Energy Forum News

New flurry of activity hits old Central Montana oilfield
The other Bakken play? Companies exploring Montana oil fields orevuiyskt thought to be tapped out. "The Heath" as it's called in these parts, is a shale formation 250 miles wide from east to west and 150 miles from north to south.

Energy plays key role in Obama's State of the Union
For the third year in a row energy played a central role in President Obama's State of the Union address, with the president leaning hard this year on the twin themes of increased domestic oil and gas production and the need to invest more in renewable sources.

Keystone XL will produce jobs, energy security
Kurt Kephart of Billings writes an opinion in the Billings Gazette about how the National Wildlife Federation has come out against the Keystone XL oil pipeline, much to the dissatisfaction of many Montana Wildlife Federation members, of which Kurt is one. It is unfortunate the NWF has turned a deaf ear to the rank and file of Montana Wildlife Federation members.

Pipeline will bring jobs, so let's build it
Rob Cline, President and General Manager of Big Sky Linen and Uniform of Billings writes an opinion in the Billings Gazette about how the Keystone XL pipeline will bring jobs to Montana.other than just the pipeline workers.

Sen. John Hoeven pressed President Obama
Sen. John Hoeven pressed President Obama to approve the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline in the GOP's weekly address, suggesting the project would both help the economy and bolster national security.

Gazette Opinion: Compromise pipeline bill raises safety standards
Congress reached bipartisan, bicameral agreement that will improve pipeline safety.

From the road on the Jobs Listening Tour
"Hitting the Ground" in eastern Montana was a great start to the Democrats' Jobs Listening Tour and preparing a jobs plan we can implement in the 2013 session. The tour also gave us a chance to shift the agenda back to the things Montanans value most -- respecting hard work, being accountable with the people's money, and making responsible decisions to create jobs. Up next: Indian country and central Montana.

Mr. President, Theres Bipartisan Support for Keystone XL
The construction of the Keystone pipeline would mean thousands of jobs and more energy from a friendly supplier with minimal environmental impact. For President Obama, delaying any Keystone XL pipeline verdict until after next year's election may be a smart political move. But for a country struggling to create jobs and meet energy demands, it is not a suitable decision.

Schweitzer: Keystone XL pipeline passes MT hurdle
Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced Thursday that the state has approved a conditional permit upon the the company posting a $100 million dollar bond to cover potential problems that may occur in Montana.

Baucus, Tester support Keystone XL, but not GOP bill
Montana's two US Senators did not commit to supporting a Republican bill, but they do want to see approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Republicans push plan to force Keystone XL decision
Senate Republicans are pushing legislation that would force the Obama administration to decide whether to permit the controversial Keystone XL pipeline within two months if passed.

TransCanada Pipeline Bill Would Force U.S. Permit Within 60 Days
Senate Republicans introduced a bill that would require the Secretary of State to issue a U.S. permit for the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days. This still "provides adequate time for Nebraska to shift the route of the pipeline" while allowing construction to begin elsewhere.

Mining of Shale Gas Makes Sense
Gregg Laskoski discusses why shale gas takes energy autonomy beyond "wishful thinking" and a recent MIT study that concludes the same.

Obama punts Keystone XL pipeline
The State Department on Thursday announced that it's punting a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline until at least the first quarter of 2013. House Speaker John Boehner responded: "More than 20,000 new American jobs have just been sacrificed in the name of political expediency".

Keystone decision: Doing what’s best for the nation.
Did you know that Canada is the largest supplier of imported oil to the United States? Most people are surprised when they learn that Canada provides almost 2.4 million barrels of oil a day, about a fourth of our imports and twice as much as what we import from Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the reason this is surprising to most Americans is the nature of our relationship with Canada, a friendly, stable and reliable neighbor.

EPA to probe gas drilling's toll on drinking water
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released the outlines of its long-awaited probe into whether hydraulic fracturing - the unconventional drilling technique that's led to a boom in domestic natural gas production - is contaminating drinking-water supplies.

Survey: 79 percent of voters want more oil from Canada
79 percent of registered voters said they would like to see America import more of the oil it needs from Canada, "rather than other foreign countries...if America continues to need to import some oil to meet our energy needs."

Natural gas viewed as key
Economist, Edmond Seifried, says the economy is stagnant and the cure for our ailing economy lies one mile below the Earth's surface.

Boom Town: What Brings Thousands of Jobs to One Ohio Town?
More than 300 new jobs have already come to Steubenville Ohio. And as many as 10,000 more are expected in the next three years. If jobs keep growing at this pace, every adult in Steubenville could be working by April. What is creating this tremendous job growth?

Keystone Pipeline: Would oil be consumed in the U.S. or exported?
A big selling point for the Keystone XL pipeline is that its billions of barrels of Canadian crude oil would provide "energy security" for the United States, with a long-term, reliable supply of petroleum from a friendly ally. But some critics of the pipeline are saying much of the oil could end up as gasoline and diesel fuel exported to Europe and Latin America.