EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/25/24
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Polarizing Pipeline Law Is on the Ballot in Major Corn State
North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota landowners bring challenge of CO2 storage law to state Supreme Court
The Pantagraph: Legislation seeks to protect Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration
WAND: State Sen. Faraci joins lawmakers seeking to protect Mahomet Aquifer
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Congressional CO2 Injection Well Safety and Health Concerns Briefing (10/22/24) [VIDEO]
Reuters: New Permian oil pipelines unlikely to be built, say top operators
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: FERC gives developers 3 more years to build Texas gas terminal
E&E News: DOE finalizes $162M loan guarantee for monitoring methane leaks
NBC News: How the issue of fracking is playing in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 election
Washington Post: Trump’s exaggerated claim that Pennsylvania has 500,000 fracking jobs
The Hill: What Would Trump And Harris Do On Energy, Environment And Climate Change?
Iowa Capital Dispatch: ‘We have persevered’: Biden will apologize for Native American boarding school history
STATE UPDATES
Oil & Gas Watch: Chronic failures in Texas’ management of oil & gas wells raise alarms about the state’s request to run carbon capture
PBS: States work to track down and cap dangerous methane leaks from abandoned oil and gas wells
Alaska Beacon: State-Owned Alaska Corporation Approves Up To $20 Million For Potential Arctic Refuge Oil Bid
Alaska Beacon: On development, Peltola follows the lead of Alaska’s regional Native corporations
Press release: Shell to acquire combined-cycle power plant in priority U.S. trading market
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Without more action, it will be ‘impossible’ to meet Paris climate goal: UN
Phys.org: 'We will not allow others to determine our fate': Pacific nations dial up pressure on Australia's fossil fuel exports
The Energy Mix: Underground Leak at U.S. CCS Well Could Bode Badly for Northern Alberta
Deeside: Carbon Capture: North-East Wales at risk of becoming UK’s ‘exhaust pipe,’ warns Plaid politician
GeekWire: Microsoft signs deal with ocean carbon removal project operating on Washington’s coast
Upstream: Equinor optimistic about financial returns from planned CO2 storage projects
University of California Berkeley: Capturing carbon from the air just got easier
Bloomberg: Transocean Discussing Merger With Rival Seadrill as Offshore Downturn Eases
CLIMATE FINANCE
Oklahoma Watch: Despite Legal Challenges and Exemptions, GOP Lawmakers Remain Committed to Anti-ESG Law
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Stratford Today: Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms donated to Stratford Fire Department
OPINION
Portland Tribune: DeRemer’s support of fracking project is misguided
Maryland Matters: Judge should stop delay, reject Annapolis, Anne Arundel County suits against fossil fuel firms
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Polarizing Pipeline Law Is on the Ballot in Major Corn State
Kim Chipman, 10/25/24
“A proposed $8.9-billion carbon-capture pipeline that has polarized the US Corn Belt is facing one of its biggest obstacles yet: Election Day,” Bloomberg reports. “When South Dakota voters cast their presidential-year ballots on Nov. 5, they’ll also decide whether to reject a law passed earlier this year that’s viewed by opponents as pro-pipeline. If the measure is scrapped, it would be a major blow in a series of setbacks for Summit Carbon Solutions’ project, with critics hoping it could be the death knell they’ve been waiting for. Landowners already told a rival company “to pack up and get out of South Dakota, and we’re going to tell Summit Carbon Solutions to do the same,” rancher Amanda Radke said at a referendum-related event Monday night in the South Dakota city of Watertown. Critics say a repeal of the law would restore authority to local communities as opposed to consolidating control over pipelines in the state capital. Summit firmly denies it would throw in the towel on the roughly 2,500-mile pipeline expected to run through Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and the Dakotas if voters throw out the South Dakota law… “The division around the upcoming referendum mirrors wider disagreement over the pipeline itself, which seeks to capture and store carbon spewed from factories making corn-based ethanol… “But a slice of landowners has balked at the project, including a spattering of corn farmers who the pipeline pledges to benefit. The law up for referendum, known as Referred Law 21, is so divisive that its supporters and critics don’t even call it the same name. Opponents dub it a “Pipeline Bill of Rights,” arguing the measure allows for easier approval. Backers, who want to keep what they’ve dubbed a “Landowner Bill of Rights” on the books, claim it offers valuable protection for residents who end up in negotiations for access to their property, like ensuring they won’t be on the hook if there’s damage to the land… “One of the main complaints about the South Dakota law, which has been put on hold until July 2025, is that it doesn’t address the use of eminent domain, a top issue for opposing landowners. Rather, critics say it reads like the law was written for the benefit of Summit and its investors and partners. “You think they’ve got your interest in mind?” farmer Ed Fischbach, a member of a group opposed to the use of eminent domain for private gain, said at the Watertown event… “The push to keep the measure on the books has led to an advertising blitz throughout the state. Glacial Lakes and other ethanol producers together contributed close to $2.2 million in the five months through Oct. 16 to help fund “Vote Yes for a Strong South Dakota,” a pro-law group. The opposition side says it has $30,000 budgeted for its entire campaign, which is focused on social media.”
