EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/16/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Roanoke Times: Mountain Valley Pipeline-requested injunction against opponent declined by judge
Dakota News Now: Summit Carbon Solutions offers grants, landowners skeptical
South Dakota Searchlight: New property rights coalition plans to lobby for eminent domain restrictions
Des Moines Register: Iowa DNR erred in giving pipeline company permit to draw from aquifer, says Sierra Club
Capitol News Illinois: Carbon dioxide pipeline permit request withdrawn
The New American: Solutions to Carbon-capture Strong-arming
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: Carbon Pipelines, CCS and Water
Natural Gas Intelligence: GOP Legislators Urge FERC to Approve TC’s GTN Xpress Natural Gas Pipeline
OilPrice.com: Canada’s $26 Billion Investment In Trans Mountain Pipeline May Not Pay Off
Edmonton Journal: Indigenous alliance celebrates NGL pipeline following $103-million loan guarantee
NWI Times: Cleveland-Cliffs building multimillion-dollar hydrogen pipeline to East Chicago blast furnace
Minneapolis Star Tribune: American Indians once protested outside the old Park Rapids library. Now they have a museum there.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Exxon relied on hacked info in fight against climate probes — court docs
Associated Press: US oil production hits all-time high, conflicting with efforts to cut heat-trapping pollution
Press Release: Biden Funding for Hydrogen Hubs Threatens Communities, Exacerbates Climate Crisis
Politico: Politics Makes Strange Manch-Fellows
E&E News: More infighting at Sierra Club
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Newsline: ‘So many ways hydrogen can go wrong’: Hub announcements viewed with caution
Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico researchers report contamination, nuclear material in oil and gas wastewater
KWCH: How did oil get into family’s water well? FactFinder continues push for answers
Gasworld: Aera unveils carbon capture and storage plans for California
Wyo4News: Carbon Capture Inc. making plans to come to Sweetwater County
EXTRACTION
Mother Jones: As Canada Explores Carbon Capture, Experts Warn of Health Risks
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies: Carbon Capture Usage and Storage the new driver of the EU Decarbonization Plan?
Canadian Press: Suncor CEO to appear at Commons committee to explain comments on sustainability
OPINION
AgWeb: Carbon Pipelines Clash With State Governments
The Tyee: Dear TMX Oilsands Pipeline Owner (That’s You)
Forbes: Many Climate ‘Solutions’ Are Dead Ends Or Niches & Should Be Ignored
The New Republic: Big Oil Is Only Getting Bigger—and Meaner
The Hill: Climate change is still the top issue in the 2024 election
PIPELINE NEWS
Roanoke Times: Mountain Valley Pipeline-requested injunction against opponent declined by judge
Laurence Hammack, 10/13/23
“A Montgomery County judge declined to issue an injunction Friday against a woman described by Mountain Valley Pipeline lawyers as a leading opponent of the highly divisive project,” the Roanoke Times reports. “Emily Satterwhite of Blacksburg is helping to organize a “mass action weekend” starting Friday in which protesters are encouraged to block construction of the natural gas pipeline, the company said in court papers. Satterwhite — who is out of town on business this weekend — has done nothing wrong and is engaging in “core First Amendment speech” in opposing what she sees as an environmental disaster, her lawyers said. “MVP clearly doesn’t like these grass roots, I understand that,” attorney John Fishwick of Roanoke told Circuit Judge Robert Turk. “But there’s nothing wrong with asking people to join a grass roots organization.” In denying Mountain Valley’s request to enjoin Satterwhite from going onto restricted pipeline property or encouraging others to do so, Turk said there are already adequate legal remedies available to address such conduct if it happens… “As Mountain Valley attempts to put the pipeline in operation by year’s end, the company has asked for civil injunctions against a growing number of protesters. A separate case was filed in September against more than 40 individuals and two organizations… “In seeking an injunction that could have led to fines against Satterwhite, Mountain Valley pointed to social media posts in which she invited people to join protests this weekend. “Another world is possible,” one entry read. “Block the path. Join the grassroots.”
Dakota News Now: Summit Carbon Solutions offers grants, landowners skeptical
Beth Warden, 10/11/23
“After the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission denied Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline permit in September, the company is taking a new approach,” Dakota News Now reports. “You might call it a new leaf. We are committed to working with counties across the state of South Dakota to find a path through. We heard the PUC loud and clear,” Sabrina Zenor told DNN. Spokesperson Sabrina Zenor described a new grant offer to emergency managers of every affected county. “We are starting with a $50,000 base grant and then offering $1,000 in addition for every mile that we are touching in that county,” Zenor told DNN. Brown County landowner Craig Schaunaman maintains his skepticism. “It looks like they’re trying to buy their way into the counties rather than work their way into the counties,” Schaunaman told DNN. In McPherson County, landowner Mark Lampa points to Summit Carbon Solutions’ activity outside of the state. “In North Dakota, they are still asking the state Public Service Commission to preempt the county ordinances that have been put in place up there. So they haven’t changed strategies everywhere,” Lampa told DNN.
