Opponents of coal got a big buzz the past week by releasing a YouTube video, "Clean Coal Air Freshener," produced by filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen. It’s good as the sparkling family chokes, and the…
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Archive | Companies
RSS feed for this sectionMonitoring the activity of the industry’s largest companies.
BP | Chevron | Conoco | ExxonMobile | Occidental | Shell | Tesoro | Valero | Coal | Natural Gas | Koch Industries
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Loving Exxon and Ben Stein?
When I hear that Ben Stein and the chairman of Exxon are both pushing a policy that I like, it scares me to pieces. Last month, Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson said in a speech that…
Press Release
Groups Seek Hot Fuel Records
Consumer Groups Seek Records of California Energy Commission On Disputed ‘Hot Fuel’ Report, After Conflict of Interest Charge Against Commissioner Santa Monica, CA — Consumer Watchdog and Public Citizen have filed a detailed request for…
News Clipping
Tesoro Refinery Slow Down
Local Refinery Will Slow Or Stop For Repairs By George Avalos, INSIDE BAY AREA (CALIFORNIA) February 23, 2009 Tesoro Corp. has slowed production on a hydrocracker unit at the company’s Golden Eagle Refinery in Martinez…
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Exxon Santa Barbara spill
2-18-09 by dugan 2-19 update: AP update from last night says it’s definitely a lubricant oil spill from a tank on the platform, but still not fixed. Why’s that? And how long was it leaking…
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Solar power grab in L.A.
2-18-09 by dugan There’s no organized opposition to a misbegotten and politics-ridden solar power initiative on the March 3 city ballot in Los Angeles–because there’s no money to be made from opposing it, and because…
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What’s up with gas prices?
2-17-09 by dugan The motto of the oil industry is: "If you can’t haul in profit on the front end, hit the back end." OK, I just made that up . But California gasoline prices…
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Your loss, big oil’s win
02-11-09 by dugan When the gruesome California state budget struggle finally ends, Californians will pay: higher sales taxes, vehicle fees, gasoline taxes and income taxes, acccording to a Sacramento Bee story with the ring of…
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Timing is everything
2-10-09 by dugan Last night, a few hours after Consumer Watchdog and Public Citizen sent out a news release that was highly critical of the California Energy Commission (along with a letter pointing out a…
Press Release
CEC’s Skew To Big Oil Protested
Consumer Groups Protest California Energy Commission’s Skew to Oil Industry in ‘Hot Fuel’ Report Letter to Commissioner Heading Hot Fuel Study Cites His Clear Conflict of Interest: Spouse’s Petroleum Association Job Washington, DC — Two…
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Bacon-scented tailpipes?
02-06-09 by dugan You know the coffee can full of bacon grease that Grandma used to keep for frying? Or, in parts of the South, to drizzle on bread? Well, yeah, it was tasty but…
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Big solar’s big problems
02-05-09 Is giant solar as big a boondoggle as Big Oil? One of the best energy reporters I’ve worked with, Craig Rose of San Diego, has a piece in the latest issue of Nation magazine…
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When greens do greenwashing
02-03-09 by dugan One of the most valuable endorsements an energy project can get is the Sierra Club. Usually the venerable environmental group does its homework, at least at the state and national level. But…