EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/11/24
PIPELINE NEWS
South Dakota Searchlight: Referendum on carbon pipeline law validated for November election
Dakota Scout: South Dakotans to get final say over 'Landowner Bill of Rights'
Sludge: Who’s Funding the Republican Convention?
Pipeline Journal: Enagás Sells Stake in US Pipeline Operator to Fund Hydrogen Investments
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Climate activists hope to prod Biden to exit race
Politico: Appeals court won't block EPA's methane rule
E&E News: House GOP Leadership Demands Answers From Agencies Post-Chevron
E&E News: Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’ halts another EPA rule
E&E News: These Biden rules could be trashed by Trump
E&E News: Oil export project likely won’t boost US emissions, feds say
Exxon Knews: Big Oil rallies to obstruct accountability
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Montana Supreme Court appears divided over youth climate case
Daily Montanan: Montana Supreme Court hears arguments in climate change case appeal
Smart Cities Dive: The movement to get neighborhoods off natural gas gains momentum
EXTRACTION
E&E News: Oil Demand To Peak Next Year, BP Says
Calgary Herald: Northern Alberta wildfires force evacuations at Suncor, Cenovus oilsands sites
Globe and Mail: Strathcona, Canada Growth Fund partner on $2-billion carbon capture project for oil sands
CLIMATE FINANCE
Earth Quarter Action Team: Hundreds March, Sing, and Pray in Protest at Vanguard’s Headquarters Days Before Salim Ramji Begins as Next CEO
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: I-STEAM Pathways: Melding Mainstream Science, Indigenous Perspectives
OPINION
Inforum: Plain Talk: 'The idea that the pipeline is dangerous, I reject that'
Heatmap: Biden Is Imperiling a Tremendous Climate Legacy
PIPELINE NEWS
South Dakota Searchlight: Referendum on carbon pipeline law validated for November election
MAKENZIE HUBER, 7/10/24
“A seventh ballot question has been validated by the Secretary of State’s Office for the Nov. 5 general election. The referendum asks voters to consider a recently adopted state law concerning carbon dioxide pipeline restrictions and landowner rights,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Based on a random sample of signatures, the office estimated that 92% percent of the more than 34,000 signatures on the petition are from South Dakota registered voters, which means the estimated number of valid signatures is 31,432. The petition needed 17,508 to qualify for the election… “A 30-day window is now open for challenges to the validity of the petition. The bill came in response to an $8.5 billion pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which is headquartered in Iowa… “The Iowa Utilities Board approved Summit’s project in June. The company announced shortly afterward that it plans to apply again for a permit in South Dakota this month, after the Public Utilities Commission denied its initial application last year… “The South Dakota denial was partly due to conflicts with county ordinances that require minimum distances known as “setbacks” between pipelines and other features… “The last referred law to appear on a South Dakota ballot was in 2016, after the state Legislature tried to exempt workers under age 18 from receiving a minimum wage increase (which had been approved by South Dakota voters in 2014). South Dakotans voted by a majority of 71.13% to reject the Legislature’s action.”
Dakota Scout: South Dakotans to get final say over 'Landowner Bill of Rights'
AUSTIN GOSS, 7/10/24
“After years of carbon pipeline policy debate dominating government chambers in South Dakota, voters this fall will get their chance to have a say,” the Dakota Scout reports. “The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office Wednesday approved an initiated referendum of Senate Bill 201, certifying tens of thousands of signatures filed in support of repealing the legislatively approved measure known by supporters as the “Landowner Bill of Rights.” Titled Referred Law 21, the question of whether the law should stand or be stricken will appear on the general election ballot in November. “The citizens of South Dakota stood and had their voice heard,” Rep. Tina Mulally, who is co-leading the campaign committee South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance (SDPRLCA) that pushed for Referred Law 21, told the Scout. “As our motto says, under God the people rule.” “...The people’s voice couldn’t be louder,” Mulally, who along with other opponents of SB 201 criticize it as too friendly to carbon pipeline projects while undermining the ability of local governments to regulate the projects, told the Scout.
