EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/8/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Summit captures more than 50% of CO2 pipeline easements; critics condemn company's 'strongarm' tactics
Watertown Public Opinion: Landowners opposed to Summit carbon dioxide pipeline visit with commission about concerns
The Gazette: Would CO2 pipelines be ‘life or death’ for Iowa’s ethanol industry?
The Gazette: Q&A with House 66 candidate Tony Amsler
University of Michigan: Carbon Capture and Use Market Potential in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region
The Tyee: The RCMP’s Secrecy on Coastal GasLink Attack Fuels Rumours and Fears
Press release: Enbridge Announces Open Season for Natural Gas Transportation Service on T-North Pipeline Segment of B.C. Pipeline System
Oil & Gas Journal: Targa to build new Permian basin NGL pipeline
Oil & Gas Journal: WBI gets draft EIS for North Dakota natural gas pipeline
WJAC: Officials: Gas leak 'poses no threat' to the public; cause still under investigation
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: GOP looks ahead to pro-oil industry majority
E&E News: Missing from GOP attack ads? Dems’ big climate bill.
E&E News: Environmental groups push Interior to delay oil lease sales
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: World’s first zero-emission gas plant announced in Texas
Oregon Capital Chronicle: NW Natural scraps plans for blended hydrogen and natural gas project in Eugene
NM Political Report: Fossil fuel money flows to New Mexico Democrats
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Climate reparations makes conference agenda for the first time
Washington Post: Protest restrictions force young activists to rethink strategy
Globalnews.ca: ‘Reality has sharp teeth’: Alberta’s role at COP27
Globalnews.ca: ‘We can’t do it without carbon capture’: Alberta pushing for emission-reduction technology at COP27 [VIDEO]
Associated Press: Equipment that’s designed to cut methane emission is failing
InsideClimate News: Oil Companies Are Eying Federal Climate Funds to Expand Hydrogen Production. Will Their Projects Cut Emissions?
CLIMATE FINANCE
InsideClimate News: Republicans Eye the SEC’s Climate-Related Disclosure Regulations, Should They Take Control of Congress
OPINION
Globe and Mail: Why can’t Alberta and Quebec work together to build a new oil pipeline?
Star-Ledger: What did we learn from the battle to defeat the PennEast Pipeline?
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Column: Rising energy costs are crippling farmers – and consumers
The Hill: Banning energy exports is a terrible idea
PIPELINE NEWS
Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Summit captures more than 50% of CO2 pipeline easements; critics condemn company's 'strongarm' tactics
Dominik Dausch, 11/7/22
“According to a Summit press release sent to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on Monday, the company plans to announce on Tuesday it has acquired about 51% of the proposed pipeline route across its five-state span. The company said, so far, it has signed 3,400 easement agreements totaling 1,030 miles of land across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota… “Summit CEO Lee Blank told the Argus Leader in an interview on Monday the 'momentum' of acquiring easement agreements surged over the summer, which was the most encouraging proof of their success. "We certainly have a lot of work to do yet, but it feels very good. We're really ahead of schedule. The plan had us completing 50% at a later date, so we're very pleased with that. We feel like it's a bit of a testimony to the adoption of the project," Blank told the Argus Leader… “Critics of the proposed pipeline, however, are less than impressed with the company's narrative. On Monday, Chase Jensen, a community organizer and lobbyist for Dakota Rural Action, a group opposed to Summit and other carbon capture companies mapping pipeline routes in the state, told the Argus Leader that the company is glossing over their standing lawsuits with landowners. Based on previous reporting, Summit is locked into litigation with multiple landowners for immediate access to their property for surveying purposes, but Jensen told the Argus Leader Summit has sued hundreds of landowners throughout the course of their survey efforts. Jensen also claimed the company has persistently harassed landowners that haven't signed an easement agreement with calls and e-mails and have intensified their efforts to persuade hold-outs by "tripling and quadrupling" easement payments. "The whole thing is just a (expletive) PR effort about their lackluster performance, even given their strongarm tactics," Jensen told the Argus Leader . "It's kind of pathetic with all the lawsuits that they've filed and everything. What kind of company says, 'Praise us, look at what we're doing,' then sue those who don't agree? The fact that they still can't convince half of the other landowners speaks pretty strongly to their lack of success." Summit has yet to acquire 50% of easement agreements in South Dakota but is teetering near the checkpoint at 49%. The only other state under the 50% milestone is Nebraska at 46%.”
