EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/10/24
PIPELINE NEWS
North Dakota Monitor: Summit CO2 injection wells up for approval but court appeal already in the works
KFYR: Minnkota responds to news of TC Energy pulling out of Project Tundra
Inside Climate News: A Carbon Capture Project Faces a New Delay in a Year of Slow Progress for Coal Power Plants Looking for Retrofits
Waverly Newspapers: Green Methanol: An alternative to a carbon pipeline
Press release: 190 Organizations Urge President Biden to Direct Army Corps to Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline
North Dakota Monitor: Greenpeace seeks court permission to research mailer critical of DAPL protests
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation: Certificate of Compliance Report
Reuters: Kinder Morgan forecasts higher profit in 2025
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: The oil railway that launched a Supreme Court NEPA war
Inside Climate News: A Supreme Court Case About a Railway Could Have Widespread Impacts on U.S. Environmental Laws
E&E News: In a shift, Biden to bar most fossil fuel financing overseas
E&E News: Youth cite death penalty case to keep climate lawsuit alive
E&E News: Trump wants agencies on a short leash. What does that mean for FERC?
Reuters: US AI task force co-chair asks FERC to support co-located data centers – letter
E&E News: Stansbury enters Natural Resources race for ranking member
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Newsline: How Utah’s oil train project and its Colorado opponents ended up at the Supreme Court
E&E News: Net Power inks plan to build CO2-free gas plants in California
Press release: State of West Virginia Agrees to Provide $10 Million for Development of Babcock & Wilcox BrightLoop Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Project
Associated Press: New Mexico seeks record $47.8M fine for excess air pollution by natural gas processor
NBC10 Boston: Oil spills into Boston's Muddy River, threatening the wildlife
EXTRACTION
Troy Media: OPEC+ on borrowed time as global oil dynamics shift
Carbon Herald: China Revises Development Roadmap For Carbon Capture Technology
Clear Energy Wire: Carbon capturing plans stall amid ongoing talks after German coalition break-up
Carbon Herald: Vattenfall Halts Major Carbon Capture Project
CiberCuba: Image reveals the magnitude of the oil spill following the train accident in Cuba
Reuters: BP forms offshore wind joint venture in renewables retreat
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Kawartha Lakes: Fire Departments launch 2024 12 Days of Holiday Safety Campaign
100.1 News: Enbridge Gas Supporting WNF with Safe Community Project Assist
Seaway News: Enbridge Gas provides detectors to South Glengarry Fire Department
OPINION
Alpena News: Don’t make the same mistakes
New York Times: Climate Activists Need to Radically Change Their Approach Under Trump
Real Clear Energy: Carbon Capture Regulations Must Match Pace of Innovation
TradeWinds: Carbon storage is key to the transition and shipping is ready — now regulators must step up
Forbes: Isn’t It Time We Started To Take Carbon Removal Seriously?
Counter Fire: Carbon Capture: false hopes and harsh realities
PIPELINE NEWS
North Dakota Monitor: Summit CO2 injection wells up for approval but court appeal already in the works
Jeff Beach, 12/10/24
“North Dakota is poised to allow millions of tons of carbon dioxide to be permanently stored underground, but an attorney representing landowners argues the process has been unfair and he is already laying the groundwork for an appeal,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “North Dakota’s Industrial Commission is expected to vote at its Thursday meeting on plans for underground storage wells operated by Summit Carbon Solutions that will take in carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five Midwest states… “Attorney Derrick Braaten of Bismarck represents landowners in the sequestration area, which also includes part of Morton County. He told the Monitor North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources, which falls under the Industrial Commission, failed to provide landowners with a computer-generated model for how the CO2 would disperse underground… “He told the Monitor the appeal would be based on a lack of due process when he and his clients were not provided Summit’s model before a hearing in June… “The project also faces legal challenges in North Dakota, including from the Northwest Landowners Association, represented by Braaten. The Northwest Landowners Association has asked the state Supreme Court to rule on a lawsuit challenging the state’s laws that cover underground storage as being unconstitutional. State law allows for forcing landowners to allow pore space storage if 60% of the affected landowners have agreed to the storage plan. Kurt Swenson lives south of Beulah and owns land in the sequestration area and a member of the Northwest Landowners. He told the Monitor the Industrial Commission’s approval of amalgamation and the storage wells “would be consistent with their trampling of property rights.” He told the Monitor the landowners’ primary argument is that the state has no right to take pore space. He told the Monitor he also has been frustrated by Summit’s lack of willingness to negotiate, a complaint that also came up during hearings on the pipeline permit.”
KFYR: Minnkota responds to news of TC Energy pulling out of Project Tundra
Kyona Rivera, 12/9/24
“It is supposed to be the largest carbon capture project in the world when it’s finished, but Project Tundra is now facing a series of delays,” KFYR reports. “Six years ago, Minnkota Power Cooperative was approved for $15 million for the project… “But they’ve faced financial hurdles, and last week we reported that Canada-based TC Energy pulled out of the project. Staff with Minnkota said the total project cost is about $2 billion. In October, Project Tundra secured an initial $4.2 million from the $350 million awarded by the Department of Energy. The state also gave $250 million in loans in total from last year and in 2022. The timeline for the project is now unclear. A spokesperson for Minnkota told KFYR, in part, “We continue to assess and navigate federal funding opportunities, potential EPA compliance obligations and ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures.” The communications manager added that “external factors” will dictate their timeline, and they look forward to a final investment decision… “Here is Minnkota Power Cooperative communications manager Ben Fladhammer’s full statement: “We continue to assess and navigate federal funding opportunities, potential EPA compliance obligations and ongoing supply chain and inflationary pressures. As we proceed with work in each of these areas, we recognize that external factors will dictate decision-making timelines. We remain focused on Project Tundra and look forward to a final investment decision when the necessary conditions align, ensuring that the project fits our long-term goals.”