Sludge: Who’s Funding the Republican Convention?
David Moore, 7/10/24
“When Republicans gather in Milwaukee next week for the Republican National Convention to nominate Donald Trump and adopt the party platform, the identities of the corporations and wealthy donors to who forked over millions of dollars to fund the event will be largely unknown to the public,” Sludge reports. “The GOP convention, held this year in the battleground state of Wisconsin, is primarily funded through a nonprofit host committee that must register with the Federal Election Commission—but is only required to disclose its donors and expenditures by 60 days after the end of the convention… “The host committee lists the names of dozens of partners on its website, like fossil fuel industry trade association the American Petroleum Institute and cryptocurrency company Ripple, though the amounts and dates of their donation are not posted… “Other named partners of the nonprofit arm of the Milwaukee host committee include the following: the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind the Project 2025 plan; [and] fossil fuel company TC Energy…”
Pipeline Journal: Enagás Sells Stake in US Pipeline Operator to Fund Hydrogen Investments
7/11/24
“Spanish gas grid operator Enagás has sold its 30.2% stake in Kansas-based pipeline operator Tallgrass Energy to investment firm Blackstone for $1.1 billion,” Pipeline Journal reports. “The company says the proceeds will support its planned investments in hydrogen infrastructure development this decade… “However, Enagás acknowledges that these asset sales alone won't generate enough capital to fully fund its ambitious hydrogen pipeline network in Spain, estimated to cost €4.9 billion (about $5.7 billion), or the €2.5 billion (about $2.9 billion) H2Med cross-border link with France and wider Europe. In February, Enagás announced a reduction in shareholder dividends from €1.74 ($1.88) per share to €1 ($1.18) over the next three years to strengthen its balance sheet and support hydrogen investments… “Despite this designation, Enagás estimates that only 40% of BarMar's construction costs will be covered by subsidies. The remaining project financing will need to come from debt (36%) and equity issuance (24%).”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Climate activists hope to prod Biden to exit race
Robin Bravender, 7/10/24
“Climate activists are rallying supporters to converge at President Joe Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, as they urge the president to drop his reelection bid,” E&E News reports. “The group that has protested Biden administration officials to demand more action to combat climate change is now calling on Biden to end his campaign following his debate against former President Donald Trump. “To save our democracy and our climate we must defeat Trump,” Climate Defiance founder and Executive Director Michael Greenberg told supporters in an email. “And the way to do that is to replace Biden.” The group is encouraging activists to protest at Biden’s campaign headquarters next Monday. This is “a fork in the road,” Greenberg said. “Do we continue with a feeble candidate … ? Or do we unite behind someone who can energize voters and end the era of fossil fuels?”
Politico: Appeals court won't block EPA's methane rule
Alex Guillén, 7/9/24
“The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to block the Biden administration’s sweeping rule targeting methane emissions from the oil and gas sector,” Politico reports. “Various industry groups and Republican-controlled states sought to stay the rule, Reg. 2060-AV16, while litigation plays out, arguing it would cost billions of dollars… “A coalition of industry groups led by the Independent Petroleum Association Of America and states led by West Virginia each asked the D.C. Circuit to stay the rule while lawsuits play out.”
E&E News: House GOP Leadership Demands Answers From Agencies Post-Chevron
BEN LEONARD, 7/10/24
“House Republican leadership made its opening salvo after a landmark Supreme Court decision overturned a doctrine shielding many federal regulations from legal challenges, demanding dozens of federal agencies review ‘overreaching’ regulations,” E&E News reports. “Agencies can’t be allowed to run free without any checks on their power — we’ve already seen how frequently federal agencies will abuse their authority,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told E&E. “We intend to ensure agencies are held accountable following the court’s ruling and observe the proper checks on their power.” “...The demands: Relevant committee chairs and House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote to more than two dozen federal agencies Wednesday, including HHS, the Justice Department, the EPA, the Departments of Labor, Energy, Education and Homeland Security. Republicans want the agencies to provide a list of rules and adjudications that could be impacted by the decision if challenged and a list of pending challenges, as well as all pending rules and adjudications that could have been eligible for Chevron deference before the decision. The responses, which Republicans want by the end of the month, could aid in potential challenges to the rules. The letters were largely similar and didn’t indicate specific regulations that the GOP would like to target. They did specifically call out the Biden administration’s climate, energy and ESG agendas, saying they are based on ‘aggressive interpretations’ of statutes.”