South Dakota Searchlight: New property rights coalition plans to lobby for eminent domain restrictions
JOSHUA HAIAR, 10/13/23
“A statewide coalition in South Dakota has formed to pursue restrictions on the use of eminent domain for projects such as carbon dioxide pipelines,” South Dakota Searchlight reports. “...The politically diverse coalition, named South Dakotans First, consists of the South Dakota Farmers Union, Dakota Rural Action, Landowners for Eminent Domain Reform, and various landowners. Farmers Union President Doug Sombke told South Dakota Searchlight the coalition will advocate for property rights generally. But its creation is a response to Summit Carbon Solutions’ filing of eminent domain proceedings against more than 150 landowners for a proposed multi-state carbon dioxide pipeline. Summit has said the eminent domain actions have since been withdrawn… “Summit plans to reapply after identifying a new route that complies with the county ordinances. That’s why South Dakotans First sees the upcoming legislative session in Pierre, which begins in January, as a vital time to pass new laws. “Just because you put a permit application in, that doesn’t mean you get to trespass on people’s land,” Sombke told Searchlight. Sombke told Searchlight the definition of “public use” will be stretched beyond its original intent if it allows companies like Summit to use eminent domain without delivering a commodity the general public uses – like water, gas or electricity… “Sombke told Searchlight mitigating climate change is arguably a “public use,” but carbon is not a commodity when it’s being buried underground. “If people want to do stuff about carbon in the atmosphere, they need to do it in a way that works with the landowners,” Sombke told Searchlight. “The majority of people, people in the middle, they are with us on that.” “...Rep. Karla Lems, R-Canton — who owns land the pipeline would cross — was in attendance at Thursday’s press conference. She sponsored a failed bill last winter that would have barred eminent domain for carbon pipelines. This winter, she plans to support a bill that would ban pipelines from using eminent domain until they have a permit from the Public Utilities Commission. Lems and Sombke told Searchlight a number of other bills are in the works but are not ready to be shared. Sombke shared the results of an online survey the coalition funded – conducted by Embold Research. It surveyed 1,037 likely general election voters in the state Sept. 5-10 and found that 85% of people familiar with eminent domain oppose its use for “private purposes.” Additionally, nearly 90% of voters surveyed don’t think Summit should be allowed to use eminent domain to complete the project.”
Des Moines Register: Iowa DNR erred in giving pipeline company permit to draw from aquifer, says Sierra Club
Donnelle Eller, 10/13/23
“The state’s environmental agency erred in giving pipeline developer Summit Carbon Solutions permission to withdraw nearly 56 million gallons of water annually from an aquifer as part of its carbon capture process, the Sierra Club's Iowa Chapter alleges,” according to the Des Moines Register. “The environmental group said the Iowa Department of Natural Resources should revoke the permit granted Summit to withdraw water from the Devonian Limestone aquifer in northeast Iowa after failing to adequately require the company to justify the amount needed or support why its use of the water should be considered a public benefit. Action is needed, the Sierra Club said, because Summit has a second permit request to pull nearly 28 million gallons from an aquifer in northwest Iowa pending with the agency. The Iowa DNR said Friday the permit was issued in accordance with state law. Summit didn't respond to a request for comment… “In May, the Iowa DNR approved letting Summit pull 55.9 million gallons annually from a new well near Homeland Energy Solution, located between Lawler and New Hampton in eastern Iowa. In a summary of the permit request, the Iowa DNR said it anticipated the withdrawal would create “no substantial impacts on water availability in the aquifer” and that based on previous pump tests “there appears to be sufficient water” for Homeland Energy and the city of New Hampton’s municipal use… “A private well about 5,100 feet from the new well, however, could experience “some minor degree of interference,” the agency said… “Summit also has requested to withdraw 27.6 million gallons from a new well at Corn LP in Goldfield, tapping into the Mississippian aquifer. A public hearing is expected later this month on the request… “The Sierra Club said public records it obtained through a request showed the Iowa DNR “failed to grasp the significance of the Lawler application” until becoming aware of opposition to the company’s proposed water use in South Dakota… “I guess there’s a lot I don’t know about this technology,” the geologist replied, questioning if Summit would discharge the water into a stream or if it would become steam. “The need for 21 million gallons of water per year to pipe the CO2 is also something I’m not quite grokking.” “...It’s unfathomable to me that after the internal DNR discussion in mid-August about their 'whoops, did we do that' fiasco in granting the Lawler permit in May, they went ahead in the first week of September and recommended approval of the Goldfield permit without addressing any of their mistakes,” Steve Veysey, a retired Iowa State University chemist and Sierra Club member, told the Register… “The Sierra Club said Summit has created 13 limited liability companies in Iowa — one for each ethanol plant partnering in the pipeline — that will be used to apply for environmental permits tied to the project.”
Capitol News Illinois: Carbon dioxide pipeline permit request withdrawn
Andrew Adams, 10/14/23
“The company behind a carbon dioxide pipeline that would have spanned more than 1,300 miles across five states is walking back its permit application in Illinois,” Capitol News Illinois reports. “...This is the second time the company has withdrawn its permit application in Illinois. In January, it withdrew its first set of regulatory filings only to reapply the following month… “Kathleen Campbell, a retired professor at SIU School of Medicine, told Capitol News Illinois she was alarmed late last year when she received a notice from Navigator that they were seeking an easement on her land in Glenarm, a small community in Sangamon County. Campbell’s home, about 10 miles south of Springfield, would have been fewer than 2,000 feet from the pipeline, even after the company altered their plan to place the route further from her house. “If this pipeline goes through, our lives are still at risk,” Campbell told Capitol News Illinois. Concern about her safety – and the safety of others who live near the pipeline – led Campbell to help form the group Citizens Against Heartland Greenway Pipeline in the hopes of stopping the pipeline’s development. Three county governments – McDonough, Christian and Hancock – have joined the organization in opposition to the project… “Others in Illinois have criticized the project for its potential use of eminent domain, a tool by which the government can take land for “public use,” even if its owner does not want to sell… “We believe if Navigator CO2 is granted eminent domain for this project, it would set an extremely dangerous precedence for future eminent domain in the name of climate change and renewable energy projects,” Montgomery County Farm Bureau President Dennis Hand wrote in a letter to Farm Bureau members earlier this year. These concerns have led some to say that state and federal officials should pause all pipeline development. “What we desperately need is a moratorium,” Campbell told Capitol News Illinois.”
