EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/8/24
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Enbridge defeats Whitmer on motion in federal Line 5 case
CNN: Burgum set to decide on massive pipeline project that’s pitting his rural constituents against GOP megadonors
Brownfield Ag News: Next Step for Carbon Pipeline: Dakota Permits
KSOM: Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Discusses Pipeline Project
KCHA: Floyd County Ponders Next Steps After IUB Grants Summit Pipeline Permit
The Narwhal: ‘Really good content’ from the TC tower
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Supreme Court Rejects Case That Would Have Handcuffed Congress
E&E News: 'I Know Nothing About Project 2025': Trump Scorns Conservative Effort
Sierra Club: Judge Issues Preliminary Decision to Block LNG Pause
E&E News: Chevron’s Death Gives Life To New Environment And Energy Lawsuits
E&E News: Coalition Works To Bolster US Climate Commitments Ahead Of Election
E&E News: BLM Land Sale To Refinery Could Harm Rare Toad, Enviros Say
E&E News: Enviros Target Trump-Era Clean Air Act Permitting Rule
Axios: Dems And Europeans Push IEA On Methane
E&E News: Meet the Christian oil mogul spending big to elect Trump
STATE UPDATES
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon Democrats join 40 federal lawmakers urging rehearing on landmark youth climate case
Louisiana Illuminator: Regulators asked to deny permits for giant Louisiana plastics plant
Inside Climate News: Governors in the West Seek Profitability for Industrial and Natural Carbon Removal Projects
North Dakota Monitor: MHA chair opposes federal methane rule, citing risk to oil development
E&E News: Texas Oil Regulators Seek To Reverse Lizard’s Endangered Status
E&E News: Calif. oil regulator blasted out well permits before — and after — drilling law took effect
KDNK: Thompson Divide Gets 20-Year Protection From New Oil And Gas Leasing
Northern Journal: Inside a company’s bid to make Alaska’s next big oil field lower-carbon
Louisiana Illuminator: Gov. Landry accuses EPA of trying to close Denka plant in LaPlace
E&E News: Newsom administration proposal: Delay corporate climate reporting for two years
StateImpact NPR: In U.S., Overall Emissions Down As Oil And Gas Production Rises — But In Pa. Region, Emissions Are Up
Signal Tribune: Residents question Signal Hill’s actions at second public hearing for oil drilling extension
Cowboy State Daily: Gordon Targets Environmental Activists Who Want To Sabotage Wyoming Lease Sale
Colorado Sun: Plan to drill 155 oil and gas wells near Lowry landfill in Aurora gets endorsement of top regulator
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Oil company may buy 200 acres of Nevada’s public land
KATV: A dozen turtles, frogs and other animals recovered from oil spill by Smackover
JC Post: Power restored, road still closed after Kansas oil spill
EXTRACTION
New York Times: Facing New ‘Greenwashing’ Law, an Oil Industry Website Goes Dark
Canadian Press: More carbon capture projects to be green-lit soon: Natural Resources Minister
Bloomberg: Wildfires Boost Canadian Crude Prices as Suncor Cuts Production
Bloomberg: LNG Pioneer Ousted From Tellurian Attempts To Buy Back Stake
Rigzone: Aramco Awards $25B Contracts for Gas Projects
Press release: Wolf Midstream announces $1 billion Phase Two expansion of its NGL North System
CBC: How carbon capture could revolutionize the concrete industry [VIDEO]
Skyquest: Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Market is Expected to Grow from 2.52 Billion 2023 to reach 6.16 Billion in 2031
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: Republican challenge to ESG investing rule could showcase risk to US agency powers
Bloomberg: List Of Money Managers Axing Oil Stocks Gets Longer
OPINION
Sioux City Journal: IUB's pipeline ruling puts public more at risk
The Circle News: Enbridge 5.0, an Orwellian hearing
The Organization for World Peace: Canada’s B.C. Pipeline Advances At The Expense Of Indigenous Reconciliation And The Environment
Houston Chronicle: Texas Railroad Commission wants authority over dangerous and experimental carbon capture wells
Bloomberg: A Giant Carbon Dump Gives Glimpse Into Net-Zero Future
South China Morning Post: Let’s get real, carbon capture is not the next big net-zero hope
Maritime Executive: Carbon Capture is No Silver Bullet, But Holds Opportunities for Shipping
Northeast Times: Carbon capture and storage is key to sustaining Pennsylvania’s energy dominance
Wisconsin Examiner: Wisconsin’s clean energy commitments at risk
The Hill: With Chevron overturned, Americans’ faith in government will sink even further
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Enbridge defeats Whitmer on motion in federal Line 5 case
Beth LeBlanc, 7/6/24
“A federal judge has rejected the Whitmer administration's attempt to dismiss a case brought by Enbridge Inc. that seeks to continue the distribution of oil through the Straits of Mackinac,” The Detroit News reports. “The lawsuit was filed by Enbridge in 2020 after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources revoked Enbridge's easement that allows Line 5 to transport oil and other petroleum products through the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge is seeking a federal court ruling affirming its right to continue transmission through the Straits, which would enable it to continue building a tunnel in which to place the dual pipeline. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker, who recently inherited the case from a colleague, found that the state was unable to establish sovereign immunity grounds that trigger a dismissal. Sovereign immunity protects states or state officials from being sued in federal court. There are exceptions to the sovereign immunity rule, Jonker noted, including one that allows for federal litigation if it's necessary to force a state official to comply with federal law. Enbridge's filing "squarely" falls under that exception, the judge wrote… “Jonker did not rule Friday on separate motions from Enbridge seeking summary disposition in favor of the Canadian oil giant's right to continue operations through the Straits. Instead, the judge said he would hold oral arguments on July 31 on the matter… “Aside from the three lawsuits filed in relation to the pipeline, Canada in 2021 invoked a never before used 1977 treaty that prevents either country from taking actions in relation to transit pipeline that may harm the energy supply in either country. Those negotiations are ongoing.”
CNN: Burgum set to decide on massive pipeline project that’s pitting his rural constituents against GOP megadonors
Allison Gordon and Casey Tolan, 7/3/24
“As Donald Trump is considering him for his vice-presidential pick, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum could play a deciding role in allowing a massive carbon dioxide pipeline project – backed by GOP megadonors who have given to Burgum and Trump’s campaigns – to seize property rights from rural landowners in his state,” CNN reports. “Burgum’s vocal backing of the project so far is a sign of his transformation over the last decade, from a gubernatorial candidate who originally criticized the political influence of the energy industry, to one who’s used his close ties with oil executives, including a major investor in the pipeline project, to boost his vice-presidential prospects. Critics say the project could have a detrimental environmental impact in North Dakota, and a group of landowners have strongly resisted the company’s plans to build a pipeline across or store carbon dioxide under their property. That’s put political pressure on Burgum, who’s part of a three-member state committee set to vote this fall on a permit that would pave the way for the project to use a form of eminent domain power. “For a lot of people, land can be just an investment, but if you’re a farmer or a rancher and it’s your land, it is in your lifeblood,” Troy Coons, a farmer who leads an advocacy group for North Dakota landowners, told CNN. “It’s been very disheartening to see how our governor has not held true to what the promises were for the farming and ranching community” about protecting property rights… “It’s been strange to see the different groups that have come together,” Derrick Braaten, a North Dakota lawyer who’s representing dozens of landowners opposed to the project, told CNN. “You’ll see the Sierra Club and the Farm Bureau – diametrically opposed organizations – walking hand in hand making the same arguments against this. You don’t know what world you live in anymore.” “It just turns our property into a landfill, or a hazardous waste site,” Mike Bauman, whose family farm is in the pipeline’s proposed path, told CNN. He accused Summit of aggressive negotiation tactics, relying on the threat of eminent domain. Bauman, whose job involves land negotiations for the federal government, told CNN that “if I did any of the negotiations that these guys do – threatening that I’m just going to seize and take your property – I would no longer have a job, nor would I even be probably sitting in normal society.” “...Kurt Swenson, who owns about 1,400 acres in central North Dakota where the company aims to store carbon dioxide, told state regulators that the project threatens to permanently destroy the prairie grassland where his wife’s family has lived for more than a century. “The state can try and take it,” Swenson declared at the hearing. “You’re going to end up taking it from my cold, dead hands.” In an interview, Swenson told CNN he had voted for Burgum twice and had once considered him a strong conservative – but after the governor’s support for the pipeline project, he didn’t want to see him elevated to national office. “He’s clearly changed from how he put himself out to be initially,” Swenson told CNN.
Brownfield Ag News: Next Step for Carbon Pipeline: Dakota Permits
Carah Hart, 7/2/24
“The CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions says permit application approval in Iowa was a good first step for the carbon pipeline project and now, attention turns to permit approvals in the Dakotas,” Brownfield Ag News reports. “Lee Blank tells Brownfield two permits are needed in North Dakota, one for construction and the other for carbon storage, and one permit for construction in South Dakota, is needed to start the first phase of the project. “We’re waiting on two rulings in North Dakota and we’d anticipate those rulings becoming transparent later in the summer. We were denied our permit in South Dakota initially last September, but we’ll soon reapply in South Dakota and get that process moving.” He told Brownfield the Iowa permit application approval should help with approval in other states… “Blank told Brownfield the company has been working to reroute the project and improving landowner engagement in South Dakota. “I think it’s fair to say, I don’t think we’ll find a route that gives everyone comfort, but ultimately we’re working hard to find the majority of folks that we would affect who are supportive to what we’re doing.” “...He told Brownfield pending permit approvals in the Dakotas, the construction on the first phase of the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline could begin in 2025 and the construction would take at least one year. He told Brownfield the company will pursue permits in Minnesota and Nebraska for phase 2 of the project.”
