EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/16/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: The Midwest Is Ground Zero for the Fight Over Carbon Capture Pipelines
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge: Summit should reveal communities threatened by pipeline leaks
Press release: Yankton Sioux Tribe Applauds North Dakota Regulators in shutting down Carbon Pipeline
WQAD: Concerns in Port Byron over proposed CO2 pipeline
WMT: ADM Cedar Rapids Pipeline Opposed
RFD TV: Winning Over Farmers is Key to Success: Update on two carbon dioxide pipelines
Storm Lake Radio: Slight Setback for Company Seeking to Build Carbon Pipeline Through Northwest Iowa
Radio Iowa: RFK Jr. blasts developers of carbon pipelines
Queen City News: Three years after Colonial Pipeline spill, company hopes treatment plant speeds up recovery
OilPrice.com: U.S. Pipeline Gas Exports To Mexico Hit A Record-High
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Grist: What it might look like if President Biden really declared a climate emergency
E&E News: DOE announces initiative for 'responsible' CCS
E&E News: Schumer promises to build on climate law if Dems win
E&E News: Court Sides With Interior In Wyoming NEPA Fight
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Young environmentalists won a landmark climate change ruling in Montana. Will it change anything?
Washington Post: Youths sued Montana over climate change and won. Here’s why it matters.
WyoFile: Gordon, EPA head agree on tech innovation to combat climate crisis
Alaska Beacon: Environmental groups mount legal challenge to Alaska natural gas export approval
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Occidental buys carbon air capture tech firm for $1.1 billion
Popular Science: The US is investing more than $1 billion in carbon capture, but big oil is still involved
Axios: Big Oil is getting more and more DAC-curious
CNBC: Carbon storage is gaining favor. These are the companies investors need to know
Reuters: Construction of major Dutch carbon storage project can continue - High Court
Wall Street Journal: Oil Firms Face Hard Choices After a Year of Big Spending
Bloomberg: Shale Wells Are Losing Oil Output Faster Than Expected, Study Says
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Feds issue notice to sell New Mexico public land to oil and gas industry in Permian Basin
National Observer: Enough with the clean energy pursuits, Suncor must get back to oilsands fundamentals: CEO
CLIMATE FINANCE
Axios: Corporate America is rebranding ESG
Bloomberg: Bankers Hate Saying ‘ESG’ But Are Hardwiring It Into Finance
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Orange County Register: SoCalGas to pay $175k over claims of ‘renewable’ natural gas, Bonta announces
OPINION
Bismarck Tribune: Letter: Proposed CO2 pipeline is not the right answer
Norfolk Daily News: Judge targets ruling against individual counties hoping to block proposed carbon pipeline
Farm Forum: David Ganje: CO2 pipelines and the art of drafting legislation
Bloomberg: Biden’s Climate Bill Was Too Tame. Here Are Four Fixes.
Heatmap: Biden’s Climate Messaging Problem
Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian: Embracing the facts on state land leasing, Ohio’s natural resources
Anchorage Daily News: The false promise of LNG for a sustainable Alaska energy future
Utility Dive: With a unique alignment of interests, now is the time to address methane emissions
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: The Midwest Is Ground Zero for the Fight Over Carbon Capture Pipelines
Coco Liu, 8/16/23
“Deadly rupture. Groundwater contamination. Earthquake triggers. One after another, residents from across Iowa fired off their concerns at a meeting with federal and state representatives to discuss a technology that could help protect the climate — and reshape their backyards,” Bloomberg reports. “How to handle captured carbon dioxide dominated the agenda at a two-day meeting hosted by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in Des Moines this spring. Communities that could one day host pipelines filled with CO2 were able to weigh in before regulators as the US begins to deploy carbon capture and storage technology in earnest. The climate solution, championed by President Joe Biden, didn’t get a warm welcome. “We don't deserve to have these dangerous pipelines that could kill us next to our homes so that these private companies can get even wealthier than they already are,” Des Moines resident Jess Mazour said to applause at the meeting, during which many attendees wore buttons opposing CO2 pipelines… “We're already behind on meeting those climate goals,” John Thompson, director of Clean Air Task Force, an environmental group based in Boston, told Bloomberg. “Any delays in moving ahead with carbon capture and storage fundamentally harm all of us.” “...Despite rising pushback, “I don’t think it will get to the point where there is a broad moratorium on the technology,” Noah Deich, who helps oversee CCS development at the DOE, told Bloomberg. Local resistance could, however, make deployment more costly if CO2 pipeline detours become necessary, Deich told Bloomberg… “The protests and permitting fights are already spooking some investors… “The plaintiffs argue that transporting and storing CO2 shouldn’t qualify as a project for the greater good. “This is the most united [moment] that our local community has had on issues since probably World War II,” Mark Lapka, 42, a farmer in McPherson County, South Dakota, and one of the plaintiffs, told Bloomberg. “Everybody's pretty much in agreement that this isn't something that we particularly want in our community.” Summit says it has so far secured voluntary easement agreements covering nearly 75% of its proposed CO2 pipeline route and described community support for the project as “overwhelming.” “...But getting the remaining landowners on board could take years of litigation, Jennifer Zwagerman, an associate professor of law at Drake University who has studied CCS resistance in the Midwest, told Bloomberg… “We’re concerned about the fact that this country has never done this before,” Brian Jorde, an attorney at Domina Law Group who represents nearly 1,000 Midwest landowners in lawsuits against Summit, Wolf and Navigator, told Bloomberg… “Like many other CCS opponents, Vicki Hulse of Moville, Iowa, has doubts about the technology’s overall climate benefits. She’s part of the pushback against the Navigator project, and argues that a large amount of energy needed to construct and operate that infrastructure could potentially cancel out the CO2 emissions that it promises to remove… “The 67-year-old retiree has fought a series of legal battles against Navigator, and has no intention of backing down anytime soon. “There is absolutely no amount of money that you can pay me to put this underneath my ground,” she told Bloomberg. “I will fight for it until my last breath.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Judge: Summit should reveal communities threatened by pipeline leaks
JARED STRONG 8/15/23
“An administrative law judge has decided that Summit Carbon Solutions should give documents of its “dispersion modeling” to groups that seek them as evidence for the company’s upcoming pipeline permit hearing,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Summit has resisted requests for the results of its dispersion modeling in Iowa and has argued that the information pertains to safety issues that are governed by federal regulators. But the Sierra Club of Iowa, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and several counties said the models are important for deciding the pipeline’s route, which is governed by the Iowa Utilities Board. “The IUB needs to know how far the carbon dioxide plume from a leak or rupture of the Summit pipeline would disperse in order to properly approve ‘the location and route’ of the pipeline so as to protect persons and property,” Wally Taylor, a Sierra Club attorney, wrote in a motion to compel Summit to provide the documents. On Monday, Toby Gordon, an administrative law judge for the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, agreed that the information is likely to be admissible as evidence for the board when it decides whether to issue Summit a pipeline permit. “I cannot say, as Summit urges, that the dispersion modeling data is irrelevant,” Gordon wrote. He ordered Summit to provide the documents to the requesters within two days, but the company can appeal. The final evidentiary hearing for Summit’s project is set to begin in less than a week, and Gordon’s decision was the second in two weeks to compel the company to produce information that might be used as evidence during that hearing. Gordon also said Summit needs to give unredacted copies of its contracts with ethanol plants to attorneys of groups that have sought the information. Summit appealed, and an IUB decision on whether to adopt the order is pending. There has been a flurry of filings with the IUB as the hearing approaches, along with requests to delay the hearing to allow more time for consideration of the project. Requests for a delay gained new urgency with a recent decision by North Dakota regulators to reject Summit’s proposed route in that state… “We are one week away,” Jess Mazour, of the Sierra Club, told the IUB at its meeting Tuesday morning. “Just want to remind you that there is still time to delay this hearing and make sure that people have a fair chance in front of the Iowa Utilities Board, because there’s a lot of outstanding things that really should come to a conclusion before we hear Summit’s case and before a decision is made.”
