EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/30/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Tennessee Lookout: Federal appeals court to hear case over TVA’s Cumberland Pipeline

• Law360: FERC Botched Pacific NW Pipeline Approval, 5th Circ. Told

• KSOM: Guthrie County Board of Supervisors to Continue Fight Against Pipeline

• Appalachian Voices: Williams Companies submits federal application for massive new methane pipeline

• KCLU: Santa Barbara County Planning Commission looks at new controversy about oil pipeline which ruptured

• Bloomberg: Colonial Pipeline Weighs Sale at $10 Billion-Plus Value

• Chicago Tribune: Peoples Gas pipeline program will cost another $12.8 billion to complete, report says, socking Chicago customers with 7% annual rate increases through 2040

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Clean energy tax credits could boost fossil fuels — report

• Politico: 6 months later, many voters unsure what to make of Biden’s billions

• New York Times: E.P.A., Just Rebounding From Trump Years, Faces an Uncertain Future

• Chicago Tribune: Trump and Harris back fracking, but what does that mean for Illinois, where sand mines provide a key ingredient?

• Public Citizen: Gas Industry Ramps Up Deceptive Effort to Influence Democrats

STATE UPDATES

• Colorado Newsline: Colorado AG, local governments file Supreme Court briefs opposing Utah oil railroad

• KPLC: Community open house held to discuss Vinton carbon capture project

• WUNC: Person County residents express frustration after air permit issued to Moriah Energy Center

• Houston Chronicle: Experts see gains in addressing area’s seismicity

• Louisiana Illuminator: Louisiana not keeping pace with new orphan oil and gas wells, audit finds

• Colorado Sun: Jane Fonda visits north Denver, urges locals to continue fighting air pollution

• Press release: Governor Newsom urges accelerated action on new gas blend to lower prices

• Natural Gas Intelligence: North Dakota Oil Wells Keep Getting Gassier, Underscoring Infrastructure Needs

EXTRACTION

• Guardian: Planet-heating pollutants in atmosphere hit record levels in 2023

• Financial Post: Oilsands dealmaker warns many CEOs wary of taking on pricing risk in carbon capture deal

• Bloomberg: Why Big Oil is pulling out of Canadian oil sands [VIDEO]

• Reuters: Left-leaning New Democratic Party to form British Columbia government after tight election win

• Seatrade Maritime News: Oil spill in Singapore waters during bunkering operation

• Mongabay: Calls for caution as enhanced rock weathering shows carbon capture promise

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• PTBO Canada: Douro-Dummer Fire Services and Enbridge Gas Partners Partner to Reduce Fire and Carbon Monoxide Deaths

• Huntsville Doppler: Enbridge Gas teams up with Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department to bring fire and carbon monoxide related deaths down to zero

OPINION

• Medium: Over 630 Organizations Oppose the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA)

• Real Clear Energy: For a Clean Energy Future, We Need Carbon Capture

PIPELINE NEWS

Tennessee Lookout: Federal appeals court to hear case over TVA’s Cumberland Pipeline
Anita Wadhwani, 10/30/24

“A federal appeals court will hear arguments Dec. 10 over the future of a proposed pipeline supplying the planned Cumberland Gas Plant in Stewart County,” the Tennessee Lookout reports. “The 32-mile pipeline, which would cut through parts of Dickson, Houston and Stewart Counties, is needed to supply methane gas to Tennessee Valley Authority’s Cumberland Gas Plant as TVA replaces former coal-burning power plants with methane gas power plants. The case, brought by environmental groups, brings legal scrutiny to the environmental impact of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s multibillion-dollar pivot from coal to gas. Earlier this month in a 2-1 decision, a panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily froze two permits issued to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company to begin construction of the pipeline, which would cross 149 streams, creeks and wetlands, until the court can consider arguments about the environmental impact of pipeline construction. Environmental groups — including the Southern Environmental Law Center, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices — argued the plans to blast and install 8-feet-deep trenches to construct the pipeline run afoul of the federal Clean Water Act.”

Law360: FERC Botched Pacific NW Pipeline Approval, 5th Circ. Told
Madeline Lyskawa, 10/29/24

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was wrong to approve a controversial TC Energy Corp. pipeline expansion in the Pacific Northwest, Washington and Oregon environmental groups told the Fifth Circuit,” Law360 reports. 

