EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/4/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Politico: Mountain Valley Pipeline Developers Scale Back Extension Project Amid Regulatory Obstacles 

• WV News: Southgate portion of MVP to be redesigned at cost of $370M

• Mlive.com: Tribes, environment groups appealing Line 5 tunnel approval

• Sioux Falls Live: Lincoln County pipeline committee establishes recommendations for officials

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline company sues fourth county for zoning ordinance

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: DeSantis: Eminent domain needed in pipeline projects like Keystone

• North Dakota Monitor: Major North Dakota energy decisions looming in 2024

• InsideClimate News: EVs and $9,000 Air Tanks: Iowa First Responders Fear the Dangers—and Costs—of CO2 Pipelines

• The Energy Mix: $30.9B Price Tag Makes Trans Mountain Pipeline a ‘Catastrophic Boondoggle’

• Reuters: Canada's long-delayed Trans Mountain pipeline plans line fill for March or May

• Cleveland.com: DeWine signs bill letting gas companies charge Ohioans millions for new pipelines

• EcoRI: Burrillville Gears Up for Fight Against Another Fossil Fuel Project

• Reuters: Bunge says damaged natgas pipeline caused Indiana soy plant closure

• Bloomberg: California Pipeline Replacement Depends on New Rights-of-Way

• Law360: Pipeline Project Asks Court For Access To Harris County Land

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• The Hill: Treasury proposes strict climate rules for lucrative hydrogen energy tax credit

• Reuters: US unveils clean hydrogen plan, nuclear power role uncertain

• Washington Post: U.S. oil production hit a record under Biden. He seldom mentions it.

• E&E News: Biden Admin To Finalize Most Climate Rules In Early 2024 

• E&E News: 4 Oil And Gas Issues To Watch In 2024 

STATE UPDATES

• The Hill: EPA gives Louisiana authority to approve projects storing carbon dioxide underground

• Northern Journal: Could a new Alaska coal power plant be climate friendly? An $11 million study aims to find out.

• Prairie Public Broadcasting: Oil production in North Dakota will soon reach a new milestone

• Law360: Oil Co. Sues Colo. Regulators Over Financial Assurance 

• Associated Press: New Mexico Considers Setback Requirements For Oil Wells Near Schools And Day Care Centers 

• KPRC: Residents concerned about well water system after crude oil spilled into Texas City ditch

• Press release: Governor Hochul Announces $8 Million Awarded To New York State Under Inflation Reduction Act To Reduce Methane Emissions From Oil And Gas Wells

• Mlive.com: 200 orphan oil and gas wells plugged in 2023 by Michigan regulators

• NM Political Report: Advocacy group says BLM has favored oil and gas over an endangered bird species

• Associated Press: New Mexico proposes regulations to reuse fracking wastewater

EXTRACTION

• Guardian: Big oil ‘fully owned the villain role’ in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded

• E&E News: Study Documents ‘Extreme’ Methane Bursts From Oil And Gas 

• Yahoo Finance Canada: Alberta's oilsands cleanup piggy bank 'unfit for purpose,' researchers say

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Chevron: Pawsitive results: super sniffing dogs find tiny pipeline leaks

• St. Thomas Today: Enbridge donation to Oneida Fire Department an example of ‘equipping the heroes of tomorrow’

• Enbridge: Lifting Families out of Generational Poverty in the Volunteer State

• Enbridge: A ‘Beautiful Building for Beautiful People’

OPINION

• The Hill: The environment and economy can’t afford trillion-dollar carbon capture

• CT Mirror: Connecticut, don’t approve the expansion of a fracked gas pipeline

• Los Angeles Times: Hydrogen isn’t clean if it adds to climate pollution. Biden’s rules are a good start

• Common Dreams: World Leaders Failed Us, But We Have the Power to End the Era of Fossil Fuels

• National Observer: Fossil fuels should not be funding our universities

• The New Republic: Fossil Fuel Execs Had A Fabulously Wealthy Year—And They’re Mad About It 
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Politico: Mountain Valley Pipeline Developers Scale Back Extension Project Amid Regulatory Obstacles 
Catherine Morehouse, 1/2/24

“The Mountain Valley Pipeline’s embattled Southgate extension is shrinking by more than 40 miles after a series of regulatory hurdles, the project developers told FERC,” Politico reports. “Equitrans notified the commission on Friday that it had entered into an agreement with Dominion’s North Carolina gas subsidiary, the Public Service Company of North Carolina, and another ‘investment grade utility customer’ to develop a redesigned version of Southgate. The new project is 31 miles instead of its original 75, and includes ‘substantially’ fewer water crossings while avoiding a new compressor station, which had been rejected by Virginia regulators. The project originally aimed to stretch from southern Virginia into central North Carolina, but will now stretch a shorter distance into North Carolina. Southgate did not receive the same controversial permitting greenlight as the mainline MVP project did via the Inflation Reduction Act due to the intervention of Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin.”

WV News: Southgate portion of MVP to be redesigned at cost of $370M
Charles Young, 1/2/24

“The Southgate Project portion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline will undergo a redesign, according to a recent federal filing,” WV News reports. “...The redesigned MVP Southgate, which will no longer require the compressor station, is estimated to cost approximately $370 million and will have a targeted completion date of June 2028. The new completion date is two years beyond the June 18, 2026, extension for completion of the Southgate Project granted to the developer by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December. The developer is now “evaluating the permitting and regulatory road map for the project, including requesting an updated completion due date,” according to the SEC filing. In a Dec. 29 letter informing the FERC of its plans to redesign the Southgate Project, the developer said it will “finalize the scope and timeframe of the redesigned project after it conducts an open season and executes any additional agreements for firm capacity.” According to information released by the FERC in December, Equitrans Midstream estimates total construction costs for the MVP at $6.648 billion, an increase of 43.9% from the initial estimate of $3.708 billion. The “primary drivers of the increased costs were permitting delays caused by ongoing legal challenges to the project, which have persisted since construction began in early 2018,” according to the FERC. The developer cited “delays associated” with constructing the main MVP project as the need to originally extend the deadline for completing the Southgate Project… “The developer said “certain unforeseen factors have substantially affected the pace of construction and account for more than half of the increase in estimated project costs.” The remaining increase in the total project cost was attributed to a number of other factors, including “certain financial settlements with contractors, labor and fuel inflation, and enhanced safety and security measures.”