Inside Climate News: A Carbon Capture Project Faces a New Delay in a Year of Slow Progress for Coal Power Plants Looking for Retrofits
Dan Gearino, 12/10/24
“Project Tundra, a plan to retrofit a North Dakota coal plant with carbon capture technology, has hit a snag following the departure of the lead contractor,” Inside Climate News reports. “Before that departure, the utility overseeing the project, Minnkota Power Cooperative, had said it would decide this year whether to move forward with the multibillion-dollar plan… “The project’s challenges cap a year in which there have been few signs of progress for U.S. coal-fired power plants whose owners are studying retrofits that would involve carbon capture systems. This is despite substantial funding of carbon capture efforts by the Biden administration… “But enthusiasm about carbon capture has yet to translate to substantial emissions reductions, and environmental advocates have long criticized the use of the technology for power plant retrofits as a boondoggle with high costs, steep technical challenges and an overreliance on taxpayer money… “TC Energy, the Calgary-based company whose portfolio also includes TransCanada pipelines, was the project’s lead contractor before its decision to step away, which was disclosed last week… “Neither TC Energy nor Minnkota gave details on why they were ending their partnership. About a half dozen companies that own coal plants are considering investments in carbon capture retrofits. Inside Climate News reached out to them to see where those projects stand… “The main reason not to move forward with the projects is the cost. Prairie State’s study includes an estimated capital cost of $2 billion to install a system that would capture and store 95 percent of the plant’s carbon emissions. In addition, the system would cost about $175 million per year for operation and maintenance. To date, no company has been able to successfully do a carbon capture retrofit on the scale of these large plants. Some researchers and environmental advocates worry that the results would be expensive systems that don’t capture much carbon… “Opponents of using carbon capture for power plant retrofits have said Project Tundra shows the folly of spending taxpayer money to help justify the continued operation of power plants that should retire and be replaced with cleaner and less expensive options.”
Waverly Newspapers: Green Methanol: An alternative to a carbon pipeline
Elizabeth Bingham, 12/9/24
“Roughly 80 people crowded into a room at the Waverly Area Veterans Post Dec. 5 to hear about an alternate use of ethanol plants’ CO2 emissions that would not require use of a pipeline,” Waverly Newspapers reports. “The CEO of CapCO2 Solutions, Jeff Bonar, led the 1½-hour informational session, explaining how carbon dioxide that results from ethanol production can be combined with hydrogen to produce methanol, which has many commercial uses, including as a fuel. The methanol production can take place right at an ethanol plant with the proper technology, which Bonar would like to supply through his company… “You put that together—the big market for green methanol, the ability to make green methanol straightforwardly at an ethanol plant, and the ethanol becomes low-carbon—this is the perfect mix,” he said. “No pipeline needed.” Instead, methanol can be transported in train cars, the same way ethanol is. Should any methanol be spilled, it dissipates immediately, he said… “Bonar and audience members referred throughout the meeting to the pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which would run through Iowa and would likely require the use of eminent domain to complete. “I don’t know that Summit’s going to be successful,” Bonar said. “Certainly the turnout at this event indicates to me that they’ve got some significant real problems besides the business problems and the environmental problems and the eminent domain problems. They’ve got problems.” An audience member expressed concern that Summit already has agreements with some Iowa ethanol plants to pipe their CO2 out of state. Bonar replied, “If you can’t get the pipeline approved, those agreements with the ethanol plants go away, and the ethanol plants now have a problem. Frankly, I’m not that worried about that.”
Press release: 190 Organizations Urge President Biden to Direct Army Corps to Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline
12/9/24
“Dear President Biden, On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, we urge your Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) to deny the Lake Oahe easement, permanently shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), and leave the piping in place in alignment with federal law. The Dakota Access Pipeline violates the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and Indigenous sovereignty. From destroying sacred sites, putting drinking water at risk, increasing the problem of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) that comes with fossil fuel project construction, and exacerbating climate change, DAPL has already caused real harm and should be shut down. Impacted Tribes have still not been provided with complete and unredacted spill response plans, and in 2024, we learned that massive amounts of drilling fluid likely spilled during construction. The incoming Trump Administration will do its best to expand fossil fuels and eliminate the world’s chances of limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We urge you to cement your climate legacy by using these final months of your Administration to shut down this dangerous pipeline. While the massive protests which drew thousands of people to Standing Rock in 2016 garnered the most attention, the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes have been fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline consistently since 2015. In 2017, the Obama Administration correctly recognized the Army Corps of Engineers’ obligation to evaluate DAPL in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before approval. Trump reversed course, ignoring the law, and quickly pushed the project through before the courts were able to confirm that an EIS was required. In 2020, DAPL expanded capacity from 570,000 barrels/day (one of the biggest pipelines in North Dakota) to 1.1 million barrels per day (one of the biggest pipeline capacities in the whole country). That same year, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Army Corps to complete a new environmental review of DAPL and vacated DAPL’s easement for the crossing of Lake Oahe, a part of the Missouri River. DAPL has been operating without that easement ever since. Last year, in response to the ruling, the Army Corps issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the pipeline. Unfortunately, the DEIS was deficient in many ways, and the Army Corps refused to provide much of the data it used to the Tribes. This year, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe filed an historic lawsuit against your Army Corps of Engineers to shut down the infamous pipeline for good. We urge you to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline before you leave office. Specifically, to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to finalize its Environmental Impact Statement and choose no action alternative two. The Obama-Biden Administration made the decision to listen to tribes and shut down Keystone XL. We hope you will make a similar decision now and shut down DAPL.