Press release: Yankton Sioux Tribe Applauds North Dakota Regulators in shutting down Carbon Pipeline
8/15/23
“The Ihanktonwan Nation stands committed to protecting the land and people of the Oceti Sakowin. From our fierce Water Protectors that stood at Standing Rock to the brave warriors who stood at Tunkasila Sakpe Paha to defend it from more defacing, our way has always been to protect life and to ensure all that connects us is secure. The proposed Carbon Pipeline has not been validated as environmentally safe, and though it does not go directly through our legally controlled lands, a leak could still have major impacts on our people. In addition, we also stand for the right to oppose forced acceptance of a government/business decision on owners of property, we stand with the ranchers and farmers who see this pipeline as an unjust taking by the government for business interests… “Thus, the Tribe requests that South Dakota PUC follow North Dakota and hold the pipeline project until environmental concerns are adequately addressed. The Tribe further supports the call for a Special Session of the South Dakota legislature to address the issues of pipeline construction in South Dakota.”
WQAD: Concerns in Port Byron over proposed CO2 pipeline
Jonathan Fong, 8/14/23
“Two companies are looking to push forward with a CO2 pipeline, but it's not without pushback from communities in Henry and Rock Island Counties,” WQAD reports. “…Port Byron's library was packed on a Monday night, as the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines was giving a presentation on what they said are the risks of the proposed project. Local resident Marla Skelton said she's concerned for the community's safety. "I just don't think it's a good idea because it's dangerous," Skelton said. "It's not just going across my property, but being close to the school, being close to the housing additions." Jeanie Custer came from rural Henry County because she's worried. "I live by myself but I've been told the pipeline will intersect the farm ground I live near," Custer said. When asked what she's most worried about, she said "ruptures, and how they affect people living near the rupture site." “...Activists at the presentation, however, are convinced that a different company's CO2 pipe burst in 2020 is the only proof they need that a pipeline is too dangerous. The situation was in the rural town of Satartia, Mississippi where over 200 people were evacuated, and more than 45 hospitalized.”
WMT: ADM Cedar Rapids Pipeline Opposed
Craig Michaels, 8/15/23
“Residents in Port Byron, Illinois, east of the Quad Cities, met last night to hear a presentation against a proposed CO2 pipeline,” WMT reports. “The 300-mile pipeline would connect the ADM plant in Cedar Rapids to ADM's new carbon dioxide-storage well in Decatur, Illinois. The Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines told residents that a pipeline leak in Mississippi in 2020 that sent 45 people to hospital is proof the proposed CO2 pipeline is dangerous. Wolf Carbon Solutions, the company proposing the pipeline, says the line would be vigorously monitored during and after construction.”
RFD TV: Winning Over Farmers is Key to Success: Update on two carbon dioxide pipelines
8/15/23
“The executive behind the building of the world’s largest carbon dioxide pipeline promises to treat farmers better than previous developers,” RFD TV reports. “The CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions told RFD that winning over farmers is key to the success of the $5.5 billion dollar pipeline. Landowners have been concerned with the construction due to damage from past projects, but the company says it will boost ethanol and corn production while helping President Biden’s plans to reduce climate change. Another pipeline is not having as much success. The Iowa Utilities Board has rejected a request to meet about the Navigator Carbon Dioxide Pipeline permit process. The board does not plan to adopt the tentative proposed schedule of the system to transport captured carbon dioxide away from ethanol plants and other facilities.”
Storm Lake Radio: Slight Setback for Company Seeking to Build Carbon Pipeline Through Northwest Iowa
8/15/23
“There’s been a bit of a setback for one of the companies wanting to build a carbon capture pipeline through northwest Iowa,” Storm Lake Radio reports. “The Iowa Utilities Board has reportedly rejected an application from Navigator CO2 Ventures to hold a scheduling conference for the hearing on their Heartland Greenway pipeline. The conference had originally been scheduled for today (Tues). Navigator had sought the scheduling conference with the aim of holding their permit hearing before the board next June. However, landowners, the Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and supervisors from six counties filed objections to the proposed schedule… “In a ruling, the utilities board has rejected Navigator’s proposed schedule, setting the scheduling hearing for Monday, October 9th. The final date for the permit hearing on Navigator’s application will be set at that time.”
Radio Iowa: RFK Jr. blasts developers of carbon pipelines
O. Kay Henderson, 8/14/23
“Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says it makes no sense to provide federal tax credits to ANY of the three proposed carbon pipeline projects,” Radio Iowa reports. “These pipelines are one of the biggest boondoggles I’ve ever seen,” Kennedy said this weekend during a news conference at the State Fair,” so this is $173 billion over a 10 year period to the oil industry and big agriculture.” Kennedy said the pipelines will not address climate change, since carbon from proposed Summit pipeline, for example, will be used to extract fossil fuel from oil fields in North Dakota and Canada. Kennedy said the Iowa Utilities Board should not grant eminent domain authority so the pipeline companies can force unwilling landowners to sign easement contracts. Kennedy described the projects as a transfer of wealth from taxpayers to oil companies, ethanol producers and pipeline developers. “If they can get away with this, from now on any wealthy businessman who has a project that they want can now go to the government and get eminent domain to condemn your property in order to build a project that has a dubious, if any, public benefit,” Kennedy said.
