EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/17/23
PIPELINE NEWS
KXNET: Bismarck ‘lawyers up’ against Summit Carbon Solutions
The Pantagraph: McLean County zoning board recommends expanded sequestration requirements
AgWeek: Everything to know about Lincoln County’s CO2 advisory committee
Bloomberg: US Energy Regulators Authorize Projects Expanding Natural Gas
Whitman Wire: Expansion Coming Soon to a Pipeline Near You
Chicago Tribune: Peoples Gas pipeline replacement program paused
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US helps forge global group on measuring natgas' climate-warming emissions
E&E News: Enviros Ask 9th Circuit To Block Contentious Willow Oil Project
E&E News: Interior Agrees To Review California Offshore Drilling Plans
Reuters: US hydrogen tax credit rule could slip into 2024 amid debate over its design -sources
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Ohio Commission Approves Fracking In State Parks And Wildlife Areas Despite Fraud Investigation
KQED: Bay Area Climate Activists Rally Against Exxon Mobil CEO's APEC Speech
Washington Times: Big oil companies fret about biased jury in coastal land-loss lawsuit in Louisiana
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: Exxon CEO Says Making Big Oil ‘Villains’ Slows Path To Net Zero Emissions
The Hill: Many corporations promote ‘net zero’ while lobbying for weaker climate action: Report
DeSmog: Why the Belief That Carbon Capture Technologies Can Work at Gigaton-Scale Is a Gigantic Gamble
OilPrice.com: Carbon Capture Doesn’t Mean Oil Firms Can Continue Business As Usual
Financial Times: Chevron plots carbon storage future despite Australia plant setbacks
Associated Press: At talks on cutting plastics pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?
TIME: What Happens When You Put a Fossil Fuel Exec in Charge of Solving Climate Change
The Narwhal: It’s complicated: Canadian Museum of Nature rethinks its relationship status with Enbridge
OPINION
Carroll Times Herald: Letter to the editor: Ewoldt
OilPrice.com: Gas Infrastructure Needs to be Ready for Clean Hydrogen
RealClearEnergy: Supplying 65% of Our Energy, America Must Lead on Oil and Gas
Global Witness: What is carbon capture and storage? CCS easily explained
PIPELINE NEWS
KXNET: Bismarck ‘lawyers up’ against Summit Carbon Solutions
Adrienne Oglesby, 11/15/23
“The proposed Summit Carbon Solutions project intends to allow a CO2 pipeline to make its way through our state, but in recent times, has seen a massive number of delays,” KXNET reports. “Now, KX meets with Bismarck City Attorney Janelle Combs, who states that the city is still working to address concerns many have regarding the operation… “Combs told KX that the city is working to ensure a safe community by doing its due diligence. After inquiring several law firms in the state and outside of it, they have found a match to join forces with. The law firm has represented the city in other litigation matters, and Mr. Zomer (a member of the organization) has practiced before the North Dakota Public Service Commission… “If there was to be a hazardous material break in this pipeline when it’s built,” Combs explained, “it goes through Burleigh County and Morton County and south of us as well, Bismarck Fire would be one of the teams that would be dispatched at the beginning.”
The Pantagraph: McLean County zoning board recommends expanded sequestration requirements
Drew Zimmerman, 11/15/23
“Developers wishing to drill wells to bury climate-changing carbon dioxide deep under McLean County may have to comply with an all-new set of rules before their projects can begin,” The Pantagraph reports. “On Tuesday, the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals approved an amended set of zoning requirements for such sequestration wells. The decision came after comments, questions and testimony from the public that spanned three different three-hour zoning board meetings. The board also heard testimony on an unrelated proposal to drill three injection wells for carbon sequestration on the county's east side. The developer, One Earth Sequestration, is pursuing state approval for plans to build a roughly 7-mile pipeline between the wells and Gibson City ethanol producer One Earth Energy… “One of the most debated requirements was that wells must be 1,500 feet from an occupied residence, livestock shelter, community building or commercial or manufacturing building. Proponents of sequestration suggested a setback requirement of 330 to 660 feet, which would be in line with setbacks for oil and gas wells. One of the concerns over higher setbacks was a 2020 sequestration pipeline rupture in Mississippi that caused dozens of people to experience shortness of breath, confusion and loss of consciousness. Lea Cline, chair of the Land Use and Development Committee, said that while there are industries where setbacks are more established, there are no setback requirements for sequestration wells… “A number of speakers raised concerns about the drilling of a well near the Mahomet Aquifer, which provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents across 14 counties. Cline said her committee and the work group involved in the drafting of the new zoning requirements have made public commitments to opposing any sequestration application with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that seeks to drill a CO2 well through the Mahomet Aquifer… “Although aquifer protections and financial assurance requirements were not added, the board agreed to include language that an applicant must have an evacuation plan in the event of a serious incident. The applicant would be required to provide necessary equipment and training for first responders… “The public hearing for the One Earth application was continued to Nov. 21.”
