EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/11/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Daily Local: Local officials urge Shapiro to halt pipeline construction
WV News: Mountain Valley Pipeline's W.Va. permit challenged
AgWeek: Multi-state carbon pipeline adds Grand Forks, ND, ammonia plant to plans
Press release: Summit Carbon Solutions Partners with Blue Ammonia Project to Decarbonize Ag Supply Chain
Journal Courier: Carbon dioxide pipeline backers plan public meetings as group expresses safety concerns
KHQA: Open houses planned this week for proposed pipeline in the Tri-States
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Chickahominy Pipeline representative attending Hanover Supervisors meeting Wednesday
The Spokesman-Review: Spokane City Council hesitatingly approves new deal with pipeline operator
Esperanza Project: Violence and resistance at the frontlines of climate justice
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: D.C. Circuit may ax Interior offshore leases on NEPA grounds
STATE UPDATES
Bloomberg: Shale Drillers Avoid Emission Cuts From Rockies To Great Plains
Inforum: Oil well site explodes in western North Dakota; no injuries reported
CPR: Colorado lawmakers try again to reduce traffic emissions with a ‘clean commute’ bill that favors incentives over penalties
Associated Press: Criminal charges against 'Gasland' driller head to court
Belleville News-Democrat: Could Prairie State cut enough carbon to avoid closure? University of Illinois has a plan
EXTRACTION
CBC: High gas prices, oilpatch labour crunch, pipeline friction: The year ahead in energy
Reuters: Canadian Natural Resources forecasts higher spending, production in 2022
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Where the oil industry is headed in 2022
Financial Times: ECB executive warns green energy push will drive inflation higher
OPINION
Las Vegas Sun: Nevadans Deserve A Fair Return On Public Land Leases
The Hill: Our planet and democracy are under attack — if we don't save both, we won't have either
Barron’s: $100 Oil? Bets Are Rolling In Again.
PIPELINE NEWS
Daily Local: Local officials urge Shapiro to halt pipeline construction
By BILL RETTEW, 1/10/22
“Three local elected officials have called upon Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to halt construction of the Mariner East Pipeline,” the Daily Local reports. “State Sen. Katie Muth, D-44th, of Royersford, State Rep. Dianne Herrin, D-156th, of West Chester, and State Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten, D-155th, of Uwchlan, tell the Local that Shapiro has the clear authority under the Clean Streams Law to file an emergency injunction to halt pipeline construction for the Mariner East Pipeline — and he should do so immediately. The elected officials are also asking the attorney general, a Democratic candidate for governor, to file a nuisance lawsuit on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its citizens (also under the Clean Streams Law) to help abate what the three public officials say are ongoing violations by pipeline builder Energy Transfer… “Following an August spill of at least 21,000 gallons of industrial drilling mud into Marsh Creek State Park, the Department of Environmental Protection entered into one of several settlements with Sunoco/Energy Transfer. “We believe that the current mitigation efforts for sediment control at Marsh Creek Lake are failing.” reads the letter to Shapiro.
WV News: Mountain Valley Pipeline's W.Va. permit challenged
By Charles Young, 1/11/22
“The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit against the West Virginia Department of Environmental Projection, objecting to the DEP’s recent approval of a key water permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project,” WV News reports. “The suit — filed by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates on behalf of the Sierra Club and a coalition of other environmental groups — argues the DEP’s approval violates the Clean Water Act. “MVP has repeatedly violated environmental safeguards, clean water protections and plain common sense in their construction of this fracked gas pipeline,” Sierra Club Senior Organizer Caroline Hansley told WV News… “The Sierra Club’s challenge is the most recent in a series of legal challenges against the MVP project, which have repeatedly forced construction to halt and have greatly inflated the pipeline’s overall cost… “In a Nov. 19 filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in response to the latest legal challenge brought against the pipeline project by a coalition of environmental advocacy groups, FERC said its October 2020 orders were made in the best interest of the public. On Oct. 9, 2020, FERC issued two orders related to the MVP, one that allowed some construction to resume and one that gave the project’s developers more time to complete the pipeline. The coalition of environmental advocacy groups, led by the Sierra Club, petitioned the D.C. Court of Appeals to review FERC’s orders.”
