EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/18/24
PIPELINE NEWS
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Linn County adopts CO2 pipeline restrictions
Associated Press: North Dakota Approves Underground Storage for Proposed CO2 Pipeline
Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent: Private well tests near Enbridge spill show no detectable contamination
Michigan Public Radio: Enbridge pipeline oil spill in Wisconsin larger than all of the company's spills combined in 2023
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Texas Connector Pipeline Seeks Route Cuts, Compressor Upgrades in FERC Filing
WASHINGTON UPDATES
InsideEPA: Failure Of Hill Permitting Push Prompts Initial Doubts On Action Next Year
Associated Press: Energy chief Granholm warns against ‘unfettered exports’ of liquefied natural gas
The Atlantic: Gas Will Be the First Big Climate Fight of the Trump Era
E&E News: DOE will do environmental reviews for 3 hydrogen hubs
E&E News: Biden ramps up US climate target ahead of Trump takeover
E&E News: Legal Action Prompts Interior Review Of California Offshore Drilling
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: Youth Climate Activists Get Major Win in Montana Supreme Court
E&E News: Montana Supreme Court delivers ‘monumental’ win to climate activists
Louisiana Illuminator: Gulf energy industry could face challenges with some of Trump’s promises
KTRH: New Railroad Commission Rules Might Hurt The Texas Oil Industry
The Chronicle: Chaplin residents concerned about gas compressor station
EXTRACTION
BBC: The controversial machine sending CO2 to the ocean and making hydrogen
Bloomberg: Bill Gates-Backed Fund Bets $40 Million on Carbon Removal Firm Deep Sky
Carbon Herald: CO2 Lock To Launch CCS Pilot Project In British Columbia
CityNews Calgary: Claims of improved water use efficiency by Alberta oil sands companies under scrutiny
CLIMATE FINANCE
Maryland Matters: State launches panel to study climate implications of pension system investments
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Sarnia Today: Enbridge Gas teams up with Point Edward Fire & Rescue
OPINION
Cedar Rapids Gazette: How will Summit treat landowners after pipeline rupture?
The Detroit News: Enbridge's safety record is concerning
WyoFile: Wyoming poised for energy dominance with all-of-the-above, carbon-negative approach
CO Politics: Colorado’s leadership on reducing methane more important than ever
National Post: Canada should build a tariff-proof economy
PIPELINE NEWS
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Linn County adopts CO2 pipeline restrictions
Jared Strong, 12/18/24
“Linn County leaders approved new restrictions Wednesday for carbon dioxide pipelines meant to protect areas of future growth near certain smaller cities,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. “The hazardous liquid pipeline ordinance, approved with all three members of the Board of Supervisors in favor although no such project currently is planned for the county, generally blocks the projects from being built within 2 miles of cities that have development plans with the county, including Bertram, Ely, Palo and Springville. Larger cities in the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area do not have the "Fringe Area Plans." The ordinance further imposes a minimum 1/8-mile separation distance between CO2 pipelines and homes and other places occupied by people… "This is fairly narrowly focused on economic development," Charlie Nichols, Linn County's director of planning and development, said at a meeting last week. "Economic development is a public purpose of counties, and hazardous liquid pipelines represent both an economic development opportunity for Linn County, as well as an economic development risk." “...But the proposals have sparked safety concerns about potential, catastrophic pipeline breaches. Under certain circumstances, they can release plumes of carbon dioxide that have the potential to kill people and animals… “The county has been considering the pipeline restrictions for more than two years, after Wolf Carbon Solutions announced its intention to build a pipeline system that would transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol producers in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to an Illinois storage location. Wolf withdrew its permit application in Iowa earlier this month. The county supervisors then approved the new ordinance in successive meetings… “Summit has sued six other counties that adopted restrictive ordinances that could impede its project, including Bremer County.”
