the Trans Mountain expansion project within 90 days, CBC News reporting, citing Canada's Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi.

* Exxon Mobil Corp. is looking at the possibility of exploring oil and gas in Israel, Reuters reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

Coal

* A federal appeals court denied Murray Energy Corp.'s attempt to challenge a federal labor board's determination that the company committed unfair labor practices.

* BNP Paribas Asset Management plans to implement a tighter exclusion policy on companies engaged in mining thermal coal and generating electricity from coal, starting in 2020.

* After a fatal January roof collapse resulted in the suspension of operations, several mines in China will soon resume coal production, Caixin reported.

ChartWatch

Daily natural gas flows to the three operational U.S. LNG export plants continued to slide in February after falling the previous month, a drop-off that coincided with commissioning work at two Cheniere Energy Inc. gas liquefaction trains in Texas and Louisiana.

New from RRA

* The Illinois Commerce Commission recently said that Northern Illinois Gas Co. should be authorized to implement a $159.2 million, or 21.2% of base revenues, gas distribution base rate increase in the company's rate case, Docket No. 18-1775.

The day ahead

* The Energy Information Administration's natural gas report is due out today.

* Early morning futures indicators pointed to a lower opening for the U.S. equity markets. To view more SNL equity market indexes, click here. To view more SNL Energy commodities prices, click here.

Click here to read about today's financial markets, setting out the factors driving stocks, bonds and currencies around the world ahead of the New York open.

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