AgWeek: Everything to know about Lincoln County’s CO2 advisory committee
Hunter Dunteman, 11/16/23
“A newly created carbon dioxide task force is set to begin meeting in Lincoln County next week, aimed to help guide county authorities toward a decision to regulate CO2 pipelines,” AgWeek reports. “...The ad hoc — or “as necessary” — committee was an idea from Lincoln County Commission Chair Tiffani Landeen, who sought a seven-person body tasked with providing input and making recommendations to the Planning Commission regarding the potential adoption of a zoning ordinance to regulate carbon dioxide transport and storage in the county… “The committee’s job will focus on recommending the best ordinance… “While first pitching the committee, Landeen had intended a position for pipeline representatives to contribute. After concerned citizens shared their displeasure with the idea that a pipeline employee might have a say, their position was removed with the note that it’s likely they’ll be invited to meetings to share their information. The committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Lincoln County Commission Meeting Room at the county’s courthouse in Canton on Nov. 21 and 28, as well as Dec. 5, 12 and 19. The committee is expected to present its findings to the county commission on Dec. 26. Jibben told Sioux Falls Live he believes six weeks is enough time to tackle the proposals and share a recommendation… “Minnehaha County established a setback ordinance in June, and other counties approved their regulations even earlier, yet Lincoln County is still without an ordinance… “Jibben told AgWeek the amount of public input the county commission has received on carbon dioxide pipelines likely led up to the appointment of private citizens. “We’ve had people come to our meetings and speak on things that aren’t on the agenda. On multiple occasions, we haven’t had the pipeline issue on the agenda and people have been able to speak out on that,” Jibben explained. “That’s maybe one reason why she probably made the decision she did.” “...Though not required by law, Jibben told AgWeek the committee’s meetings will be broadcast live on YouTube and anywhere else county commission meetings are live-streamed. Recordings of each meeting will also be made available on the county’s website.”
Bloomberg: US Energy Regulators Authorize Projects Expanding Natural Gas
Daniel Moore, 11/16/23
“US energy regulators approved on Thursday two natural gas expansion projects, including a project that saw its environmental review quickened this year, as they steadily work through pending gas projects,” Bloomberg reports. “TC Energy, Williams Cos projects get green light…The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Williams Companies’ Southeast Energy Connector project, which expands an existing Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line lateral in Alabama to deliver an additional 115,000 dekatherms per day (dth/d) of natural gas. The company expects the project to be in service by the third quarter of 2025, according to a project timeline.”
Whitman Wire: Expansion Coming Soon to a Pipeline Near You
Kaitlyn Salazar, 11/16/23
“...Despite plans by West Coast states to transition away from fossil fuels in the coming decade, on Oct. 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal put forth by TC Energy to expand the Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) pipeline, which runs from Alberta, Canada, through Walla Walla County and down to California… “TC Energy filed its proposal with FERC in October 2021, arguing there is an increased demand for natural gas in the Pacific Northwest. In August 2022, Attorneys General from Washington, Oregon and California filed a joint motion calling for FERC to reject the project, citing major concerns with the Environmental Impact Statement and a lack of evidence of demand. The project still received significant support from Idaho politicians. On Oct. 21, 2022, Idaho Governor Brad Little and the entirety of Idaho’s congressional delegation signed a letter in full support of the GTN Xpress Project. However, a HuffPost investigation found that the letter was ghost-written by TC Energy, the company behind the project. TC Energy was also a campaign contributor to many of the letter’s co-signers… “After delaying voting for several months, FERC voted to approve the project on Oct. 19, 2023. Despite the substantial opposition, the decision was not unexpected. Between 2000 and 2021, FERC approved 423 out of the 425 pipeline proposals they received. FERC has been criticized in the past for its minimal regard for environmental concerns and inadequate research into consumer demand for new pipelines… “At a time when the cost of fossil fuels is increasing, and the cost of renewable energy is rapidly decreasing, a pipeline expansion seems uncalled for. “It all just looks like a giant push by GTN and these other companies to saturate the Northwest market with natural gas that it doesn’t need, only so that it can offload and make profits from its increasingly stranded assets up in Canada,” Helen Yost, a climate activist and community organizer from Sandpoint, Idaho, told the Wire.
