EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 2/13/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• NC Newsline: State, federal lawmakers ask FERC to require MVP Southgate to start over its certification for natural gas pipeline

• Michigan Advance: Bad River Band and Enbridge offer oral arguments in Line 5 shutdown appeal

• South Dakota Searchlight: Another attempt to block carbon pipelines from using eminent domain fails

• KSFY: House dismisses more carbon pipeline bills as session advances

• Ford County Chronicle: Ford County may become ‘intervener’ in ICC hearing process for CO2 pipeline

• KIWA: Bill Would Set New Rules For Future Pipeline Projects

• Canadian Press: Enbridge sees ‘tailwind’ for Mainline system as Trans Mountain pipeline faces delays

• Calgary Herald: It won’t take long to fill up TMX pipeline, but what comes next for growing oilpatch?

• Roanoke Times: Donna Pitt of Preserve Giles County speaks about the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s impact in Newport [VIDEO]

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• New York Times: Grading Biden’s Signature Law

• The Hill: Climate protesters arrested outside Biden’s campaign HQ in Delaware

• E&E News: D.C. Circuit grills FERC in LNG export fight

• Reuters: Former Trump, Bush officials urge Congress to reverse Biden’s LNG pause

• The Hill: Democratic senators accuse ‘green’ gas companies of overcharging consumers in ‘brazen conflict of interest’

• The Hill: Oil industry group files legal challenge against Biden administration’s Gulf leasing plan

• Politico: DOE plans to provide $100M to boost carbon removal projects

• Carbon Economist: US backs CCS tech projects with $304m

STATE UPDATES

• Colorado Sun: Fight on Colorado oil drilling ban appears headed for legislature

• Deseret News: Lawmaker: Utah energy policy looks like a ‘run over lizard’

EXTRACTION

• Associated Press: Ocean system that moves heat gets closer to collapse, which could cause weather chaos, study says

• Reuters: Carbon capture tech a ‘complete falsehood’, says Fortescue Metals chairman

• Guardian: The world is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels – except for in three key sectors

• Grist: Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl flight shows what’s wrong with carbon removal

• The Hill: Oil spill leads to ‘national emergency’ in Trinidad and Tobago

• Voice of America: Oil Spill Hits Caribbean Island of Tobago 

CLIMATE FINANCE

• InsideClimate News: Will New York State Divest From Big Oil?

• Carbon Herald: Fossil Fuel Investments Hold Back Portfolios, New Report Finds

OPINION

• Dakota Scout: Baseball stadium gift from pipeline company would be monumental reminder

• Dakota Scout: A bright future exists for ethanol and corn production, if we allow it

• The Iowa Standard: SEN. GUTH: Disappointed when informed neither bill protecting private property rights will be allowed to advance this year
  

PIPELINE NEWS

NC Newsline: State, federal lawmakers ask FERC to require MVP Southgate to start over its certification for natural gas pipeline
LISA SORG, 2/12/24

“Fifty Democratic state lawmakers have asked FERC — the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — to require owners of MVP Southgate to reapply for certification for a natural gas pipeline that would traverse through parts of Rockingham County,” NC Newsline reports. “If FERC agrees, Equitrans Midstream would have to begin the authorization process anew, including holding public hearings and issuing another environmental impact statement that could further delay the project. In the letter dated Feb. 9, the lawmakers reason that Equitrans Midstream’s proposal in December for a new, shortened route entering Rockingham County from Virginia, “goes beyond a set of modest changes” to the existing certification… “The revised project “is a new pipeline, one with a different purpose and different environmental impacts, including an increased contribution to the climate crisis,” the letter from lawmakers reads. The lawmakers’ letter echoes communication submitted to FERC by several environmental advocacy groups, including the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices. U.S. Reps. Kathy Manning and Valerie Foushee, both Democrats, sent a separate letter to FERC arguing the same points… “However, landowners along the original route are still vulnerable to Equitrans Midstream’s powers of eminent domain to take part of their property for the project, as those claims have not yet been dropped. Equitrans Midstream has said that the environmental impact of the new route would be less because it would cross fewer waterways. However, the company has yet to release a map of the revised route, and until then the claim can’t be corroborated.”

Michigan Advance: Bad River Band and Enbridge offer oral arguments in Line 5 shutdown appeal
KYLE DAVIDSON, 2/12/24

