EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/3/24
PIPELINE NEWS
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Victory For Landowners: Wolf Carbon Solutions Withdraws CO2 Pipeline Project Application at Iowa Utilities Commission
E&E News: Inspector: Weak pipeline rules put ‘profit over safety’
Des Moines Register: Wolf withdraws its petition to build a carbon capture pipeline across eastern Iowa
KGAN: Iowa activists celebrate Wolf withdrawing its CO2 hazardous liquid pipeline petition
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Wolf Carbon withdraws carbon dioxide pipeline permit request
Radio Iowa: Wolf withdraws application to build carbon pipeline in Iowa
Quad Cities NPR: Wolf Carbon Solutions withdraws petition to build 95-mile carbon capture pipeline in eastern Iowa
KCRG: Wolf Carbon Solutions withdraws pipeline permit request
WHO: Wolf Carbon Solutions Withdraws Petition for Carbon Pipeline
The Tyee: Enbridge Drops the Westcoast Connector Pipeline
Canada’s National Observer: British Columbia LNG pipeline in limbo as it awaits provincial decision
West Virginia Public Broadcasting: Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Final Cost Nears $10 Billion
Zacks Equity Research: TC Energy to Receive C$199M for Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project
Prairie Public Broadcasting: Hogue: Lots of barriers to a natural gas pipeline to bring Bakken gas to other parts of North Dakota
KFYR: Grayson Mill seeks permit to operate unused oil pipeline in northwest ND
Reuters: Damage to Poland-Germany pipeline not affecting supply, operator says
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: What Trump’s tariffs could mean for American energy
Wall Street Journal: Tariff Threat Spotlights U.S. Need for Canadian Oil, Private-Equity CEO Says
E&E News: DOE official to testify on Biden gas-export permit pause
E&E News: Ramaswamy vows to use Chevron’s demise against regulators
Press release: New Report: Tax Handouts to Wealthy LNG Developers Deprive Communities of Needed Funds
Axios: How MAGA wants jurists to reshape climate policy
Counter Currents: Climate Protectors Lament FERC and Schumer’s Locked Door
Politico: Grijalva drops bid for top panel spot as House Dems confront generational reckoning
STATE UPDATES
Charleston Gazette-Mail: EPA releases guidance for input on WV authority over wells key to carbon capture
Louisiana Illuminator: Removing carbon from the air: A climate cure or waste of money?
Associated Press: New Mexico appeals court upholds rule aimed at curbing ozone pollution
Law360: Texas tells 5th circ. EPA botched ozone compliance orders
Los Angeles Times: Inglewood Oil Field owner sues California for ‘illegal’ terminating of operations
Maryland Matters: Climate advocacy group again spotlights fossil fuel lobbyists in State House
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Vanuatu calls on ICJ to recognize climate change’s harm
Antara: ExxonMobil commits US$15 billion to Indonesia's carbon capture efforts
Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA): More U.S. LNG is needed to curb Asia’s surging coal use, Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association commissioned-study finds
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Goderich Signal-Star: Enbridge and Bluewater Fire Services partner to promote home safety
OPINION
The Hill: Message from voters: Remove politicized constraints on fossil energy production
Energy Security and Freedom: Alberta Does A Different Type of Energy Transition and It's All Oil and Gas
The Hill: Trump is likely to dial back tribal management of federal land
PIPELINE NEWS
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Victory For Landowners: Wolf Carbon Solutions Withdraws CO2 Pipeline Project Application at Iowa Utilities Commission
12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions on Dec. 2 filed a request to withdraw its application for a planned CO2 pipeline project with the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC). The cancellation marks a significant victory for the landowners and communities that have fought tirelessly to protect their land, rights, and safety from the risks posed by the controversial project for the past two years,” the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “The withdrawal leaves the future of the project in serious question, as Wolf also withdrew its application before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) — in the state where its planned pipeline would cross nine counties before ending at an underground sequestration facility — back in November 2023. Notably, Wolf’s decision to withdraw its permit application in Illinois came after the staff of the ICC recommended the state regulatory agency deny the company’s permit. The company stated at the time that it promised to refile at the ICC “soon,” but no re-application has been submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission — and Wolf’s withdrawal of its application in Iowa is evidence the project may now be completely dead. The move by Wolf Carbon to cancel its proposed CO2 pipeline project also comes after Navigator CO2 Ventures, which had spent years seeking agreements with Midwest ethanol plants, and voluntary landowner easements, canceled its own planned multistate CO2 pipeline project. Jessica Wiskus, Linn County landowner, said, “After the accidents at ADM’s CO2 sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois and the subsequent enforcement order by the EPA, we knew that the handwriting was on the wall. This is not a safe technology, and the scale of the potential hazards posed by CO2 capture and sequestration make it impossible from a liability standpoint. It was only a matter of weeks after those accidents came to light that Wolf admitted, by their withdrawal, that the proposed CO2 pipeline project was not viable.” Lisa Dircks, Cedar County landowner, said, “As far as we know, no one along Wolf’s route signed an easement. That shows the power of communities sticking together to protect their land, families and future from dangerous carbon pipeline proposals. While it’s a major victory, the fight isn’t done yet. We’ll keep resisting until every risky carbon pipeline company realizes we won’t sacrifice ourselves for their unnecessary projects.” Jess Mazour, Sierra Club Iowa Conservation Program Associate, said, “Against all odds, we’ve stopped the Navigator and Wolf carbon pipelines. It’s taken 3 years, a lot of hard work, stress and time but if we work together, we can stop the Summit carbon pipeline too.” Emma Schmit, Bold Alliance’s Pipeline Fighters Director, said, “It’s no surprise that Wolf has joined the 70% of all ethanol-based carbon capture projects that are cancelled before construction. Wolf’s withdrawal should serve as a signal to all corporations looking to profit at the expense of our communities, our safety, and our property rights. We will stand in opposition to exploitative carbon capture pipelines, and as we’ve proven once again, we will win.”