KSOM: Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Discusses Pipeline Project
Mandy Billings, 7/4/24
“...CEO Lee Blank says there is plenty of work still ahead,” KSOM reports. “The board says it will require Summit to submit many revised exhibits before construction is allowed… “And until carbon is better sequestered in the system, Midwest crops are not yet able to qualify for new markets like sustainable aviation fuel. Over double, in fact. The SAF market is projected to be worth 40 billion dollars… “In South Dakota, they will soon refile for the permit process. So, with the permit in Iowa, Blank says the next step is. As for concerns, with 3.3 million miles of commodity pipelines across the country, Blank claims they are proven to be safe. Additionally, Summit is building new.”
KCHA: Floyd County Ponders Next Steps After IUB Grants Summit Pipeline Permit
Mark Pitz, 7/2/24
“What’s next for Floyd County legally in the wake of the Iowa Utilities Commission (formerly the Iowa Utilities Board) decision to grant Summit Carbon Solutions a permit to build an underground carbon capture pipeline could be known this week,” KCHA reports. “During Friday (06.28) afternoon’s Floyd County Board of Supervisors meeting, Chair Mark Kuhn says they’re going to let the dust settle before taking further steps in their efforts to have more say towards possibly regulating the pipeline’s construction. He says Floyd County and six other counties will get a better idea how to proceed after consulting with Tim Whipple with Ahlers & Cooney, PC. Kuhn also noted that about a dozen property and landowners in the County have, to this point, rejected Summit’s efforts to secure voluntary easements to build the pipeline and are opposed to the use of eminent domain to secure the rest of the land they need along its proposed route.”
The Narwhal: ‘Really good content’ from the TC tower
Karan Saxena, 7/5/24
“Former Trump staffers gathering intelligence on geopolitical crises and working with the head of Canada’s spy agency. Getting “really good content” published in a major U.S. newspaper that decries the Biden administration’s pause on LNG. Using Indigenous leaders as “validators” to sway government decisions. These are just some more claims that TC Energy executives made at internal “lunch and learn” sessions, recorded and leaked to The Narwhal… “This week, we detailed how an ex-staffer to former U.S. president Donald Trump talked about how executives based in Washington, D.C., worked to influence Canadian policies — including supplying the head of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) industry-friendly proposals to help TC access classified information. After we asked TC Energy about all of the claims, one of the officials said he had resigned from the company and that some of his recorded comments described events that never actually happened. But TC Energy hasn’t given us straight answers about a number of the claims made on their internal calls. For example, other executives discussed how they parsed through “Russian-state propaganda” and supplied content to the Wall Street Journal — which they say was published in an op-ed signed by the paper’s editorial board. “I wouldn’t say this much outside the walls of the TC tower, but this editorial wouldn’t have happened without our involvement,” Edward Burrier, TC Energy’s director of public policy, said on one of the calls. “Our communications team packaged that for the Journal editorial page and they went with it, … so some really impactful teamwork there.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Supreme Court Rejects Case That Would Have Handcuffed Congress
Pamela King, 7/2/24
“Four days after the Supreme Court wiped out the Chevron doctrine, the justices declined to dig in on another legal theory that could deal a massive blow to agency powers,” E&E News reports. “In orders issued Tuesday, the justices rejected Allstates Refractory Contractors v. Su, a case that targeted the ‘nearly unfettered’ power of the federal government to write permanent safety standards for U.S. businesses — and which could have curbed the ability of Congress to hand power to agencies like EPA. Most petitions that make their way to the high court are rejected without explanation. But two justices indicated in Tuesday’s orders that they would have voted to take up Allstates, which had asked the Supreme Court to revive the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine. The doctrine bars legislators from handing too much power to agencies. “Because the standard this Court currently applies to determine whether Congress has impermissibly delegated legislative power ‘largely abdicates our duty to enforce that prohibition,’ I would grant the petition,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a dissent. Justice Neil Gorsuch also indicated that he would have granted Allstates. Thomas said in his written dissent that all of his conservative colleagues except Amy Coney Barrett — enough justices to grant a petition and form a majority ruling — have shown an interest in revisiting the nondelegation doctrine. He cited as evidence Supreme Court cases and matters that predated Barrett’s arrival in 2020.”
E&E News: 'I Know Nothing About Project 2025': Trump Scorns Conservative Effort
Timothy Cama, 7/8/24
“Former President Donald Trump is trying to distance himself from the increasingly controversial policy playbook assembled for him by conservatives,” E&E News reports. “Trump said in a social media post Friday that he knows nothing about Project 2025 but also that some of its parts are ‘absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.’ The post came as Democrats and President Joe Biden’s campaign ramp up efforts to highlight and denounce the ideas in Project 2025 and make it a vulnerability for the former president as he campaigns to take back the White House. Asked about the issue Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said to be on Trump’s short list for vice president, told CNN: ‘Think tanks do think tank stuff. They come up with ideas. They say things.’ The project’s ideas include cutting regulations across the board, slashing EPA climate change efforts, and focusing the Interior Department on efforts to boost coal, oil and natural gas production on federal lands and offshore areas. “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the platform he owns. “Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
Sierra Club: Judge Issues Preliminary Decision to Block LNG Pause
7/2/24
“Yesterday, a Trump-appointed judge in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration's pause on liquefied methane gas export approvals. While the order does not require the authorization of any new LNG facilities, it requires the Department of Energy to continue its review of pending LNG export applications. The judge’s order does not stop the DOE from its ongoing update of the data and analysis used in its Public Interest Determination process for determining whether to authorize new LNG export permits. This follows last week's decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to permit a large gas export terminal, CP2 LNG, that would have the equivalent emissions of 46 coal-fired power plants. In reaction, Sierra Club Staff Attorney Louisa Eberle released the following statement: “While the ruling requires DOE to proceed with evaluating pending LNG applications, this preliminary injunction does not order DOE to issue any specific decisions or stop the critical process of updating the data it relies on to determine whether those applications are in the public interest as required by law. By making sure it has the most up-to-date information around liquified methane gas export impacts, DOE is simply fulfilling its most basic function as an agency and protecting people from harm. Deciding whether or not to approve LNG export applications has serious consequences for how much Americans pay for energy and whether there is clean air and water to support healthy local communities and ensure thriving local industries, like fishing. DOE has the authority—and obligation—to adequately review the true impacts of LNG exports, and we believe they will come to the same conclusion we have, which is that expanded LNG exports are not in the public interest and the pending applications should be denied.”
E&E News: Chevron’s Death Gives Life To New Environment And Energy Lawsuits
Pamela King, 7/2/24
“Industry groups are wasting no time devising new legal strategies to defeat federal environmental rules after the Supreme Court demolished the Chevron doctrine last week,” E&E News reports. “In its Friday ruling that axed the doctrine — which helped agencies like EPA defend their regulations in court — the high court’s conservative supermajority said that past cases decided on Chevron grounds would not be affected. But opponents of rules on climate change and other key issues say there are still plenty of opportunities to call on the decision to loosen the grip of federal regulators. “The legal and regulatory landscape has transformed in the blink of an eye,” Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, which has challenged EPA rules in court, told E&E. “Manufacturers will not waste a moment in seizing this opportunity — an opportunity that we have never seen before — to leverage this decision to rein in the regulations that are holding back manufacturers from improving lives.”
E&E News: Coalition Works To Bolster US Climate Commitments Ahead Of Election
Sara Schonhardt, 7/3/24
“A group of high-profile experts and advocates is pushing President Joe Biden to adopt stronger climate commitments as the nation veers toward an uncertain election that could put former President Donald Trump back in the White House,” E&E News reports. “The pitch: Submit new emissions reduction targets to the United Nations partly based on policy proposals from cities, states and industries. “Knowing what we know about different people on the ticket right now, it’s important to think about what different levels of government can do,” Nathan Hultman, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability and a former adviser to climate envoy John Kerry, told E&E. The Center for Global Sustainability has produced an initial analysis examining how climate commitments from cities, states, businesses and academia, along with federal support, could feed a more robust national target. It’s an update of the Center’s efforts in 2017, when Trump announced he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. The group has shared the analysis with officials in the White House, State Department and other federal agencies responsible for crafting America’s official climate targets for submission to the U.N. The Center is also working with America Is All In, a coalition of climate advocates managed by former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, to get input on the analysis from a variety of groups and government officials.”
