EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/10/23
PIPELINE NEWS
WDBJ: Pipeline protests resume in western Virginia
Bloomberg: Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets Court Order for Virginia Easements
Press release: Plane Flyover and Billboard Sponsored by Landowners Facing Eminent Domain for Proposed Summit CO2 Pipeline Greet Governor, Presidential Candidates, Visitors to Iowa State Fair
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge says Summit should reveal to stakeholders its deals with ethanol plants
KELO: A Navigator objection ticks off landowners’ lawyer
KELO: Navigator pipeline hearings come to a close
KELO: Tax credits aren’t key to CO2 line, Navigator exec says
Heartland Signal: Like neighboring states, carbon pipeline scrutiny ramps up in South Dakota
Explore Okoboji: Dickinson Supervisors Vote 4-1 To Approve Legal Representation On Navigator Pipeline IUB Proceedings
Belmond Independent: Supervisors delay pipeline rules again
Wyoming Public Radio: Natural gas pipeline for Teton County customers will go through ‘core’ sage grouse habitat
Law360: ND Judge Says Tribal Landowners Can't Join Pipeline Fight
Edmonton Journal: First Nations coalition seeking pipeline to move Alberta hydrogen to Manitoba
World Pipelines: PHMSA announces new social equity mapping tools
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: Biden says he has ‘practically’ declared a climate emergency. But he actually hasn’t.
The Hill: Climate advocates press Biden on fossil fuels during New Mexico visit
E&E News: White House deploys its 'best messenger' to sell climate law
CNN: Under Biden, US oil production is poised to break Trump-era records
FOX News: Biden touts pro-Native American efforts despite axing oil drilling that sustains tribes
E&E News: Oil executive Harold Hamm raises funds for DeSantis
EXTRACTION
Carbon Capture Magazine: Great Plains Institute releases Carbon Capture Co-Benefits study
Reuters: Canadian oil sands carbon emissions stalled in 2022 even as output grew
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: Oil hedge funds place their bets on heat-fueled hurricane season
OPINION
Los Angeles Times: Letters to the Editor: Carbon-capture technology isn’t ready for an EPA mandate yet
Beaumont Enterprise: To secure the Texas energy future, we must learn from Louisiana
PIPELINE NEWS
WDBJ: Pipeline protests resume in western Virginia
Joe Dashiell, 8/9/23
“Work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline has started up again, and so have the protests,” WDBJ reports. “This week, pipeline opponents say protesters walked onto work sites in Roanoke County and Montgomery County in an effort to stop work at those locations. So far, no one has been arrested, but Roanoke County Police and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office say they are monitoring the situation and responding to calls from MVP security. A spokesperson for the Mountain Valley Pipeline responded with a statement Wednesday afternoon. Natalie Cox said the safe construction and operation of the project is the company’s top priority… “We condemn illegal and dangerous tactics of individuals and groups who put themselves, crew members, and first-responders at risk by engaging in attention-seeking, criminal behavior. While we respect our opponents’ views, we sincerely hope opponents will conduct themselves in accordance with applicable laws to ensure public safety.”
Bloomberg: Mountain Valley Pipeline Gets Court Order for Virginia Easements
Shayna Greene, 8/9/23
“Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC is entitled to land easements on a parcel of property in Roanoke County, Va. for its interstate natural gas pipeline, a federal court said,” Bloomberg reports. “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2017 issued an order for the company to construct the pipeline along an approved route that includes the property at issue. The US District Court for the Western District of Virginia granted the company’s motion for summary judgment in the Natural Gas Act suit and denied a motion to reopen discovery from the owner of the land.”