The New American: Solutions to Carbon-capture Strong-arming
Rebecca Terrell, 10/13/23
“The Pipeline Fighters Hub hosted a webinar Thursday, October 12, entitled “Explaining Federal Pipeline Safety Agency PHMSA’s Letter Re: Local Authority Over CO2 Pipelines,” according to The New American. “...The agency’s associate administrator for pipeline safety, Alan K. Mayberry, sent a letter on September 15 to three private companies, informing them that state and local governments dictate location and routing of pipeline projects… “Despite the clarity of the letter, “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,” explains the Pipeline Fighters Hub… “Thursday’s webinar featured Paul Blackburn, attorney for Bold Alliance, a grassroots coalition of rural landowners who have banded together to “fight pipelines and Big Corporations that threaten the land and water.” Joining Blackburn was Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a watchdog group formed after a tragic 1999 pipeline accident in which two young boys lost their lives. Mark Hefflinger, communications director of Bold Alliance and the Pipeline Fighters Hub, moderated the discussion. Caram pointed out that pipeline safety is really a cooperative effort among localities, states, and the federal government. States and counties dictate routing and siting issues, including setback distances and property development. States are not allowed to issue stronger safety regulations than PHMSA’s rules on interstate pipelines, but intrastate pipelines are entirely under the jurisdiction of states… “Other points of interest he mentioned were that PHMSA is prohibited from issuing regulations that would apply to existing pipelines. However, new, stricter rules are coming out soon, which will apply to any future CO2 pipelines that are not already approved before publication. In fact, Congressional Democrats recently asked the Biden administration to place a moratorium on carbon-capture pipelines until the new safety regulations are published. Interestingly, Caram said that it is not illegal to spill out of a pipeline. That amounts, he said, to yet another reason that states and counties should consider safety in routing. Blackburn’s presentation addressed preemption issues and the “next steps” for counties to take. He pointed out that if a state agency can consider safety — if it is not preempted by federal law — then so can a county. The preemption under the Pipeline Safety Act states that “the State authority may not adopt or continue in force safety standards for interstate pipeline facilities or interstate pipeline transportation.” However, considering safety issues is not the same thing as developing or enforcing safety standards, Blackburn explained… “He also reviewed three federal cases that have dealt with the specific issue. All three held that consideration of safety as a factor in a location decision is not the same as imposing a safety standard. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said that the field of pipeline safety is separate from the field of pipeline routing… “Blackburn further emphasized that PHMSA doesn’t regulate states, local agencies, or individual citizens. It only regulates pipeline companies. “Local governments know their needs and territories better than the feds.” He therefore recommended that counties implement protective ordinances now to avoid future ambiguity. The Pipeline Fighter’s Hub provides a Landowner & County Leader Guide to Carbon Pipeline Risks, published by BoldNebraska.org, EasementLLC.org and NEeasement.org.”
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: Carbon Pipelines, CCS and Water
10/12/23
“Summit Carbon Solutions doesn't just want our land - they want our water too. Watch this video by Wolf Impacted Landowner Jessica Wiskus to learn more about carbon pipelines, CCS and water,” the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter reports.
Natural Gas Intelligence: GOP Legislators Urge FERC to Approve TC’s GTN Xpress Natural Gas Pipeline
ANDREW BAKER, 10/13/23
“Eight Republican lawmakers are imploring FERC to grant final approval to TC Energy Corp.’s proposed Gas Transmission Northwest, aka GTN Xpress, natural gas pipeline,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “The long awaited project would add 150,000 Dth/d of capacity to TC’s GTN system, which serves the Pacific Northwest and Malin interconnect markets. GTN spans 1,377 miles and can supply up to 2.7 Bcf/d from resources in Western Canada and the Rocky Mountains to utilities, power generation facilities, and residential and commercial customers. In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the legislators, who represent California, Idaho, Oregon and North Dakota, urged commissioners to grant TC a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) for the expansion.”
OilPrice.com: Canada’s $26 Billion Investment In Trans Mountain Pipeline May Not Pay Off
Tsvetana Paraskova, 10/15/23
“...After years of delays and enormous cost overruns, the expanded oil pipeline currently owned by the federal government of Canada is about to enter into service early next year,” OilPrice.com reports. “The government has never intended to keep its ownership in the project that carries crude from Alberta’s oil sands to British Columbia on the Pacific Coast and which will triple the capacity of the original pipeline to 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 300,000 bpd. Canada has started talks with indigenous groups interested in buying ownership of the expanded project. But pipeline operators and institutional investors are not too keen to buy the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, analysts tell Reuters, because of the high costs of financing for companies and because many investment funds prefer not to sink money into fossil fuel projects these days. An ongoing dispute over the proposed shipping tolls of the pipeline amid the huge construction cost overruns is also muddying the waters for potential buyers. All these hurdles suggest that the federal government of Canada may never fully recover the more than a dozen billion U.S. dollars of costs to have the project up and running… “But other potential buyers, which years ago may have been interested in getting their hands on such a large energy infrastructure project, may stay away. High financing costs with the high interest rates and the reluctance of many institutional investors to be associated with fossil fuels is limiting the pool of possible new owners of Trans Mountain… “Based on several factors, including proceeds from tolls, Trans Mountain has been valued at up to $18 billion (C$25 billion) by five analysts and investors in a Reuters survey. With costs running much higher than originally expected, Canada could struggle to recover all the money it has sunk into the pipeline expansion project.”
Edmonton Journal: Indigenous alliance celebrates NGL pipeline following $103-million loan guarantee
Lisa Johnson, 10/13/23
“A group of five Indigenous and Métis communities in Alberta marked a 43-per-cent acquisition deal on a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline system Thursday,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “The partnership, which came after a $103-million loan guarantee from the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC), will see Wolf Midstream operate the Access NGL pipeline system as part of a 25-year NGL transportation agreement with the Northern Lakeland Indigenous Alliance (NLIA)... “The $1-billion AIOC, a Crown corporation, was first introduced by former UCP premier Jason Kenney in 2019, and has since provided $511 million in loan guarantees in five transactions to some 27 Indigenous and Métis communities… “The commissioning of the Access NGL Pipeline System was previously announced in July, and included more than $80 million in Indigenous procurement… “Chana Martineau, CEO of the AIOC, noted the deal was the Crown corporation’s second-largest loan guarantee, after an Enbridge deal was backstopped to the tune of $250 million in 2022… “Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson was also at the event. He told the Journal the AIOC was removing barriers to investment capital for major projects for Indigenous and Métis communities.”