Mlive.com: Tribes, environment groups appealing Line 5 tunnel approval
Sheri McWhirter, 12/28/23

“An appeal was filed less than a month after state utility regulators approved plans for a deep-underground tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac for an oil and gas pipeline,” Mlive.com reports. “The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) and the Michigan Climate Action Network together on Dec. 22 appealed the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approval of Enbridge’s plan to build the tunnel for a replacement section of its Line 5 pipeline. The case will go to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Additionally, four Indigenous tribes filed notice that they will also appeal the commission’s decision on the tunnel. The environmental advocacy groups argue it’s nonsensical to heavily invest in fossil fuel infrastructure as the clean energy transition accelerates. The tribes argue the pipeline should be immediately shut down to protect possible oil spills from polluting Great Lakes waters – a resource protected under treaty rights. Both groups contend the regulators should have shut down the pipeline altogether, an option the commission’s chairman said wasn’t on the table… “The Native tribes that intend to appeal in early 2024 include Bay Mills Indian Community near Brimley in the Upper Peninsula, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa and Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa in northern Lower Michigan, and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi in western Michigan. “The MPSC made a bad decision, plain and simple. Although we fought to be heard, they put on their blinders and chose to ignore the critical perspective of tribal nations throughout the Great Lakes. Indigenous communities have not once been consulted since 1953 when this pipeline was first constructed,” Whitney Gravelle, Bay Mills tribal president, told Mlive. “Let me be clear: Line 5 remains a threat to not only the tribes, but anyone and everyone who utilizes the Great Lakes. The question is not if the pipeline will leak, it is when.”

Sioux Falls Live: Lincoln County pipeline committee establishes recommendations for officials
Hunter Dunteman, 1/2/24

“After more than 10 hours of deliberation over the past six weeks, Lincoln County is one step closer to implementing regulations on pipelines seeking to traverse the county,” Sioux Falls Live reports. “In his first meeting as chair of the Lincoln County Commission, James Jibben presented four main recommendations that should shape how the county’s pipeline regulations are created. Formulated by the county’s Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage Advisory Committee, the recommendations include: Any ordinance should include ability to waive setback requirements.Any ordinance should include a one-mile notification for a conditional use permit hearing. Boards should consider the economic impact to livestock with any setback ordinance. Require that a pipeline company have an insurance rated ‘A’ or better. Jibben said the waiver option would allow landowners to use discretion regarding their property, providing the opportunity to use their land “in an economic manner they see fit.” “...We did talk about, particularly, a two-mile setback from municipalities as a recommendation, as well as 330 feet from property line to property line as a recommendation,” Jibben told the Lincoln County Commission. “Those were some of the other issues that I think were very important.” “...Three to four proposals will be presented to the Lincoln County Commission during its next meeting on Jan. 9. If any of the proposed ordinances receive a majority vote from the commission, it would be forwarded to the Planning Commission for consideration… “The draft ordinances are expected to be made public on Jan. 5.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipeline company sues fourth county for zoning ordinance
JARED STRONG, 1/3/24

“Summit Carbon Solutions has filed a federal lawsuit against Kossuth County for its new ordinance that restricts where the company’s proposed carbon dioxide pipeline system can be located,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “It is the fourth lawsuit the company has brought against Iowa counties that have sought to impose new restrictions on the project… “A federal judge granted the company permanent injunctions against Shelby and Story counties that bar them from enforcing their ordinances. Those counties recently appealed the judge’s decisions, according to federal court records… “Another lawsuit against Emmet County is pending. Kossuth County supervisors adopted their ordinance last month despite the judge’s decisions in favor of Summit, with the expectation that Summit would also file a lawsuit against them.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: DeSantis: Eminent domain needed in pipeline projects like Keystone
ROBIN OPSAHL, 1/2/24

“As the debate over carbon capture pipelines continues in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the use of eminent domain covered projects like the Keystone XL oil pipeline because the production of energy serves a public use,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The Florida governor, speaking at a Council Bluffs town hall on Gray TV, did not comment on the specific carbon dioxide pipeline projects being debated in Iowa. Iowa voters submitted questions for DeSantis, including a question asking if he would “support taking land by eminent domain or a private company for the private gain.” DeSantis answered that he opposed “expansive” eminent domain use, and that he supported private property rights. “It is a legitimate power that our founders recognized, but it’s limited to public purposes,” DeSantis said. “So sometimes you need to build the interstate highway system, like they did under (former President Dwight D.) Eisenhower. Sometimes you need to do things like the Keystone XL pipeline for energy that has a public use. But that’s different than something for just private gain.” “...Forum moderator Dave Price, Iowa political director for Gray TV, also asked DeSantis if he believed carbon dioxide pipelines should receive federal tax credits. Though DeSantis did not say directly that pipeline projects should receive federal funding, he called for the U.S. to increase domestic energy production in “reliable energy” including oil, gasoline and biofuels.”

North Dakota Monitor: Major North Dakota energy decisions looming in 2024
JEFF BEACH, 1/3/24

“The upcoming year will be a significant one for North Dakota’s energy industry, with decisions looming on two controversial pipelines that could have ripple effects across the energy sector and beyond,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “...When some landowners refused to give Summit surveyors access to their property, Summit sued them. Lawyers argued those cases, lumped together in SCS Transport v. Malloy, before the North Dakota Supreme Court in December. A decision is expected this year. The ruling could have implications not only for the pipeline industry but for other utilities as well.  Likewise, a pending decision by the Public Service Commission on whether local rules on pipeline zoning laws can take precedence over state rules is being watched closely.  The PSC hearing on the issue in late December drew a packed crowd, including leaders from the energy industry.  The PSC also will schedule an appeal hearing on Summit’s route application and there are decisions pending in other states on Summit’s plan to store carbon emissions from ethanol production underground. Ultimately, Summit needs approval from the North Dakota Industrial Commission on underground sites… “On the oil pipeline front, there is an environmental impact review pending from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Dakota Access Pipeline that carries much of North Dakota’s oil production south toward refineries… “By the end of 2024 the Corps is expected to issue a final economic impact statement… “Minnkota Power Cooperative says it will determine sometime this year whether to move forward with its Project Tundra carbon storage project… “Minnkota says Project Tundra is in its final development phase with a decision on the project coming mid-year. The U.S. Department of Energy announced in December that it selected Project Tundra for up to $350 million in funding through its Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program.”

