EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/12/24
PIPELINE NEWS
Associated Press: North Dakota regulators consider underground carbon dioxide storage permits for Midwest pipeline
KMTV: ‘Eminent domain is the big issue’: Montgomery County farmer concerned about pipeline
North Dakota Monitor: Red Trail Energy shareholders approve sale to sustainable aviation fuel company
South Dakota Searchlight: State schedules public input meetings on Summit carbon pipeline application
KXLG: Public Input Meeting Scheduled in Watertown for Proposed Carbon Dioxide Pipeline
Bloomberg: Pipeline Safety Standard Will Remain During Remand, Court Says
E&E News: Could rising natural gas prices derail Trump’s energy agenda?
Homer News: Study says pipeline would be better for economy than gas imports, cost $11 billion
KDLL: State development group OKs line of credit for pipeline project
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: ‘Bridge Or Two Too Far’: Top Dem Throws Cold Water On Permitting
New York Times: Supreme Court Poised to Curb Scope of Environmental Reviews
Associated Press: Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Study Requirements For Environmental Regulators
E&E News: Supreme Court seeks middle ground on NEPA limits
E&E News: Supreme Court Offers Clues On New NEPA Test
E&E News: Biden Urges SCOTUS To Rebuff Climate Appeals
Reuters: Trump plans major reshaping of U.S. policies within hours of taking office
E&E News: Cassidy moves to sell Republicans on carbon tariff pitch
Politico: GOP Calls Out Interior
E&E News: Trump vows to gut NEPA for those who spend a ‘BILLION’
CNBC: What The Oil And Gas Industry Wants From Trump And How His Administration Might Deliver It
Washington Post: Can Biden's climate law survive Trump?
E&E News: Trump’s Interior, Energy picks meet with senators
Politico: Burgum Briefs Senate GOP Lunch
E&E News: Climate-smart farming proposal heads to White House review
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: National Monument Proposed For North Dakota Badlands, With Tribes' Support
Houston Chronicle: Series of studies takes deep dive into Permian seismicity
Free Press-Courier: Lawmakers make new bid to end PA ties to RGGI
Miami Herald: Oyster farmers, environmentalists fight permit for drilling near Florida river basin
Associated Press: Environmentalists Object To Proposed Oil Well In Watershed
WGBH: Cleanup and wildlife rescue continues following oil spill in the Muddy River
WHTM: PennEnergy penalized $2 million, will reduce pollution in Pennsylvania
Houston Chronicle: Researchers using AI identified 1,300 undocumented oil wells. Here’s what that could mean for Texas
Associated Press: New Mexico’s oil income investments now surpass personal income tax revenue
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: Canada preparing retaliatory tariffs, as Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S.
E&E News: Ontario premier threatens to cut off energy supply to US
Press release: ExxonMobil announces plans to 2030 that build on its unique advantages
New York Times: Exxon Plans to Sell Electricity to Data Centers
Data Center Dynamics: Capturing the attention: Is carbon capture ready to go mainstream?
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Sarnia Observer: Enbridge donation helping Warwick firefighters train
OPINION
Anchorage Daily News: Burning more state money on a mythical North Slope gas pipeline
The Detroit News: State should oversee carbon capture projects
PIPELINE NEWS
Associated Press: North Dakota regulators consider underground carbon dioxide storage permits for Midwest pipeline
Jack Dura and Steve Karnowski, 12/11/24
“A North Dakota panel will consider Thursday whether to approve permits for underground storage of hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide that a proposed pipeline would carry from ethanol plants throughout the Midwest,” the Associated Press reports. “Approval from the governor-led, three-member Industrial Commission would be another victory for Summit Carbon Solutions’ controversial project, though further court challenges are likely. Last month, the company gained approval for its North Dakota route, and Iowa regulators also have given conditional approval. Also on Thursday, Minnesota utility regulators were scheduled to consider approval for a 28-mile leg of the project of the project… “North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum chairs the Industrial Commission, which includes the state attorney general and agriculture commissioner and oversees a variety of energy topics and state-owned enterprises… “Burgum supports Summit’s project and has frequently touted North Dakota’s underground carbon dioxide storage as a “geologic jackpot.” “...Summit’s project has drawn the ire of landowners around the region. They oppose the potential taking of their property for the pipeline and fear a pipe rupture releasing a cloud of heavy, hazardous gas over the land. A North Dakota landowners group is challenging a property rights law related to the underground storage, and attorney Derrick Braaten said they likely would challenge the granting of permits for the storage plans. “The landowners that I’m working with aren’t necessarily opposed to carbon sequestration itself,” Braaten told AP. “They’re opposed to the idea that a private company can come in and use their property without having to negotiate with them or pay them just compensation for taking their private property and using it.” “...Some opponents argue the amount of greenhouse gases sequestered through the process would make little difference and could lead farmers to grow more corn despite environmental concerns about the crop. In Minnesota, utility regulators were expected to decide Thursday whether to grant a route permit for a small part of the overall project, a 28-mile (45-kilometer) segment that would connect an ethanol plant in Fergus Falls to Summit’s broader network… “Environmental groups that oppose the project dispute the judge’s finding that the project would have a net benefit for the environment.”
KMTV: ‘Eminent domain is the big issue’: Montgomery County farmer concerned about pipeline
Katrina Markel, 12/11/24
“Farmer Knute Hallquist has spent his life farming land that's been in his family for generations. He's worried a proposed carbon capture pipeline through his Stanton, Iowa farm is a safety risk and will disturb topsoil. He also doesn't like that Summit Carbon Solutions might use eminent domain to construct the pipeline,” KMTV reports. “Tuesday, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors heard comments from neighbors asking the county to pass setback ordinances that would require the pipeline to be a specified distance from homes… “Knute Hallquist's family has been farming around Stanton for about 90 years. His wife's family — even longer. He's worried about the potential use of eminent domain for a carbon capture pipeline that will run right through his field… “Hallquist and neighbors were at the courthouse when the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors heard from landowners asking for a county ordinance requiring the pipelines to be set back a specified distance from homes. Opponents worry the hazardous liquid pipeline could leak or rupture. "We ask you to do your duty to protect our property, our health and our safety," Barb Nelson said at the meeting… "Eminent domain is the big issue. I don't think it's right for this project," Hallquist said… “Landowners were hoping the Montgomery County board would pass a setback ordinance for the second phase, but no votes were scheduled beyond Tuesday's discussion… “James Norris has land near the pipeline route: "I think the concern is, you're seeing a private company, that's taking yours and my tax dollars. And using eminent domain to seize land and then threatening our counties to sue them if they want to protect the citizens of their county."
