EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 3/31/23
PIPELINE NEWS'
Iowa Capital Dispatch: ‘Parental rights,’ auditor limit bills move forward as carbon pipeline proposal misses deadline
KIWA: Senate Puts The Brakes On House-Passed Carbon Pipeline Regs
Daily Nonpareil: Locals share CO2 pipeline concerns at Oakland town hall
WCBU: Peoria County Board considers options for proposed Wolf/ADM carbon dioxide pipeline
WEEK: Proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through Peoria drawing ire
KETV: 'I'm going to fight for my ground': Iowa residents express concerns for proposed co2 pipeline
KMA: Page County board hears update on proposed carbon pipeline project
APTN News: Amnesty condemns RCMP ‘attack’ on Wet’suwet’en territory
Law360: Sierra Club Tells DC Circ. FERC Botched Pipeline GHG Review
Press release: Rep. Miller Introduces the Completing American Pipelines Act
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: EPA Continues Oversight of Cleanup Operations Performed by TC Energy Near Washington, Kansas
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Washington Post: House passes doomed energy bill heading into two-week recess
Sludge: Republican Energy Bill Follows Massive Increase in Fossil Fuel Donations
E&E News: BLM proposes seismic shift in lands management
Common Dreams: Biden Climate Approval Plummets After Willow Oil Drilling Greenlighted
E&E News: How Biden’s environmental justice plan is changing DOE
STATE UPDATES
NPR: A train carrying ethanol derails and catches fire in Minnesota, forcing evacuations
Daily Montanan: Fort Peck tribes, energy coalition propose multi-billion hydrogen project in Montana
Energy News Network: Michigan utilities want to spend taxpayers’ ‘low carbon’ money on natural gas
Wyofile: Gasfield driller may fail to reach deadline ‘to be successful’
Houston Chronicle: Exxon extends Permian methane monitoring from its new Houston-area base
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Big Oil splits over production vs carbon storage in Gulf of Mexico auction
Reuters: Canada's Alberta to contribute to CCUS after Ottawa commitments - federal minister
Carbon Herald: Drax UK Carbon Capture Plan Gets Rejected In The UK
Reuters: Yara and Enbridge plan $2.9 bln ammonia plant in Texas
OPINION
Bleeding Heartland: What's missing from Iowa's carbon pipeline debate
Edmonton Journal: Opinion: Any probe of foreign political meddling should include Big Oil
The Hill: Can the World Bank lead on climate?
PIPELINE NEWS
Iowa Capital Dispatch: ‘Parental rights,’ auditor limit bills move forward as carbon pipeline proposal misses deadline
ROBIN OPSAHL, 3/30/23
“Several controversial bills squeaked through the Iowa Legislature’s second committee deadline Thursday but a few high-profile measures — including limits on liquid carbon pipelines — failed to make the cut,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...There are many ways bills that don’t meet this cut-off can still become law. Bills with a spending or tax component are not subject to the funnel, and lawmakers can mark bills as “unfinished business” to keep them in the running… “Bills not surviving this week can also come back as a leadership-sponsored bill, or the language can be added by amendment to another piece of legislation. Notably absent from the Senate’s list of legislation to consider at a later time was House File 565: the carbon pipeline proposal passed by the House with bipartisan support earlier in March. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley told the Dispatch Iowans should continue to contact their legislators about the issue. “I don’t know what the future of that is,” Grassley told reporters Thursday. “That bill is, obviously right now, it’s not looking like it’s a very healthy future for it. However, in the House, the members that I’ve talked to, we still feel very strongly about what we passed and we really believe it was the right thing for us to do.” Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls criticized Senate Republicans’ lack of action on carbon pipelines and for not releasing updated budget targets.”
KIWA: Senate Puts The Brakes On House-Passed Carbon Pipeline Regs
MARK MCHUGH, 3/30/23
“A bill that would have set a few new ground rules for carbon pipelines has stalled in the Senate,” KIWA reports. “...Thursday is the last day of the legislature’s work week and also the deadline for policy bills from the House to have cleared a Senate committee. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville told KIWA Republicans who control the senate’s debate agenda could have at least scheduled a subcommittee hearing on the bill. It’s possible some of the elements of the bill could be tacked onto a budget bill next month. There’s also a chance state regulators’ review of the pipeline projects might extend into early 2024. Holt told KIWA that means it might be possible for next year’s legislature to revisit the issue.”