Queen City News: Three years after Colonial Pipeline spill, company hopes treatment plant speeds up recovery
Derek Dellinger, 8/14/23
“It has now been three years since two teens discovered a leak on the Oehler Nature Preserve that has been called the largest of its kind in the United States,” the Queen City News reports. “On Aug. 14, 2020, the teens noticed gas bubbling up from the ground in north Mecklenburg County, just off Huntersville-Concord Road near Asbury Chapel Road, along with the smell of gas. Fire crews were alerted, and it was eventually discovered that the gas was coming from the Colonial Pipeline, located just underneath the preserve… “State Sen. Natasha Marcus, a Democrat serving the Huntersville area, told the News that she still gets calls from people asking how the cleanup is going, and also hears from new residents asking why the leak site exists in the first place… “However, when the leak initially occurred, residents were told the amount that emitted from the ground was in the thousands of gallons. As of 2023, that estimate grew to 2 million gallons. Just over 1.75 million gallons has been recovered. “The biggest question is something that I don’t think has an answer,” Marcus said Monday in an interview with Queen City News. “When is it going to be cleaned up? It’s been three years now, the disruptions nearby. Is the plume moving? Is it going to get worse?” For now, the question on the length of the cleanup does not have an answer. Colonial Pipeline requested the public’s patience amid its continued cleanup efforts three years in… “Colonial Pipeline has consistently said since 2020 that there has been no contamination to well-water systems in the area, which are at a lower depth than the gas. However, they have noted groundwater contamination, which is a part of the remediation process. Some of the remediation has included a water treatment system near the site, which would allow for more work to be taking place at the leak location. Currently, the contaminated water is trucked away, with the gas and water separated out off-site… “As of June, Colonial Pipeline noted to Queen City News that they were averaging around 105 gallons a day of recovery. At that rate, it could take an additional six years for the cleanup to be completed.”
OilPrice.com: U.S. Pipeline Gas Exports To Mexico Hit A Record-High
Tom Kool, 8/15/23
“The United States exported record-high volumes of natural gas via pipelines to Mexico in June 2023, beating the previous record from June 2021, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday,” OilPrice.com reports. “America’s pipeline gas exports to Mexico averaged a record high of 6.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) for June 2023, per data from Wood Mackenzie cited by the EIA. This was 0.1 Bcf/d higher than the previous record set in June 2021, due to increased demand in Mexico’s power sector. On nine days in June 2023, U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico exceeded the 7.0 Bcf/d mark, as America’s pipeline gas exports to its southern neighbor usually peak in the summer because of higher demand for air conditioning when summer temperatures rise… “U.S. gas exports to Mexico have grown over the past three years as several new cross-border pipelines have entered into operation, including the Wahalajara system from the Waha hub in West Texas to Guadalajara, the expanded Mier-Monterrey pipeline, and the Tula–Villa de Reyes pipeline. The Tuxpan–Tula pipeline (0.9 Bcf/d) is expected to begin full service in 2025, while this year, the Cuxtal Phase II pipeline—the second segment of the Energía Mayakan pipeline—is expected to enter service. The U.S. also saw deliveries of natural gas via pipelines to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities hit a record high in the first half of 2023.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Grist: What it might look like if President Biden really declared a climate emergency
Akielly Hu, 8/14/23
“President Joe Biden was unequivocal when asked, during an interview with the Weather Channel last week, if he was “prepared to declare a national emergency with respect to climate change.” “I’ve already done that,” he answered without hesitation. But the president has not, in fact, declared a national emergency for climate change, despite claiming that he’s “practically” done so,” Grist reports. “Activists, several Democratic lawmakers, and climate scientists have in recent weeks renewed calls for Biden to take that very step, an act that would unlock sweeping executive authorities to halt fossil fuel production and ramp up manufacturing of clean energy technologies… “Environmental advocates say that although the president acknowledges the climate crisis in his rhetoric, his administration continues to expand fossil fuel production… “Under the National Emergencies Act, Biden could issue a declaration that would activate provisions in existing laws to take drastic measures to address climate change. The president could, for example, halt crude oil exports by reinstating a ban that Congress lifted in 2015. He also could suspend offshore oil and gas drilling in over 11 million acres of federal waters, owing to a clause in those leases that allows the president to suspend operation during a national emergency… “For example, once a climate emergency is declared, Biden could divert billions of dollars from the military toward constructing renewable energy projects. Under the Defense Production Act, a law invoked by the Trump administration to boost the supply of Covid-19 medical supplies, Biden could order businesses to manufacture more clean energy and transportation technologies. He also could extend loan guarantees to industries crucial to decarbonizing the electrical grid and transportation sector, further boosting the supply of renewable power… “This administration claims to be climate champions, and yet they have constantly approved things like the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” Roishetta Sibley Ozane, founder and director of the Vessel Project, a mutual aid and environmental justice organization in Louisiana, told Grist. “If you’re going to be a climate champion, you can no longer be approving new fossil fuel infrastructure.” Given these challenges, Biden might have an easier time — and provide more immediate relief for communities — by declaring an emergency for heat rather than climate change. He could do so under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988. The law authorizes the federal government to provide financial and other forms of assistance to states, tribes, territories, and cities when the president declares a natural disaster or emergency.”
E&E News: DOE announces initiative for 'responsible' CCS
Carlos Anchondo, 8/14/23
“The Department of Energy is proposing a new initiative to encourage the “responsible” development of carbon capture as the Biden administration looks to the technology to meet its climate goals,” E&E News reports. “According to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, the goal of the “Responsible Carbon Management Initiative” is to “recognize and encourage project developers and others in industry to pursue the highest levels of safety, environmental stewardship, accountability, community engagement, and societal benefits in carbon management projects.” The initiative will be split into two phases, with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) planning to publish a set of principles touching on 11 categories, including community engagement, water quality and emergency response. In the second phase, FECM plans to offer resources to support project developers looking to meet the principles, the document said. The principles apply to the “full range” of carbon management, including the capture of carbon dioxide, as well as transport, use and storage, according to the notice.”
