Breaking Energy Newsletter: 9/20

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Saturday, September 20, 2014 National Lab Day: How the National Labs Keep Moving America Forward By U.S. Department of Energy Do you love science? The Department of Energy does. In fact, the Department is the single largest funder of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation. This research spans the Energy Department’s 17 National Labs. The National Labs are a national treasure. They perform groundbreaking scientific research — from game-changing advancements in solar energy to supercomputer simulations Keep reading → How To Integrate E-Discovery Into Business Processes In Five Steps By Sheila Mackay | Xerox Litigation Services With little notice, compliance officers, in-house counsel, and other legal professionals for organizations in the oil and gas industry may be required to hand over sensitive files in response to compliance, regulatory, or investigative requests. The continual increase in volumes and disparate types of electronically stored information (ESI), coupled with heightened government oversight and intervention, means the stakes and costs of complying with these requests have never been higher. When managed inconsistently, these requests pose a great risk. As e-discovery—which involves identifying, collecting, reviewing, and producing responsive data in an investigation or litigation—converges with compliance, corporations must understand how to manage these processes to minimize exposure to costs and risks while maximizing the value of their data for business purposes. The best methodology consists of five steps that will incorporate e-discovery as a repeatable business process into the larger corporate compliance program. Energy Quote of the Day: Is the Shine Coming Off US LNG Exports? By Jared Anderson A few Asian buyers of US LNG are looking to sell portions of the supply they purchased under long-term contracts, suggesting the excitement over exporting US natural gas as LNG could be waning a bit. When US gas production began booming around 2007 and prices cratered – falling to as low as $2 per MMBtu Keep reading → Let’s Grow the Workforce to Sustain Our Energy Renaissance By Energy Tomorrow Blog America’s oil and natural gas industry supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. Industry’s extensive network of 30,000 vendors, suppliers, and contractors create and support jobs and grow the economy in every state in the union and almost every congressional district. What this speaks to is the unprecedented opportunity created by America’s 21st century energy Keep reading → Infographic: Importance of Energy Sector Divestments in a Climate-Change-Driven Environment By Roman Kilisek In light of a marked increase in the number of gas divestments taking place in the Canadian oil and gas sector, Ernst & Young recently looked at a number of forces that are driving companies to shed assets thereby identifying four dimensions – deal strategy, cost management, speed and risk mitigation – as crucial for any Keep reading → Momma Said ‘Time-of-Use’ Electricity Pricing By Environmental Defense Fund Energy Exchange Blog My mom is a pro at shopping for good deals. She taught me the importance of timing my purchases during the off-peak season to get the most value for my dollar. Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity pricing reminds me of the lessons my mom taught me, and it can help empower families to take control of their Keep reading → PG&E Study: Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Is Earthquake-Safe Despite Newly Detected Faults By Smart Grid News But a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector disagrees.  An advanced seismic study conducted by utility PG&E to determine the safety of California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has found that the facility is “designed to withstand and perform [its] safety functions during and after a major seismic event.” The Central Coastal California Seismic Imaging Projectreport was submitted to the Nuclear Keep reading → 3 Ideas You Can Borrow From Italian Giant Enel (Including Crowdsourcing) By Smart Grid News Quick Take: Italian energy giant Enel has long been a trail blazer in the utility space. For example, it was years ahead in deploying smart meters. For instance, earlier this year it launched an innovative renewable energy storage system. So what’s next for the pioneering utility? Scroll down to learn about three more intriguing initiatives Enel is Keep reading → Energy News Roundup: Good and Bad from Continental, Aramco Invests in GTL Company and Russian NOC Shakeup By Jared Anderson Continental Resources, one of the largest Bakken Shale producers, announced some good and bad news to investors yesterday – a new oil discovery (good) but increased capital expenditure guidance (bad). The company announced a new oil discovery in the South-Central Oklahoma Oil Province (SCOOP) where it also said “net unrisked resource potential has increased to Keep reading →