EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/6/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Minnesota Reformer: Line 3 activists face felony charges for attempted assisted suicide
Wisconsin Examiner: Environmental groups ask Army Corps of Engineers for review of Line 5 reroute
Successful Farming: EMINENT DOMAIN CONCERNS CLOUD PIPELINE PROPOSALS
Aberdeen News: For Glacial Lakes Energy, Summit Carbon Solutions' pipeline plan means staying competitive
Ohio State University: Survey of Landowner Experiences with Natural Gas Pipeline Installations
Safety Magazine: Worker seriously injured on TC Energy Alberta worksite
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Yahoo Finance: A 'most contentious' issue: Lawmakers brace for debate on reforming energy permits
E&E News: What to expect on permitting reform as Congress returns
E&E News: Republicans Cite CBO Report In Methane Fee Attack
E&E News: John Podesta joins White House, Gina McCarthy exits
E&E News: Who is Mary Peltola? Dem beats Palin in historic Alaska race
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: In Trust: The Search for the Osage Nation’s Lost Oil Wealth
Reuters: Exxon, Shell sell California oil assets for $4 billion to IKAV
CLIMATE FINANCE
EcoWatch: Fossil Fuel Subsidies Nearly Doubled in Major Economies Between 2020 and 2021
OPINION
Truthout: Dangerous Mountain Valley Pipeline Has No Place in Manchin’s Deal With Democrats
The Hill: Whatever your energy source preference, local support is the only way to get it built
PIPELINE NEWS
Minnesota Reformer: Line 3 activists face felony charges for attempted assisted suicide
COLLEEN CONNOLLY, 9/6/22
“Standing in front of the Water Protector Welcome Center in Palisade on a frigid day in January 2021, Shanai Matteson took a microphone and addressed the bundled up crowd. Some carried “stop Line 3” signs and flags in gloved hands,” the Minnesota Reformer reports. “We’re looking for people who might be in a position to potentially get arrested, if that’s what it comes to today,” Matteson began her speech, which was recorded and streamed on Facebook. “Think about your privileges, your personal situation. Think about what you’re willing to stand up for today.” “...Later that day, a group of people went to an active Line 3 construction site and protested on the property. A handful of people were arrested, according to court documents. Matteson did not attend the protest, but five months later she was charged, too, with a gross misdemeanor for aiding and abetting criminal trespass on a pipeline, punishable up to one year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine. Watching the video later, Aitkin County Sheriff Dan Guida said he believed there was probable cause that she encouraged people to get arrested, and prosecutors agreed… “Matteson’s case is among several that lawyers for Line 3 activists say are examples of “overcharging,” in which defendants received more serious charges than they believe were warranted. Jordan Kushner, Matteson’s lawyer, told MR her case in particular is an example of “bogus charging.” Kushner has represented hundreds of political activists and protesters over the years, but Line 3 defendants are facing more serious charges. Matteson’s case “raises some very significant First Amendment concerns,” Kushner told MR, especially considering she wasn’t at the protest where the trespassing occurred. The harsher charges are reflective of more recent crackdowns on protests across the country, from climate activism to Black Lives Matter rallies. The effects for defendants are far-reaching, and the consequences often linger well beyond the resolution of their cases, even when charges are ultimately dropped. Civil libertarians say the hassle is the point, deterring people from exercising free speech rights to protest against the marriage — as with Line 3 — of corporate and government power. “The state doesn’t necessarily have to win in court to punish someone,” Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Center for Protest Law and Litigation, whose lawyers are representing several people charged in Line 3 protests, told MR. “It can be through dragging people through the system, letting it consume their lives and their days, worrying about what is going to happen, and making them spend time and money on defending themselves.” “...About 300 cases remain open in Minnesota courts, with an additional 20 remaining open in tribal court, according to the Pipeline Legal Action Network. As these cases wrap up, many of those charged have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the environment, despite any lingering consequences.”
