EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/13/22
PIPELINE NEWS
The Hill: Manchin floats ‘rebranded’ Keystone XL pipeline in visit to Canada
Calgary Herald: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin takes part in jubilant tour of Alberta's energy sector
NWIowa.com: Poll: 80% oppose pipeline eminent domain
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Groups choose Fort Dodge for Summit pipeline hearing
West Central Tribune: Drive for carbon pipeline easements underway in west central Minnesota
NWIowa.com: O'Brien County talks pipeline with Summit
Quad City Times: ADM-backed proposed carbon pipeline to route through Scott, Rock Island counties
Aurora News Register: County hears presentation on carbon sequestration pipeline
Oakland Institute: The Midwest Carbon Express: A False Solution to the Climate Crisis
NorthJersey.com: Pipeline company should have been named in West Milford gas compressor appeal, court says
Politifact: There’s no evidence planes sprayed people protesting the Dakota Access pipeline with poison
AL.com: Blast from Marengo County pipeline felt miles away; no injuries reported
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: HOW MUCH BITE TO THE GAS POLICY?
STATE UPDATES
Politico: Red states ask court to torpedo special California authority over vehicle emissions
Politico: MONTANA DREAMIN’
EXTRACTION
Newsweek: Methane Feedback Loop Beyond Humans' Ability to Control May Have Begun—NOAA
Reuters: China's top oil producer to exit operations in the west over sanctions fear
JD Supra: The Government of Alberta and the federal government advance the potential development of carbon storage hubs
Politico: STRANGE LNG BEDFELLOWS
CLIMATE FINANCE
EuroNews: Fossil fuel firms set to spend more than €800bn on new oil and gas fields by 2030
Politico: WHAT INVESTORS WANT
OPINION
Common Dreams: After The Deluge: Court Cases Go from Bad to Worse for Mountain Valley Pipeline
SC Times: Enbridge Line 3 workers did a great job: Letter
Louisiana Illuminator: Louisiana can’t afford to be oil and gas exclusive
PIPELINE NEWS
The Hill: Manchin floats ‘rebranded’ Keystone XL pipeline in visit to Canada
RACHEL FRAZIN, 4/12/22
“Swing vote Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) floated the idea of a “rebranded” or “rerouted” Keystone XL pipeline during a visit to Canada on Tuesday,” The Hill reports. “The brand of the XL pipeline is probably gone,” Manchin told reporters when asked about the chances of a revival of the never-completed vessel. “Can it be rebranded, can it be rerouted, can it be these different things?” He added that it’s not clear whether the Biden administration “is going to entertain that” but added that “they’d be foolish not to.” “...Asked for comment, a White House spokesperson said that the U.S. is engaging with various oil producing countries to address the current supply imbalance, but also noted that the Keystone pipeline would not have added to current supply. Manchin, in his trip to Alberta, also touted an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. “My definition of all of the above is every that we possibly can, so if you’re looking at wind and solar, geothermal, you’re looking at hydro, you’re looking at fusion in the future, you’re looking at everything that we possibly can do to reduce our carbon — nuclear.”
Calgary Herald: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin takes part in jubilant tour of Alberta's energy sector
Dylan Short, 4/12/22
“Premier Jason Kenney continued to push the message that Canadian energy is needed in The United States as the “most influential member of the legislative branch” took part in a whirlwind two-day tour of Alberta,” the Calgary Herald reports. “This visit of Sen. Manchin is a huge, I think, confirmation for us that we have friends in the United States who understand the important role that we play in American energy security,” Kenney told the Herald… “Manchin spent Monday and Tuesday in the province on a trip that included a tour of the oilsands near Fort McMurray and roundtable meetings with energy officials in Calgary… “What the United States and Canada produces, whether it be natural gas, whether it’s extracting oil, whatever we do it’s the cleanest in the world — whatever we replace will be the cleanest in the world,” said Manchin. “If you take the United States of America and you take Canada out of the fossil business, we’re the only ones that will spend the money that will make the effort to develop the new technologies that will clean up the climate,” said Manchin. “You take us out and Mother Earth is going to be in trouble on the climate. We’ll go to heck in a handbasket, and I believe that with all my heart.” When asked about reviving the pipeline Tuesday, Manchin said the brand is gone but pondered if it could be brought back under a new name, saying pipelines are the safest way to transport oil and gas. “I can’t guarantee there’s a company up here that wants to reinvest again, or if the administration is going to entertain that, but it’d be foolish not to,” said Manchin.