Chicago Tribune: Peoples Gas pipeline replacement program paused
Robert Channick, 11/16/23
“The Illinois Commerce Commission disallowed funding and paused the multibillion-dollar Peoples Gas pipeline replacement program Thursday pending a new investigation into the best approach to modernization of the century-old underground infrastructure,” the Chicago Tribune reports. “The decision pulls $265 million of money earmarked to continue the long-running System Modernization Program out of the 2024 budget for Peoples Gas, but does not relieve the utility of its responsibility to identify and repair leaking pipes that may pose a danger across the city. “The company offered inadequate record evidence for this level of spending to prudently accomplish SMP’s primary objective, which according to the record is to replace all cast iron and ductile iron pipeline,” Doug Scott, chairman of the ICC, which regulates utilities in the state, told the Tribune. The ruling does not remove any funding “related to emergency response to leaks, pipe breaks or other critically important safety measures,” he told the Tribune. “...We do acknowledge the age of pipes in the Peoples Gas system and that replacement work does need to continue,” the aldermen said in the letter. “But the program should be reformed to eliminate mismanagement. We support well-run, cost-efficient pipeline replacement. We oppose reckless, irresponsible spending that gouges customers.” The pipeline replacement program was initially driven by pressure from the Obama administration to hold utilities across the U.S. accountable for aging infrastructure following a 2010 explosion in San Bruno, California, that killed eight people, injured 58 and destroyed 38 homes. In 2013, Peoples got approval from state lawmakers to do the improvements, funded by customers over 10 years. The work involves swapping out century-old iron pipes in neighborhoods across the city for plastic ones to boost pressure and cut down on dangerous natural gas leaks.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US helps forge global group on measuring natgas' climate-warming emissions
Timothy Gardner, 11/15/23
“The U.S. and more than a dozen countries and groups have forged a working group to advance efforts to measure greenhouse gas emissions across the natural gas supply chain to cut global output of the pollution blamed for climate change, the Energy Department said on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “The MMRV Working Group aims to advance efforts to measure, monitor, report and verify emissions of methane, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. It seeks to do so for the entire gas supply chain including production, processing, transport, liquefaction, and distribution of the fuel. Participants are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, East Mediterranean Gas Forum, European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mozambique, Norway, South Korea, Britain and the U.S. Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary of fossil energy and carbon management at the Energy Department, told Reuters there is a pressing need to provide comparable, reliable information on emissions cuts by gas producers and exporters to global markets.”
E&E News: Enviros Ask 9th Circuit To Block Contentious Willow Oil Project
Niina H. Farah, 11/16/23
“Indigenous and environmental groups followed through this week on their vow to fight a court ruling that allowed ConocoPhillips to move forward with its massive Willow project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve,” E&E News reports. “On Tuesday, the Center for Biological Diversity and Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic filed parallel appeals in the 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals in a renewed bid to halt new fossil fuel development in the remote region. The groups are challenging a federal judge’s ruling last week that upheld the Biden administration’s approval for three new drilling areas in the reserve. The Willow project has become a focal point for criticism of the Biden administration’s approach to climate change. On one side, the Alaska congressional delegation has sharply criticized the harmful economic effects of halting oil development. On the other, environmental groups say the project is a ‘carbon bomb’ that threatens the president’s climate goals.”
E&E News: Interior Agrees To Review California Offshore Drilling Plans
Heather Richards, 11/16/23
“The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has agreed to review decades-old drilling plans for some of California’s last remaining offshore oil platforms, including one tied to a large oil spill in 2021,” E&E News reports. “The review is part of a settlement agreement filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The agreement between BOEM and the Center for Biological Diversity gives the agency one year to complete reviews of development and production plans for the platforms Edith, Ellen, Elly and Eureka off the coast of Huntington Beach. California’s remaining oil platforms caught national attention in 2021, when a pipeline connected to the Elly platform leaked nearly 600 barrels of crude, fouling local beaches. The leak occurred after a shipping anchor likely caught and dragged the pipeline. Last year — in the wake of the spill — CBD sued BOEM for not updating drilling plans for Elly and other nearby oil platforms that were first inked in the 1970s. The group argued that the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires updates to offshore drilling plans based on new information or significant changes in operations.”
Reuters: US hydrogen tax credit rule could slip into 2024 amid debate over its design -sources
Jarrett Renshaw, 11/16/23
“The Biden administration could push the release of a highly anticipated rule guiding the use of clean hydrogen tax credits into next year as Treasury officials struggle to resolve disputes between environmentalists and the industry over how "green" to make the incentive, according to two sources familiar with the administration's plans,” Reuters reports. “Treasury officials were expected to release the rules for the hydrogen production tax credit - one of the most generous in President Joe Biden's landmark bill - by the end of the year, but internal squabbling over its design has some officials signaling to stakeholders a release as late as March. "They are basically nowhere on resolving the disagreements," a source who is working with the administration on promoting hydrogen projects told Reuters… “The issue holding up the Treasury is a question over whether to restrict the tax credits only to hydrogen producers who use new sources of clean electricity to run their plants, instead of tapping power already on the grid. Industry - and their legislative backers - want the administration to allow projects fueled by existing energy sources, including natural gas, hydroelectricity and nuclear, to be eligible for the tax credits.”
