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Extracted

EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/23/24

Mark Hefflinger, Bold Alliance (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/Des Moines Register

By Mark Hefflinger

October 23, 2024

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PIPELINE NEWS

WASHINGTON UPDATES

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Oral Argument for: Wabash Carbon Services, LLC

  • Associated Press: Carbon removal industry calls on U.S. government for regulation in new industry report

  • E&E News: DOE awards $518M for CO2 storage projects

  • Law360: 11 House Dems Back DOI In Offshore Lease Challenge 

  • E&E News: Interior’s slow pace on orphaned oil wells worries states

  • E&E News: GOP-linked firm gathers info on people suing the oil industry. It won’t say why.

  • FOX Business: US Oil Industry Trolls Kamala Harris’ Fracking Flip-Flop Flip-Flop: ‘Got It?’

STATE UPDATES

  • Texas Tribune: Level of oil and gas regulation at heart of Texas Railroad Commission race

  • Inside Climate News: Millions pour in to re-elect Texas oil and gas regulator

  • Houston Chronicle: Who’s to blame for the geyser still erupting in West Texas? Documents start to unravel mystery

  • U.S. Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management: DOE forges collaborative partnerships with the Osage and Navajo Nations to reduce methane emissions and other environmental impacts from undocumented oil and gas wells. 

  • Tribune Review: Murrysville Council Denies Citizen Petition To Rescind Oil And Gas Leases Under Park Land  

  • Big Sky Business Journal: Oil & Gas Lease Sale On Trust Land Record Setting 

  • Newsweek: Lauren Boebert Slams Biden For Wanting To Use Land To Protect ‘Ugly’ Animal 

  • NOLA.com: New environmental justice grants seek to empower Louisiana communities

  • Indiana Capital Chronicle: Utility customer advocates call for data center moratorium

  • Kansas Reflector: Evergy plans to build two new natural gas plants in Kansas by 2030

EXTRACTION

  • Inside Climate News: Lifting the Veil on Tens of Billions in Oil Company Payments to Governments

  • Reuters: Goldman sees oil prices holding around $76/bbl in 2025 on ample supply

  • S&P Global: Data Centers: More Gas Will Be Needed To Feed U.S. Growth

CLIMATE FINANCE

  • Press release: NYC Comptroller Lander Proposes Excluding Future Private Markets Investments in Midstream and Downstream Fossil Fuel Infrastructure by the New York City Retirement Systems

OPINION

  • Baltimore Sun: Baltimore deserves its day in court against Big Oil

  • Carbon Herald: Using Innovative Solutions To Overcome CCS Hurdles

  • Clean Technica: We Can’t Wait For Carbon Removal Technologies To Reduce GHG Emissions

PIPELINE NEWS

Wahpeton Daily News: Pipeline issue makes its way into local congressional debate
10/22/24

“The Daily News reported on changes to the Summit Carbon Solutions carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline that runs through Minnesota and Richland County heading west in North Dakota to avoid landslide areas. While an environmental group is questioning permits, the issue has made it to the race for the local congressional set,” the Wahpeton Daily News reports. “Democrat Trygve Hammer, who is running against Public Service Commissioner, Republican Julie Fedorchak for North Dakota’s at-large House seat, told the Daily News Fedorchak will “profit quite handsomely” if the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and storage wells are approved. Fedorchak continues to face questions from Hammer about her family’s connection to a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline project, as well as criticism about accepting campaign donations from the industry she regulates. Fedorchak told the Daily News she publicly disclosed her conflict and recused herself from all decisions related to the project… “Fedorchak’s family owns land in Oliver County and has signed a contract with Summit Carbon Solutions to store carbon dioxide…”She said during a debate in May the family received $22,000 for the contract and will be eligible for future payments if the CO2 storage well is approved… “Fedorchak faced criticism about her connection to the Summit project from Republican opponents ahead of the June primary. Now the Democrat running against Fedorchak is raising some of the same questions, including comments during an hourlong interview Wednesday night on BEK TV. “We’re supposed to believe that it’s just a happy accident that it’s going in the ground out there where she and her husband bought that land when she was involved in politics during the time when this was all coming together and could’ve had information,” Hammer told the North Dakota Monitor.”

Mitchell Now: Vote NO on Referred Law 21 Ad Exposes Dangers of CO2 Pipelines with 911 Call from 2020 Explosion
10/22/24