Daily Nonpareil: Locals share CO2 pipeline concerns at Oakland town hall
David Golbitz, 3/28/23
“About 30 people attended a town hall meeting Sunday in Oakland, seeking information about the carbon dioxide pipelines proposed by Navigator CO2 Ventures, Summit Pipeline Solutions and Archer Daniels Midland in partnership with Wolf Carbon Solutions,” the Daily Nonpareil reports. “The town hall, organized by Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County, featured Jan Norris, a Montgomery County resident and landowner, and Ava Auden-Ryan, a community organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community, who spoke about the potential dangers associated with CO2 pipelines, including allowing a private company to seize land by eminent domain, and the legislative steps being taken to impede the pipelines’ construction. Norris cited a recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll that showed 78% of Iowans are opposed to allowing private companies to use eminent domain for the construction of carbon dioxide pipelines. “I was just listening to Iowa Press this morning,” Norris said. “They said for comparison, how unusual it is for 78% of the people across the board to be in favor of the same thing. Just for comparison, 81% like chocolate.” “...Last week, the Iowa House passed legislation — House File 565 — that, among other things, would force companies that want to build CO2 pipelines in Iowa to accumulate 90% of the route through voluntary easements before attempting to use eminent domain for any part of the route… “The bill still has to go through the Senate and would then have to be signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds… “It’s not going to appear on the floor of the Senate and even if it did, the governor will not sign, in my opinion,” Rep. Ross Wilburn, a Democrat from Ames who opposed the bill, told the Nonpareil. Residents who attended the meeting Sunday in Oakland voiced their concerns about what Summit’s pipeline would mean for them and their land, and the surrounding communities. “I'm the only rural physician in our county, and I have real concerns about how we would respond to injury with rupture,” said Minden resident Glenn Hurst. “There's so much at risk that I just don't feel like I can be uneducated about this topic. I have concerns about the environment; I have concerns about health; I have concerns about the economy of my little community and I just feel like we're not educated enough.”
WCBU: Peoria County Board considers options for proposed Wolf/ADM carbon dioxide pipeline
Collin Schopp, 3/29/23
“The Peoria County Board Chair says the board will not draft a resolution for or against a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline from the company Wolf Carbon Solutions,” WCBU reports. “The announcement came following a presentation from Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning Andrew Braun, sharing all the information available about the 280-mile pipeline proposal to pump liquid carbon dioxide from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to a carbon sequestration site in Decatur. “These industrial companies are producing carbon dioxide emissions that are being released into our ozone. The federal government has challenged the state and federal law to create programs and processes to capture this emission,” Braun explained to the board… “Public meetings aren’t required in the process, but Braun says Wolf intends to hold them anyway. “That may be at the county level that may be on more of a tri-county level,” said Braun. “Because the enormous length of the pipeline may not allow them to meet with each community individually.” “...The start of construction is still distant, Wolf is planning to file with ICC and start the process in April. Braun shared a tentative timeline from the company: construction could start late 2024 or early 2025, with the project in service by the fourth quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026. Braun also shared concerns with the board raised by the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines in a February webinar. Among these concerns are the impact on agricultural land, the cost of training and equipping local emergency personnel to handle pipeline accidents, the reliance on federal subsidies for these private, for-profit projects, and responsibility for the safety and maintenance of the pipelines decades into the future.”
WEEK: Proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through Peoria drawing ire
Tyler Lopez and Jason Howell, 3/30/23
“City leaders joined environmentalists in Peoria Thursday to spread the word about a proposed CO2 pipeline,” WEEK reports. “...A Sierra Club spokesperson calls it a large investment but worries about what the calls “very serious flaws in the state and federal regulations.” “We need the City of Peoria to be very concerned,” said Joyce Blumenshine. “And we need the people of Peoria to have opportunities for the full facts because our regulations are not adequate in Illinois.” She and others who spoke hope people will ask questions like, how would people living above the pipeline be protected in the event of an underground explosion.”
KETV: 'I'm going to fight for my ground': Iowa residents express concerns for proposed co2 pipeline
Abbie Petersen, 3/26/23
“Iowa landowners were invited to learn more about a controversial carbon capture pipeline on Sunday,” KETV reports. “The group "Concerned Citizens of Pottawattamie County" held a town hall on Summit Carbon Solution's CO2 project… “Residents voiced concerns about things like their land, animals, health, and liability. But the company behind the project calls it a win for Iowa. There were many questions and concerns on Sunday from people who live in the path of the proposed carbon pipeline. Shelby County farmer Jann Reinig and her husband have had their land for around 60 years. "My big concerns is that my soil and my water, I have tile mines, I have terraces that they will be coming through," said Reinig. Another concern she has with the project, her insurance company will not let her get liability insurance on the piece of land. "I could be sued. I could be held responsible for an accident or hopefully no one would be injured. But you never know. So I could lose everything that I own," said Reinig… “One rural physician in Minden says he's worried for many reasons. Including what the response would be if something happened. "Volunteer fire departments are not prepared for this type of problem. They don't have the equipment to handle it. And the training is nonexistent at this point," said Dr. Glenn Hurst… "I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I said I'm not going to just give it to them, but I'm going to fight for my ground," said Reinig.
