EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/12/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Webinar (10/12): Explaining Federal Pipeline Safety Agency PHMSA’s Letter Re: Local Authority Over CO2 Pipelines
Des Moines Register: Other states are rejecting carbon capture pipelines. Will Iowa follow their lead?
Iowa Utilities Board: ORDER ADDRESSING REMAINDER OF HEARING
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline opponents seek North Dakota hearing on county ordinance issue
Forest City Summit-Tribune: Sierra Club says Summit requested some IDNR permitting be placed on hold
Illinois Times: CO₂ pipeline plans paused
E&E News: Developer of major CO2 pipeline halts project in Illinois
AgWeek: Navigator withdraws pipeline application in Illinois, will 'reassess' carbon capture project
Reuters: Analysis: Canada may struggle to recoup $26 billion cost of Trans Mountain pipeline
The Narwhal: ‘Hard to believe it’s real’: B.C.’s energy regulator repeatedly gave Coastal GasLink a pass on alleged environmental infractions
CleanTechnica: Carbon Capture Pipeline Rendered Obsolete By Carbon-Sucking Concrete
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Judges may rule against FERC in gas export fight
E&E News: The legal battle over Biden’s climate metric isn’t over
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Developer proposes Ill. gas plant with carbon capture
WyoFile: Lawmakers to local authorities: Don’t enforce federal land policies
Palm Springs Desert Sun: Oil companies may face larger fines, beefed up enforcement under new law
Politico: Inside enviros’ last-minute push on oil bills
KRQE: New Mexico lawmakers grapple with PFAS from the oil and gas industry
InsideClimate News: A Rural Pennsylvania Community Goes to Commonwealth Court, Trying to Stop a New Disposal Well for Toxic Fracking Wastewater
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Global emissions from energy use to increase through 2050: analysis
International Energy Agency: Urgent Action To Cut Methane Emissions From Fossil Fuel Operations Essential To Achieve Global Climate Targets
Associated Press: Exxon Mobil doubles down on fossil fuels with $59.5 billion deal for Pioneer Natural as prices surge
Sierra Magazine: Carbon Capture and Storage at Fossil Plants Is Promoted as a Needed Climate Solution
Reuters: Greenpeace Canada files regulatory complaint over Suncor's climate disclosures
Sierra Club: Utilities Only Planning Enough Clean Energy to Replace 30% of Fossil Fuel Generation, Report Finds
Globe and Mail: Catastrophe looms without overhaul of Alberta’s inactive oil and gas well rules, report says
CLIMATE FINANCE
Washington Post: World Bank head calls for scrapping subsidies that harm environment
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Building Trust and Value Through Dialogue and Collaboration
Washington County Daily News: County Board approves five ordinances
OPINION
Cleburne Times Review: Letter: Carbon capture plant deserves full support
The Conversation: How oil companies put the responsibility for climate change on consumers
The Hill: Big Oil’s day in court is coming — and it’s long overdue
PIPELINE NEWS
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Webinar (10/12): Explaining Federal Pipeline Safety Agency PHMSA’s Letter Re: Local Authority Over CO2 Pipelines
Mark Hefflinger, 10/12/23
“The U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on Sept. 15, 2023 sent a letter to Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures, in response to numerous inquiries it received about the companies’ proposed carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline projects that would criss-cross the U.S. Midwest,” according to the Pipeline Fighters Hub. “PHMSA said it sent the letter in response to specific inquiries “regarding the ability of federal, state, and local governments to affect the siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of carbon dioxide pipelines,” going on to say that, “as was the case in 2014, PHMSA continues to support and encourage all three levels of government—federal, state, and local working collaboratively to ensure the nation’s pipeline systems are constructed and operated in a manner that protects public safety and the environment.” Crucially, PHMSA’s letter reiterates the fact that “the responsibility for siting new carbon dioxide pipelines rests largely with the individual states and counties through which the pipelines will operate and is governed by state and local law.” Despite PHMSA’s clear statement, CO2 pipeline companies continue to challenge county ordinances that were passed by elected officials in multiple states, in an effort to protect their communities and lives from these proposed hazardous pipeline projects. Join us for a webinar (via Zoom or phone) on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6pm CT, where our panel – Bill Caram, Executive Director, Pipeline Safety Trust; and Paul Blackburn, Attorney, Bold Alliance – will provide a detailed explanation of what is contained in the Sept. 15 letter from PHMSA to companies proposing to build and operate CO2 pipelines, and the implications the letter has for ongoing organizing in counties to enact similar ordinances — as well as the pending federal lawsuits where counties have been sued by the companies. Recently, we have seen major victories by landowners and Pipeline Fighters at the state level, where permit applications for both Summit and Navigator have been rejected by authorities in North Dakota and South Dakota — where those companies are now in some cases going back to try to negotiate with the counties that passed these ordinances, while at the same time some counties are defending against federal lawsuits filed against them by the pipeline companies, that are eating up taxpayer resources.”
Des Moines Register: Other states are rejecting carbon capture pipelines. Will Iowa follow their lead?
