EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/17/24
PIPELINE NEWS
DTN Progressive Farmer: Carbon Pipeline Law Faces SD Vote
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Fate unclear for CO2 pipeline slated for Eastern Iowa
Law360: DC Circ. Urged To Let Feds Fix Pipeline Safety Rules
Mongabay: Indigenous leader freed after Canada pipeline protest ban conviction
Alaska Beacon: Alaska seeks to dismiss anti-pipeline lawsuit
KPRC: ‘Haven’t heard anything’: Homeowner angry by Deer Park pipeline company’s response to deadly explosion one month later
Standard Bearer: Enbridge begins construction on Talbott compressor
Reuters: Imperial application to extend Norman Wells oil permit suspended by Canada regulator
Daily Montanan: Montana to receive $25M to replace lead pipes, EPA announces
Hart Energy: EPIC Crude Completes Refinancing Amid Permian Pipeline Expansion
Reuters: Kinder Morgan misses estimates, lowers annual profit forecast on weak prices
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: EPA power plant rule survives Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’
E&E News: EPA foes lost Supreme Court bid to stop carbon rule. The fight isn’t over.
InsideEPA: Scientists Slam Permit Streamlining Bill, Prompting Pushback From Backers
Politico: Harris Climate Engagement Director Camila Thorndike
STATE UPDATES
Alaska Public Media: State argues court should dismiss climate lawsuit from eight young Alaskans
Knoxville News Sentinel: Environmental groups sue TVA, alleging new Kingston gas plant was chosen illegally
Reuters: Workers Sue Pemex Over Injuries from Texas Refinery Gas Leak
E&E News: New York officials back criminal charges for oil and gas companies
Politico: Closing time for another California refinery
Grand Forks Herald: In District 42 and 18, incumbents back carbon-capture projects, but several others show skepticism
WyoFile: Should taxpayers give $7.8M to corporations to comply with state’s coal-carbon capture mandate?
BR Proud: Energy summit highlights Louisiana’s rise in energy production, carbon capture industry
Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming is looking to residents while writing new methane rules
Colorado Sun: Regulators passed sweeping rules to mitigate impacts of oil and gas drilling. Will they protect Coloradans?
EXTRACTION
Wall Street Journal: Clean Energy To Become Largest Source Of Power In Mid-2030s, Says IEA
Guardian: Fossil fuels could become cheaper and more abundant, says IEA
RBN Energy: Carbon-Capture Projects Reach Major Milestones, But Not All The News is Good
NRDC: The BECCS Hoax: Using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is a bad bet for the United Kingdom’s new zero-carbon goal.
EcoBusiness: Transport and storage to be ‘a major bottleneck’ in Asia’s CCUS scale-up: study
Bloomberg: Carbon capture growth challenged by current economy [VIDEO]
Energy News: First LNG export from Mexico to Europe via Altamira
NPR: Petroleum Drilling Technology Is Now Making Carbon-Free Power
Power Engineering: Can exhaust gas recirculation help reduce carbon capture costs?
OPINION
Terre Haute Tribune-Star: Quotes from 'well leak' article
Ethanol Producer: All We Can Capture
Hydrogen Insight: Why recent scare stories about blue hydrogen are inaccurate and misleading
Los Angeles Times: The 2024 Election Will Conserve Or Break Apart Cherished Public Lands
PIPELINE NEWS
DTN Progressive Farmer: Carbon Pipeline Law Faces SD Vote
Chris Clayton, 10/16/24
“A voter referendum on the regulation of carbon pipelines in South Dakota is pitting landowners against a pipeline project considered a key cog in helping ethanol plants lower their carbon emissions,” DTN Progressive Farmer reports. “Along with everything else on the ballot Nov. 5, voters in South Dakota will vote on Referred Law 21 -- whether to keep or reject a state law, Senate Bill 201, that passed the State Legislature earlier this year… “The law was dubbed by lawmakers as a "landowner bill of rights," but critics dispute that take. "Our issue is it really strips away the ability for individual landowners to go to their county commissions and plead their case for setbacks and siting and routing plans," Amanda Radke, a rancher, farmer and writer in Mitchell, South Dakota, who has become a social media advocate for opponents of RL-21 and Senate Bill 201, told DTN. "The 300 county commissioners in the state of South Dakota would no longer have a voice. It creates a blanket easement for this one company that can be applied county-by-county." “...Opponents of Summit's project in multiple states are closely watching the campaign around RL-21. In Iowa last week, landowners waiting for their own Supreme Court hearing were calling South Dakota voters to urge them to vote "no" on the measure. "My landowner clients in all the states are watching and hoping all South Dakotans vote 'No' on anti-landowner legislation RL-21," Brian Jorde, an Omaha attorney who has tried multiple landowner court cases over Summit, told DTN. "If RL-21 remains the law, that means local ordinances are totally preempted and are null and void if they relate to CO2 pipelines. Folks are fearful this erosion of constitutional rights in favor of big business is the slippery slope signaling the end of the family farm and ranch as we know it." The South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance has been organizing meetings across the state to rally opposition. A poll conducted by pipeline opponents Bold Alliance in September cited 65% of South Dakota voters oppose RL-21… “Critics of RL-21 have claimed rejecting it also would prevent Summit from being granted eminent domain authority… “Phrases on billboards such as "No eminent domain for private gain" have distorted the debate and conversations around RL-21 and what it actually does, DaNita Murray, executive director of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, told DTN… “While there's the unresolved debate about eminent domain, Radke told DTN there is a concern that voters won't know which way to vote given that the law is called "the landowner bill of rights." "This doesn't address our biggest concern, which is eminent domain," Radke told DTN. "So, it's really disingenuous to call it a landowner right bill." “...Sabrina Zenor, a spokeswoman for Summit, told DTN the company isn't involved in the initiative in South Dakota and has not donated to the campaign to support it.”