KMA: Page County board hears update on proposed carbon pipeline project
Ethan Hewett, 3/30/23
“Page County officials received an update on the efforts regarding a carbon pipeline project in Iowa,” KMA reports. “Meeting in regular session Thursday night, the Page County Board of Supervisors received an update from Kaylee Langrell of Turnkey Logistics, who handles most of the non-environmental permitting with Summit Carbon Solutions on their proposed Midwest Express CO2 pipeline… “Langrell says Summit has acquired nearly 70% of the necessary land in Page County, which is roughly on par with the 67% secured statewide -- equating to over 461 miles… “She adds that once and if they receive their state permit through the IUB, they will begin annual training with EMS and first responders in the impacted areas should an issue occur with the pipeline… “However, when questioned by Supervisors Chair Jacob Holmes, Langrell says Summit is open to using eminent domain on a limited basis to acquire land for the project. But, Holmes has his doubts about why a private company should be allowed to use eminent domain on a project that doesn't easily fit into a "public use" designation. "Arguing for a financial gain for a private organization or any private people to use eminent domain is not a good argument in my mind -- eminent domain is only used for absolute necessities like roads and things that have to go through for public use," said Holmes. "So, that's where I'd like you to say 'we're not going to use eminent domain' and you can run that pipe any which way with people who signed up and stay back far enough. But, to be open to using eminent domain, that's, in my opinion, pretty serious for a 'for-profit.'" “... Page County officials are also currently considering an ordinance governing carbon pipelines.”
APTN News: Amnesty condemns RCMP ‘attack’ on Wet’suwet’en territory
Kathleen Martens, 3/30/23
“Amnesty International Canada is the latest to criticize the B.C. RCMP for arresting five opponents of a natural gas pipeline project in the northern part of the province Wednesday,” APTN News reports. “Members of two camps along the construction route of Coastal GasLink pipeline were taken into custody when RCMP said they obstructed officers in the process of executing a search warrant. A statement from Gidimt’en Checkpoint, whose members oppose the construction through Wet’suwet’en territory, said police arrested mostly Indigenous women, including the daughter of a hereditary chief. “This harassment and intimidation is exactly the kind of violence designed to drive us from our homelands,” said checkpoint spokesperson Sleydo’ in a release. Amnesty, a human rights organization, agreed the RCMP had over-stepped. “RCMP’s March 29 raid on Wet’suwet’en territory is the latest act in a longstanding campaign of violence, intimidation and dispossession against Indigenous land defenders,” it said in a release… “This is harassment…,” Chief Na’moks, of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, said in another release. “In the context of the theft of our ancestral land, alleging stolen saws and clothing is outrageous.” “...The police operation comes a few weeks after the independent watchdog for the RCMP launched a review of the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), which was formed in 2017 to respond to public protests over resource-based projects in B.C… “The review by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission is focused on police enforcement of injunctions obtained by Coastal GasLink Ltd. and two forest companies against protests in B.C.’s Kootenay region and on Vancouver Island.”
Law360: Sierra Club Tells DC Circ. FERC Botched Pipeline GHG Review
Peter McGuire, 3/30/23
“U.S. energy regulators sidestepped evaluating the full greenhouse gas consequences of of the Evangeline Pass pipeline when they approved the project, the Sierra Club told a D.C. Circuit panel, while municipal gas customers told the court regulators unlawfully set lease rates for the pipeline,” Law360 reports.