Associated Press: North Dakota Approves Underground Storage for Proposed CO2 Pipeline
Jack Dura and Steve Karnowski, 12/19/24
“North Dakota regulators approved permits last Thursday for underground storage of carbon dioxide delivered through a massive pipeline proposed for the Midwest, marking another victory for a project that has drawn fierce opposition from landowners,” the Associated Press reports. “The governor-led Industrial Commission voted unanimously to approve permits for Summit Carbon Solutions’ three proposed storage sites in central North Dakota. Summit says construction of the project would begin in 2026 with operations beginning in 2027, but it’s expected that resistant landowners will file lawsuits seeking to block the storage plans… “Summit faces several lawsuits related to the project, including a North Dakota Supreme Court appeal over a property rights law related to the underground storage plan. Further court challenges are likely… “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 pipeline 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. “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.”
Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent: Private well tests near Enbridge spill show no detectable contamination
Tim Sullivan, 12/18/24
“After the November spill of nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil, private wells in the vicinity fortunately show no detectable levels of contamination,” the Cambridge News & Deerfield Independent reports. “Homes approximately a quarter-mile west of the Cambridge Station and 1000 feet northeast of the spill site in the Town of Oakland are served by wells for drinking water. After the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) expanded the scope of its investigation into the spill over the weekend, tests for harmful chemicals associated with crude oil spills were ordered. PACE Analytical services of Green Bay performed the laboratory tests, and Enbridge reported the results to DNR officials Wednesday. "The samples were analyzed for the Full List Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)," Enbridge Senior Manager - Environment U.S. Operations Shane Yokum wrote. "All compounds were reported non-detect, below the laboratory reporting limit. There were no estimated concentrations." "...During the investigation, the volume of product released was determined to be greater than that of the original estimates," Enbridge said in its report to the DNR. "Based on the current volume estimates and observed release rate prior to the repair, this flange was likely leaking for an extended period of time. The impacted soil boundaries have been determined, and soil removal has been completed. Testing of the removed soil and other calculations continue in an effort to provide an accurate final volume." “...Enbridge already has a spotty history in Jefferson County. The company's Line 13, carrying natural gas diluent, leaked due to a faulty valve April 26, 2019, but that incident was not reported to the DNR until July 30, 2020.”
Michigan Public Radio: Enbridge pipeline oil spill in Wisconsin larger than all of the company's spills combined in 2023
Lester Graham, 12/18/24
“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said in a release that Enbridge first reported a two-gallon oil spill. Later it was revised to 126 gallons. Now, it’s past 69,000 gallons,” Michigan Public Radio reports. “That’s 15 times more than what Enbridge reported spilling in all of North America in all of last year. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration report indicated that the oil spill is limited to soil contamination on Enbridge-owned land. It’s considered a High Consequence Area because of its proximity to nearby homes… “The spill occurs as Enbridge faces opposition to replacing Line 3 in Minnesota, rerouting Line 5 around tribal land in Wisconsin, and building a tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac to replace part of Line 5 in Michigan. Opponents of the projects point to this latest spill as further evidence that the crude oil and natural gas liquids pipelines are a risk to sensitive environmental areas and the Great Lakes.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Texas Connector Pipeline Seeks Route Cuts, Compressor Upgrades in FERC Filing
12/18/24
“Texas Connector Pipeline LLC has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to amend its plans for a natural gas pipeline project in Jefferson and Orange Counties, Texas. The filing, submitted on Aug. 12, requests approval to modify certain facilities, including major changes to the pipeline’s routing and compression capacity,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “...However, with ongoing developments and landowner requests, Texas Connector now seeks to adjust the pipeline's design to improve efficiency and constructability… “Under the proposed amendments, the Southern Segment of the pipeline will be shortened significantly, reducing its length from 7.6 miles to just 1.4 miles. Additionally, the planned Southern Compressor Station will no longer be constructed, with its designated site repurposed for a laydown yard and access road. Meanwhile, the Northern Segment of the pipeline will see a slight extension, growing from 26.6 miles to 29.6 miles, as the project adjusts to new landowner requirements and development within the existing right-of-way… “FERC has announced that an Environmental Assessment (EA) will be conducted, with the document expected to be issued in March 2025.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
InsideEPA: Failure Of Hill Permitting Push Prompts Initial Doubts On Action Next Year
12/17/24
“Lawmakers’ failure to reach a lame-duck permitting agreement is prompting early questions about whether they will find it any easier to enact such streamlining legislation for clean energy and other projects next year, even as Republicans are pledging to make the issue a priority in the next Congress,” InsideEPA reports. “For now, Democrats and Republicans are sparring to assign blame for the current gridlock, which comes despite calls from a variety of industry groups for lame-duck action though conservative groups pushed back against a quick deal with claims that action next year would make it easier to block ‘green’ policies. “Meaningful permitting reform will continue to be subject to the Senate’s 60-vote threshold next year and cannot be done by executive action alone,” exiting Senate energy panel Chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV) said in a Dec. 16 statement.”