InsideClimate News: EVs and $9,000 Air Tanks: Iowa First Responders Fear the Dangers—and Costs—of CO2 Pipelines
Kristoffer Tigue, 12/29/23

“From outdated equipment and evacuation plans to a lack of personnel and training, some Iowa first responders say they would be unable to safely carry out rescue operations in the case of a major carbon dioxide pipeline rupture,” InsideClimate News reports. “Many Iowans fear such a disaster is increasingly likely as developers, spurred by more than $12 billion in federal incentives, propose to build lengthy CO2 pipelines across the Midwest. Among the handicaps emergency personnel would face if responding to a rupture is a lack of funding for the kind of equipment they say is necessary to safely navigate the unique threats posed by carbon dioxide pipelines, including CO2 plumes released during a failure that could have an especially large and difficult to detect danger zone. When a carbon dioxide pipeline ruptured in 2020 in Mississippi, it released a massive cloud of the gas that traveled more than a mile into the nearby hamlet of Satartia, sending 45 residents to the hospital and prompting the evacuation of 200 others. That’s because CO2 is heavier than air and acts as an asphyxiant in high concentrations. Dan Harvey, fire chief for the Gruver Fire Department in Emmet County, Iowa, told ICN it would cost the five fire departments in his county—all of which are run by volunteers—more than $370,000 to upgrade their current air tanks, which can hold about 15-20 minutes-worth of oxygen. That’s not enough time to safely operate in those conditions, Harvey told ICN, but most Iowa fire departments can’t afford to buy the 45-minute air tanks… “Jodi Freet, the emergency response director for Cedar County, Iowa, told ICN that besides larger air tanks, she also wouldn’t feel comfortable sending any of her personnel near a CO2 leak unless they were driving an electric vehicle… “Other expenses Freet and Harvey told ICN their departments could face include purchasing oxygen monitors to detect spikes in CO2, as well as paying for additional training for staff and educational materials for the public—similar to safety campaigns that taught people to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes catch fire… “And Iowa first responders tell ICN their conversations with the companies haven’t resolved just who will pay any additional costs to their departments, which could reach millions of dollars. That makes officials like Harvey and Freet nervous that Iowa’s already cash-strapped emergency response agencies, many of which rely on volunteers and community fundraising events, could be saddled with those expenses.”

The Energy Mix: $30.9B Price Tag Makes Trans Mountain Pipeline a ‘Catastrophic Boondoggle’
12/28/23

“The cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion mushroomed to C$30.9 billion in mid-March, prompting a surprised fossil energy analyst to admit that taxpayers will have to pick up a very large tab as a result,” The Energy Mix reports. “The project’s new price tag is up from its previous estimate of $21.4 billion in early 2022,” CBC recalls. “A prior estimate had pegged the price at $12.6 billion.” The 44% increase came as a shock to Richard Masson, an executive fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. “These things sometimes are unexpected, but the magnitude of this increase is very large and I don’t think anybody was expecting it,” he told CBC, citing the atmospheric river that shut down the existing Trans Mountain pipeline in mid-November, 2021, as one factor driving up its cost. But now, “Masson expects that the federal government will have to take a large write down on the value of its investment, adding he doesn’t believe Ottawa can recuperate all of the additional costs,” CBC writes. “It’s going to be very costly at the end of the day for taxpayers,” he told the national broadcaster.

Reuters: Canada's long-delayed Trans Mountain pipeline plans line fill for March or May
Rod Nickel, 1/3/24

“Trans Mountain Corp (TMC.UL) plans to begin line fill in March or May on its long-delayed Canadian oil pipeline expansion, depending on the diameter of pipe it uses and assuming no new problems, the Canadian government-owned company said in a filing on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “...Trans Mountain had asked the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) to allow it to install smaller-diameter pipe in a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) section of the oil pipeline's route after encountering challenging drilling conditions in a mountainous area between Hope and Chilliwack, British Columbia. The CER denied the request on Dec. 5, later saying that the application did not adequately address concerns about pipeline integrity and the environment. Trans Mountain then asked the regulator to reverse that decision on Dec. 14, warning of a possibly "catastrophic" two-year delay and billions of dollars in losses… “Under the worst-case scenario for the plan currently approved by CER, the company's horizontal directional drilling approach could fail and require a fresh alternative that may delay the project by two years to 30 months, Trans Mountain said.”

Cleveland.com: DeWine signs bill letting gas companies charge Ohioans millions for new pipelines
Jeremy Pelzer, Jake Zuckerman, 12/29/23

“Natural gas companies could soon charge Ohio customers tens of millions of dollars more per year to build pipelines to potential megaproject sites under legislation signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday,” Cleveland.com reports. “DeWine’s signature on House Bill 201 marks an about-face from earlier this year, when he used his line-item veto authority to strip out a similar proposal from the state’s massive two-year budget plan… “But under language added by lawmakers roughly 36 hours before HB201 passed both the House and Senate, gas companies can charge Ohio’s 3.7 million gas customers up to $1.50 per month for as long as five years to extend gas lines to sites that could potentially be used for megaprojects, even if no buyer has been lined up yet. Sites or projects would only be eligible for the fee if they are supported by JobsOhio (the state’s economic development non-profit), regional affiliates of JobsOhio, or the Ohio Department of Development… “Natural gas utilities say the new law will give them the money they need to help prepare sites that attract companies like Intel, which is building a $20 billion computer-chip manufacturing complex near Columbus. Their lobbyists told lawmakers that economic development is cutthroat between states, and large industrial buyers want “shovel ready” sites that are already hooked up to water, gas, electric and sewer…” “Yet again, legislators have put fossil fuel industry profits above the needs of Ohioans already struggling to pay their energy bills this holiday season,” Nolan Rutschilling, managing director of energy policy for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, told Cleveland.com. “Ohioans deserve elected leaders that fight to reduce energy costs through clean energy and regulatory reform, not those that sell them out to increase profit margins of powerful investor-owned utilities.”

EcoRI: Burrillville Gears Up for Fight Against Another Fossil Fuel Project
Colleen Cronin, 1/1/24

“When Kathy Martley sits outside on her property to have a cup of coffee and enjoy nature, she said it can be a little difficult to find peace. “You try to listen to the birds out here, and all you can hear is the wacky noise,” she recently told EcoRI. “That noise comes from the nearby compressor station, a stop on the Algonquin pipeline that pressurizes methane (natural gas) to help it move along the way from New Jersey to Massachusetts. Martley lives on Wallum Lake Road near enough to the compressor station to hear it humming, or booming when there’s a “blowdown,” but not as close as some of the other residents in the neighborhood who have complained of smelling gas. Enbridge, the company that owns the pipeline and compressor station, recently proposed an expansion to the pipeline, and Martley and her group B.A.S.E. fear that could mean more construction, more noise, more smells, and more pollution. B.A.S.E. stands for “Burrillville Against Spectra Expansion” and has opposed several fossil fuel-based projects proposed by Spectra — now Enbridge, post-merger — and helped successfully advocate against the development of a fossil fuel power plant, a project that was denied four years ago… “We should already be changing over to more sustainable stuff,” Martley told EcoRI, adding that she believes the state should be moving away from methane and toward cleaner renewable energy… “Burrillville is not the only community with residents voicing concerns over the pipeline expansion, which could impact areas around the Northeast. A letter signed by dozens of local groups opposing changes to the Algonquin pipeline is being delivered to top officials around the region, he told EcoRI.”

Reuters: Bunge says damaged natgas pipeline caused Indiana soy plant closure
1/3/24

“A soybean processing facility in Decatur, Indiana, operated by global grain handler Bunge (BG.N) stopped operations last week following damage to a natural gas pipeline that feeds the site, the company said in a statement to Reuters on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “...Bunge, based in St. Louis, said it was taking "appropriate precautions" to ensure the safety of employees and the community, and was working to repair the pipeline. No one was injured, a Bunge spokesperson told Reuters.”