E&E News: Inspector: Weak pipeline rules put ‘profit over safety’
Mike Soraghan, 12/3/24
“Steve Bromley spent years watching pipeline crews leave problem-plagued pipes in the ground. The former safety inspector, who quit in 2021, says oil and gas pipes were sometimes dented by rocks, with their protective coating peeling off and their walls rusted through,” E&E News reports. “But when Bromley, a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump who calls himself “absolutely pro-pipeline,” eventually complained about it to federal regulators, they told him the companies weren’t violating any rules. “Their paperwork was in order. That’s all they’ve got to look at,” Bromley told E&E, later adding: “I know they’re in order, because I’m the one who puts them in order. It’s all swept under the rug.” Bromley’s experience illustrates the pitfalls of the way Congress directed the federal government to regulate pipelines, according to safety advocates. Under what is called “performance-based” regulation, companies draft their plans for meeting safety standards, which are approved by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Private inspectors — who work for contractors paid by pipeline companies — then check to see if they are following the plan. “The reality is that operators are inspecting their own systems,” Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, the country’s main pipeline safety advocacy group, told E&E. “And PHMSA is largely going through paperwork exercises to make sure that they documented those inspections to the appropriate level.” “...In recent years, at least three other inspectors have lodged formal whistleblower allegations that they were fired for reporting dangerous problems on pipelines, and several inspectors told POLITICO’s E&E News earlier this year that their safety warnings are often ignored. Bromley also filed a whistleblower complaint, but it was dismissed. As Bromley speaks out, the country looks ahead to a possible boom in pipeline construction… “He told E&E he has since been blackballed from getting new contract work in the field and is now caring for his elderly father full-time. “Of course I’m disgruntled. They have a history of putting profit over safety,” he told E&E, before emphasizing that his concerns are shared by other inspectors and pipeline workers he knows. “They’re all disgruntled. Every single one of them, but they need the job.” Bromley is especially concerned about Gas Transmission Northwest, a 63-year-old TC Energy natural gas pipeline spanning the Pacific Northwest.”
Des Moines Register: Wolf withdraws its petition to build a carbon capture pipeline across eastern Iowa
Donnelle Eller, 12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions is withdrawing its petition to build a 95-mile carbon capture pipeline through eastern Iowa, according to a filing Monday with the Iowa Utilities Commission,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Wolf planned to capture carbon dioxide emissions at Archer Daniel Midland Co. ethanol plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton, liquefy it under pressure and transport it to Illinois to be sequestered deep underground. It’s unclear whether the Colorado-based company will reapply, saying in the filing it would “make a determination” once “more certainty exists concerning its plans to proceed.” The company, working in partnership with ADM on the project, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday… “It’s the second company to withdraw its petition to build a carbon capture pipeline. Last year, Navigator CO2 Ventures permanently withdrew its plans to build a $3.5 billion carbon capture pipeline after running into regulatory and legislative challenges in Iowa, South Dakota and elsewhere. Summit Carbon Solutions, however, continues to move forward with plans to build an $8 billion carbon capture pipeline across Iowa and four other states. It's now working with ethanol producers that had planned to partner with Navigator CO2 Ventures… “The pipeline projects have been controversial with landowners, farmers and others voicing concerns about pipeline safety, possible damage to underground drainage tiles, and the use of eminent domain to obtain pipeline easements from landowners who won't voluntarily sell them. Opponents of the projects celebrated Wolf’s motion to withdraw its petition. “The cancellation marks a significant victory for the landowners and communities that have fought tirelessly to protect their land, rights and safety from the risks posed by the controversial project for the past two years,” the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter said in a statement… “The group suggested Wolf withdrew its carbon capture pipeline petition in Iowa because of problems ADM has experienced at its sequestration site near Decatur, Illinois… “Jess Mazour, Sierra Club's Iowa conservation program associate, said in a statement that opponents will put in the work and time needed "to stop the Summit carbon pipeline, too.”
KGAN: Iowa activists celebrate Wolf withdrawing its CO2 hazardous liquid pipeline petition
Nick El Hajj, 12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions has withdrawn its petition to build a 95-mile carbon capture pipeline through eastern Iowa, citing delays and uncertainties,” KGAN reports. “The pipeline, designed to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (CO₂) from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) ethanol plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton to Illinois for underground sequestration, faced stiff opposition from landowners, local officials, and advocacy groups… “For many across Iowa, the withdrawal marks a significant victory after years of organized resistance. Jessica Wiskus, a Linn County landowner whose neighbor’s land was in the pipeline’s corridor, expressed relief and gratitude for the community’s efforts. “It’s been such a long fight—three years—and we’re just ordinary people who’ve been putting all of our energy into this,” Wiskus told KGAN. “To stand against a really strong and powerful corporate entity. It’s hard to sink in that it’s over. We showed that the strength of a community can stand for something and we can prevail.” “...Wiskus cited recent leaks and incidents at ADM’s Decatur, Illinois sequestration site. Sheriff Warren Wethington of Cedar County, whose jurisdiction included a section of the proposed pipeline, also expressed strong opposition to the project. Wethington highlighted the potential safety hazards posed by the CO₂ pipeline and questioned its overall benefit to the community… “For Wethington, the project’s reliance on taxpayer money and possible use of eminent domain for a private entity raised additional ethical concerns… “The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter played a significant role in opposing the pipeline, organizing landowners and raising awareness about the potential risks. Jess Mazour, conservation program coordinator with the chapter, said the fight was about protecting communities from an unjust and dangerous project. “We just really believe that this is all risk for us and reward for these companies and risks of our money, our safety, our futures, our economic statuses, all of that,” Mazour told KGAN… “Mazour also pointed to incidents like the 2020 pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, as a warning. “We’ve seen a carbon pipeline in Satartia, Mississippi rupture in 2020, sending over 40 people to the hospital and 300 had to be evacuated. And these proposed pipelines are going near our towns and our schools and our homes.”