North Dakota Monitor: Greenpeace seeks court permission to research mailer critical of DAPL protests
Mary Steurer, 12/9/24
“Environmental group Greenpeace has asked a judge for permission to collect evidence related to a conservative-leaning, pro-fossil fuel mailer it believes could taint the jury pool in its legal battle with Energy Transfer, the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “In October, some residents of Morton County received a 12-page direct mailer titled “Central ND News” that contains positive coverage of Energy Transfer while also drawing attention to criminal behavior by anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protesters. “I would say the purpose of that publication is, quite clearly, to remind people about what was happening eight years ago,” Everett Jack, an attorney representing Greenpeace, said during a Monday afternoon hearing. “We should be entitled to find out who made that decision.” “...In the aftermath of the protests, Energy Transfer filed suit against Greenpeace in Morton County District Court, accusing the environmental group of engaging in criminal behavior during the demonstrations and of waging a misinformation campaign against the company… “The case is scheduled to go to trial in February… “Trey Cox, representing Energy Transfer, said the Central ND news is simply a local news publication and it existed long before the mailer was sent out. He pointed out that Greenpeace is not mentioned anywhere in the 12-page mailer… “So far, Greenpeace has not found any evidence that the mailers were sent to anyone outside Morton County… “He added that as far as he could tell, the October mailer was also the only time the Central ND News had ever sent a physical paper to Morton County residents… “The Central ND News also has a website, centralndnews.com. The outlet has published roughly a dozen stories critical of anti-DAPL protesters since early August, each of them relying heavily on reporting from other news outlets, a review by the North Dakota Monitor found. Most of the stories end with several paragraphs about Energy Transfer’s lawsuit against Greenpeace.”
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation: Certificate of Compliance Report
12/9/24
“National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation and Empire Pipeline, Inc. submit notice of intent to allow certificate authorizations to expire re the Northern Access Project under CP15-115,” according to National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation’s submission to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.”
Reuters: Kinder Morgan forecasts higher profit in 2025
12/9/24
“Kinder Morgan forecast higher earnings for 2025 on Monday as the U.S. pipeline operator bets on growth in its natural gas pipelines and energy transition ventures amid rising demand for the fuel,” Reuters reports. “...Pipeline operators such as Kinder Morgan are also banking on electric generation associated with artificial intelligence operations, cryptocurrency mining and data centers… “The company's third-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street estimates earlier this year. It had also lowered its annual profit forecast as the U.S. pipeline operator contended with lower crude volumes… “Kinder Morgan added it expects to invest $2.3 billion in discretionary capital expenditures, including expansion projects and contributions to joint ventures.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: The oil railway that launched a Supreme Court NEPA war
Pamela King, 12/9/24
“On a snowy October morning, a parade of trucks struggled to navigate a mountain pass, toting massive freights of thick, waxy crude from an oil patch located about 100 miles away. Some local residents say there is a better way to transport the oil that helps fuel their economy. The solution: Build an 88-mile rail spur to link the fossil fuel-rich Uinta Basin to an existing national rail network that would ship their product all the way to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico,” E&E News reports. “To do that, they’ll first need a little help from the nation’s highest court… “In a case that will be argued Tuesday, the Supreme Court, minus Justice Neil Gorsuch, who recused himself, will consider whether the National Environmental Policy Act requires federal regulators to analyze the indirect impacts — namely, a likely increase in Uinta Basin drilling and Gulf refining capacity — that would stem from building the Utah railway. But while the case — Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado — focuses on the Utah rail project, the Supreme Court’s ruling, expected by early summer, is likely to redefine the scope of federal environmental and climate studies underpinning infrastructure projects nationwide… “Sanjay Narayan, chief appellate counsel of the Sierra Club, which is among the parties fighting the Utah railway at the Supreme Court, told E&E that attempts, like the one advanced by the railway’s proponents, to limit NEPA analyses to issues directly relevant to the reviewing agency’s regulatory authority is like asking individual drivers to craft rules governing what people must pay for in an automobile accident. Each driver, he told E&E, would likely focus only on their own financial liabilities. If agencies haven’t been specifically tasked with considering the effects of increased fossil fuel production or climate change from approving a project, Narayan told E&E, those considerations would fly out the window. “I think what the petitioners are aiming for is a rule where nobody would really have to think about those things,” he told E&E… “Because NEPA applies to every major federal action — including the authorizations Anschutz needs to develop federal oil-and-gas reserves — far more is at stake in this case than the 88-mile rail line in rural Utah,” the oil company wrote in its brief… “The outcome of the Supreme Court case could further entrench the D.C. Circuit’s ruling against CEQ, which environmentalists and the Biden administration have asked the appellate bench to reconsider… “Arguments will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Supreme Court.”
Inside Climate News: A Supreme Court Case About a Railway Could Have Widespread Impacts on U.S. Environmental Laws
Wyatt Myskow, 12/9/24
“A legal fight over an 88-mile proposed railway in Utah has set the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide how federal agencies evaluate the environmental impacts of projects requiring their approval, a decision with the potential to drastically shift how projects are permitted across the nation,” Inside Climate News reports. “The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, on Tuesday, Dec. 10. It’s the latest development following a U.S. Court of Appeals decision last year that overturned a federal agency’s approval of the railway after a lawsuit from environmental groups and a Colorado county along the project’s path. The appeals court found that the review failed to evaluate the downstream impacts of the project. A coalition of seven Utah counties appealed that decision, and the Supreme Court will now decide how far federal agencies can evaluate the impacts of a project under the National Environmental Policy Act—in this case, the immediate area of an 88-mile railway or beyond… “The primary beneficiaries of the railway would be a handful of CEOs of oil companies who have already manipulated Utah lawmakers into giving them public subsidies, whose objective is to exhaust this unique oil resource as fast as they can, to make as much money as fast as they can,” Dr. Brian Moench, president of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, one of the groups opposing the project, told ICN. “The cost, literally and figuratively, would be borne by everyone else and future generations.” “...What the high court’s decision will do, however, is likely to dictate the scope of NEPA analyses for years to come. Weighing in to try to shape that opinion is a growing chorus of industry groups, state attorneys general, law professors and advocacy groups… “Opponents, however, see it as the latest example of the Supreme Court weighing in on cases that should be settled by Congress, and one that could have far-reaching environmental consequences, like the court’s decision earlier this year to overturn the Chevron Doctrine that gave agencies some deference when translating laws into regulations.”