North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota landowners bring challenge of CO2 storage law to state Supreme Court
Amy Dalrymple, 10/24/24
“The North Dakota Landowners Association is asking the state Supreme Court to weigh in on questions over property rights and the underground storage of carbon dioxide,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “The landowner group filed notice of an appeal Thursday in a lawsuit against the state that could have implications for Summit Carbon Solutions and other energy companies pursuing CO2 storage projects. The Northwest Landowners Association, the North Dakota Farm Bureau and others argue that state laws regulating the underground storage of carbon dioxide are unconstitutional… “The Northwest Landowners Association raises property rights questions as energy companies target North Dakota’s geology for underground storage of CO2…”The landowners take issue with a process used by the North Dakota Industrial Commission known as amalgamation, which is used when fewer than 100% of owners agree to lease pore space to companies. The process allows the commission to force nonconsenting owners to participate if at least 60% of the owners are participating… “The Northwest Landowners Association argues the process does not follow the North Dakota Constitution, which requires property owners to receive “just compensation” as determined by a jury if their private property is taken or damaged for public use. In the case of CO2 storage wells, the Industrial Commission – not a jury – determines the payment… “The Northwest Landowners Association successfully challenged a different state law related to pore space, with the North Dakota Supreme Court ruling that one unconstitutional in 2022.”
The Pantagraph: Legislation seeks to protect Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration
Drew Zimmerman, 10/24/24
“Legislation prohibiting carbon capture and sequestration activities over, under or through the Mahomet Aquifer, has been introduced in the Illinois Senate,” The Pantagraph reports. “The bill, Senate Bill 3968, seeks to provide this protection to all sole-source aquifers. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated a portion of the Mahomet Aquifer as a sole-source aquifer… “State Sen. Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, who filed the bill, said in a news release Illinois is on track to be a leader in carbon capture technologies. However, that innovation must be balanced with a duty to protect essential resources. “The Mahomet Aquifer is a lifeline for many residents, and while carbon sequestration can play a role in addressing climate change, we need to ensure it doesn’t put our community’s water at risk," Faraci said in a news release. “This measure is about exercising caution to protect the health and safety of our residents and safeguarding this crucial resource for our future generations.” Several county governments, including McLean and Ford, have adopted resolutions pledging support of legislation aimed to protect sole-source aquifers from carbon sequestration. Both of these counties were targeted for a 7-mile sequestration pipeline designed to reduce the carbon emissions of One Earth Energy's ethanol plant in Gibson City… “In July, the Illinois Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act was signed into law. As a result, a moratorium on the approval of new carbon dioxide pipelines was imposed for two years or until new safety rules are established by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.”
WAND: State Sen. Faraci joins lawmakers seeking to protect Mahomet Aquifer
10/24/24
“State Senator Paul Faraci is joining the lawmakers and local communities concerned about the possible effects of carbon capture and sequestration on the Mahomet Aquifer,” WAND reports. “...Faraci introduced legislation to prohibit carbon capture and sequestration activities over, under or through the Mahomet Aquifer. State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) filed similar legislation shortly after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a carbon capture bill into law this summer. Senate Bill 3968 would amend the Environmental Protection Act to state that no carbon sequestration could be conducted over, under, or through a sole-source aquifer. The Mahomet Aquifer is the only source of clean drinking water for at least half of the population it serves – meaning those residents would have no alternative should the aquifer become contaminated, according to Faraci. In July, Rose told WAND News, "this is not some partisan issue. Clean water is not a partisan issue. This is a common sense issue. Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, independent or otherwise, you want to be able to turn on your water and drink it."
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Congressional CO2 Injection Well Safety and Health Concerns Briefing (10/22/24) [VIDEO]
10/25/24
“Recently discovered leaks at a CO2 Injection well in Illinois as well as numerous leaks at Texas injection wells raise serious concerns about the ability to safely store CO2 in underground storage wells,” the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “We are bringing together policy and technical experts, and community leaders to educate Members of Congress and their staff about the cause of the leaks, safety, health concerns, environmental justice concerns, and broad policy implications. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Presenters: Paige Powell, Commission Shift; Paul Blackburn, BOLD Alliance; Maria Lopez-Nuñez, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Richard Kuprewicz, Accufacts Inc.; Pam Richart, Eco-Justice Collaborative. One thing these leaks have made clear is that nobody has any idea how much CO2 is leaking from wells around the country. Steel corrosion in injection wells likely goes well beyond well failures at the ADM facility in Illinois. Lax oversight and ineffective regulations that rely on industry to monitor themselves is creating a very dangerous situation for drinking water and the safety of communities near these wells. That is why groups are calling on EPA to hold off on permitting more wells and stop injections at existing wells until we can ensure the integrity of wells and the safety of communities and drinking water near these wells.”