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Wolf Carbon withdraws carbon dioxide pipeline permit request
Jared Strong, 12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions on Monday withdrew its petition with Iowa regulators for a carbon dioxide pipeline that would have stretched from Cedar Rapids to the state's eastern border,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. “...Wolf withdrew its permit request in that state more than a year ago after an engineer for the Illinois Commerce Commission questioned whether the project qualified for approval, and state lawmakers later adopted a moratorium on new CO2 pipelines there. In Wolf's withdrawal letter to Iowa’s Public Utilities Commission, the company said a "number of factors" have delayed its project, but it did not specify what they are. An attorney for Wolf did not respond Monday to a request to comment for this article… “The system was proposed to connect to two Archer Daniels Midland ethanol plants. ADM also did not respond to a request to comment. Wolf is the second company to abandon a permit request for a carbon dioxide pipeline system that includes Iowa… “Navigator said last year that the "unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes" led it to halt its project. "Against all odds, we’ve stopped the Navigator and Wolf carbon pipelines," said Jess Mazour of the Sierra Club of Iowa, which has organized opposition to the projects and has challenged them throughout their regulatory processes and in court. Opponents argue the pipelines are unsafe, should not be eligible for eminent domain authority and are meant to enrich wealthy investors with the help of federal tax credits… “Summit increased the size of its proposed five-state pipeline system this year by adding ethanol plants that previously had agreed to be part of Navigator's project… "Don't risk Iowans' land or Iowans' health over profits for a few companies," Brian Bowman, of Cedar Falls, wrote recently to the commission in an objection to the projects. "I firmly object to CO2 pipelines and eminent domain to accomplish" them.
Radio Iowa: Wolf withdraws application to build carbon pipeline in Iowa
O. Kay Henderson, 12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions has withdrawn its application for a state permit to build a carbon pipeline in eastern Iowa,” Radio Iowa reports. “Developers had plans for a 95-mile pipeline to capture carbon emissions from ADM plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton and ship the liquified carbon to underground storage in Illinois. The company withdrew its permit request in Illinois last year. “Talking with landowners, it’s been months and months since they’ve even heard from Wolf, so they’ve seen the writing on the wall,” Emma Schmit, director of a group called “Pipeline Fighters,” part of the BOLD Alliance which works on land and water use issues in rural states, told Radio Iowa. “…We tend to see these companies withdraw their applications and then never resubmit, so as far as I’m concerned, things are basically kaput.” The company’s withdrawal notice did not say whether it would revise its plans and submit a new permit request to the Iowa Utilities Commission. A spokesperson for Wolf Carbon Solutions has not replied to Radio Iowa’s request for comment. Wolf had been seeking voluntary access to land along its proposed pipeline route. In early 2023, the company announced it would not ask Iowa utility regulators for eminent domain authority to seize land from unwilling property owners. “That’s what they said in Illinois as well and I think that was one of their major problems both in terms of finding space for storage and the support from the community wasn’t there,” Schmit told Radio Iowa. “…If they’re not going to basically, in my opinion, abuse eminent domain powers, they’re kind of stuck with no other option but to cancel the project.” “...Schmit doubts the ADM plants involved in Wolf’s project will try to connect to Summit’s proposed pipeline. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if a different corporation came along,” Schmit told Radio Iowa, “or if they even tried exploring carbon sequestration on site.”
Quad Cities NPR: Wolf Carbon Solutions withdraws petition to build 95-mile carbon capture pipeline in eastern Iowa
Brady Johnson, 12/2/24
“Plans for building a carbon capture pipeline in eastern Iowa are now on hold,” Quad Cities NPR reports. “Wolf Carbon Solutions withdrew its petition to build a 95-mile pipeline through Linn, Cedar, Clinton and Scott counties, according to a filing sent Monday morning, December 2nd, to the Iowa Utilities Commission… “The company will determine at a later date if they should reapply.”
KCRG: Wolf Carbon Solutions withdraws pipeline permit request
12/2/24
“Wolf Carbon Solutions has withdrawn its permit request for a hazardous liquid pipeline it planned to construct through multiple eastern Iowa counties,” KCRG reports. “...It then held a series of public meetings after signing a letter of intent with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to build the pipeline. During the meetings, residents spoke out against the pipeline project. On Monday, the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club called the news of the cancellation “a significant victory for landowners and communities who have fought to protect their land, rights and safety.” “After the accidents at ADM’s CO2 sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois and the subsequent enforcement order by the EPA, we knew that the handwriting was on the wall,” Jessica Wiskus, a Linn County landowner, said in a release responding to the cancellation. ”This is not a safe technology, and the scale of the potential hazards posed by CO2 capture and sequestration make it impossible from a liability standpoint. It was only a matter of weeks after those accidents came to light that Wolf admitted, by their withdrawal, that the proposed CO2 pipeline project was not viable.”
WHO: Wolf Carbon Solutions Withdraws Petition for Carbon Pipeline
Dave Bohl, 12/2/24
“A company that had filed a petition for a hazardous liquid pipeline permit across four Iowa counties is reassessing the project proposal,” WHO reports. “Wolf Carbon Solutions has withdrawn the petition it filed with the Iowa Utilities Commission earlier this year… “The project would have had to have approval by both the Iowa Utilities Commission and the Illinois Commerce Commission. The company says it decided to withdraw its petition based on regulations and delays, but Wolf Carbon Solutions says it will reassess the project and may reapply in the future.”
The Tyee: Enbridge Drops the Westcoast Connector Pipeline
Amanda Follett Hosgood, 12/2/24
“Enbridge says it will not develop the Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission line, one of several pipelines previously slated for northern B.C., after its environmental certificate expired last week,” The Tyee reports. “In an email to The Tyee, the energy company confirmed that it has no plans to proceed with the project. It’s the first time an environmental assessment certificate for a pipeline project in B.C. has expired, B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office confirmed with The Tyee. The Westcoast Connector received provincial approval in 2014 to carry gas from northeast B.C. to a liquefaction facility on the coast for overseas shipping. The project was one of three undeveloped pipelines that had provincial approval to proceed, two of them owned by the Calgary-based oil and gas giant. Enbridge told The Tyee it has not made a final investment decision on its second permitted project, the Pacific Trails Pipeline. “We’ve been discussing its potential development with Indigenous groups and prospective commercial partners,” Enbridge spokesperson Jesse Semko wrote in an email to The Tyee. “These conversations are in the very early stages, far in advance of active development.” Pacific Trails, which was approved in 2008 but has not been actively under construction for at least five years, is considered “substantially started” by the province. This designation locks in its environmental certificate indefinitely. If completed, the Pacific Trails Pipeline would follow a similar route to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which finished construction last year after years of opposition from hereditary leaders with the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Westcoast Connector’s demise comes as tensions rise over the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line, which began construction in August… “Both the PRGT and the Westcoast Connector faced opposition from some local residents, First Nations and environment groups, who have called on the province to complete new environmental assessments, pointing to changes in B.C.’s Indigenous rights and environmental legislation over the past decade.”
