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EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 3/26/24

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

By Mark Hefflinger

March 26, 2024

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PIPELINE NEWS

WASHINGTON UPDATES

  • E&E News: Judge suggests broad NEPA review for ‘federal fossil fuel program’

  • E&E News: Supreme Court refuses Antiquities Act fight

  • NM Political Report: Republicans Seek To Limit National Monument Designations 

  • Reuters: US awards record $6 billion to back industrial emissions reduction projects

  • Houston Chronicle: Exxon’s Baytown, other area projects to receive hundreds of millions in Biden administration funding for climate

  • Houston Chronicle: ‘Methane Police’ On Patrol As EPA Ramps Up Scrutiny Of Oil Companies.

STATE UPDATES

  • Palm Springs Desert Sun: Chevron to pay $13M after Desert Sun, ProPublica report, but massive oil spill still flows

  • KTVB: Diesel spill in Nampa creek, tributary to Boise River

  • Carbon Herald: Carbon America Submits First Class VI Permit Application In Nebraska

  • New Orleans Public Radio: LSU to drill carbon capture research well on campus

  • Carbon Herald: Tenaska’s Longleaf Carbon Capture And Storage Hub Officially Launched

  • Newsweek: Lauren Boebert’s ‘Harmful’ Bill Sparks Colorado Backlash 

  • E&E News: Berkeley plans to repeal first US gas ban

EXTRACTION

  • Reuters: How funding and incentives under recent laws advance carbon capture technologies

  • The Energy Mix: Canada’s Support for Oil Extends Beyond Financial Subsidies: Panel

CLIMATE FINANCE

  • Inside Climate News: The Politics Behind the SEC’s New Climate Disclosure Rule—and What It Means for Investors

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

  • Enbridge: ‘A way out’ for those facing violence and abuse

  • Enbridge: Launching a Fulfilling Journey Into the Trades

OPINION

PIPELINE NEWS

West Virginia Public Broadcasting: Six Years Living Next To The Mountain Valley Pipeline
Mason Adams, 3/24/24

“Coles and Theresa “Red” Terry have been fighting over the Mountain Valley Pipeline nearly since it was first proposed in 2014,” West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. “…Almost immediately after construction began, protesters tried to block it by setting up and living in platforms in trees along the route. Theresa Terry, better known as “Red,” was one of those tree sitters, and she stood out. She was in her 60s — and she wasn’t just an activist. She was tree-sitting on her own land. Back in 2018, Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams interviewed her from on the ground, outside a police barrier that had been set up to prevent her from receiving supplies from her supporters. Not long after the interview, Red was forced out of the trees by a judge who threatened her with a $1,000 per day fine. But Red and her husband Coles have continued to fight the pipeline in court.  Since Congress approved a law that included a provision to force completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, they’ve been seeing construction crews again. Adams wanted to learn more about what’s happened in the six years since Red came down from her tree sit. So he ventured out to Bent Mountain, Virginia, to talk to Red and Coles on their family land.”

Pipeline Technology Journal: Future Fuels & CO2 – [Ask the Experts] Questions Answered
3/25/24

“The Experts: Kevin Hemingway, Product Manager – Synergi Gas and Synergi Liquid, DNV; Victoria Monsma, Principal Integrity Specialist, DNV; Tim Illson, Principal Integrity Specialist – Hydrogen and Carbon Transport, DNV,” according to Pipeline Technology Journal. “Q1) What are the primary challenges in establishing a regulatory and technical framework for hydrogen pipelines? Victoria Monsma: …The lack of extensive historical data and operational experience with hydrogen pipelines poses a significant challenge in establishing regulatory standards and technical requirements. Current industry codes and standards for repurposing existing pipelines for hydrogen transport are prescriptive and generally not practical for conversion of pipelines built to natural gas standards. Multiple ongoing efforts are under development by Codes and Standards organizations to provide updates to these requirements. Additionally, the legal and regulatory framework for H2 transportation is still evolving in most nations… “Tim Illson: For most regions, it will be challenging to manufacture enough hydrogen to operate an entire pipeline system with 100% hydrogen, and there may be insufficient widespread demand initially for a pure hydrogen network to be required. Pipeline network operators have to plan for operating with blends of hydrogen and natural gas or running a hydrogen network in parallel with a natural gas network… “Kevin Hemingway: Operators encounter significant challenges when integrating alternative gases, such as hydrogen, into existing gas infrastructure…”Q4) What are the key factors we should consider when repurposing existing infrastructure for carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives? Kevin Heminway: …One critical aspect is assessing the structural integrity and suitability of the existing infrastructure for CO2 transportation… “Managing the potential risks associated with CO2 transportation is another key consideration. Challenges such as fracture control, corrosion, and impurity control must be effectively managed to mitigate risks and ensure the long-term integrity of the CCS system. Implementing strategies to prevent system overpressurization and equipment damage is essential for maintaining safe and reliable operations… “To prevent ductile running fractures, the decompression speed of the fluid needs to be higher than the fracture propagation speed of the pipeline wall. This shall be considered when assessing the existing pipelines for CO2 transport. If pipe properties cannot arrest cracks, then the operator will need to consider the installation of crack arrestors. Furthermore, when repurposing existing pipelines for CO2 transport, the topography of the pipeline route becomes crucial. It can present significant challenges, particularly with varying elevations along the route.”  