Wisconsin Examiner: Environmental groups ask Army Corps of Engineers for review of Line 5 reroute
ISIAH HOLMES, 9/5/22
“A group of environmental organizations have sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, calling on the agency to conduct an environmental review for the proposed new segment of Enbridge Line 5 in northern Wisconsin,” the Wisconsin Examiner reports. “Doing so, the groups argue, will provide an assessment which is independent from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Aug. 29 letter was jointly submitted by Midwest Environmental Advocates, Clean Wisconsin, Honor the Earth, the Sierra Club’s Wisconsin chapter, Wisconsin Green Fire, 350 Wisconsin, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. “Environmental review by the Army Corps represents a critical opportunity for the public to provide input on a controversial proposal that continues to move forward, despite the harm it will cause,” Elizabeth Ward, executive director of Wisconsin’s Sierra Club, said in a statement. In their letter, the groups state that initiating an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would provide an independent, comprehensive view of how the pipeline project may affect the local environment. The public would also be provided the opportunity to comment over a given period of time… “Given the significant risks associated with pipeline construction and operation, Enbridge’s Line 5 proposal must be held to the highest possible environmental scrutiny at both the state and federal levels, Robb Lee, staff attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, told the Examiner… “Debra Cronmiller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, fears the harm Line 5 could do to northern Wisconsin’s wetlands, streams, and wildlife. “As the climate crisis intensifies, those impacts would be exacerbated by extreme weather events, like floods, that are becoming more common.”
Successful Farming: EMINENT DOMAIN CONCERNS CLOUD PIPELINE PROPOSALS
Cassidy Walter, 9/5/22
“Three carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) pipelines are proposed to crisscross the Midwest, collecting CO2 from ethanol plants and other partners to permanently isolate it underground. Stakeholder response has ranged from dissent to praise, but the possible use of eminent domain has landowners particularly fired up,” Successful Farming reports… “Many landowners have expressed concern eminent domain, the right of government to take private property for public use, will be abused to bring these pipelines to fruition. “From a sheer business perspective, eminent domain doesn’t save us time, doesn’t save us money, and doesn’t build good relationships with the folks we’re trying to work with,” Burns-Thompson told SF. “It just makes sense for us to navigate the process in a collaborative, voluntary fashion as much as possible.” Summit Carbon Solutions and Wolf Carbon Solutions, the other pipeline companies, have expressed a similar sentiment. Wolf intends to replicate its success of a line built in Alberta, Canada, without eminent domain. Garth Griffin and his father have negotiated easements on his land for three different pipeline projects… “Griffin recently refused to negotiate with a CCS pipeline agent over a parcel he owns near a residential area. He says the company has since rearranged the route, but originally he was told the land would just be taken by eminent domain… “You say these words [eminent domain] and they are shaking at their ankles,” he told SF. “They’re throwing a lot of money around, and it’s very easy for the farmer to take it.” “...Hand in hand with eminent domain are concerns about land restoration. In the wake of the installation of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the State of Iowa updated regulations on how land must be restored following pipeline installation… “Kelly Nieuwenhuis farms near Primghar, Iowa, and has already signed an agreement with Summit. Five parcels of land on his family farm are in the path of Summit and Navigator pipelines. He serves on the board of directors for Siouxland Energy Cooperative, an ethanol plant near Sioux Center, Iowa. Siouxland is one of 12 ethanol plants in Iowa working with Summit. Nieuwenhuis told SF his interest in CCS technology began several years ago when he met with directors on the California Air Resources Board on how to increase demand for biofuels in low-carbon markets such as California.”