E&E News: BLM Land Sale To Refinery Could Harm Rare Toad, Enviros Say
Scott Streater, 7/1/24
“The proposed sale of nearly 250 acres of federal land in east-central Nevada to an oil refinery for future growth has sparked a debate about whether the move could harm a rare toad,” E&E News reports. “The Bureau of Land Management on Friday published a draft environmental assessment detailing the potential sale of BLM land southwest of Ely, Nevada, to the Foreland Refinery, which holds a right-of-way permit and operates a refinery on 40 acres… “BLM also published an unsigned ‘finding of no significant impacts,’ or FONSI, that would advance the land sale. The publication of both documents kicks of a 45-day public comment period ‘concerning the proposed land sale, scope of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant information and studies’ in the draft EA running through Aug. 12, according to a notice in Friday’s Federal Register. The draft EA notes that ‘internal scoping’ with an interdisciplinary team of subject matter experts has been ongoing on the land sale since September 2021. It also says that consultation with two Native American tribes in the region was conducted around that time and there were no objections to the sale.”
E&E News: Enviros Target Trump-Era Clean Air Act Permitting Rule
Sean Reilly, 7/3/24
“Environmental and community groups are pressing EPA to scrap a Trump-era industrial air permitting policy,” E&E News reports. “The agency is due to issue a rule aimed at bolstering oversight of a program that determines when expanding facilities, like manufacturing plants, require additional air pollution controls. “To prevent increased air pollution that harms public health, we call on EPA to rescind the Project Emissions Accounting Rule,” the Southern Environmental Law Center and more than 150 other organizations wrote in comments filed just before Tuesday’s deadline for written feedback on the proposed changes. Under that draft published in May, the agency would revisit a 2020 change to the thresholds for deciding whether a planned plant expansion or other upgrade warrants scrutiny under the New Source Review program, which aims to protect communities from increases in industrial air emissions. Business organizations also want EPA to pull the plug, albeit in favor of leaving the 2020 policy unchanged. While different administrations “will inevitably attempt to orient their regulations toward different policy outcomes, it is critical that each administration ensure that their proposed and final regulatory revisions are factually supported and reasonably justified,” the Steel Manufacturers Association wrote in comments dated Tuesday. The draft rule does not meet that threshold, the trade group added in urging EPA not to make it final.”
Axios: Dems And Europeans Push IEA On Methane
Nick Sobczyk, 7/3/24
“Hill Democrats and EU lawmakers want the International Energy Agency to draw up global standards for measuring methane emissions from oil and gas,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: Methane is a mega greenhouse gas, but measuring it accurately in the oil and gas supply chain and reducing leaks have been longstanding regulatory challenges. Driving the news: The lawmakers want IEA to create an “international standard for measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) of methane emissions and a methane emissions intensity index,” per a letter seen by Axios.”
E&E News: Meet the Christian oil mogul spending big to elect Trump
Mike Soraghan, 7/8/24
“Donald Trump has a new friend in the oil industry, but billionaire Tim Dunn probably has a lot more in mind than “drill, baby, drill.” The CEO of CrownRock is an evangelical Christian from Midland who pulled an oil fortune from the plains of West Texas. He remains largely unknown outside of the Lone Star State, where he has spent more than $30 million to push state politics and policy far to the right. Now, he’s going national with his efforts. Late last year, the Texas oilman ensconced himself among Trump’s top donors with a $5 million contribution,” E&E News reports. “It’s not too much to say he has reshaped Texas politics,” University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus told E&E. “Dunn hopes that what is working in Texas will work across the country. The time is good. The ground is soft.” Dunn did his reshaping not by fighting Democrats so much as financing primary challenges to Republicans who don’t conform to his religious-right orthodoxy. Now, he is harnessing his petrodollars to gravitate into Trump’s orbit. He joined the board of directors of the America First Policy Institute, considered a policy and personnel incubator for a potential second Trump administration. He’s gone into business with Brad Parscale, the pollster who’s back helping Trump’s 2024 effort. And he is the longtime vice chair of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which supplied some of Trump’s most controversial nominees and is now contributing to a policy road map for Trump called Project 2025… “He’s part of a constellation of oil moguls feeding Trump’s campaign. Oil production and natural gas exports have reached record levels during the Biden administration, but the industry is seeking a more favorable regulatory environment. Its lawyers are drawing up ready-to-sign executive orders for Trump to roll back pollution limits, boost natural gas exports and increase offshore leases. While the Biden administration is focused on boosting clean energy — with the goal of a carbon-free grid by 2035 — Dunn has bristled at talk of transitioning away from fossil fuels.”
STATE UPDATES
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon Democrats join 40 federal lawmakers urging rehearing on landmark youth climate case
ALEX BAUMHARDT, 7/1/24
“More than three dozen Congressional Democrats, led by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, are hoping to help revive a landmark lawsuit against the U.S. government by 21 young Americans – including 11 Oregonians – over continued federal support for fossil fuel production and a failure to urgently mitigate the worst effects of climate change, violating their right to a livable environment,” the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. “The case, Juliana v. United States, was first filed in the U.S. District Court in Eugene nearly 10 years ago. At the time, the youth behind the suit were between eight- and 18-years old. It has not gone to trial following pressure from three presidential administrations, which asked the court multiple times to have the case dismissed. The intervention from lawmakers follows other briefs in support of a rehearing submitted in June by several law professors and more than a dozen international climate rights experts. The case is the longest running such suit. Young people have also sued state governments in Montana and Hawaii for violating state constitutional rights to safe and livable environments – and they won. In the Juliana suit, fossil fuel companies, the U.S. Department of Justice, former President Donald Trump and Republican states attorneys general have filed court documents against the case. It was deemed effectively dead in May, when three Trump-appointed judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco sided with the U.S. Department of Justice in ordering the case to be dismissed. In response, the attorney for the youth behind the case, Julia Olson, filed a request June 17 for a rehearing by the Ninth Circuit. On Friday, Wyden and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, filed an “amicus brief” or “friend of the court brief” urging the court to grant it. It was signed by 39 other Congressional Democrats, including Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Oregon Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Val Hoyle. .. “If the majority of the 29 judges on the Ninth Circuit agree the case can be reheard, 11 of them will listen to the arguments from both sides and issue a new decision about a trial. If they again deny a trial, the 21 plaintiffs could petition the U.S. Supreme Court as a last resort.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Regulators asked to deny permits for giant Louisiana plastics plant
TERRY L. JONES, 7/2/24
“Environmental law advocates have asked Louisiana’s environmental regulating agency not to renew the air permits for a controversial planned plastics manufacturing facility, citing new federal air quality standards limiting toxic soot and dust pollution,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “In a separate action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental advocates and local residents also are asking Louisiana to investigate what they say is mercury-laden dust from the Atalco Gramercy refinery, which produces alumina, an ingredient in making aluminum. Attorneys with the national nonprofit environmental law group EarthJustice say the massive complex Formosa Plastics intends to build in St. James Parish would cause “widespread violations” of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for particulate matter, commonly referred to as soot. EarthJustice, representing six environmental justice groups, alleges the mammoth 2,400-acre, $9.4 billion complex would exceed what’s allowed under federal Clean Air Act standards for many miles around. The facility would exacerbate the already poor air plaguing communities in the heavily-industrialized corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge known as “Cancer Alley,” EarthJustice said. “We wanted to get this in now so that (Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality) was aware of the problem, at a time when it can work to correct it,” Mike Brown, a senior attorney with EarthJustice based in New Orleans, told Floodlight. “When they get this application, they need to reduce Formosa Plastics emissions so that it isn’t worsening the problem.” EarthJustice on Thursday submitted a nearly 30-page letter to LDEQ asking the agency to deny Formosa’s impending renewal of its air permits… “Residents like Jo Banner, who lives near the refinery, have complained to state and federal agencies about thick clouds of red mercury-laden dust spewing from the refinery. “It’s been horrible. I call it chemical warfare,” Banner, co-founder of the local nonprofit advocacy group The Descendants Project, told Floodlight. “We wake up in the morning and our outdoor furniture is covered in this red soot; our cars, our homes, our pets. The smell of it, it makes your eyes burn. I’m sick of what we’re continually having to bear with this plant.”
Inside Climate News: Governors in the West Seek Profitability for Industrial and Natural Carbon Removal Projects
Jake Bolster, 7/3/24
“Should the West become a proving ground for fledging carbon capture technology, or bolster conservation and land management projects that naturally sequester carbon emissions? “Both” was the conclusion several Western states reached last month when Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon released a “Decarbonizing the West” report, intended to foster bipartisan support for ways western states can shrink their carbon footprints,” Inside Climate News reports. “The report focused mainly on how western states can help pioneer industrial and natural methods of removing carbon from emissions and the atmosphere. But it made few mentions of how the region could ramp up its transition to renewable energy to reduce the carbon-loaded emissions warming the atmosphere… “Decarbonizing the West proposed two pathways western states could pursue to lower their carbon footprint, one using technologies, some of which are still being developed, and the other using nature. The high-tech approaches include carbon capture, utilization and storage, a nascent industry that hopes to one day pull millions of tons of the planet-warming carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, as well as technologies already being implemented to capture carbon from smokestack emissions. The natural methods would use conservation, rewilding and even resource extraction projects to help nature absorb and sequester more CO2… “Fossil fuels and their accompanying emissions, which are largely responsible for the increasing atmospheric carbon driving climate change, were not under much scrutiny in the report. Instead, Gordon used the document to shift focus away from “curtailing the use of fossil fuels” across the West towards strategies and policies Western states could adopt to commodify emissions sequestration efforts.”