Watertown Public Opinion: Landowners opposed to Summit carbon dioxide pipeline visit with commission about concerns
J.T. Fey, 11/2/22
“Opposition to a proposed plan to pipe carbon dioxide to North Dakota made its first appearance Tuesday at the Codington County Commission meeting,” the Watertown Public Opinion reports. “...Complaints about the proposed project began after the commissioners discussed an agenda item regarding the potential hiring of Banner Engineering of Brookings as manager of the county’s eventual haul-road agreement with Summit, should the pipeline be approved. County Highway Superintendent Rick Hartley told commissioners he wasn’t asking for a signed agreement with Banner, only alerting the firm that the county would be seeking a contract if the pipeline project begins. The commissioners discussed the motion and voted 4-1 against it. Near the end of the meeting, during the open session, Troy Skelton and Wendy Schulz chastised the commissioners for even considering the motion since the project hasn’t been approved. They then gave a litany of reasons why the project was flawed and said Summit is using pressure tactics. “In my opinion they, are not a public carrier. They are not a public utility and therefore should not have the right of eminent domain,” said Skelton, who added that Summit is facing multiple court cases in the states where the pipeline would be located. Schulz said the county has no plan to rescue individuals trapped by carbon dioxide leaks. She also pointed out that the liquefied CO2 will be transmitted at 2,100 pounds per square inch and shutoff valves will be separated by 20 miles. And, she claimed, Summit is suing landowners who deny surveyors access to their property and has sued counties asking for a moratorium on the project… “Landowners in a few South Dakota counties have sued Summit regarding the ability to access private land to do survey work… “Concerns about eminent domain and whether the pipeline would be safe or is even needed have been raised across eastern South Dakota. Some residents have said they feel it's just a money grab to access tax credits.”
The Gazette: Would CO2 pipelines be ‘life or death’ for Iowa’s ethanol industry?
Erin Jordan, 11/7/22
“The leader of Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says whether carbon dioxide pipelines are approved in the state will be the difference between “life or death” for Iowa’s ethanol industry,” The Gazette reports. “If the Iowa Utility Board approves CO2 pipelines proposed for the state, dozens of Iowa ethanol plants will offload emissions, lower their carbon intensity scores and qualify for new federal tax credits, Monte Shaw told about 70 people gathered at the University of Iowa College of Law on Monday. But if the board votes down these proposals, Iowa’s ethanol plants won’t qualify for tax credits and will struggle to sell their fuel in some states with low-carbon fuel standards. Shuttered plants means corn growers will have to ship their corn to ethanol plants in other states, he predicted… “Wally Taylor, an attorney for the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, agrees the pipelines are a lifeline for the ethanol industry, but one he’d like to see severed. If ethanol wants to tap into tax credits, the industry should reduce emissions through changes in its production process… “Panelists also answered questions about: 1. Who has authority over where a CO2 pipeline would be built? The answer is state agencies, like the Iowa Utilities Board. The federal government delegates that authority to the states, but many states usually require permitted projects to adhere to federal safety standards… “Jessica Wiskus, a Linn County landowner running for Iowa Senate District 42, said she thinks the permitting process should wait until after the federal government completes a rule-making process to update standards for CO2 pipelines. That review is supposed to be done in 2024, she said.”
The Gazette: Q&A with House 66 candidate Tony Amsler
11/7/22
“Tony Amsler, 69, of Monticello, is the Democratic candidate for House District 66 in the Nov. 8 general election,” The Gazette reports. “...The Gazette posed a set of questions to all area statehouse candidates… “Do you support the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines? Why or why not? Amsler: The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution assures that "private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation." At issue with the proposed CO2 pipelines if given eminent domain must be for public use and benefit to the citizens of Iowa. Pipeline companies have not made their case for authorization of eminent domain. They have not been transparent about the process to landowners, nor provided clear liability for owners/operators for any and all damages caused by installation, operation, or eventually removal. Until proposed CO2 pipeline companies meet their obligation to demonstrate these projects are a benefit to the citizens of Iowa and provide fair compensation and safeguards to their land, I will oppose the use of eminent domain for these projects. What restrictions or limitations should be placed on the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines? Amsler: I would support the following requirements, put forth by the Iowa Farmers Union, should eminent domain be approved by the Iowa Utilities Board for CO2 pipelines. Fair compensation to landowners at all stages of a proposed pipeline or transmission project, including installation, operation and decommissioning. Strict liability for owners and operators of pipelines and transmission projects for any and all damages caused by any activities related to the project or its decommission. Creation of an indemnity fund to compensate landowners for any damages including loss of yield resulting from a pipeline or transmission project. Full consideration of potential impacts to social, human and ecological health when considering a proposed pipeline or transmission project.”