North Dakota Monitor: Red Trail Energy shareholders approve sale to sustainable aviation fuel company
Jeff Beach, 12/11/24
“Shareholders of North Dakota’s Red Trail Energy have approved the sale of its ethanol plant and carbon capture and storage to Colorado-based Gevo, which has plans to make sustainable aviation fuel at the site,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “Gevo announced in September that it had a deal to buy Red Trail Energy at Richardton in southwest North Dakota for $210 million. The deal is expected to close by the first quarter of 2025, Gevo said Wednesday in a news release announcing the decision… “Gevo is developing a sustainable aviation fuel plant at Lake Preston, South Dakota. Gevo is hoping to use the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline for carbon capture and storage but Summit has yet to obtain a permit for its pipeline in South Dakota. Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber said in a news release that the Red Trail purchase “mitigates risk around carbon sequestration for our Net-Zero 1 plant site in South Dakota.” The Red Trail site guarantees that Gevo will have a plant with carbon capture and storage if that is not an option in South Dakota.”
South Dakota Searchlight: State schedules public input meetings on Summit carbon pipeline application
12/11/24
“The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has scheduled a series of six public input meetings in January about a company’s permit application to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “The meetings are scheduled for Jan. 15-17 at various locations in eastern South Dakota near the proposed pipeline route… “At the meetings, Summit will present a brief description of the Project, after which interested persons may appear and present their views, comments, and questions regarding the Application.” Summit recently reapplied for a South Dakota permit after being rejected last year.”
KXLG: Public Input Meeting Scheduled in Watertown for Proposed Carbon Dioxide Pipeline
Steve Jurrens, 12/12/24
“On November 19, 2024, the received an application from SCS Carbon Transport LLC for a permit to construct and operate the Midwest Carbon Express, a carbon dioxide (CO2) transmission pipeline,” KXLG reports. “As part of the application process, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has scheduled several public input meetings to gather comments and feedback from residents… “The Watertown meeting aims to allow local residents to learn more about the project, present their views, and ask questions. Summit, the applicant, will give a brief presentation on the project, after which attendees can share their comments and concerns… “Public input is crucial for the PUC's decision-making process. It ensures that the project complies with all applicable laws and does not threaten the environment or the community's well-being. Residents are encouraged to attend the Watertown meeting to voice their opinions and stay informed about the project's progress. For those who cannot attend in person, written comments can be submitted to the PUC until the decision is made. Applications for party status, which allow individuals to participate formally in the proceedings, must be filed by January 24, 2025.”
Bloomberg: Pipeline Safety Standard Will Remain During Remand, Court Says
Shayna Greene, 12/11/24
“The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America won its bid to preserve one of the pipeline safety standards it successfully challenged after learning how the relevant agency planned to implement the overall rule,” Bloomberg reports. “The US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a one-page order on Tuesday granted INGAA’s petition for panel rehearing and remanded without vacatur. The panel in August vacated four revised federal pipeline safety standards that INGAA challenged, saying the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in its final rule failed to adequately explain why the benefits outweigh the costs.”
E&E News: Could rising natural gas prices derail Trump’s energy agenda?
Brian Dabbs, 12/12/24
“President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to cut energy costs for average Americans is already hitting a major hurdle — not from the renewables he blasted on the campaign trail but from the fossil fuels he pledged to “drill, baby, drill,” E&E News reports. “New forecasts show the price of natural gas is set to jump in the coming years despite record-high U.S. production. The projections are driven by dramatic increases in demand and too few pipelines to transport the product. Those market dynamics could cause the costs of heating U.S. homes and manufacturing goods to spike in the coming years… “Trump vowed to cut U.S. energy bills by 50 percent in just 12 months. Some experts say that’s all but impossible… “A spike would fly in the face of Trump’s pledge. And yet, energy experts say the forecasts are not surprising… “Demand for natural gas is likely to balloon under Trump, based in large part on liquefied natural gas exports and artificial intelligence data centers that demand a lot of energy… “That demand creates a “real challenge for the industry to keep prices low,” Paul Bledsoe, a lecturer at American University’s Center for Environmental Policy and a Clinton-era White House veteran, told E&E… “When asked whether Trump is sticking to his pledge to reduce energy costs, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told E&E the president-elect “will deliver.” “...Industry advocates want overhauls to pipeline approvals that will face resistance from Democrats… “But even with new legislation, Cicio with the Industrial Energy Consumers of America told E&E prices will go up. “It takes a long time to build these pipelines, and demand is increasing very fast,” he told E&E. “What little available pipeline capacity that is available anywhere in the country is being locked up by LNG exporters and by and by data centers.”