Law360: Full 10th Circ. Stands By Revival Of Valero Pipeline Leak Suit
Madeline Lyskawa, 3/25/24

“The full Tenth Circuit refused to budge from a panel’s February decision that partly revived an Oklahoma cattle ranch’s lawsuit seeking to hold Valero Energy Corp. liable for a pipeline leak that allegedly contaminated the ranch property,” Law360 reports.

Oil & Gas Journal: Matador Resources completes Delaware basin natural gas pipeline connections
Mikaila Adams, 3/25/24

“Matador Resources Co., Dallas, has completed certain natural gas pipeline connections in the northern Delaware basin,” Oil & Gas Journal reports. “Connections between Pronto Midstream and San Mateo and between Pronto Midstream and Matador’s acreage obtained in the acquisition of Advance Energy Partners Holdings LLC are complete (OGJ Online, Feb. 6, 2023). These connector pipelines will provide further flow assurance and options for Matador and third-party customer natural gas volumes and should contribute to the resolution of the temporary midstream third-party maintenance issues experienced in first-quarter 2024, the comapny said… “In February, the company said it expects a 23% oil increase to 93,000 b/d in full-year 2024 as the company produces more wells in northern Lea County, NM. Matador anticipates an 18% increase in expected total average production of 156,000 boe/d in full-year 2024, compared with total average production of 131,800 boe/d in full-year 2023.”

Reuters: Enbridge to form natural gas supply venture
3/26/24

“Enbridge will form a venture with WhiteWater/I Squared Capital and MPLX to operate natural gas pipeline and storage assets connecting Permian Basin supplies to the growing LNG and U.S. Gulf Coast demand, the Canadian pipeline operator said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. 

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Judge suggests broad NEPA review for ‘federal fossil fuel program’
Michael Doyle, 3/25/24

“A federal judge acknowledged the “potentially existential threat” Friday posed by continued greenhouse gas emissions but concluded that wasn’t sufficient to block a bundle of Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease sales,” E&E News reports. “In one of two BLM-related decisions issued on the same day, Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said the federal agency “reasonably exhausted available tools” and “did all that was required” to analyze the environmental consequences from lease sales in several Western states. “While many observers may find that result unsatisfying, it was all that was required to comply with [federal law] in this ever-evolving scientific and regulatory landscape,” Cooper wrote. But even as he upheld BLM’s actions, the Obama appointee added in a remarkable aside that “there is wisdom in the conservation groups’ warnings” about how the Interior Department has structured its fossil fuel program. “Given the potentially catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis and the rapidly developing legal and scientific terrain, it may prove prudent for the Bureau to take the next step by preparing a programmatic [environmental impact statement] for the entire federal fossil-fuel program, as the conservation groups urge,” Cooper wrote in what amounted to nonbinding advice.

E&E News: Supreme Court refuses Antiquities Act fight
Jennifer Yachnin, 3/25/24

“The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a pair of cases that could have diminished the president’s power to establish new national monuments — but critics of that authority say there are still multiple avenues to rein in the White House’s ability to conserve public lands,” E&E News reports. “…Challengers behind the two Supreme Court petitions — American Forest Resource Council v. United States­ and Murphy v. Biden — argued the expansion represented a misuse of the Antiquities Act of 1906 because it blocked sustained-yield timber harvests that Congress had required on some of those same lands. But the petitions also presented a more significant question: whether the Supreme Court could restrict the president’s ability to set aside existing public lands to protect natural, cultural or scientific features, because the 1906 law did not create “untethered presidential authority” to limit uses of public lands. “We’re disappointed the Supreme Court did not take this historic opportunity to provide balance to growing Executive overreach on federal lands through the Antiquities Act, and legal clarity for our forests, communities, and the people who steward them,” Travis Joseph, president of the American Forest Resource Council, told E&E. Joseph suggested that Congress, which has the authority to diminish or dissolve monument boundaries, is now the sole option to address the dispute over continued logging.”

NM Political Report: Republicans Seek To Limit National Monument Designations 
Hannah Grover, 3/25/24

“Republican-backed legislation in the U.S. Congress would make it harder for the government to designate new national monuments,” according to NM Political Report. “The proposed Congressional Oversight of the Antiquities Act, sponsored by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, would eliminate the presidential authority to designate national monuments on public lands without the approval of Congress. That approval would have to come within six months of the designation or possibly even earlier if Congress’ session ends first. If the designation does not get support from Congress, no lands within its boundaries could be included in future monument designations for 25 years. The most common way for a national monument to receive designation is for a president to designate it as one. The House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Federal Lands discussed this legislation on Wednesday. “This Act has never been updated since 1906 and I think that we can all agree that the United States has drastically changed and progressed since Teddy Roosevelt was president,” Miller-Meeks told the Report.” 