Bloomberg: California Pipeline Replacement Depends on New Rights-of-Way
Shayna Greene, 12/29/23

“Plains All American Pipeline LP agreed not to construct a new crude oil pipeline system in California without first obtaining new permanent rights-of-way, as part of a federal lawsuit that began in 2016 following a major oil spill,” Bloomberg reports. “Property owners, both companies and individuals, claimed in their 2020 second amended complaint that Plains failed to properly maintain its crude oil pipeline—constructed in the late 1980s—resulting in hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil released in 2015 onto the properties, public recreation areas, and beaches, and into the Pacific Ocean.”

Law360: Pipeline Project Asks Court For Access To Harris County Land
Catherine Marfin, 1/2/24

“An energy company constructing a natural gas pipeline through southeast Texas asked a state court Tuesday to appoint several Houston landowners to assess the amount of damages that will be owed through its access to land in Harris County,” Law360 reports.

WASHINGTON UPDATES

The Hill: Treasury proposes strict climate rules for lucrative hydrogen energy tax credit
RACHEL FRAZIN, 12/22/23 

“Producers of hydrogen energy would have to comply with strict climate rules to qualify for a lucrative tax credit under new proposed guidelines from the Treasury Department,” The Hill reports. “The Biden administration and climate advocates say these guidelines would ensure the nascent power source develops in a sustainable way rather than becoming a significant contributor to global warming… “The proposal says that to get the tax credit, an electrolyzer would need to be fueled by new power sources as opposed to existing electricity that’s already on the grid. It would also be required to get power that’s generated in the same geographic region where the electrolyzer exists. For the first few years of the guidance, it would allow the new renewable energy sources to generate power during the same year that it is used by the electrolyzer. Starting in 2028, however, the electricity would have to be produced within the same hour as it is used by the electrolyzer. Administration officials told reporters that without strict stipulations, renewable-based hydrogen energy’s total emissions footprint may be greater than that of fossil-based hydrogen that’s already in use. That’s because without strict rules, electrolyzers would be able to take renewable power from the electric grid that is ultimately replaced with fossil fuels to meet the rest of the power needs… “Marty Durbin, senior vice president for policy at the Chamber of Commerce, told The Hill it also takes away an opportunity from the U.S. to be a leader on hydrogen after the European Union put similar rules in place to those proposed by the Biden administration. “We lose … the U.S.’s ability to be the global leaders in this technology,” he told The Hill. 

Reuters: US unveils clean hydrogen plan, nuclear power role uncertain
Timothy Gardner, 12/22/23

“The U.S. proposed rules on Friday for how energy companies can access billions of dollars in tax credits for producing low-carbon hydrogen using new clean energy sources but left thorny issues, such as how nuclear power could benefit, uncertain,” Reuters reports. “The credit will be based on the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from the power source used in hydrogen production, and ranges from 60 cents to $3 per kilogram, the Treasury Department said in the 128-page proposal… “To get the credit, hydrogen producers would have to prove they have used clean electricity built within three years that a hydrogen plant went into service… "For an administration that wants to reduce emissions and fight climate change, it makes no sense to kneecap the hydrogen market before it can even begin," Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat who opposes the restrictions, told Reuters. Business groups including the Chamber of Commerce have also slammed new clean energy requirements, saying it will slow down the build-out of a hydrogen economy. Renewable energy backers and many environmental groups, however, tell Reuters the strict limits are necessary to ensure that hydrogen production - which is energy-intensive - doesn't inadvertently lead to an increase in use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels overall. “Today’s proposed rules are a win for the climate, U.S. consumers, and the budding U.S. hydrogen industry,” Rachel Fakhry, policy director for emerging technologies at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Reuters.”

Washington Post: U.S. oil production hit a record under Biden. He seldom mentions it.
Evan Halper and Toluse Olorunnipa, 12/31/23

“You won’t hear President Biden talking about it much, but a key record has been broken during his watch: The United States is producing more oil than any country ever has,” the Washington Post reports. “The flow of huge amounts of crude from American producers is playing a big role in keeping prices down at the pump, diminishing the geopolitical power of OPEC and taming inflation. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline nationwide has dropped to close to $3, and analysts project it could stay that way leading up to the presidential election, potentially assuaging the economic anxieties of swing-state voters who will be crucial to Biden’s hopes of a second term. But it is not something the president publicly boasts about. The politics of oil are particularly tricky for Democrats, whose chances for victory in the 2024 elections could hinge on whether young, climate-conscious voters come out in big numbers. Many of those voters want to hear that Biden is doing everything in his power to keep oil in the ground. “If you are not looking carefully at what the administration is actually doing, it is easy to get the wrong impression,” Kevin Book, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners, a research firm, told the Post. “There are a lot of things going on at once. This is an administration which is focused on the energy transition, but also taking a pragmatic approach on fossil fuels.” “...While Biden’s White House has publicly celebrated the decline in gas prices and pledged to help consumers struggling with inflation, the president has largely stayed mum about the oil industry’s record output. In several speeches this year, he has blasted oil company executives for amassing record profits… “But the current rush of domestic oil production comes as the president’s push to facilitate a transition to electric vehicles is falling short of expectations, providing an uncomfortable contrast for the White House… “There’s this dissonance between the commitments that are being made versus what the administration is actually doing,” Amara Enyia, an activist and policy director for the Movement for Black Lives, told the Post. “We’re seeing this sort of two-headed approach to climate — on the one hand, drilling permits, and then on the other, talking about the need to move away from fossil fuels.” “...You can’t solve the climate crisis without keeping fossil fuels in the ground,” Jamie Henn, founder of Fossil Free Media, a nonprofit focused on ending oil and gas use, told the Post. “Record oil production stands in the way of the energy transition … An ‘all of the above approach’ leads to flip-flopping on fossil fuels. It is bad policy, and also bad politics.”

E&E News: Biden Admin To Finalize Most Climate Rules In Early 2024 
Jean Chemnick, 1/3/24

“The first four months of 2024 is go time for EPA climate rules,” E&E News reports. “The agency has already finalized parts of the Biden administration’s ambitious first-term climate agenda, such as rules to slash coolants that act as climate superpollutants and reduce methane leaks from onshore oil and gas operations. But last month’s Unified Agenda — the latest timetable for the administration’s regulatory actions — shows nearly all of EPA’s marquee rules headed for the Federal Register in March or April 2024. That includes new climate rules for power plants, cars and heavy-duty trucks, as well as guidelines for how petroleum sources tally and report their methane and a new fee on excess emissions. That schedule would ensure Republicans can’t easily repeal the rules if they take control of Congress next year. But the timing is tight: All the regulations require White House reviews that can take 90 days, meaning EPA would likely need to send them to the Office of Management and Budget very soon. That makes some climate advocates anxious — especially given the Biden EPA’s track record of blowing past self-imposed deadlines when releasing draft versions of these same rules.”