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Fate unclear for CO2 pipeline slated for Eastern Iowa
Jared Strong, 10/17/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions has not filed new information with state regulators for more than 10 months about its proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that includes Cedar Rapids, according to state records,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. “In that time, more than 100 objections to the project have been submitted to the Iowa Utilities Commission, with which the company's pipeline permit is pending. Wolf wants to construct about 95 miles of underground pipe in Eastern Iowa to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to Illinois for underground sequestration or for other commercial purposes. The company also has not reapplied for a permit in Illinois as it said it would. The lack of apparent progress on the project and the company's continued silence prompted the commission's staff Tuesday to seek a status update, along with periodic updates in the future. Wolf has not responded to or declined several requests in recent weeks from The Gazette to comment about its project… “The company indicated on its Iowa permit application it wouldn't use eminent domain to forcefully obtain land easements, but instead would solely negotiate with landowners for them. However, it could modify that approach by amending its application. Landowners along the pipeline route haven't heard from the company in months, Jess Mazour, of the Sierra Club of Iowa, which has been a leading organizer of opposition to the pipeline projects, told the Gazette… “It's unclear when the company might respond to the Iowa commission staff's request. It took Wolf more than a month to respond to the last such request in 2023.”
Law360: DC Circ. Urged To Let Feds Fix Pipeline Safety Rules
Madeline Lyskawa, 10/16/24
“A pipeline industry group urged a D.C. Circuit panel to reconsider its August decision throwing out a handful of new safety standards for gas transmission pipelines, warning that federal regulators’ implementation of the court’s mandate could lead to millions of dollars of unnecessary repair costs for operators,” Law360 reports.
Mongabay: Indigenous leader freed after Canada pipeline protest ban conviction
Shanna Hanbury, 10/17/24
“Canada’s first “prisoner of conscience,” Chief Dsta’hyl of the Wet’suwet’en Nation Indigenous territory, was released in September after serving 60 days of house arrest,” Mongabay reports. “While the court order banning him from interfering with a natural gas pipeline project through his land in the province of British Columbia is still in place, he is appealing the conviction. In July, Amnesty International designated Dsta’hyl as a prisoner of conscience, stating that his arrest and detention violated his right to protest the construction of the 670-kilometer (417-mile) Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline. Dsta’hyl’s appeal, set to be reviewed at the end of November by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, could result in a landmark ruling as it challenges the authority of colonial laws imposed on Indigenous land and seeks to uphold traditional Wet’suwet’en law and land rights. Dsta’hyl was arrested in October 2021 and later convicted of criminal contempt after he and others set up camps and blockades, dismantled pipeline equipment, and blocked access roads to prevent the pipeline’s construction on their land. A gate built at the territory’s entrance was deemed illegal… “An Indigenous council set up under a colonial-era Canadian law approved the pipeline project in 2014, but hereditary chiefs including Dsta’hyl, who hold authority over the broader Wet’suwet’en territory, argue that they never consented and view the project as a violation of their rights… “Besides Dsta’hyl, 19 other protesters were charged under the protest ban, while another five were detained in March 2023. None are currently in detention. “The arrests were to make an example out of them so that it would send a loud message to all of the First Nations in British Columbia: this is what will happen to you if you disrupt our industry and colonization and government,” Dsta’hyl said.”
Alaska Beacon: Alaska seeks to dismiss anti-pipeline lawsuit
James Brooks, 10/16/24
“An Anchorage Superior Court judge heard preliminary arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit seeking to block construction of a proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline on environmental grounds,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “Eight plaintiffs, represented by an out-of-state law firm, are seeking to overturn a state law that created the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., a state-owned corporation that is developing the pipeline. The state of Alaska has asked Judge Dani Crosby to dismiss the case, resulting in Tuesday’s arguments. After roughly 40 minutes of debate, Crosby said she would take the issue under consideration and issue a ruling at a future date. If Crosby refuses the state’s motion, the case will likely proceed to an evidentiary trial. If she accepts the state’s motion to dismiss, it would be the latest setback for Our Children’s Trust, the out-of-state firm that is representing the plaintiffs and has previously sought rulings that would require Alaska to seriously address climate change. Attorneys for both the state and the plaintiffs said Tuesday that the lawsuit is critical: If it succeeds, the state of Alaska is unlikely to ever develop the vast natural gas deposits beneath the North Slope… “Margaret Paton-Walsh, representing the Alaska Department of Law, told the Beacon that failing to dismiss the cause could result in similar constitutional challenges against many other major development projects in Alaska.”
KPRC: ‘Haven’t heard anything’: Homeowner angry by Deer Park pipeline company’s response to deadly explosion one month later
10/16/24
“It’s been a rough few weeks for Steve Hutto and his neighbors in the East Meadows subdivision. One month ago today, a car crashed into a nearby pipeline in Deer Park resulting in an explosion and massive fire,” KPRC reports. “Residents living close by were evacuated for days as fire crews battled the flames. When they returned the damage was overwhelming. “You’d step on the carpet and water would come up,” Steve Hutto told KPRC… “I would not want to go in there without some kind of respiratory protection, because of the mold.” “...Hutto told KPRC that anger is directed towards Energy Transfer which owns the pipeline. “The first week or two, they were actually in the same hotel, and they were giving us reimbursement checks, gift cards, stuff for incidentals and then by the second week they left, and we haven’t heard anything from them at all,” Hutto told KPRC… “KPRC reached out to Energy Transfer about their response to the fire and those affected but has yet to hear back.”
Standard Bearer: Enbridge begins construction on Talbott compressor
Steve Marion, 10/16/24
“Earth-moving is underway at the site of Enbridge’s new natural gas compressor station in Talbott, representatives of the energy transportation company reported,” according to the Standard Bearer. “East Tennessee Natural Gas, LLC (ETNG), which is owned and operated by Enbridge, received “Notice to Proceed” early last month from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Completion of the new station, which is part of a system alignment program with four project areas in three states, is expected by August 1, 2025… “In Tennessee, it includes 16.5 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline adjacent to the company’s existing 16-inch pipe in Knox and Sevier counties, as well as the electrically-driven compressor station on property at Valley Home Road and Talbott-Kansas Road in Jefferson County. Earlier, the station drew concerns from residents of the area, but Enbridge representatives say they have worked with them to lessen its impact on the rural neighborhood… “We worked with the landowners to make sure we have adequate setback and buffer zones, as well as vegetation and lighting controls to minimize the station’s impact on the surrounding area,” Enbridge Manager of Stakeholder Relations Art Haskins told the Standard Bearer… “Residents of the area say they have safety concerns, but Haskins told the Standard Bearer he believes the site will be safe. “We have 48 of these in the state, with most of them in operation over 70 years, and we have never had a serious problem,” he told the Standard Bearer.”