Associated Press: Energy chief Granholm warns against ‘unfettered exports’ of liquefied natural gas
Matthew Daly, 12/27/24
“The United States should proceed cautiously as officials consider new natural gas export terminals, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday, warning the incoming Trump administration that “unfettered exports” of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, could drive up domestic prices and increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions,” the Associated Press reports. “...The analysis found that U.S. LNG shipments drive up domestic wholesale prices and frequently displace renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. Increased LNG exports also would lead to higher global greenhouse gas emissions, even with use of newly developed equipment to capture and store carbon emissions, the report said. “Unfettered exports of LNG would increase wholesale domestic natural gas prices by over 30%,’' costing American households an additional $100 a year by 2050, Granholm said… “Today’s publication reinforces that a business-as-usual approach (to LNG exports) is neither sustainable nor advisable.” “...Environmentalists have said they will use the DOE analysis in lawsuits expected over any Trump administration approvals of LNG projects.
The Atlantic: Gas Will Be the First Big Climate Fight of the Trump Era
Zoë Schlanger, 12/18/24
“When the tanker ships come toward the tiny town of Cameron, Louisiana, Travis Dardar, a shrimp fisherman, can hear their wake coming before he sees it, he told me earlier this year,” The Atlantic reports. “They’re there to pick up natural gas that’s been supercooled to a liquid state at a sprawling export facility, built atop hundreds of wetland acres in the past few years, and to transport that gas to ports in Europe and Asia. On the Gulf Coast, the rapid expansion of the United States’ gas-export ambitions is impossible to miss: Last year, the U.S. became the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and was building many of these enormous new export terminals. Then, in January, the Biden administration paused permitting for new exports and started analyzing the economic, national-security, and climate impacts of expanding natural-gas exports. That decision was hailed by activists as a tentative victory against the export terminals they’d dubbed “climate bombs” for the decades of future emissions they’d lock in. But no one I spoke with earlier this year in Louisiana, home to a large share of the built and proposed terminals, thought the pause would last: Opponents of liquified natural gas (known as LNG) expected that if Joe Biden won reelection, he’d eventually approve more terminals; none doubted that Donald Trump would. Now the Biden administration has essentially written a playbook for LNG opponents to use in blocking these projects. Yesterday, the administration released the analysis of the LNG industry ordered when the pause on permitting began. The report was reportedly hurried to conclusion in these last weeks of the administration. And it suggests that the economic, climate, and national-security arguments for gas exporting don’t hold up. Now when the Trump administration moves to expand the country’s gas-export infrastructure, as the incoming president has promised, opponents have the evidence needed to turn that move into a dragged-out legal fight. The country’s present and future as the world’s largest gas exporter, and as a major contributor to climate change, will turn on the outcome.”
E&E News: DOE will do environmental reviews for 3 hydrogen hubs
Carlos Anchondo, Brian Dabbs, 12/19/24
“The Department of Energy outlined plans Wednesday to prepare environmental reviews for three proposed hydrogen hubs — projects at the heart of the Biden administration’s goal of building a national clean hydrogen network,” E&E News reports. “DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations published three notices in the Federal Register for the regional hubs in Appalachia, California and the Pacific Northwest, spelling out the department’s plan to prepare environmental impact statements for the projects. Each review is meant to “evaluate the potential impacts to the human environment associated with funding” each hub, according to the DOE notices. The department has already awarded $27.5 million to $30 million to each hub as part of an initial tranche of funding — money intended to support various planning, analysis and design activities, as well as community engagement.”