KSOM: Guthrie County Board of Supervisors to Continue Fight Against Pipeline
Chris Varney, 10/30/24

“In Tuesday’s Guthrie County Board of Supervisors meeting, the supervisors once again are looking at making a stand against the Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline,” KSOM reports. “…Supervisor Mike Dickson would like to look into an ordinance to stand against the pipeline and wants to seek outside help from a Des Moines law firm to fight it… “After further debate, Supervisor Maggie Armstrong believes that consulting an expert is still a way to go with the ultimate goal of protecting landowners. Ultimately, the supervisors voted unanimously to get advice from Tim Whipple at Ahlers & Cooney of Des Moines to assist with any language in a possible ordinance and he will be invited to a future meeting.”

Appalachian Voices: Williams Companies submits federal application for massive new methane pipeline
10/29/24

“Today, pipeline operator Williams Companies submitted a new application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a 42” diameter methane gas pipeline proposed for Virginia and North Carolina,” according to Appalachian Voices. “The Transco Pipeline Expansion, also known as the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, would be added to the existing Transco pipeline network and is part of a massive expansion of gas infrastructure proposed for the Southeast. The Transco Pipeline Expansion would include 26 miles of pipeline in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and 28 miles of pipeline in North Carolina with gas compression station expansions in Cleveland, Iredell and Davidson counties. Williams Companies wants to begin construction in fall of 2026 and begin service by the end of 2027. Community members are concerned about the project’s impacts to local water resources including the Banister and Dan rivers. Those along the route in Virginia and Rockingham County, N.C. also face another pipeline, called Southgate, a co-located extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Additionally, a 3,500-megawatt methane gas plant from Balico, LLC, has been recently proposed in Chatham, Virginia… “Today, Transco applied to the federal government to construct SSEP, a giant new methane pipeline, across the Southeast,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, Co-founder of 7 Directions of Service. “Its construction — like every pipeline in history — will permanently damage all in its path, from streams and rivers, to farms and soil, and cultural sites. Our growing opposition stands united and ready to defend the rights of rivers and communities against Transco’s SSEP and to ensure this unnecessary project is never built.”

KCLU: Santa Barbara County Planning Commission looks at new controversy about oil pipeline which ruptured
Lance Orozco, 10/29/24

“The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission is set to consider a controversial change of ownership application for the Gaviota Coast oil pipeline which ruptured in 2015, causing a massive spill,” KCLU reports. “Sable Offshore Corporation wants county approval for ownership of the oil facilities. The company is pushing to fix the pipeline and reopen it, so three shuttered offshore oil platforms can resume operations. County planners are recommending approval, noting that the facilities still have valid operating permits. But, a coalition of environmental groups is pushing for denial, arguing restarting the pipeline could lead to another disaster. They contend Sable doesn’t have the proper plans in place, or the financial ability to deal with a major spill. The Commission will look at the issue when it meets in Santa Barbara Wednesday.”

Bloomberg: Colonial Pipeline Weighs Sale at $10 Billion-Plus Value
David Carnevali, 10/29/24

“Colonial Pipeline Co., operator of the largest US fuel pipeline system, is weighing options including a sale that could value the company at more than $10 billion, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company is working with advisers as it seeks to gauge interest from potential buyers, the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information, told Bloomberg. It could draw interest from financial institutions, such as infrastructure funds, as well as strategic suitors, one of the people told Bloomberg. Colonial Pipeline operates one of the most vital fuel pipeline systems in the US, covering more than 5,500 miles from Houston to New Jersey. The company is owned by subsidiaries of private equity firm KKR & Co., Canadian pension fund Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, oil major Shell Plc, investment firm IFM Investors and conglomerate Koch Industries LLC… “Building oil and gas pipelines in the US is difficult, as a result of legal challenges from environmental groups, political opposition in Democratic states and a glacial federal permitting process… “Still, the value of pipeline deals globally is down by more than a third this year at about $54.4 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg show, bucking the broader recovery in mergers and acquisitions in 2024.”

Chicago Tribune: Peoples Gas pipeline program will cost another $12.8 billion to complete, report says, socking Chicago customers with 7% annual rate increases through 2040
Robert Channick, 10/29/24