Reuters: New Permian oil pipelines unlikely to be built, say top operators
Arathy Somasekhar, 10/25/24
“Top executives of two U.S. energy pipeline operators on Thursday ruled out building new crude oil lines to move volumes out of the Permian shale field in West Texas because of tepid volume growth and difficulties constructing new lines,” Reuters reports. “A wave of consolidation in the top U.S. shale field has concentrated output in the hands of companies that are promising to restrain output so as not to crash prices by over-producing. Pipeline firms also have embraced acquisitions over new construction. Enterprise Products Partners co-CEO Jim Teague said at a Houston energy conference his firm is not considering a new oil pipeline out of West Texas. The CEO of rival operator Plains All American Pipeline said at the same event companies are more likely to optimize existing rather than build new lines. Enbridge will add up to 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) to its Gray Oak oil pipeline by 2026, an example of expanding capacity on an existing pipeline… “The executives said Permian shale producers are not likely to return to their era of fast-growth that prompted the construction of new oil lines last decade… “Enterprise' Teague also said that his company continues to advance its proposed deepwater oil export project, Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), but "nobody wants to be (the) first" customer to sign up… "However, Plain's Chiang said "the jury is out on SPOT," saying that while it makes a lot of sense on paper, existing export contracts and systems could limit availability of customers.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: FERC gives developers 3 more years to build Texas gas terminal
10/25/24
“Developers of a large gas export terminal in southeast Texas have three extra years to finish work on the project and make it ready for service, federal regulators said Thursday,” E&E News reports. “In a letter, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave sponsors of the Golden Pass LNG export terminal until the end of November 2029 to complete the liquefied natural gas project. The decision came roughly five months after the project’s lead construction contractor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture company formed by Exxon Mobil and QatarEnergy, made the request in an August filing. It cited the bankruptcy filing of Zachry Industrial, “remaining schedule uncertainties” around bringing on a new lead contractor and other potential delays, such as possible hurricanes and startup activities.”
E&E News: DOE finalizes $162M loan guarantee for monitoring methane leaks
Carlos Anchondo, 10/24/24
“The Department of Energy gave a major boost Wednesday to a company working to track methane emissions across some of the most prolific U.S. oil and gas regions,” E&E News reports. “DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced the closing of a $162.4 million loan guarantee to LongPath Technologies. The funds will help the Colorado-based company build more than 1,000 remote monitoring towers to continuously scan for emissions of the greenhouse gas. In a statement, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said blocking “harmful greenhouse gas emissions” from entering the atmosphere is a “key pillar” of the Biden administration’s agenda. DOE said the project is being financed through the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The LPO loan guarantee will support up to 24,000 square miles of monitoring, DOE said in a news release, and include sites in top-producing states such as Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Pennsylvania. LongPath’s planned monitoring network could prevent methane emissions equivalent to at least 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere per year, according to the Energy Department.”
NBC News: How the issue of fracking is playing in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 election
Emma Barnett, 10/23/24
“John Stewart, vice president of Cameron Energy Co., and Robert Bair, president of the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council, are on different sides in the presidential race. But they are on the same side on fracking — a key energy and environmental issue in the biggest battleground state in the election,” NBC News reports. “Comfortable majorities of Pennsylvania voters support fracking, according to multiple recent polls. But while former President Donald Trump’s base draws almost entirely from that side of the question, Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania’s governor and senators have to balance a coalition that includes supporters and opponents of a major industry in the state. For Harris, that means getting support from the likes of Bair — who represents 130,000 union construction workers across Pennsylvania and says the U.S. would not be able to function without fracking — as well as Katie Blume, the political and legislative director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, who told NBC News that she believes Pennsylvania lacks strong regulations and that fracking is not critical for a modern society, praising the Biden-Harris administration’s historic climate legislation. For Trump, it’s simpler: Pennsylvania sits on top of “liquid gold,” he says, and it should “drill, baby, drill.” “...Stewart told NBC he believes that the substance is missing in conversations about fracking and that the question of whether to ban fracking is “the boogeyman” out there. “The question is can we survive without fracking in our modern society? The answer is no. ... We cannot do without our oil and gas products. We just cannot,” he told NBC… “He told NBC the Biden-Harris administration has brought union jobs to Pennsylvania’s energy industry. “The energy policy of this nation has to include fossil fuels in the near term. There’s just no way around it.” he told NBC, adding later, “Fracking and gas are going to be a part of it, and our members are going to be the ones doing it and building.”