Press release: Plane Flyover and Billboard Sponsored by Landowners Facing Eminent Domain for Proposed Summit CO2 Pipeline Greet Governor, Presidential Candidates, Visitors to Iowa State Fair
8/10/23
“Landowners who are facing the seizure of their property via eminent domain for Summit Carbon’s proposed CO2 pipeline project across the state of Iowa have sponsored a plane to flyover the Iowa State Fairgrounds and greet Governor Kim Reynolds, along with GOP presidential candidates visiting to campaign and meet primary voters, with messages urging them to stand with landowners against eminent domain abuse and reject the proposed CO2 pipeline project. The flyover is expected to take place during Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ scheduled interviews of several GOP presidential candidates in person at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines on Friday. A similar message in the sky greeted guests to Summit Carbon founder Bruce Rastetter’s annual party last weekend, attended by political power-houses and Presidential Candidates in town for the Lincoln Dinner, where they parked a semi trailer outside emblazoned with the message “NO Deadly CO2 Pipelines,” and waved signs along the roadside — while their sponsored plane flew over the event trailing a sign with a message that read: “Stop Rastetter’s Land Grab No CO2 Pipelines.” Landowners have also sponsored a digital billboard on HWY 235 along the route where many Iowans north of Des Moines will travel to the fair, featuring messages hitting Gov. Reynolds for “throwing landowners under the bus” by not taking action to protect private property, and asking the prospective GOP candidates “Who will be the first?” to stand with landowners against eminent domain and the CO2 pipeline. Ads sponsored by landowners are also slated to appear in the Des Moines Register print and digital editions during the fair, with the same message that Gov. Reynolds is “throwing farmers under the bus” via her silence on eminent domain abuse. An overwhelming 78% of Iowans oppose the use of eminent domain for the carbon pipelines proposed by Rastetter’s Summit and other companies with foreign investors and co-ownership. While Rastetter’s Summit venture has investors from Saudi Arabia and South Korea, another startup company seeking to impose eminent domain on landowners — Navigator CO2 Ventures — is partially owned by the United Arab Emirates, that company’s CFO admitted in testimony before the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. In Iowa, there are nearly 1000 parcels of land whose owners have refused to sign easements for Rastetter’s carbon pipeline boondoggle, and over 300 landowners facing the threat of eminent domain have officially filed to intervene and object to Summit’s permit application currently before the Iowa Utilities Board, which will begin those hearings on Aug. 22.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge says Summit should reveal to stakeholders its deals with ethanol plants
JARED STRONG, 8/9/23
“The specific terms of a pipeline company’s contracts with ethanol plants in Iowa are key to a decision about whether it deserves a permit to build, an administrative law judge has decided,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “As such, the judge said last week that Summit Carbon Solutions should be required to provide that information to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Sierra Club of Iowa, which have sought the information for more than a year… “The company argues that specific details of its arrangements with ethanol plants are not germane to its permit process and that it doesn’t trust certain attorneys to keep them secret. But Toby Gordon, an administrative law judge for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals who was tasked by the board to decide the dispute, said the contract details are necessary to verify the economic benefits of the project. Summit’s witness testimony includes claims that ethanol plants will generate 10 to 35 cents of additional revenue per gallon if they connect to Summit’s proposed pipeline system. The company has indicated it would connect to at least 13 ethanol facilities in Iowa that would be eligible for generous federal tax credits that reward them for capturing their carbon dioxide emissions or for producing low-carbon fuels. It would also enable the producers to sell their ethanol in low-carbon markets… “It is these economic benefits that have been promoted as a basis for the assertion that the pipeline project ‘promotes the public convenience and necessity,’” Gordon wrote, citing a state requirement for permit approval. “This is the question the IUB must determine following a hearing on the merits.” Companies that have proposed two other carbon dioxide pipelines in Iowa have indicated they will be paid by ethanol plants based on the amount of carbon dioxide they transport away from them. Summit’s arrangements with the facilities are different: The company will be paid a portion of their additional revenues. The company has declined to publicly reveal what percentage it will take… “In its appeal of Gordon’s proposed order, Summit noted that the judge did not privately review the redacted information and asked the board to do so. Summit wants the IUB to reverse the judge’s decision ordering the company to provide unredacted documents or, as an alternative, allow it to redact unspecified “non-financial, time-sensitive terms.”
KELO: A Navigator objection ticks off landowners’ lawyer
Bob Mercer, 8/8/23
“The tone of the Navigator permit hearing turned testy in its final hours Tuesday afternoon,” KELO reports. “Brian Jorde, the Omaha lawyer representing South Dakota landowners who don’t want the proposed carbon-dioxide pipeline crossing their properties, didn’t like the substance of questions that Navigator’s attorney, James Moore of Sioux Falls, was asking about the conduct of Jorde and his clients. Specifically, Moore wanted to know about the status of the negotiations — or in this instance, non-negotiations… “Jorde repeatedly objected throughout this line of questioning, but he was overruled each time. When it was his turn to cross-examine her, Jorde asked Howard whether the purpose of Moore’s questions to her was to “fact check” his clients… “How can you ask those questions and I can’t ask back?” Jorde asked. He then moved on to ask Howard whether she or anyone else from the company had approached him with a new offer during the hearing the past three weeks. She didn’t directly say. “What more information do they (the landowners) need to share to get their point across that they don’t want this pipeline on their land?” he asked. Then he asked Howard whether she would agree that the purpose of the pipeline was to help three ethanol plants at the expense of landowners. Howard said there are additional facilities in South Dakota that are interested, although she didn’t identify them… “Jorde turned to whether pipeline construction would leave lasting effects on crop production. He asked how many years it will take crops to return to 100 percent production. She said, “Well under ten years.” He said linear projects still scar the earth 10 and 20 years later. She said construction techniques have improved. “Sometimes it wasn’t done right in decades prior. Sometimes it was,” she said… “Commissioner Chris Nelson asked whether Navigator could provide a map so that the public could understand the potential danger from a pipeline rupture. Howard said she couldn’t do that. That, Nelson replied, may mean the company and the commission will find they are at “an impasse.”