NWI Times: Cleveland-Cliffs building multimillion-dollar hydrogen pipeline to East Chicago blast furnace
Joseph S. Pete, 10/12/23
“Integrated steelmakers like those along Northwest Indiana's lakeshore in Northwest Indiana have faced mounting international pressure to curb carbon emissions as the world reckons with climate change,” NWI Times reports. “Now a new technological breakthrough might help the Region's steel mills clean up their act. Cleveland-Cliffs is building a multimillion-dollar pipeline to pump hydrogen to Blast Furnace No. 7 at Indiana Harbor Works in East Chicago, Traci Forrester, executive vice president of environmental and sustainability for Cleveland-Cliffs, told the Times. The steelmaker is looking to cut back its carbon footprint. "We're an industry leader in clean hydrogen as a foundation of advanced steelmaking," Forrester said at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond. "We're proud of the progress we have made, achieving a 32% reduction in emissions compared to a 2017 baseline."
Minneapolis Star Tribune: American Indians once protested outside the old Park Rapids library. Now they have a museum there.
Randy Furst, 10/14/23
“Not long ago, protesters demonstrated outside the former Carnegie library here that served as the temporary regional office for Enbridge, the Canadian multi-national company that was building a 1,097-mile oil pipeline through Minnesota,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. “The protesters, who called themselves water protectors, contended the pipeline endangered wetlands and violated Indian treaties. In the end, Enbridge won; the Line 3 pipeline was built, the company packed up, sold the building and left town.But the old library didn't stay vacant for long. Last week, the Giiwedinong Treaty Rights and Culture Museum opened there — a Native-owned museum driving home the message that the struggle for Native rights continues on. "We get to honor our history and culture," Winona LaDuke, the longtime Native activist and a prime mover behind Giiwedinong (Gi-WAY-din-ong), meaning "to the north" in Ojibwe, told the Star Tribune. "This is our land. A lot of people don't know the history." The museum focuses on the treaties that Anishinaabe tribes struck with the federal government and other Indigenous nations, Don Wedll, retired natural resources commissioner for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a museum board member, told the Star Tribune… "It was Winona's idea," Wedll told the Star Tribune. "She felt the Carnegie library should remain as something for the public good." “...The museum features paintings by Rabbett Strickland of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, an exhibit about the struggle to stop Enbridge from building Line 3, and another exhibit on the 2014-17 controversy over the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota… “Travis Zimmerman, a museum board member and site manager of the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post, which is operated by the Historical Society, noted the irony of Giiwedinong's location in a facility once used by Enbridge. He recalled occupations by AIM activists at Fort Snelling's Naval Air Station in 1970, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington, D.C., in 1972, and the town of Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1973. "Now we get to occupy the building of the oppressor, and nobody can remove us," he told the Star Tribune. Enbridge does not see itself as the oppressor. Asked what the company thought about a treaty rights museum opening in its former Park Rapids office, company spokesperson Judi Kellner told the Star Tribune: "Enbridge supports treaty rights. ... Line 3RP does not impede the exercise of, nor violate treaty rights."
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Exxon relied on hacked info in fight against climate probes — court docs
Lesley Clark, 10/16/23
“In its battle against climate investigations in Massachusetts and New York, Exxon Mobil cited news reports that leaned on stolen information, according to court documents filed last week in connection with a vast hacking-for-hire scheme,” E&E News reports. “According to a sentencing memo filed Thursday, Israeli private detective Aviram Azari contracted various hacking groups to target individuals and entities around the globe, including climate change activists in the United States. The document does not name any of Azari’s clients. But Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in the memo that some hacked files that were stolen from climate activists’ accounts were leaked to the press. Those stories — relating to investigations led by the Massachusetts and New York attorneys general — were later “incorporated into court filings Exxon made in state and federal court while litigating against the state AGs’ investigations,” Williams said… “In the sentencing memo, Williams wrote that the news articles that used the hacked material “appeared designed to undermine the integrity” of the two state investigations into Exxon or “individuals working at the non-profit organizations purportedly involved in influencing the state AGs to investigate Exxon.” “...The sentencing memo includes victims’ statements from a number of people who say they were targeted in the spear phishing campaign, including Peter Frumhoff, who until 2021 was chief climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists… “Kert Davies, former director of the Climate Investigations Center, was targeted with more than 80 emails disguised as messages from friends, staff and colleagues… “Bradley Campbell — president of the Conservation Law Foundation, which has filed lawsuits against Exxon for failing to prepare for climate change — told prosecutors that the agenda and attendee list for a private meeting at the offices of the Rockefeller Family Fund was leaked to the press and “cited on an ExxonMobil webpage designed to dispel criticism of the company’s climate stance.” Campbell said he later learned that he and at least 24 members of his staff were taken in by Azari’s spearphishing efforts and that the harm was “significant and far-reaching.”
