EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/10/23
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: EPA inks deal to clean up Keystone spill
Reuters: TC Energy has no estimate of cost of Keystone pipeline spill clean-up
Michigan Advance: New: Michigan exploring options to seek higher court input on Line 5 battle
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa House speaker: Expect carbon pipeline debates in 2023 legislative session
KMA: Shen council revisits pipeline issue Tuesday
WDRB: Bernheim pipeline lawsuit heads to trial in Bullitt County
Associated Press: Colonial Pipeline section restarts after Virginia fuel leak
Natural Gas Intelligence: Water Permit Challenge Against Rio Grande LNG, Pipeline Project Tossed
Oil & Gas Journal: Moody’s: US LNG growth trajectory depends on pipeline additions
WASHINGTON UPDATES
InsideEPA: CEQ Issues ‘Interim’ NEPA Climate Guide Without GHG Significance Level
Politico: White House Issues Major Climate Change Guidance
Huffington Post: In Further Trump Reversal, White House Moves To Put Climate Back In Infrastructure Equation
The Hill: Grijalva blasts provision in House rules package making it easier to transfer public land ownership
E&E News: House Republican fires opening salvo on energy permitting
NPR: An oil and gas lease sale in Alaska may indicate a shift in energy firms' priorities
STATE UPDATES
Ohio Capital Journal: DeWine signs bills for voter photo ID and “green energy” natural gas drilling on state lands
Press Enterprise: Hundreds of deserted oil and gas wells in Southern California could soon get plugged
EXTRACTION
CBC: Victim's parents call for better jobsite safety after charges laid in oilsands tailings pond death
Associated Press: Germany to draw up legislation to enable carbon storage
OPINION
The Hill: How Congress forces us to cause climate change
The Hill: Some inconvenient truths about the energy transition
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: EPA inks deal to clean up Keystone spill
Hannah Northey, Carlos Anchondo, 1/9/23
“EPA and the owner of the Keystone pipeline have signed a legally binding deal to clean up a swath of a Kansas creek where hundreds of thousands of heavy crude leaked last month,” E&E News reports. “EPA and TC Energy Corp. signed a consent order that lays out the steps the company must take to clean up the creek to meet federal Clean Water Act standards. The pipeline leak violated the federal law and created “an imminent and substantial threat to human health and the environment,” according to EPA’s news release Monday. The order, however, does not contain financial penalties. Curtis Carey, a spokesperson for EPA’s Region 7 Office, told E&E the agency will review all enforcement options moving forward… “As of Monday, TC Energy’s website said nearly 12,000 barrels of oil have been recovered. Congressional leaders in both chambers have since demanded answers from TC Energy, pointing to past spills that have plagued communities and waterways along the pipeline’s route… “According to EPA, the company as of Sunday had recovered 860,000 gallons of an oil and water mixture. The agency did not have an estimate for how much more needed to be cleaned up… “Carey told E&E the company has also installed a system of large hoses to divert clean upstream water flowing through the creek around the affected area.
Reuters: TC Energy has no estimate of cost of Keystone pipeline spill clean-up
Nia Williams, 1/9/23
“TC Energy (TRP.TO) on Monday said it was too early to speculate on the cost of cleaning up a 14,000-barrel spill from its Keystone pipeline, as the Canadian company entered into a clean-up agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” Reuters reports. “...We share the EPA's prioritization of safety and mitigating risk to the environment, and we are committed to complying with the agreement as we progress our response, recovery, and remediation," TC said in a statement. "It is premature to surmise or speculate on costs." In a clean-up order finalised on Jan. 6, the EPA said the leaked oil impacted water in the creek at least 3-1/2 miles downstream, stained vegetation, caused a visible sheen on the water and significantly affected fish and wildlife. The order said TC must recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and vegetation and contain the further spread of oil the creek. All work must be completed under EPA oversight.”