Donnelle Eller, 10/12/23
“Seventy-five acres on Charles City’s south side represents the community’s economic hope — a site the town of 7,400 residents has poured $2.2 million into, readying it in anticipation of landing a large business that can bring high-paying jobs,” the Des Moines Register reports. “...But that possible development is threatened by Summit Carbon Solutions’ plan to run its $5.5 billion, 2,000-mile carbon capture pipeline across the city’s industrial park, potentially scaring businesses away from locating there, Mark Kuhn, a county supervisor who also is a Charles City Area Economic Development Corp. member, told the Register. “We’ve put all our eggs in this basket,” Kuhn told the Register, adding that now, with the prospect of the pipeline being built there, “It could be a waste of taxpayer dollars.” “...Regulators in North and South Dakota have rejected Summit and Navigator’s projects, touching on concerns about safety, the effect on residential and business growth and property rights, among other issues. Kuhn and others tell the Register they’re hoping Iowa regulators will take those decisions into account when considering permits for projects in the state, where Summit’s is the first to receive a hearing. As in other states, some Iowa counties have passed local ordinances that require increased setbacks for pipelines from cities, homes, businesses, churches and schools. Pipeline companies have challenged the local requirements, saying county officials are seeking to override less-stringent state and federal laws. They also say the rules are being imposed long after they have invested tens of millions of dollars buying property easements. Kuhn told the Register the counties are trying to protect their residents. “We think our future trumps the future of Summit’s pipeline,” Kuhn, whose county is weighing an ordinance that would require greater pipeline distances, told the Register… “Even in other, very rural, agricultural states, it’s not considered a slam dunk, that they’re really questioning a lot of the information they're receiving from the companies about the benefits and risks,” Jennifer Zwagerman, director of Drake’s Agricultural Law Center, told the Register… “If Navigator or Summit decide to challenge South Dakota's decisions against preempting county ordinances, the question of how much power local governments have to establish pipeline distance requirements could end up in the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, with two different approaches to weigh, Zwagerman, the Drake associate law professor, told the Register… “North Dakota and South Dakota regulators “really listened to the landowners, the people and the rural communities,” Steve Kenkel, the Shelby County board chairman, told the Register “Maybe that’s because the boards are elected.” “...Brian Jorde, an Omaha attorney representing landowners in Iowa, filed nearly 900 pages of emails showing ongoing efforts by Reynolds and Rastetter's offices to arrange lunches and dinners for the two over three years. Reynolds' office has denied any effort by Rastetter to exert undue influence. Summit has declined to comment… “It feels like they just don’t care” about Iowa’s rural towns, Steve Kenkel, the Shelby County board chairman, told the Register
Iowa Utilities Board: ORDER ADDRESSING REMAINDER OF HEARING
10/11/23
“On January 28, 2022, Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC (Summit Carbon), filed a petition for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit with the Utilities Board (Board) to construct, operate, and maintain approximately 687 miles of 6- to 24-inch diameter pipeline for the transportation of liquefied carbon dioxide within the state of Iowa. On August 22, 2023, the Board commenced the hearing in this docket. From the Board’s June 16, 2023 order forward, the Board has consistently stated the hearing would continue until every witness had testified. As of the date of this order, there are still a number of persons who have not yet testified. Due to continuing conduct by attorneys in this proceeding, which, either by design, lack of preparation, or inability to comply with procedural requirements, the Board has been unable to complete the hearing to date… “The Board will resume the hearing at 10 a.m. November 6, 2023… “Upon returning to the hearing venue, the Board will reserve November 6, 7, and 8, 2023, for the conclusion of witnesses who have yet to take the stand and are not subject to a waiver of crossexamination agreed to by the parties and the Board… “November 9, 2023, will be reserved for rebuttal testimony by Summit Carbon, if needed. The hearing will not occur on November 10, 2023, in observation of Veterans Day. The Board realizes that November 7, 2023, is Election Day; however, the hearing must continue. The hearing will then continue on November 16 and 17, 2023… “The Board has provided considerably more outreach, flexibility, access, and information than would be typical for a hearing before an administrative body or court. Therefore, the Board will set aside November 6, 2023, to hear testimony from non-intervening eminent domain landowners, with the remaining days available for the conclusion of party witnesses. Given the late stage of the hearing, the Board does not intend to modify the remaining schedule, as described earlier in this order, barring exigent circumstances.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline opponents seek North Dakota hearing on county ordinance issue
JARED STRONG, 10/11/23
“The argument that county ordinances should be overruled to build a carbon dioxide pipeline in North Dakota has “far-reaching implications” and should be discussed during a public hearing, according to landowners who oppose Summit Carbon Solutions’ project,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...The North Dakota Public Service Commission unanimously denied Summit a permit for its pipeline in August because the company failed to show it minimized the impact of the project on residents. After the denial, the commission agreed to reconsider Summit’s permit application… “As part of that reconsideration process, Summit has asked the commission to invalidate ordinances in Burleigh and Emmons counties that restrict how far pipelines can be placed to cities, houses, livestock facilities and other sites, arguing that they are so restrictive they prevent Summit’s proposal. The company wants the commission to rule on that request before any future hearings because it is a crucial issue to its project. But a group of landowners said the issue is so important it deserves a hearing itself. “This is a matter of intense public interest, and the commission’s ruling will impact the powers and rights of the public’s elected officials,” wrote David Knoll, one of the affected landowners’ attorneys. “Both the argument and the analysis should be public.” “...It’s unclear when the commission will rule on the landowners’ request. It has yet to set a schedule for the reconsideration process, and state law does not dictate how long that process should take.”
Forest City Summit-Tribune: Sierra Club says Summit requested some IDNR permitting be placed on hold
10/10/23
“The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club has reported that Summit Carbon Solutions recently requested the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to place a hold on all wastewater and air quality permits needed to complete Summit’s proposed carbon capture and storage project,” according to the Forest City Summit-Tribune. “...Summit also recently withdrew a water withdrawal request in Redfield, South Dakota. Summit’s project and some associated permits have been denied in South Dakota, North Dakota, and targeted counties in North Dakota. Summit has been working with the IDNR to obtain water withdrawal permits, air quality permits, wastewater permits, sovereign land permits, public land easements, and more. In a news release, the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter said that Summit created 13 LLCs for each of the capture facility permits. It maintains that until recently, landowners, environmentalists and other opposition members were unaware of these LLCs. “We have major concerns about Summit’s water usage in terms of transparency around quantity needed,” Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Conservation Coordinator Jess Mazour said. “We do not believe that water for carbon pipelines is a beneficial use of Iowa’s public water supply.” Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is also concerned about Summit’s air quality permit requests. One of the air emissions that would be introduced into the atmosphere is triethylene glycol, a product used in the CO2 dehydration process. Sierra Club Iowa Chapter officials said that triethylene glycol is toxic to kidneys and the nervous system.”