University of Michigan: Carbon Capture and Use Market Potential in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region
11/7/22
“At the request of the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, a team of University of Michigan students and researchers analyzed the potential for the carbon capture and utilization industry to expand in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region. You are invited to be among the first to hear about their findings regarding how much durable carbon storage in tonnage and dollars is available in the region between now and 2050 including forests, aggregates, concrete, and geologic storage. This Zoom webinar will take place Nov 17, 2022 10:00 - 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada).”
The Tyee: The RCMP’s Secrecy on Coastal GasLink Attack Fuels Rumours and Fears
Amanda Follett Hosgood, 11/8/22
“When eight vehicles were set on a fire in a Smithers hotel parking lot a few days before Halloween, it seemed everyone had a theory,” The Tyee reports. “Many jumped to connect the blaze with the volatile pipeline dispute that has plagued the region for the past four years. Smithers is on Wet’suwet’en territory and about 65 kilometres north of a section of the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline route. It’s been one of the communities most heavily impacted by conflict over the project, which has involved blockades, arrests and the involvement of large RCMP forces… “Some media were quick to connect the early morning fire, which police described as arson, to ongoing pipeline opposition by Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership and their supporters, which has resulted in several high-profile police actions in recent years… “On the other side of the fence, firing shots mainly from social media, were those who believed that, for the second time in under a year, RCMP had conducted a false flag operation — put bluntly, that police had torched their own vehicles to gain support for their role in the pipeline conflict… “Amid the speculation, both sides asked one question: Whatever happened to the RCMP’s investigation into the Feb. 17 pipeline worksite attack? It’s been almost 10 months since news broke that an estimated 20 masked assailants arrived shortly after midnight at a remote worksite where Coastal GasLink is now drilling under the Morice River, allegedly chasing off workers with axes and using the company’s own equipment to cause millions of dollars in damage… “But if the dozens of investigators, increased surveillance and millions of dollars spent have shed any light — or revealed a connection between camps on the Morice and the worksite attack — the RCMP has never provided any evidence of it. Requests for an update are repeatedly met with a standard response: “The investigation is ongoing.” “...As our national police force faces a critical lack of trust, it’s not hard to understand why some might jump to conspiracy theories when the RCMP refuse to provide basic details about what occurred. The public deserves an update, no matter how small, on what the RCMP knows about the Feb. 17 attack on the Coastal GasLink drill site. Its silence simply increases fears, suspicion and rumours — fuelling calls for even more policing.”
Press release: Enbridge Announces Open Season for Natural Gas Transportation Service on T-North Pipeline Segment of B.C. Pipeline System
11/4/22
“Enbridge Inc. announced today that it will conduct an open season for additional natural gas transportation service on the T-North segment of its B.C. Pipeline (T-North), a natural gas pipeline system in British Columbia (B.C.). T-North runs from the Fort Nelson area and transports natural gas south to the T-South segment of the Company's B.C. pipeline system (T-South) and east to interconnecting pipelines at the B.C.-Alberta border. Pending sufficient customer interest, the open season could result in an expansion of T-North of approximately 500 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) at a capital cost of up to CAD $1.9 billion. The potential expansion would serve growing regional demand for natural gas, West Coast LNG exports and downstream demand. The T-North open season will begin on November 4, 2022 and is targeted to end on January 10, 2023.”
Oil & Gas Journal: Targa to build new Permian basin NGL pipeline
Christopher E. Smith, 11/7/22
“Targa Resources Corp. plans to build the Daytona NGL pipeline as an addition to its common-carrier 550,000-b/d Grand Prix NGL pipeline system,” Oil & Gas Journal reports. “Daytona will transport NGLs from the Permian basin to the 30-in. OD Grand Prix segment in North Texas for further delivery to Targa’s 963,000-b/d fractionation and storage complex in Mont Belvieu, Tex. The company expects Daytona to be in service by end-2024 at a cost of $650 million. Grand Prix Pipeline LLC, of which Targa owns 75% and Blackstone Energy Partners LP 25%, will own the Daytona pipeline and each will fund its respective share of the pipeline’s cost based on ownership percentage. Targa will build and operate the pipeline and expects to fund construction through operating cash flows and available liquidity.”
Oil & Gas Journal: WBI gets draft EIS for North Dakota natural gas pipeline
11/7/22
“WBI Energy Transmission received a draft environmental impact statement from the US FERC for its 60.5-mile, 12-in. OD Wahpeton Expansion natural gas pipeline project in Cass and Richland Counties, ND, stating that its effects would not be significant,” Oil & Gas Journal reports. “The pipeline will ship 20.6 MMcfd of gas to Kindred and Wahpeton, ND. Wahpeton Expansion would include: A new 60.5-mile, 12-in. OD natural gas pipeline. Minor modifications to WBI’s existing Mapleton compressor station. A new Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU)-Wahpeton border station… “WBI plans to begin construction in early 2024, pending regulatory approvals, to meet an in-service date of November 2024.”