Reuters: Imperial application to extend Norman Wells oil permit suspended by Canada regulator
Nia Williams, 10/15/24
“Imperial Oil’s application to extend the life of its remote Norman Wells oil and gas facility in Canada’s Northwest Territories has been put on hold pending an environmental assessment report, the Canada Energy Regulator said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “The Norman Wells site produces around 6,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) and is spread across nine natural and artificial islands in the Mackenzie River – Canada’s longest river – and the town of Norman Wells on the riverbank… “However, the regional Indigenous government, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated (SSI), decided in September that the application required an environmental assessment, because Imperial also proposed replacing pipelines between its wells and processing facility… “The SSI outlined concerns about the impact of climate change on the Norman Wells operations and the Enbridge pipeline that transports the oil to Alberta in a September letter to the CER.”
Daily Montanan: Montana to receive $25M to replace lead pipes, EPA announces
Keila Szpaller, 10/15/24
“Montana will receive nearly $25 million to replace lead pipes in water systems within 10 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced,” the Daily Montanan reports. “The announcement last week said a new rule from the Biden-Harris administration will require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold for communities to act on lead in drinking water. Lead is a neurotoxin, and there is no safe level of exposure, especially for children, the EPA said… “The DEQ said lead service lines have not been required to be replaced in the past, although some water systems have voluntarily removed lead lines. If a school has a lead service line, the water system that supplies the school would be eligible for EPA funding to remove the school’s line, according to the DEQ.”
Hart Energy: EPIC Crude Completes Refinancing Amid Permian Pipeline Expansion
10/16/24
“Houston-based EPIC Crude Holdings has completed the issuance of a new $1.2 billion senior secured Term Loan B due 2031, the midstream company said Oct. 16,” Hart Energy reports. “The company also entered into a new agreement for a super-priority revolving credit facility of $125 million due 2029, undrawn at close. The refinancing comes at the heels of Diamondback and Kinetik Holdings acquiring stake in EPIC’s 800-mile crude pipeline, which runs from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast.”
Reuters: Kinder Morgan misses estimates, lowers annual profit forecast on weak prices
Sourasis Bose, 10/16/24
“Kinder Morgan fell short of Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday and lowered its annual forecast as the U.S. pipeline operator contends with weaker commodity prices and lower crude volumes,” Reuters reports. “Shares of the company, whose pipelines move about 40% of total U.S. natural gas production, fell 2.6% in extended trade… “U.S. WTI crude oil prices declined about 8.1% during the third quarter from a year earlier and concerns persist over global demand. Crude and condensate volumes fell 4% from the year-ago quarter, while natural gas transported rose 2%... “The company, like many U.S. energy peers, is pinning its hopes on the artificial intelligence boom-driven data center power need to buoy natural gas sales… “The company said the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline, which it operates and holds a stake in, has green-lighted an about $455 million expansion project that would raise natural gas deliveries by 570 million cubic feet per day from the Permian Basin to South Texas markets… “The company is working with agencies to defend its permits related to the Cumberland gas pipeline project in Tennessee after a U.S. appeals court put them on hold.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: EPA power plant rule survives Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’
Niina H. Farah, Pamela King, 10/16/24
“The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to temporarily freeze the Biden administration’s rule curbing carbon pollution from the power sector — but some of the justices indicated that the legal battle over EPA’s regulation is far from over,” E&E News reports. “In a short order, the court said the rule targeting planet-warming emissions from new gas- and existing coal-fired power plants would remain in place as litigation over the regulation plays out before a lower bench. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Neil Gorsuch, said state and industry opponents of the rule had “shown a strong likelihood” that they would prevail when the courts evaluate the merits of the regulation… “EPA and its supporters had feared the justices were poised for a repeat of their decision in 2016 when the court issued an emergency order freezing the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, a landmark rule that created a systemic approach to reducing carbon emissions from the sector… “The Supreme Court’s decision to stay out of the legal fight, at least for now, is a short-term win for champions of the Biden rule, which relies on carbon capture and storage technology to limit emissions… “Critics of the regulation have said the technology is not ready to be applied at the scale the rule requires and that EPA is acting outside the authority granted by Congress. Lawsuits against the rule are playing out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.”
E&E News: EPA foes lost Supreme Court bid to stop carbon rule. The fight isn’t over.
Niina H. Farah, Lesley Clark, 10/17/24
“EPA’s climate rule for power plants has survived an initial Supreme Court challenge, but the Biden administration’s legal opponents can take some hope from conservative justices who signaled willingness to eventually stop the president’s plan to rein in the nation’s second-largest source of carbon emissions,” E&E News reports. “Although the high court’s decision to keep the rule in place is an important early victory for EPA, Justice Brett Kavanaugh warned that the regulation for new gas- and existing coal-fired power plants may still be vulnerable. “In my view, the applicants have shown a strong likelihood of success on the merits as to at least some of the challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency’s rule,” said Kavanaugh, who was joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch. But immediately pausing the rule did not make sense, Kavanaugh said, because compliance does not need to start until June 2025. Therefore, he wrote, the rule’s challengers are “unlikely to suffer irreparable harm” as litigation over the regulation makes its way through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.”
InsideEPA: Scientists Slam Permit Streamlining Bill, Prompting Pushback From Backers
10/15/24
“Over 100 scientists are pressing Congress to oppose permit streamlining legislation awaiting possible Senate floor action, claiming the bill’s fossil fuel-friendly provisions would likely negate any greenhouse gas-reduction benefits from its provisions seeking to boost renewables and power transmission lines construction,” InsideEPA reports. “As U.S. scientists, we write to express our substantial concerns regarding the Energy Permitting Reform Act (‘EPRA’) of 2024,” says an Oct. 12 letter from the scientists to lawmakers, citing concerns that the bill advanced in July on a broad bipartisan vote of the Senate energy panel would further accelerate global fossil development, resulting in “more severe climate impacts.” While the United States “undoubtedly needs to accelerate the deployment of critical clean energy and transmission infrastructure,” the bill’s “inclusion of numerous provisions that expand the fossil fuel buildout in the United States completely undermines this otherwise worthwhile aim” by exporting emissions abroad, the scientists claim. “We strongly urge Congress to reject this proposal, and to opt instead for clean energy reforms that constitute real solutions, not ones bound to fossil fuel industry giveaways.”