NWIowa.com: Poll: 80% oppose pipeline eminent domain
Elijah Helton, 4/12/22
“As the biggest player in the carbon pipeline game continues its rounds through N’West Iowa, outside observers are keeping score. A poll conducted March 26-30 found the pending projects — such as the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline through N’West Iowa — to be unpopular, especially under certain circumstances,” NWIowa.com reports. “Forty-four percent of Iowans oppose the projects, 35 percent support them while the rest are unsure. When asked if eminent domain should be allowed to complete the private pipelines, rejection jumped to 80 percent, with 65 percent “strongly opposed.” “...According to the company’s Jake Ketzner, O’Brien County has the highest ratio of landowners signing voluntary easements. He said 40 percent in the jurisdiction have agreed to a deal… “If you were going to read some articles, you’d think we were out stealing land all day. There’s a whole bunch of interesting articles out there,” Ketzner said… “Many in O’Brien County and elsewhere are still skeptical, including the 30 local folks at Wednesday’s meeting at the Primghar Community Building… “After Ketzner opened his presentation to questions, the first three hands raised said they called or e-mailed Summit’s headquarters in Ames and received no reply… “Others think many the deals aren’t fair. Before the meeting, rural Primghar farmer Dennis Mars told NWIowa.com landowners are “not getting a fair shake” from Summit. “As a landowner, I think we’re getting taken to a certain extent. Look at the amount of money that’s going to flow into this system and we’re only getting this much,” he said, his fingertips an inch apart. The skepticism runs across party lines. In the poll, conducted by Change Research, there was almost no change in opinion among political identities. Eighty-three percent of Democrats oppose eminent domain for the pipelines. Seventy-nine percent of Republicans feel the same. Independents sit at 78 percent opposed… “The way I look at it is every other row of corn in the state of Iowa goes to ethanol. We want to make sure that demand, that market, continues for years and decades to come,” Ketzner told NWIowa.com.
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Groups choose Fort Dodge for Summit pipeline hearing
JARED STRONG, 4/12/22
“Fort Dodge should be the location of the Iowa Utilities Board hearing to consider a proposed liquid carbon pipeline that would span about 680 miles across the northwestern half of the state, the pipeline company and an anti-pipeline group agree,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...The IUB is preparing to set a schedule that will culminate with a hearing on the plan, and it recently sought input on where to hold the permit hearing. Iowa law requires such a hearing to be located at the midpoint of the project to allow affected landowners and others to participate… “In a Tuesday meeting, there was a general consensus among stakeholders who spoke that the hearing should be in Fort Dodge… “Wallace Taylor, representing the Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter, agreed that Fort Dodge, with a population of about 25,000, has the facilities and amenities to host the hearing. That includes an airport that can accommodate out-of-state witnesses, he said… “It’s unclear when the board will set the location and date for the Summit hearing. Summit has yet to finalize its eminent domain requests, which is required before the hearing is scheduled, Don Tormey, a spokesperson for the board, told the Dispatch.”