WJAC: Officials: Gas leak 'poses no threat' to the public; cause still under investigation
McKenzie Jarrell, 11/7/22
“6 News spoke with local officials Monday about the ongoing investigation into a natural gas leak in Cambria County that began over the weekend,” WJAC reports. “Authorities with the Cambria County Department of Emergency Services announced Sunday night that the high-pressure leak occurred at a natural gas station along Dishong Mountain Road. The company who owns and operates the gas well, Equitrans Midstream, as well as county emergency officials say they do not yet know what caused the leak but they continue to stress that there are no threat or safety concerns for nearby residents. However, several residents reached out to our newsroom to express their displeasure with the loud hissing sound that the leak is making and the consistent smell of natural gas in the area. Officials we spoke with on Monday told WJAC the leak "poses no threat to the public" because it is in an isolated area. Investigators say if the leak had occurred in a more populated area, then evacuations would have been ordered.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: GOP looks ahead to pro-oil industry majority
RACHEL FRAZIN AND ZACK BUDRYK, 11/7/22
“Energy issues are expected to be top of mind for Republicans next year if they take back the House or the Senate in Tuesday’s elections, given the party’s focus on high gas prices in the lead-up to the midterms,” The Hill reports. “The GOP is vowing to move pro-energy legislation, even though turning Republican bills into law will be difficult with President Biden in the White House… “Republicans are vowing to be muscular in their oversight of the Biden administration. In a statement to The Hill, House Oversight and Reform Committee ranking member Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said that the panel would “conduct robust oversight of the Biden administration’s policies harming American workers and families” with a GOP majority. Comer specifically pointed to the administration’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and restrictions on oil and gas leasing on federal lands as two such policies for oversight. He also told The Hill that the panel will look into climate-related actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).”
E&E News: Missing from GOP attack ads? Dems’ big climate bill.
Adam Aton, Scott Waldman, 11/8/22
“Republicans have spent millions of dollars on ads blasting Democrats on rising gas prices in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election,” E&E News reports. “But missing from most GOP attacks has been any mention of the Inflation Reduction Act and the roughly $370 billion it steers toward renewable energy subsidies and other climate programs. Republican ads largely have ignored Democrats’ landmark climate bill, according to political strategists from both parties and an E&E News review of campaign ad data from AdImpact. “There’s not a single race where a Democrat is vulnerable because she or he voted for IRA or was pro-climate,” Kevin Curtis, executive director of the NRDC Action Fund, told E&E. That’s a far cry from 2010, when a flood of GOP ads targeted Democrats’ failed carbon cap-and-trade bill. More than two dozen climate-friendly lawmakers lost that year, and many blamed their defeats on the cap-and-trade legislation, which passed the House in 2009 but died in the Senate… “The result is a political muddle for both advocates and foes of climate action. Republicans, expecting to win at least a House majority, are already claiming a mandate to roll back climate policy in the name of lowering energy prices. But Democrats, looking at a climate bill that energized the progressive base without repelling moderate voters, see that as a winning fight… “In fact, you’re seeing Democrats actually lean into their clean energy leadership,” Jamal Raad, co-founder of Evergreen Action, told E&E, pointing to the reelection campaigns of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.”