Michigan Advance: New: Michigan exploring options to seek higher court input on Line 5 battle
LAINA G. STEBBINS, 1/10/23
“A “disappointing” jurisdictional ruling for the state of Michigan has left court proceedings for Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit against Canadian pipeline company Enbridge in the lurch,” Michigan Advance reports. “But as Nessel v. Enbridge goes on five months without new filings, the attorney general’s office is looking at all options available to bring the lawsuit back to state court. “[Nessel] believes that it belongs in state court and has taken the steps she can at this point to try to get it back there,” Robert Reichel, chief of the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division at the Michigan Department of Attorney General, told MA… “The move from state to federal court would likely significantly hinder Michigan’s chances at ultimately winning the case… “Emphasizing that a decision has not yet been made, Reichel said that something being considered is filing a petition for a writ of mandamus… “For a writ of mandamus to be granted, Reichel said: “One has to make a strong showing that the lower court acted not only erroneously, but that there is a need for the Court of Appeals, in this instance, to arrive at a different decision now.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa House speaker: Expect carbon pipeline debates in 2023 legislative session
ROBIN OPSAHL, 1/6/23
“Iowans can expect to see their state legislators discuss changes to carbon pipeline laws in the upcoming legislative session, House Speaker Pat Grassley said in an interview with the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “...Grassley told the Iowa Capital Dispatch there’s a greater appetite to take action on pipelines this year than in 2022. “We’re hearing from enough Iowans that we feel we’ve let this process play,” Grassley told the Dispatch. “That’s what I said last year, ‘Let’s let this process play and see what it does.’ And now we’ve had enough of the process play through we’ve heard from enough Iowans that I think you’re going to see something. What that is exactly, I’m not in a position where I can tell you, but I know the caucus is hearing enough from their constituents.” “...The speaker pointed to the Iowa Farm Bureau’s approach to pipelines in their 2022 policy meeting. The IFB recommended setting up a threshold for voluntary easements from landowners before granting a company eminent domain authority, in addition to recommending farmers receive compensation for crop yield reductions because of pipeline easement… “But in the House, Grassley said discussions in the Republican caucus show an interest in moving away from Iowa’s current system. “This is a very hot issue in our districts, not just districts that have a pipeline,” Grassley told the Dispatch. “I mean, this is a big deal in every district. So while I can’t sit here and say this is what I think we will do, I am from talking to members, I’m fairly confident there’s going to be a push to do something.”
KMA: Shen council revisits pipeline issue Tuesday
Mike Peterson, 1/9/23
“Shenandoah's stance on a controversial carbon pipeline project takes another turn Tuesday night,” KMA reports. “Officials with Green Plains and Summit Carbon Solutions are listed on the agenda of the Shenandoah City Council's 6 p.m. meeting at Shenandoah City Council. After hearing from both companies, the council is expected to discuss whether to rescind Mayor Roger McQueen's veto of a resolution approved at the last council meeting objecting to Summit's proposed Midwest Express Pipeline. Approved by a 4-to-1 vote at the December 20th meeting, the resolution also opposed the use of eminent domain to acquire property for the project. Council members took action after hearing from the project's opponents. Shenandoah City Administrator A.J. Lyman also voiced concerns over the proposed pipeline, saying the city has concerns about the potential impact on the city's water system. "The proposed line would cross our raw water mains that supply water to the entire town," said Lyman. "If there were a leak or rupture, the liquid CO2 would cause rupturing of those raw water lines. And, we would be without water for however long it took to repair that, which is a greater issue." “...Green Plains officials informed KMA News that company CFO Jim Stark will address the council regarding the proposed pipeline, and it's importance to its business and the region.”
WDRB: Bernheim pipeline lawsuit heads to trial in Bullitt County
Marcus Green, 1/9/23
“A key court case in LG&E's effort to build a natural gas pipeline in Bullitt County heads to trial on Tuesday,” WDRB reports. “The utility sued Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest under Kentucky's eminent domain law in 2019 after the two sides couldn't reach a deal for land along the pipeline route that Bernheim owns and uses as a wildlife corridor. LG&E argues it can condemn the property. Bernheim contends the land is part of a conservation easement held by state government and, therefore, is public property that can't be seized… “Critics say that Jim Beam will disproportionately benefit from the line, and documents show that the bourbon maker was consulted about the project before LG&E approached the Public Service Commission. Some landowners in prior condemnation cases sought a ruling that Buress hadn't considered whether Jim Beam will get the "primary benefit" from the pipeline. But state law, the judge ruled in September 2021, doesn't require that, only that utilities show there is a public use. The proposed line "would undoubtedly serve a broader public purpose in addition to greatly benefitting Jim Beam," Burress wrote… “The project also needs a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which suspended a permit for the pipeline last year while experts review possible impacts to endangered species in the area. The Nationwide Permit 12 governs the construction of oil and gas pipelines near waterways such as lakes, rivers and streams.”