North Dakota Monitor: MHA chair opposes federal methane rule, citing risk to oil development
MARY STEURER, 7/5/24
“Mark Fox, chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, said he fears a new federal methane rule could stall oil and gas development on the Fort Berthold Reservation,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “We have concerns to express,” he told the Monitor about the regulation from the Bureau of Land Management. “Anything that’s going to impede our sovereign process, we take an interest in.” The rule, which is being challenged in court by North Dakota and other energy states, tightens regulations on oil operators in an attempt to rein in natural gas emissions. It also clarifies when operators must compensate property owners for the flaring, or burning, of natural gas. The BLM estimates the new rule will generate more than $50 million per year in additional royalties… “He acknowledged that the MHA Nation must strike a difficult balance between protecting its land and keeping energy development growing… “Fort Berthold POWER, a conservation organization and affiliate of the Dakota Resource Council, has taken the stance that the rules are necessary to reduce the waste of natural resources in the production of oil and gas. “My ancestors worked hard not to waste any resources,” state Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, co-founder of Fort Berthold POWER, told the Monitor. “To my people the earth is sacred and to waste any of the earth’s natural resources is to disrespect the earth.”
E&E News: Texas Oil Regulators Seek To Reverse Lizard’s Endangered Status
Shelby Webb, 7/3/24
“Texas oil and gas regulators have asked the state’s attorney general to file a lawsuit over a federal decision to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as endangered, a classification critics say will hamper energy production,” E&E News reports. “The state Railroad Commission, which regulates Texas’ oil and gas sector, voted unanimously last week to request that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) challenge the lizard’s listing under the Endangered Species Act. Commissioners said the metrics used by the Fish and Wildlife Service to make the decision were flawed — and that the move was politically motivated to hurt oil and gas. The listing affects the Permian Basin, which is the most prolific oil region in the U.S. with output across Texas and New Mexico that accounts for nearly half of domestic oil production. “The Biden administration doubled down on their attack of the oil and gas industry with their latest Endangered Species Act action,” Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick told E&E. “By ignoring the existing conservation plans made by state and industry leaders to protect potential Dunes Sagebrush Lizard habitat, the administration makes it clear that this is nothing more than a political game.”
E&E News: Calif. oil regulator blasted out well permits before — and after — drilling law took effect
Wes Venteicher, 7/8/24
“California’s oil and gas regulator was actively issuing a series of permits for new wells when a new law took effect last month prohibiting those wells, the California Geologic Energy Management Division acknowledged Wednesday,” E&E News reports. “CalGEM issued 30 permits to Long Beach-based Synergy Oil & Gas to drill new wells in the hours immediately before and after a law banning drilling within 3,200 feet of homes and other buildings went into effect June 27. The agency was attempting to fulfill terms of a wetlands restoration deal near Long Beach before the law kicked in the evening of June 27 but only ended up getting 21 of the 30 permits out in time, CalGEM spokesperson Jacob Roper told E&E. California’s SB 1137, which bans drilling within 3,200 feet of most occupied buildings, went live when the California Independent Petroleum Association withdrew a referendum challenge to it. The Center for Biological Diversity accused CalGEM last Monday of violating the law, and the agency rescinded nine permits it determined were issued after the deadline, Roper told E&E.”
KDNK: Thompson Divide Gets 20-Year Protection From New Oil And Gas Leasing
Amy Hadden Marsh, 7/2/24
“In April 2024, U.S Interior Secretary Deb Haalandofficially withdrew almost 222,000 acres of federal land on the Thompson Divide in western Colorado from new mineral extraction and geothermal leases for the next two decades,” KDNK reports. “This victory was a long time coming, and involved people from all walks of life working together. ‘In talking to people, I kept finding different ways that people were saying the very same thing: We’re blessed with an environment that adds to the health of our lifestyle,” Dorothea Farris, local activist and former Pitkin County Commissioner, told KDNK about the beginnings of her work to protect the Thompson Divide. Farris lives in Colorado’s Crystal River Valley. She was a founding member of the Thompson Divide Coalition, which came together in 2009 to figure out how to defend the Divide come hell or high water. “And we have a responsibility there that we are not taking…of keeping it clean, keeping the air, the water, the people responsible for what they’ve been blessed with.” She told KDNK that the coalition started off as a disparate group of 10 or 15 locals having a conversation about the Thompson Divide. “We cannot allow the continuation of the extraction of minerals from a place that needs to be protected,” she told KDNK. “We need to adjust what we need and how we look at things and how we do things, and make sure we can use the land without destroying the land and do it properly.”
Northern Journal: Inside a company’s bid to make Alaska’s next big oil field lower-carbon
Max Graham, 7/7/24
“Oil companies help stoke climate change by producing fuel that warms the Earth when burned. But the Australian company building one of Alaska’s huge new oil fields says the development, Pikka, will actually be climate-friendly,” Northern Journal reports. “Like many big businesses, Santos says it will counteract its emissions in part with offsets. Those are credits that companies can earn or buy from projects that lower the levels of heat-trapping carbon in the air, such as by planting trees. Santos’ plan, though, also calls for something new to Alaska’s oil and gas industry. It wants to capture emissions from North Slope power plants and drill pads, and even to suck carbon dioxide directly out of the air — then inject the stuff into the ground where it can’t warm the planet. The company’s focus on decarbonizing is part of a wider industry push across Alaska, and the globe: Companies are attempting to give oil, gas, and coal something of a climate makeover amid increasing pressure from investors, advocates and regulators. ConocoPhillips, which is building the other big new North Slope project, Willow, says it’s evaluating its own carbon capture and sequestration options, and it has targets for curbing emissions across all its operations. In a state where elected leaders largely dismiss the need to reduce carbon emissions, it’s a different approach from Alaska’s established oil industry players — one that’s more aligned with European giants like BP and Shell, which face stringent government climate regulations and have invested billions in renewable energy.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Gov. Landry accuses EPA of trying to close Denka plant in LaPlace
WESLEY MULLER, 7/2/24
“Top Louisiana officials are lining up in support of a St. John the Baptist Parish petrochemical plant, in defiance of a federal regulation that Gov. Jeff Landry says is unfair,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “As a show of support, Landry held a news conference Monday at the Denka Performance Elastomers facility in LaPlace flanked by Attorney General Liz Murrill and Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Auriella Giacometto. Landry railed against a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that he says could shut down the plant and accused the Biden administration of targeting a single company. As a result, Louisiana jobs could be lost to China, the governor said. Last week, a federal court in Washington, D.C., rejected Denka’s request to stall an EPA rule that gave the company 90 days to lower the amount of chloroprene and ethylene oxide it emits into the air. Both are potent air toxics that can cause cancer. The rule is scheduled to take effect July 15. Last week’s court ruling prompted Landry to step up in defense of the company. Murrill filed a petition Monday in the D.C. court to challenge the EPA rule, while Giacometto announced DEQ is giving the company a two-year extension to comply with the new pollution standards. It’s unclear whether the state’s authority will be recognized in the federal case.”
E&E News: Newsom administration proposal: Delay corporate climate reporting for two years
Debra Kahn, 7/2/24
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration on Friday proposed delaying a pair of landmark laws requiring large businesses to report their greenhouse gas footprints and exposure to climate risk,” E&E News reports. “The Department of Finance released budget trailer bill language that would delay the implementation of S.B. 253 and S.B. 261 by two years, until 2028. The 2023 laws by Sens. Scott Wiener and Henry Stern are the first in the nation to require full disclosure of companies' greenhouse gas emissions and climate risk. They've sparked a fierce lobbying and legal battle, with the U.S. and California Chambers of Commerce suing over them. Wiener — chair of the powerful Senate Budget Committee — told E&E he opposes the administration's proposal and that it doesn't reflect an agreement with lawmakers. “The language posted by the Department of Finance does not represent an agreement with the Legislature," Wiener told E&E. "The Legislature has *not* agreed to the Administration’s proposed delay to SB 253’s implementation. The Administration’s proposal significantly delays the implementation of a landmark climate action law that already has a 6 year phase-in.”
StateImpact NPR: In U.S., Overall Emissions Down As Oil And Gas Production Rises — But In Pa. Region, Emissions Are Up
Unnati Akhouri, 7/1/24
“Carbon dioxide and methane emissions declined as oil and gas production rose across the U.S. between 2015-2022, according to a new study. However, in the region that includes Pennsylvania, the story is different: Reported total emissions – carbon dioxide plus methane – have gone up by 4 percent as oil and gas production increased,” StateImpact NPR reports. “The study is based on data that companies report to the Environmental Protection Agency. It was conducted by Ceres and Clean Air Task Force, two non-profit advocacy groups, and Environmental Resources Management, a sustainability consultancy.”