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Ohio Commission Approves Fracking In State Parks And Wildlife Areas Despite Fraud Investigation
Samantha Hendrickson, 11/15/23
“Some state parks can be fracked in Ohio, a decision made by a government commission Wednesday despite an ongoing investigation into oil and gas companies claiming possible fraudulent support,” the Associated Press reports. “During a raucous meeting attended by many fracking opponents, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission OK’d several parcels for fracking by outside entities — all of them owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Transportation — that include state parks and designated wildlife areas. Under state law, the identities of those who nominated the land for oil and gas drilling are confidential. The vote took place during a tense public meeting at which anti-fracking protesters held up signs that read ‘DENY’ and ‘Save Our Parks.’ Advocates accused the state board members of lacking transparency, upholding the interests of corporate greed and poisoning future generations. Some threw money in front of the commissioners and shouted them out of the state meeting, while others sang protest songs in and chanted ‘Don’t frack our futures,’ and ‘Shame.’”
KQED: Bay Area Climate Activists Rally Against Exxon Mobil CEO's APEC Speech
Ezra David Romero, 11/15/23
“Exxon Mobil’s CEO Darren Woods spoke to leaders gathered in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative summit today and said his company and the oil industry can be part of the solution to reduce emissions,” KQED reports. “As he spoke, hundreds protested outside, marching across San Francisco and, at times, attempting to prevent attendees from entering the summit by blocking entrances. The advocates pressed the oil company to stop its business with fossil fuels and criticized APEC summit leaders for providing the energy giant with an international platform. A few of the activists staged a “symbolic wedding,” officiated by a person dressed up as a devil, denouncing Citi’s financial assistance for Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion deal to acquire one of the country’s biggest oil fields in Texas. “We’re just highlighting how these mergers and the union between these corporations continue to extract from communities and [are] destroying our planet and causing the climate chaos that is affecting people everywhere,” climate activist Renata Pumarol, an organizer with Climate Defenders, told KQED. C.J. Acevedo attended the rally in drag, wearing a bloody wedding dress representing the CEO of Citi Jane Fraser. “We created this little performance art piece with Jane and Darren getting married because they are doing a merger right now worth over $59 billion,” Acevedo told KQED. “I really think that it’s important to kind of integrate art and social justice issues. I feel like that’s been done like since the beginning, especially when it comes to drag as a form of protest, and what better way to make a statement and entertain and also educate at the same time.” Woods delivered a speech in the summit’s main hall titled “Reframing the Climate Challenge: Keep the Energy, Reduce the Emissions” and highlighted how the company is investing in technology to capture carbon and slash its emissions.”
Washington Times: Big oil companies fret about biased jury in coastal land-loss lawsuit in Louisiana
Alex Swoyer, 11/16/23
“Big Oil companies say they’ll face a biased jury when a trial kicks off this month over the alleged loss of coastal land in a Louisiana town — where the jurors could all benefit financially from a ruling against the corporations,” the Washington Times reports. “Shell Oil Co., BP America Production Co. and Hilcorp Energy Co. petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the start of the trial, hoping to argue before the justices for a change of venue over due process concerns. In the legal filing, the companies argued the town of Cameron Parish, located in the southwest corner of Louisiana, is composed of about 4,000 residents who make up the jury pool and who could all financially benefit from a ruling against the corporations. “This unprecedented situation threatens the clearly established federal due-process rights of these defendants to have their case adjudicated by a neutral, disinterested decisionmaker,” the companies’ brief reads. “Every single one of them has a personal and financial interest in a verdict for the Parish because any award will go to restore land loss in the Parish and — according to the Parish itself — will be used to create jobs, economic opportunities, and higher property values for residents,” the brief said of the residents… “City officials say the companies ran afoul of Louisiana’s State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978 in their operations in the area over several decades. They say the companies should pay for the damage they allegedly caused in land loss. They also say there’s no evidence that Cameron Parish residents would be biased against the energy companies.”
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: Exxon CEO Says Making Big Oil ‘Villains’ Slows Path To Net Zero Emissions
Kevin Crowley, 11/15/23
“Exxon Mobil Corp. warned that making Big Oil into ‘villains’ and trying to restrict supply of fossil fuels will slow the path to net zero emissions and keep millions of people in the developing world in poverty,” Bloomberg reports. “The solutions to climate change have been too focused on reducing supply,” Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods said in a speech at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in San Francisco Wednesday. “That’s a recipe, for human hardship and a poorer world.” “...In unusually personal remarks, Woods talked about his commitment to the environment. “I’m a father and grandfather – who cares about his family, their quality of life, and their futures,” he said. “Which means I care very much about our environment and the health of our planet.” He also attempted to draw a line under the multiple climate lawsuits that have dogged Exxon for much of the last decade. “I’m fully aware that there are many who question ExxonMobil’s commitment because of what was said over 30 years ago – or what they think Exxon knew back then,” he said. “Frankly, I’m more interested in what ExxonMobil knows today. Climate change is real. Human activity plays a major role.” Woods ended the speech with an attempt to reverse the ‘ExxonKnew’ slogan used by environmentalists to draw attention to the company’s efforts to downplay the impacts of climate change. “We’ve got the tools, the skills, the size, and the intellectual and financial resources, to bend the curve on emissions,” he said. “That’s what ExxonMobil knows.”