E&E News: In a shift, Biden to bar most fossil fuel financing overseas
Sara Schonhardt, 12/10/24
“President Joe Biden is poised to back restrictions on international funding for oil and gas projects in a move that could free up billions of dollars for clean energy and crystallize his climate legacy,” E&E News reports. “It marks a shift from the United States’ approach over the past three years… “Now, his administration and those of a handful of other rich countries are expected to call for curtailing public financing for oil and gas projects internationally at a virtual meeting Tuesday of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — a group of 38 countries that collaborate on issues of trade and finance — according to three people who are familiar with the administration’s plans. “It will have a huge impact and, I think, really leave a strong climate legacy for the Biden administration,” Kate DeAngelis, deputy director of international finance at Friends of the Earth, told E&E. The U.S. is expected to back a so-called emission threshold that would prevent the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other publicly funded export credit agencies from financing carbon-intensive energy projects. That would be in line with interim guidance by the Biden administration to end international fossil fuel financing that was never made public but was viewed by analysts at the Natural Resources Defense Council… “The idea has earned the support of Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom, among others, but the U.S. has so far not backed it publicly or offered an alternative. That will change Tuesday, when the U.S. is expected to support a separate plan for establishing emission thresholds.”
E&E News: Youth cite death penalty case to keep climate lawsuit alive
Lesley Clark, 12/10/24
“A group of young people whose climate lawsuit against the federal government was rejected by federal appellate judges is seeking a lifeline from the Supreme Court — via a death penalty case out of Texas,” E&E News reports. “In a petition filed Monday, the young challengers behind Juliana v. United States said the capital case, which the high court will examine next year, raises a question “nearly identical” to their own and urged the justices to revive their lawsuit. By agreeing to take up the death row case, Gutierrez v. Saenz, “this Court necessarily determined that the question presented there, as here, merits review,” lawyers for the Juliana challengers wrote in their petition. Not all petitions become Supreme Court cases. The Juliana challengers earlier this year tried — and failed — to get the justices to revive their case without a full briefing on the merits, which other environmental lawyers have said could invite the conservative-dominated court to limit who can sue over climate change.”
E&E News: Trump wants agencies on a short leash. What does that mean for FERC?
Francisco "A.J." Camacho, 12/10/24
“One of President-elect Donald Trump’s early campaign promises was to assert White House control over independent agencies,” E&E News reports. “...The five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is one of the vaunted independent agencies that could be a mark for Trump’s White House team. If Trump is taken at his word, FERC could be handled in a way that pierces its patina of stable nonpartisan oversight over gas and power markets — as electric grids expand and forecasts for energy demand spiral upward through the end of the decade. While the past may not tell us a lot about the future, efforts in the first Trump administration to reverse the tide of coal and nuclear plant closures could offer clues about what’s ahead. And the way that played out underscores FERC’s fierce independence… “The first thing a president can do is appoint a chair. That person can hire and fire staff, and he or she sets priorities at the commission. Trump will almost certainly take the chair from Phillips, a Biden appointee, and hand it to a Republican. The two Republicans on the commission, Mark Christie and Lindsay See, could be in line to take his place. There’s nothing to suggest Christie or See would give up the long FERC tradition of remaining independent from White House direction — either on specific regulatory matters or staff appointments. Still, Joe Kelliher, a FERC chair during the George W. Bush administration, told E&E that while FERC is independent by law, “the chairman of the agency can choose to surrender their independence.” “...Putting too heavy of a partisan thumb on the scale at FERC risks a total reversal of policy down the line… “Trump might be able to carry out his campaign promise and subject regulations to White House review, though it would likely require support in Congress… “But Kelliher, the former chair under Bush, told E&E the White House couldn’t impose review of FERC rules… “Hammond notes that with a Republican Congress, Trump could use the budget to shape the agency. “We could expect to see things like the Office of Public Participation being dramatically underfunded, which would be a real blow to FERC’s efforts under the Biden administration to enhance environmental justice considerations,” Hammond told E&E.”
Reuters: US AI task force co-chair asks FERC to support co-located data centers – letter
12/8/24
“A co-chair of the U.S. Congressional artificial intelligence task force urged federal energy regulators this week to support the development of data centers directly connected to power plants, citing national security and competition for global AI dominance, according to a letter seen by Reuters dated Dec. 5,” Reuters reports. “U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should move speedily in crafting rules that encourage the expansion of AI and its need for large amounts of electricity, including by clearing the way for so-called co-located AI data centers… “Co-location, which can allow data centers to power up faster than if they waited in line to connect to the broader grid, has sparked debates among regulators around how the centers will affect the reliability of the country’s electrical system. Last month, FERC rejected in a 2-1 vote a request to increase the capacity of an Amazon data center located on the site of a Talen Energy nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, after raising questions about how diverting nuclear electricity to serve the center would affect the broader grid.”
E&E News: Stansbury enters Natural Resources race for ranking member
Garrett Downs, 12/10/24
“Rep. Melanie Stansbury will run for the top Democratic job on the House Natural Resources Committee, where she will be a distinct underdog against Rep. Jared Huffman,” E&E News reports. “Stansbury made her candidacy official Monday after a week testing the waters. She carries the support of current ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who exited the race amid health issues and Huffman’s challenge. Whoever wins the top job will be at the forefront of Democratic resistance to the incoming Trump administration’s plans to slash clean energy subsidies, ramp up fossil fuel drilling and curb protections for public lands and endangered species. If successful, Stansbury would be the first woman to lead a party atop the committee. Her election would also represent a stunning rise for the New Mexico lawmaker. She was first elected in 2021 to replace Deb Haaland, who was named Interior secretary. Huffman has served on the committee since 2012.”