Washington Post: Trump’s exaggerated claim that Pennsylvania has 500,000 fracking jobs
Glenn Kessler, 10/24/24
“Just about every time Trump ventures into the battleground state of Pennsylvania, he mentions that fracking is responsible for 500,000 jobs there,” the Washington Post reports. “...How valid is this number? A Trump campaign aide pointed to two documents to support Trump’s number: a 2022 report commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute on jobs created by the oil and gas industry and a 2020 report by the Global Energy Institute, an arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, on the alleged impact of banning fracking. These are industry groups with a vested interest, and so their numbers must be treated with caution. The American Petroleum Institute’s report estimated that 423,700 jobs could be attributed to the oil and natural gas industry in Pennsylvania, if one included “indirect” and “induced” jobs (more on that below). The Chamber of Commerce group’s report estimated that 609,000 jobs would be lost by 2025 if fracking were banned — a number generated by calculating the impact on employment from higher residential and business energy costs and lower government revenue… “We’ll focus on the petroleum institute report, which comes out every two years, as the figure in the Chamber of Commerce report is so high that even a report issued by Trump’s Energy Department was skeptical of the findings and said it was inconsistent with the department’s own estimates… “During the 2011 debate over how many jobs would be created by the Keystone XL pipeline, we revealed how a report touting the benefits of a wind farm project had calculated such induced impacts to an absurd degree. Among the list of jobs that would allegedly be created by a proposed investment in wind farms: 51 dancers and choreographers, 138 dentists, 176 dental hygienists, 100 librarians, 510 bread bakers, 448 clergy, 154 stenographers, 865 hairdressers, 898 reporters, 136 manicurists, 110 shampooers, 98 public relations people, 65 farmers and (our favorite) 1,714 bartenders. In other words, many of these jobs are far afield from the original source. But there’s another issue with using the petroleum group’s report to calculate the impact of fracking. As part of the “oil and gas industry,” it includes employment at gas stations and convenience stories that sell gasoline (along with food and other products)... “A report by the Pennsylvania Department of Energy Program, using a survey conducted by BW Research Partnership and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, concluded there were 20,994 natural gas jobs and 19,670 petroleum jobs in Pennsylvania… “But there’s no excuse for Trump using a figure that, based on the evidence, is so off-base. He earns Four Pinocchios.”
The Hill: What Would Trump And Harris Do On Energy, Environment And Climate Change?
Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk, 10/24/24
“Vice President Harris and former President Trump are offering a stark contrast for voters when it comes to policies on fighting climate change, developing energy and protecting the environment,“ The Hill reports. “During his time in the Oval Office, Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental rules, including Obama-era climate rules for power plants and cars. He also withdrew the U.S. from the global Paris climate agreement. In addition, he reduced protections for the nation’s waters, excluded some chemicals from safety reviews and limited safety protections at chemical plants and offshore oil rigs. He also sought to expand oil and gas drilling both offshore and on public lands, including in a notable Alaska wildlife refuge, and backed fossil fuel projects including the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines… “Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a historic piece of climate legislation that included billions of dollars in tax credits for renewable energy. The law also included programs that seek to put money into climate projects around the nation and put a fee on planet-warming methane emissions from oil and gas production. In addition, the administration has strengthened climate rules for power plants, cars and trucks, which could speed the transition away from coal plants and gas-powered cars… “The administration also sought to limit offshore drilling and blocked the Keystone XL pipeline. And it has sought temporary pauses on new oil and gas drilling and gas exports, though both were blocked in court.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: ‘We have persevered’: Biden will apologize for Native American boarding school history
Shondiin Silversmith, 10/24/24
“For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president is set to apologize to Indigenous communities for the role the federal government played in the atrocities Indigenous children faced in the federal Native American Boarding School system,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The apology, which President Joe Biden will deliver Friday when he speaks at the Gila River Crossing School on the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, comes three years after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland launched the first-ever investigation into Native American Boarding Schools. The final boarding school report provided eight recommendations from the Department of Indian Affairs for the federal government that would support a path to healing for tribal communities. At the top of that list was a call for the United States to acknowledge and apologize for its role in the federal Indian boarding school policies that have harmed — and continue to harm — Indigenous peoples across the country. “The president is taking that to heart, and he plans on making an apology to Indian Country for the boarding school era,” Haaland said in an Oct. 23 interview with the Arizona Mirror. Haaland told the Mirror she has been pinching herself since she got the news that Biden planned on issuing an apology because of the work put in by so many people to shed light on Native American boarding schools and the lasting impacts it has had on Indigenous communities. “It’s incredibly meaningful,” Haaland told the Mirror, because, as part of the boarding school initiative, their department organized the Road to Healing tour, where they visited several Indigenous communities to hear stories about boarding schools.”