Aberdeen News: For Glacial Lakes Energy, Summit Carbon Solutions' pipeline plan means staying competitive
Alexandra Hardle, 9/6/22
“Summit Carbon Solutions is hoping to break ground on its carbon sequestration pipeline next year. In an effort to help local leaders learn more about the benefits of the project, Watertown-based Glacial Lakes Energy organized a tour of the company's ethanol plant in Mina last week,” the Aberdeen News reports. “After the tour, Glacial Lakes Chief Executive Officer Jim Seurer offered some insight as to how Glacial Lakes came to the decision to sign onto the Summit pipeline project. "The project is important to us, and it represents an opportunity to lower our carbon intensity score to the effect of up to 50%," he said… “Some states such as California have low-carbon fuel standards, meaning products can only be sold in that market if the carbon intensity score is low enough. Seurer said the pipeline will help keep Glacial Lakes competitive and that the ethanol producer hasn't been able to find any other opportunities that would have as significant of an effect as the pipeline would. He added that Glacial Lakes is listening to the concerns of landowners, some of whom are the company's shareholders and producers. Some South Dakota residents have expressed concerns about whether the pipeline would be safe and whether it's needed. And opposition has been voiced about the possibility of Summit Carbon Solutions using eminent domain in South Dakota. That would have to be approved by the Public Utilities Commission and would allow Summit to take land for the project, even when there is landowner opposition, with compensation. But Summit officials say they want to get all the land needed with easements… “Pirolli told the News more than 2,400 easements with 1,600 landowners have been signed along the route, amounting to about 35% of the property needed. In South Dakota, he said, 33% of the necessary easements have been signed.”
Ohio State University: Survey of Landowner Experiences with Natural Gas Pipeline Installations
9/2/22
“Numerous natural gas pipelines have been installed in Ohio to transport fracked petroleum from Eastern Ohio to other regions of the state. These pipelines are essential components of Ohio’s energy infrastructure and bring economic growth to the region. However, the pipeline installation process creates a large amount of disturbance that can have lasting impacts on soil and crops,” Ohio State University reports. “We recently conducted a landowner survey intended to capture the collective experiences of Ohio residents having pipelines installed on their land. We targeted landowners with property crossed by one of three independently operated pipelines in Ohio that were installed from 2016-2018: the Rover, Utopia and Nexus pipelines. We sent out 600 surveys to a random sample of landowners and had a 31.5% response rate with responses from 22 Ohio counties. The link to the fully report can be found below, but highlights of our findings include: Pipeline installation often occurred when soil was too wet to work. 71.5% of respondents answered “Yes” to the question, “During the installation process, were there times when soil conditions were not optimal, but pipeline installation continued?” “...Three years after site remediation was complete, only 17.6% answered “Yes” to the question, “Do you feel that your land is generally back to the condition it was prior to pipeline installation?” By contrast, 82.4% of the respondents answered “No” to this question… “Landowners had mixed, but often negative experiences with the installation process; Roughly half of the respondents (56.3%) were not satisfied with the experience compared to satisfied (31.9%); About one-third of respondents (36.1%) felt that they were fairly compensated for the easement, while 46.6% did not feel fairly compensated. A quarter (26.7%) would be open to negotiating a future easement compared with 55.6% who said they would not be open to another pipeline easement… “Current easement payments and mitigation requirements should likely be revisited, as all available evidence from Ohio suggests that degradation often persists for more than 3 or 4 years after installation and remediation is complete.”