Illinois Times: CO₂ pipeline plans paused
Dean Olsen, 10/11/23
“A Nebraska company facing widespread resistance from property owners and environmentalists wants a third opportunity to win regulatory approval in Illinois for a carbon dioxide pipeline that would cross Sangamon County and inject liquid CO₂ from five Midwestern states under farmland in Christian and Montgomery counties,” the Illinois Times reports. “...The company didn’t say what prompted the reassessment, when it might refile or answer other questions… “Bill Lee, director of Sangamon County’s Office of Emergency Management, told regulators that Navigator’s plans to purchase equipment for emergency responders and otherwise protect the public are inadequate. He said in written testimony submitted to the ICC in September that Navigator’s financial commitment was “limited to personal protective equipment and made no reference as to how Sangamon County’s first responders would travel to the plume with their combustion-dependent vehicles.” “Without a commitment from NHG to purchase for Sangamon County a fleet of electric vehicles, NHG’s statements that they will provide personal protective equipment does essentially nothing for Sangamon County’s ability to respond” to a potential rupture of the 20-inch diameter pipeline, Lee said. Opponents also fear the sequestered CO₂, injected more than a mile underground, eventually would leak into the atmosphere or poison groundwater supplies… “Fewer than 15% of Illinois landowners along the proposed route have signed easements that would pay them for the pipeline being able to cross their land, according to information Navigator filed with the ICC. For Sangamon County, the figure is 5%. For Christian and Montgomery counties, the figures are 2% and almost 4%, respectively. The statistics mean that if Navigator won ICC approval, the company would have to seize most of the land needed for the pipeline route through eminent domain proceedings – an unpopular option.” “...Kathleen Campbell, a Glenarm resident whose home is near the proposed pipeline route, told the Times it’s obvious Navigator withdrew the application to regroup amid widespread opposition rather than face a denial by the ICC that could delay the project for years… “It’s not fair, and it’s “extremely stressful” for middle-class citizens to be faced with volunteering time and energy for years to fight a wealthy company, Campbell, vice president of Citizens Against the Heartland Greenway Pipeline, told the Times. She joined other opponents in calling for the Illinois General Assembly to pass a moratorium on the approval and construction of any CO₂ pipelines in the state at least until October 2024.”
E&E News: Developer of major CO2 pipeline halts project in Illinois
Carlos Anchondo, 10/11/23
“The company building a sprawling carbon dioxide pipeline network in the Midwest is withdrawing a permit application to build the project in Illinois, pledging to “reassess” the route and other aspects of the system,” E&E News reports. “...The company building a sprawling carbon dioxide pipeline network in the Midwest is withdrawing a permit application to build the project in Illinois, pledging to “reassess” the route and other aspects of the system… “Scheduled for next week, evidentiary hearings related to Navigator’s permit application have been canceled, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission’s online docket. Cayli Baker, a spokesperson for the Illinois Commerce Commission — a five-member body that’s appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate — told E&E Navigator will need to submit a new application if it plans to build and operate a CO2 pipeline in Illinois… “Kathy Campbell, vice president of the group Citizens Against Heartland Greenway Pipeline, told E&E opposition to Heartland crosses political parties. Critics have raised concerns about a potential rupture and how close a pipeline would be to people’s homes… “Jane Kleeb, an opponent of the pipeline and director of the anti-fossil fuel group Bold Alliance, pledged Tuesday that if Navigator decides to apply for a permit again, “we will be here ready to organize with families and allied groups to protect the land and water.”
AgWeek: Navigator withdraws pipeline application in Illinois, will 'reassess' carbon capture project
Jeff Beach, 10/11/23
“Navigator CO2 Ventures, a major carbon capture pipeline project in the Midwest, has withdrawn its permit application in Illinois, where it planned to store greenhouse gasses,” AgWeek reports. “...Navigator, which calls its project the Heartland Greenway, had recently had a route permit rejected in South Dakota and put its Iowa application on hold. It also would connect to ethanol plants in Minnesota and Nebraska. In its filing, Navigator notes it has “elected to reassess the route and other aspects of the Heartland Greenway Pipeline System.” The filing says Navigator may reinitiate permitting when its evaluation is finished… “Some private landowners have been reluctant to negotiate right-of-way easements with the pipeline developers, citing concerns about safety, damage to farmland and lower property values. The issue of using eminent domain to force landowners to provide right-of-way has been particularly contentious.”
Reuters: Analysis: Canada may struggle to recoup $26 billion cost of Trans Mountain pipeline
Nia Williams, 10/12/23
“Canada faces an uphill battle to recoup the roughly C$35 billion ($25.74 billion) in taxpayers' money it has sunk into the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, as uncertainty over shipping tolls and a limited pool of buyers cloud the asset's unique strategic value,” Reuters reports. “The federal government plans to sell Trans Mountain once a long-delayed expansion to nearly triple the flow of crude from Alberta to Canada's Pacific Coast is completed early next year. Last month, Ottawa started informal talks with Indigenous communities located along Trans Mountain's path, an early step in divesting the soon-to-be 890,000 barrel-per-day pipeline. The sale, however, has seen muted interest from other pipeline operators due to higher financing costs, while long-term investors like the pension funds are likely to steer clear on concerns about exposure to fossil fuel assets, analysts told Reuters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government bought Trans Mountain in 2018 for C$4.5 billion to rescue the expansion project, which has struggled with years of regulatory delay and massive cost overruns. He argued it was needed to alleviate a crude transportation bottleneck that costs Canadian oil producers billions annually in forgone export revenue. The expansion costs, however, have now quadrupled to C$30.9 billion and could rise further. A Reuters survey of five analysts and investors valued Trans Mountain between C$15 billion and C$25 billion, based on factors including projected earnings and oil shipping tolls. "We'll have to see how much the government is going to eat," Ryan Bushell, president of Newhaven Asset Management, which holds shares in energy infrastructure firms, told Reuters… “TC Energy (TRP.TO), which owns the Keystone pipeline that carries crude from Alberta to the U.S. Gulf Coast, is spinning off its oil pipeline business, making it an unlikely bidder, analysts told Reuters… “Dave Szybunka, senior portfolio manager at Canoe Financial in Calgary, told Reuters the pool of potential bidders and the price they can pay is smaller than it would have been two years ago due to a decline in their stock price and challenging financing environment.”
