EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/14/22
(Note to Readers: “Extracted” will not be published on Monday, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. The next edition will arrive on Tuesday, Jan. 18.)
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Enbridge to face cross-examination about Line 5 tunnel at state hearing
La Crosse Tribune: DNR to hold public hearing on Enbridge Line 5 pipeline project
Des Moines Register: Gov. Kim Reynolds' support for 'carbon-capture solutions' unclear on whether pipelines included
KIWA: Carbon Pipeline Approval Process In Early Stage
Ravalli Republic: NorthWestern ordered to stop pipeline construction under Yellowstone River
Tysons Reporter: Pimmit Hills homeowners call for more oversight of Washington Gas pipeline project
E&E News: Unregulated Pipelines May Be Biggest Methane Emitters
Government Accountability Office: Pipeline Safety: Operators of Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Gathering Lines Face Data Collection Challenges
Macleans: The Indigenous grandmothers who stopped a pipeline
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: OMINOUS DEPARTURES FOR EJ
Sludge: Reps Bought Pipeline Stocks Before Passing the Infrastructure Bill
InsideEPA: Oil Sector Presses EPA To Increase Monitoring Flexibility In Methane Plan
Politico: API Backs Biden's Methane Curbs On Oil And Gas Operations
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: 2nd largest U.S. oil state eyes net-zero emissions
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: IEA head says Canadian oil can be part of transition if it gets cleaner
Wall Street Journal: One of the World’s Dirtiest Oil Patches Is Pumping More Than Ever
Bloomberg: Canada Readies Carbon Capture Tax Credit, Emission Cuts Plan
S&P Global: Imperial Oil to market Canadian Montney, Duvernay assets
Energy and Policy Institute: Gas utilities push RNG and hydrogen to expand fossil fuel infrastructure
CLIMATE FINANCE
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Press release: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation Supports North Texas Food Bank to Reduce Food Insecurity
OPINION
Des Moines Register: Opinion: Electric vehicle adoption, ammonia research advances mean CO2 pipelines would quickly become obsolete
Traverse City Record-Eagle: Opinion: Tunnel would ensure safety, longevity of Line 5
The Hill: A climate hawk's modest wish list for 2022
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Enbridge to face cross-examination about Line 5 tunnel at state hearing
Leonard N. Fleming, 1/13/22
“Enbridge Energy on Friday will continue to push for its controversial tunnel project to relocate Line 5 beneath the Straits of Mackinac before the Michigan Public Service Commission during a virtual hearing,” The Detroit News reports. “The company wants to build a tunnel that would hold a new segment of the dual pipeline and protect it from the currents of the straits and anchor strikes. Environmentalists have opposed the tunnel and backed the Whitmer administration's efforts to shut down the pipeline as an environmental threat. Commission officials told the News the sessions will feature cross examination of Enbridge’s witnesses by attorneys for the project's opponents. It will likely be the bulk of the initial cross examination time. Others who could be called include PSC staff members, commission spokesman Matt Helms told the News. Eight Enbridge officials have already testified and could be crossed examined… “Sean McBrearty the Michigan legislative and policy director of Clean Water Action, told the News what the group is hoping to get a complete review of the Line 5 tunnel, which he argues didn't happen during the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy permit process.”
La Crosse Tribune: DNR to hold public hearing on Enbridge Line 5 pipeline project
1/14/22
“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold an online hearing next month to gather comments on its preliminary environmental review of Enbridge Energy’s plans to reroute a contested oil pipeline through northern Wisconsin,” the La Crosse Tribune reports. “As a result of a lawsuit, the Canadian pipeline company wants to remove a 12-mile segment of its Line 5 pipeline from the Bad River Reservation and bypass the reservation with about 41 miles of new pipe through Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties. A draft environmental review released last month has drawn criticism from individuals, tribal governments and environmental advocates who Wednesday delivered more than 1,300 signatures opposing the pipeline. According to the draft review, the $450 million project would cross some 185 waterways, including the Bad River, and temporarily disturb about 135 acres of wetlands. Because the project would replace an existing pipeline without increasing capacity, the DNR concluded it would not result in increased greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. The Sierra Club argues the project could endanger waters, including Lake Superior, and goes against calls from international scientists and a state climate change task force to halt new investments in fossil fuel infrastructure. “Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 expansion risks Wisconsin waters and wetlands, locks in fossil fuel infrastructure, and violates the treaty rights of Wisconsin’s tribes,” Elizabeth Ward, director of the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter, told the Tribune.”