E&E News: Schumer promises to build on climate law if Dems win
Emma Dumain, 8/15/23
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday pledged a unified Democratic Congress would pursue a “multifront approach” to combatting the climate crisis, acknowledging that lawmakers must enact policies that further cut carbon emissions to slow the dangerous warming of the planet,” E&E News reports. “Our North Star in this bill was a 40 percent reduction by 2030 of carbon going into the atmosphere, but we obviously want to have to go much further than that,” said the New York Democrat during a press call to mark Wednesday’s one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act into law. “It was an amazing and giant first step,” Schumer said of the largest federal climate investment in history, “but certainly was not sufficient. The Biden administration has talked about 50 percent … we want the number to be higher than 40 percent, for sure.” As examples of what Schumer would like Democrats to do should they retain control of the Senate and White House and win back their majority in the House of Representatives in 2024, he mentioned “making our power, our electricity, as green as possible.” This could be achieved by further overhauling the existing permitting process to expand transmission deployment — an ongoing debate on Capitol Hill — or approving a new tax credit for transmission projects… “He also said he was eying “more incentives” to decarbonize “the transportation sector, the factory sector, the farm sector,” resulting in a multifront approach like the IRA, “but just take it further along.”
E&E News: Court Sides With Interior In Wyoming NEPA Fight
Niina H. Farah, 8/16/23
“A federal appeals court is backing the Interior Department’s review of a sprawling natural gas project in northwest Wyoming, dealing a blow for environmental groups that had warned of the risks the project posed to the greater sage grouse and pronghorn,” E&E News reports. “The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals roundly rejected green groups’ claims that Interior’s Bureau of Land Management failed to do its due diligence under the National Environmental Policy Act to study how Jonah Energy LLC’s 140,000-acre project could affect the habitat and migratory patterns of the two iconic Western species. Judge Timothy Tymkovich, writing the decision of the court last week, summed up the environmental groups’ objections as a disagreement about the agency’s methodologies — rather than a dispute about its failure to consider “essential” information. It isn’t the court’s job to decide between competing approaches to studying environmental effects of a project, said Tymkovich, a George W. Bush appointee. The 10th Circuit therefore declined “to second-guess the Bureau’s analytical lens,” he wrote. The ruling affirmed a decision by a lower court, finding that Interior had ‘adequately collected and considered information’ on the species and chose a development plan that “meets the statutory requirements.”
STATE UPDATES
Associated Press: Young environmentalists won a landmark climate change ruling in Montana. Will it change anything?
MATTHEW BROWN, 8/15/23
“Young environmental activists prevailed in a closely watched Montana lawsuit that said state officials weren’t doing enough to protect them from climate change,” the Associated Press reports. “Legal observers called it a landmark victory for the 16 plaintiffs: It marks the first time a court in the U.S. has declared that a government has a constitutional duty to protect people from climate change… “Seeley’s opinion was carefully crafted to avoid wading too deeply into policy matters that are considered the function of other branches of government and not the courts. “It doesn’t try to set up the court to set climate policy for Montana, which is something that a lot of courts have balked at — the idea that on their own they can figure out how much climate mitigation should be done,” David Dana, a professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law specializing in environmental law, told AP. The ruling applies only in Montana — one of few states with a constitution to explicitly protect environmental rights. The state’s Republican attorney general already has promised an appeal. If it stands, Montana officials no longer will be able legally to ignore the huge contributions to global warming made by fossil fuels. Whether they do anything about those emissions is another question… “Notwithstanding that political reality, one of the young plaintiffs, Clare Vlases, 20, of Bozeman, told AP she believed Seeley’s decision will serve as a check on the other branches of government that are promoting fossil fuels. “I know my Montana lawmakers respect the constitution and they respect our governmental processes,” Vlases told AP. “With that respect comes the responsibility to listen to this decision.” Never before has a U.S. court weighed in to say that a constitutional right to a healthy environment “includes climate as part of the environmental life-support system.” That makes the ruling a landmark in climate litigation, Sandra Zellmer, a professor of natural resources and environmental law at the University of Montana Blewett School of Law, told AP. It could have even greater impact if it is upheld by the Montana Supreme Court, bolstering its impact as a legal precedent that could be cited in cases across the U.S. and even nationally, Zellmer told AP. Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts have constitutions with environmental protections similar to Montana’s.”
Washington Post: Youths sued Montana over climate change and won. Here’s why it matters.
Kate Selig, 8/16/23
“In a decision that made headlines around the world, a Montana judge on Monday ruled in favor of the young plaintiffs who took to the courts to argue that the state violated their right to a clean environment,” the Washington Post reports. “...Climate activists hailed the landmark decision in Held v. Montana as a major victory for using the courts to challenge governmental policies and industrial activities they say are harming the planet. Allies of the fossil fuel industry dismissed it as a judicial aberration that is unlikely to survive on appeal… “Even before a decision was made, the case had already made history for being the first youth-led and first constitutional climate case to go to trial in the nation… “Now, experts say the ruling from Judge Kathy Seeley is one of the strongest decisions on climate change ever issued by a court — both in the United States and worldwide. Seeley determined that the litigants had standing to bring the case. She also ruled that the government played a role in harming the youths — as they had detailed in their lawsuit — because of a statute prohibiting the state from considering climate change when permitting energy projects. The Montana case centered on a particular circumstance — a provision in the state’s constitution — but legal experts told the Post the case could make waves beyond Montana’s borders. Already, the nonprofit group that represented the youths, Our Children’s Trust, has legal action pending in four other states, including a constitutional case in Hawaii that is scheduled to go to trial next June. The experts told the Post judges could look to Seeley’s ruling in making their own decisions, and the win for the plaintiffs could also inspire others to bring their own cases. And though only a handful of states have a constitutional provision guaranteeing a similar right to Montana’s, lawmakers in states such as Iowa, Connecticut and Maine have introduced legislation to add a “green amendment,” as they are known, to their state constitutions. Monday’s ruling could energize those efforts, experts told the Post.”