West Central Tribune: Drive for carbon pipeline easements underway in west central Minnesota
Tom Cherveny, 4/12/22
“Proponents of a $4.5 billion pipeline project to carry carbon dioxide away from ethanol plants in Minnesota and other Midwestern states say it is necessary in order for those plants to remain competitive in a low-carbon future,” the West Central Tribune reports. “That’s the message that landowners along the path proposed for a pipeline to the Granite Falls Energy plant heard as Summit Carbon Solutions began hosting a third round of meetings. “We can’t compete without it,” Jeffrey Oestmann, CEO for the Granite Falls Energy and Heron Lake Energy plants, told those attending the meeting in Sacred Heart on Thursday… “The ethanol industry is seeing tight profit margins with today’s corn prices. Ethanol plants that are not part of the pipeline would not be able to compete against those with the carbon reductions, Oestmann told the audience in Sacred Heart. He also told the landowners that the success of the state’s ethanol plants is important to corn growers. The plants provide local demand and markets for their corn… “Clean Up the River Environment, headquartered in Montevideo, has offered virtual meetings with landowners. Maggie Schuppert, campaign director with CURE, said the organization has concerns about public health and safety, the impact on land and potential water impacts, and whether the pipelines represent a real climate solution. “We’d like to see that happen through a broader regulatory process because that is where issues can be raised and information can be gathered that will be shared with the public; where the public can actually have an opportunity to engage in the decision-making process.”
NWIowa.com: O'Brien County talks pipeline with Summit
Randy Paulson, 4/12/22
“The O’Brien County supervisors extracted more details regarding Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed pipeline from project representatives on Tuesday, April 5,” NWIowa.com reports. “...Supervisor Dan Friedrichsen inquired about the pipeline’s depth and if the county could have a say in setting a depth requirement that would apply across the county… “If there’s drain tile, we’re going to be a minimum of 1 foot, best practice 2 feet, underneath. So, if their drain tile sits at 4 feet, we’re going 6,” Kretz said… “If every landowner in your county puts it in their easement saying, ‘We want to go this deep,’ we’ll definitely do it,” she said… “She also told the supervisors that Summit, through its discussion with landowners, decided to put perpetual warranties on drainage tiles impacted by the pipeline. That warranty modification is in effect for each easement the company has signed, including ones that were signed before the change was made… “Supervisor Nancy McDowell asked if Kretz had an approximate percentage of how many landowners along the route in the county have signed easements with Summit. Kretz did not have an exact figure but said the percentages “are getting pretty good, especially in this part of Iowa. “We’ve got a lot more months of working with landowners, but we’re trending to where we want to be,” she said.
Quad City Times: ADM-backed proposed carbon pipeline to route through Scott, Rock Island counties
Sarah Watson, 4/12/22
“A proposed pipeline backed by ADM that aims to capture and st 300-mile channel would transport liquid carbon dioxide ore carbon dioxide would route through northern Scott and Rock Island counties, company representatives told the Scott County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday,” the Quad City Times reports. “...The precise route of the pipeline has not been established, Wolf Carbon Advisor Nicholas Noppinger told Scott County supervisors on Tuesday… “Noppinger said the company plans to have a more precise route by the summer, and public hearings are expected in July. He added that if everything goes to plan, the pipeline would likely be operational in 3 to 3 ½ years… “Noppinger said Wolf has not petitioned to use eminent domain, the power of the government to take private land for public use or benefit. "We've never needed to use eminent domain in our areas," Noppinger said. "Eminent domain, it's rare. It's kind of a means of last resort. And for us, we don't like using it because it bogs down the process and disrupts the whole kind of cohesion between landowners and the pipeline. "So, we try to negotiate creatively with landowners," he added. "We try to incentivize them to get our pipeline through their land and if we can't get there, we build around and build to wherever there are landowners out there that are willing to have a pipeline in their backyard." Several supervisors, including farmer John Maxwell and Ken Croken, questioned whether the pipeline makes economic and environmental sense as the U.S. moves away from fossil fuels and toward electric vehicles, especially if it'll be multiple years before it is operational. "The automotive industry is leapfrogging to electric," Croken said. "Are we just delaying the inevitable with this kind of a project? Spending buckets of money on technology that is short-lived in our future?"
Aurora News Register: County hears presentation on carbon sequestration pipeline
Cheyenne Rowe, 4/12/22
“Erik Schobanec, director of pipeline at Summit Carbon Solutions, joined commissioners Monday to discuss a seemingly certain pipeline project that may affect a small number of landowners in northern Hamilton County,” the Aurora News Register reports. “Of note, no decision was made regarding the pipeline project at Monday’s meeting.”