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Newsline: How Utah’s oil train project and its Colorado opponents ended up at the Supreme Court
Chase Woodruff, 12/9/24
“The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in a case that could determine the fate of a Utah oil train project opposed by Colorado communities — and possibly reshape a key federal environmental law in the process,” Colorado Newsline reports. “It’s been more than five years since the Uinta Basin Railway was first formally proposed to federal transportation regulators. The 88-mile short-line railroad would connect Utah’s largest oil field to the national rail network, allowing drillers there to dramatically ramp up production and ship it in tanker cars to Gulf Coast refineries on a route that runs directly through some of Colorado’s most environmentally fragile and densely populated places… “But environmental groups and Colorado’s Eagle County have sued to overturn the project’s approval, arguing that regulators failed to properly analyze “downline impacts” from the railway’s construction, including the added risks of accidents, spills, wildfire ignitions and more… “Traffic from the new rail line alone would represent a tenfold increase in hazmat rail shipments through central Colorado. Environmental groups have also cited concerns about the railway’s downstream impacts on communities living near refineries on the Gulf Coast, as well as a worsening ozone pollution problem in the Uinta Basin itself as producers there increase production. Attorneys for the railway’s backers, dismissing concerns about what they call “remote contingencies” and “uncertain and far-downstream ramifications,” have asked the Supreme Court to impose drastic limits on the agency reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Meanwhile, the federal government has staked out a middle ground before the court, asking justices to issue a narrow ruling and remand the case back to a lower court for further proceedings. Arguments in the case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, will be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday… “The railway’s backers have asked the Supreme Court to affirm that the project’s environmental impact statement was “sufficient,” which could fast-track the project’s re-approval by the STB. But depending on its scope, the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling could set the stage for further regulatory or judicial proceedings.”
E&E News: Net Power inks plan to build CO2-free gas plants in California
Shelby Webb, 12/10/24
“A company that envisions utility-scale gas power plants with carbon capture signed an agreement Monday to advance its technology at multiple sites in Northern California,” E&E News reports. “Net Power is looking to build low-emissions power plants near Carbon TerraVault’s storage vaults to permanently sequester the CO2. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct feasibility studies on the project. Ultimately, the companies plan to develop roughly 1 gigawatt of power capacity from Net Power’s plants, which could lead to sequestration of up to 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 each year underground. Net Power says its system captures 97 percent of the carbon dioxide used for power generation. Danny Rice, CEO of Net Power, told E&E neither company has a firm timeline or cost estimate for the plants as they explore a build out in the Golden State.”
Press release: State of West Virginia Agrees to Provide $10 Million for Development of Babcock & Wilcox BrightLoop Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Project
12/10/24
“Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. announced today that one of its subsidiaries has signed an agreement for funding of up to $10 million from the West Virginia Department of Economic Development for the development of a BrightLoop hydrogen production and carbon capture facility in Mason County, W. Va. The memorandum of agreement between B&W’s wholly-owned Mountaineer C2H, LLC subsidiary and the state provides performance-based financial and economic development assistance for the development of a low-carbon-emissions hydrogen production facility that uses B&W’s BrightLoop chemical looping technology and is powered by coal and biomass. The $10 million in funding will be phased in upon achievement of project milestones. "This is a tremendous win for West Virginia, Mason County, and our entire state,” West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said… “The total financial commitment by the State of West Virginia requires B&W to complete the project by 2030 and produce 28 full-time, high-paying local jobs.”
Associated Press: New Mexico seeks record $47.8M fine for excess air pollution by natural gas processor
Morgan Lee, 12/6/24
“New Mexico environmental regulators on Friday issued a $47.8 million fine on allegations of excess air pollution at a natural gas processing facility in a prolific oil production region near the Texas state line,” the Associated Press reports. “The state Environment Department issued the sanctions including a cease and desist order against Houston-based Targa Resources at its processing plant near Jal, New Mexico, alleging permit violations and excess emissions of gases known to cause respiratory issues or contribute to climate change including ozone-producing pollutants… “Regulators also have ordered a series of corrective actions and improvements to the facilities that process gas for transmission by pipeline… “The proposed air-pollution fine against Targa would be the largest in state history by the Environment Department, if upheld. The case also was referred to federal regulators.”
NBC10 Boston: Oil spills into Boston's Muddy River, threatening the wildlife
Kaitlin McKinley Becker and Mary Markos, 12/8/24
“Brookline police say they were dispatched to the river in the area of the Longwood MBTA Station around 12:05 p.m. for a report of a possible oil leak,” NBC10 Boston reports. “Oil spilled into the Muddy River on the Brookline/Boston line Sunday afternoon, leaving the community concerned about animals that were coated in oil… “First responders determined there had been some sort of leak into the water and that wildlife was impacted. The nature and exact location of the leak are not known at this time, police said. Numerous Canadian geese/ducks were affected by the leak, and New England Wildlife responded to help. At least eight birds -- more than a mile away at Longwood Station -- were brought back to their facility to be treated; it's unclear at this time if any more animals are danger.”
EXTRACTION
Troy Media: OPEC+ on borrowed time as global oil dynamics shift
Rashid Husain Syed, 12/9/24
“The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies in the expanded OPEC+ alliance, including Russia, face an increasingly grim reality: the global oil market is faltering. Declining demand, particularly in China, combined with booming supplies from non-OPEC producers, is forcing OPEC+ to make difficult decisions about its future,” Troy Media reports. “At a virtual meeting last Thursday, OPEC+ announced another delay in its planned revival of halted oil production, marking the third deferral since 2022. The group continues to hold 2.2 million barrels per day of output offline, originally scheduled to return to the market by December 2023. The new timeline pushes this restoration back to April 2025, with gradual increases through September 2026. This decision highlights the fragile state of the market. Demand from China, the world’s largest crude importer, has slowed significantly, creating ripple effects throughout the industry. At the same time, non-OPEC producers, including Canada, are stepping up to fill the supply gap… “Bank of America projects that non-OPEC producers will capture 75 per cent of global demand growth by 2030, further eroding OPEC+’s market dominance. Oil prices mirror the uncertainty. Since July, prices have plunged 18 per cent, with Brent crude trading near US$72 a barrel. Analysts at Citigroup and JPMorgan forecast prices could dip further into the US$60 range next year. For OPEC+ member states heavily reliant on oil revenues, such a scenario is deeply concerning. Saudi Arabia, for example, needs oil prices above US$80 a barrel to balance its budget, making current levels unsustainable.”