“Representatives of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Canadian pipeline company Enbridge Inc. gave their oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago on the case appealing the shutdown of Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 pipeline,” the Michigan Advance reports. “…On Thursday, Enbridge attorney Alice Loughan argued the Bad River Band was not acting in accordance with the 1992 easement agreement, and that Conley’s order violated the 1977 transit treaty, which limits the authority of the U.S. and Canada to impede the flow of oil and natural gas between nations, according to FLOW… “Paul Clement, representing the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, encouraged the court to affirm the lower court’s decision and to require an immediate shutdown of the pipeline rather than the current 2026 deadline, citing continued concerns with spring flooding and erosion… “According to FLOW, the U.S. Appeals Court for the Sixth Circuit will hear oral arguments on March 21 in Nessel v. Enbridge, in which Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is seeking to shut down the pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, due to concerns that the pipeline could rupture, leading to a catastrophic oil spill. Nessel will argue that the case rightfully belongs in state court, rather than federal court… “On Thursday, Republican lawmakers in Michigan sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) asking to expedite the environmental review needed to move forward with its permitting decision. Both Enbridge and the tunnel’s opponents have spoken out against the USACE’s decision to delay publishing its Environmental Impact Statement on the project which is projected to publish in Spring 2025.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Another attempt to block carbon pipelines from using eminent domain fails
JOSHUA HAIAR, 2/12/24

“Another legislative attempt to stop a proposed carbon sequestration pipeline from using eminent domain failed Monday,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “It is up to us to defend South Dakotans’ property rights,” said Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, the prime sponsor of the bill. The legislation was rejected by the House Commerce and Energy Committee in a 7-6 vote. Similar legislation failed during last year’s legislative session… “Hansen argued that carbon sequestration does not meet the traditional definition of “public use.” “None of us use buried carbon,” Hansen said. “The whole point is to not use it.”  He said the bill would not ban carbon pipelines outright, “as long as the main purpose is to use it for something that the public uses.” Some critics of the Summit pipeline have alleged the CO2 will eventually be used for enhanced oil recovery in North Dakota… “David Owen, of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, argued carbon sequestration has already been determined to serve a public use because of its role in fighting climate change… “Also Monday, the committee rejected a bill that would have required the pipeline project to have voluntary easements with landowners on 90% of the route before attempting to use eminent domain for the rest. Some other bills addressing carbon sequestration pipelines are currently making their way through the Legislature. Those bills aim to add protections for landowners rather than stop pipeline projects.” 

KSFY: House dismisses more carbon pipeline bills as session advances
2/13/24

“Opponents saw their hopes dashed for the second year in a row as the dream bill of landowner advocates, intended to halt construction of a carbon pipeline across eastern South Dakota, suffered defeat in the Legislature,” KSFY reports. “But the setback wasn’t isolated; four additional bills addressing pipelines and their construction met a similar fate in the House Commerce and Energy Committee Monday in a marathon hearing. Rep. Jon Hansen introduced House Bill 1219, aiming to prohibit carbon dioxide pipelines from utilizing eminent domain for construction purposes… “Make no mistake about it, this was brought here to kill this particular project,” said Steve Willard, Executive Director of the South Dakota Electric Utility Companies… “The House Commerce and Energy Committee has become a graveyard for bills seeking to protect landowners’ rights regarding carbon pipelines. Of several pipeline bills brought before the committee, only two have emerged, both “compromise bills” crafted by legislative leadership… “Hansen expressed intentions to smoke the bill out on the House floor, a legislative maneuver that would allow the full House to debate it despite its defeat in committee. Aside from Hansen’s bill, several other proposals met their demise during the committee’s proceedings. Rep. Karla Lems sought to allow any party in a Public Utilities Commission hearing to request an extension, while Rep. John Sjaarda proposed requiring companies to obtain at least 90% voluntary easement agreements before pursuing eminent domain. Two additional bills, including one addressing hydrogen pipelines, were tabled by the committee in consultation with their prime sponsors.”

Ford County Chronicle: Ford County may become ‘intervener’ in ICC hearing process for CO2 pipeline
Will Brumleve, 2/13/24

“The Ford County Board will meet in special session next week to vote on a proposal for the county to become a so-called “intervener” in the Illinois Commerce Commission’s hearing process for One Earth Sequestration’s application to build a 7.34-mile pipeline to transport and permanently store the carbon dioxide captured from Gibson City’s ethanol plant,” the Ford County Chronicle reports. “…The deadline to file a petition with the ICC to become an intervener in the hearings is later this month — either Feb. 28 or Feb. 29, Ihrke said — meaning action needs to be taken soon. If approved, the measure would allow the county to have legal counsel participate in the hearings by presenting evidence or asking questions of witnesses testifying… “Ihrke said she has obtained a copy of McLean County’s petition to become an intervener in the hearings, in addition to another petition submitted by another involved entity. Both petitions contained “good points,” Ihrke said, about such things as the project’s proximity to incorporated communities, for example. Meanwhile, the county board’s five-member zoning committee continues to discuss potential ordinance regulations for CO2 pipeline and carbon sequestration projects. A previously proposed moratorium on such projects appears to be off the table, though… “Two meetings were held last week in Gibson City for the public to learn about CO2 pipelines and carbon sequestration. One meeting was organized by proponents of such projects, while the other featured a presentation by supporters, including One Earth Energy officials. Sally Lasser, whose 100-plus-acre farm is six miles outside of Gibson City, said she is concerned about dangerous accidents happening at the sequestration well sites in McLean County, where the CO2 is “pushed underground where it’s supposed to live under the shale layer indefinitely.” “For me, personally, I was told that my insurance would be canceled,” Lasser said, “and I question, along this pipeline, how many other people would find themselves in that situation.” Lasser said she also believed property values would drop. “It’s a ripple effect, and I think there’s a lot to be considered,” Lasser said.