E&E News: Environmental groups push Interior to delay oil lease sales
Heather Richards, 11/7/22
“More than 40 environmental groups are asking the Interior Department to hold public hearings on federal oil lease sales planned in Wyoming, New Mexico and Kansas,” E&E News reports. “In a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Monday, the organizations also requested the deadline for public comment be extended 45 days for the public to weigh in on the climate impacts of ongoing leasing and the ramifications of oil and gas development on local communities. “The proposed lease sales stand to impact a range of environmental justice, public health, natural resource, and wildlife issues, but chief among these issues is the existential imperative to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming,” the groups wrote. Signed by WildEarth Guardians, the Pueblo Action Alliance, GreenLatinos and the Sierra Club, among others, the letter said a 30-day comment period for sales covering up to 260,000 acres is “unreasonable.” “...The planned oil and gas auctions are the second round of onshore leasing under the Biden administration and represent a disappointment for organizations opposed to continued drilling on public lands and waters. The White House froze federal oil leasing last year to conduct a review of the government’s management of national stores of crude oil and natural gas in light of climate change but later lifted the moratorium to comply with a court order.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: World’s first zero-emission gas plant announced in Texas
Carlos Anchondo, 11/8/22
“Net Power LLC announced plans Monday to build the world’s first utility-scale gas power plant with carbon capture, which it said would generate electricity with close to zero emissions,” E&E News reports. “...The company says its technology captures close to 100 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions — and does not release other pollution, like nitrogen oxides — by combusting natural gas with pure oxygen and using “supercritical” CO2 as a working fluid to drive a turbine and generate electricity… “Some energy analysts have questioned Net Power’s claims of zero emissions, since natural gas production can emit — and pipelines can leak — planet-warming methane… “Net Power has pointed to the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act — signed by President Joe Biden in August — in getting the plant greenlighted… “On Monday, some groups slammed the tax credit for encouraging such projects. “The only reason wasteful and dirty projects like this are going forward are massive public subsidies for carbon capture included in the Inflation Reduction Act,” Jim Walsh, policy director at Food and Water Watch, told E&E. “Carbon-capture technology in the energy sector is always more expensive and dirtier than building clean renewable energy, no matter how many lies the fossil fuel industry spins about CCS.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle: NW Natural scraps plans for blended hydrogen and natural gas project in Eugene
Alex Baumhardt, 11/5/22
“Oregon’s first green hydrogen production project has been shelved after public pushback over potential environmental and health impacts,” the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. “NW Natural, the state’s largest natural gas provider, had proposed to the Oregon Public Utilities Commission in August a plan to create green hydrogen to blend into its natural gas. The company would have pumped the blended gas to 2,500 customers in west Eugene by early 2024. It pitched the project as an experimental way to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and to hone production of green hydrogen, which is made when electricity powered from renewable sources is run through water to separate oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen is trapped and blended into the natural gas, which is primarily methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Environmental and social justice groups pushed back, saying the project had little emissions-reduction benefit. They also said NW Natural hadn’t undertaken an analysis of health and safety risks to customers who would burn the fuel in their homes, that the $10 million price tag was too costly and the company’s current customers across the state would be left holding the bill. Among the six groups that intervened in the approvals process are the NAACP of Eugene-Springfield, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Sierra Club. NW Natural withdrew its proposal on Tuesday. In the filing to withdraw, NW Natural explained why it chose to scrap the proposal altogether rather than just suspend the approvals process for a few months while it solicited more community input.”
NM Political Report: Fossil fuel money flows to New Mexico Democrats
11/7/22
“New Mexico’s Republicans and advocates for oil and gas producers often accuse the state’s ruling Democrats of trying to kill the local fossil fuel industry, but industry donations and agency funding outcomes tell a different story,” according to NM Political Report. “Democrats hold a lock on all statewide offices and both chambers of the Legislature heading into the midterm elections, and according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office, many of New Mexico’s most powerful Democrats bring in more oil and gas contributions than their Republican counterparts. Often a lot more. And that could be influencing policy in favor of fossil fuel production. This tension plays out in the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) where, so far in this election cycle, the two Democratic leaders — Rep. Patty Lundstrom and Sen. George Muñoz — received more in oil and gas campaign contributions than any of the Republicans on the committee. In fact, Lundstrom received more of those contributions than all six Republicans on the committee added together. “While in theory no single committee can fully pass or kill legislation, the LFC has both real and perceived power that creates a disturbing bottleneck for democracy in New Mexico because of their particular ‘power of the purse,’ ” Lucas Herndon, energy and policy director at ProgressNow New Mexico, told the Report… “LFC Chair Lundstrom, of Gallup, is running unopposed this year for her district that covers parts of McKinley and San Juan Counties. Still, state campaign records from late October show she had so far received more than $340,000 for the 2022 election (including both primary and general elections), $66,400 of that from oil and gas interests. Of the top-10 fundraisers still in state races, Lundstrom places fourth for total fossil fuel contributions, topped only by Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti with more than $750,000, Republican candidate for attorney general Jeremy Gay with $93,300 and incumbent Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham with nearly $160,000. LFC Vice Chair Muñoz, also of Gallup, isn’t even running this year (he’s up for reelection in 2024) but nevertheless received more than $143,000 in campaign contributions… “Kathleen Sabo, director of New Mexico Ethics Watch, told the Report, “The best course for public officials is to pick the highest road … which is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. “When you’re getting 20% of your total campaign contributions from one industry, when you’re getting fêted by Chevron at their Houston headquarters, when things don’t seem to get funded that would regulate the oil and gas industry, then that standard is not being met.”