Politico: Harris Climate Engagement Director Camila Thorndike
Josh Siegel, 10/16/24
“The Harris campaign’s climate engagement director said the destruction across the Southeast from two powerful hurricanes in recent weeks has driven a “real uptick” in voter interest in the issue of climate change as the presidential race enters its final stretch,” Politico reports. “Camila Thorndike, who joined Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign just last month, has sought to draw a sharp contrast between the Democratic nominee’s long support for action to combat climate change with that of Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has dismissed climate science and pledged to slash the Biden administration’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act… “Harris has publicly moved to the middle on certain energy issues, such as reversing her fracking ban pledge from the 2019-20 primary campaign and touting record oil and gas production in the Biden-Harris administration, along with measures in the IRA to require more fossil fuel lease sales. How are you reassuring young voters that Harris will look to push policies commensurate with global climate goals when she’s been promoting fossil fuels these last few months? [Thorndike] Just to be clear, Vice President Harris hasn’t said anything that the administration hasn’t already said. She is not promoting expansion. She’s just said that they wouldn’t ban fracking and the fact that anyone could look up is that the IRA required leases, and that was not something that she promoted. And so voters who care about climate change understand that she is someone that not only movements can work with, but she has championed these causes, and that we know who she is. Her record is so clear, and that more and more voters are getting the opportunity to meet her in these final weeks of the campaign, which has been really a wild sprint.”
STATE UPDATES
Alaska Public Media: State argues court should dismiss climate lawsuit from eight young Alaskans
Eric Stone, 10/15/24
“The state of Alaska is asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit by eight young Alaskans arguing that efforts to build a North Slope natural gas pipeline violate the state constitution,” Alaska Public Media reports. “The lawsuit is the latest effort by young Alaskans to establish a right to a livable climate. The lawsuit was filed by the Oregon-based nonprofit Our Children’s Trust, which has pursued climate-related litigation against the federal government and in states across the country, including Montana, Utah and Hawai’i, with mixed results. The case, known as Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II, zooms in on one specific state policy: the law creating the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., the state agency pursuing investment in a pipeline that would bring liquefied natural gas from Prudhoe Bay to Southcentral Alaska for in-state and out-of-state use… “The Alaska LNG project has so far failed to attract enough investor interest for the $44 billion project to go forward. Attorneys for the state say even if it is built, the impacts of the project are speculative. They say natural gas produced by the project may displace other, dirtier fuel sources, or it may have too small an impact on its own to have a meaningful impact on global average temperatures… “The state argues that the governor’s administration and the Alaska Legislature should be tasked with balancing the costs and benefits of the state’s climate policies — and that like the previous lawsuits, this one should be dismissed.”
Knoxville News Sentinel: Environmental groups sue TVA, alleging new Kingston gas plant was chosen illegally
Daniel Dassow, 10/16/24
“The Southern Environmental Law Center sued the Tennessee Valley Authority on behalf of multiple environmental groups who assert the federal utility violated planning laws by committing to replace the Kingston coal plant with a gas plant before studying alternatives or seeking public feedback,” the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. “The lawsuit, filed Oct. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, asserts TVA spent millions on the gas plant through agreements with pipeline operator Enbridge and GE before it studied negative environmental effects or renewable energy alternatives. "TVA, as a federal utility, has the obligation to look at alternatives and impacts of its proposals before it acts on them. But here, TVA went backwards," Southern Environmental Law Center staff attorney Trey Bussey told Knox News. "It decided to build a gas plant without first analyzing the alternatives." “...The Southern Environmental Law Center and its clients – Appalachian Voices, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club – have asked the court to reverse TVA's decision, force it to prepare a new environmental impact study, halt construction of the plant, and comply with environmental planning law.”
Reuters: Workers Sue Pemex Over Injuries from Texas Refinery Gas Leak
10/16/24
“Three workers filed a lawsuit in a Texas state court in Houston on Monday against Mexico's national oil company Pemex for injuries they allege they received in a hydrogen sulfide release at a Deer Park, Texas, refinery on Thursday,” Reuters reports. “Two contractors were killed and 35 people treated for exposure to deadly hydrogen sulfide gas on Thursday afternoon, according to law enforcement officials. A Pemex spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Sergio Antonio Olvera, Jonathan Martinez and Yoselyn Soto were working at the Pemex refinery in the Houston suburb of Deer Park when the gas was released, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday in state district court. "Plaintiffs subsequently sustained injuries due to the leak," the lawsuit said. "At the time and on the occasion in question, defendants committed acts and omissions, which collectively and separately constituted negligence." The plaintiffs seek damages in excess of $1 million, according to the lawsuit… “Geoffrey Adkinson, a spokesperson for Aziz's law firm, told Reuters one of the plaintiffs remains bedridden and all three have experienced vomiting and respiratory symptoms.”
E&E News: New York officials back criminal charges for oil and gas companies
Lesley Clark, 10/17/24
“New York elected officials are endorsing a proposal to hold fossil fuel companies and their executives criminally responsible for alleged climate crimes,” E&E News reports. “Their calls of support coincided with the Thursday release of a model prosecution memo that said state reckless endangerment law applies to the risk the world faces from rising global temperatures. “Victims of climate disasters deserve justice no less than the victims of street-level crimes,” said the report from Public Citizen and Fair and Just Prosecution. In statements provided by the groups, several New York officeholders voiced support for the proposal.”