KIWA: Bill Would Set New Rules For Future Pipeline Projects
2/12/24

“A bill to set new standards for future pipelines and electric transmission lines as well as wind farms and solar arrays is among the many bills that face a deadline. Bills have to clear a committee in the Iowa House or Senate by the end of this week or they’re set aside for the year,” KIWA reports. “Republican Senator Dennis Guth of Klemme told KIWA one goal of his bill is to ensure companies that install pipelines and electric generating facilities on farmland are responsible when problems — like sinkholes — crop up long into the future. Guth’s bill would require that all pipelines and any underground transmission lines be buried at least eight feet deep to ensure proper drainage through tile lines… “Earlier this month, the GOP leader in the Senate told KIWA there’s no consensus among the 34 Republican senators on a pipeline-related bill.”

Canadian Press: Enbridge sees ‘tailwind’ for Mainline system as Trans Mountain pipeline faces delays
2/12/24

“Enbridge Inc. could benefit from increased volumes on its Mainline oil pipeline network if the startup of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is significantly delayed, the Calgary-based energy infrastructure firm said recently,” the Canadian Press reports. “…Most recently, Trans Mountain Corp. announced it has run into new construction challenges in B.C. that will delay the pipeline’s expected first quarter startup until sometime in the second quarter of this year. Colin Gruending, president of Enbridge’s liquids pipelines business, said the company has been assuming an April 1 in-service date for Trans Mountain. He said if that date is pushed back, Enbridge will likely see a small boost in shipping volumes. “To the extent it (Trans Mountain) is delayed, that’s a slight tailwind,” Gruending told a conference call to discuss Enbridge’s fourth-quarter earnings. “We believe we’re going to be substantially full anyway, so a slight delay doesn’t provide a massive increase for us. But there is some upside to that.” “…I think this notion that the Mainline is going to lose a bunch of volume when (Trans Mountain) comes on is a bit of a stale concept. It might have been valid a view years ago, but it’s been delayed materially,” Gruending said. “And in that multi-year period of delay, supply has structurally and permanently grown…That demand is there. It’s basically insatiable.”

Calgary Herald: It won’t take long to fill up TMX pipeline, but what comes next for growing oilpatch?
Chris Varcoe, 2/12/24

“Facing transportation bottlenecks — and a divisive pipeline debate — for years, the Canadian oil industry is now eagerly awaiting the startup of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion,” the Calgary Herald reports. “As construction on the $30.9-billion project draws to a close and it’s expected to begin commercial operations next quarter, analysts and industry leaders anticipate it won’t be too long before the pipeline — along with other oil export lines in Western Canada — begin to fill up. And then, the persistent issue of insufficient transportation capacity could rear its head, once again. “The supply is coming, and in very short order Western Canada will probably be north of 90 per cent (pipeline) utilization rate again,” Kevin Birn, a vice-president with S&P Global Commodity Insights, told the Herald. “In the long term, we still see Western Canada putting a lot of pressure on its takeaway system . . . We see it filling up progressively over the next 18 to 24 months. By the end of 2025, the system is looking pretty full.” “…The Mainline has been basically full for 75 years. So, it’s a trend that continues,” Colin Gruending, Enbridge’s president of liquids pipelines, told analysts Friday on a conference call… “There is no doubt we’re going to need more pipe within this decade,” said Tristan Goodman, president of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada… “However, there is excess gas pipeline capacity heading east and south that could be converted to move oil, and there’s also the potential to move more oil to the U.S. by train. “We could easily add one or two million barrels a day (from) the oilsands through new projects, but people aren’t going to kick off those new projects unless they have some comfort around federal policies and some comfort there is going to be pipe to get the oil to market,” said Kvisle. “I think we will build more pipelines and I think Canadian oilsands production will grow, but I don’t see any of that happening in the next five years — other than the little incremental things.”