Press release: Rep. Miller Introduces the Completing American Pipelines Act
3/29/23
“Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced the Completing American Pipelines Act, which will ensure pipelines across the country, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline, are finished… “Congresswoman Miller announced the bill’s introduction on the floor of the House of Representatives following a colloquy with Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). “What’s one thing Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden agree on? They all wanted the Mountain Valley Pipeline completed,” said Congresswoman Miller. “The Completing American Pipelines Act will finish projects, like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, that have been held up by the radical, left-wing courts and will implement a needed check on our judicial system.” Joining Congresswoman Miller as original cosponsors are Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) and Alex Mooney (R-WV).”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: EPA Continues Oversight of Cleanup Operations Performed by TC Energy Near Washington, Kansas
3/30/23
“EPA on-scene coordinators (OSCs) from Region 7 continue to remain on-scene at the site of the pipeline rupture and oil discharge into Mill Creek near Washington, Kansas. Since the spill occurred, EPA Region 7 has deployed 18 OSCs; EPA Region 6 has deployed five OSCs; and the U.S. Coast Guard has deployed three Atlantic Strike Team members to provide technical advice and assistance to support EPA response oversight. In addition, EPA has utilized contractor resources to provide on-scene and remote technical support to the responding OSCs. Response crews have made significant progress over the last few months. The installation of a temporary water diversion system in January produced two results: A reduction in oil-related contaminants impacting surface water downstream of the oil-impacted segment of Mill Creek; The ability to conduct submerged oil assessments and perform cleanup of submerged oil from the creek bed, sediment, and shoreline of Mill Creek. As response crews work to continue removing oil and oil-impacted soil, sediment, shoreline, and debris from Mill Creek, additional personnel working on-scene have constructed a higher-capacity diversion system (Phase 2 Diversion) and two surface water treatment impoundments. These impoundments allow for the separation of oil and water to occur on-scene. The separated water is then treated and tested to ensure that it meets discharge limits established by Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) prior to being discharged back to Mill Creek, downstream of the oil-impacted segment.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Washington Post: House passes doomed energy bill heading into two-week recess
John Wagner and Mariana Alfaro, 3/30/23
“Today, the Republican-led House passed a sprawling energy bill that would increase oil drilling and roll back parts of President Biden’s climate agenda with an aim of lowering gas prices before next year’s elections,” the Washington Post reports. “The bill has no chance in the Senate, and Biden has vowed to veto it if it ever reaches his desk. Following the vote, the House adjourned for a two-week recess as a standoff with Biden continues over raising the debt limit and as Republicans continue to delay producing a budget plan.”
Sludge: Republican Energy Bill Follows Massive Increase in Fossil Fuel Donations
David Moore, 3/30/23
“House Republicans demonstrated their support for the fossil fuel industry today by passing a package of legislation to weaken environmental protections and increase drilling on public lands that they have deemed H.R. 1, a symbolic bill number that is typically reserved for the top legislative priority of the party in control in each congressional session,” Sludge reports. “The House vote, 225 to 204, came after House Republicans’ campaign efforts received a large sum of cash from donors in the fossil fuel industry, which is now strongly cheering the bill. The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the highest-spending super PAC backing House Republicans that is endorsed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, received at least $27 million during the 2022 election cycle from donors in the fossil fuel industry, according to a Sludge review of Federal Election Commission data—a threefold increase over the amount of fossil fuel money it received during the previous cycle… “The largest fossil fuel donors to CLF in the 2022 cycle were API, Chevron, and midstream energy transport firm Energy Transfer Partners, which each donated $3 million. CLF spent a total of $260 million during the midterms to support Republican House candidates with media buys, web ads, mailers, polling, fundraising consulting services, and more… “Oil major Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil company, increased its CLF donation in the 2022 cycle to $3 million from the $1.75 million in the 2020 cycle, and above the $2.65 million it gave in the 2018 cycle. Energy Transfer’s $3 million contribution to CLF in the 2022 cycle marked a huge increase over the $125,000 it gave in the 2020 cycle, and the $25,000 it gave in 2016.”
E&E News: BLM proposes seismic shift in lands management
Scott Streater, 3/30/23
“The Bureau of Land Management unveiled a sweeping draft rule Thursday that would represent a fundamental shift in how the agency manages millions of acres of public lands that are under increasing threat from climate change, drought and wildfires,” E&E News reports. “The proposed rule would apply land-health standards to all of the 245 million acres that BLM manages, instead of limiting them to federal livestock grazing allotments. The rule would also designate conservation as a formal use of public lands, on par with energy development, grazing and recreation. The proposed changes are necessary because of the rapidly increasing impacts of climate change that have led to severe drought conditions in the West, and contributed to longer and more intense annual wildfire seasons that burn millions of acres a year, two Interior Department officials who discussed the draft rule with reporters on condition they not be named told E&E… “On Thursday, Interior shared a copy of the draft rule it plans to publish in the Federal Register in the coming days, kicking off a 75-day public comment period. The rule likely will not be completed until next year. Under the rule, BLM field offices and districts would be required to identify federal rangelands that need restoration work and establish a system to lease public lands for a fixed period of no more than 10 years to allow the work to be done. Energy developers, mining companies and other land users could purchase conservation leases and use them as compensatory mitigation to offset project impacts as a condition of permit approval. The proposed rule would also allow for nongovernment groups to buy these leases and pay to conduct restoration work on the land. In addition, the rule proposes to codify into BLM regulations specific procedures to identify and evaluate rangelands for designation as “areas of critical environmental concern,” or ACECs.”