Safety Magazine: Worker seriously injured on TC Energy Alberta worksite
Jim Wilson, 9/6/22
“One worker suffered a serious, non-fatal injury following an incident at TC Energy’s NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.,” Safety Magazine reports. “The incident happened at NGTL's North Corridor Expansion Project worksite near Fairview in Alberta. The worker was unloading a truck at the Bear Canyon stockpile yard when a 36” pipe fell on them, reported Reuters, citing the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). CER has issued an "Inspection Officer Order" for the worksite. "The Order requires the company to stop unloading pipe across the entire North Corridor Expansion Project and assess this procedure at all of their sites," the regulator said, according to the report… “In July, a 26-year-old male worker died after being struck by equipment at the Suncor Energy Inc.’s Base Mine in Alberta. In January, one worker was also killed and two others injured in a vehicle collision at Suncor’s Base Plant Mine near Fort McMurray, Alta. Mark Little, then CEO of Suncor, said that the incident and two other incidents which happened in December 2021 were “unacceptable” and that the company is committed to doing more to keep its workers safe… “In July, Little stepped down as chief executive and president, and resigned from its board of directors, a day after another death at one of its worksites.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Yahoo Finance: A 'most contentious' issue: Lawmakers brace for debate on reforming energy permits
Ben Werschkul, 9/1/22
“After the seemingly endless Capitol Hill wrangling around the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), there's a new piece of related legislation kicking up conflict on Capitol Hill,” Yahoo Finance reports. “As part of a deal for his all-important support for IRA, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) secured the promise of a second vote, which is coming this month to reform energy permitting, a process Manchin called “broken” when he announced the deal. But as lawmakers prepare to return to Washington in the coming days, the proposal has grown increasingly controversial with many skeptical that Democratic leaders will be able to fulfill their promise of a vote — much less get it passed — anytime soon… “But some liberal Democrats such as House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) don’t see it that way. Grijalva told Yahoo Finance live in an interview Thursday that Manchin's effort has a "transparency issue" and needs a full scrubbing by Congress. He is currently circulating a letter to organize liberal Democrats together to quash a legislative maneuver which would include the Manchin bill inside of larger legislation which must be passed October 1 to avoid a government shutdown. That maneuver risks "digging the hole deeper while we're trying to make a transition to clean and renewable energy" Grijalva said to Yahoo Finance, adding that the two efforts "have to stand on their own merit." “...Republicans would seem to be inclined to support Manchin’s effort to cut red tape, but the influential Republican ranking member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), has already said he is opposed… “The Wyoming Senator also called the bill a “political payoff” as another reason he would vote no, echoed a similar remark from his colleague Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who is also a no… "It's a big deal, probably too big a deal to go through,” Holtz-Eakin told Yahoo, noting that Democratic leaders “didn't promise [Manchin] it would go through, they promised he'd get a vote.” But then he added that there’s even a chance Manchin “might not even get a vote."
E&E News: What to expect on permitting reform as Congress returns
Jeremy Dillon, Nick Sobczyk, 9/6/22
“Congress returns from its recess this week to face major questions over a promised vote on permitting reform,” E&E News reports. “Progressives and their activist allies have been grumbling for weeks over a deal struck between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). allowing a vote to streamline environmental reviews of energy infrastructure projects… “Senate leaders, including Schumer and Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.), said they intend to follow through with the agreement, even as progressives and their green group allies are aligning against the deal… “My staff and I have been involved in discussions regarding this language to ensure that it aids our ability to meet our nation’s climate and energy goals and I intend to respect this agreement,” Carper told E&E. “...It either keeps the country open, or we shut down the government. That’ll happen Sept. 30, so let’s see how that politics plays out,” Manchin told West Virginia Metro News last month when discussing the permitting deal and the government funding measure… “House Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is circulating a letter to House leadership pushing for Manchin’s permitting bill to be decoupled from the continuing resolution. “The inclusion of these provisions in a continuing resolution, or any other must-pass legislation, would silence the voices of frontline and environmental justice communities by insulating them from scrutiny,” the letter says. It currently has more than 40 signatures, a sizable chunk of the House Democratic caucus that could directly impact the bill’s fate if Republicans are not on board either… “Some progressives are vowing an all-out fight. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), chair of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment, told E&E that he planned to hold a hearing on permitting overhaul this month to “make sure that those proposals don’t become law.” Should progressives rebel in mass, Democratic leaders would likely need Republican support to pass the bill. Whether that support exists is an open question. Republicans have been reluctant to endorse the deal, even if it achieves long-held policies goals of revamping permitting procedures.”
