EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 2/29/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 Great Lakes tribes urge the Biden administration to speak out against Enbridge Line 5

• Native American Rights Fund: 30 Tribal Nations Ask Biden Administration to Condemn Canadian Pipeline Trespass

• Dakota Scout: Carbon pipeline, ethanol industry get rare victory in South Dakota House

• KELO: House approves third pipeline-regulation bill

• Eco-Justice Collaborative: Illinois Commerce Commission staff member Mark Maple just recommended denial of One Earth Energy Sequestration, LLC’s CO2 pipeline through Ford and McLean County.  

• Motley Fool: Kinder Morgan Wants to Capture This Multitrillion-Dollar Opportunity

• South Dakota Searchlight: 200,000 comments submitted on Dakota Access Pipeline environmental review

• North Dakota Monitor: Corps chose not to publicize environmental damage by DAPL protesters, official testifies

• Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Dominion Energy to continue monitoring landslip near pipeline

• The Tyee: Why Did Trans Mountain Dig Through an Indigenous Burial Site?

• Reuters: Trans Mountain Corp says successfully removed pipe from final expansion section

• BNN: Pennsylvania DEP Cancels CNXM Slickville Pipeline Permit, Protecting Endangered Species and Waterways

• Hydrogen Insight: World’s longest hydrogen pipeline, covering 700km, set for construction work this year at a cost of $845m

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Manchin renews push for permitting deal

• The Hill: Green groups to petition Biden for cleanup rules for offshore oil infrastructure

• E&E News: DOE sides with industry on hydrogen tax rules

• E&E News: Manchin expects FERC nominations in coming weeks

STATE UPDATES

• E&E News: Montana regulators urged to weigh climate change in energy rules

• Canary Media: Inside the fight to stop LNG export projects in South Texas

• Inside Climate News: After Fighting A Landfill Expansion, Houston Residents Await EPA Consideration Of Stricter Methane Regulations

• Daily Yonder: New Demands To Measure Emissions Raise Cautious Hopes In Pennsylvania Among  Environmental Sleuths Who Monitor Fracking Site

• WyoFile: Gordon’s key climate and energy funding tool in budget crosshairs

EXTRACTION

• The Hill: Exxon CEO blames public for failure to fix climate change

• Reuters: Aruba issues alert after oil spill reached neighboring Bonaire

• CNBC: Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns

• Energy News Network: Scientists warn a poorly managed hydrogen rush could make climate change worse

CLIMATE FINANCE

• E&E News: SEC tees up vote next week on climate disclosure rule

• NPR: ExxonMobil is suing investors who want faster climate action

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Brains and Brilliance Fuel Battle of the Bots

OPINION

• Lakes News Shopper: To the Editor

• The Hill: Withdrawals from Climate Action 100+ highlight the wrong risks
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 30 Great Lakes tribes urge the Biden administration to speak out against Enbridge Line 5
Caitlin Looby, 2/28/24

“Tribal nations around the Great Lakes are urging the federal government to speak out against Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “This week, a group of 30 tribal nations sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking the administration to fulfill its commitment to support tribal sovereignty. In December, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals requested federal input in a legal battle between the Canadian-oil giant and the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The Biden Administration has yet to respond… “When a foreign corporation seeks to disregard U.S. property laws and threatens tribal sovereignty and the rights of Indigenous citizens of the United States, the federal government has an obligation to push back against that incursion,” said Whitney Gravelle, the president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, in a release. “We request that President Biden acts quickly to support, not just the right of tribal nations to protect their lands and people, but also the rule of law.”

Native American Rights Fund: 30 Tribal Nations Ask Biden Administration to Condemn Canadian Pipeline Trespass
2/28/24

“The leaders of 30 Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes region sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the United States to speak out against the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline’s trespass on the Bad River Band’s land,” according to the Native American Rights Fund. “…The tribal leaders’ letter presses the U.S. government to weigh in: The Bad River Band should not be left to wage an existential fight against Enbridge and Canada while its trustee and treaty partner, the United States, remains on the sidelines… “A pipeline company’s control of the Bad River would devastate our seasonal fisheries, the resources necessary for wild rice life cycle, and the flood protection safety the River plain provides. It has not been easy fighting a multi-national corporation and the Government of Canada for our right to protect our homeland, but thankfully we have not been alone. Our sister tribes as well as the State of Michigan have spoken up to defend the sovereign right of tribes and states to safeguard their homelands and the reasons we live here, and against flagrant trespass and environmental disaster at the Straits. It is time for the Biden Administration to step up to protect our reservation and watershed for the benefit of all,” said Bad River Tribal Chairman Robert Blanchard… “We remain hopeful that the Biden Administration will heed that call and stand up for tribal, state, and federal sovereignty and the rule of law,” said Riyaz Kanji, Lead Counsel for the Bad River Band. The letter, signed by 30 Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes regions, explains: “[M]any Tribal Nations, like the Bad River Band, have entered into treaties with the United States guaranteeing them permanent homelands and reserving for them the right to exclude non-Indians from their homelands. These treaties are the supreme law of the land. One aspect of the inherent sovereign authority that Tribal Nations have retained is their absolute right and power to exclude non-Indians from, condition non-Indians’ entry on, and expel trespassing non-Indians from tribal lands. This right is a core aspect of tribal sovereignty and has been repeatedly affirmed by the United States Supreme Court for over two centuries.”