Common Dreams: Biden Climate Approval Plummets After Willow Oil Drilling Greenlighted
KENNY STANCIL, 3/29/23
“Survey data published Wednesday shows that the U.S. electorate's approval of President Joe Biden's handling of the climate crisis has declined since October,” according to Common Dreams. “Voters' approval fell even further after they were made aware of the incongruence between Biden's 2020 campaign trail vow to end oil and gas leasing on public lands and his administration's March 13 move to rubber-stamp ConocoPhillips' massive Willow drilling project on federally controlled territory in the Alaskan Arctic. The decline in support has been most pronounced among Democrats, Independents, and voters under 50, according to polling conducted by Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media… “Five months ago, 82% of Democrats, 37% of Independents, and 10% of Republicans gave Biden a thumbs up on this issue. Just over a week ago, approval had decreased among Democrats and Independents, with 69% and 30% of such voters expressing support for the president's climate performance. Meanwhile, Republican support for Biden's environmental policies increased to 17% during this time period… “It's unclear why the Biden administration refused to use its authority to halt a fossil fuel project capable of spewing about 280 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere on the same day United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the planet is reaching a "point of no return." Environmental advocacy groups have responded with lawsuits. Biden may be enjoying higher approval ratings on environmental issues if he had blocked Conoco's drilling proposal. According to Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media, voters remain supportive of the president's original campaign promises on climate. Researchers also asked respondents whether the federal government should prioritize the production of renewable energy or fossil energy on public lands. By a 21-point margin, voters said they want new energy developments on public lands to be green, such as wind and solar farms—not planet-heating oil and gas drilling sites. "This research shows that voters strongly support transitioning to clean energy projects instead of building fossil fuel projects on public lands," wrote Anika Dandekar, a senior analyst at Data for Progress.
E&E News: How Biden’s environmental justice plan is changing DOE
Brian Dabbs, 3/31/23
“More than two years after calling for a huge infusion of federal cash for environmental justice, President Joe Biden’s pledge is facing a critical test at the Department of Energy,” E&E News reports. “With 146 programs covered by Biden’s Justice40 Initiative — more than any other federal department by far — DOE will be making decisions and doling out funds in coming months that will determine how new renewable and fossil fuel projects affect historically disadvantaged communities for decades… “Yet it remains unclear how DOE will deliver on the core objective of Justice40: funneling 40 percent of the benefits accrued in covered programs to disadvantaged communities. DOE is awaiting more guidance from the White House on enforcement. Meanwhile, some experts tell E&E DOE’s equity focus will come with a steep learning curve for a department that historically has been filled with scientists and policy researchers focused on emerging technologies.”
STATE UPDATES
NPR: A train carrying ethanol derails and catches fire in Minnesota, forcing evacuations
Kaitlyn Radde, 3/30/23
“A train carrying ethanol derailed and caught fire in western Minnesota Thursday morning, prompting an evacuation for residents near the crash site in the city of Raymond, Minn.,” NPR reports. “The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office was notified of the derailment at about 1:00 a.m. local time, according to a statement. The BNSF-operated train derailed on the western edge of the city but was still within Raymond, Minn., city limits. About 22 cars carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed, and four are on fire, BNSF told NPR in a statement. The cause of the derailment is under investigation… “Authorities established a half-mile evacuation area around the crash site, and law enforcement officials and other emergency responders assisted, the sheriff's office told NPR. Residents with nowhere else to go went to an emergency collection site in nearby Prinsburg, Minn… “Mayor and assistant fire chief Ardell Tensen told member station Minnesota Public Radio that the derailment was so loud that some firefighters heard the cars crashing together along the tracks. Firefighters were letting some of the ethanol burn out, but much of the fire had been extinguished as of 6 a.m. local time. "We didn't know if they were going to blow up," Tensen told MPR News, which is why the city decided to evacuate residents nearby.”
Daily Montanan: Fort Peck tribes, energy coalition propose multi-billion hydrogen project in Montana
DARRELL EHRLICK, 3/29/23
“A group of investors, a coalition of companies and the Fort Peck Indian Community are making a multi-billion bid to make Montana an early leader in hydrogen energy in a project that would make a new facility carbon neutral and add hundreds of jobs when completed,” the Daily Montanan reports. “CYAN H2, led by principals John Mues and Ray Johnson of Montana, are moving ahead with a partnership with the Fort Peck tribes that would take water from the Missouri River, wind energy, and natural gas and use them to make both hydrogen fuel as well as fertilizer, while shipping the excess carbon for sequestration near the Bakken oil field… “Colstrip is home to four coal-fired electricity generating units, all of which are either scheduled or have already been sunset. That has left energy companies and state leaders scrambling to figure out how to keep the plant operational for the jobs it sustains, as well as leaving a question mark about how Montana and the intermountain West will replace the power generation. The hydrogen project, called the Assiniboine-Sioux Hydrogen Company, would take water from the Missouri River, and electricity from wind farms to create the components of both fertilizer and hydrogen gas. A large natural gas pipeline would also provide the some of the components. The chemical process would create nitrogen for fertilizers to be used in Montana’s “Golden Triangle” while shipping the rest to the Midwest. Then, hydrogen fuel would be transported using some existing pipeline routes, including part of the pipeline scoped for the Keystone XL project, which was scrapped.”
