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Energy Policy.  The House voted today to lift the 40-year-old ban on oil exports — a top congressional priority for Industry players this year. The measure’s prospects in the Senate are less certain, however, largely due to opposition from President Obama, who has threatened to veto the bill on the grounds that Congress should instead be focusing on efforts to support the U.S. transition to a low-carbon economy.  WSJ

Energy Outlook.  The Energy Information Administration reports that increased regulations and refining requirements for residual fuel oil (RFO) have significantly lowered expectations for future global demand.  RFO is used in many sectors including marine transportation, power generation, and various industrial processes and is normally priced below other liquid fuels, but is expected to be gradually replaced with lighter, cleaner products.  EIA

Energy Policy.  While the EPA is in the public spotlight more often, research from the American Action Forum reveals that the Energy Department (DOE) has released new regulations to reduce greenhouse gases at a record pace.   The DOE finished more than 25 major rules since 2007 that imposed more than $8 billion in annual costs — a figure that does not even include the 11 new rules DOE hopes to polish off by the end of next year.   WSJ

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Energy Policy.  California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law yesterday that will require the state to generate half of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, up from the current goal of 33% by 2020.   A provision requiring the state to reduce its petroleum usage by 50 percent was struck from the final bill following significant opposition from the oil industry. NY Times

Energy Outlook.  The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the share of all U.S. electricity generated from natural gas surpassed the share from coal for the second time ever in July.  Moreover, compared with one year ago, coal-fired generation fell while natural gas-fired generation rose in every region of the country.  EIA

Climate Change.  Chief executives from leading oil companies in the United States and Europe have laid out contrasting strategies to reduce fossil fuel emissions, illustrating a lack of consensus within the industry surrounding approaches to climate change policy.  While executives from the United States assert that innovation, free markets, and competition are the best tools to curb emissions, their European counterparts have called for governments to intervene in order to bring about the emissions reductions needed.  WSJ

Energy Policy.  The New York Times reports that there is considerable momentum developing around the effort to repeal the 40-year-old crude oil export ban.  The Times attributes the recent progress to an intense lobbying effort on behalf of the oil industry, which has a considerable stake in eliminating the ban amid the steep decline in oil prices.  NY Times

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Energy Outlook.  The Energy Department predicts that American consumers will spend considerably less on energy this winter due to lower oil and natural gas prices and warmer weather.  Households that rely on natural gas for heat can expect a 10 percent decline in their gas spending, homes that rely on heating oil could save an even greater 25 percent, and national gasoline prices are projected to remain low, reaching $2.03 per gallon in December.  NY Times

Oil & Gas.  Mexico has begun issuing licenses to specialized geophysical companies that gather and analyze seismic data in order to better assess the resource potential of its territories in the Gulf of Mexico.  The seismic licensing process has gone relatively smoothly so far, offering a “bright spot” in what has otherwise been a rocky roll-out for Mexico’s energy reform initiatives.  NY Times

Energy Policy.  Iran’s Supreme Leader has barred direct negotiations with the U.S., disappointing many who hoped that the nuclear deal would open doors to further cooperation with Tehran on regional crises (i.e., Syria and Iraq).   Iranian leadership has proclaimed that it is “against negotiations with the  U.S. because talks with the U.S. mean infiltration”; however, it has given no indication as to whether the ban on talks would affect implementation of the nuclear deal.   WSJ

Climate Change.  David Goldwyn asserts in the New York Times that America’s leading energy companies are regrettably more focused on fighting domestic efforts to reduce carbon emissions than on becoming more competitive with Middle Eastern producers in the market for Asia’s future demand.  He argues that the industry needs to push harder for Congress to lift the now-obsolete ban on oil and liquefied natural gas exports, as this “misplaced fight” undermines the future of the American industry and delays important national security benefits at a critical time.   NY Times

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Oil.  The OPEC Secretary-General predicted global oil investments to decrease by $130 billion this year, which should boost prices and cause the global market to rebalance within two years.  The prediction is inconsistent with the recent behavior of OPEC member countries, who continue to maintain production ceilings despite falling prices in efforts to fight for market share against more resilient American shale-oil producers.  WSJ

Natural Gas.  The Wall Street Journal reports that international oil and gas companies largely overestimated China’s future demands for natural gas, overinvesting in natural gas fields and equipment with the goal of selling future supplies to “energy-starved” Asian consumers.  As a result, analysts estimate that natural gas capacity could exceed demand by up to one-third by 2025, which may negatively impact North America’s energy-export potential.   WSJ

Energy Outlook.  Jamie Brick argues in Forbes that Mexico has the greatest potential among developing markets for growth in its gas and power sector.  He attributes this to the country’s recent pro-investment energy reforms, which have produced lower end-user energy prices that could cause Mexican gas and U.S. imports to grow by more than 74% and 200%, respectively, over the next 15 years.  Forbes

Oil Outlook.  At a recent annual gathering of senior level officials in the oil and gas industry, several executives warned of a “dramatic” decline in U.S. oil production that may lead to future price spikes as demand for fuel rises.  The officials speculated that excess capacity in the U.S. system will greatly diminish as firms cut their capital expenditures and efficiency gains approach their limits — which may start a new cycle of strong production growth for U.S. shale oil if prices spike.  Reuters

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Climate Change. Facing growing pressure to join international efforts battling climate change, India announced its long-term plan to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and increase production of solar, water, and wind energy.   India is the world’s third largest carbon polluter, and also the last major country to issue a plan before the major summit meeting in Paris in December.  NY Times

Oil.  Oil output from Russia, one of the world’s largest oil producers, reached a new post-Soviet era high of 10.74 million barrels per day in September.  Continuously rising Russian production has surprised industry analysts, as it is widely assumed that the nation’s oil production is poised to fall due to the depletion of fields in West Siberia.  Reuters

Climate Change.  A Central Banker from the Bank of New England gave a speech earlier this week highlighting the risks that climate change pose to the financial stability of the fossil fuel industry, arguing that the vast majority of the world’s reserves could become “stranded” and “unburnable” unless expensive carbon capture technology is adopted.  In response to these comments, Philip Lambert of the Financial Times argues that such remarks are “misplaced” and risk deterring investors from financing the infrastructure needed for new oil and gas production capacity in the developing world. FT