Carbon Herald: China Revises Development Roadmap For Carbon Capture Technology
Violet George, 12/9/24
“China has recently updated its development roadmap for carbon capture technology, as reported by the Science and Technology Daily,” according to the Carbon Herald. “...The updated roadmap emphasizes the critical role of CCUS technology in both facilitating the large-scale, low-carbon utilization of fossil fuels and achieving the nation’s carbon neutrality goals. It defines CCUS as the sole technological approach capable of achieving net-zero emissions in fossil fuel usage and a viable solution for substantial emissions reductions across various carbon-intensive industries… “The roadmap indicates a substantial increase in planned CCUS projects, with 126 currently in the pipeline, a notable rise from the 49 recorded in 2020… “Despite these advancements, the roadmap acknowledges the need for continued research and development in key areas, including direct air capture, pipeline transportation, and enhanced oil recovery.”
Clear Energy Wire: Carbon capturing plans stall amid ongoing talks after German coalition break-up
Julian Wettengel, 12/9/24
“It remains unclear whether Germany’s planned reform of its carbon storage law will make it through parliament ahead of the snap election in February 2025, reported energy and climate news service Tagesspiegel Background,” according to Clear Energy Wire. “The government introduced a draft into parliament ahead of the coalition break-up, but lawmakers from chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens aim for additional changes. From the start, the plans drew criticism from several lawmakers also from the coalition, and the government break-up further complicated negotiations… “The previous government of the CDU and SPD wanted to lift the carbon storage ban only for unavoidable residual emissions from the basic materials industry such as lime and cement, wrote Tagesspiegel. The current draft would allow even emissions from gas-fired power plants to be captured and stored… “Germany has seen years of protests against carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, as environmentalists saw the risk that coal plant operators would use them as a lifeline to extend the fossil fuel's use. Several environmental NGOs criticised parts of the plans, such as offshore storage which could endanger marine life.”
Carbon Herald: Vattenfall Halts Major Carbon Capture Project
Violet George, 12/9/24
“Vattenfall, the Swedish energy utility, has placed a significant carbon capture and storage (CCS) project on hold,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The company cited an immature market for carbon capture as the primary reason for halting the project, which was slated to begin operations in 2028. The project aimed to capture up to 150,000 metric tons of CO2 annually from the Jordbro biomass plant for storage in the North Sea. Less than a year after submitting the environmental permit application, Vattenfall announced the suspension of the large-scale BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) project. Vattenfall stated that while the project planned to capture biogenic CO2 from the Jordbro combined heat and power plant, the current market conditions are not conducive to its successful implementation due to significant uncertainties and a lack of economic viability… “In the late 2000s, Vattenfall invested billions of Swedish Kronor in capturing and storing CO2 from its coal-fired power plants. However, to achieve its climate neutrality goals, the company opted to divest its coal-fired power plants, selling Nordjyllandsværket in 2015 and its German plants the following year.”
CiberCuba: Image reveals the magnitude of the oil spill following the train accident in Cuba
12/7/24
“The train accident that occurred on the morning of this Saturday in the province of Sancti Spíritus has caused a significant oil spill, affecting nearby homes and agricultural areas,” CiberCuba reports. “The incident, which occurred when two trains collided at kilometer 349.0 of the Central Railway Line, between the Guayos and Siguaney stations, resulted in one of the tank cars overturning, spilling a significant amount of oil. In an image shared on Facebook by Cuban Minister of Transport Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, it can be seen how oil leaked into the yards of several homes, covering the ground, fences, and cultivated areas. Additionally, the fuel forms a black, reflective layer around the trees, posing a risk to people's health and causing significant damage to the local environment. Rodríguez Dávila himself reported that the affected carriage was transporting a total of 60 tons of oil, and the final amount that can be recovered will be determined upon completion of the process being carried out in coordination with the state-owned company Cupet… “The oil spill has impacted nearby homes and agricultural areas, covering the ground and jeopardizing people's health. Efforts are underway to mitigate the environmental impact of the spill, coordinated with the state-owned company Cupet.”
Reuters: BP forms offshore wind joint venture in renewables retreat
Ron Bousso and Yuka Obayashi, 12/9/24
“BP and Japanese power generator JERA have agreed to join forces to form one of the world’s largest offshore wind operators, a major step in CEO Murray Auchincloss’ efforts to reduce BP’s focus on renewables,” Reuters reports. “BP’s retreat from offshore wind reflects a similar trend at rivals Shell and Equinor, which are trying to boost near-term profits by spending more on higher-return oil and gas operations… “BP’s Auchincloss has been under pressure since taking over as CEO in January as the company’s shares have underperformed rivals amid concerns over its energy transition strategy… “Last week, Shell signalled it was slowing down spending on new offshore wind projects.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Kawartha Lakes: Fire Departments launch 2024 12 Days of Holiday Safety Campaign
12/9/24
“Once again, Fire and Emergency Services in Durham Region and Kawartha Lakes have partnered with Enbridge Gas to promote the 12 Days of Holiday Safety on local radio stations,” Kawartha Lakes reports. “From December 9 to 11, radio advertisements featuring representatives from Enbridge Gas will promote the holiday safety campaign and provide carbon monoxide safety tips on KX96 New Country FM, 94.9 the Rock, 107.7FM and 1580AM CKDO… “Thank you to Enbridge Gas for sponsoring this collaboration for the past 5 years between the fire departments in Durham and Kawartha Lakes.”