Canada’s National Observer: British Columbia LNG pipeline in limbo as it awaits provincial decision
Natasha Bulowski, 11/27/24
“The fate of a 900-kilometre natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia is in limbo after its environmental assessment certificate expired on Nov. 25,” Canada’s National Observer reports. “The province must decide whether to greenlight the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline by either making its decade-old certificate permanent or sending the entire project back to the drawing board for a new environmental assessment… “The Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG bought the pipeline from TC Energy in March 2024 but it has faced sustained opposition from the Gitanyow Heredity Chiefs, Kispiox Band and environmental groups who say the environmental assessment permit is outdated and inaccurate. PRGT Ltd. is arguing it has already made a “substantial start” on construction of the pipeline before the certificate expired and should, therefore, be allowed to proceed. Construction began in late August and was met with protests and blockades from Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs and activists, who were aiming in part to avoid the “substantial start” claim, which carries legal weight… “The Gitanyow Heredity Chiefs’ position is that the proponent “very clearly has not met the threshold required to demonstrate a substantial start,” according to Gavin Smith, lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law and counsel for Gitanyow… “It could take two to three years and cost millions of dollars to reassess the project and all its impacts and cumulative effects, he added… “Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs celebrated the expiry of the environmental assessment certificate as “the first step towards the end of PRGT,” Chief Glen Williams said in a press release published Nov. 25… “The Gitanyow will continue to resist PRGT on the ground with new cabins, a new Indigenous Protected Area, and on-going monitoring conducted by Wilp members and the Lax’yip Guardians, Chief Deborah Good’s statement reads.”
West Virginia Public Broadcasting: Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Final Cost Nears $10 Billion
Curtis Tate, 12/2/24
“The contentious Mountain Valley Pipeline cost even more than expected to complete – almost $10 billion, according to a regulatory filing,” West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. “When it first broke ground in 2018, the Mountain Valley Pipeline was estimated to cost $3.5 billion. The pipeline was finished in June, six years later, at a cost of $9.6 billion, according to a filing last Wednesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The document cites an additional $1.5 billion in costs, including an extra $1.2 billion in construction costs, over the previous estimate.”
Zacks Equity Research: TC Energy to Receive C$199M for Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project
12/2/24
“TC Energy Corporation, a leader in North America’s energy infrastructure, has announced that it will receive a one-time payment of C$199 million as part of a new commercial agreement linked to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. This momentous update was revealed during TRP’s Investor Day on Nov. 19, where executives shared insights into its forward-looking strategic vision and growth plans… “Despite facing challenges, including regulatory fines and operational hurdles, the project remains within its estimated C$14.5 billion budget, showcasing TC Energy’s resilience and ability to cross complex project management landscapes. The announcement of a C$199 million payment is a major milestone for this Calgary, Alberta-based oil and gas storage and transportation company, indicating a commercial agreement reached with LNG Canada and other Coastal GasLink customers. The deal allows TRP to retroactively collect tolls from Oct. 1, 2024, once the pipeline becomes fully operational. This retroactive tolling arrangement ensures that TRP can cover the initial costs incurred during the project’s development. The payment also recognizes the completion of specific work and the settlement of outstanding costs. This highlights the company’s ongoing efforts to align its operations with evolving market dynamics and manage the financial complexities associated with large-scale infrastructure projects.”
Prairie Public Broadcasting: Hogue: Lots of barriers to a natural gas pipeline to bring Bakken gas to other parts of North Dakota
Dave Thompson, 12/2/24
“In the 2023 Legislative Session, lawmakers approved a proposal to invest up to $250 million in a pipeline to bring natural gas from the Bakken to areas of the state looking for that gas,” Prairie Public Broadcasting reports. “It would be a public-private partnership. But so far, there have been no takers. The interim Energy and Transmission Committee studied the issue. Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot) chaired that committee. And he recently told the Legislative Management Committee there are economic barriers that have prevented the building of a pipeline. "The people in the business of building pipelines told us that you have to have a large anchor/customer that will take that gas over a long period of time," Hogue said. "That is the demand they need in order to make an investment in a large pipeline." “...Hogue said the last Legislative session passed a 15-year property tax exemption on transmission and distribution to serve communities without natural gas. He said that has helped Kindred – but other companies say that’s not enough to get them to invest in new infrastructure.”
KFYR: Grayson Mill seeks permit to operate unused oil pipeline in northwest ND
Michael Anthony, 12/2/24
“The Public Service Commission will hold a hearing next Tuesday for a permit application on an inactive oil pipeline,” KFYR reports. “An affiliate of Grayson Mill acquired the nearly 15-mile pipeline in 2021. The company says the pipeline was not properly permitted by its former owner… “The hearing is on Dec. 10 at the Little Missouri Inn in Watford City, starting at 9 a.m.”
Reuters: Damage to Poland-Germany pipeline not affecting supply, operator says
12/1/24
“An oil pipe leak in Western Poland led the operator of the Druzhba pipeline transporting oil to German refineries to suspend pumping on one of its branches, but this did not effect supply to customers, operator PERN said,” Reuters reports. “PERN said in a statement that although the damaged branch was immediately shut down, oil supplies continued through a second branch, "whose technical capabilities fully cover the volume needs of customers". It added the causes of the incident were not known at this time and they would be investigated by an internal committee operating at PERN.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: What Trump’s tariffs could mean for American energy
Shelby Webb, David Ferris, Jason Plautz, Brian Dabbs, 11/27/24
“President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to slap new tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China could inflate the cost of producing and buying energy in almost all forms, possibly sending gasoline prices surging and the U.S. energy industry into a tailspin,” E&E News reports. “Trump did not outline any exemptions — including for oil and gas — in his Monday announcement of a planned 25 percent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico. He cited concerns about drugs and crime tied to illegal immigration, which he said those countries must address… “While it’s unclear whether the tariffs will actually be imposed or at what percentages, the uncertainty has already raised the hackles of some in the energy industry, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told E&E. “The 25 percent tariff on partners like Mexico and Canada, our biggest trading partners aside from China, this has the potential to be a really big challenge for the U.S. economy,” he told E&E. Among the tariffs’ biggest impacts on energy would be a spike in gasoline prices, Al Salazar, head of macro oil and gas research with Enverus Intelligence, told E&E… “Salazar told E&E U.S. refiners’ reliance on Canadian oil isn’t likely to change, even if tariffs make it more expensive… “That could cause gasoline prices to rise by between 35 cents and 75 cents per gallon in some parts of the country, De Haan told E&E… “But the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade group for the refining industry, issued a statement urging carve-outs for its industry. “American refiners depend on crude oil from Canada and Mexico to produce the affordable, reliable fuels consumers count on every day,” AFPM CEO Chet Thompson told E&E. “Therefore, we would hope any future tariffs would exclude these critical feedstocks and refined products.”