Politico: Closing time for another California refinery
Wes Venteicher, 10/16/24
“Part of California’s problem with gas prices is it only has nine oil refineries to serve 31 million gas-slurping vehicles. Soon it’ll be eight,” Politico reports. “Phillips 66 this afternoon cited “long-term uncertainty” in announcing that it’s shutting down California’s seventh-largest refinery next year. The news comes just two days after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a major new law , roundly opposed by the oil industry, that tries to get a handle on gas price spikes. It does so by giving the California Energy Commission new authority to require refiners to store more gas and make other preparations to guard against supply shortages. Phillips 66 told Politico the announcement wasn’t in response to Newsom’s signature… “The California Fuels and Convenience Alliance, which opposed Newsom’s proposal, wasn’t shy about pointing the finger at the new law. “Unfortunately, the announcement today is not much of a surprise, as we continually warned the Legislature and Administration about how ABX2-1 would negatively impact supply,” Alessandra Magnasco, the organization’s governmental affairs and regulatory director, told Politico. “This is exactly what happens when our leaders are more concerned with political theater than solving real problems.”
Grand Forks Herald: In District 42 and 18, incumbents back carbon-capture projects, but several others show skepticism
Korrie Wenzel, 10/16/24
“The 12 candidates vying for seats in North Dakota’s District 18 and District 42 are split on whether the state should pursue investment in the carbon-capture industry,” the Grand Forks Herald reports. “In a survey sent to all of the candidates in the two districts – both of which represent Grand Forks and portions of rural areas near the city – the Herald asked: “North Dakota potentially has a future in the carbon-capture industry. Do you feel the state should push forward with investment in this industry?” Five of the candidates answered with variations of “yes,” a few indicated they likely are against the idea and the others either seek more answers or showed skepticism in the industry… “Also in the news over the past year has been the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, which seeks to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants throughout the Midwest and pipe it to North Dakota for storage. And some see CO2 as having a potentially large impact on the state’s energy industry as it’s used in a process called “enhanced oil recovery,” which would prolong the ability to extract oil in North Dakota’s Bakken formation… “Incumbents lean toward “yes” to the Herald’s question about the carbon-capture industry… “The incumbent Sen. Meyer agrees, adding that it’s important to be mindful of property rights… “The challengers in the Nov. 5 race generally say they have questions or concerns… “Hagen, a Democrat running for a House spot in District 42, told the Herald more studies must be conducted on the art of capturing and storing carbon. She wants to be convinced that the process is safe and feasible… “Thorson, the Democrat who seeks to unseat Meyer in the District 18 Senate race, also wants to learn more, but told the Herald he has a “healthy dose of skepticism” about carbon-capture’s effectiveness at reducing climate-warming gas, its economic return and its long-term impacts on the state… “Adams, a Democrat who previously held a spot in the state House, told the Herald she has spoken with residents about carbon capture. She told the Herald those residents – and even Adams herself – have more questions than answers about the industry.”
WyoFile: Should taxpayers give $7.8M to corporations to comply with state’s coal-carbon capture mandate?
Dustin Bleizeffer, 10/16/24
“Wyoming’s top energy development agency has recommended Gov. Mark Gordon allocate a combined $7.8 million in taxpayer money from the state’s Energy Matching Funds program to Rocky Mountain Power and one of its engineering partners,” WyoFile reports. “The Rocky Mountain Power and 8 Rivers projects slated for funding focus on building engineering designs to determine whether it is technically and economically feasible to retrofit coal-fired power plants with carbon capture to meet a controversial mandate imposed by the Legislature and championed by Gordon… “Wyoming conservation groups have long criticized the state for its coal-carbon capture mandate, as well as utilities for dipping into Wyoming pockets to pay for it… “PacifiCorp is an investor-owned utility backed by some of the wealthiest people in the world, including Warren Buffett,” Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter Director Rob Joyce told WyoFile of the PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power bid for Energy Matching Funds. “Their proposal to spend over $6 million in Wyoming taxpayer money just to test carbon capture technology at one of their oldest coal plants is dubious at best, especially on their proposed timeline. Wyoming’s dollars could be put to far better use by helping modernize our grid and investing in proven, cost-effective clean energy solutions.” The Legislature’s far-right faction, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, has also criticized the policy… “Rocky Mountain Power — a division of Buffett’s electric utility giant PacifiCorp — wants $6.3 million for its Jim Bridger Carbon Capture Front-End Engineering Design Study. The effort will help determine the economic and technical feasibility of retrofitting the two remaining coal-burning units at the 50-year-old power plant outside Rock Springs, the utility says.”
BR Proud: Energy summit highlights Louisiana’s rise in energy production, carbon capture industry
Shannon Heckt, 10/16/24
“Louisiana elected officials and industry leaders are trying to put the state at the forefront of energy production and rising industries aimed at cutting emissions,” BR Proud reports. “Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, hosted the Energy Security Summit where industry leaders and elected officials talk about a lot of ways that Louisiana could be a leader in energy production through oil and gas as well as green energy sources… “There was a fellow that testified in front of Congress and he said that Louisiana is the Saudi Arabia of the geology to sequester carbon. So if we do embrace it, there’ll be tens of billions of dollars, tens of billions of dollars deployed here,” Cassidy said. A lot of the panels talked about how Louisiana needs to get ahead of the carbon sequestration industry before other states and countries gain the upper hand. It is a controversial issue in the state with communities growing concerned that the underground carbon capture could contaminate water sources – like Lake Maurepas where there is a proposed project. Public meetings about the proposed projects have led to protests and packed committee rooms of testifiers at the state capitol.”
Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming is looking to residents while writing new methane rules
Caitlin Tan, 10/15/24
“Wyoming has to reimagine how it regulates a pollutant from oil and gas operations, per new federal government rules. The state is holding a series of public meetings this month to hear suggestions,” Wyoming Public Radio reports. “...Each state is getting some flexibility on how they want to regulate methane. So, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Amber Potts told WPR they’re looking to residents. “We are all ears. We really want to make this work for Wyoming,” Potts told WPR. A series of public meetings are happening across the state this month… “We need folks throughout the state that have expertise in oil and gas that just want to have input in the process,” Potts told WPR. Meanwhile, Wyoming, along with 23 other states and industry groups, is suing over the EPA’s rule that set all of this in motion.”
Colorado Sun: Regulators passed sweeping rules to mitigate impacts of oil and gas drilling. Will they protect Coloradans?