Homer News: Study says pipeline would be better for economy than gas imports, cost $11 billion
Jacob Dye, 12/12/24
“A study by Wood Mackenzie is being touted by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation as indication that the long-gestating Alaska LNG pipeline project should move forward, and the corporation earlier this month received backstop funding for design from another state-owned corporation,” Homer News reports. “The Wood Mackenzie report says that a completed pipeline would deliver natural gas at a cost lower than imported gas and lower than current production, while generating “additional industrial and economic benefits to the state.” “...The report doesn’t describe how the cost of creating a pipeline will be met or how gas needs in Cook Inlet will overcome shortfalls projected as soon as next year by Enstar. A preliminary draft of the report was shared with the corporation during a board meeting on Sept. 12. There, President Frank Richards and others espoused it as evidence that the pipeline should move forward — citing that same language. The report doesn’t say to where in Southcentral the pipeline would be connected, though Richards said it would terminate at a new Alaska LNG liquefaction facility in Nikiski. Tim Navarre, chair of the corporation’s community advisory council, called the report indication of “light at the end of the tunnel” for a project “long overdue.” “...An unnamed pipeline operator is in talks to complete that design work, but they need an assurance that they’ll be repaid “up to $150 million” if the project doesn’t go forward. It’s to that end that the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority on Dec. 4 resolved to extend a $50 million debt issuance backstop to facilitate that design work.”
KDLL: State development group OKs line of credit for pipeline project
Ashlyn O'Hara, 12/11/24
“Alaska’s state-run development agency has OK’d a $50 million backstop for the ’s next step. The money will act as a sort of insurance policy for whichever company might take on the work,” KDLL reports. “...If it’s built, the Alaska LNG Project would move natural gas through an 800-mile pipeline from the North Slope to a liquefaction facility in Nikiski. From there, the gas would be shipped overseas, most likely to Asian markets. The $50 million is an up-to amount that Richard told KDLL might not be needed. He told KDLL the corporation is in talks with an unnamed company that wants to minimize its risk, in case the project doesn’t move forward after the engineering and design updates are done. “They would like to make sure that there is a backstop, meaning that they would be paid should the project not take the next logical step, which is final investment decision,” he told KDLL.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: ‘Bridge Or Two Too Far’: Top Dem Throws Cold Water On Permitting
Kelsey Brugger, 12/11/24
“A key Democrat is balking at a last-gasp effort to overhaul the nation’s energy permitting laws,” E&E News reports. “Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper, who is retiring and wants environmental protection to be central to his legacy, is objecting to House Republican demands to retool the National Environmental Policy Act — a 1970 law Democrats have long deemed sacrosanct. ”I think they’ve gone a bridge or two too far,” the Delaware Democrat told E&E Monday of House Republican asks. Nonetheless, he told E&E, “We’re going to keep talking.” Asked what changes he would be OK with, Carper told E&E, “Not as many as my friends in the House would like to make.” Those concerns — no doubt shared by many Democrats — complicate a bipartisan permitting and transmission deal being pushed by Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Proponents want to attach the package to a must-pass bill by the end of the year. But negotiators are running short on both time and legislative vehicles before Congress is set to adjourn next week.”
New York Times: Supreme Court Poised to Curb Scope of Environmental Reviews
Adam Liptak, 12/10/24
“The Supreme Court seemed prepared on Tuesday to rule that a federal agency had done enough to consider the environmental impact of a proposed 88-mile railway in Utah. Such a ruling could limit the scope of environmental reviews required by federal law in all sorts of settings,” the New York Times reports. “...Paul D. Clement, a lawyer representing seven Utah counties in support of the project, said that “the board was not heedless of environmental effects here.” “It consulted with dozens of agencies, considered every proximate effect and ordered 91 mitigation measures,” he added. “Eighty-eight miles of track should not require more than 3,600 pages of environmental analysis.” More generally, Mr. Clement said that agencies should not be required to consider effects of projects that are “remote in time and space” and where other regulators have responsibilities. Several justices seemed inclined to adopt a version of that test, but some worried that it did not offer adequate guidance. “I have trouble seeing how this is going to work out as a practical matter,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said. Justice Elena Kagan said Mr. Clement’s proposed test “sounds pretty good” for assessing the railway project but might not work for smaller or more sprawling projects… “Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said that courts should give agencies wide leeway. “It seems to me the deference of the courts has to be huge with respect to how the agencies think about the scope of what they’re going to consider,” he said… “William M. Jay, a lawyer for the challengers, said that the federal law required the report to consider the reasonably foreseeable results of the project, like oil spills and sparks that can cause wildfires.”
Associated Press: Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Study Requirements For Environmental Regulators
Lindsay Whitehurst, 12/10/24
“The Supreme Court seemed to favor a Utah oil railroad expansion in arguments on Tuesday, but appeared more skeptical of putting strict new limits on a key national environmental law,” the Associated Press reports. “The justices were weighing a multibillion-dollar project that could quadruple oil production in the remote area of sandstone and sagebrush. Backers of the project asked the justices to get the project back on track and urged them limit the scope of environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act to speed up development… “The court’s conservative-majority court has taken other steps to curtail the power of federal regulators, including striking down the decades-old Chevron doctrine that made it easier for the federal government to set a wide range of regulations. But key conservatives like Chief Justice John Roberts questioned how the railway backers’ proposed limits might affect the environmental review process. “I have trouble seeing how this is going to work out as a practical matter,” said Roberts.”
E&E News: Supreme Court seeks middle ground on NEPA limits
Pamela King, 12/10/24
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday grilled backers of a proposed Utah crude oil railroad on their test for limiting federal environmental reviews — but didn’t appear prepared to strike down an analysis for the project,” E&E News reports. “During oral argument in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the court’s liberal wing and at least one conservative justice appeared deeply skeptical of arguments by supporters of the Uinta Basin Railway that the National Environmental Policy Act review underpinning the project should focus solely on the effects of laying 88 miles of track to connect a Utah oil patch with a rail network that would carry the crude to Gulf of Mexico refineries… “Roberts, a moderate member of the court’s conservative supermajority, noted that if the justices adopt Clement’s limits on NEPA analyses, it would open agencies to legal risk if they identify indirect impacts but decline to address them in their reviews.”