Des Moines Register: Gov. Kim Reynolds' support for 'carbon-capture solutions' unclear on whether pipelines included
Donnelle Eller, 1/13/22
“Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal Tuesday to "invest in carbon-capture solutions" this year has some Iowans questioning whether she's thrown her support behind three multi-billion-dollar proposals for carbon-capture pipelines across the state,” the Des Moines Register reports.
KIWA: Carbon Pipeline Approval Process In Early Stage
1/13/22
“A third company has announced a proposal to build a carbon capture pipeline across the state of Iowa as two other companies have started the process of seeking permits,” KIWA reports. “Iowa Utility Board spokesman, Don Tormey, told KIWA the first step is to hold public input meetings. Tormey says the public hearings aren’t the only way you can give your input on the proposed pipelines. Once the informational meetings are done the companies can move to the next step of the process. If the companies decide to go ahead and file for a pipeline permit then the IUB takes over. The final step would come after the public hearing. Wolf Carbon Solutions and Archer-Daniels-Midland announced they are planning a carbon pipeline project running from eastern Iowa to central Illinois. They will have to go through the same process that Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures are now going through.”
Ravalli Republic: NorthWestern ordered to stop pipeline construction under Yellowstone River
TOM LUTEY, 1/13/22
“NorthWestern Energy has been ordered to stop construction of a natural gas pipeline under Yellowstone River, following a county decision to withdraw a permit for the project,” the Ravalli Republic reports. “Neighbors to the proposed pipeline won a court order Wednesday stopping the project because Yellowstone County permitted NorthWestern to drill in the floodplain without the county first informing the public or giving neighbors a chance to respond… “Landowners adjacent to the project say they’re concerned about damage to their land and the floodplain. “They owe the people who are adjacent to this project an apology, in writing,” neighbor Aaron Felder said of the county. Yellowstone County insists that it’s done nothing wrong, but would follow the court order of District Judge Michael Moses, withdraw the permit, order NorthWestern to stop, and restart the permitting process, complete with public notice and participation… “Last October, the state Department of Environmental Quality was sued for allegedly ignoring the state’s Constitution when issuing an air permit for the power plant. In a lawsuit filed Oct. 21, the Montana Environmental Information Center and Sierra Club said DEQ ignored the power plant’s contribution to local air and water pollution.“
Tysons Reporter: Pimmit Hills homeowners call for more oversight of Washington Gas pipeline project
David Taube, 1/13/22
“Opposition to a natural gas pipeline planned for Pimmit Hills resurfaced yesterday (Wednesday), as residents voiced concerns about safety and other issues at a Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing,” according to Tysons Reporter. “Washington Gas has sought to upgrade its infrastructure in the area since 2012, but citizen appeals have stalled the project, which will turn a 3-mile line along Route 7 into a 5-mile route circling around Tysons. In video testimonies submitted to the zoning appeals board, Pimmit Hills residents expressed fears of gas ruptures and a potential explosion affecting homes where the new pipeline could be built. The appeals board postponed a decision on the matter to Feb. 2 due to a lack of time.”