Associated Press: Colonial Pipeline section restarts after Virginia fuel leak
1/10/23
“A portion of the nation’s largest fuel pipeline has restarted, days after it was shut down by a diesel fuel leak in Virginia, Colonial Pipeline said,” the Associated Press reports. “The spill at the Witt booster station near Danville was discovered Tuesday, prompting a shutdown of the line, the Alpharetta, Georgia-based company said. The affected line returned to normal operations Sunday evening after crews completed repairs, spokesperson David Conti said in an email. The restart was initially expected Saturday. An equipment failure caused the spill that was detected during a routine station check and appears to be contained to the property, the company said. The company did not say what caused the leak… “About 2,500 gallons (9,464 liters) of diesel fuel spilled, but the spill was contained on site between soil and an adjacent stormwater retention pond, according to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Aaron Proctor. There’s been no sign of impacts to state waters or wildlife beyond fish and animals living in the retention pond. About 20 trucks of contaminated soil were expected to be removed from the site this week, Proctor said in an email. Colonial has begun sampling groundwater wells within a 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometer) radius for contamination and is coordinating those tests with landowners, he told AP.”
Natural Gas Intelligence: Water Permit Challenge Against Rio Grande LNG, Pipeline Project Tossed
JACOB DICK, 1/9/23
“Work for the Rio Grande LNG terminal and related Rio Bravo Pipeline proposed by NextDecade Corp. in South Texas may proceed after a challenge against the water permits was dismissed,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit last Thursday said a claim brought by a Rio Grande Valley fishermen association and environmental groups against a Clean Water Act permit didn’t prove a fault in the permitting process (No. 21-60889). The groups argued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers didn’t properly assure the firm’s plan was the “least environmentally damaging” before granting approval. In an opinion written by Judge Carolyn Dineen King, the three-judge panel concluded the groups failed to prove that an alternative plan would reduce impact to wetlands.”
Oil & Gas Journal: Moody’s: US LNG growth trajectory depends on pipeline additions
1/9/23
“Rising global demand for natural gas is a growth opportunity for US LNG producers but delivering on the opportunity will depend on timely construction of natural gas pipeline infrastructure to support new US LNG supplies, and on continued availability of long-term offtake commitments to back financing for LNG infrastructure, Moody’s said in a research note,” Oil & Gas Journal reports. “...Most of the announced US LNG growth projects through 2025-26 have long-term commitments from Asian buyers, the original source of the US LNG boom since the mid-2010s, and international commodity traders stepped up their LNG purchases in 2022. But LNG producers require long-term offtake commitments to underpin financing of new LNG infrastructure projects. LNG projects should in turn spur further capital allocation for constructing new pipeline capacity to connect the largest US gas producing regions and new export infrastructure. These new pipeline projects will need to win permitting approvals from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and overcome likely court challenges. Today's peak nameplate capacity of nearly 14 bcfd reflects only about one-quarter of the capacity of all announced LNG projects, including several with partial or full FERC approval and 10 bcfd under construction. Appalachia’s Marcellus and Utica basins together contribute roughly one-third of US dry gas production, but limited takeaway capacity has constrained growth for those regions… “US LNG capacity is likely to almost double over the next 10 years, even if some of today's proposed projects do not reach completion, boosting medium-term midstream growth opportunities… “Several midstream companies have already announced US midstream projects that will supply gas to LNG infrastructure, including DT Midstream’s LEAP expansion, Williams’ Louisiana Energy Gateway, Energy Transfer’s Gulf Run, Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway expansion, and WhiteWater's Matterhorn pipeline project.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
InsideEPA: CEQ Issues ‘Interim’ NEPA Climate Guide Without GHG Significance Level.
1/6/23
“The White House has released ‘interim’ guidance for how agencies should assess climate change effects in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews, requiring reviews of projects’ direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions and the use the social cost of carbon (SCC) while declining to set a GHG ‘significance’ threshold to determine the rigor of reviews,” InsideEPA reports. “The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released the guidance Jan. 6 ahead of publication in the Jan. 9 Federal Register, when it takes immediate effect. However, CEQ is also taking comment on the guidance through March 10, and those comments could inform a final version of the guide. CEQ notes that it does not expect agencies to apply the guidance to NEPA reviews that have already been completed, though officials should consider using it for in-process reviews if it would help weigh alternatives or respond to public comments. The guidance stems from an early executive order from President Joe Biden directing CEQ to review, revise and update its 2016 final GHG NEPA guide. Biden’s order revived the 2016 guidance and sought the update after Trump officials shelved the Obama-era measure in 2017.