Associated Press: US oil production hits all-time high, conflicting with efforts to cut heat-trapping pollution
SETH BORENSTEIN, 10/13/23
“United States domestic oil production hit an all-time high last week, contrasting with efforts to slice heat-trapping carbon emissions by the Biden administration and world leaders,” the Associated Press reports. “And it conflicts with oft-repeated Republican talking points of a Biden “war on American energy.”The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration reported that American oil production in the first week of October hit 13.2 million barrels per day, passing the previous record set in 2020 by 100,000 barrels. Weekly domestic oil production has doubled from the first week in October 2012 to now. With the United Nations and scientists saying the world needs to cut carbon emissions — from burning coal, oil and natural gas — by 43% by 2030 and down to zero or close to it by 2050, several developed countries across the world are dangerously producing more, not less, fossil fuels, experts say. “Continuing to expand oil and gas production is hypocritical and not at all consistent with the global call to phase down fossil fuels,” climate scientist Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics which helps track global actions and policies to curb climate change, tol AP. “The U.S. support for expanded fossil fuel production will undermine global efforts to reduce emissions.” But the U.S. isn’t alone in this. Hare pointed to Norway, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, adding France because of support of the company TotalEnergies. And the designated president of upcoming climate negotiations heads the United Arab Emirates national oil company, which has announced plans to boost drilling. “From Exxon-Mobil to Shell, Guyana to Cote d’Ivorie, those with fossil resources seek to boost production and delay action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” MIT professor John Sterman, a senior advisor at Climate Interactive, an organization that models future warming based on countries’ proposed actions, told AP. He said that path will lead to “catastrophe.” Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who heads the emissions-tallying group Global Carbon Project, told AP no country or company wants to cut oil and gas production if someone else is going to sell oil anyway. “We’re in a fossil trap,” Jackson told AP.
Press Release: Biden Funding for Hydrogen Hubs Threatens Communities, Exacerbates Climate Crisis
10/13/23
“The Biden administration announced today that it will fund seven hydrogen hubs with $7 billion in taxpayer dollars to rapidly expand the production, transport, and use of hydrogen across the nation – sacrificing communities, worsening localized pollution and water crises, doubling down on national sacrifice zones, and perpetuating our reliance on fossil fuels. “Throwing billions at hydrogen hubs deepens our dependence on fossil fuels and worsens the climate emergency,” said Maggie Coulter, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “President Biden should be urgently investing in proven and increasingly affordable solar and wind energy. It’s wasteful and misguided to fund false solutions like hydrogen that only further burden frontline communities.” “...Billions of dollars in funding for the planned hydrogen buildout subjects already disproportionately adversely affected communities to more pollution and dangerous infrastructure… “Earlier this year, over 180 regional and national climate, community and environmental groups urged the Department of Energy to reject the “hydrogen hype” and ditch funding to expand hydrogen-based technologies touted as climate solutions by the fossil fuel industry. In fact, the vast majority of hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels, and it itself is an indirect greenhouse gas. “The build out of massive hydrogen infrastructure is little more than an industry ploy to rebrand fracked gas. The Biden Administration has clearly fallen for this scam hook, line and sinker. This multi-billion dollar bet on greenwashed dirty energy will undermine efforts to address the climate crisis, while increasing pollution of our air and water, and milk taxpayers for billions in new fossil fuel subsidies,” said Jim Walsh, Policy Director of Food & Water Watch. Hydrogen production requires massive amounts of water; takes more energy to produce than it generates; is more likely to explode and burns hotter than conventional fossil fuels; and is more corrosive to pipelines – increasing threats in already overburdened communities, and extending our nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Politico: Politics Makes Strange Manch-Fellows
10/12/23
“Senate Republicans, along with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Sen. Joe Manchin, are asking the National Marines Fisheries Service to put the kaibosh on its proposed rule that would set aside more than 28,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico as critical habitat for the Rice’s whale,” Politico reports. “The senators in a letter to NOAA Director Richard Spinrad and NMFS Assistant Regional Administrator David Bernhart argue that the agency is ‘vastly underestimating the proposed rule’s economic and national security impacts,’ particularly when it comes to how it would affect oil drilling in the Gulf. The letter says not enough observations of the endangered whale have been made in the Gulf, and those that have been made are in ‘limited geographic areas.’ The proposed rule ‘fails to comply with important elements of the Endangered Species Act and would jeopardize domestic energy production, national security, and other important interests,’ the letter states. It follows a report commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute last week that found the vessel restrictions in the proposed rule would cut fossil fuel production in the Gulf of Mexico by nearly 25 percent through 2040 and reduce employment by 44,000.”
E&E News: More infighting at Sierra Club
Robin Bravender, 10/13/23
“Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous denied allegations of union-busting plans Friday as he warned his team about “a small number of individuals” intent on “sowing seeds of discord among us by spreading misinformation and untruths,” E&E News reports. “Jealous and Allison Chin, president of Sierra Club’s board of directors, each sent all-staff emails this week disputing allegations that the group’s leadership had developed a plan to wait for the expiration of a current collective bargaining agreement and then fire union members. Their emails come after the Progressive Workers Union, which represents Sierra Club staff, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that enforces labor law. The complaint alleges that Sierra Club’s leadership developed and presented a plan to the group’s board of directors to delay negotiations with the union until the current collective bargaining agreement expires, “bargain in bad faith in order to push the Union to strike, then terminate all of the striking workers under the pretext of restructuring the organization.” The union contends that Jealous and Sierra Club’s Chief Legal Officer Erica McKinley presented a plan during a board meeting “to break our union if we were to exercise our strike rights” after the union’s current contract expires Dec. 31.