AgWeek: Multi-state carbon pipeline adds Grand Forks, ND, ammonia plant to plans
Jeff Beach, 1/10/22
“The Iowa company behind a $4.5 billion carbon capture and storage project has added another partner — a planned fertilizer plant at Grand Forks, North Dakota,” AgWeek reports. “Summit Carbon Solutions announced Monday, Jan. 10, that Northern Plains Nitrogen, also would be part of the Midwest Carbon Express pipeline that would send carbon to western North Dakota to be stored underground. Northern Plains Nitrogen joins 31 ethanol plants in five states that would be connected to the pipeline. Northern Plains Nitrogen is developing an ammonia plant on 320 acres near Grand Forks to supply low carbon nitrogen-based fertilizer to farmers in the northern United States and Canada. Northern Plains Nitrogen announced its plans for the plant back in 2013 but has still been seeking investors. Larry Mackie, chief operating officer for the fertilizer project, told AgWeek the carbon capture pipeline improves the prospects for the project… “The "blue" ammonia plant would capture 500,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions, which Summit Carbon Solutions will transport and store permanently to a site west of Bismarck, North Dakota. "Blue ammonia" refers to ammonia made from nitrogen and “blue” hydrogen derived from natural gas feedstocks… “Last month, Summit said it received state and local permits to collect seismic data and begin drilling test wells, which is now underway. Summit hopes to begin construction in 2023 and be operational in 2024.”
Press release: Summit Carbon Solutions Partners with Blue Ammonia Project to Decarbonize Ag Supply Chain
1/10/22
“Summit Carbon Solutions is pleased to announce a new partnership with Northern Plains Nitrogen ("NPN") in its carbon capture and storage project, which is focused on decarbonizing the agriculture and biofuels industries. NPN is developing a world-scale blue ammonia plant near Grand Forks, North Dakota, which will supply a range of low carbon nitrogen-based fertilizer products to farmers in under-served markets in the northern United States and Canada. The project site has been acquired and necessary permits have been received to begin site work. "NPN's plant is being designed with the latest and most efficient production processes in the world," said Don Pottinger, CEO of NPN. "Carbon capture and storage is a significant opportunity to improve economic and environmental outcomes utilizing safe and proven technologies. By partnering with Summit Carbon Solutions to capture, transport and permanently store carbon dioxide, we will further reduce the carbon intensity of our products. This is a great story for agriculture, and for the state of North Dakota." “...NPN will capture 500,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions, which Summit Carbon Solutions will transport and store permanently in central North Dakota. Last month, Summit Carbon Solutions announced significant milestones in development of its carbon storage facilities in North Dakota, having received state and local permits to collect 3D seismic data and begin drilling stratigraphic test wells, activities which are now underway.”
Journal Courier: Carbon dioxide pipeline backers plan public meetings as group expresses safety concerns
David C.L. Bauer, 1/10/22
“A company planning a 1,418-mile carbon-capture pipeline will start meeting this week with west-central Illinois residents who live near the 125 miles of the pipeline that will go through the region,” the Journal Courier reports. “...It would carry carbon dioxide from South Dakota to a sequestration site in Christian County, east of Jacksonville… “At full capacity, the pipeline would be able to capture up to 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide — equivalent to what is produced each year by 3.2 million vehicles — and keep it from the air, according to Heartland Greenway owner Navigator CO2 Ventures. That, it said, would be like eliminating "the carbon footprint of (the) Des Moines metro area three times over." Dallas-based Navigator CO2 Ventures said in mid-October that it had obtained necessary board approvals to proceed with the pipeline. It "has commenced the process to obtain all the necessary permits to construct the Heartland Greenway and start initial system commissioning during late 2024 and into early 2025." “...Work being performed by affiliates of Tenaska and Advanced Resources International is under way… “The company hopes to begin construction and environmental surveys in the second to third quarters of this year, and to submit permit information to the Illinois Commerce Commission in the second quarter… “If state and federal permits are received by the second quarter of 2023, as expected, construction could begin in the first half of 2024, according to the company… “Although Heartland Greenway backers stress safety measures that would be built into the construction process, at least one group said it plans to challenge construction, calling liquified carbon dioxide pipelines a "major public health and safety concern." "...Carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant and displaces oxygen. In too high quantities, it can cause unconsciousness or death. Lesser amounts can cause convulsions, disorientation, foaming at the mouth, nausea, vomiting and other health problems," a Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance spokesman told the Courier.