STATE UPDATES
Oil & Gas Watch: Chronic failures in Texas’ management of oil & gas wells raise alarms about the state’s request to run carbon capture
Courtney Bernhardt, 10/24/24
“...The question from critics is whether the state agency that oversees underground injection of oil field wastes, the Texas Railroad Commission, is fit for the job – and competent enough to handle a proposed major expansion of its authority into a new area of growth,” Oil & Gas Watch reports. “The Railroad Commission is facing increased scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the federal agency reviews the state’s application for primary enforcement authority over carbon dioxide sequestration wells, which are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies as a strategy to combat climate change. That permitting and enforcement responsibility is held today by the EPA, but Texas has applied for this authority, called “primacy.” In evaluating the Texas application, EPA is looking closely at the commission’s track record when it comes to managing oil and gas wells, like the examples mentioned earlier… “In March 2024, Commission Shift, a watchdog group, and Clean Water Action, a national nonprofit, petitioned EPA to revoke Texas’ primary enforcement responsibility over its underground oil and gas-related injection well program, called the “Class II” well program. This is different than the carbon dioxide disposal well program, called the “Class VI” program. But critics contend that if the Texas commission has a poor track record of managing the first variety, it should not be trusted with the authority to manage the second. “How do we know those systemic problems won't persist in the Class VI program when you have the same oversight authority?" Paige Powell, senior policy manager with Commission Shift, who pointed out that the volumes of CO2 injection with Class VI wells are even larger than with Class II, told OGW. "We need to make sure that before the Texas Railroad Commission gets any more authority on higher pressure, higher consequence wells, that they need to know what they're doing." The petition raises concerns about the harms caused by poorly managed wells, such as earthquakes, sinkholes, well blowouts, and groundwater contamination. It details accidents like wells spilling crude oil and sinkholes swallowing up farm equipment.”
PBS: States work to track down and cap dangerous methane leaks from abandoned oil and gas wells
Miles O'Brien, Will Toubman, 10/24/24
“Two major laws passed by Congress and signed by President Biden provide new money and new requirements for reducing potent methane emissions, including those coming from abandoned oil and gas wells. The federal government has started awarding some contracts for capping those wells, but the election could impact whether this work will continue,” PBS reports. “Maddi Chaussard: The smell was so bad that it would wake me out of my sleep and it would give me stomach aches, headaches, just an overall feeling of sickness. I don't want to slam anybody's livelihood, but I also don't want my health and my children's health to be in jeopardy. Watching that video of the chemicals pouring out of those, it kind of like puts evidence to what I have been feeling for the last three years. Miles O’Brien: The evidence is everywhere if you have the ability to look. It's hard to imagine getting to net zero carbon emissions without stopping the steady stream of leaking methane. Millions of old holes must be plugged, even as tens of thousands of new ones are drilled every year.”
Alaska Beacon: State-Owned Alaska Corporation Approves Up To $20 Million For Potential Arctic Refuge Oil Bid
James Brooks, 10/24/24
“The board of the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority voted unanimously Wednesday to spend up to $20 million to prepare and possibly submit bids in an upcoming oil lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “The Bureau of Land Management, which will administer the sale, is required to hold it in December under provisions of a 2017 law signed by former President Donald Trump. The board’s approval had been expected. AIDEA was one of three successful bidders in a prior 2021 sale, acquiring seven 10-year leases covering 370,000 acres in the refuge’s coastal plain. President Joe Biden and his administration oppose that sale and canceled its results. The corporation is challenging that cancellation in court while it prepares for a second round of bidding.”
Alaska Beacon: On development, Peltola follows the lead of Alaska’s regional Native corporations
James Brooks, 10/23/24
“In Alaska’s U.S. House election, few things come up more frequently than the status of the state’s largest mining and drilling projects,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “In ads and at campaign events, Republican candidate Nick Begich criticizes presidential actions that restrict mining and drilling. Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola trumpets her lobbying in favor of Willow, a large oil development in the National Petroleum Reserve. But where Begich offers almost unconditional support for big projects, including the controversial Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska, Peltola has a more nuanced position. She’s spoken in favor of oil drilling on the North Slope, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a position opposed by Democratic candidates in other states. She supports the proposed Donlin gold mine in Southwest Alaska but opposes Pebble and the proposed Ambler Road, which would supply mines in Northwest Alaska. Peltola formerly opposed Donlin but changed her position earlier this year, causing Begich to insinuate that she is a flip-flopper on development. Earlier this month, Peltola said there’s a simple reason for her positions: local support. “I really think it’s important, when we’re looking at projects around the state, to listen carefully to the regional corporations that are involved in those projects and can benefit from them,” she said at a Fairbanks event.”
Press release: Shell to acquire combined-cycle power plant in priority U.S. trading market
10/23/24
“Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (SENA), a subsidiary of Shell plc (Shell), has signed an agreement to acquire a 100% equity stake in RISEC Holdings, LLC (RISEC), which owns a 609-megawatt (MW) two-unit combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Rhode Island, USA. This acquisition secures long-term supply and capacity offtake for Shell in the deregulated Independent System Operator New England (ISO New England) power market, where SENA has held a contract with RISEC under an energy conversion agreement for 100% of the plant’s energy offtake since 2019. “Shell has had a successful integrated gas and power business in the growing ISO New England market for over 20 years, and this acquisition secures valuable trading opportunities by guaranteeing SENA’s position in the market,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Shell Downstream, Renewables & Energy Solutions Director. “Our strong understanding of this plant’s performance positions Shell to capitalise on its value within our existing trading portfolio.”
