President Barack Obama suffered some lumps and bruises in his first-term battles with the energy industry over environmental regulation. His early forays to address climate change and reduce air pollution -- often tinged with barbs at industry -- earned him a healthy dose of counterattacks accusing the president of killing oil jobs and waging a war on coal.
Early into his second term, the president continues to pursue his regulatory agenda. But he seems to have adjusted the approach: a few less barbs and a little more nuance, one might say.
President Obama could avoid political fallout from both parties if he pairs approval the Keystone XL pipeline and new regulations on power plants, Politico reports.
At the U.S. Conference of Mayors' winter meeting, leaders discussed "local warming" policies and called on President Obama to lead on climate change, Reuters reports.
Despite a focus on green energy in his first term, President Obama could use his nominations for the top jobs at the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency to focus on the expansion of domestic fossil fuel production, analysts tell Bloomberg.
Urging him to make good on his pledge to deal with climate change, a group of more than 70 green groups called on President Obama to end the Keystone XL pipeline in the United States, The Hill reports.
With President Obama making his final nominations for top security positions, the stage is set for the president to nominate a new Environmental Protection Agency administrator and a new Energy Secretary should Secretary Steven Chu announce his resignation, The Hill reports.
Industry analysts predict that potential tax reformers in Congress could look to remove tax credits and deductions of oil and natural gas companies in future legislation, FuelFix reports.
Energy lobbyists in both fossil fuel and renewable fields are preparing for new appeals on industry tax benefits as Congress and President Obama prepare to debate a potential reform of corporate tax structures, Bloomberg reports.
Motorist organization AAA reported that average gas prices were at a record high in 2012 with an average of $3.60 per gallon, besting 2011's record of $3.51 per gallon, The Hill reports.
The planned Cape Wind offshore project in Massachusetts won a $200 million commitment from Denmark's public pension fund, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., pledged to push a vote to complete the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility in Nevada if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., moves to limit filibusters, Roll Call reports.
The Army Corps of Engineers said it would not conduct a cumulative environmental review of three coal export terminals or consider overseas climate change impact in its reviews, E&E reports.
Legal experts say U.S. natural gas companies could file lawsuits against the Energy Department to speed decisions on liquefied natural gas exports, Reuters reports.
House Appropriations Committee Democrats criticized Republicans for cutting Energy Department spending on renewable energy by 50 percent, The Hill reports.
A communique released at the close of the G8 summit expresses leaders' concerns over climate change and pledges support for a new international climate change treaty in 2015, Business Green reports.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced a bill to open parts of Alaska's Tongass National Forest to timber development, KTOO reports.