Signal Tribune: Residents question Signal Hill’s actions at second public hearing for oil drilling extension
SAMANTHA DIAZ, 7/1/24
“In a more intimate setting, the City of Signal Hill held its second public meeting on June 24 regarding a proposed 20-year Conditional Use Permit (CUP) extension for Signal Hill Petroleum,” the Signal Tribune reports. “Multiple residents requested a second public hearing at the initial June 4 meeting, where the Signal Hill City Council Chambers were packed to standing room only. Despite these requests, only a fraction of residents attended the second public hearing.The EIR concluded its public commenting period on June 24, following a month-long window when residents could send in their written comments or questions about the project… “The five residents who spoke at the June 24 public hearing also spoke at the June 4 meeting, asking questions about how Signal Hill Petroleum affects the groundwater, how accurate the data in the EIR is and how they calculated the effects on tribal cultural resources. Most of the comments however, were aimed at the City itself, asking why officials didn’t put more effort into promoting the public hearings or educating residents about the project. “Over the past few months, organizers like myself have been reaching out to Signal Hill residents to inform them about Signal Hill Petroleum’s plans to not only continue toxic oil drilling operations, but add even more wells in these residents’ backyards,” said Andrea Vega, Southern California senior organizer with Food & Water Watch. “The vast majority of residents we spoke with had no idea that a proposed neighborhood drilling expansion project was in the works, with many expressing their concerns about even more drilling in their communities …”This environmental analysis is one of the worst I’ve seen in 25 years of reviewing such documents,” said Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “It blatantly ignores both the law and the harm to those living in these neighborhoods. This dangerous project needs to be stopped for our health and the climate before it’s too late.”
Cowboy State Daily: Gordon Targets Environmental Activists Who Want To Sabotage Wyoming Lease Sale
Pat Maio, 7/4/24
“Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has signed an emergency order to implement changes in next week’s state-led oil and gas lease auction to keep environmental activist groups from driving up bids and taking energy-rich properties out of the hands of developers,” the Cowboy State Daily reports. “The issue arose last year after Casper-based Kirkwood Oil & Gas LLC went up against an anonymous bidder with an environmental activist group based in Wyoming, the Lander-based Wyoming Outdoor Council, a statewide conservation advocacy group. The identity of the anonymous bidder was disclosed after the sale. Neither a representative with Kirkwood nor Alec Underwood, program director for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, was immediately available for comment. The emergency order grew out of legislation earlier this year that the Petroleum Association of Wyoming supported, Peter Obermueller, president of the group, told the Daily. The Wyoming Outdoor Council’s bidding war against Kirkwood “triggered our interest in nipping this in the bud before somebody with significant resources decided to wreak havoc” in the Cowboy State, Obermueller told the Daily. The new law requires the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments, which runs the auction three times a year, to determine a qualified bidder.”
Colorado Sun: Plan to drill 155 oil and gas wells near Lowry landfill in Aurora gets endorsement of top regulator
Mark Jaffe, 7/3/24
“The controversial Lowry Ranch oil and gas development project received a boost from state regulators Monday, but the residents in the drilling area are vowing to fight on, saying that it is far from a done deal,” the Colorado Sun reports. “Crestone Peak Resources is proposing to drill 155 wells from eight locations in the 32,000-acre area straddling Arapahoe County and the city of Aurora. Crestone is a subsidiary of Civitas, one of the largest oil and gas producers in the state. Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission director Julie Murphy recommended that the proposal — which is being done as a Comprehensive Area Plan or CAP — be approved. The drilling plan has sparked strong community opposition with the grassroots group Save the Aurora Reservoir, or STAR, numbering some 1,000 residents, according to organizers. An ECMC public hearing at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds May 16 drew hundreds of residents and more than three hours of testimony from homeowners, teenagers and a mother with a toddler in her arms.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Oil company may buy 200 acres of Nevada’s public land
Alan Halaly, 7/1/24
“The shift away from fossil fuels out of concern over climate change has meant a slow march away from oil,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. “However, a new proposed sale of public land would allow a Nevada oil refinery to multiply its land acreage by more than five times, though the Bureau of Land Management has said there’s no expected impact to species, water or the environment at large as of now. Foreland Refinery Corp., which was acquired by Utah-based Sky Quarry Inc. in 2022, has operated its Eagle Springs oil facility on 40 acres of public land near Tonopah since the ’80s through a “right-of-way” agreement that allowed the company to do so without owning the land. Today, the company, which didn’t respond to a request for comment, wants to own that plot of land as well as about 209 acres directly south of it. It’s unclear what the land would be used for, but the BLM said in its assessment of the sale that there would be no “new surface disturbance” in the area… “The region where the refinery is located, known as Railroad Valley, has long been the site of concern for animals and water resources… “Great Basin Director Patrick Donnelly told the Review-Journal that the center is disappointed that a federal agency would work on a deal to potentially burn more fossil fuels and further warm a state grappling with an extreme heat crisis roiled by climate change.”
KATV: A dozen turtles, frogs and other animals recovered from oil spill by Smackover
Scott Solomon, 7/3/24
“A host of reptiles and other animals were released by members of a response team into the Ouachita River yesterday. The release stems from an oil spill that occurred recently. Team members recovered and released the animals after they were cleaned and assessed by professional oil recovery contractors,” KATV reports. “Cleanup efforts are proceeding, as the spill reached portions of Holmes Creek and Smackover Creek on June 15. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says the spill came about due to a manifold leaking from the Martin Operating Partners facility, releasing an estimated 2,500 barrels of crude oil. The public is encouraged to continue boating and other recreation. According to the Arkansas Department of Health, no evidence shows that a possible risk to public health from chemicals that may be circulating in the air from the spill… “The public will have no access to the Creek, to maintain public safety.”
JC Post: Power restored, road still closed after Kansas oil spill
7/2/24
“Early Tuesday, crews restored power to customers impacted by the outage as a result of the oil spill, according to Southern Pioneer Electric,” the JC Post reports. “...Southern Pioneer thanked consumers for their patience while crews worked through the night to restore power to the affected area. Kansas Highway 2 west of Kiowa from Northstar to Highway 281 is shut down due to the oil well blowing out across the highway, according to the Barber County Sheriff… "We are looking into constructing a temporary line to bypass the impacted area. However, it has its own set of difficulties that we must consider…Ultimately, this is a situation in which we have to weigh various risks and ensure that we are keeping the safety of our consumers and crews in mind. Again, we will work to provide updates to consumers as they become available."
EXTRACTION
New York Times: Facing New ‘Greenwashing’ Law, an Oil Industry Website Goes Dark
Ian Austen, 7/6/24
“When Parliament passed a law last month banning misleading or false environmental claims in advertising, or “greenwashing,” the reaction from an alliance of six oil sands companies was swift. The website for their Pathways Alliance, pushing a carbon capture and storage plan for oil sands emissions, more or less vanished. Most of the companies scrubbed their own websites and social media pages of everything related to environmental issues,” the New York Times reports. “Once vigorously promoted by the oil industry, the Pathways Alliance website offered on Friday only a note explaining that its online presence was gone because the new law created “significant uncertainty for Canadian companies that want to communicate publicly about the work they are doing to improve their environmental performance, including to address climate change.” But the statement also insisted that the site was not an example of greenwashing… “Environmentalists, who have long characterized Pathways as a prime example of greenwashing, were having none of that argument. “Scrubbing their websites is such a telling indication of their greenwashing activity and shows that they have been making false promises about the impact of their emissions reduction plans,” Emilia Belliveau, the energy transition program manager at Environmental Defence, told the Times… “Members of the alliance want the federal government to subsidize two-thirds of that cost, arguing that oil sands could otherwise disappear. “Consumers and citizens may be concerned about the level of subsidies for carbon capture,” Mark Cameron, a vice president at Pathways, told a Senate committee in May. “If we lost 250,000 jobs, 20 billion dollars in revenue and 3 percent of our G.D.P., I think they’d be even more upset.” I asked Pathways if a representative would discuss the website shutdown and the alliance’s concerns about the new law. No one responded. But several members of the group, which includes Suncor and ExxonMobil’s Imperial Oil, posted identical statements online. They say that the companies are concerned that the law “opens the door for frivolous litigation, particularly by private entities,” and that “this represents a serious threat to freedom of communication.” “...The government’s patience also appears to be wearing thin when it comes to the energy industry’s promises about eliminating carbon emissions. “Oil and gas companies have the opportunity to redirect their record profits to decarbonize the sector, but we have not seen execution on these commitments,” Ms. Milette told the Times. “We need this industry to make the investments to cut pollution that they’ve been promising Canadians.” “...Ms. Belliveau, the environmentalist, does not share the energy industry’s optimism about carbon capture. She added that the need for further guidance from the Competition Bureau seemed unnecessary. “It is very simple: If you’re going to be making environmental claims, you need to be able to demonstrate that they’re true,” she told the Times. “This applies across the board to anybody making environmental claims. And the only group that’s really freaking out about this is the oil industry.”
Canadian Press: More carbon capture projects to be green-lit soon: Natural Resources Minister
7/4/24
“Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says he expects between 20 and 25 commercial-scale carbon capture and storage projects to break ground in Canada within the next decade,” the Canadian Press reports. “Wilkinson made the comments in an interview in Calgary, one week after Shell Canada announced it will go ahead with its Polaris carbon capture project in Alberta… “Wilkinson told CP he expects additional companies to make positive final investment decisions on carbon capture “in the coming months.” Wilkinson told CP he remains confident that the Pathways Alliance proposed carbon capture and storage network will ultimately go ahead.”