E&E News: Supreme Court Offers Clues On New NEPA Test
Niina H. Farah, Lesley Clark, 12/11/24
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday was sharply critical of a push by oil industry allies for a bright-line rule on how federal regulators should conduct environmental analyses for projects like oil wells, highways and hydroelectric dams,” E&E News reports. “During oral argument in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the justices offered a few hints as to how agencies might be able to study impacts that are far removed from projects — such as the Utah oil railway at issue in the case — and that don’t fall under the direct purview of regulators tasked with approving new infrastructure. “The court did not seem like it came to the argument ready to significantly rein in the agency’s discretion in setting the scope of their review,” Kevin Minoli, a partner at the firm Alston & Bird, told E&E. The justices appeared ready to defer to agencies’ decisions on the scope of their National Environmental Policy Act analyses, Minoli, who previously worked in EPA’s general counsel’s office, told E&E. “If anything,” he added, “the court’s questions seemed to be frustrated by the lower courts’ second-guessing of the agency’s decisions.”
E&E News: Biden Urges SCOTUS To Rebuff Climate Appeals
Alex Guillén, 12/10/24
“The Justice Department on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it should reject two lawsuits related to climate change-related claims brought by states and localities and instead allow that litigation to play out at the state level for now,” E&E News reports. “The briefs were filed just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and his administration may take a different position should either of these cases be accepted by the Supreme Court. Red versus blue states: A number of states, cities and counties have filed climate lawsuits against various fossil fuel companies in recent years, seeking damages typically based on consumer fraud statutes by arguing that the companies did not disclose the risks of burning fossil fuels. In May, 19 Republican-controlled states led by Alabama asked the Supreme Court to step in and end lawsuits brought by California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Rarely are cases heard in the first instance by the Supreme Court, a type of case known as ‘original jurisdiction’ that are often disputes over border lines or water allocation.”
Reuters: Trump plans major reshaping of U.S. policies within hours of taking office
Steve Holland, Gram Slattery and Alexandra Ulmer, 12/11/24
President-elect Donald Trump is planning a blizzard of more than 25 executive orders and directives on his first day in office on Jan. 20 as he seeks to dramatically reshape U.S. government policy on issues from immigration to energy,” Reuters reports. “Two sources familiar with the effort told Reuters Trump has told his team he wants to make a “big splash” with the Day One orders, looking to exert his executive power with greater scale and speed than he did during his first term. The number of planned orders has not been previously reported… “The orders can be subject to court challenges, however, and typically any money set aside to carry out the mandates of the orders has to be approved by Congress… “The effort is being coordinated by Stephen Miller, a long-time Trump aide who will be a top White House adviser when Trump begins his second term, four sources told Reuters… “The orders will also include a drive to increase energy production and follow through on Trump’s oft-stated campaign vow to “drill, baby, drill” and “frack, frack, frack,” the sources told Reuters.”
E&E News: Cassidy moves to sell Republicans on carbon tariff pitch
Emma Dumain, 12/12/24
“Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy is making his hardest sell yet on conservative legislation linking climate action with trade policy,” E&E News reports. “In a bid to build support for his proposal even before the start of the next Congress, the Cassidy on Wednesday unveiled a slimmed-down, 20-page “discussion draft” version of his year-old, 100-page “Foreign Pollution Fee Act.” “...At its core, the purpose of the retooled “Foreign Pollution Fee Act” remains the same as the original: Leverage data showing that the United States produces certain materials “cleaner” than foreign adversaries — namely China — and impose a fee on certain imports. The fee would still only affect foreign products, continuing to ignore the argument from many Democrats and advocates that a domestic price on carbon is necessary for any new trade policy to meet compliance with the World Trade Organization… “The new language would significantly narrow down the list of foreign-made products that would be subject to an import fee. The original bill included energy imports like oil, natural gas, hydrogen, minerals, solar panels and wind turbines. So-called “covered products” in the new bill would include only aluminum, cement, glass, iron, fertilizer and steel… “The decision to omit fossil fuels strikes some experts as counterproductive if one of the bill’s goals is to, according to a press release, “reward investments in decarbonization.” “It should cover as many products as possible … if the genuine goal is to address climate change,” Shuting Pomerleau, director of Energy and Environmental Policy at the center-right group American Action Forum, who speculated a reason oil and gas were removed from the list was the fact that Cassidy’s home state is “a big fossil fuel-producing state,” told E&E… “One such industry is the domestic oil refiners, who could see their supply of crude oil and petroleum affected if imported oil and petroleum are levied with a fee under Cassidy’s bill. Refiners were among those who lobbied hard earlier this year against separate bipartisan, bicameral legislation — the “Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act” — which would call for a study of the carbon intensity of nearly three dozen industrial products made the U.S. in anticipation for being slapped with carbon tariffs in the coming months by the European Union and the United Kingdom.”
Politico: GOP Calls Out Interior
12/11/24
“House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) in a letter Tuesday alleged the Interior Department is “abusing its collection processes to force U.S. energy companies to pay more to produce energy,” Politico reports. “Citing internal emails obtained by the committee, Jordan and Westerman said Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue denied producers’ royalty refund requests ‘without justification.’ An Interior spokesperson declined to comment.”
E&E News: Trump vows to gut NEPA for those who spend a ‘BILLION’
Hannah Northey, 12/10/24
“Incoming President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed on social media to roll back environmental regulations for individuals or companies willing to spend billions in the U.S., highlighting what’s poised to be an upcoming push to undermine the current federal permitting process,” E&E News reports. “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump, who coined the term ‘infrastructure week’ during his first term and worked to unravel environmental regulations, posted the comment just ahead of his transition team members landing at federal agencies and deploying plans to curb the number of federal employees, slash federal regulations and take aim at bedrock environmental laws. Trump has repeatedly complained about the pace of permitting and its effect on energy development. The pace of permitting mines in the U.S., for example, is one of the slowest in the world.”