WyoFile: Gordon, EPA head agree on tech innovation to combat climate crisis
Dustin Bleizeffer, 8/14/23
“Gov. Mark Gordon and the state’s top environmental regulators are often at loggerheads with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, especially when it comes to fossil fuel emissions. But last week, Gordon and EPA administrator Michael Regan found room for agreement: Advancing carbon capture technologies is vital to sustaining reliable energy while combating the climate crisis,” WyoFile reports. “I think what we want to do is not lose focus on the fact that [Gordon] and others are leading the charge so that we can explore the viability of this technology,” Regan told reporters during a joint press conference Wednesday at the University of Wyoming. “We [EPA] also collectively believe that if we can perfect this technology domestically, it’ll put us in a globally competitive position to export this technology to other countries who have carbon-intensive economies,” Regan said. Regan visited with Tribal leaders on the Wind River Indian Reservation earlier in the week and was joined by Gordon while touring the Integrated Test Center in Gillette and UW’s School of Energy Resources. Gordon said he shares the Biden administration’s sense of urgency to address the global climate crisis, and insists that coal can be part of the solution. Though he disagrees on the details of the administration’s climate measures, he said, Wyoming is on the same page when it comes to developing and deploying carbon capture technologies. “We have to make sure that we can power the nation consistently and reliably over the future and understand that we can do that,” Gordon told reporters. “We really want to lead the climate charge. I believe we can do it within an all-of-the-above approach.” “...Despite the state’s legislative efforts and confidence in the technology, however, the EPA’s claims regarding carbon capture for coal plants are “highly problematic,” the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality wrote in its comments to its federal counterpart. “EPA has not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that its proposed BSER [best system of emission reduction] technology will be readily available, and capable of the required performance, by the 2030 compliance deadline.” “...We believe that CCS [carbon capture and sequestration] is a viable technology for compliance,” Regan said. “But we also understand that there’s a lot of research and development that needs to go into this technology.
Alaska Beacon: Environmental groups mount legal challenge to Alaska natural gas export approval
YERETH ROSEN, 8/11/23
“Two environmental groups on Friday asked a federal appeals court to overturn the Biden administration’s approval of exports from Alaska’s yet-unbuilt project that would ship natural gas from the North Slope,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “The Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition with the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia that seeks to reverse the Department of Energy approval granted in April to the massive project that would send liquefied North Slope natural gas to Asian markets. The environmental groups argue that the massive project would unleash too much atmospheric carbon, exacerbating climate change. “The federal government should not be approving this project at this point in the climate crisis,” Erin Colón, senior staff attorney for Earthjustice, which is representing the Center for Biological Diversity in the case, told the Beacon… “The AGDC proposal is the current state-endorsed plan for a pipeline that would transport the North Slope’s vast known but currently stranded natural gas resources to the global market. The state and various industry players tried over the past half century to develop some kind of pipeline system to transport that natural gas, which exists at Prudhoe Bay and other oil fields. No plan has so far proved to be justified in terms of profitability… “The LNG export proposal being pursued by the AGDC is just one in a series of North Slope gas pipeline plans that have been floated over the decades. State, federal and industry officials in the past envisioned an overland pipeline that would carry North Slope natural gas through part of Canada to the U.S. Midwest. Other past plans involved LNG exports from the Prince William Sound port Valdez, site of the marine terminal for the existing trans-Alaska oil pipeline that has been shipping North Slope crude since 1977. A more recent alternative vision for shipping North Slope natural gas involves LNG plants just offshore from Prudhoe Bay and deliveries in the Arctic and deliveries by icebreaking tankers.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Occidental buys carbon air capture tech firm for $1.1 billion
Sabrina Valle and Sourasis Bose, 8/15/23
“U.S. oil and gas producer Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N) on Tuesday agreed to pay $1.1 billion for technology supplier Carbon Engineering Ltd to help it develop a string of carbon-capture sites it hopes will profit from tackling climate change,” Reuters reports. “The U.S. oil producer aims to build about 100 plants using direct air capture (DAC) technology that strips carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere to bury underground or for use in making products such as concrete and aviation fuel. The DAC technology is in early stages of commercialization and will require multibillion-dollar investments to prove it can work economically and generate profits.”
Popular Science: The US is investing more than $1 billion in carbon capture, but big oil is still involved
ANDREW PAUL, 8/15/23
“Investing in carbon capture technology will be necessary for a sustainable future, but environmental advocates frequently stress that this alone is not a cure-all for pollutants,” Popular Science reports. “The DOE, for example, estimates between 400 million and 1.8 billion tons of CO2 will need annual sequestration to meet the nation’s net-zero goal by 2050. Meanwhile, critics are concerned fossil fuel companies could use carbon capture projects as an excuse to continue with business-as-usual—and a recent announcement may do little to ease their worries… “Last week, the US Department of Energy announced up to $1.2 billion in funding for the nation’s first commercial-scale carbon capture facilities designed to pull harmful greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere for underground storage. The two locations near Corpus Christi, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, will be the largest direct air capture (DAC) plants ever constructed. The facilities are estimated to annually remove over 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere—roughly equivalent to taking 445,000 gas-guzzling cars off the road… “While undoubtedly a positive development in carbon sequestration efforts, 1PointFive’s origins illustrate the complicated landscape governments and climate advocates must deal with in the face of such steep environmental stakes. The DOE did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing. When asked to comment on Oxy’s role in the planet’s climate crisis, a spokesperson directed PopSci to two previous press releases—one from last week regarding the DOE announcement, and one from 2022 concerning 1PointFive’s early role in the project. “We are one of the largest oil producers in the US,” reads Occidental’s description in each press release, adding that, “We are committed to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world.”
Axios: Big Oil is getting more and more DAC-curious
Ben Geman, 8/15/23
“Oil giants are increasingly testing the waters in the nascent direct air capture (DAC) industry,” Axios reports. “Driving the news: Chevron will receive up to $3 million to help explore feasibility of a DAC project in California, the Energy Department revealed Friday. And Shell's part of a consortium with Louisiana State University and the University of Houston. DOE may provide them with $3 million to explore a DAC "hub" in the Pelican state. Both grants, which are subject to negotiation, are on the wider list of planned awards through the $3.5 billion DAC "hubs" program… “That (relatively) minor funding came alongside DOE awarding up to $1.2 billion to two consortium to build large-scale DAC "hubs." “...Chevron, in response to an Axios inquiry, noted it has deep experience with big projects and subsurface expertise. Yes, but: Some environmentalists oppose DAC. It "allows polluting industries to live on when we should be focusing on a just transition to renewables," Marion Gee, co-executive director of the Climate Justice Alliance, told Axios after DOE's funding announcements Friday.”
CNBC: Carbon storage is gaining favor. These are the companies investors need to know
Alex Harring, 8/15/23
“...Carbon capture, utilization and storage processes have been around for half a decade, but are currently gaining momentum,” CNBC reports. “Known as CCUS, it is considered a key part of the clean energy transition by helping to balance out emissions that are considered all but impossible to avoid, according to the International Energy Agency. For investors, the trend could be a win-win. The value of these companies could rise over time, as investments help power the transition. Though CCUS had a slow uptake at first, the IEA tracks more than 500 projects now in the works. Some focus on modifying already-standing power as well as industrial plants that work on carbon capture… “Truly helping curb climate change would take even more. Wood MacKenzie estimated it would require 7.75 billion tonnes per year to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. That’s more than 450% above the capacity expected to be in place by 2050. Wood MacKenzie noted that CCUS projects are currently focused in power and gas, though it could expand with help from the “hub” or “cluster” concept, which essentially means that carbon would be taken from many sources and stored in a shared space… “Companies might see hedging their supply chains against potential future geopolitical problems as prudent or see reducing their carbon footprint as important for the planet,” Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius told CNBC.. “But in a competitive market, it is hard for companies to incur large short-run costs to make such changes unless their competitors do so too, because otherwise their competitors might undersell them.”
