Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.energy From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: energy Tue, Jun 16 1992 Date: Tue, 16 Jun 92 05:20:20 EDT Message-ID: 06-16 0000 DECISIONLINE: Energy USA TODAY Update June 16, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network USA IS BIGGEST GLOBAL WARMER: The United States is the world's biggest polluter, sending 4.87 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air annually, says a report released Monday by Citizen Action. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of fossil fuel use and the most prevalent gas linked to global warming. Overall, each American uses about twice as much energy as someone living in another developed nation. REPORT SUGGESTS GUZZLER FEES: Many U.S. states dwarf major nations in the release of carbon dioxide, according to a by Citizen Action. As result, states should use the powerful tools they have - especially vehicle registration fees - to penalize gas-guzzling cars and trucks, the report says. States can also promote energy conservation by overhauling utility rules, building codes and transportation plans, says the report. ETHANOL FACES THREAT: Ethanol got a hearing last week. Farm groups and the ethanol industry said the future of the corn-based fuel additive was threatened by tough federal rules favoring a competitor made by the oil industry. By 1995, proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules would cut the ethanol out of the market in at least nine of America's smoggiest cities. However, it may get a chance elsewhere. (For more, see special Ethanol package below.) PETROLEUM PRICES MIXED: Petroleum prices were narrowly mixed Monday. On the Mercantile Exchange, the price of light sweet crude for July delivery rose 6 cents a barrel to settle at $22.36, after falling 5 cents a barrel. Wholesale home-heating oil for July delivery fell .11 cent to settle at 61.04 cents a gallon. Natural gas for July delivery settled at $1.563 per 1,000 cubic feet, up from $1.535 Friday. OPEC OUTPUT RISES IN MAY: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reportedly slightly increased production in May. The account in the Middle East Economic Survey said the 420,000-barrel-a-day rise, to 23.69 million barrels a day, was largely due to increases by Iran, Libya and Nigeria. The official limit on output is 22.98 million barrels a day. MAINE YANKEE PLANT SHUT: The Maine Yankee nuclear plant has been shut down until a pipe that broke Sunday on the non-nuclear side of the plant can be examined. Spokesman Marshall Murphy said Monday the pipe was apparently broken and was leaking steam. He said it was not clear how long the shutdown would last but "I don't think we're looking at weeks." INCINERATOR FACES VOTE: Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Cabinet are to vote Tuesday on a $200 million incinerator plan. The incinerator would burn up to 1,200 tons of garbage a day and generate 40 megawatts of electricity to be sold to Florida Power & Light Co. Environmentalists say the Everglades is already inundated with mercury and that any release is intolerable. FUNDS GAFFE TO COST UTILICORP: UtiliCorp United shares slid 3 7:8 to $24 Monday after the electric and gas utility said it will suffer a second-quarter loss because of a $7.4 million charge for misappropriation of funds at its Aquila unit. Utilicorp also said its earnings will be hurt for the rest of this year. MSR REPORTS LOSS: MSR Exploration Ltd. said Monday it lost $499,000, or 5 cents a share, in its first quarter ended March 31, 1992. That compares to a loss of $175,000, or 18 cents a share, a year ago. The increased loss was attributed to lower production revenues as a result a $4 per barrel drop in oil prices. In February, MSR filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON ETHANOL: ETHANOL WOULD HAVE PLACE: By 1995, oil companies will have to sell "reformulated gasoline" with fewer chemicals that create smog. This winter, they also have to add chemicals that boost oxygen, cutting carbon monoxide pollution in 39 cities. Ethanol still could be used in other markets and in the winter to combat carbon monoxide pollution. EPA SAYS ETHANOL TO HAVE ROLE: Ethanol boosters testified last week that the practical effect of new fuel rules would be to lock out ethanol. The oil industry will not have enough pipeline and storage capacity to use ethanol in winter and an oil-based additive in summer, they said. Richard Wilson, head of the EPA's office of mobile sources, said he is committed to ensuring a role for ethanol under the Clean Air Act. GROUPS TO BE PULLED TOGETHER: After two days of hearings, Wilson said, "The issue is making sure that ethanol has a way to be involved in the reformulated gasoline market." To do that, Wilson will pull together the groups that helped negotiate the Clean Air Act enforcement agreement signed in August. The group will include representatives of the oil industry, environmental organizations and the ethanol industry. ETHANOL FORMS OZONE IN SUMMER: The Clean Air Act enforcement agreement would have barred ethanol from big cities in the summer. Ethanol raises the oxygen level in gas, lowering the amount of carbon monoxide from cars in cold weather. It also makes volatile chemicals in gas evaporate more easily. In summer, when those unburned chemicals evaporate, sunlight turns them into ozone - the main ingredient of smog. (End of package.) Energy Editor: William Snoddy. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. 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