E&E News: Unregulated Pipelines May Be Biggest Methane Emitters
1/12/22
“Pipelines that carry natural gas from wellheads to processing sites could be the biggest industry source of methane leaks, even though they are the least regulated, according to an analysis released yesterday,” E&E News reports. “Gathering lines are mostly unregulated and omitted from leak detection surveys,’ said the report, done by Highwood Emissions Management for the Environmental Defense Fund and released yesterday. ‘However, recent data suggests that gathering lines can be prone to super-emitter leaks.’ “...But in the case of gathering pipelines, the report said companies that operate them often don’t know where they are to look for leaks. There are about 425,000 miles of gathering lines in the country. Generally they are small pipelines that carry natural gas from wellheads to processing sites, although some can be as big as long-haul transmission lines. Gathering lines in rural areas have long been exempt from federal regulation and oversight. The EDF report said less than 3 percent of gathering lines are covered by federal regulations. In November, the Biden administration rolled out new rules requiring the operators of all gathering lines to file annual reports detailing their systems and file incident reports after explosions, fires or other mishaps.”
Government Accountability Office: Pipeline Safety: Operators of Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Gathering Lines Face Data Collection Challenges
1/13/22
"Gathering pipelines" carry natural gas or hazardous liquid from wells to other pipelines or facilities. The Department of Transportation recently started collecting data on all of these pipelines—such as size and construction material—to better understand safety risks. All hazardous liquid gathering line operators started submitting data to DOT in 2021. Natural gas gathering line operators will do the same in 2023. But for many operators, incomplete records and ownership changes over time may make collecting data tough. And collecting it may require significant resources. DOT plans to continue outreach to operators on their reporting duties.”
Macleans: The Indigenous grandmothers who stopped a pipeline
Lindsay Jones, 1/12/22
“Cheryl Maloney’s eyes glossed over with tears as she stood near the bank of the Stewiacke River in the middle of Nova Scotia. The news was finally sinking in,” Macleans reports. “...Two weeks earlier, Alton Gas, a subsidiary of Calgary-based AltaGas, had abandoned a project that would have pumped 10,000 cubic metres of brine into the mouth of this river each day for as long as a decade, leaving behind subterranean caverns where the company planned to store natural gas. It had been seven years since Maloney and a handful of other Mi’kmaq grandmothers had painted their first picket sign saying “Stop Alton Gas.” There’d been a highway “slowdown,” where protesters handed out leaflets decrying the project. There’d been a threat of a civil suit, a court injunction against the protesters, arrests, court actions, decisions and appeals. Elders had died and babies had been born. Finally, the company tapped out, posting a statement on its website lamenting that “the project has received mixed support, challenges and experienced delay.” It was a momentous win for an Indigenous community at a time when protests over pipelines have resulted in clashes with police and controversial arrests of First Nations protesters and journalists. Unlike in Wet’suwet’en territory in northwestern B.C., the elected local chief and band of the Sipekne’katik First Nation supported this fight, as did many local non-Indigenous residents. To Maloney, the widespread support reflected “the true spirit of reconciliation.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: OMINOUS DEPARTURES FOR EJ
Matthew Choi, 1/13/22
“Two of the White House’s point people on environmental justice left in rapid succession in recent days, causing concern among activists as the administration comes up on important deadlines for its justice initiatives, Politico reports. “Cecilia Martinez and David Kieve both left the Council on Environmental Quality just as the White House is due to release a scorecard to track the administration’s EJ goals and guidance for agencies to implement EJ policy. Advocates, including members on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, fear CEQ is too short staffed to carry out Biden’s justice mission. Several advisory council members told Politico that much of the work now rests on Corey Solow, now the last remaining White House official primarily focused on environmental justice. Three council members wrote to White House chief of staff Ron Klain asking how he plans to execute President Joe Biden’s objectives following the departures. Advocates have already been raising concerns about the lack of clarity on how the White House was tackling the issue. Many of the key terms in Biden’s stated objectives remain murky, including his Justice40 initiative designed to allocate 40 percent of federal environmental benefits to vulnerable communities. What exactly counts as a benefit or vulnerable community remains to be decided.”