KHQA: Open houses planned this week for proposed pipeline in the Tri-States
Rajah Maples, 1/10/22
“Tri-state residents have a chance this week to weigh in on a plan to build a 1,300-mile pipeline in the Tri-states,” KHQA reports. “Navigator Heartland Greenway wants to build a liquid carbon dioxide pipeline. It would run through five states, including Illinois and Iowa. The company is holding a series of informational meetings this week to allow the general public to learn about the project and ask questions. Those meetings start Tuesday with the first one in the Tri-States taking place Tuesday night in Macomb. One is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the University of Illinois Extension Center in Carthage and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus in Mt. Sterling. The meetings are part of the permit process, which would allow the project to move forward. Navigator Heartland Greenway must receive permission from the local, state and federal permitting jurisdictions.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Chickahominy Pipeline representative attending Hanover Supervisors meeting Wednesday
Holly Prestidge, 1/10/22
“The invite was casual, but effective,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. “During last month's virtual town hall meeting hosted by Chickahominy Pipeline, LLC, in which company representatives sought to answer questions from the public about the 83-mile pipeline they wish to build through five central Virginia counties, now retired Hanover Deputy County Administrator Frank Harksen asked company representatives if they'd attend a Hanover County Board of Supervisors meeting. For the first time since the pipeline was brought to the county's attention last summer, they will. Chickahominy Project Outreach Spokeswoman Beth Minear is scheduled to be present at the evening portion of the supervisors' meeting on Wednesday… “Chickahominy argued that it did not need permission to build the pipeline because it was not a public utility — meaning not selling to retail customers — but rather, it was merely transporting the gas to the power plant. The commission, however, found that Chickahominy is a public utility under the law, agreeing with an SCC hearing examiner who reviewed the case. Minear, in response to the SCC ruling, said last month by email that the company was weighing its options on how to proceed, and "whether it will appeal, file an application for a certificate, or consider other options, all are on the table… “It'll be the first time Chickahominy has agreed to be at a board meeting, so "there may be some new ground covered," Budesky told the Dispatch, but added, "we just want to get answers for our residents."
The Spokesman-Review: Spokane City Council hesitatingly approves new deal with pipeline operator
Adam Shanks, 1/10/22
“The city of Spokane now has the strongest conditions on a petroleum pipeline since its construction decades ago – but some City Council members continue to question whether they are adequate,” The Spokesman-Review reports. “After years of delay that included lawyerly back-and-forth and deferment by elected leaders, the Spokane City Council finally agreed last week to a new agreement with the operators of the Yellowstone Pipeline. City Council President Breean Beggs, who staunchly pushed for the city to demand more from the pipeline’s operator, voted against the agreement. The pipeline, which was permitted and built in the 1950s, begins in Montana and carries motor fuels to storage facilities in Spokane and Moses Lake. Its course within city borders is actually quite short, briefly running through parts of northeast and southeast Spokane before circling the city’s southern border, where it passes once again through the city near Spokane International Airport. The city of Spokane has been without a new agreement with the pipeline’s operator since the previous deal expired in 2005. Some council members expressed consternation about the risk the pipeline poses to the city, but felt that having an agreement in place was better than none at all.”