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Climate reparations makes conference agenda for the first time
RACHEL FRAZIN, 11/7/22
“For the first time, countries have put reparation funds for climate damage on the negotiating agenda at this year’s global climate summit,” The Hill reports. “At the conference, known as COP27, which kicked off this week in Egypt, countries will discuss providing funding for countries that have suffered a disproportionate amount of “loss and damage” from climate change. While the impacts of climate change are being felt worldwide, its impacts are not expected to be felt evenly. Both geographical and monetary factors make many developing countries more vulnerable, even though they have historically low fossil fuel use compared to major powers… “As a result, many developing countries have long argued for specific funding to address the climate change-related suffering they have undergone… “U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called addressing the issue a “moral imperative.” “The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now. Loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rug,” Guterres said. “Those who contributed least to the climate crisis are reaping the whirlwind sown by others.”
Washington Post: Protest restrictions force young activists to rethink strategy
Sarah Kaplan, 11/7/22
“Egypt’s tight restrictions on protest have forced young activists to rethink how to make their opinions heard at the negotiations, said Sophia Kianni, a Stanford student and founder of the group Climate Cardinals,” the Washington Post reports. “In Glasgow, Kianni spent much of her time outside the “blue zone” — the official event space where negotiations are held. Instead, she was busy organizing demonstrations, meeting with her young Scottish counterparts, thinking up creative ways to draw media attention and put pressure on governments. Demonstrators in Scotland filled the streets, blocked roadways and burned Boris Johnson in effigy on a sinking ship in the Clyde river. But there will be no such protests in Sharm el-Sheikh, where Egyptian security officers stand on every corner. So 20-year-old Kianni and her comrades find themselves playing what activists call “the inside game” — seeking meetings with world leaders and asking uncomfortable questions at public events… “No one she knows is planning to utilize the designated protest space set up by the Egyptian government far from the main conference center. “That’s not the point of protest,” she told the Post, calling the facility “tokenistic.” But Kianni worries the lack of demonstrations will hinder the progress she’s seeking. “Mass mobilization is a useful temperature gauge for how much the general public and civil society cares,” she told the Post… ”This year, we just won’t have that pressure.”
Globalnews.ca: ‘Reality has sharp teeth’: Alberta’s role at COP27
Sarah Offin, 11/7/22
“The global climate summit COP27 is set to begin this Sunday in Egypt and Alberta has a big role to play,” Globalnews.ca reports. “...Members of the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canada’s six largest oilsands companies with a target to achieve net-zero by 2050, are hosting an event and panel presentation in the Canada Pavillion… “In October, the Pathways Alliance pledged to spend $16.5 billion before 2030 on a massive proposed carbon capture and storage facility that is the centrepiece of their net-zero-by-2050 pledge… “Alberta sits on some of the largest oil reserves in the world, geology that also gives the province an advantage in carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). “Alberta is probably the leading juristiction in the entire world on CCUS,” said Savage. The technology also bears the brunt of the province’s current hopes of bringing the oilsands in line with Canada’s current emissions reduction targets, while researchers and industry work on other clean energy technologies… “Those aren’t quite game-day ready, where [carbon capture and storage] really is,” said Dilling. According to the Pathways Alliance, their carbon capture project is ten times larger than any existing CCUS project in the world. It involves a 400-kilometre pipeline, connecting 20 or more oilsands facilities and transporting carbon from likes like Fort MacMurray and Christina Lake for permanent storage in the Cold Lake region… “But there will be additional hurdles, including financing the historically challenging approval of pipelines. “If every time we go to build one of these we have these problems that other projects have had and years and years and years of regulatory delays, frankly, a) we’re not going to achieve our national targets, and b) the opportunity is going to pass us by,” said Dilling.
Globalnews.ca: ‘We can’t do it without carbon capture’: Alberta pushing for emission-reduction technology at COP27 [VIDEO]
11/7/22
“As international delegates continue to set out a path to net-zero by 2050, Alberta’s oilsands industry remains focused on one of the most promising technologies to help producers reduce emissions. Sarah Offin explores the role of carbon capture in achieving targets set out at climate action summits like COP27,” Globalnews.ca reports.