“Dakota Rural Action, a South Dakota-based organization that has been engaged in a multi-year campaign to ensure that the potential safety, environmental, and economic consequences of the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline are thoroughly vetted and that the voices of impacted citizens are at the forefront of permitting decisions, on Monday launched a radio and online video ad campaign to urge South Dakotans to vote “No” on Referred Law 21 on their November ballot,” Mitchell Now reports. “Paid for by Dakota Rural Action, the ad uses actual 911 recordings from a 2020 carbon pipeline rupture in Satartia, MS to highlight the serious dangers to human life – including to first responders – posed by an explosive release of toxic CO2 by these highly-pressurized pipelines. In the radio ad – that will launch on rural South Dakota radio stations on Monday, and include a video version that will be promoted on Facebook and YouTube – the narrator describes what happened during the 2020 incident in Satartia, MS. A carbon pipeline operated by Denbury Resources (now a unit of Exxon) ruptured, causing an explosive release of CO2 in an immense plume, which was later found by a government-issued report to be toxic for more than a mile from the site of the accident, which was caused by a girth weld failure following a landslide after heavy rain. The ad then cuts to a 911 recording from a victim who is concerned and confused about what is happening after her car has stalled – a direct result of the high CO2 concentration making the combustion engine nonfunctional – and her friend is having what she believes is a seizure… ”Subjecting human and animal life to a dangerous CO2 pipeline so a private company and a few individuals can profit from a subsidized boondoggle is abhorrent. What happened in Satartia should never be allowed to happen anywhere else. That’s why thousands of friends and neighbors are saying “not here, not anywhere” to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed pipeline,” said Ed Fischbach, South Dakota landowner impacted by the proposed Summit CO2 pipeline.

Straits Times: Shell oil leak: Govt agencies adopt measures after 30 tonnes of ‘slop’ leaked into sea
Fatimah Mujibah, 10/21/24

“More than 30 tonnes of “slop” – a mixture of oil and water – leaked into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil early on Oct 20, said British petrochemical company Shell, as government agencies announced precautionary measures to detect and contain any slick,” the Straits Times reports. “In a statement on Oct 21, Shell said it was “actively working with all relevant authorities to manage the clean-up effort”, following an oil leak from a land-based pipeline. The leak stopped at around 3pm on Oct 20, said the company, which said that approximately 30 to 40 tonnes of slop leaked into the sea… “It added that it has deployed containment booms and anti-pollution craft, and was spraying dispersant to contain and break up the oil as part of the ongoing clean-up effort.”

E&E News: Pro-Trump group launches campaign against pipeline critics
Carlos Anchondo, 10/23/24

“A group led by a member of former President Donald Trump’s 2016 transition team launched an initiative Tuesday aimed at highlighting the tactics environmental groups use to protest against pipelines,” E&E News reports. “The campaign — known as the Pipeline Protection Project — intends to “hold green activist groups accountable for their efforts to stop the building of new pipelines,” the conservative American Energy Alliance said in a news release. The project’s first steps involve “talking about the importance of energy security” and the role pipelines play in that equation, Tom Pyle, president of the alliance, told E&E. He worked on the Trump transition eight years ago and the American Energy Alliance endorsed Trump last month. “We just decided that we were going to take our efforts to another level and try to provide some rapid response communication to some of the activities” of environmental groups, Pyle told E&E.

Press release: American Energy Alliance Launches Pipeline Protection Project
10/22/24

“Today, the American Energy Alliance launched a new initiative, the Pipeline Protection Project, to hold green activist groups accountable for their efforts to stop the building of new pipelines and shine a spotlight on the tactics deployed by many of these pressure groups – including excusing violence and vandalism under the banner of free speech – that place affordable and reliable energy at risk. AEA President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement: “Our nation’s energy infrastructure is critical to ensuring reliable and affordable energy for all Americans. For too long, many radical activist groups have gotten away with destructive and sometimes illegal actions that jeopardize the safety of workers, communities, and the environment they claim to protect. The effort to stop the important and necessary work of building out our energy infrastructure, especially pipelines, impacts all of us. Affordable and reliable energy heats our homes, powers our businesses, and fuels our economy. We stand firm in our commitment to promoting energy security for all Americans and to exposing these groups for the misinformation, destruction of property, violence, and other misdeeds they perform in their pursuit of stopping new energy projects. Enough is enough. These groups must be held accountable for their efforts to compromise our energy security.”

Reuters: US allocates $196 million for natural gas pipeline modernization
10/22/24

“The U.S. government will award grants totaling $196 million for the repair and replacement of aging natural gas pipelines across 20 states, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has announced on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “…This round of funding will focus on replacing old, leak-prone pipes which pose safety hazards, inflate energy costs, and contribute to environmental harm… “We are making significant progress in our efforts to cut pollution – including super-pollutants like methane – while creating thousands of good union jobs and lowering energy costs for Americans,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.”