E&E News: Biden ramps up US climate target ahead of Trump takeover
Sara Schonhardt, Zack Colman, 12/19/24
“President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he will strengthen the United States’ climate target by aiming to cut planet-warming pollution 61-66 percent by 2035, in a move that his successor is certain to disregard,” E&E News reports. “The new goal marks an increase over Biden’s 2021 pledge to slash greenhouse gases 50-52 percent by 2030 over 2005 levels, but is a downgrade from what modelers say would have been possible under a future president who acts aggressively to slow rising temperatures… “Instead, the target will likely be jettisoned after Trump takes office, reflecting his promises to expand fossil fuel production and dismantle Biden’s climate agenda. Though the incoming administration could just ignore the target, the goal offers an ambitious marker that states, cities and businesses can aspire to meet, even as the Trump presidency attempts to roll back federal climate programs. “President Biden’s new 2035 climate goal is both a reflection of what we’ve already accomplished … and what we believe the United States can and should achieve in the future,” said John Podesta, senior White House adviser for international climate policy, in a call with reporters. The move comes amid increasing pressure on the Biden administration to make urgent environmental commitments in the waning days of the president’s term, even if Trump has no intention of honoring them. U.S. officials say it sends an important signal to the world of what the U.S. could do in the face of those challenges… “It also includes at least a 35 percent reduction of methane, a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas that the Biden administration has prioritized tackling through regulations and global agreements… “The targets — known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs — are required under the Paris Agreement, the global deal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in the postindustrial era. The White House said that it is formally submitting the new target to the United Nations’ climate change secretariat. Trump is expected to withdraw from the agreement.”
E&E News: Legal Action Prompts Interior Review Of California Offshore Drilling
Niina H. Farah, 12/18/24
“The Interior Department will draft new offshore drilling plans for an area off the Southern California coastline after a punctured pipeline in 2021 leaked tens of thousands of gallons of oil onto a beach,” E&E News reports. “The decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is a win for the Center for Biological Diversity, which sued the agency in 2022 after the Huntington Beach spill to prompt development of a new offshore drilling plan. “More oversight of federal offshore drilling couldn’t come at a better time since the Trump administration is likely to try to offer oil companies new leases off California,” Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the center, told E&E. “A Trump action like that would put our beautiful coast at new risk of oil spills,” she continued, “and it flies in the face of California’s longstanding ban on leasing additional state waters for offshore drilling.”
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: Youth Climate Activists Get Major Win in Montana Supreme Court
Karen Zraick, 12/18/24
“The Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a landmark victory for youth climate activists, affirming a decision by a lower court last year that the state’s energy policies violated their constitutional rights to a clean environment,” the New York Times reports. “Many of the 16 young people who brought the case, Held v. Montana, testified during the trial about the extreme weather they had witnessed in their home state, which is a major player in oil, gas and coal. They argued that a state law barring consideration of climate in setting energy policy was unconstitutional. The burning of fossil fuels produces the greenhouse gases that are dangerously warming the world. Rikki Held, 23, the named plaintiff in the case, was among those who testified. On Wednesday, she hailed the court’s decision. “This ruling is a victory not just for us, but for every young person whose future is threatened by climate change,” she told the Times. The plaintiffs were represented by lawyers from the nonprofits Our Children’s Trust and Western Environmental Law Center. Nate Bellinger, the activists’ lead counsel, told the Times the decision showed that “the future of our children cannot be sacrificed for fossil fuel interests.” “...Patrick Parenteau, professor of law emeritus and senior fellow for climate policy at the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law and Graduate School, told the Times that Montana was among a handful of states with environmental provisions in its constitution, and perhaps has the strongest of them. He told the Times he expected to see similar lawsuits filed in other states now… “Because the matter is squarely within the bounds of state law, he told the Times, he did not see a pathway to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. “It’s a landmark because it’s the first court in the U.S. to recognize a constitutional right to a stable climate,” he told the Times.”