“As the Illinois Commerce Commission nears a decision on the fate of the paused Peoples Gas pipeline replacement program following a yearlong review, a study released Tuesday for the Citizens Utility Board warns that completing the work would cost another $12.8 billion — topping recently revised utility projections by more than $5 billion,” the Chicago Tribune reports. “Peoples Gas would need to impose record-breaking 7% annual rate increases over the next 15 years to cover that cost, effectively doubling delivery charges for its customers by 2040, the target completion date for the Safety (formerly System) Modernization Program, according to the Groundwork Data report commissioned by CUB. “Our analysis finds that resuming the SMP at full funding levels puts Peoples Gas on an unsustainable trajectory with respect to revenue requirements and customer rate increases,” the report concluded. Peoples Gas, which was provided a copy of the report before its release, refuted many of the findings — including the remaining cost — and disagreed with the conclusion that completing the pipeline replacement program was financially untenable for the company and its customers. At the same time, the utility acknowledged that the projected price tag has gone up by billions of dollars since the program was paused by the ICC last fall. “Unfortunately, the delay caused by the ICC’s decision to pause the safety work will likely have some cost impacts,” Peoples Gas spokesperson David Schwartz told the Tribune… “Last year, Peoples Gas asked for a record $402 million rate hike for 2024, in large part to continue funding the pipeline replacement program after a 10-year legislative surcharge enabling it to automatically pass the costs along to customers expired. The ICC reduced the rate increase and paused the program for the entirety of 2024 to conduct an investigation.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Clean energy tax credits could boost fossil fuels — report
Brian Dabbs, 10/29/24

“The Treasury Department’s proposed rules for clean electricity tax credits would be a boon for natural gas power plants, according to a new report from Friends of the Earth,” E&E News reports. “The report, shared first with POLITICO’s E&E News, takes aim at the proposal’s use of “book-and-claim” accounting. That approach would allow gas plants to qualify for the new tax credits by purchasing offsets — including those generated by capturing methane from farms and landfills. The fossil fuel and agriculture industries have urged the Biden administration to adopt that accounting method. But Friends of the Earth asserts that doing so could upend the climate goals of the Inflation Reduction Act. “This scheme would create a nesting doll of climate devastation at every layer,” the report says. “Utilities would be subsidized to continue investing in new fossil gas power. Factory farms and landfills selling biogas offsets would be incentivized to maximize and concentrate pollution rather than adopt more sustainable practices.” “…The new report lays out how that provision would allow natural gas plants to purchase credits for methane captured on farms and landfills, which is referred to as renewable natural gas (RNG) by industry supporters. Those credits would count as “negative emissions,” enabling a new natural gas plant to earn the same tax credit as a wind turbine by purchasing offsets equal to only 14 percent of its fuel supply, according to the report. “Big Oil and Big Ag are working really hard to co-opt the Inflation Reduction Act,” Sarah Lutz, a senior climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth and author of the report, told E&E. “The clean electricity tax credit is too important for our climate goals to allow it to devolve into a massive subsidy for fossil fuels.”

Politico: 6 months later, many voters unsure what to make of Biden’s billions
Zack Colman, 10/28/24

“Democrats are still struggling to sell voters on their vision of a climate-driven manufacturing and jobs boom, according to a new POLITICO-Morning Consult poll — as time runs out for Kamala Harris to establish herself as a more effective steward of the economy than Donald Trump,” Politico reports. “Fewer than three in 10 voters said President Joe Biden’s big legislative accomplishments had improved their lives and communities. Overall, voters’ attitudes about the Biden-Harris administration’s massive domestic spending initiatives have either barely budged or slightly dimmed since April, despite six more months of campaigning by both parties in the run-up to next week’s election. People were more likely than they were last spring to say they don’t know what effect the laws have had. At least two bright spots for Democrats: Self-described political independents are significantly more bullish on the president’s climate law than they were six months ago, the survey found. And the number of voters who called the Biden-backed laws harmful was significantly lower than those who said the legislation had either benefited them or had a mixed impact. In particular, the climate law remains more popular than not among voters as a whole, despite a barrage of attacks from Trump. The findings underscore the challenge Biden and Harris have faced in connecting their administration’s landmark climate, infrastructure, technology and pandemic-response initiatives with the broader public… “The survey also found that people were overwhelmingly uninformed about two significant facts about the United States’ energy and climate policies — that the U.S. has become the world’s top oil producer while reducing its greenhouse gas pollution since 2005.”

New York Times: E.P.A., Just Rebounding From Trump Years, Faces an Uncertain Future
Lisa Friedman, 10/29/24

“The Environmental Protection Agency has largely recovered from many of the staff exits and budget cuts that occurred during the Trump administration and, in some ways, has swiftly rebounded,” the New York Times reports. “It has banned toxic pesticides, strengthened chemical safety protections and imposed strong climate regulations. Enforcement of pollution laws, which had plummeted under the Trump years, is starting to climb back up. But with next week’s election looming, the agency charged with protecting the environment faces more uncertainty than at any other time since its creation more than 50 years ago. Perhaps like few other federal agencies, the E.P.A. has been targeted by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies for a wholesale makeover. If she wins the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to keep the E.P.A. on course, with a likely focus on fighting climate change and cleaning up the pollution that disproportionately burdens poor communities. But if Mr. Trump returns to the White House, his allies have said they will do a more methodical job of reversing climate policies than they did in his first term, when they rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations they said were hampering the economy, only to watch from the sidelines as President Biden restored most of them. “Everything that we did in terms of paring back and reining in the already-bloated agency is undone,” Mandy Gunasekara, who served as chief of staff at the E.P.A. during the Trump administration, told the Times. A second Trump administration would “tear down and rebuild” the structure of the E.P.A., Ms. Gunasekara, a leading candidate to run the agency if Mr. Trump is elected, told the Times. Ms. Gunasekara wrote the section on the E.P.A. for Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration.”