U.S. Dept. of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $200 Million to Replace Aging Gas Pipes, Lower Household Energy Bills and Cut Methane Emissions
10/22/24

“Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced $196 million in grants, funded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to repair and replace aging natural gas pipes. In total, this round of funding will support 60 modernization projects for natural gas pipelines across 20 states. “Aging, leak-prone natural gas pipes can be dangerous, drive up energy costs for families, and harm the environment, which is why the Biden-Harris Administration is supporting funds to replace aging pipelines,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re helping communities across the country carry out projects that will keep people safe while bringing down energy costs for hundreds of thousands of Americans.” Some of the grants awarded include: $40 million to Philadelphia Gas Works to replace 20 miles of high-risk cast-iron pipe; combined with the previous funding, this grant is expected to save households an average of $250 on their energy bills. $15.7 million to the City of Richmond, Virginia, to upgrade natural gas mains throughout its service system with corrosion resistant materials and new technologies… “For the first time, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are empowering communities to expedite these critical safety improvements while helping families save money on their energy bills,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “On average, businesses, families, and everyday Americans can expect to save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills thanks to these necessary safety improvements funded through this new grant.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Oral Argument for: Wabash Carbon Services, LLC
10/23/24

“Pursuant to 40 C.F.R. § 124.19(a), Andrew Lenderman, Ben Lenderman, Floyd Lenderman and Jessie Lenderman (“Petitioners”) petition for review of two Class VI federal Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) Permits Nos. (IN-165-6A-0001 (Vermillion) and IN-167-6A-0001 (Vigo)) issued to Wabash Carbon Services, LLC (“WCS”) on January 19, 2024 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 (“EPA”). Appeal #: UIC 24-01. Date(s): 10/23/2024. Time: Scheduled from 01:30 PM to 03:00 PM. Additional Information: You are invited to a Zoom webinar.  When: Oct 23, 2024 01:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Wabash Carbon Services, LLC, Appeal No. UIC 24-01.”

Associated Press: Carbon removal industry calls on U.S. government for regulation in new industry report
ISABELLA O’MALLEY, 10/23/24

“The unregulated carbon dioxide removal industry is calling on the U.S. government to implement standards and regulations to boost transparency and confidence in the sector that’s been flooded with billions of dollars in federal funding and private investment,” the Associated Press reports. “A report Wednesday by the Carbon Removal Alliance, a nonprofit representing the industry, outlined recommendations to improve monitoring, reporting, and verification. Currently the only regulations in the U.S. are related to safety of these projects. Some of the biggest industry players, including Heirloom and Climeworks, are alliance members. “I think it’s rare for an industry to call for regulation of itself and I think that is a signal of why this is so important,” Giana Amador, executive director of the alliance, told AP. Amador told AP monitoring, reporting and verification are like “climate receipts” that confirm the amount of carbon removed as well as how long it can actually be stored underground… “Some climate scientists say direct air capture is too expensive, far from being scaled and can be used as an excuse by the oil and gas industry to keep polluting. Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia Business School at Columbia University, told AP this is the “moral hazard” of direct air capture — removing carbon from the atmosphere could be utilized by the oil and gas industry to continue polluting… “Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, doesn’t consider carbon dioxide removal technologies to be a true climate solution.”

E&E News: DOE awards $518M for CO2 storage projects
Mika Travis, Mike Soraghan, 10/23/24

“The Department of Energy announced $518 million Monday to develop infrastructure for carbon storage projects,” E&E News reports. “Twenty-three projects across 19 states were selected to support DOE’s CarbonSAFE Initiative, which focuses on addressing gaps for carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. CCS projects capture carbon dioxide emitted from industrial processes or power generation and then store the emissions in underground geological formations or oil fields. The funding “will help ensure that carbon storage projects — crucial to slashing harmful carbon pollution —are designed, built, and operated safely and responsibly across all phases of development, to deliver healthier communities as well as high-quality American jobs,” said Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary of DOE’s fossil office, in a statement. The selected projects, backed by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, are under negotiation and must go through environmental review. The largest award — more than $67 million — is slated for Carbon America to conduct drilling tests in Georgia to assess the viability of CO2 storage sites.”

Law360: 11 House Dems Back DOI In Offshore Lease Challenge 
Ali Sullivan, 10/2/124

“A coalition of House Democrats are supporting the U.S. Department of the Interior in a petroleum industry challenge to a 2024-2029 offshore oil and gas leasing program, telling the D.C. Circuit the federal government isn’t required to “make decisions with blinders on,” Law360 reports. “The 11 congressional representatives said in a Thursday amicus brief that the Interior Department was right to adopt a forward-looking perspective in its five-year schedule for lease sales. Adopted in December, the program calls for just three lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico — the lowest number of lease sales in the program’s history and the minimum needed to continue to expand an offshore wind program under the Inflation Reduction Act. The program has drawn legal challenges from both oil industry players and environmental groups. In petitioning the D.C. Circuit to review the move, the American Petroleum Institute has argued the DOI considered factors that should have been off-limits and failed to explain or justify its move to drastically scale back lease sales.” 