Bloomberg: Wildfires Boost Canadian Crude Prices as Suncor Cuts Production
Robert Tuttle, 7/5/24
“Canadian heavy crude prices strengthened for a second day after Suncor Energy Inc. curtailed production at its Firebag oil-sands site due to a nearby wildfire,” Bloomberg reports. “Western Canadian Select’s discount to the West Texas Intermediate benchmark narrowed to $13.65 a barrel from $14.70 on Thursday, according to General Index data posted on Bloomberg and a person familiar with prices.”
Bloomberg: LNG Pioneer Ousted From Tellurian Attempts To Buy Back Stake
7/3/24
“Charif Souki said he plans to raise $100 million from investors to buy a stake in Tellurian, the U.S. natural gas development firm he co-founded and which fired him in December,” Bloomberg reports. “Various members of my family are already significant shareholders of Tellurian, and we are definitely planning to be larger shareholders,” Souki told Bloomberg. The fundraising attempt represents a last-ditch effort by the twice-ousted executive to regain a foothold at Tellurian after the company hired Lazard to explore options including a potential sale. Tellurian’s proposed Driftwood LNG project in Louisiana, which is fully permitted, has not reached a final investment decision since the company’s founding in 2016. It would require billions of dollars of funding to be constructed. “Charif Souki is a part of Tellurian’s past, not our future,” company spokesperson Jason French told Bloombergl. “Tellurian has been under new leadership for over six months. In that time, we have sold our upstream assets, improved the balance sheet, and refocused the company on developing the Driftwood LNG facility,” he told Bloomberg. Once one of the highest paid CEOs in America, Souki took an $8 million payout last December after he was squeezed out from Tellurian, which he co-founded in 2016 after being terminated from LNG producer Cheniere Energy in 2015.”
Rigzone: Aramco Awards $25B Contracts for Gas Projects
Jov Onsat, 7/2/24
“Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco) has awarded construction contracts worth a combined $25 billion for expansion, drilling and capacity maintenance projects for its natural gas assets,” Rigzone reports. “The awards “progress its strategic gas expansion, which targets sales gas production growth of more than 60 percent by 2030, compared to 2021 levels”, the state-owned energy giant said in a statement. About half of the contract value is for the second phase development of the kingdom’s Jafurah field, which Aramco calls the “jewel” of its unconventional gas business. The 16 contracts for this project, which total $12.4 billion, include the construction of gas compression facilities and associated pipelines, as well as utilities, sulfur and export facilities. The contracts also cover the expansion of the Jafurah Gas Plant including processing trains and the construction of natural gas liquids fractionation facilities, including utilities, storage and export units… “A further 15 turnkey contracts worth a combined $8.8 billion have been awarded for the third-phase expansion of Aramco’s Master Gas System, or its pipeline network in Saudi Arabia.
Press release: Wolf Midstream announces $1 billion Phase Two expansion of its NGL North System
7/2/24
“Wolf Midstream (Wolf) is pleased to announce a positive final investment decision to proceed with its NGL North Phase Two project, which will significantly increase the natural gas liquids (NGL) production capacity of Wolf’s existing NGL North System (NGL North), which was successfully commissioned in 2023. Once completed, the expanded system will have the ability to recover NGL from approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas and produce over 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of NGL, including over 60,000 bpd of ethane. The vast majority of this production is committed under long-term agreements with Alberta’s growing petrochemical industry. NGL North Phase Two is an incremental investment in Alberta of approximately $1 billion, supported by Wolf’s shareholder, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments)... “The NGL North Phase Two expansion is expected to be in-service in 2027.”
CBC: How carbon capture could revolutionize the concrete industry [VIDEO]
7/4/24
“We see concrete structures around us everyday, but did you know that making concrete produces enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses? That is a climate challenge that one Alberta cement plant is addressing today,” CBC reports. “CBC’s Stephanie Cram visited the plant to see the cutting edge processes that might become cemented in as the future norm.”
Skyquest: Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Market is Expected to Grow from 2.52 Billion 2023 to reach 6.16 Billion in 2031
7/5/24
“Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Market size was valued at USD 2.26 billion in 2022 and is expected to rise from USD 2.52 billion in 2023 to reach a value of USD 6.16 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 11.8% during the forecast period (2024–2031). Government initiatives, increased demand for CO2-EOR techniques, and worldwide attempts to limit CO2 emissions are all contributing to the growth of the global carbon capture, utilization, and storage market. Technological progressions are also playing a part in the advancement of offshore oil and gas exploration as it supports the use of carbon dioxide for gas injection enhanced oil recovery methods (EOR)... “The following are the key Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Trends that will shape the growth of the market in the next 5 years: Large-scale CCUS projects on North American soil to ensnare and save millions of tons of CO2 every annum were the subject of a considerable partnership that was recently announced by ExxonMobil and Chevron in May 2024. The firms will likely become world CCUS titans courtesy of this corporation which also serves as breeding place for technological innovations that will result into emission reductions on a large scale. By 2028 China will show its big intention to put in $10 billion in CCUS infrastructure aimed at major industrial sectors like steel and cement on April. This investment indicates that China is dedicated to becoming carbon neutral and as such it may enhance the growth as well as development of the CCUS market mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. Shell made a groundbreaking announcement in the month of September 2023 about an investment amounting to $15 billion in CCUS technologies so that they could become frontrunners in the world when it comes time for transitioning from using fossil fuels into using power sources without producing any emissions at all… “The European Union unveiled an ambitious plan of dedicating €30 billion for the development and deployment of CCUS technologies over the next ten years in January 2024… “BP revealed that it had formed a strategic collaboration with a group of European energy firms intending to come up with a system of storing carbon in Europe in November 2023… “The market for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is expanding due to the combination of government programmes, increased demand for CO2-EOR techniques, and international efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Expansion of this sector is mainly influenced by technological advancements, more public and private sector funding and a strong push to reduce industrial emissions.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: Republican challenge to ESG investing rule could showcase risk to US agency powers
Daniel Wiessner, 7/8/24
“A challenge to a Biden administration rule allowing socially conscious investing by employee retirement plans will present an early test of how courts will scrutinize federal regulations after the U.S. Supreme Court said they no longer have to defer to the expertise of the agencies that issued them,” Reuters reports. “The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on Tuesday in a lawsuit by 25 Republican-led states challenging the U.S. Department of Labor rule, which says 401(k) and other plans can consider environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors as a "tiebreaker" in making investment decisions. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, refused to block the 2022 rule last year, citing a 40-year-old doctrine known as Chevron deference, named for a 1984 Supreme Court case, which had directed courts to uphold agencies' reasonable interpretations of the laws they enforce. Kacsmaryk, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, is the lone active judge in Amarillo and his courthouse has become a favored venue for conservative litigants suing to block Biden administration policies. But in the challenge to the ESG rule, the judge said he was bound to apply Chevron until the Supreme Court overturns it. The high court did just that in a June ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, saying judges instead should exercise their independent judgment in evaluating agency rules. That decision is expected to have a widespread impact on the government's ability to adopt new rules such as environmental, securities and labor regulations, and is part of a broader effort by conservative groups to rein in the powers of what they call "the administrative state." And the case over the ESG rule will give the 5th Circuit a chance to unpack the Supreme Court's directive that courts should exercise their independent judgment and consider what framework the appeals court will apply to cases challenging agency rules moving forward. "The trial court expressly relying on Chevron in upholding the ESG regulation ... puts this case on track to be an early harbinger of how courts will address pending cases," Julie Stapel, a Chicago-based lawyer with the firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius who represents employers, told Reuters.
Bloomberg: List Of Money Managers Axing Oil Stocks Gets Longer
7/1/24
“There’s a growing list of institutional investors in Europe who are stripping oil and gas stocks out of their portfolios in a move they say reduces the risk of ending up with stranded assets and financial losses,” Bloomberg reports. “The latest to do so is PFA, Denmark’s largest commercial pension fund with roughly $110 billion of assets under management. The investor has just offloaded its $170 million stake in Shell based on an assessment that the company’s capital expenditure on renewables is worryingly low. “There was a cry to them to engage more in the transition,” Rasmus Bessing, head of ESG investing and co-chief investment officer at PFA, told Bloomberg.
“But especially over the last year or so, a bit more perhaps.” Shell has been signaling it wants to “go in a different direction,” he told Bloomberg… “Other institutional investors also are losing patience with oil and gas holdings. Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP, Europe’s biggest pension fund with about $550 billion of assets under management, said in May that it exited all its liquid assets in oil, gas and coal — a portfolio that was worth about $11 billion. It has said it plans to divest a further $5 billion of less liquid fossil-fuel assets.”
OPINION
Sioux City Journal: IUB's pipeline ruling puts public more at risk
Rose Mather, Yankton, S.D., 7/6/24
“The public is going through flooding, destruction, and dealing with insurance claims. The IUB’s private investors's interpretation of eminent domain makes the public even more at risk now and in the future,” Rose Mather writes for the Sioux City Journal. “The IUB should be looking for the safest, most economical, least destructive proposal that benefits the public… “Which is best for Iowa? Private, temporary, CO2 45Q grabs with permanent destruction, massive use of precious water, dangerous risks, and devastation or CO2 is captured, sold, and safely transported from ethanol sites, at the expense of the buyer, with the profit remaining in Iowa communities. Big oil should pay to transport the CO2 to their oil sites to recover oil. No pipelines or sequester sites. No brainer. Now is the time for Iowa’s elected officials to speak up to protect the people from unjust eminent domain. If they don’t say anything, that means they are for government confiscating your property for private gain. A list is being complied of the names of those who protect the people and care. If big government in Iowa allows this, there will be a major turnover in representatives at election time. This will send a message to current power and remove them. This will hopefully restore voting on many currently appointed, powerful positions. Property owners know they have worked with blood, sweat and tears to own what they have.”