Roanoke Times: Donna Pitt of Preserve Giles County speaks about the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s impact in Newport [VIDEO]
2/12/24

WASHINGTON UPDATES

New York Times: Grading Biden’s Signature Law
Andrew Ross Sorkin, Ravi Mattu, Bernhard Warner, Sarah Kessler, Michael J. de la Merced, Lauren Hirsch and Ephrat Livni, 2/9/24

“In the past 24 hours, President Biden has taken questions (and heat) on his age, memory and mental fitness. But the one economic issue that is most likely to generate scrutiny from the business community and beyond over the next several months is the biggest bill he has passed, the Inflation Reduction Act, which he hailed at his news conference last night,” the New York Times reports. “Big questions still hang over the law, which many Americans appear not to know exists. How much will it add to the federal deficit? And can the law survive a potential Trump second term? The I.R.A. is expected to cost more than $800 billion through 2033, the Congressional Budget Office said, up from the $391 billion price tag assessed when it was passed in 2022. One reason: There’s huge demand for the credits and subsidies created by the law for building solar, hydrogen and nuclear energy projects, as well as discounts for buying electric vehicles. (An analysis by Goldman Sachs last fall showed that the law led to about $282 billion in investment and roughly 175,000 jobs in its first year.) The green transition won’t come cheap. The I.R.A., which aims for steep emissions cuts, is expected to add $250 billion more to the deficit than initially forecast, according to the C.B.O., despite cost-saving promises by the White House… “The future of the I.R.A. looks unclear. Donald Trump has said he would overturn it if re-elected. That prospect has worried business leaders who have warned that such a move would drastically hurt American industry.”

The Hill: Climate protesters arrested outside Biden’s campaign HQ in Delaware
NICK ROBERTSON, 2/12/24

“Nearly two dozen people protesting Biden administration policies on climate change and the Israel-Hamas war were arrested Monday outside the president’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., according to protest group Sunrise Movement,” The Hill reports. “About 100 demonstrators blockaded the headquarters, holding signs demanding action on climate change and for President Biden to back a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Wilmington police arrested 20 protesters, Sunrise told The Hill. “Climate change is at our doorstep. Our homes are flooding, we’re breathing in toxic air, Black people like me are dying while the President expands oil and gas production to record levels,” Sunrise Campaign Director Kidus Girma told The Hill. “Then President Biden goes around and claims he’s a climate president and wants our votes? That’s bullshit.” The protesters wore shirts demanding Biden “declare a climate emergency” and held signs reading “lead or lose” and “fund climate not genocide.” “…Climate change has been a marquee issue for the Biden administration, but progressives have hit the president for not going far enough… “It’s not enough now for the Democratic Party to wipe their hands and say, ‘IRA solved it all.’ We’re still in a crisis. This is still an emergency,” Sunrise electoral director Michele Weindling told The Hill in August.

E&E News: D.C. Circuit grills FERC in LNG export fight
Niina H. Farah, 2/13/24

“A pair of Biden-appointed judges signaled Monday that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may need to take a closer look at climate and air quality impacts of the liquefied natural gas export terminals the agency approves,” E&E News reports. “The remarks from judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit came during oral arguments over FERC’s certification of a Louisiana LNG project. The hearing occurred just two weeks after the Biden administration announced that a separate agency — the Department of Energy — would pause new LNG export approvals to better account for climate impacts when deciding whether the projects are in the public interest. Two D.C. Circuit judges questioned how that analysis was playing out at FERC, which approves siting and construction of new LNG facilities. The court has previously required FERC to beef up its consideration of greenhouse gas emissions from the energy projects it oversees… “I think the bottom line is there is no line that you would think greenhouse gas emissions are significant,” said Judge Florence Pan, after some back and forth… “Even if the emissions from one facility are incremental, said Garcia, a Biden appointee, “why is that relevant to the total level [of emissions], which is what cumulative impacts analysis is asking [FERC] to talk about?” “…The judge also asked Chu to explain why FERC’s determination that Commonwealth LNG was in the public interest was not a basis for sending the analysis back to the agency to offer a better explanation… “FERC can’t refuse to do anything at all,” said Sierra Club senior attorney Nathan Matthews.”

Reuters: Former Trump, Bush officials urge Congress to reverse Biden’s LNG pause
2/12/24

“Dozens of former officials from the past two Republican U.S. administrations on Monday urged Congress to reverse the Biden administration’s pause on approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, saying the shipments promote global stability,” Reuters reports. “…The 35 officials, including Rick Perry and Dan Brouillette, energy secretaries under former President Donald Trump, wrote to lawmakers heading energy and foreign affairs committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate. “It is imperative that we reverse this action and continue to advance our economic, energy, and geopolitical interests while leading on environmental progress,” the former officials said in the letter… “The U.S. House is set to vote on a bill as early as Wednesday that would strip the power of the Department of Energy to approve the exports and give it to the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The legislation would likely struggle in the Senate, controlled by Democrats, and some lawmakers have been wary of it. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat who opposes the pause, told reporters last week he is not looking at “taking anyone’s authority away.”