E&E News: Interior’s slow pace on orphaned oil wells worries states
Shelby Webb, 10/23/24

“State officials say they are struggling to comply with Interior Department requirements for $4.7 billion of funds meant to help plug old oil and gas wells that have been abandoned for decades,” E&E News reports. “Some of the money to address orphaned wells — made available through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law — has already helped to cap more than 8,800 wells nationwide. But the Bureau of Land Management estimates that more than 130,000 old wells remain unplugged across the country, and groups like the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission estimate the number could be as high as 740,000. As the federal orphaned well program wears on, state agencies responsible for using the federal funds say new requirements tied to later tranches of funding have made progress difficult. The issues could make it more difficult for states to apply for — and receive — funding to plug wells, which EPA estimates leak more than 6 million metric tons of methane annually. Methane is a potent gas, retaining 80 times more heat over two decades than carbon dioxide… “States are now required to measure and report the methane emissions from every orphaned well plugged before, during and after they are sealed shut. They must assess each orphaned well site to see if endangered or threatened species have habitats nearby, and Interior must agree with a state agency’s determination within 10 business days. They must hire cultural monitors to oversee some well plugging sites to ensure compliance with the National Preservation Act. Those measures, state agencies complain, have forced them to use funds earmarked for plugging wells instead for reporting and compliance — leading to less funding left to fill abandoned wells and slowing the process.”

E&E News: GOP-linked firm gathers info on people suing the oil industry. It won’t say why.
Corbin Hiar, 10/23/24

“A conservative research firm is collecting information that could be used to discredit officials involved in a multibillion-dollar climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies,” E&E News reports. “Argus Insight has made at least 10 public records requests for documents related to a lawsuit filed last year by county leaders in Oregon that accuses Exxon Mobil, the American Petroleum Institute, McKinsey & Co. and hundreds of other defendants of being responsible for a dayslong heat wave in 2021 that killed 69 people… “Three corporate litigation experts told E&E Argus — a company with no apparent connection to the suit — appears to be digging for dirt on people who are supporting the lawsuits in hopes of using it to undermine individuals involved with the court case. Two people targeted by the firm’s document requests argue that Argus is trying to intimidate them by seeking their correspondence with lawyers, local officials and climate experts. It’s unclear who hired Argus to work on the sweeping climate case. But one of the Virginia-based firm’s three partners is also employed by the conservative public affairs firm CRC Advisors, whose clients have included the oil giant Chevron and groups funded by the fossil fuel industry. Argus’ known clients are conservative political organizations, among them Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee… “Argus appears to be using the same tactics that the tobacco industry deployed against its critics decades ago, according to an academic in the United Kingdom whose communications Argus has pursued. The strategy is to “try to figure out who is helping to inform these cases and we discredit them in some way,” Benjamin Franta, an associate professor of climate litigation at the University of Oxford, told E&E. “If someone loses on the facts, they try to shoot the messenger.” “…Argus has no website, and none of its leaders — Parkinson, Kennedy and Markay — have disclosed their roles at the company on LinkedIn or other social media sites… “In its 18 months of existence, Argus has received a total of over $1.2 million in payments from Trump’s campaign, the RNC, the Republican Attorneys General Association, the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson and conservative congressional campaigns, federal financial disclosures show.”

FOX Business: US Oil Industry Trolls Kamala Harris’ Fracking Flip-Flop Flip-Flop: ‘Got It?’
Bradford Betz, 10/21/24

“The U.S. Oil & Gas Association on Monday took a Kamala Harris aide to task over the presidential contender’s constant pivoting on fracking,” FOX Business reports. “The association weighed in on a Politico interview with Harris’ Climate Engagement Director Camila Thorndike. In the interview, Thorndike was asked how Harris would reassure younger voters she remained committed to policies that protect the environment despite “promoting fossil fuels these last few months.” Thorndike said Harris wasn’t banning fracking but wasn’t promoting expansion either. She said the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) required new leases. Harris addressed the issue of flip-flopping on fracking during last month’s presidential debate. The vice president said her “values have not changed” and pointed to the fact that the IRA “opened new leases for fracking.” “So Harris’ new position in October is she now opposes fracking and no longer supports her position in July when she changed her position to support fracking which was subsequently a change in her prior, prior position of June which was to oppose fracking? Got it,” the US Oil & Gas Association tweeted in response to the interview.”

STATE UPDATES

Texas Tribune: Level of oil and gas regulation at heart of Texas Railroad Commission race
Alejandra Martinez, 10/21/24

“The chair of the powerful and deceptively named Texas Railroad Commission is defending her seat this November at a time when the state’s oil and gas industry is booming but the agency that regulates it is facing criticism over safety concerns linked to fracking, well blowouts and groundwater protection,” the Texas Tribune reports. “In 2023, Texas broke a record by producing 42% of the nation’s oil… “Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick is touting that success in her campaign, saying Texas is and should remain a national leader in energy policy. But her Democratic challenger has called the regulation too lax… “Three Republicans currently lead the regulatory commission: Craddick, Wayne Christian and Jim Wright. Commissioners are elected to serve six-year terms, which are staggered so that one seat is on the ballot every two years. Craddick’s seat is on this year’s ballot… “Last week, Craddick’s challengers attended a forum at the University of Texas at Austin that was hosted by Commission Shift, a Texas-based watchdog group focused on reforming oil and gas oversight in Texas… “Candidates running against Craddick argue that the agency’s name is misleading and they’ve spent much of their time educating people on what the commission actually does. Culbert, the Democrat in the race, is a 49-year-old chemical engineer… “She told the Tribune she is running because she is frustrated with “how lax the Railroad Commission is in their enforcement of regulations.” Culbert told the Tribune that Railroad Commission’s public meetings are often rushed, finishing within an hour, have too many items on the agenda and there aren’t enough public discussions of agency business. Dunlap, a 54-year-old Libertarian and fourth-generation oil worker, has also criticized the meetings, calling them “back door” and emphasizing the need for transparency… “Culbert told the Tribune the solution is to stop wastewater injection… “Espinoza told the Tribune the state needs more pipeline safety inspectors — something Craddick has also pushed for. He added that his goal is to phase out fossil fuels and transition to 100% renewable energy. “I must be very clear: there is no such thing as a safe pipeline. Moving around oil and gas to burn as fossil fuels is dangerous to our climate and our health,” he added.