CNBC: What The Oil And Gas Industry Wants From Trump And How His Administration Might Deliver It
Spencer Kimball, 12/10/24
“The oil and gas industry has a ‘to do’ list for President-elect Donald Trump,” CNBC reports. “The lobby group American Petroleum Institute has asked Trump to swiftly authorize liquefied natural gas exports, expand drilling on federal lands, make pipeline permitting easier, repeal strict vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, and keep current corporate tax rates in place. This five-point road map is how the industry sees Trump’s three-word slogan ‘drill, baby, drill’ translating into concrete policy. Trump told NBC News in an interview that aired Sunday that he intends to sign executive orders related to energy when he takes office on Jan. 20, without providing further detail. Trump is setting up a National Energy Council that he says will oversee a path to U.S. energy dominance by cutting red tape. His pick for Interior secretary, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, will chair the council and also have a seat on the National Security Council.”
Washington Post: Can Biden's climate law survive Trump?
Sabby Robinson, 12/11/24
“The Inflation Reduction Act has led to billions of dollars of investment in clean energy, largely in districts that favored Trump in 2020 – but now the president-elect wants to get rid of it. Today, the impact of the law so far and what parts of it are now in jeopardy,” the Washington Post reports. “Two years ago, President Biden and congressional Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at stimulating clean energy production and reducing carbon emissions. Since then, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created and Americans have claimed over $8 billion in tax credits to spend on climate-friendly technologies for their homes. The biggest winners have been more conservative areas, where more investments have been made because of lower tax barriers and more incentives for companies to build there. But despite this, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to stop efforts to boost clean energy, calling it the “green new scam.” “Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi speaks with reporter Maxine Joselow about how he could do this and what the lasting effects of the Inflation Reduction Act might be.”
E&E News: Trump’s Interior, Energy picks meet with senators
Timothy Cama, 12/10/24
“President-elect Donald Trump’s expected nominees for Interior and Energy secretary went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to meet with key senators ahead of their confirmation processes,” E&E News reports. “North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice to lead the Interior Department, sat down with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), incoming chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Burgum is also slated to be Trump’s energy czar and chair of the National Energy Council, a new administration panel Trump said he would form and include Wright. “Great meeting with @DougBurgum and planning the return of American lands to the American people. His experience as governor of North Dakota will serve him well as Secretary of the Interior, and I look forward to working together,” Lee wrote on X. Lee has long advocated for large swaths of federal lands to be given to states.”
Politico: Burgum Briefs Senate GOP Lunch
12/11/24
“Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) told Politico that he brought Trump’s Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum as his guest at GOP senators’ lunch on Tuesday,” Politico reports. “The North Dakota governor discussed with senators his second role as head of the newly created National Energy Council, which he described as a coordinating body and not an all-powerful ‘czar’ position. “Between his position at Interior, with Chris Wright at Energy, with Lee Zeldin at EPA, it’s about coordinating so we develop all of our energy resources together in a coordinated, comprehensive way,” Hoeven told Politico of Burgum’s role. Burgum and Wright are on the Hill this week meeting with senators ahead of their confirmation hearings next year.”
E&E News: Climate-smart farming proposal heads to White House review
Marc Heller, 12/10/24
“A key part of the Biden administration’s plan to connect biofuel policy to climate-smart farming is now under review at the White House,” E&E News reports. “At issue are the Agriculture Department’s guidelines for farming practices that minimize greenhouse gas emissions, a precursor to a clean energy tax credit that’s due to take effect in January. Officials didn’t detail the final interim rule, but biofuel producers have been pressing their case that corn-based ethanol and other fuels derived from crops can offer substantial reductions compared to petroleum. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has also touted biofuel as a lower-emissions alternative for aircraft. If the Treasury Department adopts a favorable approach to ethanol and other biofuels, they could be used for aircraft and other purposes and claim greenhouse gas reductions of 50 percent or more compared to conventional fuels — a requirement for the credit in Section 45Z of the tax code. Congress included the credit in the Inflation Reduction Act.”
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: National Monument Proposed For North Dakota Badlands, With Tribes' Support
12/10/24
“A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens last month called on President Joe Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota’s first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area’s indigenous and cultural heritage,” the Associated Press reports. “The proposed Maah Daah Hey National Monument would encompass 11 noncontiguous, newly designated units totaling 139,729 acres (56,546 hectares) in the Little Missouri National Grassland. The proposed units would hug the popular recreation trail of the same name and neighbor Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named for the 26th president who ranched and roamed in the Badlands as a young man in the 1880s. “When you tell the story of landscape, you have to tell the story of people,” Michael Barthelemy, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and director of Native American studies at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, told AP. “You have to tell the story of the people that first inhabited those places and the symbiotic relationship between the people and the landscape, how the people worked to shape the land and how the land worked to shape the people.”
Houston Chronicle: Series of studies takes deep dive into Permian seismicity
Mella McEwen, 12/3/24
“Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have taken a deep dive into the seismic activity that has shaken the Permian Basin in recent years,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “A seven-paper study on the Permian Basin has been published in the December issue of the AAPG Bulletin and build on each other to offer a highly integrated view of the sources and patterns of injection, subsurface reservoirs, faults, pressurization and earthquakes. The geologic maps, pressure models, and data trends published in the papers can help inform operators and regulators about which areas and conditions have been problematic in the past and can assist with mitigation of issues going forward. There is a particular focus on the Midland Basin and its interactions with injected water over time… “We’re working to provide a more holistic understanding of the impact of oil field wastewater injection in the Permian Basin region by providing a deep integration of geological data and information to assess the trends and the impact,” Research Professor Peter Hennings, the principal investigator for the Center for Injection and Seismicity Research (CISR), told the Chronicle. Over the last approximately 15 years, about 50 billion barrels of produced water has been injected in the Permian Basin. According to the UT scientists, injection into formations between the tight oil producing zones and the geologic basement, which defines deep injection, has caused faults to slip, producing more 4,000 magnitude 3 earthquakes and 10 with a magnitude of 5 or greater as of October. In addition to high rates of problematic induced seismicity stemming from deep injection, injection above oil productive zones, which defines shallow injection, has pressurized those reservoirs, causing additional cases of induced seismicity, uplifted the ground surface, elevated the drilling hazard, and created saline surface flows at old wellbores. Research Associate Professor Katie Smye said in a statement that the CISR team was able to find many new potentially earthquake-producing faults in the Midland Basin by combining 2D and 3D seismic data with information provided by recent earthquakes and the horizontal wells drilled throughout the area.”