Chicago Tribune: Trump and Harris back fracking, but what does that mean for Illinois, where sand mines provide a key ingredient?
Karina Atkins, 10/29/24

“Steve Harmon’s house shakes when the mining company 100 yards away blasts into what was once farmland. His patio is constantly covered in a thin layer of fine white sand. He and his neighbors also had their groundwater wells replaced two years ago after iron leached into their drinking water. The LaSalle County native is simply thankful the sand mine only operates a few days a week,” the Chicago Tribune report. “This is the lesser-known side of the fracking industry that former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have vocally supported on the campaign trail… “The oil and gas companies have tried to make fracking seem like a drilling technique but we’re really talking about a vast transformation of rural landscapes into industrial ones,” Megan Hunter, Earthjustice senior attorney, told the Tribune… “However, little attention and oversight has been given to the sand mines in LaSalle County that proliferated because of drilling operations in these other states… “Ted Auch, the Midwest program director of the nonprofit FracTracker Alliance, estimates that the mined acres in LaSalle County have nearly doubled since 2007. Today, sand mines occupy nearly 4,500 acres, equivalent to 600 football fields. Most of the land they expanded to had once been farms. Concerns began mounting among residents whose families had made their living farming LaSalle County’s highly productive land for generations. “We’ve got some of the best black dirt around. Everyone out here knows farming is so good around here because the guy upstairs put eight inches of black dirt here,” another lifelong LaSalle County resident and farmer, Michael Rogowski, told the Tribune. “The sand mines don’t look at it that way. They just look at it as a place where they’re going to make some money.”

Public Citizen: Gas Industry Ramps Up Deceptive Effort to Influence Democrats
10/29/24

“A group funded by fracking firms and pipeline companies is ramping up its efforts to cozy up to key Democratic constituencies in service of a pro-polluter agenda, including a bipartisan bill packed with fossil-fuel giveaways that could be considered in Congress in the coming weeks, according to a new report released today by the Revolving Door Project and Public Citizen. The front group, Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, has conducted a series of in-person events with policymakers and key Democratic-leaning groups this year aimed at building support for its policy goals. Those agenda items include a set of dirty energy industry giveaways by Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) that will eviscerate public interest review requirements for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports and encourage the construction of massive export terminals in largely Black, Brown, and low-income communities. Natural Allies is led by three former Democratic members of Congress, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Tim Ryan of Ohio, and Kendrick Meek of Florida, as well as former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. The group’s corporate funders include gas industry players Williams Companies, EQT, Kinder Morgan, TC Energy, Enbridge, and Venture Global. Since it was launched in 2020, the group has spent $10.4 million over three years, with over $8.9 million directed to the advertising and public relations giant Omnicom, the parent company of Mercury Public Affairs—the firm that initially launched Natural Allies… “While the group deceptively pushes natural gas as a “partner” to renewables, its real goal is to promote continued use of methane, saying in an internal strategy document that “success for the natural gas industry will be rooted in whether we can message to the left and the Democratic base of black and Latino and age 18 to 34 voters as effectively as we have messaged to the right.” 

STATE UPDATES

Colorado Newsline: Colorado AG, local governments file Supreme Court briefs opposing Utah oil railroad
Chase Woodruff, 10/28/24

“Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a dozen Colorado local governments and a group of high-ranking congressional Democrats are among the parties urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a lower court decision vacating the approval of a controversial oil-by-rail project in eastern Utah,” Colorado Newsline reports. “Colorado’s Eagle County and five environmental groups have sued to block the 88-mile Uinta Basin Railway, a multibillion-dollar proposal to connect Utah’s largest oil field to the national rail network. The plaintiffs alleged that federal regulators conducted an insufficient review of the project’s environmental risks, and in a ruling last year the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed, finding that the railway’s approval contained “numerous” and “significant” violations of federal law… “In an amicus, or friend-of-the-court, brief filed on behalf of the state of Colorado and a dozen other state governments, Weiser wrote that the petitioners’ interpretation of NEPA’s requirements “would allow federal agencies to turn a blind eye” to environmental harms caused by projects like the Uinta Basin Railway… “The risk of harm to our state and mountain communities and others affected by this rail line is simply too great to ignore,” Weiser said in a press release Friday. “The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals was correct to throw out this project’s approval for not having fully grasped the magnitude of its impacts to the environment. The Supreme Court should apply the letter of our federal laws and uphold the appellate court’s decision.” A group of Colorado local governments led by Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction and Grand County also filed a brief in support of Eagle County’s position, writing that the law clearly required the STB “to alert western Colorado communities to the foreseeable effects of its decision coming down the line.” “…Other briefs in support of Eagle County were filed by a group of 30 congressional Democrats led by U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts; a group of former members of the Council on Environmental Quality; and a group of former senior federal officials led by former U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell… “Oral arguments in the case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, are scheduled to be heard on Dec. 10.”

KPLC: Community open house held to discuss Vinton carbon capture project
Karla Castillo, 10/29/24

“The concern over carbon capture projects in Southwest Louisiana continues to grow,” KPLC reports. “Tonight, an open house meeting was held at SOWELA to inform the community about Project Cypress Southwest… “Many residents shared concerns about traffic increases, and chemicals in the air, among other issues but Project Cypress Southwest reassures residents… “Project Cypress’ Community Engagement Council, which is formed by representatives of the communities, said they are ecstatic about the future of this project. “This project was conceived and developed from the ground up to be environmentally friendly and to be receptive to job creation throughout the region. I think the company is making every effort to be forward and open about the project,” Ernest Broussard, Participating Member of the Community Engagement Council told KPLC. Some residents who declined to be on camera told KPLC they’re ecstatic about the prospect of new jobs in Vinton. However, a resident who lives in Mossville told KPLC they’re worried about the future of the air in their community.”

WUNC: Person County residents express frustration after air permit issued to Moriah Energy Center
Celeste Gracia, 10/29/24

“Some residents in Person County are expressing frustration and disappointment after state environmental officials issued an air permit to the Moriah Energy Center, a liquified natural gas storage facility,” WUNC reports. “Andrea Childers, who lives half a mile away from the facility, told WUNC she believes Person County is becoming a sacrifice zone for the state of North Carolina. “I’m devastated. This is our home. We’ve lived here 32 years. My husband and I planned on living here and retiring here and spending the rest of our lives here,” Childers told WUNC. “What do we do? Do we stay here? Risk our health?” “…Earlier this year, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality received critical public feedback regarding this air permit. Several community members in Person County called on the division to deny the permit, citing concerns around air and water pollution. Others asked for the permit to include stronger protective measures, like an independent air quality monitoring system… “Katie Moore, a member of Neighbors Opposed to Moriah Energy Center, told WUNC state officials “made no changes to make the project safer.”

Houston Chronicle: Experts see gains in addressing area’s seismicity
Mella McEwen, 10/24/24

“Earthquakes continue to shake up the Permian Basin, with two 3-magnitude events felt in Midland last week. Ted Wooten, chief engineer with the Railroad Commission, stressed that his agency is taking the issue seriously,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “Collaboration between the Railroad Commission and industry is deeper than you realize,” he told attendees at the Permian Basin chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Permian Basin Energy Conference on Wednesday. Part of a panel discussing the issue, Wooten predicted his department will be making recommendations for changes to water injection rules, including injection volume reporting, in the near future. The region is seeing some success in reducing seismicity, Katie Smye, associate research professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas Austin and co-principal investigator at CISR, the Center for Injection and Seismicity Research, told the Chronicle. “The rate of 3-plus-magnitude earthquakes has fallen from a peak of 40 per month in 2021-22 to 20 per month in 2024,” she told the audience. “This success is due to changes in regulations and operations” as operators have switched from deep water injection to shallow water injection, shut in some injection wells and reduced pressures and volumes in others, she said. But she cautioned that earthquakes of 5-plus magnitude still occur and have increased in some areas of the Midland Basin. Researchers have also observed increases in pore pressures, by up to 1,000 psi in shallow injection strata in the Delaware Basin, Smye said.