Associated Press: Equipment that’s designed to cut methane emission is failing
CATHY BUSSEWITZ, 11/5/22
“As Sharon Wilson pulled up to the BP site in Texas last June, production tanks towered above the windblown grass roughly 60 miles southeast of San Antonio. Cows and pumpjacks lined the roadsides,” the Associated Press reports. “All looked placid. But when Wilson flipped on a high-tech video camera, a disquieting image became visible: A long black plume poured from a flare pipe. Her camera, designed to detect hydrocarbons, had revealed what appeared to be a stream of methane — a potent climate-warming gas, gushing from the very equipment that is supposed to prevent such emissions. “It’s very discouraging and depressing, but mostly it’s infuriating,” Wilson, a field advocate for Earthworks, which promotes alternatives to fossil fuels, told AP. “Our government is not taking the action that needs to be taken.” “...Yet some of the best equipment for reducing emissions is already installed on oil and gas infrastructure, including at the BP site that Wilson filmed. And critics say such equipment is failing to capture much of the methane and casting doubt on whether the Biden plan would go far to correct the problem. What Wilson saw at the BP site was an unlit flare… “The flare’s mechanisms are supposed to alert the operator if it stopped working. That didn’t happen in this case, according to a report by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. “Energy companies have made pledges, but I’ve got to tell you, I haven’t seen anything from a practical standpoint that makes me believe there’s any reality to reductions on the ground,” Tim Doty, an environmental scientist and former air quality inspector for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, told AP. “Maybe they’re making progress, but are they making enough progress to slow down climate change? I don’t think so.” “...In Doty’s field work, which spans decades, he estimates that he’s seen vapor recovery units leaking some amount of methane or other hydrocarbons 75% to 85% of the time.”
InsideClimate News: Oil Companies Are Eying Federal Climate Funds to Expand Hydrogen Production. Will Their Projects Cut Emissions?
Nicholas Kusnetz, 11/6/22
“ExxonMobil’s Baytown refinery and petrochemical complex is one of the largest industrial operations in the country, covering 3,400 acres or nearly 15 percent of the city of Baytown, just east of Houston. It is also one of the nation’s largest sources of greenhouse gas pollution, but Exxon says it has a plan to change that,” InsideClimate News reports. “The proposal hinges on technology that would convert natural gas into hydrogen while capturing the carbon dioxide emissions released in the process. Exxon said the effort would make the Baytown site a major hydrogen producer while helping to lower the refinery’s emissions by “up to 30 percent.” It is part of a larger effort by the oil and gas industry to position itself for a shifting energy landscape. Up and down the Gulf Coast, oil and chemical companies including BP, Chevron, Air Products and others have proposed a series of similar projects that would combine carbon capture technology with hydrogen production in an attempt to turn the fossil fuel-dependent region into a center for clean energy. The efforts are being propelled by a colossal wave of federal funding. The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in August, included new and expanded tax credits that would help finance hydrogen production. In September, the Department of Energy began accepting applications for $7 billion in grants to help build “clean hydrogen hubs” around the country… “But some environmental advocates and scientists are warning that the Biden administration and the oil industry are rushing into a new technology that could further entrench natural gas in the nation’s economy while failing to deliver significant climate benefits. They point to recent academic research showing that increased leaks of super-polluting methane, the primary component of natural gas which traps more than 80 times more heat over the short term than carbon dioxide, can erode or even negate any benefits drawn from capturing carbon dioxide emissions. One study published last year determined that under some conditions, burning hydrogen made from natural gas can be even worse for the climate than burning the fossil fuel directly, even with carbon capture equipment.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
InsideClimate News: Republicans Eye the SEC’s Climate-Related Disclosure Regulations, Should They Take Control of Congress
Emma Ricketts, 11/7/22
“After the Securities and Exchange Commission held more than 150 meetings this year with investors and other stakeholders interested in its pending regulations that would require companies to disclose climate-related risks and greenhouse gas emissions, some Republicans say they would block further consideration if the GOP gains control of the House next week,” InsideClimate News reports. “The proposal, which would apply to any company registered with the SEC, has elicited more than 14,000 comments. The climate risks companies would be required to report could range from physical hazards, such as properties located in flood-prone areas, to transition risks, such as new governmental regulation to reduce emissions. The SEC’s proposal is one of many environmental priorities advanced by President Biden that could be in jeopardy if Republicans take over Congress. “Politics should be separate from markets,” Danielle Fugere, president of shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, told ICN. “The world is transitioning towards a greener economy, and markets are adjusting to that. It is absurd for lawmakers to think that they’re going to put a stop to that progress. It would be detrimental to U.S. businesses.” “...Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, told SPGlobal in September that he and his colleagues would take steps to block the new regulations if Republicans gain control of the House in Tuesday’s elections. They would consider defunding the SEC’s climate risk disclosure work by attaching the move to a government funding bill and threatening a government shutdown.”
OPINION
Globe and Mail: Why can’t Alberta and Quebec work together to build a new oil pipeline?