Inside Climate News: Millions pour in to re-elect Texas oil and gas regulator
Martha Pskowski, 10/22/24

“The list of campaign contributions to incumbent oil and gas regulator Christi Craddick reads like a who’s who of Texas fossil fuel billionaires,” Inside Climate News reports. “There’s West Texas oilman Tim Dunn, Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren and recently deceased Endeavor Energy founder Autry Stephens. All told, the Midland Republican running for her third term on the Railroad Commission has raked in more than $10 million since 2019, according to reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. In comparison, Craddick’s three opponents for the seat have raised less than $30,000 total… “The results of the race will shape environmental and climate outcomes in Texas for years to come. The three elected commissioners manage funds to plug orphan wells and vote on permits to flare methane and drill injection wells, decisions that can make or cost oil and gas companies money. The sitting commissioners, Craddick, Wayne Christian and Jim Wright, have staunchly opposed environmental and climate policy under the Biden-Harris administration. Texas Republicans have not lost a statewide race since 1994. But that hasn’t stopped Texas oil and gas executives from opening their pursestrings. Craddick out-fundraised all previous Railroad Commission campaigns, according to the campaign finance accountability group Open Secrets.”

Houston Chronicle: Who’s to blame for the geyser still erupting in West Texas? Documents start to unravel mystery
Amanda Drane, 10/16/24

“Apache Corp. sounded an alarm in 2017 that few appeared to hear. The Houston oil company warned of potentially dangerous faults and fractures in its Reeves County oil field that could allow the oil industry’s toxic wastewater to flow into protected groundwater and natural springs, regulatory filings show,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “Seven years later, a saltwater geyser carrying poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas erupted from the same field, outside Toyah, shooting 100 feet high. It also appeared to contain oil. The geyser, still gushing two weeks later, is a black eye for Texas regulators responsible for preventing and addressing these types of oil field failures. The blowout at an old well, once owned by a Kinder Morgan subsidiary, comes just weeks before the oil industry’s most powerful regulator, Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick, faces a contested reelection bid… “The Railroad Commission should have heeded Apache’s warning, Paige Powell, senior policy manager for Commission Shift, a nonprofit launched in 2021 for the purposes of advocating for change on the Railroad Commission, told the Chronicle. “We need a Commission that is going to oversee this industry in a responsible way that prevents environmental disasters like these.”

U.S. Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management: DOE forges collaborative partnerships with the Osage and Navajo Nations to reduce methane emissions and other environmental impacts from undocumented oil and gas wells. 
10/21/24

“As part of a Department of Energy (DOE) program aimed at identifying and characterizing undocumented orphaned oil and natural gas wells, the Osage and Navajo Nations have each signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), Office of Resource Sustainability, to develop a framework for identifying undocumented orphaned wells (UOWs) on tribal lands and reducing methane emissions and other harmful environmental impacts. By leveraging the expertise of both DOE and tribal nations, these partnerships will enhance research initiatives for locating UOWs and developing an implementation plan to further advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan and ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy goals.”

Tribune Review: Murrysville Council Denies Citizen Petition To Rescind Oil And Gas Leases Under Park Land  
Patrick Varine, 10/21/24

“According to Murrysville’s solicitor, the town faces more legal peril from breaking leases with unconventional drilling companies than it does from possible confusion over who ultimately owns the oil and gas rights,” the Tribune Review reports. “A little less than a year ago, Murrysville council members voted to enter a lease agreement with Olympus Energy for oil and gas rights thousands of feet beneath the town’s two largest parks. Part of the citizen opposition to the leases was a petition signed by about 175 people. Council also entered into a lease last year with Apex Energy for land beneath Kovalczik Park. Last week, members of nonprofit environmental group Protect PT presented a second petition opposing the leases, with sufficient signatures to force a council vote. Murrysville’s ordinances require council to take action on a petition within 60 days if it includes signatures amounting to 2% or more of registered voters. Protect PT’s petition was signed by more than 320 Murrysville residents.” 

