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Energy Policy.  Greek officials met today with the head of Russian energy giant Gazprom to discuss the possibility of negotiating a multibillion-dollar pipeline deal between Athens and Moscow.  This discussion comes at a critical time for both parties, as Greece is currently trying to negotiate a new debt deal with its European creditors in order to avoid default, and the European Union is expected to announce antitrust charges against Gazprom tomorrow.  NY Times

Energy Policy.  Richard Nephew of Brookings asserts that while most attention has centered on U.S. concessions in the most recent settlement of the Iran nuclear issue,  Iran’s compromises were also substantial and should not be overlooked.  Specifically, Nephew argues that U.S. readiness to engage in sanctions relief should not be viewed as a “give-away”, but rather the result of a “proportional exchange of concessions” that is ultimately essential to the diplomacy process.  Brookings

Climate Change.  According to a report released today by Greenpeace East Asia, more than 90 percent of Chinese cities failed to meet national air quality standards during the first three months of this year.  The average concentration of PM 2.5 — which many consider to be the most dangerous of common air pollutants — was nearly twice the national standard and more than two and a half times the exposure limit recommended by the World Health Organization.  Report, NY Times

Energy Policy.  Amid a severe drought across the state, a California appeals court ruled against a four-tiered pricing plan proposed by regulators as a tool to force reductions in urban water use.  The court opined that the plan — which aimed to reduce water consumption by charging higher rates for high-volume consumers — violates a voter-passed amendment to the State Constitution that prohibits government agencies from charging more for services than their actual cost.  NY Times

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Energy Policy.  The European Union plans to file a formal antitrust charge against Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom after a formal investigation suggested that the company abused its dominant position in eastern and southern European natural-gas supply markets.  Russian government and company officials have denounced the charges — which could result in multibillion euro fines — as politically motivated and a ploy to force the company to reduce prices.  WSJ

Climate Change.  A group of global businesses is moving towards an agreement to support a higher carbon price, more green technology in cities, and increased use of renewables.  The business leaders will convene at a “Business & Climate Summit” this May to solidify the terms of the agreement, and hope to produce a set of key policy recommendations ahead of the international climate conference in Paris this December.  FT

Energy Policy.  In an effort to increase safety standards for trains carrying crude oil, the Transportation Department issued a series of emergency orders — including a 40-mile-per-hour speed limit for oil-carrying trains in urban areas and a requirement for railroads to provide detailed shipment information within 90 minutes of a derailment. Official regulations are currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget and are expected to be made public by May 12^th.  NY Times

Energy Outlook.  The EIA reports that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased for the second year in a row in 2014.  However, the agency notes that while CO2 emissions grew at a smaller rate than overall GDP growth in 2014, economy-wide improvements in energy and carbon intensity appear to have slowed relative to trends of the last ten years.  EIA

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Nuclear.  Operators of nuclear power plants in New York, Ohio, and Illinois are seeking utility rate increases and additional financial support to keep the plants online.  The utility companies point to the importance of the facilities to local economies and electrical bid stability in order to justify the need for additional funds — but consumer advocates counter that the deregulated markets in which these utilities reside were designed to reduce power costs by weeding out the least–competitive power plants.  WSJ

Climate Change.  Today a group of twenty-five major oil companies, oil-producing nations, and development institutions reached an agreement to end the practice of routine flaring of natural gas — a method to “burn off” natural gas that is released when producing oil —  by 2030.  The initiative was announced as a way to build support for the upcoming Paris Climate Conference and build momentum toward a global agreement to cut carbon emissions.  WSJ

Energy Outlook.  While many consider battery electric vehicles to be the long-term solution for reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, automakers have recently begun to reconsider hydrogen cars as well.  Specifically, hydrogen cars are becoming more attractive amid a significant decline in the cost of hydrogen fuel cells, a tiny yet budding network of public fueling stations compatible with these models, and the ability for the cars to travel roughly 300 miles on a tank of fuel.  NY Times

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Energy Policy.  A panel of federal judges heard the first legal challenge today to the EPA’s forthcoming Clean Power Plan rule, designed to curb pollution from coal-fired power plants.  Two of three judges on the panel appear inclined to dismiss the case altogether, noting that there is no legal precedent to stop a regulation before it has even been finalized.  NY Times

Oil.  In its monthly oil market report, OPEC joined other major energy forecasters in predicting that U.S. oil supplies will level off and begin to decline in the second half of 2015.  The report stated that low prices were “beginning to punish U.S. producers”, as evidenced by the decline  in the number U.S. rigs and drilling permits, as well as reductions in the capital spending budgets of major U.S. oil companies.  WSJ

Nuclear.  China’s top government body approved construction for the first China-built nuclear reactor yesterday, opening up international competition among nuclear technology providers.   Industry analysts note that if the new Chinese reactor succeeds, it will likely mark a turning point in the global nuclear industry — particularly because China boasts the largest nuclear growth market in the world.  WSJ

Energy Outlook.  Scientists and hobbyists are increasingly experimenting with personal air pollution monitors — a technology that is new and often unreliable, but nevertheless cheaper and more portable than monitors currently used by the government.  Because pollution levels vary considerably within areas of cities, researchers hope to ultimately use these devices to feed streams of information to interactive maps, helping the general public determine what streets or neighborhoods are especially polluted.  NY Times

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Energy Outlook.  According to the EIA’s 2015 Annual Energy Outlook, U.S. energy imports and exports are likely to become balanced between 2020 and 2030 for the first time since the mid-1950s.  This updated projection reflects changes in both U.S. energy supply — particularly booming natural gas production and continued growth in oil production — and in U.S. energy demand — most notably improvements in efficiency.  EIA

Energy Policy.  Key senators forged a bipartisan compromise yesterday to establish an expedited framework for Congress to review and potentially vote on a final nuclear agreement with Iran.   Recent presidential administrations have implemented foreign policy largely without congressional approval; this legislation, if enacted, represents a rare assertion of congressional power over a foreign-policy matter that the White House would have preferred to handle alone.  WSJ

Energy Outlook.  The International Energy Agency reported that there is still a great deal of uncertainty regarding the “settling point” for global oil prices.  In its monthly oil market report, the agency noted that competing forces — such as higher than anticipated demand from China, India, and Europe, lethargic economic growth, and policy uncertainty among oil producers in the Middle East — are still playing out in the broader market, rendering the future direction of price swings unclear.  NY Times

Oil.  Energy companies have announced plans to lay off more than 100,000 workers around the world since crude prices began to decline last year — mostly among “roughneck” oil-field workers.  In the U.S., oil field jobs offer high-salary positions requiring mostly specialized skills that can be learned on the job; industry analysts note that while many of these workers can find work in fields like construction, such positions will likely pay half of the typical salary of an oil-field worker.  WSJ