Energy News Network: Michigan utilities want to spend taxpayers’ ‘low carbon’ money on natural gas
Brian Allnutt, 3/30/23
“...But rather than moving residents away from burning fossil fuels for home energy, DTE Energy is looking to transition rural Michigan homes and businesses from propane to fossil gas, or “natural gas”, and use a state “low carbon” grant program to do so,” Energy News Network reports. “The company requested a total of $26.19 million in taxpayer dollars through a state grant program to expand gas service into counties in west and northwest Michigan, as well as Delta County in the Upper Peninsula… “But DTE’s request for money from the state’s Low Carbon Energy Infrastructure Grant Program has drawn criticism from environmental groups, who argue that these projects blatantly contradict the “low carbon” aspect of the program and could leave low-income residents paying more for energy in the long run. Advocates tell ENN DTE’s proposals ignore the benefits of building electrification, which could protect customers from volatile gas prices, reduce indoor air pollution associated with asthma and other health problems, and help the state meet the goals laid out in the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which looks to reduce emissions from buildings by 17% by 2030. Consumers Energy came in for similar criticism for proposals to use $28.29 million in grant money for biogas or “renewable natural gas” projects. These would build four biogas facilities at large dairy and beef farms. A Michigan Public Service Commission report found that biogas (also known as “renewable natural gas”) could replace only a fraction of Michigan’s fossil gas use and cut just up to 5% of carbon pollution statewide. And achieving these levels could require significant outside support to compete with fossil gas. The report found that biogas would cost between $10 MMBtu and $50MMBtu, while fossil gas was recently priced at $2.38 MMBtu. Under its proposal, Consumers would also run new gas lines to some homes, which would be served by both biogas and fossil gas, presenting similar issues as DTE’s proposals. Critics say that although biogas may have limited value for industrial uses, it can also help utilities keep demand for fossil gas strong as environmental and health concerns mount. “We know RNG can provide an excuse for fossil fuel gas companies to continue investing in gas infrastructure, and they can make a lot of money that way,” Karlee Weinmann, research and communications manager at the nonprofit Energy and Policy Institute, previously told Planet Detroit.”
Wyofile: Gasfield driller may fail to reach deadline ‘to be successful’
Angus M. Thuermer Jr., 3/30/23
“The principal operator at the Moneta Divide gas- and oilfield is on the cusp of failing to receive a permit by a deadline it said was necessary for the company “to be successful,” Wyofile reports. “Aethon Energy needs EPA permission to pump polluted water from the oilfield through the Marlin Well into the underground Amsden and Madison aquifers known to hold potable water. The permit would allow Aethon to budget for construction later this year of a pipeline to the controversial 15,000-foot-deep well, according to an email from the Texas company’s HSE & HR manager Andrea Taylor… “After Taylor identified the Marlin Well as Aethon’s priority, the state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission forwarded to federal regulators its recommended approval of the proposed disposal site. The federal EPA, however, did not commit to concurring with Wyoming’s approval by Aethon’s deadline, according to a March 14 email from the EPA to WyoFile… “The EPA is analyzing 470 pages of documents that make up the state record and did not say when it might reach a conclusion. The conservation group Powder River Basin Resource Council obtained Taylor’s email and others through a records request and shared them with WyoFile.”
Houston Chronicle: Exxon extends Permian methane monitoring from its new Houston-area base
Amanda Drane, 3/29/23
“The Permian Basin has a virtual place in Houston, thanks to a host of new technologies allowing Exxon Mobil to track methane leaks in West Texas from inside a control room at its soon-to-be-headquarters in Spring,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The new hub, called the Center for Operations and Methane Emissions Tracking (COMET), is overseeing Exxon’s rollout of methane monitoring devices in the Permian Basin, funneling data tracked there into the control room outside Houston. The company told the Chronicle it is gradually adding monitoring devices such as ground-level sensors and infrared cameras across its roughly 1,000 production sites at the rate of four sites per day. The $20 million effort is part of the company’s pledge to reduce emissions at its sites in the Permian Basin to net zero by 2030 as the world works to fight climate change. The technology tested in Texas is a pilot that the company plans to launch globally.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Big Oil splits over production vs carbon storage in Gulf of Mexico auction
3/30/23
“Exxon Mobil Corp on Wednesday bid for offshore blocks to store carbon dioxide underground during a government oil and gas lease sale in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, while rivals Chevron Corp and BP Plc targeted areas for production,” Reuters reports. “The largest U.S. oil company has been selling oil production blocks in the U.S. Gulf since 2018 as it shifts to more lucrative fields elsewhere. And yet, it bought dozens of blocks in the past couple of years in the same basin with a new purpose: burying carbon dioxide instead of pumping oil… “Exxon’s bids totaled less than $10 million for all 69 blocks where it was high bidder. The land was just off the Texas coast adjacent to areas it previously acquired, the BOEM indicated. The company will work with the Department of Interior on plans for the blocks once they are awarded, Exxon spokesperson Todd Spitler told Reuters, declining to comment on commercial details. Exxon choose shallow water areas close to the largest U.S. refining and petrochemical complex. The blocks fit with the company’s plan to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) business close to the Houston Ship Channel, home to dozens of oil and chemical plants, Justin Rostant, principal research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, told Reuters.