The Narwhal: ‘Hard to believe it’s real’: B.C.’s energy regulator repeatedly gave Coastal GasLink a pass on alleged environmental infractions
Matt Simmons, 10/11/23
“When officials from the BC Energy Regulator travelled to Wet’suwet’en territory in September 2022, they were planning a routine inspection of a fish-bearing stream,” The Narwhal reports. “Two years had passed since Coastal GasLink completed installation of a section of pipeline through the stream, a tributary of Tchesinkut Creek, near the community of Burns Lake in northwest B.C. They discovered Coastal GasLink had never finished restoring the waterway and, for two years, pipeline construction had been impacting fish habitat. It was a mess. A compliance and enforcement officer with the regulator noted the work had “disrupted” the stream’s natural course and the water was flowing into a trench that had been dug to install the pipeline. It was not immediately clear why the stream remained in bad shape for so long, but the regulator noted in its inspection report it had “considerable concerns with leaving these works uncompleted for an extended period of time.” The regulator also directed the company to restore the natural flow of the stream and monitor it to ensure continued construction activities weren’t harming or stranding any fish. Yet the report concluded: “No non-compliance noted during inspection.” Despite the impacts to the fish-bearing stream, government officials didn’t consider the pipeline company to be breaking any rules. Provincial records show the lenient response from the B.C. regulator isn’t an isolated incident. A review of 40 inspection reports show the regulator identified more than 80 potential infractions at Coastal GasLink worksites but enforcement officers only flagged five as violations of provincial regulations. Some of the alleged infractions identified in the BC Energy Regulator’s inspection reports that went unpenalized included activities that directly impacted sensitive ecosystems. Those include minor spills, piles of contaminated soil, open chemical bottles thrown into wetland fencing and workers running heavy machinery directly in flowing water.”
CleanTechnica: Carbon Capture Pipeline Rendered Obsolete By Carbon-Sucking Concrete
Tina Casey, 10/11/23
“Fossil energy stakeholders who promote carbon capture and underground storage to reduce power plant emissions just can’t take “no” for an answer, but the hits just keep on coming. Their vision of entwining the US in a new network of carbon pipelines seems to be fading out of grasp, and new forms of carbon capture are emerging,” CleanTechnica reports. “...Carbon capture at fossil-sourced power plants adds nothing to the effort, other than to throw a veneer of respectability over the fossil energy extraction business. More to the point, the cost of renewables, energy storage, green hydrogen, and other alternatives continues to fall. Investing in expensive new carbon-capturing systems at power plants is beginning to lose its luster. The pipeline issue is another sticky wicket. The idea of capturing carbon at a power plant and piping it to another location for underground storage was tried, and was failed, after the Obama administration pulled the plug on the ill-fated FutureGen project in 2015. More recently, pipeline proposals have run afoul of local landowners, tribal stakeholders, and environmental organizations… “CO2 pipeline opposition has also spread beyond fossil power plants to impact pipeline proposals for other industries, too… “Capturing and recycling carbon at or near the point of production has been emerging as an alternative technology. The growing list of synthetic materials using captured carbon includes vodka, perfumes, fabric, and PET plastic, among others… “Concrete production is one of the carbon-intensive industries being eyeballed for conventional carbon capture systems, but innovators in the low carbon concrete field have come up with something better. Last July CleanTechnica took note of C-Crete Technologies, a US startup that has developed a low-carbon, pourable concrete. As an added bonus, C-Crete captures and mineralize airborne CO2 as it sets. Think of C-Crete as a tree in the form of concrete, and you’re on the right track. The latest news from C-Crete is a $2 million funding award from the US Department of Energy, aimed at commercializing the company’s concrete as a carbon-negative product.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Judges may rule against FERC in gas export fight
Niina H. Farah, 10/11/23
“A federal appeals court on Tuesday grilled federal energy regulators on their responsibility to govern certain types of liquefied natural gas facilities that are preparing fuel for export,” E&E News reports. “During oral arguments, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit questioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s finding that it lacked jurisdiction to regulate an onshore facility that did not directly transfer LNG into nearby tankers via pipeline. A ruling against FERC could require the agency to extend its oversight to a broader array of natural gas facilities as the United States becomes a global leader in LNG exports… “The advocacy organization Public Citizen sued FERC in 2022 to block a proposed project in the Florida Panhandle that would have required that LNG be transported from a facility to tankers in specialized containers by truck. The D.C. Circuit pressed FERC to explain why the agency could not regulate a facility that did not pump LNG directly into tankers. FERC attorney Matthew Glover said the Natural Gas Act was ambiguous and that the commission’s current reading of the law was the best interpretation. He said the door is still open for a future commission to reinterpret the statute. Judge Gregory Katsas said the practical effect of FERC’s action was to draw a “regulatory distinction” between facilities filling tankers by pipeline and sites loading specialized LNG containers. “Why might someone want to treat those differently?” asked Katsas, a Trump pick.”
E&E News: The legal battle over Biden’s climate metric isn’t over
Lesley Clark, Niina H. Farah, 10/12/23
“The Biden administration may have dodged a blow this week in its effort to put a price tag on the cost of planet-warming emissions — but the legal fight is far from over,” E&E News reports. “For years, Republican-led states have tried — and failed — to stop the Biden administration from using interim estimates of the social cost of greenhouse gases that help federal agencies write stronger climate regulations. On Tuesday, one round of their legal battle came to a close after the Supreme Court declined to review a decision that rejected the red states’ arguments on the grounds that agencies had not yet used the formulas in rulemaking at the time they filed their challenges… “But Missouri or other GOP-led states are expected to return to court as the Biden administration finalizes more rules using the interim social cost estimates. And a new White House proposal to broaden use of the metric by applying it to a wider swath of government decisions is likely to spur another round of litigation. “Every time that the administration uses the social cost of carbon, they open themselves up to a potential lawsuit by the state or other private parties on the basis that the social cost of carbon calculation is invalid,” Devin Watkins, an attorney for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told E&E… “Rather than directly challenge the social cost of carbon rule,” he told E&E, “the parties will challenge a regulation derived from those rules and make the same argument.” One of the arguments red states have raised against the Biden administration’s social cost metric is that it violates the “major questions” doctrine, which says that Congress must clearly authorize federal agencies to regulate matters of vast economic and political significance.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Developer proposes Ill. gas plant with carbon capture
Jeffrey Tomich, 10/10/23
“A Houston company is moving forward with a natural gas-fired power plant in Illinois that’s designed to capture more than 90 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions, which will be injected into a rock formation deep underground,” E&E News reports. “The Broadwing Energy project being developed by Warwick Carbon Solutions will produce power and steam to help run Archer-Daniels-Midland’s agriculture processing plant in Decatur, Ill. Captured CO2 will be injected into existing wells onsite. The plant was originally announced in 2021. Since then, the developer switched technology vendors and President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which expanded federal tax credits that have improved the project’s economics. Developers plan to break ground in 2025. No price tag was given. In a statement, Warwick Carbon CEO Jonathan Wiens called the project “a game changer in the development and the deployment of carbon capture and sequestration” that “will serve as a model for others to follow as we work toward decarbonizing our economy.”