Big Sky Business Journal: Oil & Gas Lease Sale On Trust Land Record Setting 
10/21/24

“Along with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Governor Greg Gianforte announced a record-setting oil and gas lease sale on state trust lands, totaling $2.85 million in revenue,” Big Sky Business Journal reports. “We’ll continue to ramp up American-made energy in Montana to make our state and nation energy independent and secure,” Gov. Gianforte said. “All the while, we’ll prioritize additional revenues from these oil and gas lease sales for the benefit our schools and to ensure our kids have access to the best education possible.” Approved by the State Board of Land Commissioners this morning, this sale represents the most revenue from a single sale since 2012. It also ranks as the highest average bid price per acre and on a single tract in the history of oil and gas lease sales on state trust lands. The sale included 4 tracts in in Pondera, Richland, and Toole counties. The lease sale was held on an online auction format through EnergyNet from August 29 to September 4.”

Newsweek: Lauren Boebert Slams Biden For Wanting To Use Land To Protect ‘Ugly’ Animal 
10/21/24

“Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado is slamming President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing them of ‘attempting to lock up our public lands’ to protect an ‘ugly’ animal. Researchers have said that Colorado’s population of Gunnison sage-grouse has declined in recent years due to a dramatic loss of habitat, estimating in 2019 that as few as 1,800 of the birds were left in the state. The Audubon Society considers the bird endangered, although it is only listed as ‘threatened’ by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on October 17 that it had approved final plans to protect over 2 million acres of BLM-managed public land and almost 3 million acres of ‘public subsurface mineral estate’ that serves as habitat for the Gunnison sage-grouse, putting the lands off-limits for potential oil drilling. In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Monday, Boebert accused the Biden-Harris ‘regime,’ ‘radical progressives’ at the BLM and former President Barack Obama of participating in a ‘tyrannical seizure of our land’ that could ‘destroy’ Colorado’s oil and gas industry.”

NOLA.com: New environmental justice grants seek to empower Louisiana communities
Mike Smith, 10/21/24

“A new round of federal grants announced Monday seeks to address environmental justice concerns in Louisiana by empowering communities, potentially paying for projects related to flooding, drinking water quality or pollution concerns,” NOLA.com reports. “The grant process was announced in New Orleans by a host of officials, including U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leaders. An overall $2.49 million award was given to the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, which will distribute it in increments of between $50,000 and $100,000 for community-led projects. The EPA says the grants to help communities respond to the “impact of systemic inequities, and the devastating impact of climate change and water quality/water justice issues.” The program is part of the EPA’s focus on environmental justice under the Biden administration, with the agency’s leader, Michael Regan, having visited Louisiana twice to highlight communities that he says have been overburdened by pollution and the risks that come with it. His visits have included stops in the heavily industrialized Mississippi River corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that activists have labeled “Cancer Alley.” “Our approach has been to educate communities so that they have their own voice. And you know what politicians respond to? The voice of people,” Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, based in New Orleans, told NOLA.com. “And so at this particular point in time, we are going to be able to build more voices to educate more communities across this state of Louisiana.” The organization plans to award around two dozen grants through a competitive process over the course of two years. Examples of projects could include flood mitigation, reducing the impact of pollution or improving stormwater management.”

Indiana Capital Chronicle: Utility customer advocates call for data center moratorium
Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, 10/16/24

“Citizens Action Coalition, a utility-focused customer advocacy group, on Tuesday called for a moratorium on new, large data centers,” Indiana Capital Chronicle reports. “Data centers house the computing equipment, network infrastructure and digital storage that we use to process, send, receive and store data. “Hyperscale” facilities are larger, and handle more. The pricey facilities guzzle power. A single 1,000 megawatt hyperscale data center will use 52% more electricity than Indiana Michigan Power’s 420,000 residential customers combined used in 2023, according to a news release from CAC. “Hoosiers must be fully protected from the rapacious resource needs, massive tax subsidies, and extraordinary utility cost burden associated with these facilities that could lead to skyrocketing utility bills across Indiana,” CAC Executive Director Kerwin Olson told the Chronicle. He called on lawmakers to block new “hyperscale” data centers and to study what policies should be enacted before lifting the moratorium.”

Kansas Reflector: Evergy plans to build two new natural gas plants in Kansas by 2030
Allison Kite, 10/21/24

“Kansas’ largest electric utility will add two natural gas plants by the end of 2030, the company announced Monday,” the Kansas Reflector reports. “Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, plans to build combined-cycle natural gas plants — each with a 705-megawatt capacity — in Sumner and Reno counties in 2029 and 2030, respectively… “Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, lauded the announcement at the Hutchinson news conference, saying the construction of the plants would create 500 construction jobs and 165 permanent jobs. She said the plants would ensure reliable energy, including in emergencies or periods of high demand, like hot summer days… “Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club, questioned whether Evergy would be able to achieve its goals to reduce emissions given its planned investments in natural gas generation. “I don’t know how a utility can claim that it’s affordable, reliable or sustainable,” he told the Reflector, noting that gas prices can be volatile and natural gas outages contributed to rolling blackouts the Midwest experienced in 2021. Beyond that, he told the Reflector, burning gas is harmful to the environment.”