Wall Street Journal: Tariff Threat Spotlights U.S. Need for Canadian Oil, Private-Equity CEO Says
Luis Garcia, 12/2/24
“President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadian oil imports could lead to better coordination with the U.S. on energy matters, including construction of new cross-border pipelines, according to the executive chairman of Canada’s fifth-largest oil producer,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “I think that this is going to accelerate discussions between Canada and the U.S. on how they can work together. It can certainly include further development of pipelines linking the two countries,” Adam Waterous, who leads Calgary, Alberta-based energy company Strathcona Resources, told the Journal. He is also the founder and chief executive of private-equity firm Waterous Energy Fund, which owns a roughly 91% stake in Toronto-listed Strathcona.”
E&E News: DOE official to testify on Biden gas-export permit pause
Nico Portuondo, 12/2/24
“House Oversight Republicans will hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s liquefied natural gas export permitting pause as the Department of Energy prepares to release a much-anticipated study of the economic and climate impacts of the practice,” E&E News reports. “Several people familiar with the situation, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told E&E the report — the stated reason for the pause — could come out as soon as this week. They expect the research to show that LNG exports drive up domestic gas prices and may be worse for climate change than coal in certain places. Republicans have escalated their fight against the pause — on hold by court order — and the related research since President-elect Donald Trump won the election. They say the current administration has no business pursuing its LNG agenda.”
E&E News: Ramaswamy vows to use Chevron’s demise against regulators
Pamela King, 12/2/24
“The Supreme Court has given the Trump administration some powerful tools to scale back control of the federal government, said the co-leader of the president-elect’s new regulatory efficiency panel,” E&E News reports. “Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Donald Trump has selected to helm the so-called Department of Government Efficiency alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk, cited the high court’s recent decisions to the end Chevron doctrine, which for 40 years had given agencies leeway to interpret ambiguous federal laws, and re-contour the major questions doctrine, which bars regulators from addressing politically and economically significant issues without express permission from Congress. “Overturning Chevron deference, combined with the Major Questions Doctrine codified in West Virginia vs EPA, paves the way for not a slight but a *drastic* reduction in the scope of the federal regulatory state,” Ramaswamy posted Sunday on the social media site X. “It’s coming.” His post cited data to demonstrate that in the thousands of cases in which the courts have exercised Chevron deference, agencies overwhelmingly won. Those statistics include rules promulgated by agencies like EPA under Republican presidents.”
Press release: New Report: Tax Handouts to Wealthy LNG Developers Deprive Communities of Needed Funds
12/2/24
“A new report details the extent to which the export industry for liquefied methane gas, known as LNG, benefits from billions of dollars in tax breaks, also called tax abatements, in Louisiana and Texas, with local communities suffering as a result. As the incoming Trump administration threatens to lift pollution safeguards and offer giveaways to the fossil fuel industry, this report brings much-needed scrutiny to the true harm LNG export projects cause by depriving communities of valuable tax revenue for critical infrastructure and services such as bridges, hospitals, schools, and climate resiliency. Using data and in-depth interviews with community members, the report, titled The People Always Pay: Tax Breaks Force Gulf Communities to Subsidize the LNG Industry, tells the story of how tax breaks cause economic and social harm to marginalized, often heavily industrialized communities in these Gulf Coast states. This report was submitted to the Department of Energy to inform the update to the agency’s studies which they rely on to make their public interest determinations. "The immense scale of tax breaks granted to billion-dollar LNG projects—millions of dollars per job—is mind-blowing. These deals essentially pay industry to inflict more suffering on already climate-ravaged communities by polluting the air and water while depriving Gulf Coast communities of vital revenue for schools, infrastructure, healthcare, emergency services, coastal restoration and protection,” said James Hiatt, founder of For a Better Bayou and a resident of Calcasieu Parish in Louisiana featured in the report… “The analysis finds that the nine operating and proposed LNG export terminals sited in the Louisiana LNG hotspots reviewed have together been gifted $21.6 billion in tax breaks from ITEP and QJ – though 41% of the giveaways under ITEP are for planned projects, meaning the subsidies could still be avoided if the projects never come online. In Texas, all the terminals in this report’s scope receive tax abatements under Chapter 312 and four have agreements under Chapter 313 that amount to $2.1 billion in corporate subsidies, 21% of which are for planned projects and thus could potentially be avoided if the harmful projects are never built. In both states, so few new jobs are promised by the LNG industry in exchange for these tax abatements that every promised job equates to millions of dollars in subsidies received by the LNG industry… “The report concludes that rejecting permits to build pending LNG export projects would be the best course of action to avert the worst of the climate crisis and keep tax revenue in local communities to enable many of the critical investments explored by frontline community members interviewed in the report.”
Axios: How MAGA wants jurists to reshape climate policy
Felix Salmon, 12/2/24
“Three of the biggest investment firms in the world were sued by 11 states last week, in a case that not only could transform the way trillions of dollars is managed, but could also hobble global efforts to transition to a sustainable level of carbon emissions,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, along with 10 of his colleagues, is attempting to use the U.S. judicial system to forcibly derail the global consensus that investors can and must play an important role in the transition to a net-zero world… “The theory of the case is that the three investors — BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street — illegally colluded to force a group of public coal-mining companies to produce less coal… “As BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has said, climate risk is investment risk. But for many Republicans, it's politically unacceptable for investors to want to be aware of — or agitate against — the degree to which the companies they own are contributing to and preparing for the climate crisis. Fun fact: Among the remedies sought by Paxton is that the investors should divest from the carbon-heavy coal companies they own. That, ironically, is the same thing that climate activists have been demanding for years… “Readers can look at the chart above to judge for themselves whether it indeed shows "pronounced and unmistakable" evidence that public coal miners were cutting production while their private rivals were raising it. The bottom line: As Aniket Shah, head of sustainability at Jefferies, told Axios, "the future of climate and the future of energy will now be decided through the courts, not decided through legislation."