Sludge: Reps Bought Pipeline Stocks Before Passing the Infrastructure Bill
David Moore, 1/13/22
“Congressional Democrats aimed to address the climate crisis last year in their signature Build Back Better Act (BBB),” Sludge reports. “...While Congress was considering the bipartisan infrastructure framework (BIF) and the BBB, several U.S. House members were making frequent trades in the stocks of oil and gas pipeline companies that stand to benefit from BIF’s provisions, especially combined with the BBB’s stalling out in the Senate. Second-term conservative Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) throughout 2021 made hundreds of pipeline and midstream energy company stock trades with the maximum value of the sales and purchases worth tens of millions of dollars… “The demands by Manchin, by far the top recipient of oil and gas industry contributions in Congress, for the BBB also included axing a proposed fee on methane emissions that is opposed by fossil fuel industry groups representing oil, gas, and coal companies that donated over $400,000 to him in the third quarter alone.”
InsideEPA: Oil Sector Presses EPA To Increase Monitoring Flexibility In Methane Plan
1/12/22
“The main oil and gas industry trade group is pressing EPA to adopt more flexible monitoring requirements in its proposed methane standards for new and existing sources in the sector, offering an early preview of what the industry will say in formal comments on the plan due later this month,” InsideEPA reports. “Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute (API), said during a Jan. 12 press event that the group’s comments would highlight broad support for the EPA proposal, but would also include suggestions for the final rule that would ensure the newest technology -- often already in use by some oil and gas companies -- will be allowed under the rule. ‘Our comments will include suggestions to further enhance the flexibility of the proposed monitoring framework so producers have the ability to implement new and more effective monitoring technologies and also so that regulators recognize the great work we have already done to reduce methane emissions in our operations,’ Sommers said, referring to requirements for how often operators must check their equipment for methane leaks and using what process. Sommers added API’s comments will highlight that federal and state regulators should ‘recognize what the industry is doing and will continue to do within our own operations, while at the same time supporting new technologies to address the methane emissions within our operations.’
Politico: API Backs Biden's Methane Curbs On Oil And Gas Operations
1/12/22
“American Petroleum Institute chief Mike Sommers said on Wednesday the industry lobby group supported the Biden administration’s proposed plan to regulate emissions of methane from new and existing oil and gas sources,” Politico reports. “Last year, API had changed its position and said it endorsed the idea that the Environmental Protection Agency should impose an expansion of direct regulation of methane to include infrastructure built before 2015, which are the vast majority of well sites in existence. But it had reserved judgment on the Biden EPA’s specific proposal issued in November as it reviewed the details — until now. ‘We expect we will be supportive of the ultimate rules they come out with,’ Sommers told POLITICO in an interview. Sommers said API continues to oppose a proposed methane fee included as part of Democrats’ stalled Build Back Better Act, arguing it would be too costly and duplicate EPA regulations. And no amount of subsidies offered by lawmakers to help comply with the fee would change the group’s position. ‘We would prefer the whole thing goes away,’ Sommers said of the Democrats’ plan. ‘We would not support new subsidies to pave the path for a new tax on methane.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: 2nd largest U.S. oil state eyes net-zero emissions
Mike Lee, 1/13/22
“New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has floated a bill that would set one of the nation’s most aggressive state climate goals,” E&E News reports. “If the measure passes, it would require all industries in the second-biggest U.S. oil-producing state to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane, to 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. The bill would have the state cut emissions to the equivalent of zero emissions by 2050, using a combination of actual reductions and offsets. Total emissions would have to be reduced to 10 percent of 2005 levels, to ensure that pollution doesn’t increase just because it’s offset. The bill is significant because of New Mexico’s oil production, which has grown by about a third in the last year to pumping 1.3 million barrels a day. Only a handful of other states have set carbon neutrality goals, and New Mexico’s would be among the most stringent, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. “The only real comparison among oil-producing states is Colorado (with about half the oil production of New Mexico) and its target is currently only 90 percent reductions by 2050,” Doug Vine, the group’s director of energy analysis, told E&E.