E&E News: Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’ halts another EPA rule
Pamela King, 7/9/24
“The Supreme Court is once again reaching out through its emergency docket to bring environmental protections to a standstill,” E&E News reports. ‘Last month’s 5-4 ruling that blocked EPA controls on smog-forming pollution that wafts across state lines is the latest in a string of decisions over the last eight years that have expanded the power of the Supreme Court’s emergency — or “shadow” — docket. The emergency docket is traditionally reserved for nondivisive procedural matters that are settled quickly and without explanation. But in 2016, the court — over the objections of four justices — did what a lower bench had refused to do and blocked the Clean Power Plan, a landmark Obama-era rule that sought to push the limits of EPA’s Clean Air Act authority to shift the power sector from coal to renewables… “The Supreme Court’s June 27 opinion in Ohio v. EPA is the result of a change in procedure around the emergency docket. In a move that some legal observers say appears to be an attempt to increase transparency, the justices have recently plucked some requests for emergency relief, added them to their oral argument schedule and offered full opinions on the matters, in an expedited fashion… “The justices’ decision in Ohio v. EPA only temporarily stops the good neighbor requirements from taking effect while litigation plays out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The lower bench, as it did in the case of the Clean Power Plan, had already found that challengers failed to meet the high bar to persuade the court to immediately block the rule, which has been in effect since August.”
E&E News: These Biden rules could be trashed by Trump
Kevin Bogardus, Robin Bravender, 7/10/24
“The Biden administration pushed out a flurry of major environmental rules early this year under a looming threat of rollbacks if former President Donald Trump clinches the White House in November’s election,” E&E News reports. “But some significant rules won’t get out the door in time to shield them from being reversed if Trump wins, a reality that was on stark display last week when the Biden administration released its plans for upcoming regulations. Some priority rules started by the Biden administration — including climate standards for existing gas-fired power plants, a rule to limit lead and copper in drinking water, and an effort to protect workers from extreme heat — could be doomed. “Everything is vulnerable should the administration flip,” Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told E&E. Regulations completed later this year could be unraveled by Trump and Congress under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers and a sympathetic White House to undo recent rules. And a second Trump administration could freeze pending rules upon taking office. “Anything that’s not finalized, in theory they’ll just withdraw,” Hartl told E&E. Conservatives are feeling hopeful about the prospects of Trump regaining the White House following the recent presidential debate and calls from some Democrats to replace Biden as the nominee. And many are optimistic about the chances for curtailing agencies’ regulatory reach in the aftermath of a major Supreme Court ruling this spring that overturned the so-called Chevron doctrine. Within conservative circles, there are discussions about “if things change and go our way — meaning President Trump gets in — then how can we use this to implement a smaller-government vision,” Mandy Gunasekara, who served as EPA’s chief of staff during the Trump administration, told E&E.