Mark Jaffe, 10/16/24
“Colorado oil and gas regulators Tuesday passed sweeping rules to deal with the cumulative impacts of drilling and hailed it as “a big step forward,” but legislators, environmentalists and community groups criticized the regulations for failing to protect vulnerable communities,” the Colorado Sun reports. “After a year of hearings and drafts, the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission adopted about 60 pages of rules to assess and mitigate the impacts of oil and gas drilling projects — an exercise the commission was mandated to do by the legislature… “We have the most protective oil and gas regulations in the nation, and this builds on that foundation,” ECMC Chairman Jeff Robbins told the Sun. “Critics did not see it that way. “Doesn’t require any more than is required now and it creates a roadmap for how an operator can drill in disproportionately impacted communities,” Michael Freeman, an attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice, told the Sun… “One major point of contention was a requirement in a June draft that an operator seeking to drill within 2,000 feet of homes in a disproportionately impacted community, or DIC, obtain the consent of every resident. The provision drew fire from the industry, which argued it could make the development of oil and gas reserves near impossible. It was dropped in the August draft upon which the final rules are based. That move drew a letter from 22 legislators saying the August draft offered inadequate protections to disproportionately impact communities, failing to meet the goals set by state law… “The commission adopted a setback in 2020 with great fanfare, but they haven’t been enforcing it,” Freeman, the Earthjustice attorney, told the Sun.”
EXTRACTION
Wall Street Journal: Clean Energy To Become Largest Source Of Power In Mid-2030s, Says IEA
Giulia Petroni, 10/16/24
“Clean-energy sources are set to grow at a faster pace than global energy demand by the end of the decade, becoming the largest source of energy in the mid-2030s, the International Energy Agency said,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Based on current policy settings, global energy demand is set to slow between 2023 and 2035 to about 0.5% a year as a result of efficiency measures, electrification and a rapid build-out of renewables. This compares to a rate of around 1.4% on average in the 2013-23 period. Meanwhile, cleaner forms of energy—solar and wind in particular—are poised for rapid growth. This will result in peak fossil-fuels demand before 2030 and bring their use down to 58% of total demand in 2050 from 80% last year. “Continued progress of transitions means that, by the end of the decade, the global economy can continue to grow without using additional amounts of oil, natural gas or coal,” the IEA said in its latest report on Wednesday.”
Guardian: Fossil fuels could become cheaper and more abundant, says IEA
Jillian Ambrose, 10/16/24
“Fossil fuels could soon become significantly cheaper and more abundant as governments accelerate the transition to clean energy towards the end of the decade, according to the International Energy Agency,” the Guardian reports. “The world’s energy watchdog has signalled a new energy era in which countries have access to more oil, gas and coal than needed to fuel their economic growth, leading to lower prices for households and businesses. The Paris-based agency’s influential annual outlook report found that energy consumers could expect some “breathing space” from recent spikes in global oil and gas prices triggered by geopolitical upheavals because investment in new fossil fuel projects has outpaced the world’s demand. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the IEA, told the Guardian the report confirms its prediction that the world’s fossil fuel consumption will peak before 2030 and fall into permanent decline as climate policies take effect. But continuing investment in fossil fuel projects will spell falling market prices for oil and gas, the IEA added… “The IEA acknowledged that the potential for near-term disruption to oil and gas supply remains, due to conflict in the Middle East, which risks disrupting exports of crude and gas from the region. But its long-term view shows an “easing in underlying market balances” and “lower prices on the horizon”, it said… “The IEA estimates that the world’s LNG capacity will grow by almost 50% by 2030, greater than the world’s forecast demand in all three of the agency’s modelled scenarios.The world’s rising production of crude oil from new oil projects in the US, Canada and South America could mean that future supplies will outstrip global oil demand growth because China, the world’s biggest oil importer, is “wrong-footing” major oil producers by shifting rapidly towards electric vehicles, the IEA said.”
RBN Energy: Carbon-Capture Projects Reach Major Milestones, But Not All The News is Good
Jason Lindquist, 10/17/24
“Progress in the carbon-capture industry can be slow, given the extended permitting process for sequestration wells, uncertain long-term outlook and skepticism about the real-world effectiveness in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,” RBN Energy reports. “The past several weeks have been a better-than-usual period for advocates of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), with significant milestones reached for a trio of important projects under development, but not all the news was positive… “In our first blog on the bottleneck around carbon-capture projects, The Waiting, we noted that relatively few applications for Class VI wells have been approved by the EPA, even though the regulations around them were established back in 2010. There are plenty of CCS projects in the works, however, driven by improvements made to the 45Q tax credit for permanent CO2 sequestration as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). A fresh look at the EPA’s online dashboard for Class VI well permitting shows that activity has picked up since June. There are 150 total wells under review, up from 139 in June, with 38% of those applications filed within the last 12 months, up from 35% in June. (Those figures do not include projects seeking approval in the three states with Class VI well primacy.) Of the 150 wells under review as of September 27 (orange bars in Figure 2 below), the latest data available, there are four wells in the first phase of the approval process (completeness review), 139 in the second phase (technical review), zero in the third phase (draft permit), three in the fourth phase (public comment; more on those below) and four in the final phase (permit decision).”
NRDC: The BECCS Hoax: Using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is a bad bet for the United Kingdom’s new zero-carbon goal.
Matt Williams, Elly Pepper, 10/16/24
“New research by NRDC shows that the U.K. government’s plans to use bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to help meet its climate goals will actually increase greenhouse gas emissions and require the logging of millions of hectares of forest. Instead of being a climate solution, this would be devastating for our climate and the biodiversity crisis. BECCS is so bad for the climate that it could prevent the United Kingdom from reaching net zero emissions,” according to NRDC. “Industry experts claim that bioenergy, which includes burning wood as a way to produce energy, is a carbon-neutral energy source. Thus, they assert, if you add carbon capture and storage—capturing the carbon released at the smokestack and burying it—the entire process becomes carbon negative, removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it adds. However, this is a false—and dangerous—premise. In reality, BECCS increases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in three ways: Even with the best CCS technology, at least 10 percent of the carbon dioxide released at the power station could escape into the atmosphere. Harvesting, processing, and transporting wood generates carbon dioxide that cannot be captured at the power station. The U.K. assumes that logging to produce bioenergy has no impact on forests and their capacity to store carbon. But this capacity is actually reduced for several decades until trees regrow, which must be counted as a positive emission. NRDC’s new modeling estimates carbon emissions under three different scenarios for procuring biomass, involving different levels of destructive clearcutting (high, medium, and no clearcutting). Even under the “no clearcutting” scenario, BECCS was carbon positive and contributed to climate change. In fact, when proper carbon accounting is employed, the cumulative emissions from BECCS alone could surpass the U.K.’s total emissions from all other sources by the late 2040s. Moreover, providing biomass to feed projected U.K. demand through 2050 would require up to 18 million hectares of land. That’s more than half of all the timberland in the U.S. Southeast, where the vast majority of the U.K.’s wood pellets come from.”