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Newsline: ‘So many ways hydrogen can go wrong’: Hub announcements viewed with caution
ROBERT ZULLO, 10/16/23
“The Friday announcement that seven projects had been selected to receive $7 billion in seed money to kickstart the production of clean hydrogen across the country was billed by President Joe Biden’s administration as a major step toward slashing carbon emissions, creating thousands of domestic jobs and positioning the U.S. as a clean energy leader,” Colorado Newsline reports. “...However, there’s also criticism over a lack of transparency by the Department of Energy around the application and selection process and those who are dubious about the ways some of the newly minted “hydrogen hubs” intend to produce the gas, which the administration called “crucial to achieving President Biden’s goal of American industry powered by American clean energy.” “...There’s more controversy around uses like blending it with natural gas to burn in power plants or for heating. How climate-friendly hydrogen is depends on how it’s produced… “There are so many ways hydrogen can go wrong. … We’re really concerned with the number of projects that rely in part or in whole on fossil fuel-based hydrogen production,” Julie McNamara, a deputy policy director at Union of Concerned Scientists’ climate and energy program, told Newsline. “For hydrogen to be a clean energy solution, it has to be cleanly produced and it has to be strategically used.” In some scenarios, environmental groups worry the hydrogen could actually increase U.S. greenhouse gas emissions… “In short, said David Schlissel, one of the report’s authors, blue hydrogen is not a great idea when you consider emissions from the entire process, from producing natural gas to shipping and storing the hydrogen and the unknowns of trying to use carbon capture and storage at scale… “Schlissel and other critics also questioned the lack of details released by the Department of Energy about the projects, noting that much of the application materials have been treated as trade secrets by the states and the DOE.”
Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico researchers report contamination, nuclear material in oil and gas wastewater
Adrian Hedden, 10/13/23
“About 84 billion gallons of water was brought to the surface with the oil and gas extracted in New Mexico last year,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “Known as “produced water” the byproduct of fossil fuel extraction comes from the same underground rock formations, or shale, where crude oil and gas natural gas is pumped from. It’s high in toxic chemicals, heavy metals and brine and unfit for human consumption. Traditionally, the fluid is disposed of via injection wells, pumping it back into the shale it came from. But to address water scarcity and limit strain on freshwater sources, oil companies recently began recycling and reusing produced water in subsequent drilling activities. The State of New Mexico was also pursuing research on how the substance could be treated and reused outside of the oil and gas industry, in industries like agriculture or municipal operations. During a Tuesday meeting of the New Mexico Legislature’s Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee Dylan Fuge, director of the Oil Conservation Division told lawmakers the recent research generated better data as to how much produced water is generated and how it is used… “Consortium Research Director Pei Xu said to lawmakers that researchers found suspended solids like oil and grease in the produced water they studied, along with salts, microorganisms and natural occurring radioactive material (NORM)... “Some of these contaminants were also found in water samples taken from the Pecos River, Xu said, which runs through the southeast corner where New Mexico’s fossil fuel operations are concentrated. Those contaminants were a concern for Vice Chair Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-36) who said the State needed to place heavier restrictions on oil and gas companies producing the byproduct fluids. “I find it troubling that we’re spending so much money to figure this out to protect human health, and yet we’re allowing New Mexico’s public lands to be leased and create these contaminants that are found in our river,” Steinborn said. “And we’re still protecting the polluter.”
KWCH: How did oil get into family’s water well? FactFinder continues push for answers
Branden Stitt, 10/12/23
“This week, FactFinder brought a situation to light in which oil found in a family’s water well leaves their only water source contaminated,” KWCH reports. “FactFinder helped Jenna Krob and Shane Campbell get state agencies to respond to the problem. But the question remains, where did the oil come from that contaminated the water supply? For Krob and Campbell, the problem began in mid-September with a smell. “Almost burned your nostrils,” Krob told KWCH. The problem soon presented itself in more than just the small. “There was a thick film of oil in the toilet,” Krob told KWCH. From there, it wasn’t long before there was oil in the sink, more oil in the toilet and even on the dishes. The oil eventually clogged the water well completely. It wasn’t until after our FactFinder investigation that Krob and Campbell got the help they’d been looking for from the state. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran also reached out to help and the American Red Cross brought water. An Andover plumbing company even helped them get usable water running… “Kansas Geological Society Petroleum Geologist Doug Davis told KWCH the oil isn’t naturally making its way to the water… “He told KWCH that line could have a hole in it from an accident or corrosion, and the issue could be from an oil well no longer in use.”
Gasworld: Aera unveils carbon capture and storage plans for California
Molly Burgess, 10/12/23
“Californian energy production company Aera Energy has announced plans for its first large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, CarbonFrontier,” Gasworld reports. “Planned to be operational in the late 2020s, CarbonFrontier will capture up to 1.6 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year from Aera’s operations for permanent storage at its Belridge oil field. CarbonFrontier will be continuously monitored with oversight by local, state and federal regulatory entities, including the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the long term, Aera envisions CarbonFrontier as a cornerstone to developing a Kern County “carbon park,” potentially attracting other businesses that need storage to decarbonise their operations. This follows an Aera subsidiary being selected by the Department of Energy to study the feasibility of a direct air capture hub last month… “Aera Energy’s project will also help California achieve carbon neutrality by 2024.”
Wyo4News: Carbon Capture Inc. making plans to come to Sweetwater County
10/15/23
“Carbon Capture Inc. is ready to bring its climate technology to Sweetwater County,” Wyo4News reports. “The company is a climate technology organization that makes modular Direct Air Capture DAC machines that connect to large containers, removing an abundance of CO2 from the atmosphere. Meghan Kenny of Carbon Capture Inc. participated in the Sweetwater Economic Development Panel that was held last week, where she was able to answer questions regarding the company’s Project Bison and the organization’s plans. Kenny stated that the timeline is dependent on permitting. The organization is pushing to be up and running by the end of 2025… “Kenny expressed that they are hopeful this will allow the organization to come into Southwest Wyoming with a much bigger project at about 200,000 tons versus some of the smaller stages they originally planned. Currently, Carbon Capture Inc. is projecting approximately 1,000 plus construction or temporary workers. Kenny stated this employment will happen over multiple years, maybe five to seven. As for permanent employees, the company is looking at around 100 workers for the first couple of years, with that number growing to 400 plus… “Carbon Capture has tried to be intentional about community engagement, even in the early stages of their project. The organization was already engaging with some of the commissioners of Sweetwater County before developing an agreement with Frontier Carbon Solutions, which Kenny described as a “key part of the project.”