EXTRACTION

Inside Climate News: Lifting the Veil on Tens of Billions in Oil Company Payments to Governments
Nicholas Kusnetz, 10/22/24

“…Tutu Alicante is the executive director of EG Justice, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on corruption in Equatorial Guinea, and he told this story during a recent webinar highlighting new securities filings from American oil and mining companies,” Inside Climate News reports. “The reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are 14 years in the making, and for the first time reveal payments made by extractive companies to governments around the world, including the U.S. federal government. The disclosures detail tens of billions of dollars in taxes, royalties and other payments last year from ExxonMobil, Chevron and other corporations. A chief goal was to discourage or uncover the corruption and unfair deals that have helped explain why oil, gas and minerals have often brought wealth to elites and economic growth to poor countries while failing to substantially lift many citizens’ standard of living… “For the first time, Equatoguineans can see exactly how much ExxonMobil paid their government, for example—$189.2 million last year distributed among two ministries and the national petroleum company. That was a relatively small sum for Exxon, which reported paying $32 billion to 28 countries. Chevron reported $16.6 billion in payments across 17 countries. The disclosure rule applies to oil, gas and mining companies that file annual reports with the SEC. Some foreign corporations that also trade on overseas stock exchanges, like Shell, have already been subject to similar disclosure rules in other countries. The reports are meant to help civil society groups and citizens match payments from companies to data reported by their governments or in individual contracts. Discrepancies would raise a flag for possible corruption. One of the most striking revelations, however, has been the discrepancy in taxes paid to different countries, Aubrey Menard, a senior policy advisor for natural resource justice at Oxfam America, told ICN. 

Reuters: Goldman sees oil prices holding around $76/bbl in 2025 on ample supply
10/22/24

“Goldman Sachs expects oil prices to average $76 a barrel in 2025 based on a moderate crude surplus and spare capacity among major producers, with concerns easing over a potential disruption in Iranian supply, it said in a note on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “Overall, we still see the medium-term risks to our $70-85/bbl range as two-sided but skewed moderately to the downside on net as downside price risks from high spare capacity and potentially broader trade tariffs outweigh upside price,” Goldman said… “The geopolitical risk premium is limited, they said, as Israel-Iran tensions have not affected oil supply from the region and as spare capacity is high among producers in OPEC+, which groups the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, they said. However, supply risks will persist as long as the conflict in the Middle East remains unresolved, and potential disruptions could tighten oil balances.”

S&P Global: Data Centers: More Gas Will Be Needed To Feed U.S. Growth
Michael V Grande, 10/22/24

“S&P Global Ratings estimates that U.S. data centers’ increasing energy demands will lead to additional gas demand of between 3 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) and 6 bcf/d by 2030, from a starting point of almost none today,” S&P Global reports. “Low-risk, manageable capital expenditure projects that expand capacity will likely meet demand, notably in natural gas fields near data center growth hubs in Texas and the Southeast. Modest benefits for midstream operators are unlikely to have a significant effect on sector credit quality or upside potential, particularly compared to the rising potential for the sector to be reshaped by consolidation and other demand factors. Data centers’ growing demand for electricity will require additional natural gas to support generation, necessitating a response from the North American midstream energy sector… “We expect renewables growth will displace natural gas through 2035 in PJM, while natural gas usage should remain steady in Texas (in the regions operated by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT). We think the combination of those trends in these power regions could increase natural gas production as much as 1 bcf/d attributable to data centers, based on our low-end estimate of 3 bcf/d… “The promise of data center energy demand is sparking interest among investors in midstream companies and the industry itself. Yet we expect the new demand will have more significant credit implications for the power and regulated utility sectors than for midstream companies. Nonetheless, this new source of demand, reinforces our view that natural gas and its related infrastructure will remain a vital part of the energy demand equation for at least the next decade, if not longer.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Press release: NYC Comptroller Lander Proposes Excluding Future Private Markets Investments in Midstream and Downstream Fossil Fuel Infrastructure by the New York City Retirement Systems
10/22/24

“Today, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced support for a policy that would cease future investments by New York City public pension funds in midstream and downstream fossil fuel infrastructure. The proposal builds upon the leadership taken previously by Comptroller Lander and the trustees of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), and Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) to decarbonize the funds’ holdings through strong action consistent with fiduciary duty to their beneficiaries. The three pension funds previously divested from fossil fuel reserve owners in their public equities portfolio (passed by the boards in 2018, completed in 2022), and voted to exclude upstream fossil fuel investments (i.e. exploration and extraction) in their private markets investments in 2023. The policy Lander is proposing today would expand this exclusion to include a prohibition on future investments in midstream and downstream infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, LNG terminals) in their funds’ private equity and infrastructure portfolios. “Climate risk is financial risk, and we have a fiduciary duty to our beneficiaries to take that risk seriously as we make long-term investment decisions,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “The impacts of the climate crisis are playing out in real time, with more frequent hurricanes, flash floods, intense heat waves, and deteriorating air quality jeopardizing our planet and our portfolios. Excluding pipelines and LNG terminals from future investments will help mitigate the systemic risks that climate change poses to the global economy and to New York City’s public pension funds.” “…The Sierra Club and New Yorkers are grateful to see Comptroller Lander and New York City pension trustees continuing to prioritize worker’s long-term savings by taking action to mitigate the climate crisis and its economic impacts,” said Loren Blackford, the Sierra Club’s acting deputy executive director and a NYC resident. “