Dakota Scout: Carbon pipeline, ethanol industry get rare victory in South Dakota House
AUSTIN GOSS, 2/28/24

“Hopes of finding compromise between ardent opponents and advocates of a carbon sequestration pipeline planned through South Dakota remain alive after a marathon debate at the state Capitol Wednesday,” the Dakota Scout reports. “House lawmakers spent nearly two hours volleying arguments in front of a capacity audience in the gallery before voting 40-30 in favor of Senate Bill 201, which establishes regulations for pipeline projects like the one Summit Carbon Solutions wants to build across multiple upper Midwest states… “Specifically, it calls for the PUC to be able to override — or preempt – more burdensome county-level restrictions like how far pipelines have to be from certain land uses like buildings, residences or schools… “Additionally, SB 201 would codify a standard where federal regulations trump county ordinances. Proponents of the measure point to the threat of federal litigation that’s likely to come without that provision in state law.

KELO: House approves third pipeline-regulation bill
Bob Mercer, 2/28/24

“What happens on carbon dioxide pipelines is now up to the South Dakota Senate. The state House of Representatives on Wednesday approved SB201 on a 40-30 vote. It could give CO2 carriers more certainty while requiring them to pay counties where their lines run,” KELO reports. “Landowners crammed the House gallery to watch the two sides argue. The debate, at one hour and 40 minutes, was the longest of the 2024 session… “The Senate already has hearings scheduled for Thursday — Leap Day — on related pipeline bills HB1185 and HB1186 that the House previously approved. They call for landowners to receive financial payments for surveyors entering their properties and for granting pipeline easements… “Opposing [SB201] were landowners from across much of the state, including from Brown, Edmunds and other counties that have adopted setback distances and safety regulations. The bottom line for opponents is protecting local control. Lawmakers on their side submitted most of the 12 bills on pipelines this session. Currently the only ones left are the trio that Mortenson and Sente Republican leader Casey Crabtree have sponsored… “On Tuesday morning, dozens of citizens wearing blue sweatshirts with the logo of ethanol producer POET had spread out across the House floor and in the Capitol’s third- and fourth-floor hallways, catching lawmakers to tell them to support SB201. “This is the premier success story in our state and we can’t take it for granted,” Republican Rep. Drew Peterson, a farmer-rancher and co-sponsor of SB201, said about the success of the ethanol industry during the debate Wednesday. “They say we need this pipeline. I believe them.” Republican Rep. Liz May disagreed. “We pick and choose on local control — do we do that because of money roaming around in the hallway with lobbyists?” she said. “These big corporations are coming in and bullying us. That’s what they’re doing.”

Eco-Justice Collaborative: Illinois Commerce Commission staff member Mark Maple just recommended denial of One Earth Energy Sequestration, LLC’s CO2 pipeline through Ford and McLean County.  
2/28/24

“Illinois Commerce Commission staff member Mark Maple just recommended denial of One Earth Energy Sequestration, LLC’s CO2 pipeline through Ford and McLean County,” according to the Eco-Justice Collaborative. “Why? There are multiple reasons, but most are related to safety and the fact that One Earth did not submit an emergency response plan and commit to funding and training required to respond to a CO2 pipeline leak or rupture.  Read the testimony submitted just hours ago here…”

Motley Fool: Kinder Morgan Wants to Capture This Multitrillion-Dollar Opportunity
Matthew DiLallo, 2/26/24

