-Via the Baton Rouge, La., Advocate, Louisiana must achieve a 40% decrease in carbon emissions over the next 15 years under the Obama Administration’s recently unveiled rules for existing power plants. State authorities are perplexed given the fact that only about 12% of Louisiana’s in-state power generation is derived from coal.
-U.S. oil consumption growth in 2013 outpaced that of China for the first time since 1999, BP said in its annual Statistical Review of World Energy. Fuel consumption grew at below-average rates in all regions studied except for North America. BP also said global refinery crude runs increased by 0.5% — a below average growth rate.
-Meanwhile, U.S. crude exports rose to 268,000 barrels per day in April — the highest level in 15 years, according to the Energy Information Administration. Gulf Coast crude oil exports in the first quarter of 2014 were 283% higher than all of last year. Nearly all of the oil currently exported from the U.S. goes to Canada.
-Williams agreed to acquire the 50% general partner interest in Access Midstream Partners held by Global Infrastructure Partners for $6 billion. Williams also announced a proposal to merge with Access Midstream Partners. The former acquired a 50% general partner interest in the latter in December 2012.
-Suncor Energy named Alister Cowan as its new CFO, effective July 21. Cowan previously served in the same position at Husky Energy, a post he had held since 2008. Cowan fills a role previously held by Bart Demosky, who resigned in December.