E&E News: Montana Supreme Court delivers ‘monumental’ win to climate activists
Lesley Clark, 12/19/24
“The Montana Supreme Court delivered a blockbuster win to a group of young climate activists Wednesday, finding that the state is violating the rights of its youngest residents for a stable environment,” E&E News reports. “In a 6 to 1 ruling, the justices affirmed the decision of a lower court that found in August 2023that state lawmakers had flouted Montana’s constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment” by passing a law that bars state agencies from considering the climate effects of fossil fuel projects. The ruling is the first of its kind from a state Supreme Court, but its immediate effect in the coal- and gas-rich state is unknown. The lower court had already found that it lacked the authority to order the government to take action, but attorneys for the youth called the high court ruling a “turning point” that will require Montana to consider the environmental and public health consequences of every proposed fossil fuel project. “This is a monumental moment for Montana, our youth and the future of our planet,” Nate Bellinger, lead counsel to the plaintiffs, told E&E.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Gulf energy industry could face challenges with some of Trump’s promises
Wesley Muller, 12/17/24
“The energy industry in the Gulf Coast region is expected to continue growing in 2025, but that’s according to forecasts that assume President-elect Donald Trump won’t pursue some of the loftier promises he made to slash energy prices by 50% and dismantle the renewables sector,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “Some analysts warn consumer prices for electricity and gas could soar if he delivers on his pledge to expand natural gas exports… “David Dismukes, an economist and former director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, told the Illuminator he is cautiously optimistic about the Gulf Coast energy economy but noted the detrimental impact that could result if Trump delivers on his promise to “drill, baby, drill.” “They’ll never go back to that,” Dismukes told the Illuminator, referring to oil and gas companies. He explained that the original “drill, baby, drill” initiative over a decade ago led to a glut in supply and a price war with foreign producers that sent some American petroleum companies into bankruptcy.
KTRH: New Railroad Commission Rules Might Hurt The Texas Oil Industry
Ethan Buchanan, 12/18/24
“A new rule aimed at protecting water supplies has been passed by the Texas Railroad Commission, but it could end up hurting our oil and gas industries. The rule was passed despite pushback from oil and gas operators, as well as conservatives,” KTRH reports. “Speaking after the vote, Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian said, "For those that might have complaints, and I'm sure there are many, I'll remind you that there are few things that are perfect this side of eternity." He openly admitted that the new rules had issues, saying, "There are problems here. There always are. That's why we're still here; that's why we have elections every few years." Opponents of the new rules, which focus on waste management, say that they'll simply lead to new roadblocks and more hoops for the oil industry to jump through. They claim that these new rules won't actually do much to protect freshwater.”
The Chronicle: Chaplin residents concerned about gas compressor station
Traci Hastings, 12/18/24
“Some eastern Connecticut residents have expressed concerns about a proposed permit renewal for a gas compressor station in Chaplin,” The Chronicle reports. “Enbridge is applying to renew an air permit at the Chaplin station. The applicant, Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC, applied for a Title V Operating Permit Renewal, which was tentatively approved by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on October 2. On October 3, Nick Katsevich, the Northeast field organizer for the grassroots environmental organization Sierra Club Connecticut, requested a hearing on the permit application with the DEEP’s Office of Adjudications. The virtual hearing took place December 12. The Sierra Club released a statement expressing concerns with the facility, noting the compressor station maintains flow and pressure of fracked gas that could release toxic emissions… “Members of the activist “Stop Project Maple,” which protests the pipeline expansion, also expressed their concerns over the Chaplin permit renewal.”
EXTRACTION
BBC: The controversial machine sending CO2 to the ocean and making hydrogen
Jocelyn Timperley, 12/18/24
“Equatic is among a wave of start-ups exploring how the ocean could be harnessed to capture and store carbon. But not everyone is sure it's such a good idea,” the BBC reports. “Many scientists now think at least some carbon capture and storage technology will be needed to prevent dangerous temperature rise. A separate challenge, but just as relevant to climate change, is the scale up of green hydrogen, which is often viewed as the key to replacing fossil fuels in areas like industry, shipping and aviation – although current production is miniscule. So LA-based start-up Equatic's claim to have created an ocean-based carbon removal machine that can tackle both these hurdles at once has an obvious appeal… “However, not everyone thinks ocean-based carbon removal is such a good idea. "Marine CO2 removal is simply too risky," Mary Church, geoengineering campaign manager at the Center for International Environmental Law (Ciel), a non-profit environmental law firm based in Geneva, Switzerland, told BC. "It could alter ocean chemistry, causing changes in nutrient levels and species abundance, with significant consequences for ecosystems." Others are concerned about the feasibility of marine carbon removal, and whether it could really put a significant dent in emissions. With tens of millions of dollars now pouring into companies like Equatic, marine carbon removal is rapidly moving up the climate agenda. Critics argue regulators, and the rest of us, need to catch up… “However, some experts are concerned tampering with the ocean could impact the marine environment, including in unforeseen ways. Critics also say shifting focus to CO2 removal from the atmosphere could risk end up distracting from necessary CO2 emissions cuts.”