E&E News: Republicans Cite CBO Report In Methane Fee Attack
Nick Sobcyzk, 9/2/22
“Republicans are attacking the methane emissions fee that became law last month as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, citing a report on the policy from the Congressional Budget Office,” E&E News reports. “The methane fee is one of the few climate initiatives Republicans are highlighting in their midterm messaging, as both parties attempt to use the new law ahead of the election. CBO said in a report released this week that the methane fee will generally decrease natural gas output and increase prices, with some costs passed on to consumers. Republicans said those conclusions are evidence that the policy — which they refer to as a ‘natural gas tax’ — will hurt Americans. House Energy and Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said on Twitter the report confirms that ‘Democrats’ natural gas tax in their latest tax and spending spree will lead to higher prices.’ But the exact impacts of the policy will depend on how it is implemented. The CBO report offers little in the way of specifics outside of the basic economic mechanism of charging for pollution. CBO has estimated that the ‘Methane Emissions Reduction Program’ will raise about $6.4 billion in revenue. That will come from a charge on excess methane emissions, beginning at $900 per metric ton in 2024 and eventually rising to $1,500. The majority of existing methane emissions can be eliminated at a relatively low cost, CBO noted. The program also offers $1.5 billion for the oil and gas industry to reduce and monitor emissions before the fee goes into effect.”
E&E News: John Podesta joins White House, Gina McCarthy exits
Scott Waldman, Robin Bravender, 9/2/22
“President Joe Biden is reshaping his White House energy and climate team,” E&E News reports. “Gina McCarthy will depart her White House post and John Podesta is joining Biden’s team as a senior adviser, the president announced today. Podesta, a longtime Democratic operative who served as a senior White House climate adviser during the Obama administration, will oversee the spending from the major climate and clean energy bill that was just enacted, Biden said. McCarthy’s deputy, Ali Zaidi, will take over as national climate adviser… “The departure of McCarthy — the influential former Obama-era EPA boss — comes on the heels of Democrats’ major climate policy victory… “McCarthy will be replaced in the White House by Zaidi, who has served as her deputy since January 2021 and has been increasingly visible at public events lauding the climate bill’s passage. He previously served as New York’s deputy secretary of energy and environment and worked on energy and climate issues in the Obama White House. Zaidi also worked as a lawyer in private practice, where he represented clients in the fossil fuel industry, a track record that worries some of the Biden administration’s environmental constituents.”
E&E News: Who is Mary Peltola? Dem beats Palin in historic Alaska race
Timothy Cama, 9/1/22
“Mary Peltola’s win yesterday in a special election for an Alaska House seat sent shock waves through the political universe. And while the Democrat beat two Republicans, including former Gov. Sarah Palin, Peltola is a moderate and a firm backer of the state’s oil and natural gas industry,” E&E News reports. “...Peltola, a member of the Yup’ik people indigenous to western Alaska, ran as a somewhat moderate candidate, with pledges to work in a bipartisan way for all Alaskans. She was vocal about her support for abortion rights — which the other candidates oppose — and backs the state’s oil and natural gas industry, including efforts to potentially drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge… “But her support for oil and gas drilling and exploration in Alaska could put her at odds with other congressional Democrats. She stated at a candidate forum that she supports drilling in ANWR and ConocoPhillips’ Willow project, a proposed oil and gas development in the state. “Responsible natural resource usage has been and will continue to be a pillar of our livelihood,” Peltola said in a May Twitter thread explaining her support for potential ANWR drilling. She clarified in that thread that she only supports exploration in ANWR’s Coastal Plain 1002 area. “Alaskans have consistently supported exploration in this area. Studies show minimal impact on local subsistence species & huge benefits to our local economy,” she said. She opposes the controversial Pebble mine project, however. At a forum yesterday on energy before the vote count, Peltola consistently supported the oil and gas industry’s positions… “Asked about the goal among some environmentalists to move the nation away from fossil fuels by 2050, Peltola was critical. “Oil and gas are part of Alaska’s present, and they’re going to be part of Alaska’s future. I’m not sure that other technologies are going to be available and reliable in the cold climates that we have here, with the amount of darkness that we have in the winter,” she said.