The Hill: Democratic senators accuse ‘green’ gas companies of overcharging consumers in ‘brazen conflict of interest’
SAUL ELBEIN, 2/12/24

“A group of progressive senators in a Monday letter to federal regulators accused fossil fuel companies of deceiving the public with ostensibly “green” gas — and overcharging customers for projects that won’t help the climate,” The Hill reports. “In the letter provided exclusively to The Hill, the five senators called on the Federal Trade Commission to examine whether the certified gas industry is engaged in “unfair and deceptive practices.” The group includes Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt..), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Many gas and electric utilities “are using so-called ‘certified’ gas to falsely burnish their climate bona fides, and some charge premiums for gas bearing these frequently meaningless designations,” they wrote… “To win over climate conscious customers, “gas producers sometimes publicly describe their product as ‘certified,’ ‘responsible,’ or ‘differentiated’ and market it as a climate-friendly fossil fuel,” the senators wrote. But, they added, “too often these green claims are false or misleading, as the methodology underlying them is opaque, the technology supporting them is unreliable, and the downstream climate effects of gas combustion are ignored.” “…The senators charged that by simply calling gas “natural” or describing it as a “bridge” between dirtier fuels and renewables, the industry was making deceptive claims about its role in warming the climate. They framed the effort to portray it as “certified” or “responsible” as a further step down this line — and argued it presented a “brazen conflict of interest.” 

The Hill: Oil industry group files legal challenge against Biden administration’s Gulf leasing plan
ZACK BUDRYK, 2/12/24

“The biggest fossil fuel industry trade group on Monday announced a legal challenge against the Biden administration’s five-year plan for oil and gas leasing,” The Hill reports. “In its petition filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the American Petroleum Institute (API) argues the 2024-2029 Gulf of Mexico leasing plan issued by the Biden administration “limit[s] access” to energy, despite federal law requiring the development of a five-year plan that “best meets” American energy needs… “In issuing a five-year program with the fewest lease sales in history, the administration is limiting access in a region responsible for generating among the lowest carbon-intensive barrels in the world, putting American consumers at greater risk of relying on foreign sources for our future energy needs,” Ryan Meyers, API senior vice president and general counsel, told The Hill… “The conservationist group Earthjustice, meanwhile, has filed a complaint alleging the plan fails to address environmental concerns… “The oil and gas industry is already sitting on nine million acres of undeveloped leases. They certainly are not entitled to more,” Earthjustice attorney Brettny Hardy told The Hill.

Politico: DOE plans to provide $100M to boost carbon removal projects
Allison Prang, 2/12/24

“The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding as much as $100 million to carbon removal pilot projects to help the industry lower the cost of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it announced Monday,” Politico reports. “Details: The $100 million is for projects focusing on a range of removal methods, from biomass carbon removal to enhanced mineralization. The department is aiming for the cost of removing one ton of carbon dioxide to be less than $100 per ton by 2032… “DOE said applicants have to “address the societal considerations and impacts of their proposed projects” and incorporate community engagement… “Awards are expected to be given out next January.”

Carbon Economist: US backs CCS tech projects with $304m
Stuart Penson, 2/12/24

“The US Department of Energy (DOE) has provisionally allocated up to $304m to four large-scale CCS demonstration projects at power generation and industrial sites in Kentucky, Mississippi, Texas and Wyoming in a move designed to pilot “transformational technologies” in the carbon-capture sector,” Carbon Economist reports. “The financial support, which is dependent on negotiations with the selected project developers, is funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The selected projects are as follows: Up to $72m has been earmarked for a carbon-capture pilot project at the 640MW Cane Run gas-fired power plant in Louisville, Kentucky…”

STATE UPDATES

Colorado Sun: Fight on Colorado oil drilling ban appears headed for legislature
Michael Booth, 2/12/24

“Colorado Democratic senators say they will introduce a bill banning new oil and gas drilling in Colorado by 2030 and demanding companies pay more to seal up old wells, bringing into the Capitol a fight that has previously played out in statewide ballot petitions and fall elections,” the Colorado Sun reports. “ Environmental groups have been moving to get a similar ban on the November 2024 ballot, but are strongly backing the legislative effort by Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis of Lafayette and Kevin Priola of Henderson. They tell the Sun the ban on new drilling would be phased in to first protect minority and lower-income residents in disproportionately impacted communities, before becoming complete in 2030.  The ban would allow for continued pumping from existing wells, but would also phase out modifications to those thousands of wells through redrilling or deepening. Unused drilling permits would expire. Previous operators of orphaned wells would have to pay more to hasten state cleanup efforts.  “Many Coloradans agree with us that we can’t keep drilling forever,” Jaquez Lewis told the Sun. “Oil and gas emissions are negatively impacting public health. This legislation makes sure that Colorado takes strong action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by putting a definite end date on new well permits so we can work towards a sustainable energy future.” “…The proposal pays no mind to private property rights, our industry’s dramatic economic contributions to Colorado, the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers, nor a swath of rulemaking over the past half-decade that has cemented our state as a truly global leader in safe and responsible energy production,” Kait Schwartz, director of American Petroleum Institute Colorado, told the Sun… “If this bill were to pass, it would not only crush the economy, but it would hurt the environment by relying on foreign countries with lesser environmental standards to provide the energy we need,” Dan Haley, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, told the Sun… “Environmental groups promoting the legislative effort so far include 350 Colorado, WildEarth Guardians and Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate.”