WyoFile: Lawmakers to local authorities: Don’t enforce federal land policies
Dustin Bleizeffer, 10/11/23
“A legislative committee will draft a measure to prohibit state and local authorities from aiding or cooperating with federal land management agencies “when they pursue policies which harm Wyoming’s core interests,” WyoFile reports. “ The move is in response to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s draft plan for managing 3.6 million acres of federal land in southwest Wyoming. The Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee also voted unanimously to draft a bill creating a new full-time position in the governor’s office to act as a watchdog “protecting the state’s interest against federal overreach.” Lawmakers on the panel suggested recruiting current and former BLM employees for the position with a signing bonus. They also discussed offering “bonuses and or opportunities for promotion” for state employees who go “above and beyond in protecting the state’s interests” against perceived federal overreach. After hearing several hours of testimony on Friday regarding the BLM’s draft resource management plan revision for the Rock Springs field office the committee determined it poses an existential threat to the state’s economy and outdoor culture.”
Palm Springs Desert Sun: Oil companies may face larger fines, beefed up enforcement under new law
Janet Wilson, 10/11/23
“A new law designed to strengthen California's enforcement powers against petroleum companies who cause major oil spills or other hazards was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday,” the Palm Springs Desert Sun reports. “But a major oil spill is still running, the state's oil regulator admitted in an email about the new law, 20 years after it was first reported, and it's unclear if Chevron is still profiting off the crude, or ever paid a $2.7 million fine. Assembly Bill 631 was authored in response to a Desert Sun and ProPublica probe that found the state agency charged with regulating fossil fuel companies had a spotty enforcement record, and had collected zero fines in 2020 despite amped up penalty powers. The law, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, increases penalties to as much as $70,000, and gives state regulators new abilities to request criminal enforcement against oil companies who fail to follow the law… “As of this week, it is still impossible for the public to determine if a $2.7 million fine against Chevron for a 2019 oil spill that was the state's largest in decades or assessed penalties against other oil companies were ever paid, despite vows by officials presented with those findings to improve enforcement transparency… “A related spill on a Chevron oil field nearby is also still running five years later, the agency admitted, though it said Chevron’s "mitigation program" has reduced it by 99%. The Desert Sun and ProPublica also found that rather than stopping such oil spills, CalGEM allowed companies to scoop up the spilled oil and process it for sale. The Chevron spill, which was first reported in 2003, and which had already spewed more crude than the Exxon Valdez tanker that ran aground in Alaska, had earned Chevron an estimated $11.6 million from 2016 to 2019.”
Politico: Inside enviros’ last-minute push on oil bills
WES VENTEICHER and BLANCA BEGERT, 10/10/23
“Environmental organizations launched a last-minute lobbying blitz late last week to get Gov. Gavin Newsom to go against his Finance Department and sign a bill imposing costly new well closure requirements on oil companies,” Politico reports. “In a signing message, Newsom said AB 1167 helps minimize the risk that the state will become responsible for the costs of plugging abandoned wells. But he also called for lawmakers to revisit the legislation, saying that adding costs for well transfers could increase the risk that companies might abandon them. Supporters feared a veto up until Saturday morning, so they mounted a campaign to present the governor’s office with data countering Finance Department fears from environmental nonprofits the FracTracker Alliance and the Carbon Tracker Initiative. The Natural Resources Defense Council and Environment California, the bill’s co-sponsors, secured a last-minute support letter from Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and met with Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot last week. On Friday afternoon, a small group of supporters met virtually with the Conservation Department’s Geologic Energy Management Division, including new oil and gas supervisor Douglas Ito, for an hour and 15 minutes. “The results are that Gov. Newsom acted consistently with his stance that he wants to be a leader in not only moving toward clean energy but in addressing problems with the oil industry,” Ann Alexander, a senior NRDC attorney, told Politico.
KRQE: New Mexico lawmakers grapple with PFAS from the oil and gas industry
Curtis Segarra, 10/10/23
“Over the last few years, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ have garnered national attention for their potential health impacts. Now, some of New Mexico’s lawmakers are grappling with the idea that New Mexico’s vast oil and gas industry may be responsible for PFAS contamination,” KRQE reports. ”In a Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 10, Kayley Shoup, a Carlsbad resident and community organizer with Citizens Caring for the Future, told lawmakers about PFAS in New Mexico and a proposed rulemaking effort to require oil and gas companies to be more transparent about the chemicals they use. Citizens Caring for the Future points to data from the Physicians for Social Responsibility, which says that between 2013 and 2022, oil and gas companies put at least 9,000 pounds of PFAS into the ground during fracking operations. But the full scope of the potential problem isn’t known because state law allows oil and gas companies to keep certain fracking fluid components secret, Citizens Caring for the Future explains. Lawmakers in the committee expressed concern over PFAS contamination but weren’t in complete agreement about how to handle it. The idea of requiring oil and gas companies to disclose details on the fluids they use drew debate from lawmakers. “Everyone wants clean water, clean air. We all agree on that,” Rep. John Block (R-Otero) said. But “when you get to those corporations and say, ‘well you have no trade secrets anymore,’ then there’s no marketplace anymore, because anyone can steal anyone else’s information.”