KELO: Navigator pipeline hearings come to a close
Tom Rooney, 8/9/23
“They hope to have a decision on a proposed CO-2 pipeline in just over a month,” KELO reports. “The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission just finished ten days of testimony on the Navigator pipeline planned for the southeastern part of the state. Pipeline opponent Ed Fischbach is concerned about safety. He told KELO Navigator should have to release its study on what happens if there’s a rupture. Navigator wants the P.U.C. to overturn pipeline zoning regulations passed in Minnehaha and Moody counties. The company says those regulations would make building their pipeline impossible.”
KELO: Tax credits aren’t key to CO2 line, Navigator exec says
Bob Mercer, 8/8/23
“Navigator’s proposed carbon-dioxide pipeline would move ahead even without federal tax credits, an executive vice president and chief commercial officer for the company said Tuesday,” KELO reports. “Laura McGlothlin told the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission that Navigator has been in contact with various commercial users of CO2 and has started planning for an off-loading site. Navigator also has a memorandum of understanding to supply CO2 to an electro-fuels company, Infinium, according to McGlothlin, and is considering adding a site where walk-up shippers could load CO2 into the system… “She said CO2 is used for carbonation, dry ice, food preparation and fire extinguishers. She acknowledged that food and beverage companies would require the CO2 to be purer than what Navigator would receive from the ethanol plants, and therefore additional equipment would have to be installed… “A key to whether Navigator goes forward in South Dakota is whether the state commission decides to pre-empt local ordinances regarding pipelines in Minnehaha County and Moody County. Navigator officials want the state commission to supersede the county ordinances because the line otherwise couldn’t get through. The state commission has scheduled a hearing for August 24-25 to hear arguments… “McGlothlin wouldn’t agree with a statement from Brian Jorde, one of the attorneys representing landowners opposed to the project, that the pipeline depended on the federal tax credits… “Commission chair Kristie Fiegen asked how the pipeline would be affected by California’s requirement that new vehicles sold there be zero-emission by 2035. “If 100 percent of electric vehicles happen, I think that (ethanol) fuel will find its way to other markets,” McGlothlin said.
Heartland Signal: Like neighboring states, carbon pipeline scrutiny ramps up in South Dakota
MIKE MOEN, 8/9/23
“This month and next, South Dakota regulators are holding hearings about proposed underground pipelines which would carry carbon dioxide for underground storage. Environmental groups with concerns about the approach are keeping a watchful eye,” Heartland Signal reports. “...Guy Larson, chair of the South Dakota chapter of the Sierra Club, told the Signal they remain leery of large-scale efforts to decarbonize ethanol production. “The Sierra Club sees the whole process as another way to extend the life of fossil fuels.” Opponents also worry about damage to farmland and potential pipeline ruptures… “Summit plans to reapply, but North Dakota regulators noted in its first application, the company failed to show that key elements of the project would produce minimal adverse effects on the environment and the public. Larson suggested those same questions remain as South Dakota’s proceedings move forward. “We have a lot of concerns about the safety, about what happens to it after the life of this program,” Larson told the Signal. “About whether or not the sequestration is actually a viable way to dispose of the carbon dioxide.”