Deseret News: Lawmaker: Utah energy policy looks like a ‘run over lizard’
Amy Joi O’Donoghue, 2/8/24

“Despite some concerns about priorities set forth in a legislative measure, a proposed revision to Utah’s energy policy passed the House Thursday on a 63-9 vote,” the Deseret News reports. “Rep. Colin Jack, R-St. George, is running HB374, which is an outgrowth of a highly critical legislative audit that questioned the efficiency of the state Office of Energy Development. The audit released last June found a myriad of changing mission statements over the years and no clear direction on where Utah is headed in ensuring reliable energy with enough capacity to serve Utah’s growing population… “His energy policy amendments revamps the state policy, makes clear definitions and sets up a list of priorities for the state of Utah… “Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City, objected to how those priorities were numbered, particularly because “clean” energy comes in last in the rankings behind reliability, capacity and sustainability.”

EXTRACTION

Associated Press: Ocean system that moves heat gets closer to collapse, which could cause weather chaos, study says
SETH BORENSTEIN, 2/9/24

“An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze is looking a bit more likely and closer than before as a new complex computer simulation finds a “cliff-like” tipping point looming in the future,” the Associated Press reports. “A long-worried nightmare scenario, triggered by Greenland’s ice sheet melting from global warming, still is at least decades away if not longer, but maybe not the centuries that it once seemed, a new study in Friday’s Science Advances finds… “A collapse of the current — called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC — would change weather worldwide because it means a shutdown of one of the key climate and ocean forces of the planet. It would plunge northwestern European temperatures by 9 to 27 degrees (5 to 15 degrees Celsius) over the decades, extend Arctic ice much farther south, turn up the heat even more in the Southern Hemisphere, change global rainfall patterns and disrupt the Amazon, the study said. Other scientists said it would be a catastrophe that could cause worldwide food and water shortages. “We are moving closer (to the collapse), but we we’re not sure how much closer,” study lead author Rene van Westen, a climate scientist and oceanographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told AP. “We are heading towards a tipping point.”

Reuters: Carbon capture tech a ‘complete falsehood’, says Fortescue Metals chairman
Julia Payne, 2/13/24

“Carbon capture is not a solution for the energy transition and political leaders need to provide real, non-greenwashed, commitments to encourage investment, Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of Fortescue Metals, said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “Speaking at the 50th anniversary meeting of the International Energy Agency, Australian billionaire Forrest said the investment community needs a level-playing field and honest answers from political leaders on phasing out fossil fuels in order to invest. “There’s a simple question from business leaders…when do we stop burning fossil fuels?” Forrest said at the Paris conference. “If you want to drive capital…we must have clear and obvious disincentives for what is doing harm and clear incentives for what is doing good.” “…We’re going to keep burning fossil fuels and somehow magically get rid of the carbon down into the ground where there is no proof that it will stay there, but heaps of proof that it fails,” Forrest told the conference. “I say for policy makers everywhere do not be the next idiot waiting for the old lie to be trotted out and say I believe in carbon sequestration. It has only failed for 75 years…It’s a complete falsehood.”

Guardian: The world is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels – except for in three key sectors
Oliver Milman, 2/9/24

“Humanity has made some uneven progress in reducing our addiction to fossil fuels – but there remain three areas of our lives in which we are notably not on track to kick the habit over the next 30 years, according to a new analysis,” the Guardian reports. “Record levels of investment in clean energy (solar has been called the cheapest source of electricity in history by the International Energy Agency) and a decline in coal-powered generation means less and less of the world’s power will come from fossil fuels between now and 2050, the analysis from Rhodium shows. Similarly, the blossoming electric vehicle market is going to drive down emissions from cars and trucks, with global oil consumption for on-road vehicles set to drop by 50% over the next three decades, the forecast finds. But even with these dramatic changes reshaping two of the world’s hungriest consumers of fossil fuels, emissions are still a long way from hitting net zero by 2050, as scientists say they must if dangerous global heating – spurring worsening heatwaves, floods, droughts and more – is to be avoided. A major reason for this is the stubborn, ongoing carbon pollution from three areas: aviation, shipping and industry. There is currently no widespread alternative to jet fuel or ship diesel, meaning steady or even rising fossil fuel use as developing countries’ economies grow. A range of industrial processes – such as cement-making and the production of plastic – will collectively fail to meaningfully cut carbon-intensive fuels by 2050, too.”