EcoBusiness: Transport and storage to be ‘a major bottleneck’ in Asia’s CCUS scale-up: study
Gabrielle See, 10/17/24
“Transport and storage could prove to be “a major bottleneck” in scaling carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology as a viable decarbonisation solution, a new study found,” EcoBusiness reports. “Led by China, Japan and Indonesia, 41 million metric tonnes of carbon capture capacity is set to come online by 2030, which far outpaces the proposed 6 million metric tonnes of transport and storage capacity in the same period, said Temasek-owned investment platform GenZero and research provider BloombergNEF. Under the report’s status quo decarbonisation scenario, the nascent technology is expected to play “a nearly negligible role” in this region due to its high costs, exacerbated by a lack of clear regulations as well as permitting delays. But for Asia to get to net zero by 2050, it needs to start deploying CCUS within the next seven years, said Sahaj Sood, a senior associate with BloombergNEF at the paper’s launch event on Wednesday… “In the study’s net zero scenario, clean power – which includes nuclear – will account for half of the region’s emissions reductions by 2050. CCUS is expected to make up 14 per cent of Asia’s carbon abatement efforts, while hydrogen and bioenergy would contribute 4 per cent each. Failure to scale CCUS means that other potentially more expensive alternatives, such as hydrogen and bioenergy, might be needed to meet the region’s climate targets, the report’s authors said. They expect two-thirds of emissions captured by CCUS to come from Asia by 2050, driven by China and India’s expansive coal fleets… “Despite decades of investments, CCUS has only abated 0.1 per cent of global emissions to date. Researchers and environmentalists have also warned that Japan’s promotion of CCUS, alongside ammonia co-firing, across Southeast Asia might prolong the use of fossil fuels, instead of phasing them out.”
Bloomberg: Carbon capture growth challenged by current economy [VIDEO]
10/16/24
“Peter Findlay, director of CCUS economics at Wood Mackenzie, joins and discusses how carbon capture is challenged by the current economy,” Bloomberg reports.
Energy News: First LNG export from Mexico to Europe via Altamira
10/16/24
“This historic export comes from New Fortress Energy’s Altamira project, positioning Mexico as a new player in the European LNG market,” Energy News reports. “The Gate terminal, located in the Netherlands, welcomed the Energos Princess vessel, which delivered approximately 59,000 metric tons of LNG. This transaction is likely of a short-term or spot-based nature, underscoring the beginning of a new era for energy exchanges between Mexico and Europe. The Altamira project represents Mexico’s first LNG liquefaction facility, with an annual production capacity of approximately 1.4 million metric tons. Invested at over $2 billion, this project is the pioneer of New Fortress Energy’s Fast LNG (FLNG) units… “The United States Department of Energy (DOE) granted a crucial export permit for the Altamira project on August 31, allowing New Fortress to export LNG to countries without free trade agreements with the U.S. This approval is the first issued by the DOE since announcing a pause in January on new permits, thereby reinforcing confidence in Mexico’s ability to become an LNG exporter.”
NPR: Petroleum Drilling Technology Is Now Making Carbon-Free Power
David Condos, 10/15/24
“There’s a valley in rural southwest Utah that’s become a hub for renewable energy,” NPR reports. “Dozens of tall white wind turbines whoosh up in the sky. A sea of solar panels glistens in the distance. But the new kid on the block is mostly hidden underground. From the surface, Fervo Energy’s Cape Station looks more or less like an oil derrick, with a thin metal tower rising above the sagebrush steppe. But this $2 billion geothermal project, which broke ground last year, is not drilling for gas. It’s drilling for underground heat that CEO Tim Latimer believes holds the key to generating carbon-free power — lots of it. “Just these three well pads alone will produce 100 megawatts of electricity. Around-the-clock, 24/7 electricity,” he told NPR… “A lot of fossil fuel operations will be phased out to fight climate change. And a lot of oil and gas workers will need a landing spot.”
Power Engineering: Can exhaust gas recirculation help reduce carbon capture costs?
Sean Wolfe, 10/15/24
“A new study shows promising results for the use of GE Vernova’s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems to reduce the cost of carbon capture systems,” Power Engineering reports. “The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management released the official findings of the GE Vernova-led front-end engineering design (FEED) study, Retrofittable Advanced Combined-Cycle Integration for Flexible Decarbonized Generation. The study evaluated retrofitting Southern Company subsidiary Alabama Power’s James M. Barry Electric Generating Plant, located in Bucks, Alabama, with technology capable of capturing up to 95% of the plant’s CO2 emissions. GE Vernova said the study demonstrated that the integration of the company’s EGR system could lead to a reduction of more than 6% of the total cost of the carbon capture facility, as compared to installing carbon capture without the EGR system.”
OPINION
Terre Haute Tribune-Star: Quotes from 'well leak' article
Rod Bradfield, Terre Haute, 10/15/24
“In March of this year, there was a CO2 leak in Decatur, Illinois, followed by a fluid anomaly (Co2 fluid leaking into an unauthorized zone) in another of ADM's monitoring wells in August,” Rod Bradfield writes for the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. “...In August, the EPA issued ADM a notice of violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. They noted that ADM 'failed to meet the requirements of the Permit and the [Underground Injection Control] regulations' due to the movement of 'formation fluids into unauthorized zones,' a failure to follow their emergency plan and a failure to monitor the well.” “On Sept. 27, ADM notified EPA that they would be temporarily pausing CO2 injections after discovering a potential brine fluid leak in their second monitoring well ...” “The Decatur site hosts two of the four Class VI wells in the country to be fully permitted and operational. The other two are located in Indiana at Wabash Valley Resources, a fertilizer plant boasting a `zero-carbon' production process. But these wells are, in no small sense of the word, experiments, according to some advocates.” “One of the biggest problems with [CCS wells] is that they are very hard to pull back from if we’re wrong,” said Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science & Environmental Health Network, a nonprofit advocacy organization. “If a Class VI well cannot contain the CO2 indefinitely, these are experiments that are not safe to fail. If they fail, the risk to future generations is substantial.” “The risk of high-volume CO2 exposure — seen when a CCS pipeline ruptured in Satartia, Mississippi, in 2020 — is CO2 poisoning, which can lead to everything from temporary unconsciousness to, in some cases, death.” Does west-central Indiana truly want this experimental technology time bomb under its ground?”