E&E News: Oil export project likely won’t boost US emissions, feds say
Carlos Anchondo, 7/11/24
“A large oil export terminal proposed for the Gulf of Mexico is likely to have little effect on the emissions footprint of the overall U.S. crude oil supply chain, according to a new assessment from the Department of Transportation,” E&E News reports. “In a final environmental impact statement, DOT's Maritime Administration analyzed the environmental and climate effects of the planned Texas GulfLink project. The agency said in its report last week that — while greenhouse gas emissions associated with potential crude oil production and use of oil exported by the project “represent a significant amount” of emissions — the majority of those “likely already occur as part” of the U.S. oil supply chain. “The Proposed Action itself is likely to have very little effect on the amount of [greenhouse gas] emissions associated with the overall United States crude oil supply chain,” the analysis said… “On Tuesday, Sierra Club senior attorney Devorah Ancel told E&E the Maritime Administration's review of facilities including SPOT and the Texas GulfLink project contain incorrect assumptions about the effects of new oil exports. “The agency assumes that Texas GulfLink and the recently licensed Sea Port Oil Terminal will replace existing nearshore oil export facilities and result in largely the same emissions,” Ancel told E&E “But nothing in the record supports that assumption.” “Make no doubt about it, GulfLink would result in a major increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and the final [environmental impact statement] came just three days before Hurricane Beryl" slammed the Texas Gulf Coast, she told E&E. Kelsey Crane, senior policy advocate at Earthworks, offered a similar view. The final environmental impact statement "wrongly dismisses the harm from GulfLink’s greenhouse gas emissions and uses an inadequate method and baseless assumptions to estimate the GHG emissions and assert that GulfLink would have little or no impact on global greenhouse gas emissions,” Crane told E&E,
Exxon Knews: Big Oil rallies to obstruct accountability
Emily Sanders, 7/10/24
“In the face of mounting scrutiny from local, state, and federal officials, fossil fuel companies and their allies are deploying a range of tactics to obstruct ongoing lawsuits and investigations concerning evidence that the industry has misled the public about the harms it knew its products would cause to the climate, environment, and human health,” Exxon Knews reports. “Far-right industry allies with ties to Chevron have mounted an “unprecedented” pressure campaign calling on the Supreme Court to stop a potentially historic climate deception lawsuit against oil majors from going to trial. Republican attorneys general are separately urging the Supreme Court to throw out similar climate fraud lawsuits from five states. Plastics industry trade associations are suing the California state attorney general’s office to block an investigation into whether oil companies lied about plastic recycling. And fossil fuel giants and their trade groups have responded to congressional subpoenas with highly redacted records and “baseless” First Amendment legal defenses. “I think we’re seeing an escalation by the industry to do anything it can to avoid being held accountable for the consequences of climate change,” Lisa Graves, executive director of investigative watchdog group True North Research and an expert on dark money special interest groups, told EK. “It continues to try to thwart efforts to try to mitigate climate change and it continues to try to stop efforts to get any compensation for the harms it has caused, not just through the burning of fossil fuels but also by the delay and deceit that it has promoted through front groups.” State and local climate lawsuits, which accuse oil and gas majors of lying about the dangers of fossil fuels and seek to hold them accountable for the resulting damages, are advancing in state courts despite the industry’s efforts. Most recently, a Colorado judge denied nearly all motions by ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy to dismiss the City and County of Boulder’s case against them. It’s the fifth time to date that a court has rejected Big Oil’s efforts to dismiss climate accountability lawsuits — bringing the companies closer to facing trial and potentially billions of dollars in liability. If any of the cases go to trial, Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, told EK, “it will shine a very harsh light on the fossil fuel companies and it could lead to crushing monetary judgments.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Montana Supreme Court appears divided over youth climate case
Lesley Clark, 7/11/24
“The Montana Supreme Court did not clearly indicate how it might rule in a landmark case that could change how decisionmakers in the Treasure State — and other parts of the country — consider the climate impacts of fossil fuel development,” E&E News reports. “Some of the court’s seven justices appeared skeptical during oral arguments Wednesday that a Montana law barring state agencies from considering climate change is consistent with a guarantee in the state Constitution to a clean and healthful environment. Others asked whether it’s too soon to take up the matter, given that the lawsuit from young climate activists does not challenge any specific project. Several of the court’s members stayed silent during the proceedings. The hearing in Held v. Montana comes nearly a year to the day after a state judge delivered a major victory to a group of young people who had argued that the state’s ban on climate considerations violates their constitutional rights. Their win has inspired similar litigation elsewhere.”