“Kinder Morgan currently makes most of its money supporting the natural gas market (64% of its current business mix is natural gas-related). However, the company has a meaningful carbon dioxide segment (10% of its earnings). That business could grow into a much larger future contributor for the midstream giant,” the Motley Fool reports. “Fueling that view is the potentially massive opportunity for carbon capture and storage, which oil major ExxonMobil forecasts will grow into a $4 trillion global market by 2050… “The company’s integrated operations produce carbon dioxide from naturally occurring source fields. It transports the gas to legacy oil fields in the Permian Basin, where Kinder Morgan and third parties inject it into those fields to produce oil through EOR… “Kinder Morgan believes it can leverage its expertise in carbon dioxide and existing infrastructure to become a major player in the emerging CCUS market. The company and a partner have already started construction on a carbon capture project that they expect to complete later this year. Kinder Morgan is investing about $50 million into the venture, which will capture carbon dioxide from two natural gas-treating facilities in Colorado. It will then move the gas through its Cortez pipeline to an existing sequestration site in the Permian Basin… “Kinder Morgan is already a leader in transporting and utilizing carbon dioxide for its EOR business. That gives it all the tools necessary to become a leader in the emerging CCUS sector.”

South Dakota Searchlight: 200,000 comments submitted on Dakota Access Pipeline environmental review
AMY DALRYMPLE, 2/28/24

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received 200,000 comments on the Dakota Access Pipeline, with 30,000 that were unique and substantive, an official said Wednesday,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor responded to questions from U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., related to the environmental impact statement of the pipeline. Connor said the Corps is on track to issue a final environmental impact statement this fall with a record of decision expected 30 to 60 days after that… “I understand the frustration with how long it’s taken. It’s an example, though, of when we try and take shortcuts, and we do an environmental assessment as opposed to an EIS,” Connor said during the hearing, adding that shortcuts can lead to litigation and further delays… “That’s why we’re trying to think this through, do it right, respond, do correct tribal consultation, integrate their concerns and our responses into the process, and get this product done so that it can stand the test of time,” Connor said.

North Dakota Monitor: Corps chose not to publicize environmental damage by DAPL protesters, official testifies
MARY STEURER, 2/’27/24

“A federal official who oversaw land occupied during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests said he tried to put the public on notice about environmental damage by demonstrators, but his superiors said no,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “Col. John Henderson, district commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, said during the demonstrations the agency was aware of several environmental concerns, including the improper disposal of trash and human waste that threatened to contaminate the groundwater. Henderson testified Tuesday he and his team drafted press releases that would have educated people about these issues, but they were not allowed to publish them. He said the decision was relayed to him through his chain of command, a structure common in military organizations, so he doesn’t know who made the final call. He speculated it was someone several ranks above his head.v“I would say, in essence, we had a professional disagreement,” Henderson said during a trial in federal court in Bismarck… “Henderson said he unsuccessfully requested assistance from federal law enforcement several times during the protests. 

Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Dominion Energy to continue monitoring landslip near pipeline
MICHELLE DILLON, 2/29/24

“A national energy company has responded to local officials’ statements that a natural gas pipeline is unsafe due to a landslip,” the Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports. “On Feb. 22, Washington County Commissioners approved sending a letter written by County Engineer Roger Wright. The letter expressed concerns about a landslip near a natural gas pipeline owned by East Ohio Gas Company located on a parcel owned by Duck Creek Farm Ltd. at 850 Hunter Ave… “The owner of Duck Creek Farms, Ken Strahler, said at the commission meeting that he reported the landslip 11 years ago and that he was told by state politicians and the energy company officials that everything is okay, but that he is concerned because the landslip is still moving. Commissioners expressed concern over the chance the landslip may cause an explosion and that the landslip has not been fixed… “She said Strahler expressed his concerns during the meeting and “the group visually reviewed the ground conditions and determined the site conditions were not placing additional stress on the pipeline.” Moore said at the end of the meeting the group in attendance decided the site was safe and did not pose a safety risk and the best course of action was to continue to monitor the pipeline… “Moore reiterated that at the conclusion of the September 2022 meeting, the group in attendance decided the site was safe, posed no safety risk and the best course of action was to continue to monitor the pipeline.”

The Tyee: Why Did Trans Mountain Dig Through an Indigenous Burial Site?
Amanda Follett Hosgood, 2/29/24

“Trans Mountain says it is in the process of wrapping up work to install its pipeline through a sacred Secwépemc site, bringing its expansion project one step closer to completion,” The Tyee reports. “The pipe installation, which involved digging a 1.3-kilometre trench through an area with a known burial site, was allowed to proceed after years of back and forth between the company, the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation and federal regulators. Pressure to complete the project has resulted in recent regulatory flip-flops, including a deviation allowing Trans Mountain to trench through Pípsell rather than drill beneath it, in part because of time constraints. The Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation, which includes the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the Skeetchestn Indian Band, has opposed pipeline construction through Pípsell on several occasions, but consented to drilling under the site in order to minimize disturbances to the ground. The nation didn’t respond to The Tyee’s interview requests. The Tyee also requested an interview with Trans Mountain, but the company declined… “Given the area’s significance, Elders have been clear that Pípsell should not be touched, McKenzie told the Tyee… “Joanne Hammond, an archeologist in the Kamloops area, described plans to trench near a burial mound as “ill advised, to say the least.” “If you have a whole bunch of visible burial mounds, there’s a really good chance that there are some that are invisible as well,” she told the Tyee. “I wouldn’t risk putting a pipeline, or putting anything, that close to a burial site…It’s the kind of landscape where, if you look, you’re going to find it. The whole landscape is considered a cultural landscape.”