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Without more action, it will be ‘impossible’ to meet Paris climate goal: UN
Rachel Frazin, 10/24/24
“Without further actions to reduce planet-warming emissions, it will be “impossible” to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the United Nations said in a new report Thursday,” The Hill reports. “Unless global emissions in 2030 are brought below the levels implied by existing policies and current” goals, it will “ become impossible to reach a pathway that would limit global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot,” the report said. It also said that not bringing policies below nations’ current goals would “strongly increase the challenge” of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). These levels are significant because if they are surpassed, the Earth is likely to cross certain “tipping points,” like the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which will have major impacts on our climate system and be difficult to reverse. The U.N. report warns that countries are not living up to their pledged 2030 goals, but that even if those goals are met, emissions will still be above where they need to be to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals. In addition to calling for “accelerated mitigation action in this decade,” it also called for a “quantum leap in ambition” as countries look ahead to their 2035 goals.”
Phys.org: 'We will not allow others to determine our fate': Pacific nations dial up pressure on Australia's fossil fuel exports
Liam Moore, The Conversation, 10/24/24
“Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo took to a stage in Apia, Samoa, on Thursday morning to say something pointed. Planned fossil fuel expansions in nations such as Australia represented, for his nation, a "death sentence," Phys.org reports. “The phrase "death sentence," Teo said, had not been chosen lightly. He followed up with this: "We will not sit quietly and allow others to determine our fate." “...The speech came at the launch of a new report on moves by the "big three" Commonwealth states—the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia—to expand fossil fuel exports… “ But Teo and others in the movement to stop proliferation of fossil fuels have reserved special criticism for Australia. That's because Australia is now second only to Russia based on emissions from its fossil fuel exports and has the largest pipeline of coal export projects in the world—61% of the world's total… “As Tuvalu's leader points out, Australia is "morally obliged to ensure that whatever action it does [take] will not compromise the commitment it has provided in terms of climate impact." Teo pointed out the "obvious" inconsistency between Australia's commitment to net zero by 2050 and ramping up fossil fuel exports.”
The Energy Mix: Underground Leak at U.S. CCS Well Could Bode Badly for Northern Alberta
Mitchell Beer, 10/24/24
“An 8,000-tonne liquid carbon leak at the United States’ first commercial site for underground carbon dioxide storage is setting off alarm bells for more than 100 other projects that might use similar materials,” The Energy Mix reports. “The leak at a sequestration well below Lake Decatur in Illinois, operated by agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland, was likely caused by corrosion in the steel that was used to build the storage well, Politico PRO reports. As a result, adds Politico’s Power Switch newsletter, more than 150 environmental groups are asking for a pause on carbon sequestration activities, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reassesses more than 100 pending permit applications. “The risks associated with carbon capture and storage… are too great to ignore,” the groups told the EPA, in a letter this week that calls for tougher oversight and more rigorous permitting… “But local water resources and public health are at risk when CCS wells leak. “That’s because pressurized CO2 stored underground can escape or propel brine trapped in the saline reservoirs typically used for permanent storage,” Grist explains. “The leaks can lead to heavy metal contamination and potentially lower pH levels, all of which can make drinking water undrinkable. This is what bothers critics of carbon capture, who worry that it’s solving one problem by creating another.” “...Jessie Stolark, executive director of the U.S. Carbon Capture Coalition, told Politico that curtailing CO2 injections into saline aquifers or suspending permit reviews “would penalize an industry that is complying with federal regulations.” She added that the fact the original leak was detected and addressed “shows that the regulatory regime over carbon storage is working as intended.” “...Politico says it’s unclear how many of the pending CCS applications in the U.S. use 13 Chrome steel, though industry experts said a large percentage of them likely do. And the same question may come up soon enough in Northern Alberta, where representatives of the 3,000-member Cold Lake First Nations say the Pathways Alliance, the lobby group that represents Canada’s biggest oil sands producers, is failing to consult on its own plans for a massive CCS network.”