Politico: White House Issues Major Climate Change Guidance
1/8/23
“The CEQ interim policy, Reg. 0331-AA06, which takes effect immediately, is an effort to give clearer contours for how federal agencies should assess greenhouse gas emissions through the National Environmental Policy Act, a bedrock environmental law,” Politico reports. “The guidance will affect the reviews of projects ranging from pipelines to bridges, as well as federal policy actions. … Details: The guidance from Biden’s CEQ encourages agencies to consider not only the direct impact projects or policies can have on producing greenhouse gas emissions, but also those that are indirectly caused by them. That reverses Trump administration NEPA guidance, which had narrowed agencies’ review of the effect major federal decisions have on climate change. The interim guidance implores agencies to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from proposed actions, detail relevant impacts and propose alternatives. That includes analyzing ‘reasonably foreseeable climate effects,’ including direct and indirect impacts from emissions, such as accounting for the eventual combustion of fossil fuels from the approval of an energy lease sale.”
Huffington Post: In Further Trump Reversal, White House Moves To Put Climate Back In Infrastructure Equation
Chris D'Angelo, 1/6/23
“President Joe Biden’s White House on Friday issued new guidance for federal agencies to assess greenhouse gas emissions and climate change impacts when reviewing proposed infrastructure projects,” the Huffington Post reports. “The updated guidance from the White House Council on Environmental Quality furthers the administration’s reversal of a major Trump-era move, the industry-friendly overhaul of the National Environmental Policy Act, one of the country’s bedrock environmental laws. It is a supplement to a White House rule last year that required federal agencies to once again evaluate all climate environmental impacts when reviewing pipelines, power plants, airports and other projects. NEPA reviews “should quantify proposed actions’ [greenhouse gas] emissions, place GHG emissions in appropriate context and disclose relevant GHG emissions and relevant climate impacts, and identify alternatives and mitigation measures to avoid or reduce GHG emissions,” the new guidance reads… “The guidance also distinguishes between renewable energy projects and carbon-intensive infrastructure, instructing regulators to “apply the rule of reason when determining the appropriate depth of analysis.” “Absent exceptional circumstances, the relative minor and short-term GHG emissions associated with construction of certain renewable energy projects, such as utility-scale solar and offshore wind, should not warrant a detailed analysis of lifetime GHG emissions,” it reads… “Environmental groups applauded the new NEPA guidance. Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice, called it “a huge achievement for frontline communities fighting to make their voices heard across the country” and “essential to leading federal agencies on our path to a just, zero emissions future.”
The Hill: Grijalva blasts provision in House rules package making it easier to transfer public land ownership
ZACK BUDRYK, 1/9/23
“The top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee blasted a provision in the proposed House rules package that would make it easier to transfer public lands, calling it an indication the new GOP majority intends to pursue a broadly pro-industry agenda,” The Hill reports. “The proposed rules package, made public Friday, includes a provision streamlining the process by which ownership of federal lands passes from the federal government to states or localities… “The whole process of this rule is to devalue public land,” Grijalva told the Hill. “You’re basically handing [land] over to the industries, whichever they might be … and all the protections that are in place under federal law, in terms of siting those and getting permission for those [lands] disappears, and that changes the complexion of it completely.” In 2019, after Democrats won control of the chamber, they passed a rules package undoing the earlier rule. “It’s not good environmental policy, but I’m almost certain that this is going to be what we’re going to see from the [Natural] Resources Committee: blind loyalty to the oil industry, the mining industry and, in this case, trying to facilitate their access to and devaluing our own public land,” Grijalva told the Hill.
E&E News: House Republican fires opening salvo on energy permitting
Emma Dumain, 1/10/23
“A senior House Natural Resources Committee Republican offered an early preview Monday of how the GOP will seek to overhaul the permitting process for energy projects with its new House majority,” E&E News reports. “While the approach, which deals with the hardrock mining industry, is one that’s sure to galvanize Republicans, it isn’t likely to attract the bipartisan coalition necessary for passage in the Democratic-controlled Senate. That won’t deter Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), incoming chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, who is looking to forge ahead with a legislative agenda that mirrors the party’s larger willingness to revisit the National Environmental Policy Act — a sacrosanct law to most Democrats — and cut regulations in the pursuit of U.S. energy independence and dominance. The first bill Stauber has introduced in the 118th Congress is the “Permitting for Mining Needs Act,” which is designed to increase domestic production of critical minerals necessary for meeting defense, technology and clean energy needs in the United States. Stauber told E&E News in an interview that he views it as either a stand-alone bill that could move through the Natural Resources Committee or one that could become a part of a larger permitting reform package the committee’s chair, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), has pledged to make a priority.