EXTRACTION
Mother Jones: As Canada Explores Carbon Capture, Experts Warn of Health Risks
JOHN WOODSIDE, 10/14/23
“A little over three years ago, a menacing fog crept into the valley surrounding the small village of Satartia, Missisippi, causing a mass poisoning. Within minutes of breathing the air, residents choked and dropped to the ground. Nearly 50 people were hospitalized,” Mother Jones reports. “First responders didn’t know the calamity was caused by a carbon dioxide pipeline failing, but clues were there as they struggled to get to the scene. Gas-powered vehicles couldn’t move, and some people lay in the streets struggling to breathe… “In Canada, there are a handful of carbon capture projects in operation or being planned, but the largest by far is the proposed plan of the Pathways Alliance. It is seeking to build a massive carbon pipeline stretching almost 250 miles from the oil sands in northern Alberta to a storage hub in the Cold Lake region (about 186 miles east of Edmonton) at a price tag of at least $16.5 billion… “As countries like Canada plot a dramatic expansion to CO2 pipelines to help deal with rising emissions from the oil and gas sector, experts say more attention must be paid to the safety risks that come with carbon dioxide management. Crises like what happened in Mississippi, and other incidents, like a CO2 leak at a Wyoming school that forced students to evacuate, or the Lake Nyos disaster in Cameroon that saw more than 1,700 people killed by a massive carbon dioxide cloud, may be rare, but they point to the safety risks related to concentrated CO2. In Canada, there are no dedicated regulations guiding CO2 pipelines at either the federal or provincial levels, according to the University College London… “For Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam, whose territory would be affected by the Pathways Alliance project, safety concerns are top of mind… “Despite carbon capture technology being branded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as the most expensive and least promising avenue to reduce emissions, it’s a clear priority for Ottawa… “MacLean considers carbon management “a great euphemism” designed to shift the focus off carbon capture and sequestration, which “has been so thoroughly criticized in the academic, scientific and independent literature…to justify the continued use [of fossil fuels].” In fact, last year, over 400 academics wrote to the Canadian government warning that supporting the oil and gas sector’s carbon capture plans with public money would lock in fossil fuel use for decades to come, thereby undermining the country’s international commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions.”
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies: Carbon Capture Usage and Storage the new driver of the EU Decarbonization Plan?
10/16/23
“Nowadays, there is a growing focus on Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) in the European Union (EU) in the context of reaching its targets set out in the EU Climate Law,” the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies reports. “...Until recently, aside from financing a handful of CCUS projects under the ETS Innovation Fund, the Commission has taken a rather passive role on this technology compared to others, arguing that the ETS alone should drive the decarbonization development plan. However, a number of recent actions demonstrate an important political change in direction in recent months: the Commission has upscaled the CCUS Forum and has committed to accelerate the work on CCUS at EU level. It has further highlighted the need to create an internal market for CCUS and has committed to adopting – similar to the Hydrogen Strategy – a CCUS Strategy before the end of 2023 that will accelerate the development of CCUS. To answer the question whether CCUS will become the new driver of the EU decarbonization plan this energy comment first will look at the key political and economic drivers for CCUS, then consider the current and upcoming regulatory framework for the capture, transport and storage of CO2 and, finally, highlight the funding of CCUS projects at EU and national level.”
Canadian Press: Suncor CEO to appear at Commons committee to explain comments on sustainability
10/16/23
“Canada’s ongoing political battle between climate action and the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry will be on full display today as the CEO of oil sands giant Suncor appears at a House of Commons committee,” the Canadian Press reports. “Rich Kruger was invited to the natural resources committee after he spoke to shareholders in August about refocusing the company on its oil business and reducing the emphasis on the transition to lower-emitting energy sources. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Kruger’s comments prove why Ottawa needed to regulate climate action and set emissions caps for oil and gas production since companies like Suncor weren’t going to do it on their own… “Calgary Liberal MP George Chahal, who was recently elected chair of the natural resources committee, told CP he hopes the meeting will bring some clarity about the company’s plans. “I think it will be an interesting meeting having a CEO of a major oil company at committee, and I think it would be good to hear from his perspective on the direction of his company and the future of the energy industry and why he made the comments he did.”
OPINION
AgWeb: Carbon Pipelines Clash With State Governments
JOHN DILLARD, 10/13/23
“Carbon dioxide pipelines are not new – but they’re making news,” John Dillard writes for AgWeb. “There are already approximately 5,000 miles of CO2 pipelines in the U.S. – most are used to transport CO2 from natural sources to oilfields to aid with oil extraction. But there is now a major effort to build a new pipeline network to transport CO2 captured from ethanol and fertilizer plants to permanent underground storage at sites in North Dakota and Illinois… “Because most operations would not volunteer to host a pipeline, pipeline companies need eminent domain authority to ensure they can complete construction… “In recent months, the carbon pipeline companies have received some setbacks in state administrative proceedings. In September, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission denied construction permits for two pipeline companies on the basis that their proposals were not compliant with state laws and regulations. This came on the heels of the North Dakota Public Service Commission’s rejection of a pipeline project. The companies plan to revise and resubmit their applications. The Iowa Utilities Board is holding contentious hearings on a pipeline permit. Although the carbon pipeline companies have received some temporary setbacks, I do not expect these projects to be abandoned. Pipeline projects take years to receive approval and it’s often by patchwork.”