Bloomberg: Bill Gates-Backed Fund Bets $40 Million on Carbon Removal Firm Deep Sky
Mathieu Dion, 12/18/24
“The clean-tech venture firm founded by Bill Gates is providing a $40 million grant to carbon-capture startup Deep Sky Corp., which seeks to build large-scale facilities to clean carbon from the air,” Bloomberg reports. “The world will need to remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by mid-century to reduce the risk of extreme climate change. Montreal-based Deep Sky aims to provide millions of tons of CO2 removal that will be stored underground. The startup was founded by Frederic Lalonde, chief executive officer of Hopper Inc., a Montreal-based air-travel application company that’s one of Canada’s most valuable technology firms… “They will be allocated to the construction of Deep Sky’s first plant in Innisfail, Alberta. The facility, requiring an investment of more than C$100 million ($70 million), will test and identify the most promising technologies, and start scaling from there… “Deep Sky expects to start operations and delivering carbon removal credits in 2025. The firm announced in November that it sold credits to Microsoft Corp. and Royal Bank of Canada, but did not provide any financial details.”
Carbon Herald: CO2 Lock To Launch CCS Pilot Project In British Columbia
Violet George, 12/18/24
“CO2 Lock Corp, a subsidiary of FPX Nickel Corp, is poised to launch a groundbreaking carbon capture and storage (CCS) pilot project in Northern British Columbia next year,” the Carbon Herald reports. “This endeavor will mark a significant milestone, as it represents the only CCS project currently planned in the region. The Sam Project focuses on permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) through injection into a substantial ultramafic rock body. These rocks, characterized by their high iron and magnesium content and low silica content, exhibit exceptional suitability for CO2 sequestration due to their inherent ability to react with CO2 and form stable carbonates. CO2 Lock intends to leverage these brucite-rich serpentinized peridotite (BRSP) formations to safely store CO2, contributing to large-scale carbon mineralization. The company’s 2025 Pilot Program is strategically designed to secure the necessary permits and advance CO2 sequestration operations. The company is actively engaged in discussions with First Nations as part of the BC Energy Regulator’s approval process and is dedicated to ensuring full compliance with the Environmental Assessment Process.”
CityNews Calgary: Claims of improved water use efficiency by Alberta oil sands companies under scrutiny
Alejandro Melgar and Kelsey Patterson, 12/18/24
“Claims made by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) that the province’s oil sands companies were more efficient with their use of freshwater in oil production last year are being contested,” CityNews Calgary reports. “The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) is arguing the AER’s data on water use performance — included in last week’s report — contradict the regulator’s own claims. The AER says oil sands companies used 222 billion litres of freshwater to produce 669 million barrels of oil in 2023 — the equivalent of 332 litres of freshwater per barrel. But the 2022 report, according to the AWA, suggests 208 billion litres of freshwater were used to produce 657 million barrels of oil — 317 litres of freshwater per barrel. That would be a five per cent increase in freshwater use per barrel of oil, and a two per cent increase in oil sands production. “If companies were using water more efficiently, as the AER is claiming, we should be seeing freshwater consumption rising less than oil sands production, not more,” Phillip Meintzer, a conservation specialist at the AWA, told CityNews.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Maryland Matters: State launches panel to study climate implications of pension system investments
Josh Kurtz, 12/17/24
“Maryland officials have taken a step closer to divesting from fossil fuels and considering climate risks when evaluating proposals for how the state retirement and pension system should invest and earn money,” Maryland Matters reports. “The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (SRPS) Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to establish a Climate Advisory Panel, which will advise the board and staffers in the SRPS Investment Division on ways to address and mitigate climate risk when considering investments. The measure approved by the board lays out how the board and SRPS staffers will collaborate with consultants to develop recommendations and initiatives to create a long-term sustainable portfolio for the pension and retirement system, which serves over 420,000 current and former state employees. Tuesday’s vote is the latest development in a years-long push by state Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman (D), the vice chair of the SRPS board, to make climate change a major criterion in considering how the state makes investments for its retirement system — and to eventually wean the state off of investing in fossil fuels. “Maryland serves as a global leader in pursuing investment opportunities and mitigating climate change-related investment risk,” Noven said in a statement Tuesday. “The actions taken today by our agency and Board of Trustees will ensure long-term value for our members, their families and their financial security.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Sarnia Today: Enbridge Gas teams up with Point Edward Fire & Rescue
Stephanie Chaves, 12/18/24
“Enbridge Gas continues to support area fire departments,” according to Sarnia Today. “The utility recently donated 72 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Point Edward Fire and Rescue… “Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero this year, and over the past 16 years, the program has provided more than 101,000 alarms to fire departments across the province.”