Deeside: Carbon Capture: North-East Wales at risk of becoming UK’s ‘exhaust pipe,’ warns Plaid politician
10/24/24
“A North Wales politician raised concerns in the Senedd yesterday about the HyNet carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, which aims to store carbon dioxide emissions from major industrial sites under the seabed off the North Wales coast,” Deeside reports. “..Llyr Gruffydd MS, Plaid Cymru’s regional member for North Wales, expressed grave reservations about the safety of the project. Mr Gruffydd highlighted the risks he says CCS poses to local communities, pointing to incidents in other countries where leaks have resulted in hospitalisation and asphyxiation. “Are we willing to expose the people of north-east Wales to becoming the exhaust pipe of the United Kingdom?” Mr Gruffydd asked, accusing the Welsh Government of being too passive on the issue.” He emphasised that the technology could allow major polluters to continue emissions rather than transitioning to cleaner alternatives. Mark Isherwood MS, Conservative regional member for North Wales, called on the Senedd to recognise CCS as a vital part of the UK’s net-zero strategy… “The concerns raised in the Senedd reflect broader unease as highlighted by Carolyn Thomas MS, a Welsh Labour and Co-operative regional member for North Wales. In her recent column for The Leader, Ms Thomas criticised the HyNet project for “greenwashing,” suggesting that it may serve as a way for fossil fuel companies to continue harmful extraction under the guise of sustainability.”
GeekWire: Microsoft signs deal with ocean carbon removal project operating on Washington’s coast
Lisa Stiffler, 10/24/24
“Microsoft today announced a deal with a marine carbon removal startup on the northern edge of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to potentially lock away up to 350,000 tons of CO2 over the next decade,” GeekWire reports. “Ebb Carbon uses a technology already employed by winemakers and in sewage plants that can be applied to the ocean, creating water that is chemically more basic than acidic. The basic or alkaline water can capture carbon from the ocean and safely store it — which also helps combat ocean acidification. The agreement starts with 1,333 tons of removal, with the option for Microsoft to buy more removal credits. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. “The ocean is a critical part of the carbon cycle,” said Brian Marrs, senior director of Energy and Carbon Removal at Microsoft, in a statement. “Ebb has developed technology to leverage the natural attributes of the ocean — its massive surface area and natural ocean processes that already pull CO2 from the atmosphere — to durably remove and store large volumes of atmospheric carbon.” “...At least 18 startups are turning to the ocean as a partner in taking carbon out of circulation — including another venture in the Pacific Northwest.”
Upstream: Equinor optimistic about financial returns from planned CO2 storage projects
10/25/24
“Equinor believes it can generate attractive financial returns from its planned carbon capture and storage projects in Europe and the US, as it pushes its proposed projects towards final investment decisions,” Upstream reports. “The Norwegian energy giant is maturing three pre-sanctioned CCS projects — Northern Endurance in the UK, Smeaheia in Norway and Bayou Bend in the US. Its first dedicated CCS project — Northern Lights — was recently completed and is ready to receive carbon dioxide from customers, but it will not generate earnings as it was government funded in Norway.”
University of California Berkeley: Capturing carbon from the air just got easier
Robert Sanders, 10/24/24
“Capturing and storing the carbon dioxide humans produce is key to lowering atmospheric greenhouse gases and slowing global warming, but today’s carbon capture technologies work well only for concentrated sources of carbon, such as power plant exhaust. The same methods cannot efficiently capture carbon dioxide from ambient air, where concentrations are hundreds of times lower than in flue gases,” according to the University of California Berkeley. “Yet direct air capture, or DAC, is being counted on to reverse the rise of CO2 levels, which have reached 426 parts per million (ppm), 50% higher than levels before the Industrial Revolution… “A new type of absorbing material developed by chemists at the University of California, Berkeley, could help get the world to negative emissions. The porous material — a covalent organic framework (COF) — captures CO2 from ambient air without degradation by water or other contaminants, one of the limitations of existing DAC technologies. “We took a powder of this material, put it in a tube, and we passed Berkeley air — just outdoor air — into the material to see how it would perform, and it was beautiful. It cleaned the air entirely of CO2. Everything,” said Omar Yaghi, the James and Neeltje Tretter Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley and senior author of a paper that will appear online Oct. 23 in the journal Nature. “I am excited about it because there’s nothing like it out there in terms of performance. It breaks new ground in our efforts to address the climate problem,” he added.