Grist: Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl flight shows what’s wrong with carbon removal
Tik Root, 2/13/24

“To get to the Super Bowl on time, Taylor Swift took a private jet from Tokyo to Los Angeles and then hustled to Las Vegas. The carbon removal company Spiritus estimated that her journey of roughly 5,500 miles produced about 40 tons of carbon dioxide — about what is generated by charging nearly 5 million cell phones. But don’t worry, the company assured her critics: It would take those emissions right back out of the sky,” Grist reports. “Spiritus wants to help Taylor and her Swifties ‘Breathe’ without any CO2 ‘Bad Blood,’” it said in a pun-laden pitch to reporters. “It’s a touchdown for everyone.” “…Spiritus says “sponsoring carbon offsets is a step toward environmental responsibility, not an endorsement of luxury flights” and added that “celebrities are going to take private jets regardless of what Spiritus does.” Even before the company stepped in, Swift reportedly planned to purchase offsets that more than covered her travel. But some climate experts say moves like Spiritus’ illustrate the dangerous direction the rapidly growing carbon dioxide removal, or CDR, industry is headed. “The worry is that carbon removal will be something we do so that business-as-usual can continue,” Sara Nawaz, director of research at American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy, told Grist. “We need a really big conversation reframe.” “…It’s very market-oriented: doing carbon removals for profit,” Nawaz told Grist. That reliance on the market, she elaborated, won’t necessarily lead to the just, equitable, and scalable outcomes that she hopes CDR can achieve. “We need to take a step back.”

The Hill: Oil spill leads to ‘national emergency’ in Trinidad and Tobago
NICK ROBERTSON, 2/12/24

“An unknown ship leaking oil onto Trinidad and Tobago’s coasts has devolved into a “national emergency,” the country’s prime minister said Sunday,” The Hill reports. “The overturned and mostly submerged vessel began leaking oil last Wednesday just off the south coast of Tobago — the smaller of the twin islands at the southern tip of the Lesser Antilles — the country’s emergency response agency said Saturday. Prime Minister Keith Rowley warned Sunday that “the situation is not under control.” “This is a national emergency and therefore it will have to be funded as an extraordinary expense,” he said, adding, “we don’t know the full scope and scale of what is going to be required.” Many of Tobago’s southern beaches and coastline have been inundated with oil, posing a risk to beachgoers and wildlife… “The country has deployed buoy booms to limit oil spread and has dispatched divers to attempt to stem the flow, without success, Tobago House leader Farley Augustine said.”

Voice of America: Oil Spill Hits Caribbean Island of Tobago 
2/11/24

“Emergency workers on the Caribbean island of Tobago are struggling to clean up an oil spill from an abandoned vessel,” Voice of America reports. “A massive clean-up effort has been launched, but officials say they may be forced to declare a national emergency as 15 kilometers of Tobago’s coastline have been affected. A reef has been damaged by the ongoing spill. Officials are concerned that the oil could contaminate the island’s fish and food supply. The spill is hitting Tobago at the beginning of the island’s Carnival season, a major tourist attraction… “The boat was apparently abandoned and left to sink, authorities said.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

InsideClimate News: Will New York State Divest From Big Oil?
Nicholas Kusnetz, 2/13/24

“New York State officials are poised to decide whether to sell off more than $1 billion in investments in major oil companies, in what could be one of the most consequential steps by a large institution to divest from fossil fuels,” InsideClimate News reports. “With an announcement expected within weeks, some climate activists are calling on the manager of the state’s largest pension fund to blacklist ExxonMobil, Chevron and other leading oil companies from its portfolio. The move will be the most important in a multi-year review by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who manages the state’s Common Retirement Fund, one of the country’s largest public pension funds. In December 2020, DiNapoli said his office would launch a sector-by-sector assessment of its fossil fuel holdings and divest from those that failed to meet “minimum standards” for climate-related risks. The fund has already restricted investments in a range of coal firms and smaller, independent oil companies, while continuing to hold shares in others that met certain standards. The process has won praise from many climate activists. Now, with a decision expected soon on the most prominent and powerful global energy firms, some of those same activists say DiNapoli needs to make a clean break with Big Oil. “We’re getting some indications that at least some of the people in the pensions office think these fossil fuel companies are beginning to turn the corner,” Mark Dunlea, chair of the Green Education and Legal Fund, a New York advocacy group, and an organizer with the Divest NY coalition, told ICN.

Carbon Herald: Fossil Fuel Investments Hold Back Portfolios, New Report Finds
Petya Trendafilova, 2/12/24

“Fossil fuel investments are no longer safe and hold back portfolios, a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) – an independent economics non-profit, finds,” the Carbon Herald reports. “…The researchers who analyzed a range of major stock market indices found that an investment of $10,000 saw both a weaker growth and a higher risk in passive funds when included fossil fuels, over five- and 10-year periods. The report also concludes that dropping oil, gas and coal stocks from portfolios is a better investment strategy both in the medium and long term. “Disruption and destabilization in fossil fuel commodity markets, competition from renewable energy, the electrification of transport, and growing investor consciousness of climate change’s financial risks are driving investors to re-evaluate fossil fuels’ place in the portfolio… As the economies of the past and the future collide, the fossil fuel sector is not prepared to manage the challenges of the coming decades. Investors have a responsibility to act,” Connor Chung, IEEFA research associate and co-author of the report, told the Herald… “According to the report, due to competition from less volatile and cheaper renewable energy sources growing rapidly, fossil fuel producers may find it increasingly difficult to offer managed shareholder value. “Now, every major investment house has developed investment products with sustainable mandates. These mandates reflect the fossil fuel sector’s underperformance, its negative long-term outlook, and increasing demand for investment products with dramatically less or no fossil fuels,” IEEFA researcher Dan Cohn, a co-author of the report, told the Herald.