Free Press-Courier: Lawmakers make new bid to end PA ties to RGGI
Patrick Cloonan, 12/11/24
“Two regional lawmakers are asking for support from their colleagues for legislation that would eliminate the regulation tying Pennsylvania to the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” the Free Press-Courier reports. “Our legislation will eliminate the RGGI regulation and prevent future similar proposals from proceeding without legislative approval, which will protect Pennsylvania energy consumers and save the Commonwealth significant funds in ongoing litigation fees,” according to the memorandum being circulated for the 2025-26 legislative term by Reps. Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana, and Dallas Kephart, R-Clearfield County, whose district also includes Barr, East Carroll, Elder, Susquehanna and West Carroll townships and the boroughs of Carrolltown, Hastings, Northern Cambria and Patton in Cambria County. “When Gov. (Tom) Wolf chose to proceed with promulgating his regulation forcing Pennsylvania to join (RGGI),” Struzzi and Kephart wrote, “his action put at risk thousands of family-sustaining jobs in our Commonwealth which may be lost due to the closure of coal-fired electric generating units and natural gas plants.” They said Wolf’s action “also risked serious economic repercussions to our state, in the form of a potential loss of millions of dollars in local and state tax revenue. We have already seen the start of this come to pass as some coal-fired plants have closed in our state, costing our communities dearly.” Likely included in their estimation is the Homer City Generation LLC plant, now being reorganized, possibly as a gas-fired power plant, by Homer City Redevelopment LLC. That contention was challenged recently in a letter to The Indiana Gazette from Jim Dougherty, Ph.D., a former Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor of sociology also known for founding the Northern Appalachian Folk Festival in 2013. His claim was that Struzzi and state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, also R-Indiana, lied about the Homer City closing, by blaming RGGI and “not corporate shareholders or bankers.”
Miami Herald: Oyster farmers, environmentalists fight permit for drilling near Florida river basin
Lawrence Mower and Max Chesnes Herald, 12/10/24
“Xochitl Bervera’s commute takes about 15 minutes, and she’ll argue it’s the prettiest drive on earth. Each morning, Bervera boats into the middle of Apalachicola Bay, where she has raised oysters full-time for two years,” the Miami Herald reports. The ride, surrounded by the salt marshes and seagrass beds, reminds Bervera of why she loves her job in Northwest Florida — and it underscores what she could soon stand to lose. A few months ago, Bervera learned of a company that wants to drill an exploratory oil well just up the river from her farm. She worried for the more than 125,000 baby oysters she tends to each day. “It could make or break what grows in our very delicate bay,” Bervera, founder of the Apalachicola farm Water is Life Oysters, told the Herald. “So I thought to myself: ‘I need to do whatever I can to stop this.’” Bervera was one of a handful of speakers flanked by about 200 protesters on the front steps of the Tallahassee headquarters of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on Monday afternoon. She joined the crowd in sending a message to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the environmental agency he oversees: ‘Kill the drill’ and tell regulators to rescind their support for approving the exploratory oil drilling permit… “By prioritizing the potential short-term economic gains of an oil company and landowner over the protection of our natural resources, the DEP sends a message that profit for a few trumps environmental stewardship and sustainable economy for the many,” the group argued in its legal petition, filed in June… “People consuming oysters or clams don’t want to eat shellfish potentially growing in contaminated water, Johnson told the Herald. The idea of nearby oil drilling alone could turn customers away from the family-owned businesses near the river.”
Associated Press: Environmentalists Object To Proposed Oil Well In Watershed
Kate Payne, 12/11/24
“Environmentalists are heading to court to try to stop a plan to drill for oil in the watershed of a vulnerable north Florida river,” the Associated Press reports. “The challenge brought by the conservation group Apalachicola Riverkeeper against the state’s environmental protection agency comes as the department has faced a wave of pushback from advocates who argue the state is inadequately protecting public lands and waters.”
WGBH: Cleanup and wildlife rescue continues following oil spill in the Muddy River
Craig LeMoult, 12/10/24
“A pair of ducks paddled toward the bank of the aptly named Muddy River on Monday, heading away from a state employee in a kayak who was trying to coax them toward the riverbank, where people in white jumpsuits stood ready with nets to catch the oil-covered birds,” WGBH reports. “I would give them some space, let them walk up,” Zak Mertz, CEO of the New England Wildlife Centers, said to his fellow wildlife rescuers. Mertz’s team has been capturing birds here and bringing them to their veterinary hospital since an oil leak was reported on Sunday. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is investigating how the oil got into the river, which winds through the Emerald Necklace park between Brookline and Boston. The cleanup effort is expected to take several days, and it will likely be about three weeks before the birds are cleaned up and recovered enough to be returned to the wild… “Less than 100 gallons of oil leaked into the river, according to Morgan Arsenault, an environmental analyst with the Department of Environmental Protection. She told WGBH it could be home heating oil from a corroded tank.
WHTM: PennEnergy penalized $2 million, will reduce pollution in Pennsylvania
Hayden Sherry, 12/10/24
“PennEnergy Resources has agreed to a settlement that aims to reduce climate and health-harming emissions in Pennsylvania,” WHTM reports. “The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced a proposed settlement with PennEnergy Resources LLC (PennEnergy) resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania. The Justice Department says the settlement resolves PennEnergy’s failure to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from five of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County. PennEnergy reportedly released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment.”