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: IEA head says Canadian oil can be part of transition if it gets cleaner
By Mia Rabson, 1/13/22
“The executive director of the International Energy Agency says Canadian oil and gas can be part of the transition to a clean-energy future if the industry can cut its carbon footprint,” the Canadian Press reports. “A new IEA report on Canada’s energy industries praises the country for pushing toward net-zero emissions by 2050 but warns the challenge facing Canada as an oil and gas-producing country is immense. “While we move in the direction of clean energy, Canada has to transform itself,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said at a virtual news conference releasing the report Thursday. To achieve required climate change goals by mid-century, he said half of global energy consumption has to be zero-emission electricity and most of the rest will have to come from low-carbon fuels like hydrogen and biofuels. “The consumption of oil and gas has to diminish, demand has to decline,” Birol said. “There is no way out. But I wanted to make clear that a declining demand doesn’t mean tomorrow they will be zero… So, we will still need oil and gas for years to come and, therefore, somebody has to produce the oil somebody has to produce that oil,” Birol said. “And I prefer that that oil is produced by a country that produces them in a clean way.” Canada, he said, could be that country. But the report warns that Alberta’s oilsands in particular need to pay more attention to emissions from production, which on average are higher than most other sources of oil including conventional oil wells in Western Canada and offshore production in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Wall Street Journal: One of the World’s Dirtiest Oil Patches Is Pumping More Than Ever
1/14/22
“Major oil companies, under pressure from investors and environmentalists, are fleeing Canada’s oil sands, the fourth-largest oil reserve in the world and by some measures one of the most environmentally unfriendly. Investment in existing projects has stalled, and banks are refusing to fund new ones,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Nevertheless, oil production there is expected to continue for at least two more decades. Local companies have stepped in to keep working the existing mines and wells. Last year, the oil sands were on track to deliver more oil than ever. Governments and financial institutions are pushing to wean the world from fossil fuels to address climate change. But demand for energy remains robust. So long as existing oil fields—no matter their carbon footprint—remain profitable, they are likely to remain in production long after big-name multinational companies walk away. There are still roughly 170 billion barrels of thick, tar-like bitumen under boreal forests in the Canadian province of Alberta, the largest amount outside of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iran… “Politicians and others pushing for a rapid transition to cleaner energy sources face a conundrum. Despite intensifying efforts to transition the global economy away from fossil fuels, alternative energy sources currently come nowhere near meeting present demand. That means companies will continue to pump oil even from carbon-intensive sources. “We will continue to see growth,” Alex Pourbaix, chief executive of Calgary-based Cenovus, which doubled its dividend last year, told the Journal. Cenovus increased third-quarter oil sands production by almost 50,000 barrels a day.”
Bloomberg: Canada Readies Carbon Capture Tax Credit, Emission Cuts Plan
1/13/22
“Canada is preparing to roll out a tax credit for investments in carbon capture, a key step to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from its oil sands, and will soon outline its 2030 goals for pollution cuts,” Bloomberg reports. “The federal government will probably include the tax credit in the next budget and detail the goal to cut emissions 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by March, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s natural resource minister, said in a phone interview. Oil sands companies have said that zeroing out carbon emissions from their operations could cost C$75 billion ($60 billion), mostly for carbon capture projects…”
S&P Global: Imperial Oil to market Canadian Montney, Duvernay assets
Starr Spencer, 1/13/22
“Imperial Oil intends to market its oil and gas interests in XTO Energy Canada and ExxonMobil Canadian assets, although a definitive decision has not been made to sell them, Imperial said late Jan. 12,” S&P Global reports. “Imperial and ExxonMobil Canada each own 50% of XTO Canada, including assets in the Montney and Duvernay regions of central Alberta. "This decision is part of Imperial's ongoing evaluation of its unconventional portfolio, and is consistent with its strategy to focus upstream resources on key oil sands assets," it said in a statement. "Operations will continue [normally] throughout the marketing process." “...Producers have realized the value of Montney/Duvernay assets in recent years and have moved to acquire them… “Current oil production from Canada's Duvernay basin is about 196,000 b/d while the Montney is around 113,000 b/d. The Duvernay's oil production should increase to 293,500 b/d in January 2024 and 326,000 b/d in January 2026, while the Montney will also ramp up.”