Esperanza Project: Violence and resistance at the frontlines of climate justice
Cindy Anders, 1/11/22
“Despite months of struggle by water protectors, the tar-sands oil of Alberta, Canada is flowing through Enbridge Inc.’s controversial Line 3 pipeline in northern Minnesota. But for indigenous-led water protectors, environmental activists and concerned citizens who stood with them, the fight against the “black snake” is far from over,” the Esperanza Project reports. “Instead, actions have shifted from the forests, wetlands, rivers and fields along the 330-mile pipeline to courtrooms and government offices around the country. At stake now, say some activists, is not only the water and land, but also the right to oppose fossil fuel infrastructure projects in the future. “This is the fossil fuel industry’s endgame. They know that the fossil fuel era is over, that people are going to protest any new infrastructure,” Jo Christian, an artist and activist who spent time at Line 3 frontlines this summer, told the Project. Law enforcement there subjected her to an excruciating “pain compliance” maneuver that dislocated her jaw and temporarily paralyzed part of her face. “These tactics are definitely being used to scare us, they’re throwing everything at the wall to see what they can make stick. They’re trying to get people to be afraid of standing up for water, and they’re trying to make us afraid to stand up in direct action. That’s why they’re using pain compliance, felony theft charges, critical infrastructure, all of these egregious things. Clearly they’re afraid,” said Jo. She is charged with a felony and a gross misdemeanor for her actions in Minnesota, “because they see that we do hold power, and that they have to figure out a way to stop that.” Jo is one of more than 900 water protectors still facing legal action in the water protector movement, and police violence has not succeeded in its aim of stopping resistance.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: D.C. Circuit may ax Interior offshore leases on NEPA grounds
By Niina H. Farah, 1/11/22
“A federal appeals court yesterday appeared ready to strike down an environmental review underpinning two 2018 Gulf of Mexico lease sales,” E&E News reports. “During oral arguments yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit considered a request by green groups that the court scrap the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act review — and therefore the leases — instead of issuing a remand order allowing the Interior Department to retool its analysis. Although the courts have done it before, remanding NEPA cases without vacating the federal actions the environmental analyses support is "pretty weak sauce," said Judge Robert Wilkins. "This isn’t some ancillary issue," the judge said to an attorney for Interior. "This goes to the heart of the decision of whether you should move forward." NEPA requires federal agencies to fully consider the environmental impact of proposed actions before making final decisions. Although federal courts have often faulted agencies for falling short of NEPA’s requirements, they have rarely used the statute to halt projects. The Gulf Restoration Network, along with the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity, had challenged Interior’s analysis of the 2018 lease sales for failing to address concerns about enforcement of safety regulations to prevent a catastrophic spill from offshore oil and gas development. The environmental challengers alleged that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is within Interior, had not addressed in the NEPA review concerns detailed in a 2017 Government Accountability Office report about a lack of government enforcement of offshore safety measures.”
STATE UPDATES
Bloomberg: Shale Drillers Avoid Emission Cuts From Rockies To Great Plains
1/10/22
“Less than half of oil and natural gas drillers in the U.S. Great Plains and Rocky Mountains plan to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and methane this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City,” Bloomberg reports. “Even fewer have any plans to cut back on flaring of excess gas or recycle water used in fracking wells, the Kansas City Fed found in its fourth-quarter survey of energy executives. Those same managers said they need benchmark crude prices to average about $73 a barrel to justify new drilling and higher output. They foresee oil prices remaining above the $75 level through at least the middle of the decade, the survey found. The Kansas City Fed’s jurisdiction includes Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and parts of Missouri and New Mexico.“
Inforum: Oil well site explodes in western North Dakota; no injuries reported
Adam Willis, 1/10/22
“A fire was burning on an oil well pad in northwest North Dakota's Divide County Monday afternoon, Jan. 10, following an explosion that morning,” Inforum reports. “No one was injured or on site at the time of the explosion, and the fire has been contained to the well pad, Divide County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Shawn Holm told Inforum. About 1,300 barrels, or close to 55,000 gallons, of oil were contained on the site a few miles north of Grenora. Holm responders are allowing the fire to burn through the remaining oil until the blaze extinguishes on its own. Some oil that spilled in the vicinity of tanks on site was contained to the well pad, he told Inforum.”