Reuters: Construction of major Dutch carbon storage project can continue - High Court
8/1/6/23
“The Netherlands' highest court on Wednesday ruled that construction of a major carbon capture project in the Rotterdam port area can continue, despite objections by environmental activists,” Reuters reports. “The planned "Porthos" project, developed by a consortium of Royal Dutch Shell (SHEL.L), Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Air Liquide and Air Products (APD.N), would be Europe's largest carbon capture and storage facility, expected to reduce the country's annual CO2 emissions by about 2%. The court in November last year said the project, in which CO2 emitted by refineries and chemical plants would be transported to empty gas fields under the North Sea, might have to be halted because it did not meet European environmental guidelines. The environmental activists that brought the case claimed that nitrogen oxide emissions caused by the construction of Porthos would be detrimental for neighbouring nature reserves and were thereby in violation of European law. But the court said research commissioned by the government had objectively shown that the effects of construction on the nature reserves would be limited and temporary.”
Wall Street Journal: Oil Firms Face Hard Choices After a Year of Big Spending
David Ubert, 8/14/23
“Wall Street wants Big Oil’s cash. Washington wants it to drill more. Keeping them both happy is about to get a lot tougher,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Bloomberg: Shale Wells Are Losing Oil Output Faster Than Expected, Study Says
Mitchell Ferman, 8/15/23
“The steep drop in output from US shale wells is turning out to be worse than expected, forcing oil drillers to work even harder to keep production from slipping, research firm Enverus said in its latest report,” Bloomberg reports. “The firm’s conclusion that there won’t be a surge of American oil production comes after the amount of crude extracted from US shale wells doubled in the past decade. The falling output rate over time highlights a fact of life for US shale explorers: oil wells are most prolific in early months of production, with gushers quickly turning to trickles. That reality is why oil output boomed during the shale revolution of the 2010s as companies chased production growth at all costs. Now, however, most of the land is already owned or leased, offering few opportunities to drill new areas with vast oil reserves. Companies are considering a range of drilling and production strategies to maximize what they get out of each well such as drilling wells closer together, which makes the shale patch a more dense and difficult place to increase the rate of production. “Summed up, the industry’s treadmill is speeding up and this will make production growth more difficult than it was in the past,” Dane Gregoris, managing director at Enverus Intelligence Research and author of the report published Tuesday, told Bloomberg.
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Feds issue notice to sell New Mexico public land to oil and gas industry in Permian Basin
Adrian Hedden, 8/16/23
“Public land in southeast New Mexico could be leased to the oil and gas industry in November amid the busy Permian Basin known as the largest shale deposit in the U.S.,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “The Bureau of Land Management opened a public protest period for its next lease sale allowing those opposed to the sale to file their thoughts in the federal record. If held, the sale would offer leases on 12 parcels of federal public land on about 596 acres in New Mexico and Oklahoma… “The sale was planned for Nov. 30, 2023 by the BLM, and would offer leases for companies to operate on the lands for 10 years or as long as oil and gas is produced. Protests of the sale were being accepted until Sept. 13, after a public scoping period was offered for technical comments between Feb. 17 and March 20, and another comment period between May 16 and June 15 on the BLM’s environmental analysis. That report found that oil and gas operations on the lands proposed for lease would not have a “significant impact” on the environment or public safety. The final sale notice was published Monday, and it would be held under recently updated terms via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed last year by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. This means the royalty rate operators pay on produced oil and gas revenue will be 16.67 percent, along with higher rental rates implemented by the IRA.”
National Observer: Enough with the clean energy pursuits, Suncor must get back to oilsands fundamentals: CEO
Amanda Stephenson, 8/15/23
“The man hired to turn around the flagging fortunes of Suncor Energy Inc. said Tuesday he believes the company has been too focused in recent years on the energy transition and must get back to an oil-centred business strategy,” the National Observer reports. “CEO Rich Kruger, who took the reins at the Calgary-based energy giant this spring, told analysts on a conference call that the company's board of directors agrees with him that a "revised direction and tone" at the company is necessary. He said he believes Suncor must not neglect "the business drivers of today" in favour of future-focused, clean and low-carbon energy pursuits. "We have a bit of a disproportionate emphasis on the longer-term energy transition," Kruger said, adding that while lower emissions energy is important, it is not what is going to make money for shareholders today. "Today, we win by creating value through our large integrated asset base underpinned by oilsands." “...His stated goal to refocus Suncor's efforts on its oilsands assets comes even as the company has publicly committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050… "It’s good to hear a fossil fuel CEO being honest about their intentions — squeezing every last drop of oil out of the ground, even if it means cooking our climate and harming communities in the process," Greenpeace Canada climate campaign head Laura Ullman told the Observer.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Axios: Corporate America is rebranding ESG
Eleanor Hawkins, 8/10/23
“ESG has a PR problem. The term — which refers to a company's environmental, social and governance strategy and investments — has been all but officially stricken from corporate vernacular,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: Just because the term 'ESG' has fallen out of favor, doesn't mean these initiatives are dying off. Corporate communicators and other business leaders have simply become more judicious about how and when to message about them. By the numbers: ESG is perhaps the most glaringly absent term in this round of earnings transcripts. "The number of S&P 500 companies citing 'ESG' on earnings calls has declined (quarter over quarter) in four of the past five quarters," according to a Fact Set study. The term was cited by only 56 of the S&P 500 this quarter, down 24% (from 74 mentions) since last quarter and down roughly 64% (156 mentions) since its peak in Q4 of 2021. Catch up quick: ESG remains a juicy target for conservative critics who believe "woke capitalism" is a misuse of funds and a distracts companies from generating a profit… “What they're saying: "Every CEO I talked to is saying, we want to maintain our commitment, but it's more important than ever that we do it in a way that shows real bottom-line results and connects our investments in ESG with [performance]," says David Meadvin, CEO of corporate strategy firm Day One. What to watch: Companies are trading the corporate catch-all ESG term for key language that clearly defines its initiatives and reporting data.”
