Yesterday's Christian Science Monitor ran a story that several major cybersecurity attacks on our nation's natural gas pipeline system are underway, based on alerts from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to the story, at least three private alerts were sent by DHS to pipeline companies since March 29, that a wave of attacks have been occurred for months and could impact Canadian pipeline companies as well.

A number of factors make the world of refining complicated and complex. The article supplies basic information on how refineries operate, where they are located, and the general economic, regulatory, and policy challenges facing the industry.
 

Delta Airlines announced yesterday that it reached agreement with ConocoPhillips to purchase its troubled Trainer refinery for $150 million, preventing the removal of 185,000 barrels per day of refining capacity from leaving fuel markets in the Northeast. The facility had been idled since last year because of difficult financial head winds facing East Coast refiners because of declining domestic fuel demand and they are more heavily reliant on expensive foreign crude oil than its competitors in the South and Midwest. Delta will become the first US airline to own a refinery, which it believes will help them hedge against rising jet fuel prices.

Last week, the Illinois State Senate voted 54-0 to pass new legislation regulating hydraulic fracturing by requiring chemical disclosure of the fluids used to break open the underground formations and new testing requirements for the cement and steel used during the "casing" process. Proponents of the bill lauded its passage as a way to beef up the state's oversight of expected drilling activity that may occur near the New Albany Shale formation and coal fields of southern Illinois.

On April 26, CSG held a webinar with policy experts from the Edison Electric Institute on addressing cybersecurity threats in the Smart Grid. EEI is the largest association of U.S. investor-owned utilities and its members provide roughly 70 percent of the nation’s electricity. The webinar’s presenters featured Chris Eisenbrey and Scott Aaronson who are policy experts that focus on Smart Grid issues and policy development.

In the early stages of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, one particular program—the $3.1 billion State Energy Program—had more than its share of controversy. Eventually, however, every state and territory accepted the money, but some have been slow to spend those funds. Now, the clock is ticking: States have until April 30 to spend their remaining balances. Multiple 

Please join CSG for an upcoming on webinar on addressing cyber security threats in the Smart Grid. The webinar is schedule for April 26th at 2 PM Eastern and will feature policy experts from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) that will share how the utility industry is preparing to meet current and future cyber threats.

Late last week, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners announced its intention to expand the Trans Mountain Pipeline to 850,000 barrels per day. Currently, the Trans Mountain Pipeline is the only Pacific Coast outlet for Canadian crude oil to reach growing marketplaces in Asia. The news underscores the continued interest by Canadian producers and pipeline companies to search for additional markets for oils sands should US opposition persist in approving the Keystone XL Project.