Explore Okoboji: Dickinson Supervisors Vote 4-1 To Approve Legal Representation On Navigator Pipeline IUB Proceedings
8/9/2023
“The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved an agreement with a law firm that’s representing other counties in legal matters during Iowa Utility Board proceedings related to the proposed Navigator CO2 pipeline project,” Explore Okoboji reports. “The vote, however, wasn’t unanimous. Supervisor Tim Fairchild questioned how effective the representation would be. “I think that all we’re doing is spending money at this point. I think that determination’s going to be made so far above our pay grade that we’re just wasting our time with it.” Supervisor Kim Wermersen differed, saying they owe it to those who requested the county take the action. “I guess for me I’m concerned about where it’s headed, but I believe we as a county need to do everything we can in our own power, to try to stop it, right? Unless we’re throwing darts at a wall.” A motion to proceed with the representation was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Fairchild voting against.”
Belmond Independent: Supervisors delay pipeline rules again
8/10/23
“After weeks of working on a new right of way ordinance for Wright County, the board of supervisors tabled the final approval Aug. 7,” the Belmond Independent reports. “Supervisor Karl Helgevold started off the meeting by asking for the controversial ordinance to be set aside for one week. He said he wanted to look at the crossings affected by the changes and where the Summit Carbon pipeline would be located. “I think both sides are polarized right now,” Helgevold stated. “I still want to have a good relationship with Summit. I think there is animosity on both sides right now.” He argued that a delay of one week would be “an olive branch” and is the “prudent thing to do. I think we will know a lot more in a week.” “...Dean Kluss, the supervisor who has been working closely with the county engineer and attorney on revising the ordinance, opposed the delay. He said there has already been significant time spent on the changes, including input from Summit and the public.”
Wyoming Public Radio: Natural gas pipeline for Teton County customers will go through ‘core’ sage grouse habitat
Caitlin Tan, 8/9/23
“Some say providing Teton County residents with natural gas could come at the cost of the local sage grouse – a bird whose populations have rapidly declined over the years. But, federal and state agencies say the harm can be mostly mitigated,” Wyoming Public Radio reports. “Construction has begun on a 17-mile pipeline starting southwest of Big Piney in Sublette County and extending to nearby Highway 189. It will connect to a system that already delivers natural gas from the Big Piney area, up north to Teton County. It is used by Lower Valley Energy customers – the co-op utility services areas near Jackson and Star Valley. As originally reported by the Jackson Hole News & Guide, some are worried about how the pipeline construction will affect local greater sage grouse. There are several leks, breeding grounds used annually by sage grouse, near some of this construction area, which is partly considered ‘core’ – or crucial – sage grouse habitat by the state of Wyoming. Grouse populations in the U.S. have declined by 80 percent since the 1960s, and research links development and disturbance to this. But, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the project in 2022 after an environmental assessment. The agency stated that the project “will not result in a significant impact on the human, natural and physical environment, individually or cumulatively.” “...But, Linda Baker, executive director of the conservation group Upper Green River Alliance, told WPR the pipeline will inevitably affect local sage grouse. She told WPR it will likely cause the birds to abandon their mating grounds in the area and that Teton County utility customers should know that.”
Law360: ND Judge Says Tribal Landowners Can't Join Pipeline Fight
Ryan Harroff, 8/9/23
“A Marathon Petroleum Corp. unit’s fight with the U.S. government over a right-of-way decision affecting one of its pipelines would “enormously expand” and become unnecessarily complicated if a group of 85 Native American landowners is allowed to intervene, a North Dakota Judge ruled Tuesday,” Law360 reports.
Edmonton Journal: First Nations coalition seeking pipeline to move Alberta hydrogen to Manitoba
Matthew Black, 8/9/23
“A new coalition of First Nations is coming together with the goal of building several major infrastructure projects, including a pipeline to transport Alberta hydrogen to tidewater in Churchill, Man.,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “The leadership of several Treaty 5 nations announced the plan Wednesday in Chemawawin, Man. It calls for the creation of the Wáwátéwák Corridor, a Cree term translated to English as northern lights. The plan involves the initial creation of a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission line, followed by a fibre-optic network, all-weather road as well as the hydrogen pipeline to Alberta. “This project has potential to change the present and the future of our nations in a good way, that will provide abundance and prosperity. It’s high time we turn the tide on widespread poverty and create opportunities for our people not just to survive, but to thrive,” Chemawawin Cree Nation Chief Clarence Easter told the Journal. Easter added the projects will all use Indigenous-designed approaches and will be owned and operated by the coalition.”