Daily Montanan: Montana Supreme Court hears arguments in climate change case appeal
BLAIR MILLER, 7/10/24
“The Montana Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday morning in the Held vs. Montana case, as attorneys for 16 Montana youth and for the state, governor, and several agencies engaged with the court on questions about how Montana’s environmental law and permitting processes function, and whether Montana’s forward-looking constitution can nullify laws that do not protect the environment for current and future generations,” the Daily Montanan reports. “...In front of hundreds of people that led the court to open an overflow room, the justices peppered attorneys from both sides with questions – two attorneys for the state had 40 minutes to deliver arguments, while the plaintiffs’ attorney had 30 minutes – throughout their presentations. They asked about the scope of Seeley’s ruling last August, overturning the MEPA limitation, and whether Montana’s constitutional guarantees regarding the environment mean the state must, or simply could, consider emissions and climate impacts from energy projects. Those included some challenges to both sides… “The attorneys for the state also told the court – as they had in filings ahead of the hearing – that the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has decided a similar case in Oregon involves a political question and largely dismissed the plaintiffs’ case. They said the Montana Supreme Court should come to a similar conclusion because the ability for courts to rule on climate change is outside of its powers… “Kalispell-based attorney Roger Sullivan argued on behalf of the plaintiffs, telling the court climate change is an ongoing crisis, that Seeley already ruled that Montana’s environment is being degraded, and that it is incumbent to uphold her ruling because the courts are charged with upholding Montana’s constitution… “Several of the plaintiffs and one of the attorneys said at a news conference after the hearing they felt the justices were well-prepared and deeply knowledgeable about the case. They also said they do not believe they need to challenge permitting statutes “piece by piece” in order to ensure their constitutional rights are guaranteed by the state.”
Smart Cities Dive: The movement to get neighborhoods off natural gas gains momentum
Ysabelle Kempe, 7/10/24
“Cities for years have pursued paths to reduce buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels. That has included bans on gas-powered new construction, policies requiring large buildings to drive down greenhouse gas emissions over time and commitments to decarbonize public buildings,” Smart Cities Dive reports. “However, a newer perspective on building decarbonization is emerging among policymakers and climate advocates: neighborhood-scale decarbonization. This approach involves planning to transition entire neighborhoods off the natural gas system at once, either through electrification or developing thermal energy networks, allowing the gas pipeline to be decommissioned. Some such projects are underway in the U.S., but they still present a learning curve for utilities and cities. Research and advocacy groups are publishing resources to help leaders understand why and how to get started on these projects, while some states are looking at policies to encourage neighborhood-scale decarbonization. Below is a collection of six Smart Cities Dive stories detailing the movement thus far…”
EXTRACTION
E&E News: Oil Demand To Peak Next Year, BP Says
MIKE SORAGHAN, 7/11/24
“Global oil demand could peak next year as wind and solar power become more dominant worldwide, according to BP PLC’s annual energy outlook,” E&E News reports .”The report emphasizes that oil will still ‘play a significant role’ in the world’s global energy mix for the next 10 to 15 years. It also says that continued investment in oil and natural gas is necessary to meet future energy demand. But by 2050, the report predicts, oil demand could plummet, depending on the speed of the energy transition. In a ‘net zero’ scenario, demand for the fossil fuel would be down about 70 percent from current levels by 2050, according to the report. That assumes the world cuts emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement and the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. If the world continues on its current trajectory, oil demand would still decrease about 25 percent by midcentury, according to the report. In either scenario, the report says, fossil fuels decline in importance, replaced by low-carbon energy ‘led by wind and solar power.’”
Calgary Herald: Northern Alberta wildfires force evacuations at Suncor, Cenovus oilsands sites
Matt Scace, 7/9/24
“Suncor and Cenovus employees in the oilsands are being evacuated due to wildfires in northern Alberta, as a heat wave increases the risk of fires across the province,” the Calgary Herald reports. “Non-essential workers at Suncor’s Firebag facility were removed from the site last week due to wildfires in the area. The company has curtailed some production while essential personnel remain, Suncor said in a statement to Postmedia. The Firebag site typically has about 400 people on site and produces about 215,000 barrels per day, according to Suncor’s website. Cenovus has meanwhile demobilized staff “not directly involved in operations” at its Sunrise site, about 60 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray. It produces about 50,000 barrels per day, according to a 2022 company release.”