Bloomberg: Bankers Hate Saying ‘ESG’ But Are Hardwiring It Into Finance
Alastair Marsh and Lisa Pham, 8/14/23
“Bankers, money managers and other financial market participants are starting to loathe the label “ESG” — but they’re also sticking with the strategy, according to a Bloomberg survey. About two-thirds of respondents in a survey of roughly 300 Bloomberg terminal users said the anti-ESG movement that started in the US last year will force firms to stop using those three letters in conversations with clients. However, they’ll continue to incorporate environmental, social and governance metrics in their business, they also said.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Orange County Register: SoCalGas to pay $175k over claims of ‘renewable’ natural gas, Bonta announces
8/14/23
“Southern California Gas Co. will pay $175,000 in penalties for misleading consumers about the environmental attributes of natural gas, officials announced today,” the Orange County Register reports. “California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement in connection with “numerous unqualified environmental marketing claims” the utility made in 2019 that natural gas is “renewable,” according to a release. Such claims are misleading because the vast majority of natural gas —including a majority of the gas distributed by SoCalGas — is not renewable, but rather is derived from fossil fuels, according to the AG. Chris Gilbride, SoCalGas spokesperson, said the utility is “pleased to have cooperatively resolved” the matter. “SoCalGas remains committed to delivering increasingly renewable natural gas and other clean fuels to its customers,” he said. “This is part of our aim to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and delivery of energy by 2045.” According to Bonta, an investigation by the AG’s office determined that SoCalGas made the misleading statements in a wide range of mediums, including print, electronic media, informative displays, backdrops and promotional swag. “While we appreciate its cooperation in our investigation, SoCalGas should have known better than to broadcast unqualified claims suggesting that all natural gas is ‘renewable.’ Truth in marketing matters, and it’s required under state law,” Bonta said in a statement. The AG said that under the settlement — which resolves allegations that SoCalGas violated California’s consumer protection laws — SoCalGas will: Be prohibited from making similar unqualified statements that natural gas is “renewable”; Pay $175,000 in penalties, 50% — $87,500 — of which will be directed to the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Small Grants Program to fund a Supplemental Environmental Project focused on environmental justice; Publish a corrective statement on its website within 14 days of the settlement’s effective date.”
OPINION
Bismarck Tribune: Letter: Proposed CO2 pipeline is not the right answer
Rep. SuAnn Olson, R-Baldwin, 8/16/23
“Summit Carbon Solutions' CO2 pipeline is not the right answer for dealing with the CO2 produced by more than 30 ethanol plants in four states including just one North Dakota plant,” Rep. SuAnn Olson writes for the Bismarck Tribune. “...The characteristics of CO2 make a pipeline rupture more dangerous… “Safety cannot be guaranteed. None of the operators who produced 7,556 PHMSA Pipeline incidents over the last 20 years intended to have problems either… “Too many unanswered questions – Who are, or will be, Summit’s owners? Is it good policy that some investors may have ties to foreign countries such as China? Who pays for damages and injury from a rupture that occurs 10 years, 20 years from now? Who pays for special emergency service training and equipment? What is the cost of the economic noose created around Bismarck and Burleigh County as well as the other nine counties? Property values and the buildout of future communities will be irreversibly affected. Not to mention the roughshod treatment of property owners and their property rights by Summit representatives. This pipeline is not the right answer.”
Norfolk Daily News: Judge targets ruling against individual counties hoping to block proposed carbon pipeline
8/14/23
“The chaos that would result if individual counties or communities were able to enact ordinances in conflict with state or federal regulations should be obvious to anyone who doesn’t allow emotion to cloud one’s common sense,” according to the Norfolk Daily News. “Thankfully, a federal judge in Iowa issued the proper ruling in a case that has implications in Northeast Nebraska, too. The legal action began after an ordinance was adopted by Shelby County, Iowa, supervisors that would have severely restricted the placement of a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline… “In Shelby County, supervisors tried to circumvent state and federal laws and regulations by passing an ordinance with restrictions on pipeline construction. Fortunately, Chief Judge Stephanie Rose of Iowa’s Southern District recognized the illegitimacy of such an effort. The judge noted that county supervisors do have a statutory role in land restoration after a pipeline is built but not in pipeline placement. “This omission is evidence that the Legislature did not envision a role for counties in regulating the location of pipelines,” Rose wrote. “Common sense suggests these restrictions would eliminate all or almost all land in Shelby County on which an (Iowa Utilities Board) approved pipeline could be built.” That’s where the chaos would come into play. State and federal laws can’t be ignored by an individual county that doesn’t happen to like a particular project. It’s a lesson to be learned by other counties that may be contemplating similar types of obstructionist policies.”
Farm Forum: David Ganje: CO2 pipelines and the art of drafting legislation
David Ganje, 8/15/23
“The South Dakota legislature recently considered, and perhaps will soon refile, a proposed new law addressing CO2 pipelines,” David Ganje writes for Farm Forum. “... I do not here advocate for the merits or demerits of modern CO2 pipeline projects; nor do I discuss its effects on the economy and on property rights. The bill intends to exclude CO2 projects from PUC permitting laws. The bill does not address what laws would then apply, nor does the bill discuss eminent domain procedures or property rights. The bill would not affect pending CO2 permit applications… “The bill addresses geological storage of CO2 but does not cover CO2 uses for industrial purposes. This is puzzling because now pending before the state PUC is an application for a CO2 pipeline… “The application indicates the product will be potentially distributed to industrial users. If a pipeline developer will have multiple uses for a CO2 pipeline, is the project excluded from the bill’s purpose? Was it the intent of the drafters to give a pass to a developer who uses the product for industrial uses?.. “This bill marries itself to the ever-changing world of federal tax law. When one government writes a law linked to the malleable laws of another government, the first government must buckle up and take a good amount of Dramamine for a long rough ride.”
Bloomberg: Biden’s Climate Bill Was Too Tame. Here Are Four Fixes.
