DOE Chief: ‘Incumbents’ Should Embrace Change

“The future is not always 10 years away,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz warned in his first major policy address. Speaking at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy, Moniz discussed President Obama’s climate action plan and said industry change will be driven by extreme weather, distributed generation, electric vehicles and pollution concerns.

More: Utility Dive, Greentech Media, National Journal

Video of speech: Department of Energy

DOE Issues Regs On Commercial Fridges

After a wait of nearly two years, the Energy Department proposed energy efficiency rules for new commercial refrigeration equipment and walk-in coolers and freezers. The rules represent one of the Obama administration’s first steps to address climate change through executive authority since the president announced his climate action plan in June.

More: The Washington Post

FERC

Wellinghoff: Solar Power to Overtake Wind

U.S. solar power capacity will exceed wind power generation in about a decade, outgoing FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff told Greentech Media. Wellinghoff predicted rooftop solar prices will drop from more than $4 per watt to $1 or $2. “It is going to be the dominant player,” Wellinghoff said. “Everybody’s roof is out there.”

Some analysts predict the U.S. will double its capacity of distributed solar within three years.

More: Greentech Media

JPMorgan Records Sought by Senate Investigators

The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to turn over “key documents” from FERC’s probe of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Democrat Carl Levin, who leads the panel, and John McCain, its ranking Republican, asked FERC to include a 70-page document outlining investigators’ findings, which was cited in articles by The New York Times. The regulator kept that document private when announcing a $410 million accord with JPMorgan last month.

More: Bloomberg

Opinion: Ron Binz a Good Choice for FERC

Most people find it tough to get excited about regulators. But President Obama’s nomination of Ron Binz to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reason to sit up and take notice.

More: Forbes

OIL AND GAS

Report: Frackers Cheating Landowners, Govt.

Energy companies are manipulating costs and other data to deny private and government landholders billions in oil and natural gas royalties, ProPublica alleges. Thousands of landowners are receiving far less money than they were promised by energy companies, with some receiving virtually nothing.

Federal law requires that royalty payments to landowners be no less than 12.5% of the oil and gas sales from their leases.

More: ProPublica