Louisiana Illuminator: Louisiana not keeping pace with new orphan oil and gas wells, audit finds
Greg LaRose, 10/29/24

“An unprecedented amount of resources are flowing into Louisiana to help address abandoned oil and gas wells that present environmental and safety risks throughout the state. But according to a state audit, the money is nowhere near enough to get ahead of the problem, which continues to grow despite progress made in recent years,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “State officials who oversee remediation of these orphan wells say a new entity under the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) intends to better manage the problem — and find millions of dollars more to do so. A Legislative Auditor’s report made public Monday indicates 976 orphaned wells were plugged in fiscal years 2020 through 2023, based on numbers from the Oilfield Site Restoration Program and the Louisiana Oilfield Restoration Association. Over that same period, nearly 1,700 new orphaned wells were reported to the DENR’s Office of Conservation. Furthermore, the number of inactive wells — those with a high risk of becoming orphaned — increased 21.7% from August 2019 to April of this year, reaching 21,629. The audit connected the inability of the Office of Conservation to expand its orphaned well capping program to a state law that limits its ability to collect enough funding. The audit report estimates it will take nearly $543 million to address the current number of orphan wells, but state law calls for oil and gas production fees to be suspended if the Oilfield site Restoration (OSR) Program fund exceeds $14 million.” 

Colorado Sun: Jane Fonda visits north Denver, urges locals to continue fighting air pollution
Michael Booth, 10/28/24

“North Denver activists fighting air pollution who hosted Jane Fonda for a pep talk Monday do get starry-eyed talking about the celebrity, but not just because of her two Oscars, bestselling books and 1980s workout-queen status,” the Colorado Sun reports. “They pay homage to the left-leaning celebrity because, they told the Sun, her presence gets results. And when it comes to environmental activism, Fonda is no one-hit wonder, they add. The same groups held a listening session with her in Elyria-Swansea in February, and Fonda on Monday said she’d return soon… “Fonda is 86, and decades away from her Hollywood celebrity peak, but continues steady work as an actress and author in between political and policy efforts. She has been arrested multiple times at climate change protests, and has focused recent visits on “cancer alley” cities associated with oil and gas and petrochemical industries, that report high incidents of health problems among minority and low-income residents… “Community members who took the small stage as Fonda listened targeted a current rulemaking at the Air Quality Control Commission establishing restrictions on the worst airborne toxins, rules meant to carry out past state legislation… “After hearing a summary of efforts by the nonprofit legal center Earthjustice, in partnership with the community, to fight Suncor, Fonda told a packed room of volunteers to not lose their courage.” 

Press release: Governor Newsom urges accelerated action on new gas blend to lower prices
10/25/24

“Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a directive to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to expedite measures that could lead to lower gas prices without compromising environmental protections. Building on legislation passed in 2023 and 2024 to prevent price spikes and increase transparency in the oil industry, the Governor’s order directs CARB to accelerate studying how California could increase ethanol blending in gasoline (E15), which studies have shown could reduce prices while maintaining environmental protections… “According to a study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley and the United States Naval Academy, this could lower gas prices by up to $0.20 per gallon and save Californians as much as $2.7 billion annually, but also would require strategic considerations regarding market structure and infrastructure modifications. E15 fuel, which contains 15% ethanol, has been widely adopted in other states and could significantly reduce prices without adding environmental harm. As of 2023, E15 was sold at more than 3,000 stations in 31 states.”

Natural Gas Intelligence: North Dakota Oil Wells Keep Getting Gassier, Underscoring Infrastructure Needs
Andrew Baker, 10/29/24

“The share of associated natural gas produced with each barrel of oil in North Dakota hit a record for the third consecutive month in August, according to state regulators,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “The gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) averaged 2.99 Mcf of natural gas per barrel of oil produced during the month, said North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad during a press briefing Thursday. GORs in the state have nearly doubled since 2016, government data show. As operators have depleted the state’s oilier top tier acreage, they increasingly have been drilling in the gassier second and third tier areas, causing GORs to rise.”

EXTRACTION

Guardian: Planet-heating pollutants in atmosphere hit record levels in 2023
Ajit Niranjan, 10/28/24

“The concentration of planet-heating pollutants clogging the atmosphere hit record levels in 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said,” the Guardian reports. “It found carbon dioxide is accumulating faster than at any time in human history, with concentrations having risen by more than 10% in just two decades. “Another year, another record,” said Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the WMO. “This should set alarm bells ringing among decision makers.” The increase was driven by humanity’s “stubbornly high” burning of fossil fuels, the WMO found, and made worse by big wildfires and a possible drop in the ability of trees to absorb carbon. The concentration of CO2 reached 420 parts per million (ppm) in 2023, the scientists observed. The level of pollution is 51% greater than before the Industrial Revolution, when people began to burn large amounts of coal, oil and fossil gas. Concentrations of strong but short-lived pollutants also surged. Methane concentrations hit 1,934 parts per billion (ppb), a rise of 165% from preindustrial levels, and nitrous oxide hit 336.9 parts per billion (ppb), a rise of 25%, it said. Saulo said: “We are clearly off track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2C and aiming for 1.5C above preindustrial levels. These are more than just statistics. Every part per million and every fraction of a degree temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and our planet.”