Reuters: Canada's Alberta to contribute to CCUS after Ottawa commitments - federal minister
Steve Scherer and Nia Williams, 3/30/23
“Canada's province of Alberta - the heart of the country's oil and gas industry - is expected to offer more support for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) projects now that the federal government has its incentives in place, the federal natural resources minister told Reuters. “CCUS is one of the key technologies Canada is relying on to help reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and industry says additional government incentives are the last piece of the puzzle needed to kickstart the projects. This week, Canada's federal budget expanded eligibility for CCUS investment tax credits over the next five years, by adding C$520 million to the C$2.6 billion program laid out in last year's budget. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government and the province of Alberta, however, have been at odds over who should pay to increase funding for CCUS, which industry says is needed because the U.S. is offering much more generous incentives… “Gabrielle Symbalisty, press secretary for Alberta's Energy Minister Pete Guthrie, told Reuters the province is exploring covering eligible capital costs of CCUS by expanding its petrochemical incentive program, and that it would work with the federal government to coordinate federal and provincial incentives. In an interview with Reuters in January, Trudeau urged Alberta to contribute to CCUS.”
Carbon Herald: Drax UK Carbon Capture Plan Gets Rejected In The UK
Violet George, 3/30/23
“The Drax Group plan to equip a power plant in northern England with carbon capture technology was rejected by the UK government’s carbon capture program,” Carbon Herald reports. “Earlier this month, the UK government announced its £20 billion ($24 billion) budget dedicated solely to boosting carbon capture efforts in the country, which is the second largest investment of its kind following the amount included in the Inflation Reduction Act in the US… “And now, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero announced that the British power generation company’s BECCS plan failed to get what is known as Track-1 status. Track-1 status is what is necessary to be eligible for subsidy arrangements with the government, and several industrial clusters in the nation have already been granted Track-1 status. The decision to reject Drax, however, represents a huge setback for biomass in the UK, which currently is in desperate need for more stable electricity generation. Furthermore, the government’s rejection now puts Drax in a position of having to choose between focusing on its domestic operations or looking across the Atlantic, where the US is offering generous subsidies for carbon capture.”
Reuters: Yara and Enbridge plan $2.9 bln ammonia plant in Texas
Victoria Klesty, 3/31/23
“Norway's Yara and Canada's Enbridge plan to invest up to $2.9 billion to build a low-carbon blue ammonia production plant in Texas, they said on Friday,” Reuters reports. “Blue ammonia, rather than green ammonia derived from renewable energy, refers to ammonia produced from natural gas, with the carbon dioxide (CO2) byproduct captured and stored. The plant, which will be Yara's biggest, is to be built at the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center near Corpus Christi, with the start of production planned for 2027-28, the companies said… “While the project was planned long before last year's U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the increase in carbon storage tax credits in that act has made it even more attractive, the Norwegian company said… "What happened with the Inflation Reduction Act after the summer has made this investment even more attractive," Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, president of Yara Clean Ammonia, told Reuters.