Reuters: Trans Mountain Corp says successfully removed pipe from final expansion section
2/28/24

“Trans Mountain Corp], the Canadian government-owned oil pipeline company, said on Wednesday it successfully removed a pipe from the final section of an expansion project that will nearly triple the flow of crude from Alberta to the Pacific Coast,” Reuters reports. “The expanded pipeline’s anticipated in-service date continues to be in the second quarter of 2024, Trans Mountain added in a statement.”

BNN: Pennsylvania DEP Cancels CNXM Slickville Pipeline Permit, Protecting Endangered Species and Waterways
Safak Costu, 2/26/24

“On February 26, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the withdrawal of a permit application for the CNX Midstream (CNXM) Slickville Trunkline Project, a decision influenced by significant environmental concerns raised by Three Rivers Waterkeeper,” BNN reports. “This move prevents the transport of hazardous and radioactive oil and gas waste through two natural gas lines, safeguarding critical habitats and public health in Pennsylvania… “Heather Hulton VanTassel, Executive Director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper, and Lisa Johnson, Esq., representing the organization, commended the DEP for its stance. The project threatened the habitat of endangered bat species and migratory birds, and posed risks of water contamination from harmful substances in oil and gas waste. The DEP’s action underscores the importance of regulatory compliance and the need to safeguard environmental and public health interests against industrial development. This decision sets a precedent for the evaluation of future projects, emphasizing the need for thorough environmental impact assessments and compliance with regulations.”

Hydrogen Insight: World’s longest hydrogen pipeline, covering 700km, set for construction work this year at a cost of $845m
Rachel Parkes, 2/29/24

“Work is set to commence this year in China on what would be the world’s longest hydrogen pipeline, which would cost 6.1 billion yuan ($845m) and could potentially facilitate renewable H2 exports from the country,” Hydrogen Insight reports. “The 737km Zhangjiakou Kangbao-Caofeidian pipeline will run from a green hydrogen project in the city of Zhangjiakou to the port of Caofeidian (about 250km southeast of Beijing) via the cities of Chengde and Tangshan, all of which are in Hebei province… “The project was signed off by the provincial government of Hebei in December, and construction is scheduled to begin in June 2024, for completion in June 2027… “State-owned oil refiner Sinopec is developing a 400km hydrogen pipeline from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, to its Yanshan Petrochemical complex in Beijing, as part of a wider Chinese plan to develop a H2 network of up to 6,000km in length.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Manchin renews push for permitting deal
KELSEY BRUGGER, 2/28/24

“Sen. Joe Manchin has more time on his hands now that he is not running for president. He says he will spend it on what could be the capstone to his congressional career: energy permitting overhaul,” E&E News reports. “I am not walking out of here until I give every ounce of effort that I have to get a permitting bill done,” the West Virginia Democrat said Tuesday at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners winter policy retreat. Manchin, chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he has been working closely with ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and hopes to have a draft ready by the spring. “Our committees, the Democratic committee and the Republican committee, are working together to find a pathway forward,” he said. “It won’t be perfect. … Perfect is always the enemy of the good.” “…I think he feels determined,” Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), a member of ENR who has co-authored his own transmission bill, told E&E. “We talk about it frequently.” “…Once Manchin retires, though, his replacement as the committee’s top Democrat — expected to be Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico — might be more sympathetic to the environmental community’s opposition to hacking the National Environmental Policy Act. Amending NEPA could speed up the process to permit and build all kinds of energy… “The question now seems to be not whether Manchin and Barrasso will strike a deal but whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the White House decide to back it. President Joe Biden has previously said he would sign any bipartisan permitting deal that came to his desk.”