The Tyee: Dear TMX Oilsands Pipeline Owner (That’s You)
Andrew Nikiforuk, 10/13/23
“Dear Pipeline Owner: A secret government algorithm has randomly selected you, a proud and resilient Canadian citizen, to receive this critical update on a major public investment. Although many Canadians struggle to pay for groceries and cannot afford to buy a home let alone a $70,000 Tesla, you now own a significant share of $30.9 billion pipeline expansion project that will transport bitumen from Edmonton to coastal terminals in Burnaby, B.C. Actually, the final price might total $36 billion,” Andrew Nikiforuk writes for The Tyee. “We’re speaking of course of your co-purchase of the Trans Mountain Expansion project, otherwise known as TMX. Artificial Intelligence, the author of this letter, has calculated that it is better for a few people to grasp some of the evolved financial realities of TMX than for a dangerous aggregation to realize how bad things really are. As a famous Italian once said, “It is necessary for the prince to have the people friendly.” The primary issue here concerns some distressing math… “If the CER does not adjust tolls to reflect increased costs, Trans Mountain Pipeline has admitted it could become insolvent. It will not be able to pay its debts or interest on debts… “Given repeated cost overruns, you the owner can no longer expect a return, fair or otherwise… “All of this math has implications for you, the dutiful owner of a shiny hydrocarbon transporting pipeline. If Trans Mountain can’t pay its bills, recover its costs, service its debt or maintain a pipeline under repeated assault from climate change, you are liable for these losses… “My letter now ends. You have now been informed of the bad news and some irrefutable math. Canadians own an expanded pipeline, financed 100 per cent by short term debt, that will never make a fair return on its investment.”
Forbes: Many Climate ‘Solutions’ Are Dead Ends Or Niches & Should Be Ignored
Michael Barnard, 10/16/23
“Money, power and influence. The low-carbon transformation that we have started is the path to immense amounts of money, power and influence. Non-solutions and even major problems are being pitched hard as climate wins,” Michael Barnard writes for Forbes. “Nuclear energy, carbon capture, hydrogen for energy and synthetic fuels should be ignored by most policy makers and serious investors… “Mechanical carbon capture and sequestration is mostly another subsidy for the fossil fuel industry. Globally, only oil and gas heavy countries are considering it as a reasonable carbon drawdown strategy, and that’s not because it is one… “Every sequestration facility that claims to be putting a million tons of carbon dioxide a year or more underground is first pulling geologically sequestered CO2 out from underground. Most are taking long-buried CO2 and putting it into oil wells to get more oil out of them, something which adds even more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Ones that aren’t are pumping natural gas with too much CO2, separating it and putting it back underground for tax breaks… “Mechanical carbon capture is almost entirely a shell game today, and the industry is using it as a fig leaf to enable them to keep causing climate change. Rational countries that actually want to solve the climate problem should ignore it except for very narrow industrial applications such as cement, and even then consider alternatives. Hydrogen for energy is another dead end… “But any process which manufactures hydrogen requires a lot of energy. The end available energy in hydrogen is a small portion of that used to manufacture, compress and ship the substance… “There are powerful and well-funded organizations and individuals attempting to bend our decarbonization journey to their ineffective technologies. They are slowing progress. They are working to create profits for themself at the expense of the planet. Many individuals are well meaning, but simply deluded about the benefits of their favored technology. Ignore them. The climate crisis and the opportunity are both too great to waste time on clearly poor solutions.”
The New Republic: Big Oil Is Only Getting Bigger—and Meaner
Kate Aronoff, 10/16/23
“In announcing a deal to acquire shale driller Pioneer Resources for $60 billion, ExxonMobil last week initiated the year’s biggest corporate buyout, which is also the company’s biggest such transaction since 1999. Pioneer Resources exists for a single reason: to drill for oil and gas. Exxon’s purchase is an indication that it intends to keep doubling down on exactly that, continuing the trend of major oil and gas companies walking back climate commitments made when they were making less money on their core business,” Kate Aronoff writes for The New Republic. “...Legality of corporate consolidations aside, the buyout is a troubling indication that the industry sees little reason to change course. Despite the rapid growth of solar power, especially, global fossil fuel usage hasn’t really budged. Even as renewables expanded by 13 percent last year, emissions from the power sector continued to rise. Fossil fuels still account for roughly 82 percent of global energy consumption. The United States, meanwhile, has never produced more crude oil: Domestic production reached a record high during the first half of 2023, and global prices continue to climb… “The fact that oil and gas companies have little reason to fear that policymakers are about to crack down on their business model doesn’t mean they don’t see threats on the horizon… “ If consolidation becomes the norm, ever-growing companies will also have deeper pockets to keep fighting off their critics and—potentially—find it even easier to coordinate political influence among a smaller cast of top executives.”
The Hill: Climate change is still the top issue in the 2024 election
William Becker is executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project (PCAP), a nonpartisan initiative founded in 2007 that works with national thought leaders to develop recommendations for the White House as well as Congress on climate and energy policies, 10/15/23
“Before the 2024 presidential and congressional election campaigns get much older, candidates and voters should get a few things straight. First, no international, national or local issue is more important than global warming,” William Becker writes for The Hill. “...It’s not only news organizations that frame global warming as a political controversy. The fossil energy industry and its Republican collaborators worked hard and spent considerable money to make global warming a wedge political issue. They succeeded. Some Republicans still think it’s disloyal to accept the science or the idea that the government should do something about it. Two dates stand out in the history of politicizing the climate crisis… “The second date was sometime in 2001, when communications consultant Frank Luntz advised Republicans to plant doubt in voters’ minds about trusting climate science and scientists… “Rather than outright opposition to government action, Luntz advised Republicans to avoid using the words global warming because “climate change” was less frightening. He told Republicans to “make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate.” So, Luntz’s memo in hand, Republicans joined the fossil energy lobby in a decades-long campaign to malign climate science and scientists… “Since voters weren’t anxious to embrace even the most credible warnings of a man-made apocalypse, the alleged conspiracy and campaign contributions from oil and gas companies effectively blocked Congress from taking meaningful action on global warming for the next 30 years. Today, 54 percent of Americans consider global warming a significant threat — still too few — but only 23 percent of Republicans agree… “We cannot let another election pass without a clear, indisputable voter mandate for public officials at all levels to treat global warming like the crisis it is… “Many other things we care about will be immaterial in a world devastated by global warming. Nov. 5, 2024, is our next big opportunity to stop it.”