E&E News: 4 Oil And Gas Issues To Watch In 2024 
Shelby Webb, 1/3/24

“Methane – New regulations aiming to cut industry methane emissions are slated to be published or enacted in 2024, following the Biden administration’s long-awaited EPA final rules last year, said Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory and legislative affairs with the Environmental Defense Fund,” E&E News reports. “The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is scheduled to issue a final rule for methane emissions from pipelines in 2024, while the Bureau of Land Management is expected to issue a final rule on limiting venting and flaring on oil and gas facilities located on federal lands. EPA’s final methane rule also will be published in January, at which point states or companies could file lawsuits to challenge it, Goldstein told E&E. EPA will charge companies methane fees based on their emissions this year. Industry groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, have said some of the coming rules would make oil and gas more expensive to produce — costs that would be passed onto consumers. Many environmentalists say rules are needed to address climate change.”

STATE UPDATES

The Hill: EPA gives Louisiana authority to approve projects storing carbon dioxide underground
RACHEL FRAZIN, 1/2/24

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted Louisiana the right to approve projects that store carbon dioxide underground,” The Hill reports. “These projects take carbon dioxide emitted by energy production or industrial processes and inject it into rock formations underground to prevent it from going into the atmosphere and worsening climate change. The EPA said last week that the state’s program meets requirements for approval. In a written statement Thursday, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said that the state’s geology and existing pipeline infrastructure set it up to be a major hub for carbon capture and sequestration projects… “The EPA’s move was met with criticism from some on the left, who raised concerns with both the State of Louisiana and the use of carbon storage more broadly. Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, called the decision “simply wrong” and told The Hill it “leaves Louisiana’s most vulnerable exposed to an untested pollution control technology,” in a written statement. She also told The Hill that the state has “a track record of ignoring environmental justice concerns and failing to comply with environmental regulations for decades.”

Northern Journal: Could a new Alaska coal power plant be climate friendly? An $11 million study aims to find out.
NATHANIEL HERZ, 12/27/23

“The Biden administration has announced a $9 million grant to Alaska researchers to study a project that could capture carbon emissions from a big new coal-fired power plant and inject them in a depleted natural gas field not far from Anchorage,” Northern Journal reports. “...That’s a still-emerging field that boosters say could help fight global warming while reorienting the petroleum industry to profit from less environmentally harmful projects — even as research shows that CCS is expensive and still hindered by technical challenges. Critics say it’s largely a distraction from the need to shift to proven renewable energy sources like wind and solar… “The Alaska grant would help examine the viability of a major carbon “storage complex” in Southcentral Alaska, likely at the mostly-depleted Beluga River gas field west of Anchorage, according to the university’s application. A 60-mile pipeline would carry carbon emissions to Beluga from a new 400-megawatt coal-fired power plant, which a privately owned company called Flatlands Energy proposes to build in the Susitna River valley. As an alternative, researchers would also examine if the carbon could be injected into aquifers closer to the plant, which would save money on pipeline construction… “A separate, still-pending bill he sponsored — the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Act — would add provisions for CO2 injection and storage to Alaska’s existing framework of oil and gas laws. Dunleavy’s administration envisions companies paying the state at least $2.50 for each ton of carbon injected into public land.”

Prairie Public Broadcasting: Oil production in North Dakota will soon reach a new milestone
Dave Thompson, 12/29/23

“Another milestone for oil production in North Dakota,” Prairie Public Broadcasting reports. "In mid-2024, we're going to reach 5 billion barrels of Bakken oil," North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness told PPB. "...We have the opportunity to extend the life of the Bakken another 30 to 50 years, and produce another 5 to 8 billion more barrels, just because of technology." Ness talked about the use of captured CO2 for enhanced oil recovery. The Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the Energy and Environmental Research Center said enhanced oil recovery will be the big user of captured CO2. "I think if we don't get adequate volumes of CO2 to our Bakken system, we're going to leave 90-plus percent of the oil in the ground," John Harju told PPB. "We ought to be able to double the recovery that we would otherwise get without CO2." Ness told PPB he thinks North Dakota will need to import some of the CO2 from other states. "We don't produce enough CO2 here in North Dakota," Ness told PPB. "It's going to become a part of the management tool for all energy sectors. But for us, it's a little different — it's an opportunity that 's going to be there, but we don't know when yet."

Law360: Oil Co. Sues Colo. Regulators Over Financial Assurance 
Daniel Ducassi, 1/3/24

“A Denver-based oil and gas production company has filed a lawsuit in state court against Colorado oil regulators alleging the company is being forced to pay ‘an exorbitantly high financial assurance obligation’ of more than $130 million related to plugging, abandoning, reclaiming and remediating oil and gas wells,” Law360 reports. “The company, K.P. Kauffman Company Inc., is already in the midst of a suit with the same state regulatory commission over an order that the oil company contends is an existential threat to its business. In its newest suit filed Tuesday, K.P. Kauffman said the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission is again threatening to drive the company out of business. K.P. Kauffman, which operates more than a thousand wells in the state, said that it initially pitched the commission in November 2022 on a $10.4 million financial assurance. The company said its costs for plugging, abandoning and reclaiming its wells was lower than other companies because of its vertically integrated production and well service business model, allowing it to do its own work rather than hiring outside contractors.”

Associated Press: New Mexico Considers Setback Requirements For Oil Wells Near Schools And Day Care Centers 
MORGAN LEE AND SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, 1/3/24

“A bill to ban oil and gas production within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of schools and day care centers across New Mexico is among the first published proposals as the state Legislature prepares for a 30-day session that could bring an overhaul to fundamental oil and gas regulations,” the Associated Press reports. “Regulators in the No. 2 U.S. state for oil production are considering reforms including setback requirements aimed at protecting children from pollution, amid pressure from environmental groups and other advocates to bolster pollution controls and fulfill constitutional obligations to regulate the industry. Published Wednesday, a bill introduced by Democratic state Rep. Debra Sariñana of Albuquerque would halt approval of new drilling permits within a mile of school facilities starting in July of this year. It also would halt most oil and natural gas operations in those zones by 2028.” 