World Pipelines: PHMSA announces new social equity mapping tools
Elizabeth Corner, 8/1023
“PHMSA Social Equity Mapping Tools allows viewers to visualise pipeline accidents and incidents across the US. This effort seeks to promote data transparency by making pipeline incident data easier to access and understand for the public,” World Pipelines reports. “The Social Equity Mapping Tools provide a state-by-state analysis of reportable pipeline incidents and accidents where users can view the cause of pipeline failures, the operator of that line, and the communities affected by the incident. “Climate and environmental justice have been at the forefront of this administration, highlighting the inequities that exist in our communities. These tools are part of DOT’s Justice40 Initiative to confront and address underinvestment in disadvantaged communities. These new tools make it easier for users to learn more about pipeline safety incidents affecting their communities. The tools use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to track information on reportable incidents that occur on pipelines that transport gas within communities and across states, and pipeline incidents caused by excavation damage.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: Biden says he has ‘practically’ declared a climate emergency. But he actually hasn’t.
KELLY GARRITY, 8/9/23
“President Joe Biden said he has already “practically” declared a climate emergency. But he has yet to actually make a declaration, which would give him a host of new powers to combat climate change as the country faces record-breaking heat and more frequent and intense floods, droughts and wildfires,” Politico reports. “We’ve already done that,” Biden said Wednesday when asked whether he was prepared to declare a national climate emergency during an interview on The Weather Channel. “We’ve conserved more land, we’ve moved into rejoining the Paris Climate Accord. We’ve got a $60 billion climate control facility.”When pressed about whether he has actually declared an emergency, Biden responded, “Practically speaking, yes.” When pressed about whether he has actually declared an emergency, Biden responded, “Practically speaking, yes.” However, no such declaration has come from the White House. Experts say Biden could invoke the 1976 National Emergencies Act to give himself the power to order the manufacture of clean energy technology, deploy renewables on military bases, block crude oil exports or even suspend offshore drilling — though that would require compensation to the owners. Though the law limits emergency declarations to one year, it could be renewed annually to address the increasingly troubling impacts of climate change. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre did not walk back Biden’s comments when asked about them during an interview on CNN later Wednesday morning.”
The Hill: Climate advocates press Biden on fossil fuels during New Mexico visit
MIRANDA NAZZARO, 8/9/23
“Climate advocates in New Mexico pressed President Joe Biden to quickly phase out fossil fuels during his visit Wednesday,” The Hill reports. “...The New Mexico No False Solutions coalition said members unveiled banners Wednesday that read “Keep [it] in the Ground” and “Invest in Renewables” on the highway along Biden’s route to his stop in Belen, N.M. “President Biden has approved more oil and gas drilling permits than President Trump, and more than half of those have been in New Mexico’s Permian Basin,” Alejandría Lyons, coordinator of the New Mexico No False Solutions coalition, said in a statement. Lyons said the “fracking explosion” is causing a surge in oil and gas pollution in southeastern New Mexico that is impacting the region’s climate and “putting front-line communities at risk.” The coalition is calling on the president to end the era of fossil fuels and to “stop endorsing false climate solutions like hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).” “...New Mexico No False Solutions said it sent a letter to the DOE in June asking it to reject New Mexico’s application for federal hydrogen funding, citing research that found 95 percent of hydrogen production comes from fossil fuels like natural gas and coal.”
E&E News: White House deploys its 'best messenger' to sell climate law
Robin Bravender, 8/8/23
“President Joe Biden is making a renewed push this week to sell his massive climate law to the public as new polling shows most Americans know little or nothing about it,” E&E News reports. “Biden is stopping in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah this week, where he’s expected to discuss the extreme heat that’s cooking the Southwest this summer and highlight the work he’s done to combat climate change. The push comes as new data shows that the administration’s climate messaging isn’t resonating with the public as much as the Biden team would hope heading into the 2024 presidential campaign. A poll released this week by The Washington Post and University of Maryland found that 57 percent of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of climate change, and most Americans know little or nothing about the climate law known as the Inflation Reduction Act or about the incentives it contains.”