OPINION

Dakota Scout: Baseball stadium gift from pipeline company would be monumental reminder
Peggy Hoogestraat, Chancellor, S.D., 2/12/24

“Township Supervisors, Turner County Commissioners, Minnehaha County Commissioners and state Legislators, thank you for your sacrificial time and efforts in so many areas,” Peggy Hoogestraat writes for the Dakota Scout. “…My husband and I take our corn to Poet near our home, and we purchase ethanol blended gasoline. I don’t have millions of dollars to purchase large advertisements for my thoughts, nor can I give you a donation for a baseball stadium, but I would like to share just a small part of my experience with an oil pipeline that crosses my Minnehaha County property… “However, in 2016, an oil pipeline was built on my property. I can no longer build on that land. Even if I wanted to build just off the easement area, I would not because of the threat of a leak… “Now I would like you to imagine this happening to property owners across the state as a carbon pipeline comes through. Developments, building, and expansions by private property owners will be halted. Those increased taxes will never happen. Temporary income from a private company will eventually end. Expenses for the townships, counties and state will continue. And if your town is worthy, according to the pipeline company, you may get a new baseball stadium, which will only be a monument reminding the local folks of the damaged field drain tiles, livestock damages, soil issues, damaged roads, fear of a possible leak, affected physical and mental health, and so much more. Please also consider the amount of water and electricity that a carbon pipeline would require… “Please say no to legislation or decisions that favor out-of-state investors wanting to build a carbon pipeline. Please say yes to protect our South Dakota citizens. The ethanol plants will do fine without the pipelines.”

Dakota Scout: A bright future exists for ethanol and corn production, if we allow it
Walt Wendland is the chairman, president and CEO at Ringneck Energy in Onida, South Dakota. He also serves as board president of the South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, 2/12/24

“Most South Dakotans agree that we can’t underscore the importance of corn production for our state. This is why many farmers, ethanol producers, politicians and agriculture-focused associations continue advocating for the use of carbon capture technology to secure a steady corn market,” Walt Wendland writes for the Dakota Scout. “In fact, last month, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association endorsed the use of this technology and CO2 pipelines, effectively backing the need for such technology to ensure a strong market demand for corn production continues in the coming decades. Ethanol producers purchase about 70 percent of the corn grown in South Dakota, and since 2021, 13 ethanol plants in the state have agreed to be a part of Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline. This includes Ringneck Energy in Onida, where I am president and CEO. I have stated before how important it is for ethanol plants to have access to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) so that we can tap into new, low-carbon fuel markets and grow the corn industry. Perhaps one of the most glaring examples of emerging markets is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)… “This is an enormous opportunity for anyone with ties to the corn industry, or farmers who sell their product to ethanol producers… “Without Summit’s pipeline, ethanol producers and farmers cannot tap into this economic bolster that is SAF… “South Dakota farmers and ethanol producers deserve this major economic victory. Therefore, it is imperative for Summit’s project to receive the support necessary to cross the finish line. The future of ethanol, SAF, and robust corn markets depend greatly on our ability to come together and achieve a win for CO2 pipelines and South Dakota.”

The Iowa Standard: SEN. GUTH: Disappointed when informed neither bill protecting private property rights will be allowed to advance this year
Dennis Guth, 2/10/24

“We have now finished the fifth week of the legislative session. That means we are fast approaching the first deadline (funnel date) that cuts off all policy legislation that has not been passed out of committee in the House or Senate. After next week, we will focus on perfecting the legislation that has passed out of committee,” Sen. Dennis Guth writes for The Iowa Standard. “…SF 2204 protects Iowa farmland from being purchased by foreign entities like communist China… “The purpose of government is to promote good and punish evil. A big part of that is protecting the God-given rights of its citizens. SF 2097 and 2099 would help protect one of those rights, landowners’ property rights. SF 2097 by Senator Salmon deals specifically with carbon pipelines, and SF 2099, which I wrote, deals with many kinds of projects that might require eminent domain. Both of these bills require a 90% threshold of voluntary participation before eminent domain can be invoked. Our constitutions, both federal and state, require a public or benefit use before eminent domain can be used. If there is not a public benefit, then there is no eminent domain. I was disappointed when I was informed that neither bill will be allowed to advance this year. This week I was on a subcommittee to consider eliminating County Compensation Boards. I called many county supervisors to get input and had many very receptive to the idea, but others were angry that the state is messing with local government. In reality, we only brought this issue up because there were requests from local governments to do so.”