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: In Trust: The Search for the Osage Nation’s Lost Oil Wealth
Rachel Adams-Heard, 9/5/22
“Osage County, Oklahoma, is as big as some US states. It’s nearly 1.5 million acres, much of it covered in bluestem grass perfect for grazing cattle. More than a century ago, the Osage Nation held title to the land,” Bloomberg reports. “Today, a lot of the county is owned by non-Osages. There’s a Nature Conservancy prairie preserve and thousands of acres owned by Farmland Reserve, an affiliate of the Mormon Church. But of all the landowners in Osage County, one extended family is the biggest. Its members have been ranching here for generations. The family name is associated with Oklahoma state politics and a TV show on the Food Network. The story of the family’s rise is the story of how US policies allowed White settlers to build tremendous wealth off land and minerals once owned by the Osage… “When oil production exploded a decade later, those headrights became extremely valuable. Tales of Osage wealth swept the country, many of them exaggerated. But that wealth — and that attention — also brought tragedy. Outsiders flocked to Osage County, plotting ways to get the money for themselves. Dozens of Osages were murdered in widespread schemes to get their headrights, a years-long criminal conspiracy often referred to as the Reign of Terror. Headrights left Osage hands in other ways, too — some via fraud and deceit, others through sales, charitable donations and bequests — that many Osage leaders say should never have been allowed by the US. In the decades since, Osage citizens have tried to figure out who got their headrights — and how. The answer was a secret, closely guarded by the trust’s overseer, the US government. When a local paper, the Bigheart Times, published the full list of non-Osage headright owners in 2009, it ripped open old wounds. More than a quarter of headrights were now held outside Osage hands. Almost 2,000 non-Osage people, companies and organizations held headrights or some fraction of one. Among those names was one known throughout Osage County: Drummond.”
Reuters: Exxon, Shell sell California oil assets for $4 billion to IKAV
Sabrina Valle, 9/1/22
“Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) on Thursday confirmed the sale of their California oil joint-venture Aera to German asset manager IKAV for $4 billion, ending a 25-year-long partnership that was one of the state's largest oil producers,” Reuters reports. “The sale reflects the two companies move out of mature energy properties at a time when high oil and gas prices favor new deals. Reuters this week reported the oil giants were in advanced talks on a sale of the San Joaquin Valley property. The deal puts a company with conventional and renewable energy investments in charge of a living relic of California's early oil and gas production. IKAV has 2.5 billion euros ($2.49 billion) under management and owns wind, solar, geothermal and oil and gas operations. It operates a Colorado natural gas business acquired two years ago from BP… “IKAV buys assets with strong cash yields and holds them to maximize returns to its funds, according to its website. Last year, it built a solar plant in Italy and took a majority stake in Metaenergia, an Italian operator of gas-fired power plants.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
EcoWatch: Fossil Fuel Subsidies Nearly Doubled in Major Economies Between 2020 and 2021
Olivia Rosane, 9/2/22
“Despite growing awareness of the climate crisis, fossil fuel subsidies actually rose significantly in 2021–increasing by almost half,” EcoWatch reports. “The reason, say the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), is that the governments of major economies scrambled to help their residents in the wake of soaring energy costs. “Fossil fuel subsidies are a roadblock to a more sustainable future, but the difficulty that governments face in removing them is underscored at times of high and volatile fuel prices,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. “A surge in investment in clean energy technologies and infrastructure is the only lasting solution to today’s global energy crisis and the best way to reduce the exposure of consumers to high fuel costs.” The new analysis, from OECD and IEA, looked at 51 major economies including the OECD and G20 countries, as well as 33 other countries that both produce and consume a significant amount of energy. The analysis covered approximately 85 percent of the world’s total energy supply. In these countries, fossil-fuel subsidies rose from $362.4 billion in 2020 to $697.2 billion in 2021. The subsidies are expected to rise even further in 2022 because energy prices and consumption are both rising too. In 2021, fuel prices increased as the world recovered from the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, The Guardian reported. This led governments to try and use subsidies to reduce consumer prices. However, these subsidies don’t necessarily benefit people struggling the most, since wealthy households tend to burn more energy.”