The Hill: Green groups to petition Biden for cleanup rules for offshore oil infrastructure
RACHEL FRAZIN, 2/28/24

“A coalition of environmental advocacy groups will petition the Biden administration to propose rules that require stricter enforcement for cleaning up leftover infrastructure for offshore drilling,” The Hill reports. “The effort follows a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, which found that more than 2,700 idle oil wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico had not been cleaned up. It also found that cleanup deadlines had been missed for more more than 40 percent of wells and 50 percent of platforms by companies that held rights to drill in the Gulf from 2010 to 2022. “We are essentially asking for the agency who is charged with oversight of offshore oil and gas to get its act together,“ Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups behind the petition, told The Hill. “They’re currently not requiring well-plugging, they’re not requiring removal of platforms,” Sakashita told The Hill.  They are asking for the administration to put forward enforceable cleanup deadlines for drillers and require them to remove pipelines that are associated with their underwater drilling, according to a draft petition that was first shared with The Hill. The groups are also asking that the agency be required to take legal action to enforce cleanup rules in a timely manner, and for there to be standards to make sure that companies who are given rights to drill offshore are able to clean up afterwards.”

E&E News: DOE sides with industry on hydrogen tax rules
Christian Robles, 2/9/24

“The Treasury Department’s proposed tax rules for “clean” hydrogen have sparked an internal dispute in the Biden administration. The Department of Energy is pushing Treasury to relax the rules to give the industry time to embark on a massive expansion, according to three people familiar with the discussions,” E&E News reports. “DOE officials are concerned that the tax guidance proposed in December will hamstring their department’s hydrogen initiatives, including a $7 billion program to create regional hydrogen production hubs, said the people who have worked directly with DOE staffers on hydrogen policy. The hydrogen credit — officially referred to as 45V — is a major part of the Biden administration’s climate agenda, which views the fuel as a clean source to decarbonize sectors of the economy such as heavy industry… “But DOE officials pushed for Treasury to adopt less stringent guidance before it was issued in December, the three people, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak freely about the credit, told E&E. Two of the people told E&E DOE officials have continued to press for different rules in 2024. One of the proposed rules — known as “additionality” — would require hydrogen made from electricity to use verified new low-carbon energy sources like solar farms. “Their starting point is any form of additionality will limit the amount of available hydrogen, which in turn reduces the possibility of a hydrogen economy actually starting,” one of the people familiar with DOE’s hydrogen discussions told E&E… “Environmentalists say strict rules that consider additionality are critical to ensure hydrogen is a low-carbon climate solution. The administration had received more than 29,000 comments on the proposal as of Wednesday.”

E&E News: Manchin expects FERC nominations in coming weeks
Nico Portuondo, 2/28/24

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could soon add new faces to its five-person commission after recent departures have left it shorthanded,” E&E News reports. “Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said the White House has informed him that the Senate should receive multiple FERC commissioner nominations in the near future. “I think we’re supposed to get something here in a couple weeks. … I just hear from the White House we’re supposed to get a couple [of nominees],” Manchin told reporters Tuesday. When asked if those would be two nominees of separate parties — a move widely expected by FERC watchers to up the chances of Senate confirmation — Manchin said the White House could send multiple nominees at once. “It could be two, it could be three,” he said. The comments came at a time when the five-member commission is down to just three members: two Democrats and one Republican. Manchin blocked former Chair Richard Glick’s renomination. In December, former Commissioner James Danly, a Republican, participated in his last FERC meeting.”

STATE UPDATES

E&E News: Montana regulators urged to weigh climate change in energy rules
Jason Plautz, 2/29/24

“Environmental groups are pushing Montana regulators to consider climate change in rulings affecting gas and electric utilities after last year’s landmark decision in the state’s youth climate case,” E&E News reports. “A petition from more than 40 groups filed Wednesday asks the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) to open a rulemaking to integrate climate impacts in its regulatory decisions. That rulemaking would make sure the PSC follows the Montana state constitution, which includes a right to a “clean and healthful environment,” according to the petition from more than 40 groups. In a historic court decision last summer, a state judge sided with a group of young plaintiffs and said Montana had violated its constitution by barring agencies from considering the climate impacts of fossil fuel projects. The Held v. Montana ruling found that adverse climate impacts must be considered by government officials.”