Globe and Mail: Strathcona, Canada Growth Fund partner on $2-billion carbon capture project for oil sands
EMMA GRANEY, 7/10/24
“A Canadian oil sands company is betting big on the economics of carbon capture, entering into a $2-billion partnership with the Canada Growth Fund in a deal that bucks the trend on how the oil sector views decarbonization,” the Globe and Mail reports. “The deal will see the Canada Growth Fund (CGF), an arm’s-length public investment vehicle of the federal government, invest up to $1-billion toward carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) infrastructure at oil sands operations belonging to Strathcona Resources Ltd. in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Strathcona will construct, operate and own the infrastructure, with the initial capital costs split 50/50 between the fund and the oil company. Most oil sands companies look at CCS investments through the lens of what the carbon tax might cost down the road, Strathcona chief executive Adam Waterous told The Globe and Mail. But he has a very different view. Canadian producers “have a moral obligation to reduce their emissions,” he told the Globe and Mail, so Strathcona is making a judgment call on the average long-term value of capturing carbon. While that value will likely fluctuate, he told the Globe and Mail Strathcona is prepared to take the risk; after all, he added, the company also has to make decisions on what oil will be worth in the future, despite a host of global economic unknowns. “Our production is going to last 30 or 40 years, and we’re going to go through multiple governments in those 30 or 40 years. But the sequestration of carbon is an important goal, an important good for the community,” he told the Globe and Mail. The arrangement between Strathcona and CGF turns on its head how oil sands companies approach the value of carbon capture, and Mr. Waterous hopes it will make the industry more prepared to bank on CCS being a valuable commodity. “Others will say, ‘That’s crazy, I’d never take that risk,’ ” he told the Globe and Mail. “We’ll see if we’re right, but that is our view of what’s going to happen over time.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Earth Quarter Action Team: Hundreds March, Sing, and Pray in Protest at Vanguard’s Headquarters Days Before Salim Ramji Begins as Next CEO
7/10/24
“Today, hundreds of people converged on the normally quiet Vanguard corporate campus to demand that Vanguard – the world’s largest investor in coal, oil, and gas – invest sustainably. The crowd marched a short distance to the entrance of Vanguard’s campus, with a large banner at the front that read “Invest in Our Communities.” Once at Vanguard, participants sat and stood in and around Vanguard’s driveway, holding the Quaker silent religious service called Meeting for Worship. The crowd of about 300 included people from at least 24 states and 4 countries. In attendance were members of at least 40 Quaker meetings from across North America. The rally featured Denali Nalamalapu from Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights; Hillary Taylor from the movement against the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline; and Zulene Mayfield from Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living. They each spoke about the incinerators and pipelines near their communities that are Vanguard investments and their work to resist these projects that threatened the health of their families and neighbors. “We traveled to Malvern from Appalachia to tell Vanguard about the devastation their investment, the methane gas Mountain Valley Pipeline, is wreaking on our mountains, streams, and planet,” said Denali Nalamalapu, Co-Director of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights. “The MVP is a reckless, needless project that places Vanguard on the wrong side of history. Vanguard must change course immediately by ceasing the purchase of fossil fuel industry bonds and instead backing a renewable energy future.” “Vanguard’s support of TotalEnergies for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline is directly fueling large scale displacement of communities, repression of climate activists, and ecocide in Uganda and Tanzania,” said Hillary Taylor, a member of the Ugandan diaspora who participates in the Stop EACOP campaign.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Enbridge: I-STEAM Pathways: Melding Mainstream Science, Indigenous Perspectives
7/10/24
“The University of Alberta's I-STEAM Pathways program, supported by Enbridge and other donors, offers Indigenous students summer internships in environmental research,” according to Enbridge. “...The program, unique in Canada, aims to increase Indigenous representation in environmental policy… “The program's success relies heavily on donor contributions.”