100.1 News: Enbridge Gas Supporting WNF with Safe Community Project Assist
12/10/24
“Enbridge Gas is supporting the Wellington North Fire Service to purchase firefighting training materials with Safe Community Project Assist,” 100.1 News reports. “The program with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council which supplements existing training for Ontario volunteer and composite fire departments in communities where Enbridge Gas operates. This year’s $125,000 investment will be split with 25 Ontario Fire Departments including in Wellington North.”
Seaway News: Enbridge Gas provides detectors to South Glengarry Fire Department
Kim Burton Schram, 12/9/24
“...Enbridge Gas and the South Glengarry Fire Department have partnered to provide 144 combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to residents in need,” Seaway News reports. “Through the Safe Community Project Zero initiative, Enbridge Gas, along with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council, have provided over 100,000 smoke and carbon monoxide units to 75 fire stations across Ontario. “This program represents a $450,000 investment by Enbridge Gas,” Anik Benoit, community engagement adviser for Enbridge Gas, told Seaway News.”
OPINION
Alpena News: Don’t make the same mistakes
Greg Awtry is the former publisher of the Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star-Herald and Nebraska’s York News-Times, 12/6/24
“The election is over and we find ourselves deeply involved in the “peaceful transition” from the Joe Biden administration to the Donald Trump administration. Regardless of who you voted for, I believe we all hope for progress and that we move forward without repeating the mistakes of the past. I lost a little of that hope this week when I read President-elect Trump wants to revive the KXL pipeline from Alberta, Canada and through Cushing, Oklahoma and then onto Port Arthur, Texas,” Greg Awtry writes for the Alpena News. “In the recently ended Trump campaign, on nearly every stop, he brought up the fact we shouldn’t be importing Venezuelan oil because it is tar sand oil, the dirtiest oil on the planet. Stop after stop, he would bring that up. And now, as I said, he wants to build the KXL pipeline. Well, Trump loses all credibility on that one, folks. You see, the KXL pipeline, had it been built, would not carry crude oil, but instead would carry — you guessed it — tar sands… “Now imagine a pipeline carrying a highly toxic liquid that can cause cancer, a pipeline that would have to cross over a thousand streams, rivers, or lakes, a pipeline under 1,100 pounds per square inch of pressure, a pipeline like its sister, the Keystone One pipeline, that has spilled 22 times in the last 15 years… “Now, I understand the need for oil. I understand it’s probably safer transported though a pipeline, but I also understand that pipelines leak. One just has to look at the controversial Enbridge Line 5 that goes through the Straits of Mackinac on its way to Sarnia, Ontario. Line 5 has spilled 33 times, totaling more than 1.1 million gallons. Line 5 used to carry that same tar sand mixture, but, after the Kalamazoo spill, Line 5 stopped pumping tar sand mixtures because it is so toxic… “Add the facts that TransCanada, now called TC Energy, has sold off all their oil pipelines, and that the KXL oil was all destined for export anyway, and that the U.S. is now pumping more oil than ever, and expected oil demand is forecast to decrease over time. Trump couldn’t be more wrong about reviving the KXL. That need no longer exists… “I also feel the same way about Line 5. Ninety-five percent of that oil goes to Canada, and the only benefit to Michigan is the natural gas liquids that are turned into propane. Alternative deliveries like truck or train are viable solutions. There is no way a pipeline like Line 5 could ever pass the environmental hoops of today… “No KXL. No Line 5. Let’s be smart about this going forward and not make the same mistakes of the past. You can move a pipeline. You can’t move the Great Lakes.”
New York Times: Climate Activists Need to Radically Change Their Approach Under Trump
Arnab Datta is the director of infrastructure policy at the Institute for Progress, a think tank, and the managing director of policy implementation at Employ America, a research and advocacy organization, 12/8/24
“Donald Trump’s return to Washington might seem like a terrifying moment for the fight against climate change,” Arnab Datta writes for the New York Times. “...Both the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act passed a fractious Congress because of an important shift: Policymakers moved away from treating climate change as a moral crusade against fossil fuel villains to treating it as a problem of technological innovation and industrial strategy… “The bills’ champions in Congress and the administration understood that for these laws to endure, they would need to propel forward many different technologies to solve climate change: not just renewable energy but also next-generation technologies popular with Republicans, such as carbon capture, enhanced geothermal and nuclear energy… “Under the old paradigm, climate activists would take an all-or-nothing, antagonistic approach through protest and litigation. Instead, they should work with the broader coalition not only to safeguard the bill but also to enact new policy under the Trump administration… “To bring prices down, Democrats will need to be open to cutting down on the endless red tape and environmental analyses required by laws like the National Environmental Policy Act, which, while established to protect the environment, is now making the process of producing clean energy needlessly cumbersome and expensive. Large nonprofit organizations can (and regularly do) sue agencies if they fail to consider even the most marginal environmental impacts of new energy projects, dramatically increasing the amount of time it takes to build anything new. We also need an approach to fossil fuels that moves beyond slogans like “keep it in the ground.” “...It’s also misguided for climate activists to argue that issuing permits for new fossil fuel projects would put our climate goals further out of reach… “Perhaps most important, the climate movement needs to build a broader coalition. Farmers have bountiful land that can be used to generate clean power… “Climate action shouldn’t be the exclusive domain of environmental activists who pass a purity test based on intention, but instead on a pragmatic evaluation of what is required to make decarbonization good business, irrespective of politics.”