InsideClimate News: A Rural Pennsylvania Community Goes to Commonwealth Court, Trying to Stop a New Disposal Well for Toxic Fracking Wastewater
Jake Bolster, 10/10/23
“Attorneys representing Plum Borough and an environmental group opposed to fracking said in arguments on Tuesday before Commonwealth Court in Pittsburgh that a proposed second “injection” well for disposing of toxic fracking wastewater would violate the borough’s zoning code,” InsideClimate News reports. “Penneco Environmental Solutions, an oil and gas company, began operating its first disposal well in the rural community 19 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in 2021 and has since encountered stiff opposition from borough residents over both the current and proposed wells, called Sedat 3A and Sedat 4A, respectively. The case in Commonwealth Court is being closely watched by the environmental community and the state’s gas industry at a time when Pennsylvania frackers produce billions of gallons of toxic “produced water” each year extracting gas from the Marcellus Shale but are running out of places to dispose of it. Until recently, most of the state’s produced water had been trucked to Ohio’s 200-plus injection wells. But well operators in Ohio, under pressure from nearby residents and environmentalists, are starting to balk, and Pennsylvania itself has just 14 injection wells… “My mental health and my physical health is impacted by this every day,” said Katie Sheehan, a Plum resident who lives near Penneco’s already-existing injection well. Sheehan appeared at a press conference, held after the oral arguments inside the City-County Building in Pittsburgh, alongside activists and fellow Plum residents opposing Penneco’s proposed well. They are concerned that another well in Plum would increase truck traffic and air pollution in the neighborhood.”
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Global emissions from energy use to increase through 2050: analysis
RACHEL FRAZIN, 10/11/23
“Despite efforts to shift toward low-carbon energy, global emissions from energy use will increase through 2050, according to a new analysis,” The Hill reports. “A new report from the U.S. government found that population and income increases will “offset” the impacts of efficiency and lower carbon intensity. The report, from the independent Energy Information Administration (EIA), said that while there will be some shift away from fossil fuels, current policies are “not enough” to cut global emissions from energy use… “China will still be the “primary” source of carbon dioxide emissions through 2050, the EIA said, though its share of emissions is expected to decline. India is expected to be the second-biggest emitter by midcentury, a title the U.S. holds… “Globally, emissions from the transportation sector’s energy use are expected to grow between 8 percent and 41 percent between 2022 and 2050, while emissions from the industrial sector’s energy use are slated to grow by between 9 and 62 percent.”
International Energy Agency: Urgent Action To Cut Methane Emissions From Fossil Fuel Operations Essential To Achieve Global Climate Targets
10/11/23
“Decisive, far-reaching efforts to cut methane emissions from fossil fuel production and use must go hand-in-hand with decarbonisation of our energy systems to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). The Imperative of Cutting Methane from Fossil Fuels, released today, builds on findings from the IEA’s recently updated net zero pathway to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. It shows that while a drop in fossil fuel demand would cut methane emissions, these reductions by themselves would not occur fast enough to meet the world’s climate goals. Additional targeted actions to tackle methane emissions from fossil fuel production and use – such as by eliminating routine venting and flaring and repairing leaks – are essential to limit warming to 1.5 °C and reduce the risk of crossing irreversible climate tipping points.”
Associated Press: Exxon Mobil doubles down on fossil fuels with $59.5 billion deal for Pioneer Natural as prices surge
MICHELLE CHAPMAN, 10/11/23
“Exxon Mobil is buying Pioneer Natural Resources in an all-stock deal valued at $59.5 billion, its largest buyout since acquiring Mobil two decades ago, creating a colossal fracking operator in West Texas,” the Associated Press reports. “Including debt, Exxon is committing about $64.5 billion to the acquisition, leaving no doubt of the Texas energy company’s commitment to fossil fuels as energy prices surge… “Exxon purchased XTO Energy in 2009 for approximately $36 billion. In the late 1990s, the merger between Exxon and Mobil was valued around $80 billion. The deal with Pioneer Natural expands Exxon’s presence in the Permian basin, a massive oilfield that straddles the border between Texas and New Mexico. Drilling the Permian accounted for 18% of all U.S. natural gas production last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Pioneer’s more than 850,000 net acres in the Midland Basin will be combined with Exxon’s 570,000 net acres in the Delaware and Midland Basin, nearly contiguous fields that will allow the combined company to trim costs.”
Sierra Magazine: Carbon Capture and Storage at Fossil Plants Is Promoted as a Needed Climate Solution
Amal Ahmed, 10/11/23
“When Carmen Cavezza first moved to Houston five years ago, she settled in a neighborhood that was under the shadow of the W.A. Parish coal plant,” Sierra Magazine reports. “...In 2017, the facility became the first power plant in the United States to begin operating carbon capture and sequestration (or CCS) technology at one of its units, a project it calls Petra Nova… “However, CCS projects at power plants and other fossil fuel facilities, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) import-export terminals, have been dubiously hailed by some as something of a silver bullet for the climate crisis, even while cleaner and far cheaper options like wind and solar are readily available. CCS technology would (they argue) allow business as usual to continue at these facilities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions… “Plants like the one in Houston can also be used for enhanced oil recovery—captured carbon is pumped back underground into oil wells to squeeze out the last few drops of hydrocarbons… “Another concern is the fact that the geologic sites used for carbon sequestration can leak, resulting in more emissions of greenhouse gases. Complicating the technology even more, subpar or unenforced safety measures can cause carbon pipelines to explode, causing serious harm to communities nearby… “CCS projects at fossil fuel facilities in Houston and other areas of the Gulf Coast in Texas would bring that infrastructure much closer to population centers than ever before. But when companies are trying to sell these projects to community members, industry representatives rarely speak publicly about these risks, advocates say… “This summer, a Houston-based environmental advocacy group called Air Alliance worked with groups like CEER to complete a six-month community survey on local attitudes toward CCS. The survey found that the biggest challenge is simply a lack of information about what the projects are and what they’ll mean for residents who live closest to the new technology. Stakeholders—from residents to city staff—expressed that they were concerned about climate change, but many said they weren’t familiar enough with CCS to rate its effectiveness as a climate solution… “But while community members were often hearing about CCS for the first time at presentations hosted by nonprofit civic groups, Air Alliance found that city staff had already been briefed on the technology by industry trade groups, like the Houston CCS Alliance… “The same story is playing out in other communities where the newly emerging industry has set its sights… “By and large, it’s clear that CCS projects at power plants and LNG facilities will likely help keep fossil fuel companies in business, and Castillo sees the projects, and the federal support for them, as a major contradiction. “The fact is that this doesn’t address the climate crisis we’re in,” she told Sierra. “At the end of the day, the port and the companies are making money, but we are bearing the brunt of the harm.”