The Hill: Many corporations promote ‘net zero’ while lobbying for weaker climate action: Report
SAUL ELBEIN, 11/17/23
“Many of America’s leading corporations are quietly lobbying against policies to slow planetary heating — even as they tout their own environmental policies, according to a new report by the nonpartisan research group InfluenceMap,” The Hill reports. “The report found that 93 percent of American companies make the claim that they aim to achieve “net zero” climate effects, but they are only “weakly” aligned with the policies those companies and their trade groups actually promote. More importantly, 58 percent of companies had set concrete climate targets that were contradicted by their own lobbying, the report found. In particular, InfluenceMap found that these companies were advocating to weaken proposed government climate policies or promoting the use of fossil fuels beyond the red lines advocated by the leading mainstream authority on climate action, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The fossil fuel, airline and utilities industries were the worst offenders, according to the report. The report found that many companies with commitments to reach net-zero by 2050 were lobbying against aggressive climate action in 2023. For example, despite their climate commitments, Chevron pushed to weaken U.S. auto emission standards. The company also spent nearly $10 million in 2023 on lobbying California, home of some of the nation’s toughest environmental laws. That money went to fight laws like one that would have forced state pension funds to divest from the 200 largest fossil fuel companies… “Not only are many companies choosing to undermine their own climate commitments by lobbying against climate action, their net zero commitments are simply not credible,” Catherine McKenna, former Canadian environmental minister and head of the U.N. task force on the corporate push for net-zero, told The Hill.”
DeSmog: Why the Belief That Carbon Capture Technologies Can Work at Gigaton-Scale Is a Gigantic Gamble
Dana Drugmand, 11/17/23
“A new report reveals that to mitigate expected fossil fuel growth, the use of CCS and CDR technologies would have to reach gigaton scale in less than 10 years, which might not be possible,” DeSmog reports. “...On the other hand, many oil and gas producing countries, supported by the politically potent fossil fuel lobby, are urging an approach that allows continued fossil fuel extraction – and even expansion – under the assumption that emissions mitigation technologies can largely eliminate the climate pollution of business-as-usual, emissions-intensive activities… “A second just-released report reveals that to mitigate that growth, the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies would have to reach gigaton scale in less than 10 years, which might not be possible. “That idea that we can build more fossil fuels but it’s ok because we can mitigate the emissions, or we’ll be able to pull carbon out of the air or out of the smokestacks, I think is incredibly dangerous,” Collin Rees, U.S. program manager at Oil Change International, said during a November 14 media briefing sponsored by a coalition called Gas Exports Today, which was convened by the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and held in advance of COP28… “There’s a huge range of evidence which is very clear that CCS and CDR will not be able to scale fast enough to make a meaningful contribution to cutting emissions this decade,” Neil Grant, climate and energy analyst at Climate Analytics, said during the report’s launch event. “And that means in this decade, the solution has to be reducing fossil fuel production and use.” “...Community opposition and public pushback to CCS projects, as DeSmog recently reported, appears to be growing across the U.S., and it demonstrates that “meaningful” community engagement rhetoric from CCS proponents does not often match the reality on the ground. One major proposed CCS infrastructure project in the U.S. – a 1,300-mile-long CO2 pipeline traversing five Midwestern states that was planned by a developer called Navigator CO2 Ventures – was canceled last month in the face of overwhelming grassroots opposition along with permitting challenges.”
OilPrice.com: Carbon Capture Doesn’t Mean Oil Firms Can Continue Business As Usual
Tsvetana Paraskova, 11/16/23
“Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) could play a vital role in the decarbonization of some industries but carbon removals cannot be used by oil and gas firms while they continue to pump fossil fuels as usual, a new report by the Energy Transitions Commission showed on Thursday,” OilPrice.com reports. “CCUS and removals are vital but do not mean business as usual,” said the commission which includes industry executives, bankers, and academics. The report “dispels the notion that CCUS and carbon removals justify business as usual for fossil fuel production,” according to the commission, which said that the use of coal, oil, and natural gas must be reduced dramatically by 2050, with reductions starting now… “Consequently, investments in fossil fuel supply should decline by 30-35% by 2030 and 45-65% by 2040, with exploration of new fields deemed unnecessary,” the Energy Transitions Commission said. According to ETC, “it is not prudent to rely on significantly higher use of carbon capture or removals—the priority must be to bring down fossil fuel demand.” For most coal applications, CCUS would be more expensive than an alternative. CCUS would either be impractical or uneconomic for most gas use, and for most uses of oil today, CCUS “would be completely impractical,” ETC said. “CCUS and carbon removals cannot be used to justify business-as-usual fossil fuel production,” said Ita Kettleborough, Director, Energy Transitions Commission.