NPR: An oil and gas lease sale in Alaska may indicate a shift in energy firms' priorities
Dwane Brown, 1/10/23
“In Alaska, the Cook Inlet oil and gas lease auction brought in just one bidder. It may be a signal of what's to come with leases in the region,” NPR reports.
STATE UPDATES
Ohio Capital Journal: DeWine signs bills for voter photo ID and “green energy” natural gas drilling on state lands
NICK EVANS, 1/9/23
“Late Friday night, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine cleared his desk — signing into law two controversial bills… The other law orders state agencies to award drilling licenses for state-owned lands and designates natural gas as “green energy,” the Ohio Capital Journal reports. “...A lot of unexpected things happen when lame-duck deadlines loom at the Ohio Statehouse. One of the most notable from December was the chicken bill that directs state agencies to allow natural gas drilling on their land. The measure began as a way to reduce the minimum lot size for live poultry purchases from six chicks to three. A late amendment added language about drilling and designating natural gas as “green energy,” among other changes… “The amendment shifts “may” to “shall” in state law. The idea is to force the hand of the state commission responsible for leases. DeWine, however, seemingly brushed off the changes, stating he’d instruct the commission to continue as usual. In a statement, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund’s Pete Bucher lit into the bill. “This bill is an egregious assault on executive authority, the public’s interest and our state parks and public lands. The bill also furthers fossil fuel misinformation campaigns designed to brand natural gas as ‘green energy,’ a nationwide effort to delay climate action and the transition to a truly clean energy future.” OECAF’s Chris Tavenor spoke about the organization’s opposition prior to DeWine’s announcement. While he was clear they deeply opposed the policy changes, he seemed just as appalled at the policy making. “If you’re going to do it, create a system,” he argued, “this is essentially forcing it through in order to ensure that oil and gas companies can get their profits as quickly as possible,” “This is not about creating a process to ensure that state land is managed appropriately,” he told the Journal. “It’s about ensuring that oil and gas companies get access to the resources.”
Press Enterprise: Hundreds of deserted oil and gas wells in Southern California could soon get plugged
BROOKE STAGGS, 1/8/21
“One apparently is hiding under the driveway of a million-dollar home in Placentia. Another lurks beneath a parking lot at Ontario International Airport. And another is under a commercial building in Culver City — much to the surprise of the upscale window company doing business there,” the Press Enterprise reports. “Thanks to its once expansive, 150-year-old oil and gas industry, Southern California has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of so-called “orphan wells,” or wells that companies abandoned without first plugging them up for safety. The state has documented nearly 2,000 orphan wells in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties alone, while estimating that thousands more could be paved over, unrecorded, and waiting to be rediscovered… “And starting in 2021, after federal lawmakers announced they’d be doling out $4.7 billion in coming years to help plug such wells, California rushed to account for more, with at least 5,300 orphan wells now on record statewide. California also is kicking in unprecedented funds to deal with deserted oil and gas wells. Over the past six years, the state has spent $9.3 million to plug 70 such wells. In the next two years, California has budgeted to spend $100 million to secure perhaps 700 more. There’s a good chance much of that work will happen in Southern California, Adam Peltz, a senior attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund and director of Energy Transition for the nonprofit, told PE. That’s because many local wells are very close to homes, businesses, earthquake faults and other sites that elevate the risks they pose… “One thing is clear: It won’t be enough. Seth Shonkoff, executive director of PSE Healthy Energy, an Oakland-based nonprofit that studies how energy production and use impact public health and the environment, told PE when you stack even the unprecedented government spending on oil well capping against the true scope of the problem, the money made available to date will be “a drop in the bucket.”