Reuters: Greenpeace Canada files regulatory complaint over Suncor's climate disclosures
Nia Williams, 10/11/23
“Environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday said it has filed a complaint against Suncor Energy (SU.TO) with the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC), arguing that Canada's second-largest oil producer is failing to fully disclose climate-related risks to shareholders,” Reuters reports. “The complaint alleges Suncor removed warnings that oil sands projects could potentially become stranded assets in a low-carbon emissions scenario from its 2023 climate report. "Suncor has stopped warning investors of the risk that a significant slice of its oil sands assets will be worthless in a low carbon future," Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist for Greenpeace Canada, told Reuters. "Deleting information about stranded assets doesn't make that risk go away." “...In a reply to Greenpeace, the ASC said it would review the concerns. Calgary-based Suncor is counting on carbon capture and storage and efficiency measures to help reach its net-zero emissions by 2050 goal and last year sold its wind and solar business to focus instead on hydrogen and renewable fuels. CEO Rich Kruger, who took over in April, told an August earnings call Suncor had put a "disproportionate emphasis" on the longer-term energy transition. Greenpeace is asking the ASC to investigate whether Suncor failed to adequately disclose climate-related transition risks associated with the recent shift in its business strategy, and order the company to reinstate those disclosures.”
Sierra Club: Utilities Only Planning Enough Clean Energy to Replace 30% of Fossil Fuel Generation, Report Finds
10/1023
“The 77 utility companies most invested in fossil fuels are planning to replace just 30 percent of their existing fossil fuel generation with clean energy by 2030, according to the Sierra Club’s 2023 Dirty Truth Report released today. Utilities scored an overall grade of 'D,' in the report, with 43 percent showing no progress or receiving lower scores compared to the previous year. Although clean energy is less expensive than 99 percent of existing coal and new gas generation, only 20 of the 77 utilities have plans to be entirely coal-free by 2030. And combined, these 77 utilities are planning to build 53 gigawatts of new gas plants through 2030, nearly 40 percent more than was planned last year. Since the passage of President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, only 30 utilities featured in the report have filed updated planning documents, and they received a score of 27/100, just one point higher than the total for all utilities. If utilities fully utilize the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, they could save households hundreds of dollars in annual energy costs, create good paying jobs, and reduce climate pollution for all communities… “Utilities are failing,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said. “And even worse, they seem to be OK failing to protect our health and our collective future. Despite earning low grades year after year, utilities are only planning enough clean energy to replace a fraction of their expensive, inefficient, and climate-destabilizing fossil fuel generation.”
Globe and Mail: Catastrophe looms without overhaul of Alberta’s inactive oil and gas well rules, report says
EMMA GRANEY, 10/12/23
“Alberta continues to mishandle end-of-life rules that govern inactive oil and gas wells, and the system the province uses must undergo an independent public inquiry to avoid financial and environmental catastrophe, according to a new analysis,” the Globe and Mail reports. “The research from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, released Wednesday, focuses on Alberta’s Liability Management Framework. The authors conclude that the current regime fails to address a host of structural problems, including continuing secrecy and undue industry influence on the regulator. As a result, they argue, the framework is unlikely to substantially reduce the number of orphan and inactive wells, nor uphold the polluter-pays principle, in which a company that pollutes the environment is responsible for cleaning it up. Their report, titled A Made-in-Alberta Failure, written by researchers Drew Yewchuk, Shaun Fluker and Martin Olszynski, concludes that the province’s inactive and orphan oil and gas well problem is “an immense environmental and financial crisis that has been unsuccessfully dealt with by various policies over several decades.” They found that industry has continually delayed vital work to clean up more than 170,000 inactive wells in the non-oil sands sector. That work comes with a price tag of at least $60-billion – and quite possibly double that amount, according to some estimates.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Washington Post: World Bank head calls for scrapping subsidies that harm environment
Maxine Joselow, 10/12/23
“World Bank President Ajay Banga yesterday called for world governments to significantly curb the $1.25 trillion spent each year on subsidies for agriculture, fuel and fisheries, citing their potential to cause $5 trillion to $6 trillion in environmental damage, Andrea Shalal reports for Reuters,” according to the Washington Post. “I’m not saying to get rid of all of those,” Banga told a panel at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Marrakesh, Morocco. “I consider some of those subsidies mission-critical to the social contract with the government and its citizens. But I don’t believe that $1.25 trillion qualifies.” The comments come as environmentalists and some countries, such as Canada, call for rapidly phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, which have soared despite the growing threat of climate change.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: Building Trust and Value Through Dialogue and Collaboration
10/11/23
“Enbridge is committed to clear, honest, respectful and timely engagement with Indigenous nations and regional stakeholders- including landowners, governments and communities-near our projects and operations,” according to Enbridge. “...In addition to engaging with communities on new projects and activities, we meet with landowner groups to keep communication channels active and open, and to support mutual awareness of any emerging concerns. In late 2021, Enbridge opened the doors to a new Informational Center in St. Ignace, Michigan, where residents and visitors can learn about the past, present and future of Line 5 and its passage under the Great Lakes… “More than 400 visitors have taken advantage of our regular office hours, during which members of the public can drop in, ask questions and take in interactive displays. An additional 200 people have attended special events at the Center… “Like many areas across the U.S., Tennessee is exploring opportunities to replace coal-fired power generation with cleanerburning, lower-carbon natural gas… “Enbridge is proposing to design, construct and operate the Ridgeline Expansion Project, which would include the construction of about 117 miles of 30-inch pipeline looping, an approximately 8-mile 24-inch lateral and one new electric motor drive compressor station… “In a further effort to minimize the project's environmental effects, Enbridge's proposed plans call for about half the power for the compressor station to come from solar self-power equipment… “Extensive in-person engagement is ongoing, including small meetings, presentations to local and state public officials, and open houses for the public, to allow for dialogue issues resolution even before the regulatory authorization process commences. A range of complementary resources-including a suite of fact sheets and a virtual open house-are available online to help the public understand the nature of this project, including how the infrastructure operates and the benefits fuel-switching would stand to deliver to the region.”