Financial Times: Chevron plots carbon storage future despite Australia plant setbacks
Jamie Smyth and Myles McCormick, 11/17/23
“Chevron is standing by the performance of one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage systems at its $54bn Gorgon natural gas project in Australia despite repeated failures to meet targets for trapping carbon dioxide,” the Financial Times reports. “Eimear Bonner, Chevron’s chief technology officer, told the Financial Times the oil and gas supermajor is aiming to remove a carbon storage “constraint” at Gorgon, the biggest natural resource project in Australia’s history. Data published by Chevron last week showed Gorgon’s CCS operation stored only about a third of the total volume of CO₂ it captured in the 12 months to June 2023, because of pressure management issues caused by excess water in its reservoirs… “The project has now failed to meet a target of capturing and storing 80 per cent of the CO₂ it produces for a seventh consecutive year. Critics say the persistent setbacks could damp enthusiasm for the technology, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is necessary for the world to achieve climate goals in the Paris Agreement. But Bonner — who will take over as Chevron’s finance chief next year — told the Financial Times the technology used to inject CO₂ into underground reservoirs was working “very well” and said the subsurface challenges encountered at Gorgon had not dimmed the company’s goal to become a leader in the sector. “We’re getting terrific insights into what might be involved in scaling and driving the best effect of the storage and reservoirs going forward,” she told FT… “More than 500 projects are in various stages of development, according to the International Energy Agency. The US and other governments are providing tens of billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to support roll out of the technology. But critics say disappointments at Gorgon — which is operated by Chevron and whose partners include Shell, ExxonMobil and several big Japanese utilities — and several other high-profile projects expose its imperfections. “Gorgon points to the problematic nature of carbon capture and storage more generally, in that a lot of the companies don’t know what is going on underground,” Bruce Robertson, an energy analyst and co-author of a critical report on the project, told FT… “Some critics allege the fossil fuel industry is promoting CCUS as a way to justify continued development of oil and gas resources… “Chevron is also seeking to offer CCUS as a service to customers and create a new business line for the company, she told FT.”.
Associated Press: At talks on cutting plastics pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?
CARLOS MUREITHI AND JENNIFER MCDERMOTT, 11/17/23
“Two groups that want reduced plastics production published a report Friday highly critical of plastic credits, calling them a flawed tool that won’t help with worldwide pollution from the material,” the Associated Press reports. “The groups — Break Free From Plastic and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives — said the credits often amount to corporate greenwashing. They issued their report in Nairobi on the sidelines of United Nations-led negotiations for a treaty aimed at cutting plastics pollution. They analyzed publicly available databases of two prominent proponents of plastic offsetting, the accreditor Verra and the Plastic Credit Exchange marketplace. Their report cited “serious flaws” in financing, transparency and basic auditing, and said credits being issued for plastic incinerated in cement kilns were substituting one form of pollution for another… “Plastic credits, sometimes called offsets, work a bit like the carbon credits that many fossil fuel companies have purchased to try to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The concept involves companies or people paying for a specified weight of plastic to be collected somewhere in the world, generating a credit that justifies their production or use of the equivalent amount of plastic… “Often companies are buying credits under the assumption that they’re going to be helping the environment and removing plastic, when actually in a lot of cases they are just transforming that pollution from plastic pollution into toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that is harming communities,” Emma Priestland, global corporate campaigns coordinator at Break Free From Plastic, told AP… “Environmentalists argue that issuing credits for plastic burned in incinerators and cement kilns encourages that burning — thus putting more toxic chemicals into the environment… “Environmental policymakers see plastic credits as a tactic for companies that rely on single-use plastic to avoid changing their business models.”