CNN: Under Biden, US oil production is poised to break Trump-era records
Matt Egan, 8/9/23
“Critics accuse President Joe Biden of waging a war on the oil industry that is hurting consumers at the gas pump. And yet, on his watch, US oil production is poised to shatter all-time records set during the Trump administration,” CNN reports. “US oil output is now projected to rise to an average of 12.8 million barrels per day this year for the first time ever, according to federal estimates released Tuesday. For context, that’s about half a million barrels per day more than the prior annual record set in 2019. It’s also more oil than any other country on the planet produces — the next-closest nation, Saudi Arabia, produces about 10 million barrels per day, according to OPEC. The looming milestone undercuts the argument made by some 2024 GOP presidential contenders that the Biden administration is strangling the oil industry with red tape. “There’s a narrative out there that US production is dead or dying,” Hunter Kornfeind, oil market analyst at Rapidan Energy Group, told CNN. But while its speed is slower than it used to be, it’s “maturing, it’s not dead,” he told CNN… “Yet earlier this week, former Vice President Mike Pence vowed to turn back the “failed policies of the Biden administration” and to end “Joe Biden’s war on energy.” The 2024 presidential contender rolled out a new energy plan that includes allowing new drilling on federal lands, cutting permitting time in half and replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.”
FOX News: Biden touts pro-Native American efforts despite axing oil drilling that sustains tribes
Thomas Catenacci, 8/9/23
“President Biden and top administration officials touted actions this week that they argued protect tribal interests, just months after moving to block oil drilling that sustains Native American communities,” FOX News reports. “...Biden also argued that establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park years ago was a means to ensure Native Americans were denied access to their own land. Haaland added that the move to designate the lands as a national monument demonstrates the importance of "recognizing the original stewards of our public land." “...However, in early June, Haaland finalized a ban on fossil fuel leasing within 10 miles of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park located near San Juan County, New Mexico. While she said the move would protect the sacred and culturally significant site, leaders of the nearby Navajo Nation argued it will wreak economic devastation on tribal members who rely on leasing the land for income. Navajo leaders also warned that the federal government failed to properly consult them on the action. They said Haaland never seriously considered their compromise solution and potentially neglected her legal duty to protect rights of Navajo allottees. "I really am emotionally distraught for our constituents that have been impacted by this," Brenda Jesus, who chairs Navajo Nation Council's Resources & Development Committee, told Fox News Digital at the time. "The proper government-to-government tribal consultation has never really taken place at all. We're just really advocating on behalf of our constituents. That wasn't really considered – tribal sovereignty."
E&E News: Oil executive Harold Hamm raises funds for DeSantis
Timothy Cama, 8/8/23
“Oil and natural gas magnate Harold Hamm helped host a fundraiser Monday for Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis,” E&E News reports. “Hamm, the chair of Continental Resources Inc., was among the co-chairs of an Oklahoma City fundraiser for DeSantis, the governor of Florida, that featured Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), who was DeSantis’ first gubernatorial endorser, according to an invitation obtained by E&E News and a person familiar with the event who was granted anonymity to speak freely. Hamm was previously a high-profile supporter and adviser of former President Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. He has since broken from Trump and has backed both DeSantis and Nikki Haley in the Republican primary for the 2024 election. The Oklahoma City event's co-hosts included Alliance Resource Partners CEO Joe Craft and his wife, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft, both of whom previously backed Trump. Alex Gray, a former National Security Council official in Trump’s White House, was also a co-host.”
EXTRACTION
Carbon Capture Magazine: Great Plains Institute releases Carbon Capture Co-Benefits study
Great Plains Institute, 8/9/23
“Installing technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial and power facilities has the potential to result in billions of annual health benefits nationwide. These health benefits are directly tied to the reduction of other air pollutants that would also be removed in a carbon capture system, according to a first-of-its-kind study—Carbon Capture Co-benefits: Carbon Capture’s Role in Removing Pollutants and Reducing Health Impacts—from the Great Plains Institute and Carbon Solutions, LLC. The analysis found that reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM) as part of an amine-based carbon capture system led to positive health benefits across all sectors and regions. The study is the first to quantify the dollar value of the health benefits from reducing harmful co-pollutants by installing carbon capture technologies at representative facilities for seven industrial and power sectors across 10 regions in the United States. At the regional level, the co-benefits associated with carbon capture at representative facilities led to monetary health benefits ranging from $7 million to nearly $500 million annually. In total, the study modeled up to $1.8 billion in annual US health benefits when examining 54 selected facilities. While not directly included in the study, the potential total annual health benefits among all industrial facilities nationwide could be even higher. The benefits included reductions in adult and infant mortality, asthma exacerbations, and overall costs of lowering risks of all health categories… “The study assumed that carbon capture technologies, in addition to capturing carbon, will also capture at least 75 percent of NOx, 98 percent of SO2, and 100 percent of condensable PM emissions… “These results indicate significant opportunities for improving air quality through reducing NOx, SO2, and PM2.5 as part of a carbon capture system installed on coal and natural gas power plants, petroleum refineries, as well as iron and steel, cement, ethanol, and fertilizer and ammonia facilities. “This research is an important first step in quantifying the co-benefits of carbon capture technologies,” Fry said.