Ethanol Producer: All We Can Capture
Tom Bryan, President and Editor, 10/16/24
“After covering ethanol production for two decades, there’s a certain depth of knowledge retained about the plants, the people who run them, and the products they make,” Tom Bryan writes for Ethanol Producer. “...But one thing that’s always sort of alluded me is knowing precisely what ethanol plants capture their fermentation CO2 for merchant use, which seems especially relevant today with more than half the plants in the nation capturing their CO2 or actively planning to. The era of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)—utilization aide—now involves over 80 U.S. ethanol plants, most waiting to join one large, interstate aggregation effort—the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline—but many others intent on doing CCS alone, onsite or close to their plant. Our team at Ethanol Producer Magazine decided that today’s surging CCS movement doesn’t make our industry’s legacy fleet of merchant CO2 suppliers less important to track and report on, but more. The CCUS fleet includes them. So we set out this fall to track down data on every ethanol plant we know of doing some form of carbon capture for merchant use, enhanced oil recovery, sequestration and transformation. We ended up with a list of 120 plants—60% of the total fleet—that are, or intend to be, engaged in some form of CCUS. The list is a work in progress and, for now, is only being shared with ethanol producers requesting it, but what it ultimately shows is an industry that could soon be capturing over 22 million metric tons of CO2 annually, for all the purposes already stated. We have identified nearly 70 plants that are ready and waiting to do “Long, Aggregate, Interstate” CCS (via pipeline); more than a dozen planning to do “Onsite, Nearby, In-State” CCS—three already doing it; two doing EOR; two readying to transform their CO2 into fuels or chemicals; and 40 capturing for merchant use (a handful of which may be converting to CCS soon)... “At a time when it seems like regulatory red tape is holding back CCS pipelines every bit as much as opposition groups and reluctant landowners, this story reminds us that the government wants CCS to happen, having invested $1.5 billion over the last four years alone in projects related to carbon capture, use, transport, storage and removal. Indeed, all signs right now point to CCUS being a broadly supported, unstoppable movement, not only in ethanol production, but all around it.”
Hydrogen Insight: Why recent scare stories about blue hydrogen are inaccurate and misleading
Daniel Fraile is chief policy and markets officer at trade association Hydrogen Europe, 10/17/24
“A recent report from DeSmog has highlighted understandable concerns regarding the production of low-carbon hydrogen using gas combined with carbon capture and storage technology, also known as blue hydrogen,” Daniel Fraile writes for Hydrogen Insight. “...Hydrogen Europe’s position is that low-carbon hydrogen projects able to demonstrate significant emissions savings are an important part of our decarbonisation efforts. This includes many technologies; among the more mature ones we can refer to: waste-to-hydrogen, methane splitting, electrolysis of low-carbon electricity, and the reforming of biogas or natural gas along with carbon capture and storage CCS (blue hydrogen)... “DeSmog looked at the 46 projects noted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and estimated for the impact of upstream methane, a leakage rate of 1.5% and a global warming potential of 28, leading to 20 million tonnes a year of additional CO2e. By calculating a leakage rate of 3.5% and a global warming potential of 84, the 46 projects represent an additional 117 million tonnes of CO2e per year. The important thing to note here is that an accurate calculation of emissions is impossible until we know everything about the projects: the origin of the feedstock, the CO2 capture rate, and the end-use of the hydrogen are all factors in measuring their emissions saving profile. It’s also worth pointing out that any project with a methane leakage rate of more than 3% would never be able to make the 70% threshold – as this would represent a huge markup in emissions. Presenting it as a possibility is a flagrant scare tactic based on a misunderstanding of the legislation… “No project with a leakage rate of 3% will ever be low carbon, and we would also like to see a similar approach for the use of CO2 emissions values which are currently based on a single EU average value but ought to be project specific. With these caveats in place, one can make broad calculations on emissions based on projects achieving the 70% threshold… “Assuming that each project successfully hits the 70% threshold exactly (therefore not allowing for the possibility of a project doing even better than 70%), it would result in 18.3 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions… ”But it is clear and obvious that a robust methodology which includes upstream emissions will ensure that any successful blue hydrogen project will demonstrably lead to CO2 emissions savings. Hydrogen Europe encourages all environmental groups to work constructively with the industry in achieving our common goals of decarbonisation.”
Los Angeles Times: The 2024 Election Will Conserve Or Break Apart Cherished Public Lands
Stephen Trimble, 10/16/24
“One of my own answers to “what do you care about?” is “public lands,” Stephen Trimble writes for the Los Angeles Times. “I live in Utah, where state leaders are fiercely anti-federal-government. Public lands here need all the help they can get. All Americans share ownership of two-thirds of Utah’s great reaches of deserts and mountains. The state’s elected officials deeply resent this fact. They attack every conservation initiative and new national monument. Utah’s Legislature funds futile lawsuits, most recently an effort to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to hand over management of 18.5 million acres of ‘unappropriated’ federal lands to the state. Any lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management not within national parks, monuments or wilderness would disappear from the national public trust and be subject to the whims of the Legislature, with a Republican supermajority weighted toward land developers. Utah’s ruling party definitely knows how Harris and Trump differ in support for such privatization schemes. Democrats demonstrate consistent concern for our long-term future, for preserving biodiversity, for restraint in development. Republicans never relent in pushing for deregulation, unfettered growth and maximum profit. We’ve seen the consequences for Utah.”