TIME: What Happens When You Put a Fossil Fuel Exec in Charge of Solving Climate Change
Justin Worland, 11/15/23
“...I traveled to Abu Dhabi in late October, not to sip gilded cappuccinos, but to interview Sultan Al Jaber, the Ph.D. economist turned renewable-energy executive turned ADNOC CEO, who is presiding over the U.N. climate conference to be held in Dubai in December,” TIME reports. “The conference, known as COP28, comes as, at the close of the hottest year on record, scientific consensus demands that we cut fossil-fuel use right now. At the same time, money continues to flow into fossil fuels; more than $1 trillion in new funding was invested this year alone, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Al Jaber, as the head of both COP28 and one of the world’s largest fossil-fuel companies, is tasked with reconciling those realities. Sitting in a meeting room at the Emirates Palace hotel dressed in the traditional white thobe and sneakers, he is both a target for criticism and a symbol of possibility. “A phasedown of fossil fuels is inevitable, it is essential,” he told TIME. “We have to accept that.” At the same time, he told TIME, the world is not ready to entirely kick oil and gas. “We need to get real,” he told TIME. “We cannot unplug the world from the current energy system before we build a new energy system.”
The Narwhal: It’s complicated: Canadian Museum of Nature rethinks its relationship status with Enbridge
Carl Meyer, 11/16/23
“Internal documents reviewed by The Narwhal show the Canadian Museum of Nature spent time and effort soliciting money and other support from Enbridge. That included asking the large oil and gas company to help pay for a popular exhibit that addressed the impact of climate change on the Arctic,” The Narwhal reports. “...But critics say this focus on climate science and saving the world hasn’t been reflected in the museum’s decade-long pursuit of fossil fuel money. A trove of internal documents reviewed by The Narwhal has shed light on how the museum’s leadership spent considerable time and effort soliciting money and other support from Enbridge, a large oil and gas company… “Meg Beckel, who was president of the museum for 11 years before retiring last year, personally advocated for an ongoing role for the oil and gas industry in the life of the museum, the documents show. That included the museum asking Enbridge to help pay for Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages, a popular exhibit that addressed climate change’s impact on the Arctic, one of many financial and non-financial contributions to the museum that the company ended up making. In an interview with The Narwhal, Beckel defended her approach, saying she believed in an “open tent” philosophy when it came to donors and sponsors, and that Enbridge was only one of many firms the museum solicited for funding over the years, and not the only controversial one at that.”
OPINION
Carroll Times Herald: Letter to the editor: Ewoldt
Bonnie Ewoldt, Milford resident and Crawford County, 11/17/23
“Landowners targeted for eminent domain by Summit Carbon Solutions won several substantial victories in recent weeks, but the fight is far from over. Our celebratory high-fives must wait. Summit remains a very real threat to the private property rights of thousands across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota,” Bonnie Ewoldt writes for the Carroll Times Herald. “Three companies have proposed CO2 pipelines in Iowa: Summit, Navigator, and Wolf. Navigator cancelled its project last month after permits were denied in South Dakota and Illinois following fierce opposition from impacted landowners and concerned citizens. The Illinois Commerce Commission has recommended the Wolf permit be denied, and the company has not yet obtained a permit in Iowa. Summit has also suffered significant blows from regulatory agencies in multiple states… “Because of the permit denials in the Dakotas, Summit’s grandiose plan is a pipeline to nowhere. In the face of pushback from the public and rejection by state regulatory agencies, the company’s CEO, Bruce Rastetter was forced to announce that the launch of its planned CO2 pipeline project has been delayed two years, until 2026, if approved. Two weeks ago, the Iowa Utilities Board concluded its eight-week evidentiary hearing on Summit’s permit application. Summit presented its case for the pipeline followed by intense cross-examination from landowners’ attorneys and other parties. Then came weeks of testimony from hundreds of Iowans with land targeted for condemnation by eminent domain. Their stories were gripping, and some moved grown men to tears. Videos of landowner testimonies can be viewed on Bold Nebraska’s YouTube postings… “The IUB hearing on Summit’s permit has ended, but the fight is far from over. From the State House to county courthouses, impacted landowners and concerned Iowans will continue to rally against Summit’s unconstitutional land grab and its dangerous CO2 pipeline. Celebratory high-fives are premature for Summit Carbon Solutions.”
OilPrice.com: Gas Infrastructure Needs to be Ready for Clean Hydrogen
Felicity Bradstock, 11/16/23
“As green hydrogen becomes an ever more important clean energy source, governments and energy companies must prepare for a steep incline in production in the coming years and ensure they have the correct infrastructure to transport it,” Felicity Bradstock writes for OilPrice.com. “...Adapting new natural gas developments to be suitable for hydrogen transportation could save companies money and time in the long term, as well as support the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives. This month, the CEO of Italgas, Paolo Gallo, emphasised the importance of constructing gas infrastructure that is capable of transporting hydrogen as a means of meeting decarbonisation goals. Gallo stated, “Today we are moving around natural gas, but tomorrow we will have biomethane [and] clean hydrogen that will be used to decarbonize the system… So, it’s extremely important that the infrastructures are ready to accept different kinds of gases in [a] blending situation.” “...Gallo is not the first to suggest the repurposing of existing infrastructure, with several energy companies around the globe exploring ways to adapt existing pipelines to make them suitable for transporting hydrogen. Many European countries are aiming to use existing gas infrastructure to transport hydrogen, with several recent studies and pilot testing phases showing positive results. The use of existing pipelines can reduce hydrogen transport costs but pipelines must be assessed to see whether they’re suitable for hydrogen transportation, taking into account issues such as leakage, leakage detection, effects of hydrogen on pipeline assets and end users, corrosion, maintenance, and metering of gas flow… “As companies develop new natural gas projects with support from state governments – potentially at odds with national climate policies – they should consider the potential for new pipelines to be used for transporting alternative energies, such as green hydrogen and ammonia, to ensure new infrastructure does not go to waste as the demand for gas eventually wanes… “Energy companies and governments must now use this opportunity to develop pipelines that can be used for the transport of both natural gas and green hydrogen to save money and time in the future and better support a green transition.”