The Circle News: Enbridge 5.0, an Orwellian hearing
Winona LaDuke, 7/5/24
“…They are a Canadian company taking Canadian oil from Canada to Canada through my back yard…. a company like Enbridge should not be trusted at all. If they are trespassing over Bad Rivers land. If I did the same thing, they would probably lock me up for years and years. You watch them breach aquifers in Minnesota over the past few ears, and you want us to accept their studies and their word. There are artesian wells bubbling up all over around here. This is a stronghold of water, and I know that you don’t know about most of those wells. …” Pete Rasmussen, Army Corps of Engineers Hearing, Enbridge Line 5. It was an Orwellian hearing,” Winona LaDuke writes for The Circle News. “Packed into the technical college in Ashland Wisc. in June, the Army Corps of Engineers held a hearing on the proposed reroute of Enbridge Line 5, around the Bad River Reservation. The hearing officers had no names, the lead officer decked in the military uniform of the Army Corps. There was a lottery to speak and a three minute limit. Welcome to Enbridge 5.0, where the Canadian multinational beset with legal challenges by the state of Michigan and the Bad River Tribe works to game the system to keep the oil running… “The room had a typical green shirts for Enbridge crowded split and Anishinaabe, and other local people who want to protect the fragile ecosystem… “A legal tangle, that’s what we have, and the very pertinent question in a time when temperatures are rising, of how much more oil do we need? And, are corporations subject to the same laws as humans? For the green shirt guys looking for those Enbridge jobs, many of those testifying at the hearing, pointed out that removal of the pipeline would result in significant jobs as well. I “I think that removal of Line 5 will bring a lot of good union jobs. I am not opposed to water pipelines o sewer I am just opposed to this oil,” explained one resident. Perhaps the summary is easy,” I believe that God spent a little more time in northern Wisconsin. When we are enjoying the outdoors, we try and leave it as we found it.“ We will see how it goes.”
The Organization for World Peace: Canada’s B.C. Pipeline Advances At The Expense Of Indigenous Reconciliation And The Environment
Cala Gibson, 7/6/24
“On August 24, 2024, construction will begin on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline on Nisg̱a’a lands, following the Nass River through the Nisg̱a’a Memorial Lava Bed Park. Despite protests over the Coastal GasLink pipeline, this 800-kilometre project, soon to be acquired by the Nisg̱a’a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG, raises significant concerns. The pipeline will transport natural gas from northeast British Columbia to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG facility but crosses Gitanyow Nation territories, creating conflicts. This development poses environmental risks and challenges to Indigenous sovereignty in British Columbia,” Carla Gibson writes for The Organization for World Peace. “Strong opposition has been voiced by Indigenous leaders and environmental experts. Tara Marsden, Wilp sustainability director for Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, stated to The Narwhal, “The project was already a risk in 2014, but today it poses extreme threats to our environment and way of life,” highlighting significant risks in the context of climate change and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)... “The continuation of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project represents a significant step backward for reconciliation with Indigenous communities and environmental sustainability in Canada. This strategy exacerbates historical tensions between the Nisg̱a’a Nation and the Gitanyow, diverting attention from critical issues of environmental sustainability and Indigenous sovereignty… “The continuation of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project has profound implications for the future of reconciliation and environmental sustainability in Canada. If the project proceeds without addressing the legitimate concerns of Indigenous communities, it risks further eroding trust between the government and Indigenous peoples… “Moving forward, the solution to deter this kind of conflict is for Canada to prioritise inclusive dialogue and collaborative decision-making that respects Indigenous rights and environmental protection. By adopting these practices, Canada can pave the way for a future that sets a global example in reconciliation with Indigenous communities and climate action.”
Houston Chronicle: Texas Railroad Commission wants authority over dangerous and experimental carbon capture wells
Chris Tomlinson, 7/5/24
“Foxes have no problem taking charge of the hen house; only the chickens think their lives are more important than their guardian’s nutritional needs. Texas’s top energy regulators brag about how much they do for the oil and natural gas industry. Now, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission wants primary authority over experimental and dangerous underground carbon dioxide storage facilities that are intended to solve a problem they deny is real. The bold request by one of the nation’s most morally compromised elected bodies demonstrates the commission’s arrogance as it fails to protect citizens from zombie wells, hazardous oil field waste and exploitative fossil fuel companies,” Chris Tomlinson writes for the Houston Chronicle. “...Companies can earn $60 a ton for using carbon to produce more oil or $85 for capturing it directly from the air. In both cases, the carbon must stay underground. Oil companies, including industry leader Occidental Petroleum, have injected CO2 into aging wells for decades to produce oil. CEO Vicki Hollub brags that enhanced oil recovery leaves more carbon in the hole than what’s produced in oil… “The Railroad Commission has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for primary authority over Texas carbon capture wells. Texans should question how they can trust commissioners who reject carbon’s role in causing climate change to oversee an industry fighting global warming. “It is a scam.” Commissioner Wayne Christian told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development last month. “Why is our industry lining up with carbon capture? … Why are we spending $2 trillion (on carbon capture) and literally stopping the lives and direction of billions of people around this globe?” Virginia Palacios, executive director of the watchdog group Commission Shift, confronted Christian and the other two commissioners at a public hearing the next week. She demanded they leave carbon capture to the EPA and focus on wells used to dispose of toxic oil field wastewater, known as Class II wells… “Responding to a petition from Commission Shift, the EPA has launched a review of how Christian and his colleague regulate wastewater wells… “Proof that the commission should focus on performing its existing duties before biting off more than it can chew with carbon capture. Leave this one to the feds.”
Bloomberg: A Giant Carbon Dump Gives Glimpse Into Net-Zero Future
Liam Denning, 7/7/24
“The world’s sleekest dump sits on an island near the picturesque port of Bergen in Norway. Strictly speaking, the gleaming Northern Lights terminal is just the gateway to the actual dump, where carbon dioxide will be offloaded from ships and then pumped down into an aquifer 1.6 miles below the seabed, about 60 miles offshore, keeping it locked away,” Liam Denning writes for Bloomberg. “Getting to net zero mostly means stopping doing things that emit carbon. A supplement to this is capturing those emissions and storing them, like refuse in a landfill. In theory, carbon capture and storage, or CCS, offers the ultimate climate hedge for fossil fuel producers, albeit at a cost of perhaps $10 trillion through 2050. More likely, it will play a vital role in mopping up the most stubborn emissions, but will be outcompeted by faster-moving alternatives for energy transition. Moreover, the incentives required to make it work would present, in themselves, a profound risk to fossil fuel producers. Of the emissions that need to be eliminated to achieve net zero in 2050, Bloomberg NEF projects CCS accounting for 16% of them. The amount being captured annually by 2050, more than 8 gigatons, would be bigger than the total energy-related emissions of the Americas today… “All of this is quite nascent: Global capture capacity operating today is equivalent to about 0.1% of energy-related emissions. None of this is cheap. Carbon capture on a US gas-fired power plant boosts the cost of its electricity by 54%, factoring in capital and running costs, according to Bloomberg NEF estimates. The cost for industrial processes such as making steel or cement, including transportation and storage, range above $100 per ton, compared with current European carbon futures prices of around $76. As for direct air capture, that costs about 15 times the futures price… “CCS is a planetary-scale waste management business. Hence, its business model relies on revenue constructed by regulation. This includes subsidies like the generous 45Q tax credit in the US, worth up to $85 per ton, as well as emitters paying for CCS in order to avoid the cost of penalties… “This makes sense but also gets at the challenges of scaling up an industry that is effectively the mirror image of the existing fossil fuel-based industrial system… “This presents a particular complication for CCS projections because fossil-fuel generators seeking to curb emissions are expected to be the biggest customer base by far. Yet any power plant developer considering adding CCS must factor in the risk posed by rising renewables… “Such expansion, however, will remain tied to government support to a greater degree than in other cleantech sectors better placed to outgrow subsidies. That’s especially so because, unlike the stench and pests of festering sewage, carbon dioxide is odorless and its hazardous effects accrete over decades. Our desire to get rid of it is a regulatory construct rather than innate — hence the contentious politics. Therein lies the flaw of seeing CCS as insurance for fossil fuel demand. Having CCS break out of niche applications to become widespread would require societies to internalize the risks of climate change to such a degree that they are willing to incentivize even the most expensive forms of emissions abatement on a sustained basis. In that world, carbon pricing, either explicit or implicit, is robust, sustained and global — which would ultimately decimate demand for fossil fuels overall. CCS is a useful hedge against the energy transition’s own limitations but not against that transition itself.”