Mark Gongloff, 8/14/23
“In a perfect world, America’s major political parties would argue not about whether to fight the climate change fueling devastating heat waves across the country, but how to fight it. In our imperfect world, one party has vowed to do more on climate. The other party has vowed to do … the opposite of that,” Mark Gongloff writes for Bloomberg. “A year ago this week, President Joe Biden and fellow Democrats in Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest US climate bill in history. But it was far from perfect. It left the US with no realistic path toward meeting its stated goal of zeroing carbon emissions by 2050. At the rate we’re still pumping planet-heating carbon into the atmosphere, today’s heat waves could come to seem downright p
Heatmap: Biden’s Climate Messaging Problem
Ryan Cooper is the managing editor at The American Prospect, 8/14/23
“...As far as subjects for campaign discussion, it’s a decent bet that climate change might be a major one for the first time,” Ryan Cooper writes for Heatmap. “...But Biden is struggling to sell his climate record. A recent Washington Post poll found that 57 percent of Americans disapproved of his record on climate change. At the same time, large majorities both favored the core elements of his major climate achievement, the Inflation Reduction Act, yet also had no idea what it was. This fits with a Heatmap poll conducted earlier this year. Convincing Americans Biden has done something big about the biggest problem facing America and the world is vitally important. But it won’t be easy… “That, together with the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill, plus interlocking IRA rules requiring investment and raw materials be sourced from the U.S. or certain friendly countries, has fueled a massive boom in domestic construction. Solar and wind farms, battery factories, and other installations are shooting up across the country. Much remains to be figured out, but overall the IRA is arguably the greatest accomplishment of a Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs. But voter ignorance probably shouldn’t be surprising. While political junkies were obsessed with the drama in Congress, such people make up a tiny minority of the population. For average people, this was just one more inscrutable political drama out of hundreds that seemed to have little bearing on their lives, if they noticed it at all… “If I were a wealthy liberal who donates ungodly sums to the Democrats, or someone running their PACs that raise billions in small-dollar donations, I would consider spending some of that money buying or setting up journalism publications in strategic locations— not to provide vulgar shrieking propaganda a la Fox News, but straightforward liberal-leaning coverage. Another option would be to conduct consistent messaging operations around the IRA in general, rather than a sudden blast of ads keyed to specific races when election day comes around. It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t pay off immediately, but the strategic value would be immense, especially given the low marginal value of a dollar spent on traditional campaign efforts. Again, just think of the political power of Fox News. President Biden has a strong climate record, but to get any credit, voters must first hear about it.”
Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian: Embracing the facts on state land leasing, Ohio’s natural resources
Bruce Tague, executive director of Ohio Natural Energy Institute, 8/13/23
“Ohio’s state land leasing program is underway, working through the comment and nomination process for the responsible development of our essential natural resources. During this process, we must address the misinformation surrounding it and shed light on the benefits this program offers to Ohio,” Bruce Tague writes for the Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian. “One important acknowledgment those spreading the misinformation tend to forget is Ohioans overwhelmingly support natural gas and oil development. A 2022 survey found that 70% of Ohioans support natural gas and oil development in Ohio, furthermore 82% of respondents said the natural gas and oil industry is essential to their everyday lives… “Leasing state land will only continue to encourage this private investment creating high-paying jobs that power our state. Refusing to harness our essential natural resources would be a mistake. Let's embrace the facts and ensure progress for our state.”
Anchorage Daily News: The false promise of LNG for a sustainable Alaska energy future
Andrea Feniger is the director of Sierra Club Alaska. Arleigh Hitchcock is an organizer for Keep It in the Ground and the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, 8/14/23
“After a decade-long delay, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) denied a petition asking that the agency set clear standards for how they decide if a methane gas export application is consistent with the public interest. Without saying what the criteria are, the agency said it has “rigorous standards” in place. Yet, DOE has never denied a permit on public-interest grounds, despite the fact that gas exports are fueling the climate crisis and raising domestic energy prices,” Andrea Feniger and Arleight Hitchcock write for the Anchorage Daily News. “With such vague criteria, it is no surprise that DOE continues to draw the conclusion that gas exports are in the public interest without properly weighing the true harm these projects cause. The broader impact of climate change on consumers and the environment, the pollution of communities living with the gas infrastructure, and the destruction of vital local ecosystems are all very real consequences that are not being properly considered. That lack of awareness of the impacts was on display in May, when on the heels of approving the Willow project, DOE issued an approval on the final permit the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. needed for its proposal to extract liquefied natural gas (LNG), a substance composed almost entirely of methane, from Alaska’s North Slope and transport that gas through 800-plus mile pipeline. The realization of this plan will cause irreparable harm to the climate, countless ecosystems and local communities in Alaska. The AGDC is determined to continue denying the reality of climate change, and the federal government is right there to greenlight the construction of yet another dirty-fuel megaproject in Alaska… “An LNG pipeline would likely become a stranded asset, causing major financial losses, because carbon-free energy sources are more economical and will make LNG obsolete before the pipeline can pay for itself — not to mention the cost of climate change and environmental degradation in Alaska. The Biden administration’s actions have spoken louder than words when it comes to its supposed commitment to fighting climate change. The administration has sent the message that fossil fuel interests are a bigger priority to them than the health of our planet or the people of Alaska. Our state is not here for the rest of the world to rummage for every last drop of oil and gas, leaving us to deal with the health complications and climate change impacts.”
Utility Dive: With a unique alignment of interests, now is the time to address methane emissions
Jeffrey Kupfer is a former acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy, an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School and the president of ConservAmerica, 8/14/23
“A few weeks ago, the Biden administration convened what it characterized as the “first ever White House Methane Summit” and announced a new cabinet–level task force to focus on accelerating the reduction of methane emissions,” Jeffrey Kupfer writes for Utility Dive. “The meeting took place against the backdrop of an ongoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency effort to finalize its new regulations on methane emissions detection and control from oil and gas operations. Like many other current regulatory initiatives, this one may appear on its face to be a highly partisan and divisive issue — with dueling comment letters, for instance, from Senate Republicans and Democrats. And the fact that the White House didn’t invite any industry representatives to its gathering also didn’t help that perception. However, there is actually more alignment on the issue of curtailing methane emissions than many realize. For years now, industry has taken aggressive action to detect and mitigate emissions. Moreover, many companies, including Pioneer, Devon and Chevron have supported EPA’s efforts to establish direct federal regulation of methane emissions. As the Environmental Defense Fund noted, this opportunity is “a rare triple win for industry, the climate, and energy security.” “...With both a business and environmental case to address methane, it’s easy to see why there is unique alignment of industry and government interests to establish a comprehensive and clear set of rules around detection and mitigation of emissions. But to capitalize on this shared goal, EPA should focus on making sure that its new regulatory framework encourages continued investment in new, cost-effective technologies and does not inadvertently undercut companies looking to continue down the path of responsible resource development. Failing to do so could hinder the clean energy transition and increase reliance on foreign suppliers who have weaker environmental standards… “With a bit more tailoring, there can be a consensus regulatory structure that allows for the responsible development of domestic resources, the protection of our environment today, and the achievement of our climate goals.”