OPINION
Truthout: Dangerous Mountain Valley Pipeline Has No Place in Manchin’s Deal With Democrats
Jacob Hileman is an environmental scientist with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, 9/5/22
“Thanks to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) conditioning his vote for the Inflation Reduction Act on a backroom permitting reform deal that would complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), this highly contentious fracked gas pipeline has become a household name,”Jacob Hileman writes for Truthout. “...However, what sets the MVP apart is the unprecedented level of risk associated with the pipeline’s route. Over 200 miles of the MVP crosses areas that have experienced landslides in the past and are highly susceptible to future landslides, including over 75 miles of steep mountain slopes… “There is no guarantee that the MVP, if completed, will be able to provide the safe and reliable supply of gas touted by its developers. Furthermore, given the increase in heat waves and wildfires in the West, catastrophic flooding in Appalachia and worldwide droughts being driven by climate-busting fossil fuels, bringing any additional methane gas out of the ground is inherently unsafe… “Lastly, facilitating the construction of the MVP through congressional action would mean overriding decades of bedrock regulatory and judicial processes… “While many of the legal challenges have been brought by environmental interest groups, this has no bearing on the fact that the courts found grave deficiencies in the permits issued to MVP. Compelling compliance with the law is hardly a radical judicial act, regardless of who brings the case to court. As a result of its problematic route and design, the MVP is now more than $3 billion over budget and four years behind schedule. Rather than attempting to fix the project’s flaws, however, the developers continue to hold out hope that the rules do not apply to the MVP. Indeed, the project developers are among the top donors to Manchin and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York), the chief architects of the backroom deal. Congress must not overrule the very safeguards put in place to protect the public against harm from proposed energy infrastructure projects. Especially not for a project as dangerous and unprecedented as the MVP.”
The Hill: Whatever your energy source preference, local support is the only way to get it built
Greg Lemon is the executive director of US Energy NOW, an advocacy organization dedicated to advancing American energy infrastructure, 9/2/22
“By affixing his signature to the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden kicked off a green energy gold rush as companies will look to take advantage of the many tax subsidies and benefits for clean energy development,” Greg Lemon writes for The Hill. “...However, as we repeatedly see, the development of new and the completion of existing projects aimed at delivering those benefits are often snarled in regulatory and legal delays… “The court challenges, typically initiated by local environmental activists, sometimes last just as long. The Enbridge Line 5 project in Michigan has been bantered back and forth between state and federal courts for the past three years… “But all of these projects, whether they be wind farms or pipelines, share two things in common… “Next, and most importantly, it is almost always local entities operating outside of traditional political and policy channels that oppose and, ultimately, defeat them. These groups are well-funded, they are well-organized, and they get ample media attention. They are passionate champions of their cause. This second point is the most important because it highlights why companies and developers themselves are always taken by surprise and slow to respond to these local threats. In their view, the project has the support of “the people” in the form of elected representatives and the business class through chambers of commerce. But as it turns out, there is a difference between these official entities and actual people. In most cases, there are no local citizen voices willing to stand up and say: Yes, build that pipeline because I want energy security for my family. The companies say it, their trade association, if they have one, says it. You might even get a local elected official to go on-record and support a specific project. But sadly, most of these projects lack any significant grassroots support. This is what needs to change if we are going to realize the vast opportunities for energy infrastructure development presented by the IRA and the prospect of federal permitting reform. Companies and trade associations need to be thinking much more locally about their approach to communications and engagement… “The path forward is clear. Whether you support the development of advanced nuclear, new oil and gas refineries or pipelines, solar and wind developments or geothermal, you must build support locally and bring the voice of the energy consumer to the table.”