Canary Media: Inside the fight to stop LNG export projects in South Texas
Maria Gallucci, 2/28/24

“…On a drizzly day in December, we’ve come out to survey the patchwork of parcels the tribe recently purchased near the Bahia Grande tidal basin. These acres of sandy soil and hardy grass run along the proposed route of the Rio Bravo Pipeline — a 137-mile conduit that would funnel shale gas from East and West Texas to a major new fossil-fuel project on the Gulf Coast,” Canary Media reports. “Mancias was navigating the neglected county roads near the properties when we became ensnared in mud. By buying up acres of land, the tribe hopes to obstruct the pipeline’s development here and choke off some of the supply to the Rio Grande Liquefied Natural Gas export terminal. The facility, now in the early stages of construction, will super-cool and liquefy gas to be shipped overseas. “They’re trying to justify and redefine everything as ​‘critical infrastructure,’” Mancias told Canary of the fossil-fuel projects. ​“But the real ​‘critical infrastructure’ is the air, the water and the land,” he adds… “If completed as planned, NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export terminal will be one of the largest projects of its kind in the country — accelerating the boom in U.S. LNG exports that’s taken hold over the last decade… “Rio Grande LNG is set to span nearly 1,000 acres along the Brownsville Ship Channel and, at full scale, could produce 27 million metric tons of LNG per year. That’s enough fuel to meet the heating and cooling needs of nearly 34 million U.S. households annually — except that the LNG is destined for other countries.” 

Inside Climate News: After Fighting A Landfill Expansion, Houston Residents Await EPA Consideration Of Stricter Methane Regulations
Keaton Peters, 2/28/24

“As organic waste including food scraps, wood and grass degrades, it releases methane, a major contributor to global warming,” Inside Climate News reports. “Landfills are the third-largest contributor to methane emissions in the United States, behind oil and gas operations and animal agriculture, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. In 2023, ahead of the COP28 talks in December, 60 environmental organizations sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the EPA to adopt strict emission rules for municipal solid waste landfills. The group said landfills alone are estimated to warm the climate as much in a year as 79 coal-fired power plants.”

Daily Yonder: New Demands To Measure Emissions Raise Cautious Hopes In Pennsylvania Among  Environmental Sleuths Who Monitor Fracking Sites
Jake Bolster, 2/28/24

“For the first time, Pennsylvania fracking companies are facing real-time scrutiny from federal and state regulators over emissions of methane and other harmful air pollutants at drilling sites and storage facilities for toxic wastewater left over from oil and gas extractions,” the Daily Yonder reports. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring more robust tracking at extracting sites across the country through the use of on-site devices to measure methane leaks from wells and low-pressure sources such as wastewater storage tanks. It also announced penalties for companies found to exceed emission thresholds. In addition, Pennsylvania has launched a pilot program with CNX Resources Corp., one of the biggest oil and gas producers in the Marcellus Shale, to better gauge and understand on-site emissions from the fracking industry.” 

WyoFile: Gordon’s key climate and energy funding tool in budget crosshairs
Dustin Bleizeffer, 2/27/24

“When the Wyoming Energy Authority’s review committee for the governor’s Energy Matching Funds program met this week to hear from current and prospective grantees, committee members had to be frank: Some of the already approved grants — as well as the program itself — might soon disappear,” WyoFile reports. “…The Energy Matching Funds program was established in 2022, and gave the governor authority to dole out up to $100 million among entities vying for private investors as well as billions of dollars in competitive federal grants for innovative energy projects. The Legislature added another $50 million to the fund in 2023. So far, Gordon has awarded a total $56.6 million among eight entities, including Frontier Carbon Solutions for a carbon sequestration hub in southwest Wyoming, Black Hills Energy for a coal carbon capture pilot project at the Wyodak Complex near Gillette and the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources to study desalination and hydrogen production. Because of those state awards, according to Gordon and the Energy Authority, those eight entities have been able to leverage another $173 million in non-state funds to support the various energy projects — money that will mostly be spent in Wyoming.”

EXTRACTION

The Hill: Exxon CEO blames public for failure to fix climate change
SAUL ELBEIN, 2/28/24

“The world isn’t on track to meet its climate goals — and it’s the public’s fault, a leading oil company CEO told journalists,” The Hill reports. “Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Darren Woods told editors from Fortune that the world has “waited too long” to begin investing in a broader suite of technologies to slow planetary heating… “In comments before last year’s United Nations Climate Conference (COP28), Woods made a forceful case for carbon capture and storage, a technology in which the planet-heating chemicals released by burning fossil fuels are collected and stored underground… “In his comments Tuesday, Woods argued the “dirty secret” is that customers weren’t willing to pay for the added cost of cleaner fossil fuels. Referring to carbon capture, Woods said Exxon has “tabled proposals” with governments “to get out there and start down this path using existing technology.” “People can’t afford it, and governments around the world rightly know that their constituents will have real concerns,” he added… “Woods blamed “activists” for trying to exclude the fossil fuel industry from the fight to slow rising temperatures, even though the sector is “the industry that has the most capacity and the highest potential for helping with some of the technologies.” “…But Woods’s comments Tuesday doubled down on the claim that the energy transition will succeed only when end-users pay the price. “People who are generating the emissions need to be aware of [it] and pay the price,” Woods said. “That’s ultimately how you solve the problem.”