Oakland Institute: The Midwest Carbon Express: A False Solution to the Climate Crisis
4/12/22
“As the world’s largest proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipeline applies for permits amidst growing resistance from concerned citizens, The Midwest Carbon Express: A False Solution to the Climate Crisis, debunks the project and reveals the checkered history of the man behind it — Bruce Rastetter,” according to the Oakland Institute. “...Despite these claims, the Midwest Carbon Express faces strong opposition from diverse stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, Iowa landowners, and environmental groups… “A prolific political donor who made his fortune in agribusiness consolidating the livestock industry, Rastetter has spent millions on federal, state, and local politics over the past two decades, wielding great influence in Iowa. In 2011, as CEO of AgriSol Energy, Rastetter acquired over 800,000 acres of land — supposedly three “abandoned refugee camps” — to set up an agriculture enterprise in Tanzania with plans for industrial-scale crop cultivation, livestock production, and agrofuel production. As exposed by the Oakland Institute, the project, however, would have displaced over 162,000 smallholder farmers — Burundian refugees who had been living on this land for over 40 years. The Tanzanian government was promising citizenship to these refugees, contingent on them abandoning their homes and livelihoods so Rastetter could take over their lands — all for the unbelievable price of around 22-23 cents/acre. Sustained citizen action against AgriSol’s project in Tanzania prevented mass displacement, with the project officially abandoned in 2012.”
NorthJersey.com: Pipeline company should have been named in West Milford gas compressor appeal, court says
David M. Zimmer, 4/13/22
“The state's Supreme Court justices are calling for the environmental groups challenging the Highlands Act exemption for the construction of a natural gas compressor station in West Milford to let the pipeline company in on the discussion,” NorthJersey.com reports. “The justices on Monday issued an opinion that the Tennessee Gas Pipeline company should have been named as an "interested party" in the groups' appeal of the project's exemption from the strict development regulations that blanket the construction site… “Gross, who argued on behalf of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association and other organizations, said the pipeline company should not have had to intervene in the courts to gain recognition as an interested party… "We remand the case to the Appellate Division to permit appellants to file an amended Notice of Appeal and Case Information Statement that names Tennessee as an interested party," Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote in the court opinion.
Politifact: There’s no evidence planes sprayed people protesting the Dakota Access pipeline with poison
4/12/22
“During months-long protests in North Dakota that began in 2016 and persisted through 2017, thousands of protesters who opposed the Dakota Access pipeline clashed with security and police on several occasions. Protesters were pepper-sprayed, tear-gassed and doused with water in freezing temperatures. There is no evidence to suggest planes sprayed poisonous chemicals over the protesters’ camps,” Politifact reports. “People who participated in the protests and officials have refuted these claims. The claims seem to stem from news of a private rancher’s illegal use of the rodenticide Rozol in 2016 in the same vicinity as the protests, in an attempt to kill prairie dogs. Researchers and state officials who studied the incident found no link to the protests or protester illnesses.”
AL.com: Blast from Marengo County pipeline felt miles away; no injuries reported
Carol Robinson, 4/12/22
“Authorities are on the scene of a reported explosion in west Alabama that authorities say was felt and heard miles away,” AL.com reports. “The Marengo County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched at 8:25 a.m. Tuesday to reports of an explosion near the TransCo pipeline in Myrtlewood. It reportedly happened at a plant in the area. Williams, the company that operates the pipeline, said “there was no ignition, fire or explosion associated with this event.” “Employees at a Williams natural gas compressor facility located in Marengo County, Alabama witnessed indications of a pipeline rupture and associated natural gas release,” a company statement read. “To minimize environmental impacts, ensure safety and isolate the equipment, Williams employees initiated emergency shutdown procedures… “Authorities said multiple agencies are on the scene. No injuries have been reported, but traffic around the area is blocked off. Law enforcement officials said they received multiple calls, some from people miles away from the site.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: HOW MUCH BITE TO THE GAS POLICY?