KPRC: Residents concerned about well water system after crude oil spilled into Texas City ditch
Re'Chelle Turner, 1/2/24

“On Tuesday, we heard from residents in a Texas City subdivision who are dealing with an oil spill caused by an old piece of equipment,” KPRC reports. “It’s very concerning especially when everyone on this property has water wells and we are very concerned about our wells being polluted not now maybe eventually,” resident Cindy Carpenter told KPRC. The oil spill was found on Christmas Day in a ditch that’s also referred to as Moses Bayou on Century Boulevard… “Reporter Re’Chelle Turner spent the day in Texas City and reached out to Sawtooth Oil and Gas. Officials tell KPRC they have not detected any unsafe air or water conditions, but residents say it may be too early to tell. “You look out your back window and you see people with hazmat suits and the smell is very concerning. They have found a couple of dead birds. It’s our water wells that we are very concerned about. We would like to have them tested,” Carpenter told KPRC… “Officials found crude oil coming from a faulty oil water separator at the Sawtooth Oil and Gas facility. Since the clean-up started, about 261 barrels have been removed… “Residents tell KPRC they still have concerns because it’s unclear how long the oil has been coming out of the facility. “We’ve done a little bit of our research and I know that the crude oil has some type of chemical that could seep into the soil. I don’t know I’m not a chemist but it’s very concerning to all of us because a lot of us are senior citizens that live out here and we are retired on a fixed income,” Carpenter told KPRC… “You can see that oil on top of that water. It’s going to take a lot to get that up.”

Press release: Governor Hochul Announces $8 Million Awarded To New York State Under Inflation Reduction Act To Reduce Methane Emissions From Oil And Gas Wells
1/2/24

“Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy awarded New York State $8 million from the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. The funds, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, bolster New York’s ongoing efforts to help reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas infrastructure, as well as protect ground and surface waters. ‘New Yorkers are feeling the impacts of climate change all across the State, and in response we are taking bold action and building a stronger, more resilient New York with the help of record State and Federal resources,’ Governor Hochul said. ‘The Biden-Harris Administration and our federal partners are recognizing the importance of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, and strengthening New York’s commitment to confronting the existential threat of climate change head on.’

Mlive.com: 200 orphan oil and gas wells plugged in 2023 by Michigan regulators
Sheri McWhirter, 1/2/24

“Michigan environmental regulators said they plugged about 200 orphan oil and gas wells in 2023 as part of efforts to reduce methane emissions and address climate change,” Mlive.com reports. “...Michigan officials ramped up the rate of plugging these types of old wells after receiving a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Interior – a significant uptick over the typical $1 million annual appropriation. The surge in money came from the federal bipartisan infrastructure law. “Through this boost in funding, we hope to do 25 years’ worth of work in the next few years,” Adam Wygant, director of the oil and gas division at Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), told Mlive… “Nearly half of Michigan’s known orphan wells were plugged in 2023 alone. Officials had a list of about 450 identified orphan wells when the federal grant dollars were awarded last summer. The state’s orphan well program launched about 30 years ago and since then about 400 sites have either been sealed or cleaned up.”

NM Political Report: Advocacy group says BLM has favored oil and gas over an endangered bird species
Hannah Grover, 12/27/23

“Nearly every time that oil and gas operators have applied for exemptions measures aimed at protecting the endangered lesser prairie chicken, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Carlsbad Field Office has granted those requests, according to information gathered by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. The lesser prairie chicken faces a variety of threats, including habitat fragmentation,” according to NM Political Report. “The advocacy group says that the BLM’s actions are contributing to that habitat loss. This includes granting exemptions to timing stipulations, buffer requirements and other measures… “These protections are entirely ineffective and will not help the Lesser Prairie Chicken’s recovery if they are simply waived,” Rocky Mountain PEER Director Chandra Rosenthal said in the press release… “PEER and other conservation groups have called on the BLM to issue a moratorium on future waivers.”

Associated Press: New Mexico proposes regulations to reuse fracking wastewater
MORGAN LEE, 12/28/23

“New Mexico environmental officials have proposed a new regulatory framework for reusing wastewater with a focus on the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling in a major U.S. production zone,” the Associated Press reports. “The Environment Department announced Thursday its petition to the Water Quality Control Commission to begin formal deliberations on the proposed rules. Public hearings could begin as soon as April… “We need to protect our fresh groundwater supplies not only from degradation or contamination but from overuse,” John Rhoderick, director of the water protection division at the Environment Department, told AP. “We need to do everything we can to maintain those supplies because they’re not being replenished.” “...In a related legislative proposal from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico would underwrite development of a strategic new water source by buying treated water that originates from oil and natural gas drilling… “That initiative doesn’t aim to provide potable water but rather a supply of treated water for emerging businesses ranging from microchip manufacturers to hydrogen fuel producers that separate the element from water in an energy-intensive process. Critics fear the plan might only spur more drilling for petroleum. Rhoderick told AP New Mexico communities already reuse about 40% of residential wastewater after treatment and purification to irrigate city parks, playing fields, landscaped roadway medians and more.”

EXTRACTION

Guardian: Big oil ‘fully owned the villain role’ in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded
Dharna Noor, 1/3/24

“Throughout 2023, the hottest year in recorded history, fossil fuel giants doubled down on their planet-heating business models,” the Guardian reports. “...It is evidence they are “unfit to have a role in the energy transition”, Collin Rees, the US program manager at Oil Change International, told the Guardian… “Companies have gotten more brazen about their plans to keep polluting. They took the mask off.” In October, ExxonMobil agreed to buy the shale group Pioneer Natural Resources, and Chevron announced plans to acquire the Texas oil company Hess – two of the country’s largest oil and gas deals in decades. Both mergers are being investigated by federal regulators for potentially impeding competition. And both amounted to Exxon and Chevron placing vast bets on a continued future for fossil fuel production in the US, despite scientific consensus that coal, oil and gas must be phased out to avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis. Fossil fuel companies reneged on their previous climate promises earlier in the year, too. BP scaled back its emissions-slashing goal from 35% by the decade’s end to a 20 to 30% cut, while ExxonMobil quietly walked back funding in algae-based biofuels and Shell announced that it would not increase its investments in renewable energy in 2023. A major reason for the change in tack was a shifting market, experts tell the Guardian. As fossil fuels were becoming less profitable years ago, companies announced plans to diversify their business models. But gas prices surged after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and fossil fuel companies saw record profits… “Rees told the Guardian he hopes the industry’s behavior in 2023 dispenses with the idea that small tweaks to energy policy can deliver necessary climate action… “That potentially includes things like cutting off finance flows to the sector and also taking public control of the companies. I think the industry fully owning this villain role can hopefully allow our champions to step up and recognize what’s needed.”

E&E News: Study Documents ‘Extreme’ Methane Bursts From Oil And Gas 
Carlos Anchondo, 1/2/24

“Major methane releases from oil and gas infrastructure can last less than an hour, and such short-term events are not easily picked up or assessed by many existing satellites, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The analysis from Harvard University researchers documented large bursts of methane of short duration, including a leak of more than 1,000 metric tons from a natural gas pipeline in northern Mexico over a three-hour period in 2019. That release from the El Encino–La Laguna pipeline — which traverses the states of Chihuahua and Durango —emitted enough gas to power between 3,600 to 4,400 Mexican households for a year. Methane is a greenhouse gas with about 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, according to climate scientists. The number of methane-detecting satellites in orbit has risen in recent years, along with greater pressure on companies to curb their methane emissions and to fix leaks when identified. But the ‘current observing system is entirely in low Earth orbit and has difficulty identifying and quantifying transient emissions,’ the paper said.”