Energy and Policy Institute: Gas utilities push RNG and hydrogen to expand fossil fuel infrastructure
1/13/22
“Electric and gas utilities are increasingly targeting customers, regulators, and investors with the promise of “renewable natural gas,” or biomethane, and hydrogen gas. In their promotions, the utilities have claimed that these technologies will allow them to build gas-fueled power plants and gas pipelines today while remaining on a pathway toward “net-zero” emissions climate goals. But RNG and hydrogen are not excuses to build or expand fossil fuel infrastructure, according to reports and studies released in recent years. (Review the collection.) Zero-emissions solutions to power and heat our homes and businesses are available today. Industry representatives have acknowledged both publicly and privately that RNG and hydrogen have limited applications and significant drawbacks, and that they would not be available as major components of fully decarbonized gas and electric grids for decades, if ever. While hyping the promise of RNG and hydrogen, 16 of the largest investor-owned utilities across the country are telling their investors and Wall Street analysts that they plan to spend a combined $94.3 billion over the next five years in expanding and maintaining their gas grids. Several utilities have started to use the promise of green hydrogen and RNG as a justification to build a specific gas plant. Investors want to continue financing these gas projects in contradiction to the net-zero goals and statements professed by many utilities, which will burden ratepayers since they will likely have to pay for these investments along with the rate of return through their utility bills.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Biden nominates climate champ as Fed’s bank cop
Avery Ellfeldt, 1/14/22
“President Biden is expected to nominate Sarah Bloom Raskin, one of the United States’ most prominent climate finance hawks, to be the Federal Reserve’s top bank cop,” E&E News reports. “If confirmed as the central bank’s vice chair for supervision, the Obama-era Fed governor and former Treasury Department official would be elevated to a post responsible for overseeing the nation’s banks. The role was created in the aftermath of the 2007-08 financial crisis and is charged with ensuring the Fed keeps a closer eye on emerging threats to financial stability. The Associated Press reported last night that the White House plans to announce the pick alongside two other nominees to the Fed board: Michigan State University’s Lisa Cook, who served as an Obama-era senior economist on the Council of Economic Advisers, and Philip Jefferson, an economist and former Fed researcher. The AP source was a person familiar with the decision who was not authorized to speak on the record. All three picks have the potential to bring major changes to the central bank, which currently has three vacant seats and a Republican majority. But Raskin’s nomination is arguably the most notable in the climate finance world for two key reasons. First and foremost is the position’s influence over the Fed’s supervision of the banking sector — and, potentially, its approach to global warming. And second, Raskin’s reputation as a tough regulator and leading proponent of the idea that natural disasters and the clean energy transition could pose systemic threats to the U.S. financial system.”
Politico: STRESSING OVER CLIMATE TESTING
Matthew Choi, 1/13/22
“The American Petroleum Institute has problems with the Federal Reserve’s idea of having banks conduct stress tests to determine their potential exposures to climate change, trade association Chief Executive Mike Sommers told reporters Wednesday,” Politico reports. “The idea got backing from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell in June. But oil companies, which currently already have a hard time attracting investors, are pushing back. Sommers, speaking after the API’s annual policy update, said the Fed “should stick to their mandate of tackling inflation while ensuring that unemployment remains low. We want to make sure the Federal Reserve focuses on that rather than taking capital out of the market at a time when the oil and gas sector needs more investment." Still, member companies doing business anywhere outside the U.S. border might need to get used to the idea: central banks in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia are already taking a close look.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Press release: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation Supports North Texas Food Bank to Reduce Food Insecurity
1/13/22
“The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) announced that the Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation has donated $100,000 which will provide 300,000 meals to North Texas residents experiencing hunger. The gift is part of a sponsorship that features the Energy Transfer and Sunoco logos on two co-branded NTFB trucks that deliver food in the food bank’s 10,000 square mile service area… “We are proud to partner with the North Texas Food Bank to help address the critical issue of hunger in North Texas,” said Chris Curia, EVP and Chief Human Resource Officer for Energy Transfer. “Throughout our 25-year history, we have been committed to making a difference in the communities in which we live and work, and we know that these funds will go a long way in combating hunger for many North Texans.” Energy Transfer has partnered with the North Texas Food Bank since 2011 and has provided nearly 1.7 million meals to hungry North Texans through its support.”