Financial Post: Oilsands dealmaker warns many CEOs wary of taking on pricing risk in carbon capture deal
Meghan Potkins, 10/29/24

“One of the energy sector’s renowned dealmakers is warning that there may be little appetite amongst oilsands executives for making big bets on the future price of carbon even as talks continue between Ottawa’s $15-billion green bank and a consortium of major companies over a potential proposal to fund a massive carbon capture and storage project in northern Alberta,” the Financial Post reports. “…Adam Waterous, executive chairman of Strathcona Resources Ltd. — the first and only oilsands company to have successfully reached a deal with CGF on a $2-billion carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project — told the Post he is hopeful the two sides can reach an agreement, but warned that oilpatch leaders will be wary of sanctioning big projects without more assurances from government. Fears of the “stroke-of-the-pen” risk to carbon prices as a result of changes in government — including changes to rules on emitters or a cancellation of the carbon tax — have oil and gas companies worried that big project investments could leave them sitting on a pile of worthless carbon credits, Waterous told the Post. “I have not met any other oilsands CEOs who are prepared to take the risk on a future price of carbon,” he told the Post… “The success of the negotiations will depend on there being a deal that makes economic sense for the companies, Michael Bernstein, executive director of Clean Prosperity, a Toronto-based climate policy organization, told the Post. “The companies themselves have to be willing to invest a significant amount of capex to make this project happen,” he told the Post. Bernstein told the Post any deal will require assurance that the ongoing expenses required to maintain carbon capture systems will make sense because carbon pricing will be here for the long run.”

Bloomberg: Why Big Oil is pulling out of Canadian oil sands [VIDEO]
10/29/24

“BloombergNEF’s Danny Adkins explains what Big Oil’s exit out of Canadian oil sands could mean for domestic production,” Bloomberg reports. 

Reuters: Left-leaning New Democratic Party to form British Columbia government after tight election win
Nia Williams, 10/28/24

“Incumbent Premier David Eby’s New Democratic Party (NDP) is set to form the next government of British Columbia after edging ahead in a final tally of ballots on Monday, more than a week after the Oct. 19 vote took place,” Reuters reports. “…B.C., a vast mountainous province with resources including natural gas and forestry, has long been seen as a climate policy leader in Canada and is home of the country’s nascent liquefied natural gas export industry. The NDP’s victory safeguards provincial climate measures such as its clean fuel standard. It means any new LNG terminals must plan to produce zero carbon emissions on a net basis by 2030 to secure provincial approval.”

Seatrade Maritime News: Oil spill in Singapore waters during bunkering operation
Marcus Hand, 10/28/24

“The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said an oil spill had taken place at around 5:40pm local time on 28 October during a bunkering operation between a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Ines Corrado and licensed bunker tanker,” Seatrade Maritime News reports. “The authority said that the bunkering ceased immediately. The MPA said an estimated 5 tonnes of bunker fuel had overflowed during the bunker operation with bulker… “It is the third oil spill reported in Singapore waters this year. In June this year more than 400 tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil were spilt when Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima, suffering a sudden loss of engine and steering control, hit stationary bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal. On 20 October there was an oil leak from a Shell land-based pipeline between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil.”

Mongabay: Calls for caution as enhanced rock weathering shows carbon capture promise
Sean Mowbray, 10/29/24

“…Spreading rocks such as basalt can sequester carbon and benefit soils, with some studies showing crop yield increases,” Mongabay reports. “If scaled up, enhanced rock weathering could store gigaton levels of carbon in the future, according to early research. But myriad challenges and uncertainties remain, not least of which is how to accurately calculate and verify how much carbon is being stored, and for how long. Some companies are already pushing ahead with deployment, with the idea of profiting from carbon credits, but experts caution that long-term studies are needed to ensure the technique’s efficacy, sustainability and environmental safety… “Enhanced rock weathering aims to replicate a natural part of Earth’s carbon cycle: Silicate rock, such as volcanic basalt, is spread over agricultural land, where exposure to precipitation triggers chemical reactions that “draw down” CO2 from the atmosphere, converting it to carbonates. These carbonates blend with, and filter down through, soils, until they are washed into rivers and eventually oceans, where they’re locked away for thousands of years. At least that’s the theory. Proponents describe the ERW process as a “win-win” that can store atmospheric CO2, while simultaneously helping farmers enrich their lands; when the silicates break down, they release minerals and nutrients, balancing pH and nourishing soils, which some studies suggest can boost crop yields. Research also suggests that if deployed at scale, enhanced rock weathering could lock away billions of tons of carbon dioxide, with some of the world’s largest emitters — such as the U.S., China, India and Brazil — showing the greatest CO2 storage potential due to their extensive agricultural lands and potential weathering rates.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