William A. Macdonald is a corporate lawyer turned consultant with a long history of public service and social engagement, 11/7/22
“Both Alberta and Quebec are still without the economic policies needed for their futures,” William A. Macdonald writes for the Globe and Mail. “...The two provinces need to work together to revive the Energy East pipeline project, TC Energy Corp.’s plan that would transport Alberta crude to the Atlantic Ocean for export. It was cancelled by the company in 2017, falling victim to, among other factors, excessive red tape and a lack of political will. Reviving it is entirely within the hands of our governments… “And Quebec’s approval is key to having a West-East pipeline. According to the original plan, an existing, underused gas pipeline would be converted to make up 70 per cent of a new oil pipeline. And by moving oil to the East Coast, Canadian crude would potentially displace some of the ethically-contentious supply from Saudi Arabia. Alberta and Quebec have now been given an opportunity. There is a grand bargain to be made, for that is the best way forward when the times are bad. Canada needs a new oil bargain. This will require overcoming domestic political problems… “That could spur further efforts at co-operation between other jurisdictions, especially involving those outside Canada. TC Energy’s Keystone XL pipeline was killed by the U.S. federal government. Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 faces intense opposition in Michigan. These events, too, reflect how grander goals have been needlessly displaced by petty politicking. Thus, a grand bargain within Canada is also a path toward something greater: a grand bargain with the United States, for the good of us all.”
Star-Ledger: What did we learn from the battle to defeat the PennEast Pipeline?
Timothy P. Duggan, 11/7/22
“As local environmental challenges are always on the horizon, it’s important to examine how New Jersey homeowners defeated the PennEast Pipeline,” Timothy P. Duggan writes for the Star-Ledger. “Notably, the PennEast Pipeline Company made the decision to stop developing a proposed 116-mile natural gas pipeline from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to Mercer County, New Jersey, despite its earlier U.S. Supreme Court victory…”
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Column: Rising energy costs are crippling farmers – and consumers
Matt Lohr is the Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, 11/5/22
“If you have visited your local grocery store recently, you have likely noticed that you’re paying more for less. Unfortunately, you’re not alone. While inflationary trends are impacting services and goods across the board, our food has become significantly more expensive and, in some cases, harder to find,” Matt Lohr writes for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “...However, the Biden administration can certainly do more to help alleviate Virginia farmers of the inflationary burdens we have experienced by encouraging — rather than discouraging — domestic oil and gas production… “The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), our outdated national permitting structure, has been a major impediment for energy and agricultural projects. NEPA has stalled crucial energy infrastructure projects — such as pipelines — in red tape. In Virginia, delays or cancellations to major projects such as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline have cost us $7.8 billion in GDP, over 50,000 jobs and $1.83 billion in tax revenues… “We can drive down food prices by expanding our supply of natural gas and reforming our permitting process. NEPA is outdated and costing Americans time and money we cannot afford to lose… “Improving our network of pipelines would help transport more natural gas and oil to markets. With easier access to our domestic natural resources, we could produce more fertilizers and fuel for Virginians, lowering prices by increasing our supply. That will help to cut operating costs for farmers and small businesses while slashing food and utility prices for consumers.”
The Hill: Banning energy exports is a terrible idea
Jeffrey Kupfer, a former acting deputy secretary of energy in the Bush administration, is an adjunct professor of policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and the president of ConservAmerica, 11/7/22
“With the midterm elections upon us, it’s no surprise that politicians have been trying to show voters that they are doing whatever they can to lower prices at the pump,” Jeffrey Kupfer writes for The Hill. “Last Monday, President Biden warned oil companies that they could face higher taxes and “other restrictions.” The president didn’t provide any more details, but his comment follows a recent Bloomberg report that the White House had asked the Energy Department to analyze the impact of an export ban on gasoline, diesel and other refined petroleum products. Let’s hope this is just political posturing. An export ban is a bad idea that would hurt American consumers as well as our allies around the world… “Because of a lack of pipeline capacity, an export ban would end up trapping refinery production in the Gulf Coast region… “Meanwhile, because of pipeline constraints and protectionist shipping limitations, domestic refineries have been unable to satisfy all the east and west coast demand for gasoline and other petroleum products. Instead, those areas have been relying on foreign imports to make up the difference. With a ban on exports, this situation wouldn’t change; what would change is that the costs of imports (which are set on the global market) would rise… “Rather than float counterproductive proposals, Biden administration officials should be looking at policies that could actually make a difference. They could, for instance, waive the Jones Act, a 1920 law that mandates that goods shipped within the U.S. be transported on American ships. Removing this limitation would allow more efficient distribution of petroleum products, allowing greater flows from the Gulf Coast refineries to the coasts.”