WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama
is likely to determine by Friday that there will be enough oil
in the world market to allow countries to cut imports from Iran,
taking another step toward sanctioning those nations that do
not, analysts and a congressional aide said.

Obama is required by a sanctions law he signed in December
to determine by March 30, and every six months after, whether
the price and supply of non-Iranian oil are sufficient to allow
consumers to “significantly” cut their purchases from Iran.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Investors representing $500 billion in assets are pushing energy companies in the shale oil rush in North Dakota and other states to disclose the amount of natural gas they burn – a practice they see as a wasteful financial risk.

“We want to encourage companies to articulate plans for resolving this issue while shale oil production is still in its relative infancy,” said Karina Litvack, the head of governance and sustainable investment at F&C Asset Management.

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) – Investors representing $500
billion in assets are pushing energy companies in the shale oil
rush in North Dakota and other states to disclose the amount of
natural gas they burn – a practice they see as a wasteful
financial risk.

“We want to encourage companies to articulate plans for
resolving this issue while shale oil production is still in its
relative infancy,” said Karina Litvack, the head of governance
and sustainable investment at F&C Asset Management.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration proposed on Tuesday the first ever standards to cut carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants, a move likely to be hotly contested by Republicans and industry in an election year.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed the long-delayed rules that limit emissions from all new U.S. power stations, which would effectively bar the building of any new coal plants.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) – The Obama administration
will propose as soon as Tuesday the first ever standards to cut
carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants, sources involved
in talks on the matter said, a move likely to be hotly contested
by Republicans and industry in an election year.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose
the long-delayed rules that limit emissions from all new U.S.
power stations, which would effectively bar the building of any
new coal plants.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration will propose as soon as Tuesday the first ever standards to cut carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants, sources involved in talks on the matter said – a move that is likely to be hotly contested by Republicans and industry in an election year.

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose the long-delayed rules, known as New Source Performance Standards, that would effectively limit emissions of all new U.S. power plants to those of efficient natural gas plants.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) – A first round of
tests showed no evidence that water at 11 homes in a small town
in Pennsylvania near natural gas drilling operations had been
polluted to unhealthy levels, U.S. environmental regulators said
on Thursday.

The Environmental Protection Agency said in January it would
perform tests at about 60 homes in Dimock where residents have
complained since 2008 of cloudy, foul-smelling water after Cabot
Oil & Gas Corp began hydraulic fracturing, or fracking,
for gas nearby.

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has agreed to work with the Wyoming state
government to retest water supplies after a federal report last
year concluded natural gas drilling likely polluted a local
aquifer.

The EPA has been investigating an aquifer near natural gas
drilling in Pavillion, Wyoming, for years after residents
complained their drinking water smelled and tasted odd.

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) – Global companies that
insure trade with Iran would be cut off from the U.S. financial
system under legislation two lawmakers introduced on Thursday
that aims to further tighten the financial noose around Tehran’s
nuclear program.

Representatives Brad Sherman, a Democrat, and Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, introduced the bill that would
penalize underwriters that insure deals involving oil and gas
investments and shipments from Iran.

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) – Western trade
sanctions against Iran are strangling its oil exports even
before they go into effect, a U.S. advisory body has found, amid
warnings that any shortages will only push up crude prices and
strain a weak global economy.

With crude prices trading around 10-month highs and limited
spare production capacity worldwide, the United States may offer
Iran’s biggest customers waivers from the oil sanctions, which
take effect June 28.