PTBO Canada: Douro-Dummer Fire Services and Enbridge Gas Partners Partner to Reduce Fire and Carbon Monoxide Deaths
10/29/24

“According to a press release, Douro-Dummer Fire Services received 114 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero,” PTBO Canada reports. “…Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero this year… “We’re proud to support our communities and raise awareness and help Ontarians implement these protection strategies,” said Jeff Braithwaite, Enbridge Gas operations supervisor… “We are excited to receive this kind of support, so we can ensure that people in their homes are protected with these life-saving devices,” said Fire Chief Chuck Pedersen.

Huntsville Doppler: Enbridge Gas teams up with Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department to bring fire and carbon monoxide related deaths down to zero
10/30/24

“Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas) and the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero,” according to the Huntsville Doppler. “…This year, Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero. Over the past 16 years, the program has provided more than 101,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments… “We’re proud to support our communities, and raise awareness and help Ontarians implement these protection strategies,” said Ed Gouweloos, Operations Supervisor – Orillia & Muskoka, Enbridge Gas… “This contribution significantly enhances our efforts to protect the residents of Huntsville and Lake of Bays, ensuring their safety and well-being,” says Fire Chief Gary Monahan.

OPINION

Medium: Over 630 Organizations Oppose the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA)
Pete Altman, 10/29/24

“With the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA), Senate Democrats are under pressure to trade the lives and health of frontline, environmental justice, and Tribal communities and the fate of our wild public lands in exchange for transmission policy with questionable climate benefits. It’s a bad deal that costs way too much for way too little, and that may explain why over 630 organizations have joined together to oppose the bill,” Pete Altman writes for Medium. “…EPRA’s costs to people and the environment are clear. As a July 30 letter signed by a wide array of organizations summarized, “This legislation guts bedrock environmental protections, endangers public health, opens up tens of millions of acres of public lands and hundreds of millions of acres of offshore waters to further oil and gas leasing, gives public lands to mining companies, and would defacto rubberstamp gas export projects that harm frontline communities and perpetuate the climate crisis.” The gas export projects, which are planned to be built in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods, come with a big death toll because of the dangerous, toxic pollutants they spew. The death toll from the LNG projects the bill would rubberstamp is estimated to be 2,450 deaths and over $30 billion in health costs over the minimum lifespan these projects can be expected to have… “The bill doesn’t just trample the rights of regular citizens and underprivileged communities. It elevates the interests of big polluters in our judicial system… “There are better solutions available that support both climate goals and environmental justice, such as the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act (CETA), which would speed up our ability to expand transmission capacity without sacrificing people, the climate and our natural heritage. It’s time for Democrats to push for real progress, not settle for a deal that prioritizes polluters over people.”

Real Clear Energy: For a Clean Energy Future, We Need Carbon Capture
Sarah Rosa is the policy manager at the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), 10/29/24

“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies have long received unfair criticism from some green groups, who paint them as a copout for the fossil fuel industry,” Sarah Rosa writes for Real Clear Energy. “Unsurprisingly, these groups pounced on the opportunity to denounce the technology when a leak was recently found at an Illinois facility, even though it was caught before any water contamination could occur.  Additionally, just a few days ago, a California county board of supervisors unanimously approved the state’s first big carbon capture facility, citing the necessity of CCS in meeting the state’s ambitious climate goals. What should have been an exciting moment for the state became yet another opportunity for environmental groups to stoke unfounded fear. The fact of the matter is that CCS technologies are absolutely essential to solving climate change… “While clean baseload energy sources like geothermal and nuclear will help fill the gap, natural gas power plants retrofitted with CCS technology will also be crucial to ensuring reliable, affordable power and reducing emissions… “CCS technologies are not perfect, and they may never be, but with continued innovation, we can more responsibly implement them to aid in our effort to mitigate climate change… “If we hope to deploy this technology swiftly to help reduce emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should work to grant primacy to states so they can more quickly approve injection well permits for CCS projects… “It makes little sense that the people who call CCS technologies a “false solution” are the same ones who refer to climate change as a crisis… “Deciding that this technology isn’t good enough is, in itself, a false solution.”