Houston Chronicle: Researchers using AI identified 1,300 undocumented oil wells. Here’s what that could mean for Texas
Amanda Drane, 12/4/24
“Artificial intelligence made it possible for researchers to identify what they suspect are 1,300 undocumented oil wells left behind during the early days of oil production, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The technique, so far applied only to select counties in California and Oklahoma, could have profound impacts on the ability of Texas oil and gas regulators to find and address long-forgotten wells that predated modern recordkeeping. Identifying these uncapped wells before they can erupt with salty, toxic water — like the one that did last year in Crane County, Texas — could help the state avoid environmental harm and millions of dollars in plugging and cleanup costs… “Researchers used “computer vision,” a machine learning technique that makes it possible to quickly comb decades of historical topographic maps in search of signs of oil wells at the surface. The program overlays the results with existing well records to determine if there is a known well in a given location, flagging it if there isn’t. Then, researchers turned to satellite imagery, historical photographs and field surveys to confirm their findings. Using this method, they confirmed 44 previously undocumented wells, Charuleka Varadharajan, one of the report’s authors, told the Chronicle… “These historical maps have been available for a while now,” Varadharajan told the Chronicle, “but it's just very tedious if you had to comb through all of these thousands of maps individually and manually and try to find all of these different wells.” The research team is now working to expand the project to include the continental U.S. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the work is intended to empower regulators and local leaders to make more-informed decisions about undocumented wells that could pose health, safety and environmental risks in their area.”
Associated Press: New Mexico’s oil income investments now surpass personal income tax revenue
Morgan Lee, 12/9/24
“Efforts by New Mexico to save and invest portions of a financial windfall from local oil production are paying off as state government income on investments surpasses personal income tax collections for the first time, according to a new forecast Monday,” the Associated Press reports. “General fund income from the state’s two, multibillion-dollar permanent funds and interest on treasury accounts is expected to climb to $2.1 billion for the fiscal year between July 2024 and June 2025, surpassing $2 billion in revenue from personal income taxes. The investment earnings are designed to ensure that critical programs — ranging from childcare subsidies to tuition-free college and trade school education — endure if oil income falters amid a possible transition to new sources of energy.”
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: Canada preparing retaliatory tariffs, as Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S.
Anja Karadeglija and Kyle Duggan, 12/11/24
“Canada is preparing retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's threat to levy a 25 per cent import tax on all Canadian goods, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to withhold the province's energy, which it exports to five states,” the Canadian Press reports. "We'll use every tool in our toolbox, including cutting them off," Ford told CP immediately after a meeting of the country's premiers with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some members of the federal cabinet. It was the second such meeting since Trump made the tariff threat, and the first since Trudeau flew to Florida to have dinner with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago estate… “Ford told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that the federal government is preparing retaliatory tariffs. "We need to be ready to fight, this fight is 100 per cent coming on Jan. 20 or Jan. 21," he said, referencing the date of Trump's inauguration. In Ottawa, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters "a number of premiers spoke out strongly in favour of a robust Canadian response to unjustified tariffs" during the virtual meeting late Wednesday afternoon. "Some premiers proactively identified products that their provinces produce and export to the United States and which the U.S. relies on, and which should be considered as part of the Canadian response. This included some critical minerals and metals."
E&E News: Ontario premier threatens to cut off energy supply to US
Mike Blanchfield, Sue Allan, 12/12/24
“The premier of Canada’s largest province is threatening to cut energy exports to the United States in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s threats of 25 percent tariffs,” E&E News reports. “Doug Ford issued the warning after a meeting of Canada’s provincial premiers that was hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Parliament Hill on Wednesday. “We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy — going down to Michigan, going down to New York State and over to Wisconsin. I don’t want this to happen, but my No. 1 job is to protect Ontarians and Canadians as a whole,” Ford said after the meeting.”
Press release: ExxonMobil announces plans to 2030 that build on its unique advantages
12/11/24
“ExxonMobil today announced its Corporate Plan to 2030, creating a platform to further extend the company’s track record of delivering leading shareholder value. The plan reflects the company’s strategy to leverage its unique set of competitive advantages and unrivaled opportunities to create significant upside potential for shareholders. The company expects to deliver incremental growth potential of $20 billion in earnings and $30 billion in cash flow driven by investing in competitively advantaged opportunities, continued excellence in execution, and disciplined cost and capital management… “Through 2030, we plan to deploy about $140 billion to major projects and the Permian Basin development program,” said Darren Woods, ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO. “We expect this capital to generate returns of more than 30% over the life of the investments. Strong investment returns have driven 42 consecutive years of annual dividend growth, a claim only 4% of the S&P 500 can make. This is why, when we list our capital allocation priorities, investing in accretive growth always comes first.” “...Following its acquisition and integration of Pioneer, ExxonMobil expects to achieve more than $3 billion in annual synergies, a more than 50% increase from prior guidance… “ExxonMobil also announced plans for two additional developments in Guyana, Hammerhead and Longtail, bringing the total number of developments to eight by 2030… “ExxonMobil has four world-class LNG projects under development and expects to surpass 40 million metric tons per annum of LNG sales by 2030… “ExxonMobil is pursuing up to $30 billion of low emission opportunities between 2025 and 2030, with almost 65% spent on reducing emissions for third-party customers… “ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon Solutions business focuses on three primary verticals: carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and lithium. These opportunities align with ExxonMobil’s core competencies. The company is developing the world’s first large-scale carbon capture and storage system, which includes a high-capacity CO2 pipeline network connecting emitters from many industries to permanent subsurface storage capacity throughout the U.S. Gulf Coast. ExxonMobil expects its low-carbon hydrogen facility in Baytown to be the world’s largest, producing up to 1 billion cubic feet of virtually carbon-free hydrogen per day with about 98% of the CO2 captured and stored. Some of this hydrogen will be used to produce over a million metric tons per year of low-carbon ammonia. The company is working toward a final investment decision in 2025 with the potential to start operations in 2029.”
