Mike is an Energywire reporter based in Dallas-Fort Worth. Since joining E&E News in 2013, he has written extensively about energy regulation and the impact of oil and gas development on communities, including hydraulic fracturing, air and water pollution, pipeline construction, traffic problems, and landowner disputes. He also covers state politics, business news and environmental issues. Before joining E&E News he was an energy reporter for Bloomberg News and wrote for several Texas newspapers including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The oil and gas sector appeared to avoid major damage over the weekend as Tropical Storm Barry moved inland from the Gulf of Mexico, though Louisiana was coping yesterday with power outages and flooding worries.
The explosions that rocked the East Coast's biggest oil refinery have left EPA and state officials scrambling to figure out how to address long-term water and soil contamination.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued pipeline giant Enbridge Inc. yesterday, asking a judge to shut down a pair of contested oil pipelines in the Great Lakes.
The Philadelphia refining complex that was damaged by a series of explosions and fires last week will close permanently, putting more than 1,000 people out of work and potentially leaving behind a massive cleanup.
The era of easy profits in the refining and chemical business may be coming to a close as climate change regulations, new technology and changes in long-term demand for fuel change the sector's economics, a new report said.