Yahoo Finance Canada: Alberta's oilsands cleanup piggy bank 'unfit for purpose,' researchers say
Jeff Lagerquist, 1/3/24

“The Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) plan for making sure taxpayers are not stuck with a multi-billion dollar cleanup bill from oilsands producers is “entirely unfit for purpose,” say researchers at the University of Calgary calling for a public inquiry on the issue,” Yahoo Finance Canada reports. “...The AER estimates over $45 billion in remediation and reclamation liabilities in the oilsands. This number may be a dramatic underestimate, with figures in leaked, official presentations suggesting as much as $130 billion in liabilities covered by less than $2 billion in security deposits,” University of Calgary School of Public Policy researchers Martin Olszynski, Andrew Leach, Drew Yewchuk wrote in a recent paper. Their report alleges the MFSP allows mine owners to overestimate asset values, while remaining “deliberately blinkered to potential structural changes in oil markets and prices caused by international and domestic climate change policies.” “...The researchers say international efforts to transition away from fossil fuels underscore the importance of ensuring the oil and gas industry puts enough money aside for future cleanup costs.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Chevron: Pawsitive results: super sniffing dogs find tiny pipeline leaks
1/3/24

“A team of leak-sniffing dogs are hot on the trail of potential damage to aging pipes in southeast Texas,” according to Chevron. “The specially trained pups, part of the Black Creek K-9 Pipeline Leak Detection squad, monitor three pipeline systems that run through an 18-mile-long corridor… “We’re talking about leaks on pipelines that are difficult to detect with current technology. These dogs help us out, with no disruption to our southeast Texas operations and limited impact to local landowners.” “...For leak detection, an odorant is typically added to the substance traveling through the pipe, and dogs are trained to pick out that scent. However, the pipeline these dogs monitor for Chevron carries products that need to stay pure. To address this need for Chevron and other companies, Black Creek K-9’s owner has developed the company’s own proprietary leak detection methods—making for an extra-specialized mission.”

St. Thomas Today: Enbridge donation to Oneida Fire Department an example of ‘equipping the heroes of tomorrow’
1/2/24

“Just before Christmas, the Oneida Nation of the Thames Fire Department was the recipient of a $5,000 donation from Enbridge Gas,” St. Thomas Today reports. “Kevin Berube, Senior Advisor, Community and Indigenous Engagement with Enbridge, says it’s all about “equipping the heroes of tomorrow to better protect the communities we live and work in.” The Safe Community Project Assist supplements existing training for Ontario volunteer and composite fire departments in the communities where Enbridge operates.”

Enbridge: Lifting Families out of Generational Poverty in the Volunteer State
12/28/23

“The Highlands Training Center was born with a clear goal. Bring 1,600 local children out of poverty by 2025,” according to Enbridge. “...This year, Enbridge entered into a multi-year commitment to give $20,000 annually to the Highlands Economic Partnership as part of our commitment to building vibrant and sustainable communities near our operations.”

Enbridge: A ‘Beautiful Building for Beautiful People’
1/3/24

“It will be a beautiful building for beautiful people,” according to Enbridge. “Located in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, an abandoned building will be transformed into King Thunderbird Centre, a state-of-the-art, climate-resilient facility to support people experiencing poverty and homelessness in the city’s downtown core… “Enbridge was proud to support this BSCS capital campaign with a $500,000 Fueling Futures grant. Through our grant programs, we seek to help create vibrant communities.”

OPINION

The Hill: The environment and economy can’t afford trillion-dollar carbon capture
Robert Warren Howarth, Ph.D. is an Earth systems scientist with more than 40 years of experience in research and policy related to human-accelerated global change, 12/25/23

“Despite a deal that includes a transition “away from fossil fuels” among the 200 countries gathered at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, negotiators left the door open to a wildly expensive and speculative tech fix that could increase climate pollution while extending the life of the fossil fuel industry,” Robert Warren Howarth writes for The Hill. “...These countries are promoting carbon capture as a means of “abating” climate change pollutants because it makes them money and slows the transition away from fossil fuels. However, after dedicating more than 15 years to this field, I know that the technology is a costly distraction and an ineffective carbon solution. A new study offers hard numbers to demonstrate that using carbon capture to compensate for ongoing fossil fuel burning is an economic and climate fallacy. This confirms my understanding that relying on carbon capture would waste trillions of dollars when compared to renewable energy solutions. The report from the University of Oxford finds that net-zero pathways that are heavily dependent on carbon capture and storage will cost at least $1 trillion more per year than scenarios involving renewables. It explains that oil and gas-producing countries pushing for carbon capture technology as a substitute for immediate emissions cuts are grossly underestimating the costs of carbon capture and storage. Its research demonstrates that heavy dependence on carbon capture and storage to reach net zero targets around 2050 would be “highly economically damaging,” costing at least $30 trillion more than a route based primarily on renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification. The report also provides “the first publicly available, comprehensive summary of estimates of the cost of fossil power with carbon capture and storage over the last 40 years, and finds no evidence of falling costs.” Oxford’s researchers rightfully warned that carbon capture and storage should only be used in very select industries in which abating climate pollutants is especially hard, not as a masquerade for continued fossil fuel production and consumption… “Adding insult to injury, carbon capture companies also qualify for massive tax credits known as 45Q with virtually no verification or accountability that they capture carbon emissions, making it rife for fraud and abuse. For years, I wanted to believe that carbon capture and storage could be part of our climate change solution. And taxpayers have spent billions of dollars subsidizing the oil and gas industry to support carbon capture and storage research and experimental projects. Yet all of those projects have not only consistently failed to reduce carbon dioxide, but now the technology is being used as nothing more than a guise for continued fossil fuel production and consumption… “We cannot waste trillions of dollars on the false promises of carbon capture and storage.” 