New York Times: Exxon Plans to Sell Electricity to Data Centers
Rebecca F. Elliott, 12/11/24
“Demand for electricity is rising so quickly in the United States that even Exxon Mobil, the country’s largest oil and gas company, is planning to get into the power business,” the New York Times reports. “Exxon is designing a massive natural-gas fueled plant meant to directly supply electricity to data centers. The company says the plant will be fitted with technology that can capture more than 90 percent of the complex’s carbon dioxide emissions, the leading cause of climate change. The project, which is in the early stages of development, would be the first time that Exxon built a power plant that did not supply electricity to its own operations. In addition, only a very small number of power plants have systems to capture the carbon dioxide released by the burning of fuel before it reaches the atmosphere. Such systems have been slow to take off because they are incredibly expensive, even with federal subsidies. However, technology giants have been willing to pay a premium for cleaner sources of electricity that can operate continuously, including nuclear power plants. Exxon told the Times it had secured land and was talking with potential customers. The company also told the Times it could have the power plant running within the next five years, faster than new nuclear reactors could probably be built… “In another unusual setup, Exxon’s plant would not be connected to the electric grid, which could hasten its start date. Requests to connect to the grid are often backlogged; grid managers can sometimes take years to approve them.” “...Chevron is also exploring opportunities in this area. Mike Wirth, that company’s chief executive, said last week that he expected power projects that did not connect to the electric grid would become more common.”
Data Center Dynamics: Capturing the attention: Is carbon capture ready to go mainstream?
Zachary Skidmore, 12/12/24
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has garnered increasing attention as a critical technology in reducing carbon emissions globally,” according to Data Center Dynamics. “...Despite these advances, debates persist regarding CCS's effectiveness and financial viability. While some see it as a key part of future decarbonization efforts, others have questioned its scalability and economic feasibility. For data center operators, some of these key questions will need to be answered before CCS can become a central part of their net-zero strategies… “In the data center industry, where companies are under pressure to reduce emissions as demand for energy-intensive services like generative AI spikes, CCS is gaining traction… “Despite growing momentum and investment, CCS faces several hurdles. Historically, the technology has been closely associated with large-scale oil and gas companies operating and investing in existing CO2 storage projects and pipelines… “Paterson believes the biggest challenge for CCS is “uncertainty on the business model.” He says: “A large number of first-of-a-kind projects need government intervention to provide support, and there is uncertainty in how a merchant market will be realized without higher CO2 ETS prices… “Critics also point to some pilot projects' high costs and underwhelming performance… “Public perception is likely to shift positively as more projects are successfully implemented, Pernot argues… “However, for CCS to fulfill its potential, it must overcome substantial economic, logistical, and perception challenges.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Sarnia Observer: Enbridge donation helping Warwick firefighters train
Tyler Kula, 12/11/24
“Warwick Township volunteer firefighters are getting new training materials, thanks to a $5,000 Enbridge donation,” according to the Sarnia Observer. “...The money comes from Enbridge’s annual safe community project assist program. The program provided $125,0000 to 25 Ontario fire departments for training aids this year, said Suzanne Shea with the gas company… “Enbridge also provides smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to fire departments through its annual project zero program.”
OPINION
Anchorage Daily News: Burning more state money on a mythical North Slope gas pipeline
Larry Persily, 12/11/24
“Unbelievable as it may sound, the state is preparing to burn up more public dollars in the fire pit of the mythical Alaska North Slope gas pipeline,” Larry Persilly writes for the Anchorage Daily News. “But unlike a real fire pit, which warms those who gather around, spending more money on a gas line dream will leave Alaskans in the cold and the state a little poorer. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, aka AIDEA, last week decided in a bout of fiscal foolishness and pro-development fervor to put up $50 million to ensure completion of engineering work on the line. It’s essentially the same pipeline the state has lusted over for more than 50 years; the same hundreds of miles of north-to-south steel that the state, North Slope oil and gas producers and others have spent a couple billion dollars on engineering, permitting and financial analysis over the decades; yet the dream always ends the same. The project is too expensive, too risky, the market doesn’t want to pay for it and investors have better places to spend their money. But the AIDEA board knows better, or so it thinks. Or maybe it’s just gullible… “The Alaska Gasline Development Authority, which the Legislature created in a fit of hope 14 years ago, says it has a secret North American pipeline company willing to spend $50 million of its own private money to complete the engineering work — but only if the state promises to repay the $50 million if the project fails to move ahead… “The agencies figure that a $10 billion to $15 billion project looks better than the $40 billion to $50 billion export-focused development — and is worth $50 million of state money to see how it looks. Never mind where the billions to actually build the line will come from. All it really looks like is poor judgment. There are less expensive options to solving Southcentral Alaska’s gas needs than taking on a multibillion-dollar long-term pipeline mortgage charged to utility customers or underwritten by the state.”
The Detroit News: State should oversee carbon capture projects
Rich Bowman is director of policy at The Nature Conservancy's Michigan chapter, 12/11/24
“Environment vs. economic development. Southeast Michigan vs. West Michigan. Spartans vs. Wolverines. We’ve heard plenty about rival positions in many aspects of life in our great state,” Rich Bowman writes for The Detroit News. “But Michigan also has a long history of cooperation in pursuit of common goals… “Michigan has set aggressive goals for achieving a net zero carbon economy. While we have made great strides toward that by pursuing wind and solar, there is another technology that is needed to get the job done known as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS)... “The positive potential of CCUS for our environment has led to The Nature Conservancy - Michigan Chapter joining a unique coalition of environmental, labor, agricultural and essential manufacturing entities called MI SUCCESS. As a group, we support new CCUS permitting legislation introduced in Lansing. This bipartisan bill package, led by Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, authorizes the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to take over the CCUS permitting process from the federal government. Similar to our state overseeing local water resources permitting, it is better for Michigan-level experts to oversee carbon capture and storage projects rather than the federal government… “This effort is urgently needed. Michigan is falling behind other Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania, which have all recently enacted their own modern, state-based CCUS permitting legislation… “We encourage the Legislature to pass McCann’s carbon capture bill package during the lame duck session. While we are making progress toward our carbon reduction goals, we need every tool to get there. Moving CCUS permitting to the state level, while outlining safety standards and landowners' rights, will place Michigan at the forefront of environmental protection and progress toward a clean energy future.”