OPINION
Cedar Rapids Gazette: How will Summit treat landowners after pipeline rupture?
Kim Junker, New Hartford, 12/18/24
“I recently attended the annual Pipeline Safety Trust conference in New Orleans,” Kim Junker writes for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. “The conference brings pipeline industry operators, government leaders and the general public together to find solutions to make the pipeline industry safer. It was started in 1999 after the horrific Olympic Pipeline rupture that spewed 230,000 gallons of gasoline into a Bellingham, Washington creek. It ignited and killed 3 young men and destroyed that ecosystem. I left the conference with mixed feelings. On one hand, the conference brings more awareness to pipeline safety but on the other, much work is still needed. Devastating pipeline accidents still occur every year. More pipeline company accountability is needed. One common theme I heard while talking with other conference attendees-the Summit CO2 pipeline’s bad public relations/conduct and lack of taking safety seriously. Even Energy Transfer Partners which operates the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) recently filed for intervention with the South Dakota Public Utilities commission largely on the grounds that Summit has refused to address crossing concerns. Summit is also using intimidation by filing lawsuits against landowners and county supervisors and targeting opposition with cease and desist letters. Imagine how Summit will treat people when their pipeline ruptures?!”
The Detroit News: Enbridge's safety record is concerning
Julie Geisinger, Birmingham, 12/18/24
“A recent article in The Detroit News (“Enbridge pipeline spills 70,000 gallons of oil in Wisconsin," Dec. 11) shed light on an oil spill in Wisconsin on a pipeline operated by Enbridge Energy,” Julie Geisinger writes for The Detroit News. “Enbridge also operates Line 5, which threatens the Great Lakes. The article gave a brief legal update on the current battle to shut down Line 5 and the various perspectives of a proposed tunnel. However, the story omitted Enbridge’s abysmal safety record. With this Wisconsin spill, the federal pipeline safety agency’s report said the line likely was leaking for an "extended period of time.” Michiganians have experienced this firsthand when Enbridge’s Line 6B spilled 1.1 million gallons of tar sands into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River in 2010. And despite Enbridge’s claims that they continuously monitor their pipelines, it took them 17 hours to discover the rupture. During recent construction on Line 3 in Minnesota, Enbridge’s missteps caused them to breach at least four ground water aquifers. Damage to public groundwater resources during tunnel construction would be just as likely in Michigan and threatens the drinking water for millions of people. Enbridge keeps saying a tunnel will protect the Great Lakes, but all it does is extend the life of a 645-mile pipeline that has 33 documented spills, totaling more than 1 million gallons since 1968. With their safety record, this should scare everyone.”