CT Mirror: Connecticut, don’t approve the expansion of a fracked gas pipeline
Julia Tannenbaum of West Hartford is an author and climate activist, 1/2/24

“Frack no! Gas has got to go!” These were the words I and several other protestors chanted as we marched through the streets of Hartford on an unseasonably warm November afternoon. We had gathered at the Capitol to protest “Project Maple,” a proposed expansion of the Algonquin Gas Transmission line, a fracked gas pipeline owned by the Canadian company Enbridge that runs through five Northeast states, including Connecticut,” Julia Tannenbaum writes for CT Mirror. “According to a notice issued by Enbridge in September, “Project Maple will provide New England with an opportunity to secure a cost effective, regionally produced, environmentally responsible source of clean-burning natural gas to support the current and future demand for energy.” “...Pipeline leaks disproportionately occur in poor communities of color, where pipeline upkeep is significantly more lacking than in wealthy, white areas; more so, pipeline repairs following a leak are comparatively slower. Perhaps not coincidentally, in Connecticut, a large portion of the Algonquin Gas Transmission line runs through low-income, high-density areas, and most of the compressor stations are located in those areas as well… “There is nothing “environmentally responsible” about expanding fossil fuel infrastructure in the midst of a climate crisis. Approving Project Maple would be a major step in the wrong direction for Connecticut, setting us even further back from meeting our goal of a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and putting us instead on a dangerous path toward locked-in warming and climate instability… “We must say no to fossil fuels and yes to energy that is legitimately clean if we are to safeguard our communities and our planet.”

Los Angeles Times: Hydrogen isn’t clean if it adds to climate pollution. Biden’s rules are a good start
BY THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD, 1/3/24

“...But the climate benefits of hydrogen evaporate if they are made with fossil fuels,” the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board writes. That’s why it’s important that federal officials ensure the most valuable incentives only support truly “green” hydrogen projects that do not add to carbon emissions. And it’s why it was something of a relief to see the Biden administration release unexpectedly stringent rules last month requiring that hydrogen projects meet rigorous life-cycle emissions standards to qualify for the most generous tax credits… “Clean hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules using massive amounts of electricity. These power-hungry projects can hog clean energy from other users and actually drive up consumption of fossil fuels. To avoid this, environmentalists pushed to have hydrogen projects meet strict requirements to be eligible for the most generous tax credits of $3 per kilogram of “clean” hydrogen — including being powered by additional sources of zero-emissions electricity, such as wind and solar; being generated at the same time of day as the water-splitting equipment is operating; and being deliverable within the same region where the hydrogen is produced. The Treasury Department standards released last month largely adhere to these principles, to the delight of environmentalists and the consternation of business groups, which pushed for laxer requirements, and fossil-fuel-friendly politicians like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin III. There are details yet to be worked out, but federal officials are on the right track… “Being strict about what counts as green and clean is the right thing to do for the climate, as is reserving the greatest incentives to hydrogen production that actually reduces planet-warming emissions… “We can’t afford to squander tens of billions of federal climate funding on projects with questionable environmental effects.”

Common Dreams: World Leaders Failed Us, But We Have the Power to End the Era of Fossil Fuels
Rabbi Jacob Siegel is Climate Finance Advisor at Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, 1/3/24

“Last month saw an historic, albeit altogether insufficient, step forward to avoid climate catastrophe. At the annual global UN-backed climate change conference in Dubai, known as COP28, countries for the first time unanimously acknowledged the necessity of “transitioning away from fossil fuels”: coal, oil, and gas,” Rabbi Jacon Siegel writes for Common Dreams. “...Yet even this tepid sign of progress faced pushback from fossil fuel executives and the politicians who do their bidding. The story of COP28 is one of the power and perniciousness of the fossil fuel industry… “The final text is full of industry-friendly loopholes, giving fossil fuel corporations leeway to continue to profit off dirty energy. Trying to address the climate crisis while expanding drilling, mining, and fracking operations is like offering chemotherapy to a lung cancer patient while handing them pack after pack of Marlboro Reds. It’s clear we are at the end of the fossil fuel era… “Like tobacco companies before them, fossil fuel corporations have known for years (with shocking accuracy) about the science: their products, when used as directed, would harm the health of the planet and cause widespread devastation. But the industry has time and again blocked significant action or sought to delay it through false promises. They did so again at COP28. As the future is at stake, it falls to the rest of us to take urgent action. Indeed, civil society institutions are not waiting. Last week marked a major achievement: 1600 institutions across the world representing more than $40 trillion (with a “T”) have now pledged to move money away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy… “When investors move their money en masse, fossil fuel corporations face reputational and brand risk that can have knock-on effects, including lower credit ratings and challenges with securing financing for projects and operations. Crucially, doing so also erodes fossil fuel corporations’ social license to expand their operations… “Faith groups are leading. They are making prudent, long-term decisions that will protect their communities. Join us before it is too late.”

National Observer: Fossil fuels should not be funding our universities
Nola Poirier is senior researcher and writer at Greenpeace Canada, 1/4/24

“Academic freedom is essential to developing new knowledge and ideas,” Nola Poirier writes for the National Observer. “...So it’s a terrifying thought that fossil fuel companies are influencing academic research on energy efficiency and climate mitigation, as well as diverting top minds toward research on ways to increase oil and gas extraction at a time when the science says we need to be transitioning rapidly away from fossil fuels. But that's exactly what's happening. Oil and gas companies fund millions of dollars in grants, chairs, and other investments at public universities. Much of this money is matched with government funding for projects that serve private interests… “For example, of the six oil sands companies that make up the Pathways Alliance — a consortium collectively responsible for 95 percent of Canada’s oil sands production — five of them (Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus, ConocoPhillips, Imperial Oil, and Suncor) have made numerous academic research investments, including in the influential National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Industrial Research Chairs… “The recent five-year appointment of ex-Suncor exec Martha Hall Findlay as the director of the University of Calgary School of Public Policy is another example of the influence of the fossil fuel industry in academia. Prior to working for Suncor, Hall Findlay was president and CEO of the Calgary-based think tank the Canada West Foundation, which, according to the Corporate Mapping Project, is an “unwavering supporter of Canada’s fossil fuel industries.” The University of Calgary states it is Canada’s leading policy school. This appointment will, therefore, undermine the integrity of climate-related decision-making with the policymakers graduating from a department where the leadership has a clear affinity for fossil fuels, the biggest driver of global climate change.”

The New Republic: Fossil Fuel Execs Had A Fabulously Wealthy Year—And They’re Mad About It 
Kate Aronoff, 12/22/23

“The days leading up to the end of the year are, for many, a time for reflection: to look back on the last year and ahead to the next. That’s no different for fossil fuel executives,” Kate Aronoff writes the The New Republic. “A new report provides some insight into their New Year’s resolutions for 2024: Expand production and buy more stuff. Each quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas surveys oil and gas executives about the state of their industry. It polls the heads of small and large exploration and production companies as well as oil field services firms. (These generally don’t produce fossil fuels themselves but do things like manufacture, maintain, and repair drilling equipment; survey land; and haul fluids used in extractive processes.) Respondents are asked to report their activities and expectations for benchmark oil prices like West Texas Intermediate, a key factor in firm-level investment decisions. ‘Special questions,’ which change every quarter, ask about more recent happenings in the industry, and participants are allowed to anonymously comment on all of the above. Rather than the kind of hard data you might get from something like a rig count, these surveys are a kind of vibe check on the fossil fuel industry’s top brass. Every year, they seem to be cranky.”