Reuters: Aruba issues alert after oil spill reached neighboring Bonaire
2/27/24

“The Caribbean island of Aruba issued an alert on Tuesday after an oil spill that was first spotted near Tobago spread to neighboring Bonaire, threatening its mangrove forests and national parks,” Reuters reports. “Several Caribbean nations have contacted Trinidad and Tobago to coordinate responses as the government of the twin-island country tries to halt oil spilling from a barge that capsized in early February while carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil… “Aruba’s government plans to activate a 60-person team of first responders and a cleanup plan as soon as the oil slicks are visible near its shores, the CMO told Reuters.”

CNBC: Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns
Ruxandra Iordache, 2/28/24

“A vessel impaired in a mid-February Houthi attack offshore Yemen remains abandoned at sea awaiting towing to safe harbor amid growing concerns of an oil spill,” CNBC reports. “The Iran-backed militant group claimed it dealt “catastrophic damage” during a Feb. 18 offensive against the Belize-flagged general cargo vessel Rubymar, which the Houthis said was “at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden.” The tanker’s crew abandoned ship. The attack caused “an 18-mile oil slick,” the U.S. Central Command said in a social media update on Feb. 24, adding that the tanker is anchored, but taking on water.”

Energy News Network: Scientists warn a poorly managed hydrogen rush could make climate change worse
Kari Lydersen, 2/28/24

“As the federal government rolls out billions of dollars in subsidies to produce hydrogen fuel for use in vehicles, factories and power plants, a growing body of evidence is undercutting its clean credentials,” Energy News Network reports. “The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded $7 billion to seven regional hydrogen production hubs, on top of a lucrative tax credit whose rules have become the subject of intense industry lobbying. Meanwhile, scientists and advocates are warning that the government’s rush to scale hydrogen has not adequately considered the fuel’s climate risks, including the potential of leaked hydrogen to prolong the heat-trapping impact of methane and act as a greenhouse gas itself when it creates water vapor in the upper atmosphere. Multiple studies have also found burning hydrogen in power plants increases formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a pollutant that causes smog, harms public health, and also contributes to warming. Hydrogen is “an indirect global warming gas,” David Schlissel, an analyst who has testified before the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and numerous state commissions on energy issues, told ENN.. “It increases the lifetime of methane in the atmosphere. And if you burn it in a power plant, you produce a lot of NOx, which leads to smog.” “…The Just Solutions coalition released a report last month by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research exploring the emissions and water use implications of increasing our reliance on hydrogen for fuel and power. Similar concerns and findings were revealed in recent research by Cornell University scientists and by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, where Schlissel is an analyst.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

E&E News: SEC tees up vote next week on climate disclosure rule
Avery Ellfeldt, 2/28/24

“The Securities and Exchange Commission is set to vote next week on the release of a closely watched rule that would compel every public company to disclose for the first time a wealth of climate-related information,” E&E News reports. “The SEC posted notice tonight that the five-member commission would meet next Wednesday to consider the final rule, which has long been championed by investors, Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists. But Republicans and some business groups including the Chamber of Commerce have firmly opposed the draft proposal, arguing the new requirements would prove too burdensome and costly. With three Democrats and two Republicans on the commission, observers expect the agency to approve a final version, which has drawn record levels of public comments since it was proposed in March 2022. The SEC also is expected to soften its original proposal, setting the agency up for a clash with progressives and putting the U.S. further behind regulators in Europe who have pressed for more comprehensive corporate climate disclosures. But the rule likely will draw legal challenges anyway from business groups and conservatives.”

NPR: ExxonMobil is suing investors who want faster climate action
Michael Copley, 2/29/24

“ExxonMobil faces dozens of lawsuits from states and localities alleging the company lied for decades about its role in climate change and the dangers of burning fossil fuels. But now, ExxonMobil is going on the offensive with a lawsuit targeting investors who want the company to slash pollution that’s raising global temperatures,” NPR reports. “Investors in publicly-traded companies like ExxonMobil try to shape corporate policies by filing shareholder proposals that are voted on at annual meetings. ExxonMobil says it’s fed up with a pair of investor groups that it claims are abusing the system by filing similar proposals year after year in an effort to micromanage its business. ExxonMobil’s lawsuit points to growing tensions between companies and activist investors calling for corporations to do more to shrink their climate impact and prepare for a hotter world. Interest groups on both sides of the case say it could unleash a wave of corporate litigation against climate activists. It is happening at a time when global temperatures continue to rise, and corporate analysts say most companies aren’t on track to meet targets they set to reduce their heat-trapping emissions. “Exxon is really upping the ante here in a big way by bringing this case,” Josh Zinner, chief executive of an investor coalition called the Interfaith Center on Corporate Accountability, whose members include a defendant in the ExxonMobil case, told NPR. “Other companies could use this tactic not just to block resolutions,” Zinner told NPR, “but to intimidate their shareholders from even bringing these [climate] issues to the table.” “…ExxonMobil’s critics say its lawsuit is part of a broader effort to curtail shareholder activism, especially around social and environmental issues. “And the reason is because it’s one of the few effective avenues left to hold companies accountable,” Zinner of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Accountability told NPR.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Brains and Brilliance Fuel Battle of the Bots
2/28/24