Matthew Choi, 4/12/22
“FERC is going back to the drawing board after pulling back the natural gas policy statements that drew ire from industry and lawmakers. Republican Commissioner Mark Christie could be the key player in determining how a revised policy framework might look,” Politico reports. “The policy statements increased the weight environmental justice and climate concerns held in approving new natural gas projects, with Democrats citing the trail of court orders vacating past permits due to what the D.C. federal appeals court determined were insufficient environmental reviews. But with the administration calling for greater natural gas export capacity over the war in Ukraine, lawmakers including Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin and industry interest groups protested that the policy statements would impede vital energy infrastructure. Christie and his Democratic peers appear ready for a compromise, with Christie agreeing that the commission has the authority to regulate projects’ immediate emissions, such as methane leaks. But he stopped short of saying indirect upstream or downstream emissions from gas are fair game for shutting down a project, though he conceded they could count in FERC’s analysis. Environmentalists retort that removing the climate factors from the final permitting decision takes all teeth out of the matter. And it wouldn’t solve the issue of federal courts vacating permits over environmental concerns.”
STATE UPDATES
Politico: Red states ask court to torpedo special California authority over vehicle emissions
Alex Guillén, 4/11/22
“A coalition of Republican attorneys general say they have a “golden opportunity” to end California’s special regulatory authority over vehicle emissions — a program in place for over 50 years,” Politico reports. “Although the move comes in response to greenhouse gas regulations, the red state officials argue that the Clean Air Act unconstitutionally gave California enhanced powers to limit conventional tailpipe pollutants. The officials asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday to rule on the constitutionality question. Background: The Clean Air Act grants California special ability to enforce more stringent emissions standards on vehicles and other mobile sources because the state — which faces more extreme air quality problems than most other parts of the country — already had a program in place when the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970. It requires EPA grant a waiver, something the agency has done more than 100 times in the past half-century without incident, largely related to more stringent limits on conventional pollutants that form smog or otherwise threaten public health.”
Politico: MONTANA DREAMIN’
Matthew Choi, 4/12/22
“Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s race for Montana’s District 1 Congressional seat is taking another twist toward the weird,” Politico reports. “Last week, Democratic candidate Monica Tranel published a letter to ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Ryan Lance demanding that the oil company stop paying Zinke, one of the three Republican candidates for the new seat representing the western part of the state, after Zinke filed a financial disclosure form late last year showingthe company paid him $460,000 over two years for “consulting.” “...Zinke’s campaign brought in $1.1 million for the first quarter of this year, including $2,500 from ConocoPhillip’s political action committee, according to his latest campaign financial disclosure submission. Other notable donations were $2,500 from Occidental Petroleum and $1,000 from TransCanada, the company that sought to build the Keystone XL pipeline through the state.”
EXTRACTION
Newsweek: Methane Feedback Loop Beyond Humans' Ability to Control May Have Begun—NOAA
BY ROBYN WHITE, 4/13/22
“A methane feedback loop that is beyond humans' ability to control may have begun, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have said,” Newsweek reports. “...Research published by the NOAA now shows that 2021 saw the largest annual increase in atmospheric methane levels since measurements began in 1983. Xin Lan, a research scientist at the NOAA, told Newsweek that after 2006, the majority of methane emissions produced were caused by natural wetlands and man-made emissions. Natural wetlands produce methane when organic matter decays , while and man-made emissions are caused by livestock, waste and landfills… “Lan told Newsweek that because the Earth's climate is already warming the methane produced from natural wetlands is only set to increase. This signals the beginning of a feedback loop—an ongoing cycle that cannot be broken… “In a statement, the NOAA said this loop could be beyond humans capabilities to control… “However, Lan told Newsweek that if there is climate feedback happening, it means the long-term warming in global temperatures has already contributed to more greenhouse gas emissions. "That would be an extra challenge for us in combating the impact of climate change," Lan said. "Reducing fossil methane emission is a straightforward approach to slow-down to revert the growing trend in atmospheric methane. But given the longevity of CO2 in the atmosphere and the much larger fossil CO2 emissions, we should also take immediate actions to reduce fossil CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, it is difficult to understand and control natural methane emissions."