CPR: Colorado lawmakers try again to reduce traffic emissions with a ‘clean commute’ bill that favors incentives over penalties
Nathaniel Minor, 1/7/22
“After state health officials last year gutted, then killed, a proposed rule that would have required large employers to encourage non-car commuting, two key state lawmakers will introduce a bill this session with largely the same goal,” CPR reports. “To meet our climate goals in Colorado, we cannot just rely on electrification,” state Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat, referring to the state’s push for electric vehicles, told CPR. “We also have to reduce vehicle miles traveled and reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips. And this is one of the many ways we can do that.” The bill, which Winter told CPR she is drafting with state Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, will take a different approach. The state rule would have penalized employers that did not meet certain targets, which led to pushback from business groups. Winter’s bill will instead incentivize shifts toward carpooling, telecommuting, and public transit.”
Associated Press: Criminal charges against 'Gasland' driller head to court
By Michael Rubinkam, 1/7/22
“One of Pennsylvania’s biggest gas drillers is facing newer allegations of pollution in a rural community where it is already charged with fouling residents’ drinking water wells with high levels of methane,” the Associated Press reports. “Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. was charged in 2020 with violating state environmental laws after a grand jury investigation found the Houston-based driller failed to fix faulty gas wells that had been leaking methane into aquifers in Dimock and surrounding communities for more than a decade. The grand jury criticized what it called Cabot’s “long-term indifference to the damage it caused to the environment and citizens of Susquehanna County.” “...The waiver means the charges are forwarded to Susquehanna County Court for a potential trial, though the drilling giant says it has been in discussions with the attorney general’s office on a settlement. The company has previously pushed back against the grand jury’s accusations and defended its record in the community… “Cabot — which merged with Denver-based Cimarex Energy Co. last fall to form Coterra — faces 15 criminal charges, including nine felonies. The contamination in Dimock became the subject of fierce debate among pro- and anti-drilling forces a dozen years ago. An Emmy Award-winning 2010 documentary, “Gasland,” showed residents lighting their tap water on fire. State environmental regulators found Cabot polluted the water supply and banned it from drilling in a 9-square-mile area of Dimock.”
Belleville News-Democrat: Could Prairie State cut enough carbon to avoid closure? University of Illinois has a plan
KELSEY LANDIS, 1/7/22
“Unless a coal-fired power plant in southwestern Illinois manages to make dramatic reductions in its carbon emissions, it will be forced to close within the next 23 years,” the Belleville News-Democrat reports. “Kevin O’Brien, director of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois, has been working on designing a plan to capture carbon at Prairie State Energy Campus, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in Illinois, according to federal data. In 2020, the plant’s stacks sent forth nearly 12 million tons of the heat-trapping gases that contribute to devastating climate change. The state’s new clean energy law, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, requires Prairie State Energy Campus to be 100% carbon-free by the end of 2045. It mandates a 45% reduction by Jan. 1, 2035. If the company falls short, it must retire one or more units or further reduce emissions by 45% by mid-2038… “If Prairie State succeeds, it could save hundreds of jobs as Illinois phases out fossil fuel energy over the next 23 years. Employees at Prairie State are banking on it.”