RealClearEnergy: Supplying 65% of Our Energy, America Must Lead on Oil and Gas
Rick Whitbeck is Alaska state director for Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates American energy jobs, 11/16/23
“Fifty years ago this week, legislation authorizing construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. The whole process took all of five days,” Rick Whitbeck writes for RealClearEnergy. “Not only was the timeline unprecedented, but so was the fact that the act specifically halted all legal challenges against the planned pipeline. Furthermore, it prohibited federal and state agencies from regulating the construction of the project… “Half a century ago, a bipartisan congressional coalition and President Nixon knew then what President Joe Biden seems to be oblivious to now: national oil and gas production – and the infrastructure and projects that create energy independence – drives America’s superpower status… “Veiled in the cause to save the planet from the ‘existential threat’ of a ‘climate crisis’, the activists leading the opposition are weakening America’s global standing; making us dependent on others for raw materials and finished goods we are more than capable of creating domestically. The Keystone XL pipeline’s demise is well-known. With a stroke of Biden’s pen, hundreds of union jobs vanished from payrolls across the Midwest, and the potential of 510,000 barrels of oil a day hitting refineries did as well. The Mountain Valley Pipeline only exists today because Congress stepped in and approved its completion as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, but unlike the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the underlying act didn’t prohibit legal challenges from continuing. And make no mistake, there are challenges across the country. In New York, eco-driven politicians have cancelled four natural gas pipeline projects in the last five years… “Yet, the eco-zealots pushing back against every possible traditional energy project denigrate the proposed pipeline a ‘carbon bomb’ and have used every tactic available to stymie its progress. They ignore the lack of reliability and high costs of from alternative sources of energy. With Alaska’s weather and cold, dark winters, having reliable power is not only a creature comfort, but a matter of life-and-death.”
Global Witness: What is carbon capture and storage? CCS easily explained
Sarah Biermann Becker, 11/17/23
“What is carbon capture? Too good to be true, firstly,” Sarah Biermann Becker writes for Global Witness. “...Fossil fuel companies and some governments would like you to think it means we can tackle climate change whilst continuing to drill for more oil and gas… “There’s no good evidence that carbon capture works to remove emissions at scale. But governments keep pouring money into it - often from our taxes. Also, we have the climate solutions we need - renewable energy is increasingly cheaper than oil and gas. But for fossil fuel companies carbon capture is a get-out-of-jail-free card for continued oil and gas production, and a nifty distraction from cleaner, safer, and better energy options. Dr. Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown, has said of industrial carbon dioxide removal like carbon capture that: “It’s hugely expensive — usually at taxpayer expense — and removes essentially zero carbon, despite decades of effort and billions of tax dollars”. “...Also, over 80% of projects that have been proposed globally have flopped. CCS isn't making a dent in carbon removal. So why are we betting the house on the assumption we’re about to crack it?... “Currently, captured carbon is mainly used in what’s called “enhanced oil recovery” (EOR). This involves injecting the captured carbon dioxide into depleted oil fields to extract more oil. By 2020, 81% of captured carbon went into the ground for this purpose. It would be funny if it weren’t going to kill us… “Despite all this failure, investments in carbon capture have skyrocketed, reaching a record $6.4 billion in 2022, according to BloombergNEF. These funds could otherwise be channelled into existing low carbon solutions… “If carbon capture were the real deal, it would come too late to meet the Paris Agreement targets. Even rosier predictions say we won't have substantial carbon capture capacity by 2030. By that point the UN says we should've slashed emissions by 45% to keep the Earth from overheating. Big oil knows this. It’s why they’ve been flying the flag for CCS at the climate talks, and acting like it’s a silver bullet solution to climate change… “But we can’t kid ourselves into thinking it's a free pass to keep the fossil fuel party going. Imagine if governments said we were planning to sink all of our time and taxpayer money into a miracle cure for cancer with no evidence it would work – and we already had other options that did? We need to slam the brakes on fossil fuels and kick renewables into high gear.”