WyoFile: Wyoming poised for energy dominance with all-of-the-above, carbon-negative approach
Sophie Rockefeller is an Energy Analyst at the Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs (JHCGA), a nonprofit organization based in Jackson, 12/18/24
“In the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, many expect national climate action to slow to a crawl — or be reversed entirely. Since its passage in August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act and related legislation have accelerated a boom in clean energy investment through tax credits and subsidies that are mobilizing private capital and reshaping the energy landscape. Energy-producing states like Wyoming have been on the front line in working to build new clean energy projects. A second Trump term puts the future of the IRA into question,” Sophie Rockefeller writes for WyoFile. “...Putting climate concerns aside, clean energy also makes sense financially because it’s often cheaper… “In this changed national landscape, Wyoming can lead the way. Gov. Mark Gordon’s “all-of-the-above” carbon-negative energy vision provides a roadmap for Wyoming to take the innovative, rather than regulatory, approach to climate interventions and energy development… “The other seven awards so far include three more carbon capture projects, one nuclear energy company, two that produce hydrogen, and one that utilizes machine learning to detect pipeline leaks… “The energy matching funds program is one of the sharpest tools available for carving out Wyoming’s future as a pro-energy state… “Welcoming data center development here in Wyoming has the potential to generate substantial tax revenue and accelerate the deployment of clean power..,. “Let’s embrace clean energy and innovation by taking advantage of these pragmatic policies that are good for the economy and good for the country.”
CO Politics: Colorado’s leadership on reducing methane more important than ever
Erin Tullos, Ph.D., is a research affiliate with Colorado State University and senior research fellow with the University of Texas at Austin; Stephen Conley, Ph.D., is a pilot and former U.S. Navy officer who founded Scientific Aviation in 2010; Simon Lomax is a policy and outreach advisor to the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines and a former congressional fellow with the American Political Science Association, 12/18/24
“In the wake of the 2024 election, federal officials are expected to reassess the nation’s approach to energy, environmental and climate policy. How much it will change, and how fast it will change, is highly uncertain at this point. But one thing is clear: Colorado’s expertise in regulating methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, will continue to play a critical role on the national and global stage. In fact, Colorado’s continued leadership on methane may be more important now than ever before,” Erin Tullos, Stephen Conley and Simon Lomax write for CO Politics. “Colorado's pioneering approach, initiated in 2014 as the first U.S. state to implement direct methane regulations for oil and gas production, provides a valuable model to other jurisdictions. This approach has not only shaped the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s methane rules but also garnered international attention… “Bottom line: Maintaining Colorado’s leadership on methane and expanding Colorado-style methane reduction practices globally represents a crucial opportunity. It may be the fastest, cheapest and most effective action the world can take to slow the pace of climate change in the short term.”
National Post: Canada should build a tariff-proof economy
Lisa Baiton, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, 12/18/24
“A single Truth Social post from the President-elect has put Canada’s export-driven economy in peril and sent our political leaders scrambling for answers and action. The threat of 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods is a real and present danger for businesses across Canada for one simple reason — the United States is our biggest, and in some cases, only customer for almost every good this country produces,” Lisa Baiton, president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, writes in a paid advertorial in the National Post. “...We sell some $150 billion worth of oil, natural gas and petroleum products to the United States, annually. For decades we have relied on the United States as our No. 1 customer and as our gateway to ship our energy resources to the world. Because of this reliance on one customer, Canada has little negotiating power with the Americans. While the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline added an important new export route, the additional carrying capacity adds only about 10 per cent to the oil volumes that leave Western Canada… “Our ability to access global markets has been stymied for the better part of a decade, forcing Canada’s oil and gas industry to rely on a single customer. Northern Gateway pipeline, which would have opened capacity to export over a half million barrels of oil per day, with access to Asian and East Asian markets, was cancelled by the federal government. The Energy East pipeline, which would have carried 1.1 million barrels per day eastwards, feeding Canadian refineries while offering access to Europe and the United Kingdom, was cancelled by TC Energy, which cited a slow, uncertain regulatory process and “increasingly challenging issues and obstacles… “In the time it has taken the United States to build seven LNG export facilities and grow to be the largest LNG exporter in the world, Canada still has not finished its first. To build a tariff-proof economy, we need to make a U-turn on our approach to major export projects. Whether President Donald Trump makes good on his tariff threat, Canada’s policy-makers — the current ones and those in waiting — should place tidewater market access at the top of their priorities.”