EXTRACTION
CBC: Victim's parents call for better jobsite safety after charges laid in oilsands tailings pond death
Wallis Snowdon, 1/10/23
“The parents of a 25-year-old oilsands worker who died in a frozen tailings pond in northern Alberta say charges in the case reveal disturbing details about safety failures on site,” CBC reports. “Suncor and Christina River Construction face a total of 28 charges under the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act in the death of Patrick Poitras. Poitras was operating a bulldozer on Jan. 13, 2021, at Suncor's base mine about 30 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, when the ice beneath the machine gave way. Three days later, his body was pulled from the pond. "Someone didn't do their job and I lost my son because of that," Marcel Poitras told CBC from his home in New Brunswick. "My son gave his life for that job." The charges, laid in November, allege the companies ignored a series of safety protocols when they directed Poitras to operate a dozer on dangerously thin ice. The case details how the companies allegedly failed to properly check the thickness of the ice and ignored previous measurements that showed it was too thin to bear the weight of the machine… “It is also alleged the companies failed to have a safety plan in place directing Poitras to keep his seatbelt off — and the door unlatched — while he was operating the dozer on the pond. Suncor also faces a charge for underestimating how much the dozers weighed, and failing to account for the weight of snow when calculating required ice thickness. It's further alleged that Suncor ignored its own winter geology guidelines that called for work to be deferred on any sites with more than one metre of standing water.”
Associated Press: Germany to draw up legislation to enable carbon storage
1/5/23
“Germany is working on legislation to enable the use of the much-discussed technology of underground carbon storage, a top government official said Thursday, adding that it is preferable to releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” the Associated Press reports. “Speaking to an industry group in Norway, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Germany’s economy and climate minister, pointed to the prospects of a “new market” for carbon capture and storage, particularly in the lime and cement industry. The technology has yet to be deployed at scale. Opponents maintain that it is unproven and has been less effective than alternatives such as solar and wind at decarbonizing the energy sector. Habeck, a member of the environmentalist Green party, told AP that “we are no longer in a situation (where) we can pick and choose.” “Putting CO2 under the ground is quite simply better than releasing it into the atmosphere,” he told AP. “For this reason, Germany is now working on a carbon management strategy in order to create the legislation for the use of such technologies in this year, by mid-2023.”
OPINION
The Hill: How Congress forces us to cause climate change
William S. Becker is a former U.S. Department of Energy central regional director, 1/9/23
“As we prepare our income tax filings for 2022, we know Congress will spend some of our money on things we don’t like. We can shrug off most of it. But we should draw the line when Congress uses our taxes to jeopardize national security, our personal safety and our children’s futures,” William S. Becker writes for The Hill. “That’s what it does by giving tens of billions of dollars every year to the industry causing global climate change. Fossil fuels have improved our lives for generations, but they required a Faustian bargain: economic progress at the expense of oil shocks, wars and pollution that causes illnesses, including lung cancer… “The first step is to end government subsidies for fossil fuels… “Congress has spent tens of billions more to provide the industry with research, access to federal lands, infrastructure improvements and COVID-19 relief. For example, it has allocated billions of dollars since 1997 to help the fossil energy industry develop the ability to trap and bury carbon pollution from power plants. But the track record of this technology is littered with failures. Nevertheless, Congress keeps dumping money into this technology even though it will never be able to compete with solar and wind energy… “Members of Congress undoubtedly worry about voter reaction if oil and gas producers respond to subsidy loss by raising their prices… “However, the oil and gas industries aren’t preparing for retirement. Nearly 22,000 miles of new oil, gas and carbon pipelines were planned or under construction in the United States last year. This is not what most Americans want. In a poll last year, nearly 70 percent of respondents said renewable energy should be our highest priority. Meanwhile, 70 percent agreed America should take steps to be carbon neutral by 2050.”
The Hill: Some inconvenient truths about the energy transition
Bernard L. Weinstein is emeritus professor of applied economics at the University of North Texas, 1/9/23
“Without question, America’s commitment to the “energy transition” is now in high gear,” Bernard L. Weinstein writes for The Hill. “...But fossil fuels aren’t going away soon, either here or around the globe. In 2022, the U.S. maintained its position as the world’s number one oil producer at 18.6 million barrels per day, just slightly below the pre-pandemic record… “We’re also the largest producer of natural gas, by far, with output of nearly 80 billion cubic feet per day at the end of 2022. What is more, the U.S. is now tied with Qatar as the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Our LNG exports to Europe have quadrupled over the past year, from 2 billion to 8 billion cubic feet per day, helping those countries wean themselves off Russian gas… “Fossil fuels will also remain the dominant energy sources for the world 30 years from now. Energy and the environment will remain key policy issues — here and abroad — for the foreseeable future. But the appropriate policy response to the environmental consequences of more fossil fuel use should be to explore technologies such as carbon sequestration and methane capture, rather than passing bans on hydraulic fracturing, fighting new pipelines, or requiring new office buildings and homes to be all electric.”