Reuters: China's top oil producer to exit operations in the west over sanctions fear
4/13/22
“China's top offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC Ltd. is preparing to exit its operations in Britain, Canada and the United States, because of concerns in Beijing the assets could become subject to Western sanctions, industry sources said,” Reuters reports. “...Companies periodically carry out reviews of their portfolios, but the exit being prepared would take place less than a decade after state-owned CNOOC entered the three countries via a $15 billion acquisition of Canada's Nexen, a deal that transformed the Chinese champion into a leading global producer. The assets, which include stakes in major fields in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and large Canadian oil sand projects, produce around 220,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), Reuters calculations found… “CNOOC is seeking to sell "marginal and hard to manage" assets in Britain, Canada and the United States, a senior industry source told Reuters… “Its main Canadian assets oil sands projects are Long Lake and Hangingstone in Alberta Province.”
JD Supra: The Government of Alberta and the federal government advance the potential development of carbon storage hubs
4/12/22
“On March 31, 2022, the Government of Alberta (GOA) announced that six proposals for the development of carbon storage hubs servicing Alberta’s industrial heartland region near Edmonton have been selected to work with the GOA on evaluating the suitability of their respective proposed locations for storing CO2 emissions,” JD Supra reports. “...The six project proponents selected to proceed to the evaluation stage of the process are: Bison Low Carbon Ventures Inc. – Meadowbrook Hub Project; Enbridge Inc. – The Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub; Enhance Energy Inc. – The Origins Project; Pembina Pipeline Corporation and TC Energy Corporation – Alberta Carbon Grid; Shell Canada Limited, ATCO Energy Solutions Ltd. and Suncor Energy Inc. – Atlas Carbon Sequestration Hub (Atlas Hub); and Wolf Midstream and partners… “For now, it is not clear whether the GOA intends to include terms in such a pore space tenure agreement that would provide for open access to the hub or address the rates charged by the hub operator for access… “The CCUS investment tax credit rates will be set at the following amounts from 2022 through 2030: 60% for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in direct air capture projects; 50% for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in all other CCUS projects; and 5% for investment in equipment for transportation, storage and use. These rates will be reduced by 50% for the period from 2031 through 2040, in an effort to encourage industry to rapidly lower emissions… “Industry groups have been recommending that the federal government implement a credit of up to 75% to cover the high costs required to develop and operate CCUS projects. In recognition of these high associated costs, the federal government confirmed that they will also engage with the provinces in the expectation that they will provide further financial incentives to encourage the development of CCUS projects.”
Politico: STRANGE LNG BEDFELLOWS
Matthew Choi, 4/12/22
“Dow, one of the world’s largest chemical producers, is changing its tune when it comes to U.S. LNG exports,” Politico reports. “The company that in 2013 was one of the most vocal opponents of shipping greater quantities of its main raw material natural gas overseas now says it is planning to build a proposed LNG import terminal at its Stade industry site in Germany to help the country wean itself off Russian gas. Dow did not say how much money it would invest in the project, which would have a capacity of 13 billion cubic meters a year but said it will contribute land for construction and help with infrastructure if it makes a final decision this year to go ahead with the plan.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
EuroNews: Fossil fuel firms set to spend more than €800bn on new oil and gas fields by 2030
Rosie Frost, 4/13/22
“The world’s biggest oil and gas companies, including Shell, Exxon and Gazprom, are projected to spend €857 billion on new oil and gas fields by 2030,” EuroNews reports. “This could grow to a staggering €1.4 trillion by 2040, says new research from Global Witness and Oil Change International. All 20 of the companies investigated by two NGOs claim to support the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below the critical 1.5C threshold. The new analysis comes just a week after UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres called it “moral and economic madness” to invest in new oil and gas… “From the day the Paris Agreement was signed these companies have been out of compliance,” says Lorne Stockman, research director at Oil Change International. “In the subsequent six years, they have published their statements and honed their PR and lobbying while recklessly pursuing oil and gas production growth.” “...When asked to comment on the findings of the report, ExxonMobil highlighted its “$15 billion (€13.8bn) investments in lower-emissions technologies.” This includes money spent on biofuels, hydrogen and carbon capture technology - not necessarily renewable energy.. “In the wake of the report, Global Witness and Oil Change International are calling on governments and investors across the world to stop funding new oil and gas projects immediately. They say it is time the fossil fuel industry goes into a “managed decline.” “With the global reliance on fossil fuels underpinning so many of the world’s current crises, the UN Secretary-General is absolutely right; investing in more would be madness,” says Juliana Gaertner from the Global Witness Gas Campaign.