Reuters: Canadian oil sands carbon emissions stalled in 2022 even as output grew
Nia Williams, 8//9/23
“Greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian oil sands production were flat in 2022 even as output grew, an analysis by S&P Global showed on Wednesday, suggesting absolute emissions from the carbon-intensive sector could peak sooner than previously expected,” Reuters reports. “It was the first time since S&P Global began tracking emissions in 2009 that absolute oil sands emissions did not rise, apart from periods in which major market disruption caused a decline in production, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, the oil sands sector in northern Alberta will still need to make significant emissions cuts to meet Canada's climate targets, Kevin Birn, chief analyst of Canadian oil markets at S&P Global Commodity Insights, told Reuters… “The fact it stalled suggests industry may be able to achieve more than they anticipated," Birn told Reuters. "But for industry to make large-scale absolute emissions reductions we see the need for carbon capture and storage (CCS).” A number of Canada's largest oil sands producers, including Suncor Energy (SU.TO) and Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO), have asked the Canadian and Alberta governments for public funding to develop costly CCS technology.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: Oil hedge funds place their bets on heat-fueled hurricane season
Nell Mackenzie, 8/8/23
“Bullish gasoline positions have hit their highest since the day Russia invaded Ukraine and will almost certainly rise further if record Atlantic Ocean heat draws a hurricane into the Gulf of Mexico and disrupts refineries, investors and analysts told Reuters. Many traders have been unnerved as crude markets were whipsawed by a banking crisis in the United States and inflationary pressures. Some have found better returns in refined products… “Now traders are focusing on the weather, as Atlantic waters have climbed to the highest temperatures in 120,000 years, heightening the risk of storms… “A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico in the U.S. Gulf Coast - where nearly half of US oil refining capacity is located - could damage oil refinery units, or cause refiners to temporarily shut them down until the storm passes. Refinery outages caused by plant shut-ins or damaged equipment in that region would likely increase fuel prices… “But for gasoline to continue its rise against the price of crude oil, there needs to be a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, they told Reuters… “Hurricanes anywhere else matter much less for energy prices, the trader told Reuters.
OPINION
Los Angeles Times: Letters to the Editor: Carbon-capture technology isn’t ready for an EPA mandate yet
Pedro J. Pizarro is president and chief executive of Edison International, 8/9/23
“To the editor: The Aug. 5 piece “The terrible climate hypocrisy at the top of Southern California Edison” misleads readers about the position of the Edison Electric Institute and Edison International on the Biden administration’s proposed power plant emission rules,” Pedro Pizarro writes for the Los Angeles Times. “Leah Stokes claims we oppose the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. We do not… “Our primary concerns are limited to the EPA’s recommendations on clean hydrogen and carbon-capture storage for gas-fired generators. These technologies are not mature enough to meet the proposed EPA benchmarks. While we’re helping to bring these technologies to scale, establishing goals that are not feasible or affordable won’t help.”
Beaumont Enterprise: To secure the Texas energy future, we must learn from Louisiana
Kaitlin Hammons is the Vice President and Executive Director of the Gulf Coast region for the Consumer Energy Alliance, 8/9/23
“In the modern energy economy, if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward,” Kaitlin Hammons writes for the Beaumont Enterprise. “...Our neighbors in Louisiana understand this and are actively embracing an important application of a proven technology, carbon capture and storage. Texas must follow suit and push for policy changes that support carbon capture to move our energy economy into the future, and boost environmental gains… “This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency held a series of public hearings in Louisiana to gather input on whether the state should be delegated the federal agency’s authority to permit carbon injection wells… “If approved, Louisiana would gain state-level oversight of the underground storage of carbon. Moving the control to the state level will help streamline the permitting and regulatory process, alleviating a bottleneck at the federal level and ensuring more CCS projects get off the ground quickly, safely and under competent local control. Texas has begun the process of obtaining the EPA’s authority to permit carbon capture wells, and it must follow Louisiana's lead to ensure the process runs smoothly. Proponents of the measure in Louisiana took steps to unify their message and prepare the EPA to rule in their favor, including working with members of the state legislature to sponsor a resolution showing support for primacy. Texas must do the same and catch up with our neighbors to the east.”