EXTRACTION
CBC: High gas prices, oilpatch labour crunch, pipeline friction: The year ahead in energy
Tony Seskus, 1/11/22
“The last two years have taken energy markets on a wild ride, with oil prices crashing through the basement at the outset of the pandemic and climbing to more than $85 US a barrel last fall,” the CBC reports. “Alberta drillers and service companies have been talking about the risk of labour shortages, not layoffs. More activity is expected in Canada's oilpatch in the year ahead. But talk of energy these days is rooted in two worlds — the demands of today and the transition ahead — as decarbonization efforts come into even sharper focus with climate change… “Oil prices are forecast to bolster government revenues and drilling activity, although some industry officials have worried recently about finding all of the workers they need… “Last year began with the White House halting completion of the Keystone XL pipeline, with Calgary-based TC Energy now pursuing a $15-billion trade claim. More cross-border wrangling is likely over Line 5, which carries about 87 million litres of crude oil and natural gas liquids a day between Superior, Wis., and Sarnia, Ont., passing through northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula… “The Coastal GasLink project, which would transport natural gas to British Columbia's coast for export, has continued to draw protesters after high-profile arrests on Wet'suwet'en territory last fall. Coastal GasLink has signed deals with 20 elected band councils along the pipeline route, including in Wet'suwet'en territory, but has not won approval from the majority of hereditary chiefs. Work is ongoing on the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project from Alberta to B.C. The federal government-owned project is expected to be online by early 2023. Operation of the existing line was temporarily shut down during unprecedented flooding in B.C. last year. Oil companies and politicians made big promises last year about how they intend to reduce carbon emissions in the face of intensifying climate change. Now people are waiting for the followup. Investor scrutiny — and divestment — are part of a market that is increasingly weighing climate change and climate risk.”
Reuters: Canadian Natural Resources forecasts higher spending, production in 2022
1/11/22
“Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ.TO) on Tuesday joined its rivals in forecasting higher capital expenditure and production in 2022, as it bets on a sustained recovery of oil and gas prices from the pandemic-driven historic lows,” Reuters reports. “Canadian producers are raising their full-year expenditures as they benefit from rallying crude and gas prices. However, companies are opting to spend on buybacks, dividends and squeezing more barrels out of existing assets instead of taking on large expansion projects… “The Calgary, Alberta-based producer also said it expects total production to be between 1.27 million and 1.32 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) this year, compared with the 1.19 million to 1.26 million boepd it had estimated for 2021.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Where the oil industry is headed in 2022
Mike Lee, Heather Richards, 1/11/22
“After recovering from a near-death experience in 2021, the U.S. oil and gas industry could be in for a bumpy ride in 2022 that will influence how much the industry drills, cuts emissions and invests in clean energy,” E&E News reports. “While oil prices have begun to stabilize after crashing during the pandemic, the recovery creates a paradox for oil companies. It will repair their bottom lines, according to a recent report from Moody’s Investors Service, but also increases calls for the industry to lower its emissions of climate-warming pollution and transition away from fossil fuels… “Interior Department plans and pending rules from EPA on methane emissions could further change the trajectory for the sector across the country. Other changes in the industry, including technology and a drive for efficiency, also could shift the outlook this year for the workers and communities that rely on the industry for jobs… “At the same time, a lot of publicly traded companies are under pressure from their shareholders to control their spending. They will be cautious about putting money into new drilling, which could put a damper on American output, David Meats, an analyst at Morningstar, told E&E… “Oil companies will continue looking for ways to cut their emissions this year, under pressure from both regulators and their own investors… “U.S. companies, including Chevron Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp., haven’t gone as far as their European counterparts, but they announced plans to invest in projects to capture carbon dioxide and reduce their emissions in other ways.”
Financial Times: ECB executive warns green energy push will drive inflation higher
Martin Arnold, 1/8/22
“Policies to tackle climate change are likely to keep energy prices higher for longer and may force the European Central Bank to withdraw its stimulus more quickly than planned, one of its senior executives has warned,” the Financial Times reports. “Isabel Schnabel, the ECB executive responsible for market operations, told FT the planned transition away from fossil fuels to a greener low-carbon economy “poses measurable upside risks to our baseline projection of inflation over the medium term”... “However, the inflationary impact of the green energy transition could force the central bank to reconsider this position, Schnabel said, speaking via video link to the annual meeting of the American Finance Association on Saturday. “There are instances in which central banks will need to break with the prevailing consensus that monetary policy should look through rising energy prices so as to secure price stability over the medium term,” Schnabel told FT… “While in the past energy prices often fell as quickly as they rose, the need to step up the fight against climate change may imply that fossil fuel prices will now not only have to stay elevated, but even have to keep rising if we are to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement,” Schnabel told FT.