Counter Currents: Climate Protectors Lament FERC and Schumer’s Locked Door
Phil Pasquini, 11/22/24
“This month’s regular FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) meeting was anything but calm after four climate crisis activists were removed for disrupting the proceedings. That event, along with the regular monthly streetside protest outside the agency’s headquarters that draws attention to the rapidly and ever-growing climate crisis the world is facing, set off a day of climate activism “From FERC to the Senate.” Counter Currents reports. “Using Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) own words proclaiming that he has “A whole lot of clout as Senate Minority Leader,” activists asked that anyone concerned about the climate crisis call his office to demand that he use his “clout” to “stop permitting new methane infrastructure in a Climate Emergency.” Along with their calling for that action, activists attempted to deliver a petition from BXE (Beyond Extreme Energy) addressed to Schumer, President Biden and the Congress of the United States signed by more than 8,397 people. The letter calls upon the Democratic party leadership in the Senate, House and White House to take “strong” action ahead of Trump’s return… “Climate crisis activists are also calling to end Joe Manchin’s “fatally flawed” EPRA (Energy Permitting Reform Act) and demanding that legislators use the 60-Vote Rule and filibuster, to protect the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act), call for the declaration of a Climate Emergency, protect public lands by stopping fossil fuel expansion and to engage by joining unions and workers for a New Green Deal by 2026… “With the petition in hand, a group of thirty activists headed to Schumer’s office in the Hart Senate Office Building where just before their arrival staff members locked the office door. Some activists dressed as “Lamenters” wore white head scarfs and long burlap cloaks with climate crisis related signs on them began a silent, peaceful demonstration by walking to and posing in the foyer of the building outside of Schumer’s office. The Capitol Police arrived threatening protesters with arrest for demonstrating in a restricted area.”
Politico: Grijalva drops bid for top panel spot as House Dems confront generational reckoning
Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz, 12/2/24
“Rep. Raúl Grijalva has dropped out of the race for the top Democratic spot on the Natural Resources Committee, according to two people familiar with the matter, potentially averting a generational clash over the leadership position,” Politico reports. “Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who’d been absent from Congress while going through treatment for cancer, had faced a challenge from Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), as House Democrats weigh whether to cast aside some of their most senior committee leaders. Huffman had launched a bid to be the top Democrat on the panel at the end of November, and as late as last week, had insisted he could still win. The 76-year-old Arizona lawmaker is the first Democratic committee head to announce he’d step down from his spot on the panel after this Congress as the party reckons with generational divides and an intraparty fight over committee leadership in the aftermath of the presidential election. The caucus typically strictly adheres to seniority guidelines in selecting panel leaders and doesn't have term limits, leading to long tenures for certain members atop committees. Younger lawmakers have newly bristled at some of those senior leaders, believing new heads would be more effective — an echo of the issues that kicked Joe Biden off the ticket earlier this year… “Grijalva cited his health challenges in his decision to step aside, writing in a letter to his colleagues that he felt it was the “right moment to pass the torch.”
STATE UPDATES
Charleston Gazette-Mail: EPA releases guidance for input on WV authority over wells key to carbon capture
Mike Tony, 12/3/24
“Federal regulators have released new information on how they’ll take input on a significant responsibility they’ve proposed delegating to the state of West Virginia,” the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public hearing on the proposal to approve West Virginia’s request for primary enforcement authority, or primacy, over wells essential for capturing carbon dioxide emissions and storing them underground. The EPA is taking comments on the proposal until Dec. 30, which is the day the agency said it will hold a public meeting on the proposal… “The hearing may also be attended virtually at bit.ly/ClassVIMeeting. The EPA is also taking written comments on the proposal through Dec. 30… “Community and environmental advocates have spoken out against the potential for the EPA to grant West Virginia Class VI primacy, arguing the state DEP lacks the funding or staffing to take on the responsibility of primacy… “Subject to public comment, the EPA is proposing to approve West Virginia’s application, having preliminarily determined the application meets all requirements.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Removing carbon from the air: A climate cure or waste of money?
Pam Radtke, Floodlight, 12/2/24
“After fighting oil, gas and petrochemical expansion in southwest Louisiana for more than 50 years, retired biologist Michael Tritico might be expected to applaud a new facility that promises to suck carbon dioxide out of the air to reduce global warming,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “But that’s not how Tritico sees the U.S. Department of Energy-backed direct air capture facilities proposed for Calcasieu and Caddo parishes. “The political locking-in of Southwest Louisiana as a fossil fuel centerpiece has taken on a new facet — carbon capture and sequestration,” Tritico told the Illuminator of the facilities, collectively called Project Cypress, announced last year. His concerns haven’t diminished since that announcement. Tritico was one of the few residents who attended a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) environmental scoping meeting for the project Nov. 21 in Vinton, where one of the two parts of the project would be sited. Another meeting was held a day earlier in Shreveport, close to the other location for the sprawling $1 billion project… “Critics say the technology is too expensive and energy-intensive to make a sizable dent in carbon concentrations. While carbon emissions from a coal-fired power plant can contain up to 15% carbon dioxide, the atmosphere contains just .04% carbon. Tritico’s greatest worry is that the pipeline carrying carbon dioxide captured from the air in Calcasieu Parish and Shreveport to central Louisiana — where it would be injected underground — could leak or rupture. That would displace the oxygen in the air, threatening the lives of people who live along the pipelines. He thinks, though, another argument might have more weight with the incoming Trump administration — that Project Cypress is a waste of money. “Millions of dollars in taxpayer money for what amounts to an experiment,” he said after giving his comments to the DOE meeting. “That’s going to be interesting to see under this new administration, if they’re really serious about saving taxpayer money — because this is a good example. Hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money for something that’s quite likely inefficient.” A new paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative echoes that conclusion. It warns that it would take 40% of the world’s electricity to remove one-fourth of the carbon emitted each year — and that the technology is unlikely to be a major solution to climate change… “The paper from MIT’s Energy Initiative notes that the sheer number of pipelines, storage sites and locations necessary for wide scale direct air capture are also obstacles… “DOE is seeking public comment on the scope of its environmental review until Dec. 16. The draft environmental review is expected by June of next year.”