OPINION
Bleeding Heartland: What's missing from Iowa's carbon pipeline debate
Scott Syroka is a former Johnston city council member, 3/29/23
“There’s something missing in the debate over Iowa’s proposed carbon capture pipelines,” Scott Syroka writes for Bleeding Heartland. “Too often the discussion breaks down along familiar frames of the pipeline companies against landowners, or labor unions against environmentalists. When we stop the analysis here, we lose sight of what the fight is really about: the role of monopoly power in Iowans’ lives… “Well, the companies say one of the reasons is that the pipelines fight climate change by decreasing carbon emissions, which is questionable if we follow the science. Others like the biofuels lobby claim that without the pipelines ethanol will die, which GOP State Representatives Bobby Kaufmann and Helena Hayes made clear is false… “In reality, it’s math. These companies stand to make billions thanks to your tax dollars subsidizing them—safety concerns be damned… “How did these companies raise enough money to not only propose such capital-intensive projects, but also spend hundreds of millions of dollars in lobbying and other efforts to try and secure their approval? This is where monopoly power comes in. Each pipeline company has partnered with at least one corporate monopoly (in some cases, multiple!) on their projects… “Summit partnered with billionaire oil tycoon Harold Hamm and corporate monopoly John Deere on its proposed pipeline… “Navigator teamed up with the oil giant Valero and the Wall Street investment firm BlackRock on its proposed pipeline… “Last, but certainly not least, Wolf Carbon Solutions, who is partnering with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) on its proposed pipeline. Yes, this is the same ADM that has faced multiple lawsuits from other ethanol producers for allegedly using its monopoly power to control U.S. ethanol market prices… “As we can see, in the case of each proposed pipeline, it’s monopoly power behind them all. The same monopoly power that restricted the right of Iowans to repair their own tractor in Kossuth County is the same monopoly power that depressed the price of ethanol that Iowans rely on in Clinton County. It’s this monopoly power that exploits us, extracting what are essentially private taxes to fund the pro-pipeline efforts that Iowans strongly oppose. The irony would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. The bad news for the pipeline companies is Iowans aren’t stupid. As a result, the companies are struggling to convince enough people whose land the pipelines would cut through to voluntarily sign over their property rights. That’s incredible, considering the pipeline companies use textbook monopoly power tactics to try and coerce Iowans into doing so, as reported by others like Democratic State Representative Sharon Steckman… “I know the odds are stacked against ordinary people in this fight, yet I continue to hope. Iowans are still out there, slinging their rocks against the Goliaths like David. And the good thing about being a David is we just need one of those rocks to land—no matter how great the odds against us.”
Edmonton Journal: Opinion: Any probe of foreign political meddling should include Big Oil
Gordon Laxer is author of the peer-reviewed report “Posing as Canadian. How Big Foreign Oil Captures Canadian energy and climate policy.” He is founding director of Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta, 3/30/23
“A public inquiry into foreign political meddling must go beyond China and other foreign governments. It should include powerful non-state actors,” Gordon Laxer writes for the Edmonton Journal. “Jason Kenney’s UCP government created a precedent for this in 2019 when it called a public inquiry to investigate what it alleged were vast sums of U.S. foundation money that flowed to Canadian environmental groups to landlock Alberta oil. Unfortunately, the episode was a lesson in how not to conduct a public inquiry. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) instigated Kenney’s public inquiry shortly before the 2019 Alberta election, when, it charged that foreign-funded, anti-pipeline activists made a ”concerted effort to shut down our industry.“ Kenney heard the call and promised a public inquiry and war room four days before the election… “But Allan’s inquiry was a nothingburger. It found no improper or illegal activity and only a pittance of annual foreign money, a sum that was less than the cost of the inquiry itself. When she released the public inquiry report, Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage called it a “real concern” when any group is “influencing political and regulatory change using foreign funding.” Good call, but if so, why did her government not go after the main foreign-funded political meddlers — big oil corporations? All major oil corporations operating in Alberta and Canada are majority foreign-owned. Foreign-owned means foreign-funded and foreign-influenced… “Alberta had aimed at a mole hill instead of the Rockies. Right under its nose was a far larger source of outside money influencing Alberta and Canadian politics — big foreign oil. They dominate CAPP. Although it gaily waves the Maple Leaf, research shows that 77 per cent of CAPP’s 2020 corporate board members were fully or majority foreign-owned… “Using its foreign funds, CAPP was a registered third-party advertiser in the 2019 federal election. As such, it could spend up to $1.5 million before and during the election period and run ads supporting candidates and parties. Can you interfere in elections with foreign funding more than that?”
The Hill: Can the World Bank lead on climate?
Caroline Freund is dean of the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego, 3/30/23
“Stopping climate change is one of the planet’s great challenges. As often happens when governments face new challenges, there’s been a big effort to add climate missions to other organizations that have proven competent in the past,” Caroline Freund writes for The Hill. “This time, it’s the World Bank that’s being asked to lead the way on climate action. Some of the bank’s biggest donors, including the U.S. and Germany are pushing for this pivot. What they’re trying to do, however laudable, is misguided. The bank should stay focused on what it does well — help the planet’s poorest people… “Sustainability, to be sure, is critical and has always been part of the bank’s focus — but leadership on climate action is better handled by other organizations with scientific expertise and distinct funding. Current pressures are already distracting bank staff away from pursuing economic development to positioning their work — no matter in what country or on what topic — as instrumental to climate action… “The demand for World Bank lending to lead the way on climate by the U.S. and Germany seems especially hypocritical when they are among the largest carbon emitters. The top 10 emitters (treating EU as one), which include both countries, together account for two-thirds of carbon emissions. In contrast, the bottom 100 countries, home to many of the world’s poor, account for less than 3 percent of emissions. Let the World Bank stick to its knitting while continuing to support on climate when and where appropriate. Make sure it has resources and expertise for any new priorities. Otherwise, the bank is sure to fail in a double mandate to eliminate both poverty and carbon emissions, and future generations will pay the price.”