OPINION
Las Vegas Sun: Nevadans Deserve A Fair Return On Public Land Leases
Jennie Scherbinski is a volunteer board member for the Nevada Wildlife Federation, 1/9/22
“Soon, the Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to hold its first oil and gas lease sale in Nevada under the Biden administration, despite its acknowledgment that the federal oil and gas leasing program has failed Nevadans repeatedly — for decades,” Jennie Scherbinski writes in the Las Vegas Sun. “The Department of the Interior — of which the BLM is a part — recently released its own report that identifies many significant shortcomings with the leasing program, and what reforms need to be made in order to fix it. Given these obvious problems and the solutions that have been identified that could be deployed right now, the BLM should defer its upcoming lease sale in Nevada, as well as all future lease sales, until Interior has fulfilled its commitment to reforming the federal government’s outdated leasing program Wasteful speculation is one of the key shortcomings identified in the department’s report. Because anyone, even if they have no ability or plans to drill for oil or gas, is able to nominate and purchase leases on public lands. And they can do so without having to pay any sort of nomination fee and are able to squat on public lands for just a couple of dollars an acre per year. A bill led by Sens. Jackie Rosen, D-Nev., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, would change that by establishing a lease nomination fee — for the first time ever — and forcing speculators to actually pursue development or pay higher annual rents to the American public.”
The Hill: Our planet and democracy are under attack — if we don't save both, we won't have either
Saad Amer is the co-founder of Plus1Vote, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting youth and people of color out to vote on climate change, social justice and voting rights, 1/10/22
“The year 2021 was supposed to be transformative. We were promised bold action on climate justice and major reforms to voting rights. Yet, this week marks the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the capitol, and our democracy is in peril, voting rights are under attack, and we have made no meaningful progress to protect our planet,” writes for The Hill. “Just as we are seeing an increasingly unstable climate, our democracy is growing more and more unstable with each day. In the last year, 49 states introduced more than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access according to the Brennan Center for Justice. At least 34 laws restricting access to voting have passed in 19 states… “Our inability to make progress on securing our right to vote is directly tied to our inability to act on climate. We won't have a functioning democracy without climate action; we won't have climate action without a functioning democracy. We have to tackle both — or else we have neither… “Solutions are known and are on the table. The Biden administration’s Build Back Better bill would allocate over half a trillion dollars to renewable energy and transportation incentives, among other things. We further need to pass the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Voting Rights Acts, which would make Election Day a national holiday, increase access to mail-in and early voting and protect voters from discrimination. We have a short window that will close this year. Without divisive action, our democratic systems and ecosystems will continue to destabilize as we head toward the midterms.”
Barron’s: $100 Oil? Bets Are Rolling In Again.
By Avi Salzman, 1/10/22
“To say investors are bullish on oil again would be an understatement. In a year that has begun with serious uncertainty—largely about the path of interest rates and tech stocks — a positive call on oil is as close to a consensus opinion as it gets,” Avi Salzman writes for Barron’s. “In fact, traders are making bets again that U.S. oil prices will rise above $100. It would take a major surge to get there. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures, the U.S. benchmark, were down 0.2% on Monday to $78.72 per barrel. “We have yet to encounter a market bear this year, whether on the commodity side, equity investor or with corporate clients,” wrote RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Tran in a note on Sunday. “Over the past week, open interest for June 2022 WTI $100 calls has increased by 10%,” he wrote. “Since September, open interest between $105-$150 per barrel strike prices have increased 14 times.” There are several reasons for the resurgent bullishness. For one thing, oil prices and stocks have proven resilient over the past year. Unlike in previous years, producers have stayed disciplined, choosing not to ramp up drilling to take advantage of higher prices… “More evidence of a supply shortfall would be extremely bullish for oil prices. The more that countries have to compete for every barrel of exports, the higher prices could go.”