Energy

Crude Oil Thefts Rise In Texas As Low Prices Force Job Cuts

6:49am February 17, 2016

by Mose Buchele

Oil prices continue to hover near lows not seen in years. It might be surprising then to learn that the theft of oil is up. Oil companies in Texas are lobbying for higher penalties against thieves.

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Major Producers Work On Agreement To Freeze Oil Production

4:26pm February 16, 2016

by John Ydstie

The price of oil is up on news that four major producers are talking about freezing production at January levels. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar want to limit production to see if they can put a floor under oil prices and maybe move them up. But they will need cooperation from Iran and Iraq, which will be hard to achieve.

Infrared footage shows the Porter Ranch natural gas leak in the last minutes before it was temporarily capped Thursday.

WATCH: Massive Gas Leak At Porter Ranch Slows To A Stop

10:25am February 13, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The California Air Resources Board was recording with an infrared camera as the methane leak on the outskirts of LA was finally controlled Thursday. The leak still needs to be permanently capped.

Massive Gas Leak In Los Angeles Temporarily Plugged After Nearly 4 Months

6:41pm February 12, 2016

by Nathan Rott

Crews are working to permanently plug the methane gas leak that has forced hundreds from their homes in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles. Southern California Gas Company says the leak was temporarily fixed Thursday, after nearly four months of spewing methane into the air.

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North Dakota Residents Weather Downturn In Commodity Prices

5:28pm February 11, 2016

by Emily Guerin

North Dakota's fortunes have taken an abrupt turn for the worse. The state was recently a destination for thousands of people seeking a better life and high paying jobs in the Bakken oil field. But oil prices have fallen nearly 70 percent, along with agriculture prices. NPR reports on how residents are handling the sudden downturn.

Saudi Arabia Turns To Plan B As Low Oil Prices Rattle Economy

4:40pm February 11, 2016

by Stacey Vanek Smith

Planet Money tries to find out how low oil prices will change Saudi Arabia economically and culturally.

A neighborhood where many people have left their homes because of a massive natural-gas leak is seen in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles in December.

Will California Gas Leak Mark A Turning Point In Energy Debate?

6:48pm February 10, 2016

by Kelly McEvers

A massive methane leak may soon end, but its environmental impact is still being weighed. A scientist says it won't have a big effect globally, but it's a setback in efforts to curb greenhouse gases.

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Coal Country Reacts To Supreme Court Stay On Obama Clean Power Plan

5:02pm February 10, 2016

by Stephanie Joyce

The U.S. Supreme Court has put a hold on the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which would significantly regulate coal, after 27 states sued over the proposal. Among them was Wyoming, which produces more coal than any other state. NPR reports on how the court's stay is being received in coal producing states.

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A central piece of President Obama's climate change initiatives is now on hold, after the Supreme Court put a stay on rules limiting carbon pollution generated by U.S. power plants.

Supreme Court Puts White House's Carbon Pollution Limits On Hold

11:51am February 10, 2016

by Bill Chappell

A decision on the Clean Power Plan could be long in coming — meaning that the rules' fate might not be determined before a new presidential administration comes into power in 2017.

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The boundary of Southern California Gas Co.'s property where the Aliso Canyon Storage Field is located.

National

Calif. Official Says Leaking Gas Well Might Be Sealed As Soon As Next Week

1:19pm February 05, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

An adviser to Gov. Jerry Brown says the well that has been leaking since October could be capped in days — sooner than the end-of-February target that had been set by the utility that owns the well.