Politico: WHAT INVESTORS WANT
Matthew Choi, 4/12/22
“Investors want more clarity in how upstream oil and gas companies disclose their environmental impacts, according to a report by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy today,” Politico reports. “The study analyzed the ESG and sustainability reports of 15 companies of varying sizes and interviewed major investors in the domestic oil and gas sector and found companies used different baseline years and timelines in describing their emissions reductions targets, leading to difficulty comparing their performances on combating climate change. But companies don’t need to fear climate-minded investors divesting en masse, with investors in the study largely preferring to stay involved in the companies’ emissions reductions efforts.”
OPINION
Common Dreams: After The Deluge: Court Cases Go from Bad to Worse for Mountain Valley Pipeline
JON SOKOLOW, 4/12/22
“On April 7, Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303-mile partly constructed pipeline that would carry highly pressurized fracked natural gas from West Virginia to Virginia, was in federal court again, this time in the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit,” Jon Sokolow writes for Common Dreams. “...It had been a brutal four months for this ill-fated project, which is years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. The repeated delays are the result of poor construction practices and MVP’s arrogance in trying to shortcut permitting processes… “MVP can demagogue about the war in Ukraine, using that as a false pretext to increase our dependence on fossil fuels. It can lie about how the project is "almost done" – it actually is barely more than 50% complete based on the company's own figures. And it can enlist politicians to pressure federal agencies. But none of that will avoid the permitting hell in which MVP now finds itself… “MVP and its apologists will use this latest FERC order to claim that all is smooth sailing now. But the truth is that MVP still lacks the permits required to even begin construction again, let alone complete the project… “Mountain Valley Pipeline is a climate busting project that would produce greenhouse gas emissions that on an annual basis would be the equivalent of 18 average U.S. coal plants. Scientists are urgently telling us that we must immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we are to have any hope of avoiding the worst effects of climate change. It is not the "times of Noah" and we don't have an ark. It is long past time for Mountain Valley Pipeline to pack up and go home.”
SC Times: Enbridge Line 3 workers did a great job: Letter
Bob Erickson, 4/12/22
“There is again renewed opposition to the installation of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline to replace or relocate an existing pipeline to ensure its safety, efficiency and consistency of flow,” Bob Erickson writes in the SC Times. “The recent opposition is regarding a rupture in three aquifers during the existing construction… “The three breaches cause by Enbridge were caused when some pilings were pounded into the soil to help stabilize the soil to support the pipe construction. These were apparently the only serious breaches in 340 miles of construction. Great job!”
Louisiana Illuminator: Louisiana can’t afford to be oil and gas exclusive
Greg LaRose, 4/12/22
“There are a number of ways you could describe Rep. Danny McCormick, but man of mystery is not one of them,” Greg LaRose writes for the Louisiana Illuminator. “...So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that McCormick — a Republican from Oil City, Louisiana, who’s the owner of M&M Oil Co. — would be a staunch advocate for the fossil fuel industry. All he needs is a home address on Drill Baby Drill Avenue. What’s disappointing, however, is that McCormick’s lens toward the future is also heavily coated in petroleum. He sponsored a resolution to exclude solar and wind energy projects from the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program, arguing that those alternative power sources should be placed on an “even playing field” with oil and gas. When McCormick’s proposal went before a House committee last week, his colleagues were quick to point out that refineries are among the beneficiaries of industrial property tax breaks, as are plants that generate electricity. If anything, the field would be tilted if solar and wind were excluded from the incentive, they said… “We encourage McCormick to read the Texas tea leaves carefully if he’s considering bringing his resolution back up again. His fears of an all-green outlook for Louisiana are misguided, as the state will always be oil and gas reliant to a great extent. It’s just high time that we’re no longer oil and gas exclusive.”