OPINION

Baltimore Sun: Baltimore deserves its day in court against Big Oil
Camila Bustos is an assistant professor of law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 10/22/24

“Extreme weather fueled by climate change is threatening Baltimore and its residents,” Camila Bustos writes for the Baltimore Sun. “…In 2018, the City of Baltimore took Exxon and more than 20 other fossil fuel companies to court to hold them accountable for this deception and make them pay their fair share of the climate damages now facing Charm City. The lawsuit alleges oil companies knew and lied about the danger of their products, and therefore should pay, just as tobacco, opioid and other industries that deceived the public faced legal action. Courts in similar climate accountability cases across the United States — including suits filed by Annapolis and Anne Arundel County — have ruled that there is merit to these arguments and that actions against fossil fuel companies should move forward. But an outlier ruling this summer from a Baltimore judge would effectively bar the courthouse doors for the people of Baltimore to recover injuries suffered by corporate climate deception — if the ruling is allowed to stand. In a decision ruling in favor of fossil fuel companies, Judge Videtta Brown dismissed Baltimore’s lawsuit, ruling that the city’s complaint “goes beyond the limits of Maryland state law” because federal law preempts the city’s claims. But this is simply not true… “The court’s ruling against Baltimore mischaracterizes the facts and, in turn, the application of the law, and prevents local governments from using long-established legal principles to protect their residents from corporate misconduct. Corporations cannot sell harmful products and lie to consumers along the way — a finding other courts have rightly upheld. Baltimore’s lawsuit against Big Oil falls squarely within the purview of state law. The city should have a chance to make its argument before a jury in state court.”

Carbon Herald: Using Innovative Solutions To Overcome CCS Hurdles
Martin Van Onna, CEO, Strohm, 10/23/24

“Of all the energy transition efforts carbon capture and storage (CCS) has, arguably, the biggest job to do to win round its detractors,” Martin Van Onna writes for the Carbon Herald. “Funding pledges in the UK and Europe, while welcomed by industry, have faced criticism, and there is still scepticism from certain corners who see the technology as a “gamble”, one that shouldn’t be part of the net zero energy mix. However, as countries across the continent race to zero out emissions by the middle of the century, every tool in the box will be required – not least CCS… “Offshore storage sites are an ideal solution for permanently locking away emissions and in Europe, that means using the North Sea’s depleted gas fields… “But for that to happen, Europe will need around 100 reservoirs, more than 7,500 kilometres of new pipelines and dozens of onshore emissions capturing and gathering sites. What’s more, major operational challenges offshore and onshore remain, most notably the issue of pipeline corrosion. Impure CO2 streams cause traditional steel pipelines to decay, but innovative solutions, like Strohm’s Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP), offer a solution to this problem.”

Clean Technica: We Can’t Wait For Carbon Removal Technologies To Reduce GHG Emissions
Carolyn Fortuna, 10/22/24

“…A followup 2018 special report from the IPCC suggested that, to extract enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to bring the temperature rise below the limit, carbon removal methods would be needed. Yet those technological methods still are yet to be tested at scale, and many consequences of such a decarbonization approach make it controversial,” Carolyn Fortuna writes for Clean Technica. “How do we reconcile the need to reduce enormous amounts of emissions from the atmosphere with the largely untested and often disputed carbon removal approach? Yes, we need critical strategies to achieve our net zero and climate goals. However, hope in the future of carbon removal technologies must not distract from the urgency of drastic greenhouse gas emissions reductions… “Nature-based solutions address societal problems in ways that benefit both people and nature and can play a significant role in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises we currently face. Such actions are broadly categorized as the protection, restoration, or management of natural and semi-natural ecosystems; sustainable management of working lands and aquatic systems; or, the creation of novel ecosystems… “If carbon removal technologies are to be considered viable climate solutions, they need a life-cycle analysis (LCA) to assess the product’s environmental impact… “A LCA review of carbon removal technologies found that “LCA is often applied in inconsistent, misleading, and ambiguous ways.” “…Distracts from cutting emissions: Policy makers could use carbon removal technologies as a safeguard to postpone climate mitigation measures. Instead, what’s needed is for companies to prioritize deeper operational change and reducing emissions… “With the benefits of nature-based carbon sequestration and the possible negative impacts of carbon removal technologies, it seems to make sense to emphasize to companies that their sustainability plans should be directed toward wholesale reductions in carbon emissions and their overall environmental footprint. Certainly investing in nature-based carbon removal makes great sense, as to do so is to integrate with the planet’s own cycles and ecosystems.”

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