Bloomberg: Transocean Discussing Merger With Rival Seadrill as Offshore Downturn Eases
David Carnevali, Dinesh Nair, and David Wethe, 10/23/24
“Transocean Ltd. is in talks to merge with rival offshore drilling contractor Seadrill Ltd., people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, just as oil explorers around the world are returning to the sea,” Bloomberg reports. ”Shares of Seadrill jumped about 10% after the close of regular trading in New York while Transocean’s were up about 3.7%... “Once the world’s two biggest offshore drillers, both Transocean and Seadrill have lagged as rivals bulked up and a protracted offshore drilling downturn forced many contractors into bankruptcy. Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon rig involved in BP Plc’s Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, was the only major offshore rig contractor to avoid bankruptcy during the 2020 downturn. Now offshore drilling, particularly in deep water, is once again booming thanks to steady oil prices and slower production growth from US shale fields… “Major oilfield service companies are pivoting to more work in international and offshore fields amid the shale activity slowdown brought on by industry consolidation, low natural gas prices and pressure to keep spending in check and return profits to shareholders. SLB, the world’s biggest oilfield-services provider, sees the potential for more than $500 billion in commitments to offshore projects from 2023 through 2026.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Oklahoma Watch: Despite Legal Challenges and Exemptions, GOP Lawmakers Remain Committed to Anti-ESG Law
Paul Monies, 10/24/24
“Oklahoma Republican lawmakers said they will continue offering tweaks to the state’s anti-oil and gas boycott law for financial firms and banks, even though the law itself is on hold pending an appeal at the Oklahoma Supreme Court,” according to Oklahoma Watch. “Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, held an interim study on Wednesday looking into the background of state laws targeting climate change goals and other environmental, social and governance initiatives put in place by investment firms and banks. Lepak said he remained committed to making the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act better. “ESG goals weaken industries important to Oklahoma’s economy, which means fewer jobs, which reduces our collective wealth and in turn reduces tax collections and everything tax dollars support,” Lepak said. “Beyond the basic services we all expect, it also affects things like our pensions that are totally supported by tax dollars…. Does it make sense to invest in things that hurt our economy?” Oklahoma lawmakers passed HB 2034 in 2022, which directed the state treasurer to establish a list of banks and financial institutions perceived to be boycotting the oil and gas industry with their carbon-emissions reduction goals. Treasurer Todd Russ has issued three versions of the list, the latest issued in May. Among the companies on the list are Bank of America, State Street Corp., BlackRock Inc. and Barclays PLC. But enforcement of the law is on hold after a retiree, Don Keenan, challenged its constitutionality and what he called political interference in the state’s pension plans. Oklahoma County District Judge Sheila Stinson issued a permanent injunction in September.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Stratford Today: Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms donated to Stratford Fire Department
10/24/24
“Today, Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas) and the Stratford Fire Department announced they are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero,” Stratford Today reports. “Stratford Fire Department received 210 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero–a public education campaign with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) that will provide more than 14,500 alarms to residents in 75 communities across Ontario. This year, Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 16 years, the program has provided more than 101,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments… “This is not the first time that Enbridge Gas has supported the citizens of Stratford and their fire department with the provision of early warning, life-saving equipment,” Fire Chief Neil Anderson told Stratford Today.”
OPINION
Portland Tribune: DeRemer’s support of fracking project is misguided
Larry Kirsch, 10/24/24
“Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer's fanciful and highly controversial argument on behalf of the GTN XPress gas pipeline project was predicted on two flimsy assumptions: The first was that industrial users needed and would buy fracked gas to power their projects; the second that the pipeline's owners had lined up sufficient financing to complete the costly infrastructure expansion. Both assumptions are now revealed as being dubious at best,” Larry Kirsch writes for the Portland Tribune. “Amazon, a leader among industrial purchasers, recently canceled its application to use fracked gas from GTN to power its data centers in Morrow County. That development alone may encourage other businesses to take comparable steps. Further, the pipeline's parent company (TC Energy) has now acknowledged in a federal court filing that the project is not financially viable without cost-sharing from utilities that stand to derive no benefit at all from the project — a proposition that has not escaped the attention of potentially affected utilities such as Puget Sound Energy which has filed its objection. Columbia Riverkeeper, the environmental advocacy group, has filed a petition with the federal regulatory agency to put a hold on the GTN permit because of the self-described financial uncertainties.DeRemer's advocacy for the GTN project was always misguided from an environmental perspective.”
Maryland Matters: Judge should stop delay, reject Annapolis, Anne Arundel County suits against fossil fuel firms
Darryl Barnes was a delegate from Prince George's County from 2015 to 2023, serving as chief deputy majority whip and chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 10/24/24
“With his May indecision on Annapolis and Anne Arundel County’s climate lawsuits — which allege that fossil fuel companies knew about the dangers of climate change but hid it so they could keep marketing their product — Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Steven Platt has failed Marylanders,” Darryl Barnes writes for Maryland Matters. “While reasonable people can disagree about the best ways to address the effects of climate change in our communities, it seems clear that we should rule out expensive, baseless lawfare as an option – which only hurts Maryland residents and small businesses by potentially driving up energy prices. With so many other clear, pressing local issues, Marylanders should insist that public servants focus their attention on problems close to home. With a hearing this Friday on a motion to dismiss these cases, we should make our voices heard for Judge Platt to do just that… “If public officials continue down this path, we will simply raise energy costs for our constituents, who are already bracing for increases to their monthly bills – as high as $18 per month – due to power plant closures and an aging power grid system… “By allowing the lawsuits to continue, when they are likely going to fail in higher courts, Judge Platt isn’t just risking energy bill spikes, but he’s also wasting taxpayer resources and policymakers’ time. It is also his duty to be a good steward of our state’s funds – he has let us down there, too. The longer the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County lawsuits linger on, they stand to become boondoggles for out-of-state trial lawyers who increasingly bill their time to work on these cases. With pressing local issues like affordable housing, zoning reform, and crime and drugs, our public servants don’t have time for solutions in search of problems.”