Associated Press: New Mexico appeals court upholds rule aimed at curbing ozone pollution
11/28/24
“The New Mexico Court of Appeals has upheld regulations aimed at cracking down on emissions in one of the nation’s top-producing oil and gas states,” the Associated Press reports. “The case centered on a rule adopted in 2022 by state regulators that called for curbing the pollutants that chemically react in the presence of sunlight to create ground-level ozone, commonly known as smog. High ozone levels can cause respiratory problems, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration has long argued that the adoption of the ozone precursor rule along with regulations to limit methane emissions from the industry were necessary to combat climate change and meet federal clean air standards.”
Law360: Texas tells 5th circ. EPA botched ozone compliance orders
Madeline Lyskawa, 11/27/24
“The state of Texas called on the Fifth Circuit to vacate part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action requiring the state to revise its plan addressing ‘moderate’ nonattainment of ground-level ozone standards for the Dallas, Houston and San Antonio areas, in light of the cities' upgrade to ‘serious’ nonattainment,” Law360 reports. “In an opening brief filed on Tuesday, Texas and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said the EPA has ‘attempted to blur the line’ between the two nonattainment classifications and their respective state implementation plan, or SIP, due dates by requiring the state to comply with certain ‘moderate’ elements in Texas' ‘serious’ SIP.”
Los Angeles Times: Inglewood Oil Field owner sues California for ‘illegal’ terminating of operations
Tony Briscoe, 11/28/24
“The owner of the Inglewood Oil Field is suing the state of California in an attempt to invalidate a state law that will require the energy company to cease production and plug all of its wells — or pay costly fines,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “In a lawsuit filed this week, Sentinel Peak, the sole owner and operator of the oil field, argues that Assembly Bill 2617 is an unconstitutional statute that will impose unreasonably high penalties on the company, forcing it to halt operations. The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, requires all low-production wells in the Inglewood Oil Field to cease operations by March 2027 and all wells to be plugged by the end of 2030. Failure to meet those deadlines will result in a monthly $10,000 penalty for every well in violation. The law would effectively oversee the end of fossil fuel extraction in the Inglewood Oil Field, where drilling has occurred for a century… “Attorneys for Sentinel Peak said the law “represents an illegal attempt to coerce an individual company to stop operation of its legal business,” according to court documents. They allege that mandatory fines in particular, violate federal and state laws that forbid excessive monetary penalties… “They feel like they are being targeted but they are running the largest urban oil field in nation,” Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, told the Times. “They’re not getting much oil and the environmental health impacts are well-documented. We’re not taking away their land, we’re just saying you can’t operate within 450 feet of a soccer field because it’s dangerous.”
Maryland Matters: Climate advocacy group again spotlights fossil fuel lobbyists in State House
Josh Kurtz, 11/29/24
“The national climate advocacy group F Minus is at it again, with a new report spotlighting what it sees as the lack of oversight of fossil fuel lobbyists in the Maryland State House,” Maryland Matters reports. “F Minus, which was set up last year by James Browning, the former director of Common Cause Maryland, has focused so far on statehouse lobbying by the fossil fuel industry around the country, calling for more transparency and accountability. The group has also attempted to expose the intrinsic contradiction of lobbyists who simultaneously represent climate organizations or clean energy interests and corporate polluters. Browning argues that climate-conscious local governments, nonprofits and other entities that share lobbyists with fossil fuel companies can’t fully appreciate the extent to which these lobbyists are making the climate crisis worse, without better disclosure of their activities. The newest report, called “Inherent Vice,” grades the 50 states on the transparency of their lobbyist disclosure laws — Maryland rates a C-plus, while 27 states got a failing grade. The report also gives special attention to Maryland, one of two states that received an F Minus “audit” of fossil fuel lobbying activities and official government disclosure rules. The picture isn’t pretty. F Minus found a pattern of fossil fuel lobbyists giving incomplete and inaccurate information in disclosures filed with the Maryland State Ethics Commission. While the report card gives the state high marks for requiring disclosure of the compensation lobbyists receive from each of their clients, and disclosure of bills on which they lobbied, it also found fossil fuel lobbyists disclosing the specific bill numbers they lobbied on just 47% of the time in 2024… “The F Minus audit also reveals two examples of climate bills on which Johns Hopkins University’s pro-climate testimony was contradicted by its own lobbying firm’s anti-climate testimony for the American Petroleum Institute. Nationwide, the advocacy group’s database finds more than 1,500 state-level lobbyists for fossil fuel companies who also represent local governments, schools, businesses, nonprofits and other entities that are impacted by the climate crisis.”
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Vanuatu calls on ICJ to recognize climate change’s harm
Zack Budryk, 12/2/24
“Representatives for the island nation of Vanuatu called on the International Court of Justice this week to recognize the harm caused by climate change, the first remarks the United Nations court heard as it considers international obligations to address climate impacts,” The Hill reports. “The outcome of these proceedings will reverberate across generations, determining the fate of nations like mine and the future of our planet,” Ralph Regenvanu, the country’s special envoy for climate change and the environment, said in remarks Monday at The Hague. “Today, we find ourselves on the frontlines of a crisis we did not create, a crisis that threatens our very existence.” Conversely, he said, the majority of planet-warming emissions come from “a handful of readily identifiable states” that will not suffer immediate consequences to the same degree as poorer and island nations.”
Antara: ExxonMobil commits US$15 billion to Indonesia's carbon capture efforts
12/3/24
“The US-based multinational oil and gas company ExxonMobil is committed to pumping US$15 billion in investment into advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Indonesia,” Antara reports. “Minister of Investment and Downstream and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board Rosan Roeslani affirmed that ExxonMobil President Director Carole Gall expressed her interest to President Prabowo Subianto during a meeting with dozens of other US businessmen at the State Palace on Tuesday… “The investment interest came from ExxonMobil which had stated that the British oil and gas company, British Petroleum (BP), had also expressed its investment commitment in Indonesia worth US$7.7 billion, he said. Responding to BP's investment, ExxonMobil committed to a significantly larger $15 billion investment in the country, as Roeslani clarified.”
Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA): More U.S. LNG is needed to curb Asia’s surging coal use, Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association commissioned-study finds
12/2/24
“Coal use and emissions from power generation in Asia will surge in coming decades unless there is significant new supply of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), a new study by data and analytics company Wood Mackenzie has shown. The study, commissioned by the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA), models energy demand, power generation and the implications for gas demand for nations across Asia through to 2050. The study found continued growth in LNG production from the U.S. – the world’s biggest exporter – was essential to balancing global markets and providing emerging Asia with an affordable and available alternative to the high-emitting coal that is currently the region’s dominant electricity source. Wood Mackenzie forecasts LNG demand from Asia growing from 270 million tons per annum in 2024 to 510 million tons per annum in 2050, fueling economic and population growth across emerging economies, and supporting greenhouse gas emissions reduction, alongside investment in renewables. Without the resources to be self-sufficient, Asia must rely on LNG imports to meet its natural gas needs… “The study demonstrates that although there is considerable LNG supply set to enter global markets through the second half of this decade, strong uncertainty exists about the 2030s and beyond and this is impacting energy planning in Asia,” ANGEA CEO Paul Everingham said… “Nations like Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia will not be able to realize their plans to transition to gas-fired power if LNG prices are high and coal use, which hit record levels in both 2022 and 2023, will keep growing. Without certainty of an affordable supply, their fallback position, quite understandably, is to stick with a fuel they are familiar with and which they know is likely to be inexpensive and plentiful: coal.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Goderich Signal-Star: Enbridge and Bluewater Fire Services partner to promote home safety
12/2/24
“Enbridge Gas and Bluewater Fire Services announced Friday, Nov. 29, they are working together to improve home safety with the goal of bringing fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero,” the Goderich Signal-Star reports. “Bluewater Fire Services received 144 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero, a public education campaign with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council that will provide more than 14,500 alarms to residents in 75 communities across Ontario. This year, Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 16 years, the program has provided more than 101,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments… “Bluewater Mayor Paul Klopp thanked Enbridge for the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. “It does make a difference, we know that, so thank you for your support.”
OPINION
The Hill: Message from voters: Remove politicized constraints on fossil energy production
Benjamin Zycher is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, 11/28/24
“On Election Day, voters delivered at least one clear message: Remove the policy roadblocks standing in the way of greater fossil energy production, American oil and natural gas in particular,” Benjamin Zycher writes for The Hill. “The reason is obvious: The efficient production of more fossil energy yields huge economic benefits for millions of working Americans and for the productivity of the economy as a whole… “Pennsylvania voters could easily see that even without a “ban” little would prevent a President Harris from unleashing the regulators, the net effect of which would be severe constraints on domestic energy production. And the pause on new LNG export projects would be likely to continue, justified on whatever shifting and inconsistent rationales for a pause served that end… “It is clear also that Dave McCormick’s narrow defeat of long-time Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey would not have happened without the LNG pause and incoherence characterizing Harris’ energy platform… “Vice President Harris failed to clarify her position on the Biden EV mandate policy even as it was obvious that it would impose large costs on the Michigan economy and communities, and even with polls showing deep opposition among voters generally… “Elected officials are interested first and foremost in being elected. One path toward that goal was made clear in the recent election: The efficient production of natural gas and other forms of conventional energy is a driver of strengthened economic growth, while policies to suppress its production are deeply harmful to ordinary working Americans.
Energy Security and Freedom: Alberta Does A Different Type of Energy Transition and It's All Oil and Gas
Canadian Energy Centre, 11/25/24
“There’s extensive discussion today about energy transition and transformation. Its primary focus is a transition from fossil fuels to lower-carbon energy sources. But in Alberta, a fundamental but different energy transition has already taken place, and its ripple effects stretch into businesses and communities across the province,” the Canadian Energy Centre writes for Energy Security and Freedom. “...Nearly 60 per cent of activity outside of the oil-rich northeast occurred in central and southeast Alberta in 2005. By 2023, overall oil and gas drilling in those regions had dropped by 30 per cent, while at the same time increasing by 159 per cent in the foothills and northwest… “As Alberta’s oil and gas industry continues to evolve, another shift is happening as investments increase into emissions reduction technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS) and emerging resources. Since 2015, CCS projects in Alberta have safely stored more than 14 million tonnes of CO2 that would have otherwise been emitted to the atmosphere. And more CCS capacity is being developed. Construction is underway on an $8.9-billion new net-zero plant producing polyethylene, the world’s most widely used plastic, that will capture and store CO2 emissions using the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line hub. Two additional CCS projects got the green light to proceed this summer… “The same level of collaboration between service providers and operators that we saw in our productivity improvement is required to achieve similar results with emission reduction technologies.”
The Hill: Trump is likely to dial back tribal management of federal land
Michael Albertus is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and author of the forthcoming book “Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies,” 11/28/24
“Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mark the end of a nascent partnership between the federal government and Native American communities on the management of federal land and water resources that are claimed by those communities,” Michael Albertus writes for The Hill. “Instead, Trump has promised a raft of policies to open federal lands for business opportunities and to put more of them under private management. His pick for Interior secretary, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), has deep connections to fossil fuel companies and makes clear the incoming administration’s intentions to open more land for oil and gas drilling. The federal government controls nearly one-third of the country’s land area, and land under state and local government ownership adds to this total. Essentially all of those lands were previously claimed by Native Americans — and many still are. These communities have been calling for the expansion of a model of land and water stewardship that directly involves tribes in management and preservation. The Biden administration encouraged tribal management of several federal tracts of land in recent years… “Joint land and resource management with government partners is short of what most indigenous communities prefer. It is a far cry from the return of the territories that were wrested from them during American settlement. A thicket of thorny political and legal issues makes it unlikely that much of this territory will be directly returned to these communities in the near future, though there has been some progress in that direction… “The obstacles are far fewer in extending partnerships to indigenous groups to help manage these lands. These partnerships give indigenous communities greater land access and an ability to protect and steward what are often culturally and spiritually significant lands. This is deeply meaningful and could act as a stepping stone toward greater control over ancestral lands… “It is a simple and long overdue first step in repairing relationships with the traditional inhabitants of the land. But it is one that is poised to halt under the second Trump administration.”