Real Clear Energy: Carbon Capture Regulations Must Match Pace of Innovation
Hillary O’Brien is the Senior Program Director for Carbon Management and Science at ClearPath, a conservative clean energy advocacy organization. O’Brien is a geologist, and former Staff Director of the Energy Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, 12/9/24
“Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are often described - on both sides of the aisle - as a central pillar of America’s clean energy future,” Hillary O’Brien writes for Real Clear Energy. “...And yet, despite decades of investment in American CCUS innovation, an out of date regulatory bottleneck at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to hold back the full deployment of these critical technologies… “It’s no wonder that CCUS is bipartisan: the George W. Bush administration laid the groundwork for advancing carbon capture technology through initiatives like the Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI), the Obama administration built upon these investments with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Trump administration provided updated direction for CCUS R&D in the Energy Act of 2020 and enhanced and extended the 45Q tax credit to make CCUS projects more economically viable - not once but twice… “So what’s holding us back? Over the past year, the backlog of applications for permits for CO2 storage wells in the U.S. (also known as EPA Class VI wells) ballooned from 41 to 150 pending applications. While the Class VI permit plays a critical role in ensuring the long-term success and safety of a CO2 storage well, EPA’s permitting has not kept pace with American innovation, stymying economic growth and emissions reduction potential. The backlog also raises a fundamental question. Are federal processes agile enough to meet the urgency of today’s energy challenges? The answer increasingly appears to be no… “Despite these undeniable results and high interest from the states, over the past four years, the Biden administration has extended primacy to just one additional state, Louisiana. There are currently two states with primacy applications pending (Arizona, and West Virginia), seven under the primacy pre-application phase (Alabama, Alaska, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah), and 15 states with pending CCS project permits under review by the EPA. Looking ahead, the U.S. must commit to a regulatory framework that matches the pace of American innovation.”
TradeWinds: Carbon storage is key to the transition and shipping is ready — now regulators must step up
Christopher Wiernicki is chairman and chief executive of the American Bureau of Shipping, a Houston-based classification society, 12/9/24
“They used to say coal is king, but today it is an altogether purer form of carbon that shows potential to be the next great global commodity. And it is a trade that will be built on shipping,” Christopher Wiernicki writes for TradeWinds. “As the global energy transition gathers pace, carbon capture and storage is emerging as a critical component of the solution, particularly for hard-to-abate industries that cannot be easily replaced by electrification, such as oil and gas, iron and steel, and cement and refining… “This growth, and much more that will be needed, is predicated on the delivery of vessels that will connect emitters of carbon to storage, or to end users of captured carbon as a commodity. Despite a range of technical challenges stemming from the widely varying chemical make-up of CO2 emissions, these vessels are on course to be delivered in time to support this nascent value chain. The challenge with this emerging industry is the delay in finding end uses for the raw carbon collected. While we wait for that market to take shape and mature, there is another route to monetisation — carbon credits… “Despite the growing interest in carbon credit generation through CO2 sequestration, the regulatory landscape remains complex and fragmented… “This new carbon trade will be the foundation of carbon shipping, but regulation is already inhibiting its development… “But in order for the vessels and the sequestration projects they unlock to realise their full potential, we need regulators to step up and deliver a streamlined global framework that supports a massive expansion of carbon trading systems.”
Forbes: Isn’t It Time We Started To Take Carbon Removal Seriously?
Jamie Hailstone, 12/10/24
“Much has been written over the years about carbon capture and the role it can play in tackling climate change, what about carbon removal?,” Jamie Hailstone writes for Forbes. “Carbon removal is the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it away for decades, centuries, or even longer. This can include a variety of techniques, including planting forests, spreading crushed rocks over land to absorb carbon in the atmosphere and creating charcoal and ploughing it into fields. There is also a growing carbon removal credit market, but is the concept getting the attention it deserves? Marta Krupinska, the co-founder and chief executive of carbon removal market maker, CUR8, told Forbes carbon removals are the “space race of the 21st century” in an interview… “And while carbon removals were not high on the agenda at the recent COP29 talks in Baku, there was an agreement on Article 6.4 – also known as the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism - which she said will “lay the groundwork” for more success around carbon removal at future COPs… “She told Forbes there are estimated to be around 2,000 carbon removal projects around the world today, but by 2030 demand is expected to outstrip supply by a factor of at least two… “The co-founder and chief executive of European carbon removal developer Arbonics, Kristjan Lepik, told Forbes it is important to talk more about carbon removal and the role it can play in tackling climate change in an interview. Lepik adds while there are different ways to store carbon, but trees and forests are a proven “350-million-year-old technology”, which can be scaled to remove more carbon from the atmosphere.”
Counter Fire: Carbon Capture: false hopes and harsh realities
John Clarke became an organiser with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty when it was formed in 1990 and has been involved in mobilising poor communities under attack ever since, 12/9/24
“A recent headline in the Guardian glowingly suggests that a ‘new powder that captures carbon could be “quantum leap” for industry.’ For those who hope that some technological breakthrough is within reach that will make the climate crisis go away, this is almost like the discovery of the Holy Grail. Yet it is only necessary to read over the article in order to appreciate that major celebrations would be somewhat premature,” John Clarke writes for Counter Fire. “The fuss is over an ‘innocuous yellow powder, created in a lab’ with carbon absorption capacities that are significant enough that just ‘half a pound of the stuff may remove as much carbon dioxide as a tree can, according to early tests… “Harsh reality sets in, however, once this enhanced method of carbon capture is measured up against the problem of global carbon emissions… “It is abundantly clear that the scale on which meaningful carbon capture would have to operate would be mind-bogglingly vast and the energy requirements of such an undertaking would be enormous… “Anyone who is at all familiar with the approaches being taken by fossil-fuel companies and governments to the unfolding climate disaster, will be aware that they place very considerable importance on carbon capture and other ‘tech fixes’... “Moreover, under existing processes, it costs ‘thousands of dollars for every ton of CO2 removed.’ It is clear that carbon capture ‘isn’t a serious climate solution’. However, ‘the biggest problem with industrial carbon capture schemes is that they are largely a ploy by Big Oil to delay action to phase out fossil fuels.’ With this deception, oil and gas companies are able to ‘claim that they are taking serious climate action, all the while continuing to build out additional fossil fuel infrastructure and rake in trillions in profits.’ “...Though carbon capture is clearly a failed method from the standpoint of significantly alleviating the climate crisis, it is nonetheless a very viable means of preserving the profits of fossil-fuel capitalism. Just as the major oil companies have known for decades that their activities would produce a global catastrophe, so are they perfectly aware that carbon capture is a charade but it’s one they are determined to preserve because it is in their interests to do so.”