OPINION
Des Moines Register: Opinion: Electric vehicle adoption, ammonia research advances mean CO2 pipelines would quickly become obsolete
Francis Thicke of Fairfield is a soil scientist, farmer, and former member of the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, 1/13/22
“There has been a lot of discussion and debate about the merits of two proposed pipelines to transport liquified carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and nitrogen-fertilizer plants in Iowa to underground caverns in neighboring states. However, what seems to have been overlooked is the likelihood that those pipelines will be obsolete by the time they are completed, or soon thereafter,” Francis Thicke writes for the Des Moines Register. “Here are two reasons. First, ethanol plants will be phased out in coming years, because electric vehicles will rapidly replace cars that run on gasoline and ethanol… “Second, nitrogen-fertilizer plants make ammonia fertilizer from natural gas (and nitrogen from the atmosphere) using the Haber-Bosch process, which also produces a lot of CO2. However, recent research has found that renewable energy sources such as wind and solar can be used to make “green ammonia,” in a process that does not use carbon or emit greenhouse gases… “In conclusion, ethanol plants and nitrogen-fertilizer plants that use fossil fuels and emit CO2 will soon be obsolete. It is not a smart investment to build expensive and environmentally damaging infrastructure, like CO2 pipelines, for processes that are soon to be obsolete.”
Traverse City Record-Eagle: Opinion: Tunnel would ensure safety, longevity of Line 5
Bob Lehto is regional operations manager for Enbridge, 1/13/22
“This week, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) continues its work to move forward Enbridge’s project that will relocate the segment of Line 5 that crosses the Straits of Mackinac inside a tunnel under the lakebed. The MPSC — the state’s energy infrastructure planning agency — is responsible for making sure Enbridge’s segment relocation plans meet the agency’s requirements for ensuring the Michigan’s access to safe, reliable and affordable energy,” Bob Lehto writes for the Traverse City Record-Eagle. “...Encasing a replacement section of Line 5 in the Great Lakes tunnel will provide extra layers of safety and environmental protection, while creating Michigan jobs… “Surveys of Michigan residents continue to show strong public support for the tunnel project — nearly 70 percent of Michiganders say building the tunnel is the right thing to do. Equally as important, a majority of Michiganders also support the continued operation of Line 5… “While Enbridge is in the energy transportation business, our value is in keeping families, businesses, communities and North America moving forward — strong, safe and secure. Our investments in reducing environmental impacts, and the safety and longevity of Line 5 through the building the Great Lakes Tunnel are integral to delivering on that promise.”
The Hill: A climate hawk's modest wish list for 2022
Joel Clement is a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a senior fellow with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 1/13/22
“I’ve come to accept three truths: Every year for the rest of my life will be the most important year for climate action. Every policy to reduce emissions and build resilience is critical for the future economy and our wellbeing. Every year I’ll be disappointed in the policies that never materialized,” Joel Clement writes for The Hill. “That does not, however, keep me from imagining what policies and government actions could and should happen year to year. As the climate crisis accelerates and political frustrations mount in the new year, 2022 is no exception… “While congressional climate action is long overdue, it would be unrealistic to expect Congress to suddenly change its ways — even on this critical issue. So, in absence of legislation, it’s up to the White House and agencies to help address the climate crisis at the federal level… “Without the climate actions in the Build Back Better bill — which is stalled courtesy of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — it is essential that the Department of the Interior finally reform the fossil fuel leasing and permitting programs on our shared public lands. Curtailing fossil fuel extraction on public lands should be low-hanging fruit for emissions reductions, but action remains stuck as the White House fears political backlash at a sensitive time… “And although it causes the fossil fuel industry to clutch its pearls and wail in protest whenever someone mentions it, a permanent moratorium on new oil and gas leasing is well within the authority of the agency and will have a negligible economic impact. The industry has stockpiled more than enough leased acres to prop itself up for decades.”