OPINION
Inforum: Plain Talk: 'The idea that the pipeline is dangerous, I reject that'
Rob Port, 7/10/24
“Senate Majority Leader David Houge, a Republican from Minot, says that if voters approve a ballot measure eliminating property taxes, state lawmakers will be left with a mess,” Rob Port writes for Inforum. “He told Inforum that the legislature's appropriators will be tasked with making big spending cuts. He told Inforum that members of the taxation and finance committees will have to find new ways to bring in revenues. He also told Inforum that reserve funds would likely have to be tapped to make up the roughly $2.6 billion in revenues property taxes generate for local governments every budget cycle… “We also spoke with Hogue about his recent letter to the editor, which he co-authored with House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R -Dickinson, making the case for carbon capture in North Dakota. He likened the debate over the opposition to the Summit Carbon pipeline to the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, pointing out that in both instances, the opposition said the pipelines were unsafe. "The idea that the pipeline is dangerous, I reject that," he told Inforum, going on to point out that capturing and sequestering carbon in North Dakota has many benefits for the state's agriculture and energy industries, though he also acknowledged that Summit Carbon Solutions, the company behind the project, has made some mistakes. "They lowballed some landowners," he told Iinforum, and acknowledged that Summit may have been too aggressive in using a state statute that allows surveyors to go on private land without permission. "That was a misstep as well," he told Inforum, though he added that Summit has since "corrected" a lot of its mistakes.”
Heatmap: Biden Is Imperiling a Tremendous Climate Legacy
ROBINSON MEYER, 7/10/24
“Let’s start here: Joe Biden is losing the presidential election. He is now roughly 2 points behind Donald Trump in national polls, according to the FiveThirtyEight average. Though that may sound small, no Democrat has been further behind in the polls, at this point in the election, since Al Gore in 2000,” Robinson Meyer writes for Heatmap. “Some of this collapse is due to fatigue with Democrats in general, part of a global wave of anti-incumbent fervor. But at least some is specific to Biden. In some swing state polls, a large gap has opened up between Biden and the Democratic Senate candidate. Senator Tammy Baldwin, for instance, is running 12 points ahead of Biden in Wisconsin, according to an AARP poll released on Tuesday. Wisconsin is one of three key states that the president must win to clinch re-election. This is, obviously, a significant problem for Democrats. Senator Michael Bennett, a Democrat of Colorado, believes the party is on track to lose control of the House and Senate in addition to the presidency. But it is a particular issue for those who believe the American economy should decarbonize. Biden alone among candidates in the presidential election has an impressive climate record: He fought for the passage of — and subsequently signed — the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate law in American history. For 30 years, Democrats had tried and failed to pass comprehensive climate legislation through the U.S. Senate; it finally happened under Biden’s watch. The Biden administration has also used its considerable presidential powers to lower carbon emissions: The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules that would significantly cut heat-trapping pollution from power plants, cars and trucks, and the oil and gas sector, and the Department of Energy and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have each set out their own emissions-reducing rules… “I don’t need to go over the litany of Trump’s environmental misdeeds, but suffice it to say that during his time in office, Donald Trump demonstrated a distinct glee in tearing up climate regulations and blocking decarbonization. He withdrew America from the Paris Agreement, rolled back the EPA’s climate rules, and deemed climate change a “hoax.” In his second term, he again seeks to overturn the EPA’s new climate proposals, including requirements that automakers sell more electric vehicles. The Heritage Foundation’s more complete plans for a second Trump administration — dubbed Project 2025 — calls for closing dozens of government offices concerned with climate change, ending energy efficiency standards, repealing the IRA’s tax credits, and breaking up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Suffice it to say: Biden is the only serious candidate in the race who wants to do something about climate change. He is the climate candidate, and he has a climate record to run on. But Biden has miserably failed to communicate any of these policy successes to the masses. Nearly 60% of voters said they knew little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the Heatmap Climate Poll, conducted late last year.”