Washington County Daily News: County Board approves five ordinances
Andrew Abler, 10/12/23
“The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday on a series of ordinances that had been discussed in previous meetings of various committees,” the Washington County Daily News reports. “...The third ordinance was about the application of grants from the TC Energy Build Strong Program toward park improvement projects; specifically, the Glacier Hills Lakefront Project. This ordinance was also approved unanimously.”
OPINION
Cleburne Times Review: Letter: Carbon capture plant deserves full support
Darrek Davis, Executive Director, Indiana State Pipe Trades Association, 10/11/23
“As the executive director of the Indiana State Pipe Trades Association, I represent over 8,000 dedicated union Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters, HVACR Service Technicians, and Welders. Beyond this role, I am also a farmer and an active school board member in our community…The proposal to build a clean ammonia fertilizer plant that will use carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology is an exciting development for our state,” Darrek Davis writes for the Cleburne Times Review. “From an environmental standpoint, CCS is an essential tool in lowering the carbon intensity of production… “As a farmer, I understand the value of maintaining a balance with nature, and this technology promises to help us restore that balance… “Economically, the construction and operation of this plant promise job creation and economic upliftment… “Moreover, as a school board member, I am keenly aware of the need for our young people to see a future that balances technological advancement with environmental stewardship… “In summary, the proposed plant offers a trifecta of benefits for Indiana environmental preservation, economic growth, and educational inspiration. I — urge stakeholders and decision-makers to give it their full support.”
The Conversation: How oil companies put the responsibility for climate change on consumers
Sarah M. Munoz, 10/11/23
“The political response to the climate crisis remains largely inadequate in the face of heat waves, hurricanes, floods and forest fires that are accelerating and intensifying. The political inertia can be explained, among other things, by the stranglehold of fossil fuel interests on political decision-makers, and the strong influence polluting industries have on the spheres of power in North America,” Sarah M. Munoz writes for The Conversation. “These industries use two types of discourse to secure their interests. First, they discredit and marginalize ecological issues. Just think, for example, of the actions taken by oil and gas companies against climate policies, such as in Seattle, Wash., where they hired lobbyists to torpedo pro-environmental policies adopted by the city, and simultaneously paid Instagram influencers to promote gas. Secondly, industry acts to convince people that their polluting activities are compatible with managing the climate and environmental crises. These rebranding strategies are part of a wider objective of “greenwashing” extractive activities. Over the past three decades, the five biggest U.S. oil companies have spent more than US$3 billion on marketing and donations to boost their communications with the general public and political decision-makers. One particularly significant rhetorical strategy the oil industry has adopted is to place responsibility for climate change mitigation and adaptation on the individual. By putting the burden of reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions — and consequently the fight against climate change — on individuals, oil companies and their political allies are taking the onus off themselves to make changes to their fossil fuel production, consumption and exploitation practices… “The most obvious expression of this strategy of placing responsibility on the individual is the creation of the carbon footprint. Born of a communications strategy by the giant British Petroleum in the early 2000s called “Beyond Petroleum,” the carbon footprint measures the impact of individual consumption on greenhouse gas emissions. Through numerous advertisements promoting the importance of individual action in the climate crisis, BP has succeeded in shifting responsibility for the climate problem onto the consumer. This, in turn, removes the industry’s responsibility for finding solutions and reducing carbon emissions. BP’s “Beyond Petroleum” campaign was also designed to encourage individuals to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle while maintaining their consumption levels. This strategy contributes to what researchers Karl Smerecnik and Valerie Renegar of San Diego State University and Southwestern University call capitalistic agency. By endorsing the environmentalist image and removing themselves as the source of the problem, oil giants limit people’s ability to think about other forms of environmental action beyond consumption, and thus, economic growth. It confines the individual and his or her responsibility towards climate change within the logic of the market, reducing the possibilities for systemic transformation.”
The Hill: Big Oil’s day in court is coming — and it’s long overdue
Dana Zartner, JD, Ph.D., is a professor of international and comparative law with a focus on environmental justice at the University of San Francisco, 10/11/23
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s filing of a lawsuit against Big Oil last month was monumental — and overdue,” Dana Zartner writes for The Hill. “The importance of the claims regarding the responsibility of Shell, Chevron, Exxon, BP and ConocoPhillips for creating a public nuisance by damaging the environment, deceiving the public on the harms of fossil fuels, and harming California’s natural resources cannot be overstated. Community groups have made these arguments for a long time, but it is a positive step forward to have an entity with the political strength and financial backing of the state of California to even have a chance at making substantive change. It can only be hoped that the filing of this lawsuit by the fifth largest economy in the world sends a message regarding the use of law as a tool for fighting environmental injustices that the U.S. and the world need to address… “The lawsuit filed on behalf of the people of California, however, is arguably the most prominent of these cases and a sign that the legal action in the U.S. may be finally catching up on climate litigation as a tool to address the biggest challenge facing us today. In addition to being one of the world’s largest economies, California has been a leader on environmental issues at home and abroad, even when the U.S. has not… “California has the political and economic power to carry this suit all the way, and should the political will prevail, use the ripples from this case — even before a decision is rendered — to bolster the fight against climate change and hold those responsible to account, and more important, to action. Let’s hope California is up to the challenge.”