South China Morning Post: Let’s get real, carbon capture is not the next big net-zero hope
Tim Daiss has been an energy markets and geopolitical journalist and analyst in the Asia-Pacific region for the past 15 years, 7/7/24
“Carbon capture and storage made a splash in the headlines again last month when China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry began building its third specialist vessel for the European joint venture Northern Lights, to transport liquefied carbon dioxide from emitters to storage facilities,” Tim Daiss writes for the South China Morning Post. “...There are nearly 400 CCS projects in the pipeline globally, representing a 102 per cent year-on-year increase from 2022 to 2023, according to the Global CCS Institute. The US tops the list, followed by Britain, Canada, China and Norway. The US, for its part, has launched a US$2.5 billion programme to fund carbon capture and storage projects. But depending on the November presidential election, funding for this and other climate change mitigation policies could be in jeopardy… “But the stakes are highest for China, it seems, given its population density, insatiable appetite for fossil fuels and corresponding emissions. The country is the world’s largest importer of both oil and LNG, and is its biggest coal user. China also has the world’s largest carbon emissions by far, more than double that of the second-placed US. Energy planners in Beijing see carbon capture and storage as a major pathway to help rein in China’s emissions, reach peak carbon by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The government has issued around 80 policies related to carbon capture, use and storage, including such plans for the first time in its current five-year plan. By the end of last year, China had around 100 such projects in operation or production with a combined carbon capture capacity of 4 million tonnes and an injection capacity of 2 million tonnes per year… “But despite the enthusiasm for the technology, its claims demand careful examination. Growing research supports the view that the technology, which is costly and even unreliable, is not the best way forward in global decarbonisation. Moreover, when fossil fuel plants are paired with carbon capture and storage facilities, such infrastructure can still become stranded assets in decades. Carbon capture and storage is also an extremely energy-intensive activity, and can consume 30-50 per cent of a power plant’s output. Often, a new power plant must be built to run the system, creating another source of harmful emissions… “But when compressed carbon dioxide is stored in underground reservoirs, it runs a risk of leaking – either abruptly or gradually – with potentially catastrophic effects on the environment… “Admittedly, carbon capture and storage technology has a role to play, if mostly to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like for cement and steel. But make no mistake. Much of the time, use of the technology in the fossil fuels sector gives oil and gas multinationals a way to justify continuing their capital-intensive energy projects in the name of decarbonisation – a textbook case of “greenwashing”. A better way forward would be to redirect the vast amounts of capital being invested in carbon capture and storage infrastructure into renewable energy instead – namely solar power and onshore, near shore and offshore wind power, in addition to green hydrogen, particularly in the transport sector. If nothing changes, there is a chance that the countries banking on carbon capture and storage technology could fail to reach their net zero emissions pledges – an unacceptable possibility.”
Maritime Executive: Carbon Capture is No Silver Bullet, But Holds Opportunities for Shipping
Marcos Salido, Environmental Project Manager (Strategy & Advanced Services) at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, 7/5/24
“Can onboard carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology be a viable tool in shipping’s decarbonization journey? Answering this question requires a holistic perspective, accounting for the entire carbon value chain. In short, the technical ability to capture and store CO2 is only part of the equation – what happens to the captured carbon is equally important,” Marcos Salido writes for Maritime Executive. “Recent studies have revealed promising results on the technical feasibility of capturing CO2 on board ships, showing achievable capture rates between 82% and 90%... “Bureau Veritas’ latest technology report examines the available evidence on the technical viability of current carbon capture and storage technology for the maritime market. It concludes that while CCS can be a promising option to reduce shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, it is no silver bullet and must be used in conjunction with other decarbonization strategies to achieve the maritime industry’s goals. Furthermore, the report points out that for onboard carbon capture to make sense, it needs to be assessed in the context of the overall value chain. In practice, we need to consider the handling and disposal of the captured CO2, the infrastructure needed to handle and process it in ports, the availability and location of storage sites, and potential markets for carbon… “From an operational perspective, concerns have been raised regarding potential corrosion, the safe handling of CO2, as well as the available space to accommodate the equipment and storage tanks onboard. Furthermore, carbon capture is an energy-intensive process, requiring a significant amount of heat to regenerate the solvent (in other words, reverse the CO2 absorption reaction). This, among other factors, can lead to a considerable increase in fuel consumption related to system operation, depending on the desired capture rate… “Whereas pipeline systems are used to transport large quantities of CO2 over relatively short distances, they are generally associated with a high initial investment cost and lack of flexibility. On the other hand, shipping transportation offers flexibility in terms of CO2 sources, routes, and shorter set-up times. They, therefore, appear to be an alternative solution to pipelines in the case of scattered emitters over long distances and for relatively smaller transport quantities.”
Northeast Times: Carbon capture and storage is key to sustaining Pennsylvania’s energy dominance
Jim Snell serves as the Business Manager of Steamfitters Local 420, 7/4/24
“Pennsylvania’s transition to low-carbon energy holds enormous opportunity for working men and women throughout our region. Over the coming decades, technologies like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen have the potential to be just as meaningful to our commonwealth’s economic and environmental future as our prolific natural gas development. If Pennsylvania continues to make smart investments in these safe, proven advancements that enhance our existing energy and manufacturing industries, you can bet that Pennsylvania’s skilled tradesmen will be ready to meet growing global demand for low-carbon products,” Jim Snell writes for the Northeast Times. “With the recent announcement of the MACH2 Hydrogen Hub spanning Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, we’re already seeing the promise that these transformational projects can bring. The U.S. Department of Energy is poised to invest $750 million to kickstart production of enough clean, carbon-free energy to reduce emissions from boilers and engines by approximately 1 million metric tons per year. This investment is projected to bring upwards of 20,000 good-paying jobs to our region, putting skilled pipefitters, electricians, carpenters, welders and other essential building trades to work constructing this infrastructure. We should do everything we can to support the ongoing effort to make the United States a world leader in hydrogen made by American workers. Just as natural gas revived the Marcus Hooks Industrial Complex in Delaware County and other facilities across the state, low-carbon infrastructure can breathe a second or third life into factories and power generators that underpin neighborhoods and towns… “For urban regions like Philadelphia, carbon capture and storage is a boon to both climate and air-quality improvement efforts… “Before we fall behind other leading energy states, Pennsylvanians can come together to support strong bipartisan legislation that advances carbon capture and storage deployment in our state and prioritizes our local environmental and economic interests. Some believe that achieving our environmental goals can only come at the expense of a strong economy. Carbon capture and storage is proof that this choice isn’t zero sum.”
Wisconsin Examiner: Wisconsin’s clean energy commitments at risk
John Imes is Co-founder and Director of the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative (WEI) since 1998, 7/2/24
”In a recent development, We Energies has announced plans to construct two massive new natural gas plants, potentially costing ratepayers billions of dollars. This move represents a significant backtrack on clean energy commitments and raises concerns about Wisconsin’s ability to provide more affordable energy sources in the future,” John Imes writes for the Wisconsin Examiner. “At the heart of the issue is a significant gap in Wisconsin’s regulatory process: the absence of holistic integrated resource planning (IRP) within the Public Service Commission (PSC). Without this crucial tool for evaluating the merits of new energy projects against the state’s overall energy needs and sustainability goals, Wisconsin risks making short-sighted decisions with long-term, costly consequences. We Energies justifies its plans based on several factors, including new capacity requirements from the regional grid operator MISO, recent EPA air rules, and increased demand in southeastern Wisconsin, particularly driven by a Microsoft data center project. However, these reasons fail to align with the broader clean energy aspirations set forth by the state and the nation… “It’s time to prioritize the long-term well-being of our communities and environment over short-term gains. Together, let’s urge policymakers to embrace a clean energy future for Wisconsin—one that benefits everyone, now and for generations to come.”
The Hill: With Chevron overturned, Americans’ faith in government will sink even further
Stuart Shapiro is the dean of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, and a member of the Scholars Strategy Network, 7/1/24
“On Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the 1984 decision Chevron v. NRDC, critical in American regulatory policy. Under Chevron, courts were to defer to federal agency interpretations of statutes, unless the statutes themselves spoke directly to policy questions and as long as the agency interpretations were reasonable,” Stuart Shapiro writes for The Hill. “...Because Chevron recommended deference to agencies, courts regularly cited it in supporting the regulatory efforts of later administrations… “The result of the boom in regulation has been cleaner air and water and safer workplaces, among many other things… “Over the same period, however, American trust in government has declined… “First of all, congressional approval, which has never been high — between 30 percent and 50 percent back when trust in government was much greater — is now at a disastrous 16 percent. The current and previous presidents have had historically low approval ratings. Conversely, Americans have favorable views of most federal agencies… “Much of the thinking behind the repeal of Chevron deference is that it will force Congress to pass more specific laws addressing public policy concerns by making it harder for agencies to regulate. There are two gaping holes in this logic. First, as shown in the data cited above, we would be moving policymaking from a part of government that people trust and approve of to the one that they have the least faith in. Second, there is no reason to believe that Congress will react to this by becoming more responsible… “There may be a universe out there where restricting agencies’ abilities to make policy decisions will lead to a democratically responsive Congress assuming those responsibilities and producing public trust in the policymaking process. But in our universe, it is far more likely that the Supreme Court’s decision will mean that pressing public problems take longer to be solved — or never get solved at all — and thus faith in government takes yet another blow.”