“One teen didn’t think she was “brainy” enough for science. Another was insecure because he didn’t know how to code when he joined the team. But both found a place on a youth community robotics team based at the Telus World of Science—Edmonton (TWOSE), the local science center,” according to Enbridge. “…We’ve supported FIRST® Robotics Canada teams and competitions in Ontario since 2013; since 2021, we’ve provided $210,000 in Fueling Futures grants to FIRST® Robotics in that province. This year, we also supported the youth robotics community with a $20,000 contribution to help cover the TWOSE team’s participation at the global competition. As presenting sponsor for the team, we were proud to help showcase Canadian STEM innovation on the world stage.”

OPINION

Lakes News Shopper: To the Editor
Meghan Sloma, 4th generation Sioux County landowner, Arnolds Park, 2/27/24

“And the beat goes on for those of us along the route of the CO2 pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions,” Meghan Sloma writes for the Lakes News Shopper. “It’s been around two years since most of us first heard about the project. Many aspects of the project are very concerning and we have received little to no information to allay our fears. We continue to meet with local government officials with the hopes of getting sensible setback distances from the pipeline established. Homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and the like will find themselves in danger if this is not done. Quite simply, if a rupture happens it will be impossible for these vulnerable populations to have a chance of survival without the right setbacks in place. Landowners and supporters continue to lobby state government officials to put guardrails on the use of eminent domain… “The number of affected landowners grew exponentially when twelve POET ethanol plants agreed to sign up to be on Summit’s pipeline… Sadly, many landowners and neighbors are unaware that they are on the route of the newly expanded project. The Iowa Utilities Board is currently considering whether or not to grant Summit’s permit to construct the project. It no longer seems appropriate for them to consider the application before them as it no longer encompasses Summit’s full vision for the project. IUB proceedings should be paused and no permit granted until this is examined further. Landowners have stayed committed to protecting their land from this project for so long because they understand that the web of issues that surround it will have a huge impact on the physical and legal landscape of Iowa for years to come – for better or worse.”

The Hill: Withdrawals from Climate Action 100+ highlight the wrong risks
The authors co-lead theAntitrust & Sustainability Project at Columbia University’s Climate Law & Finance Initiative. Cynthia Hanawalt is the Director of Climate Finance and Regulation at theSabin Center for Climate Change Law; Denise Hearn is a Resident Senior Fellow at theColumbia Center on Sustainable Investment, 2/28/24

“Following recent news that major financial institutions had ended or scaled back their involvement in Climate Action 100+, some Republican members of Congress claimed “a big victory against the woke takeover of American financial organizations.” According to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), it was his and Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) saber-rattling over “potential violations of antitrust law,” that had JPMorgan, StateStreet, Blackrock, and PIMCO distancing themselves from a voluntary initiative to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions,” Cynthia Hanawalt and Denise Hearn write for The Hill. “This bombast surrounding a two-year anti-ESG campaign is superficial — dramatizing political risks and successes which bear little resemblance to the actual risks of antitrust investigations… “The argument that investors coordinating on climate policy constitutes an antitrust violation has rhetorical flourish when phrases like ‘climate cartels’ or ‘group boycotts against the fossil fuel industry’ are invoked. But it maintains little legal merit. Financial institution climate alliances are built around shared commitments to individualized emissions reductions, a far cry from cartel behavior or price fixing. Voluntary industry standards and associations have long been permissible under antitrust law… “Regulators in other jurisdictions have taken action to remove antitrust as a convenient excuse by firms to not keep their climate commitments… “However, U.S. antitrust enforcers at both the Justice Department and FTC have not engaged on climate collaborations due to perceived political risks… “The debate whether certain financial institutions — themselves significant investors in fossil fuels — are permitted to share information about emissions reduction pledges may soon seem banal compared to the manifest risks of climate change.”