Reuters: US awards record $6 billion to back industrial emissions reduction projects
3/25/24

“The U.S. Energy Department on Monday announced $6 billion in federal funding to subsidize 33 industrial projects in 20 states to cut carbon emissions, saying the investment would support well-paying union jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness,” Reuters reports. “Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will unveil the awards during a visit to a Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corp facility in Middletown, Ohio, which will receive up to $500 million to install two new electric arc furnaces and hydrogen-based technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tons. Granholm said the initiative, the single largest industrial decarbonization investment in U.S. history, would leverage a total of $20 billion, including the companies’ share of the costs. Together, the projects are expected to eliminate 14 million metric tons of pollution each year, equivalent to taking some 3 million gas-powered vehicles off the road, she said… “ExxonMobil won a $331.9 million award to enable the use of hydrogen in place of natural gas for ethylene production in Baytown, Texas for the key chemical feedstock in textiles, synthetic rubbers, and plastic resins.”

Houston Chronicle: Exxon’s Baytown, other area projects to receive hundreds of millions in Biden administration funding for climate
Amanda Drane, 3/25/24

“The Department of Energy said Monday it would award hundreds of millions of dollars to industrial projects in East Texas that aim to reduce their carbon footprints, including $332 million for Exxon Mobil’s hydrogen project in Baytown,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The federal funding would support one component of what Exxon has described as the world’s largest clean hydrogen facility — a project that the Houston oil giant has said is in jeopardy given the structure of federal hydrogen incentives. The new funding would support Exxon as it swapped out natural gas-powered equipment for hydrogen to make ethylene, a common chemical building block used to make everyday products such as packaging, textiles and synthetic rubbers. Funding for the Baytown project is among $6 billion awarded nationally for 33 decarbonization projects as part of the administration’s effort to mitigate climate change and support domestic manufacturing. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm called it the “largest investment in industrial decarbonization in the history of the United States.”

Houston Chronicle: ‘Methane Police’ On Patrol As EPA Ramps Up Scrutiny Of Oil Companies.
James Osborne, 3/25/24

“Earlier this year, a satellite commissioned by the United Nations flew over West Texas searching for so-called super emitters, oil and gas sites with outsized emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “On Jan. 20 it identified a plume of methane 20 miles south of Midland that was growing at a rate of eight tons per hour, uploading the images along with the coordinates of the plume to a United Nations website for public view. The satellite, which has been surveying the world’s oil and gas fields since 2022, identified 17 separate sites in West Texas and New Mexico’s Permian Basin that were emitting methane at a rate of more than one ton per hour over the course of a day – 10 times the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines as a super emitter.”

STATE UPDATES

Palm Springs Desert Sun: Chevron to pay $13M after Desert Sun, ProPublica report, but massive oil spill still flows
Janet Wilson

“Chevron has agreed to pay a record-setting $13 million to two California agencies in the wake of investigations by The Desert Sun and ProPublica of dozens of oil spills, and of lax enforcement by the state’s oil and gas division. But the announcement late Wednesday masks ongoing issues,” the Palm Springs Desert Sun reports. “At least one of Chevron’s spills is still running 21 years after it began in a Kern County oilfield, although a state spokesman said it has been reduced by 98% “from its peak.” The amount spilled from the site, dubbed GS-5, is larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster. Chevron earned at least $11.6 million off GS-5 in just three years, The Desert Sun and ProPublica found, by trucking out raw, sticky crude from the gushing, burbling site, known as a “surface expression,” to be refined and sold. In fact, rather than stopping potentially deadly surface expressions, oil companies have routinely “contained” them with netting or pieces of metal, and used more than 100 of them as unpermitted oil production sites in Kern and Santa Barbara counties… “In follow-up emails and phone calls, state spokesmen told the Sun the fines cover the first phase of the Cymric spill, a huge surface expression that Gov. Gavin Newsom toured in 2019, where a river of thick crude flowed down a natural watershed… “Spills in Chevron’s Cymric oil field have gushed more than 6 million gallons of wastewater and crude as of last June, but Wednesday’s announcement covers only 2 million gallons spilled from unidentified Kern County Chevron operations. State officials didn’t respond immediately to questions about the disparity… “As for the decades-long GS-5 spill, conservation department spokesman Jacob Roper told the Sun, “As mitigation continues, less oil finds it way to the surface. Mitigation measures include injecting water underground to improve ground stability, sealing subsurface leak paths, and removing fluids in shallow areas before they can reach the surface. “…Separately, the fish and wildlife department announced a related settlement agreement totaling $7.5 million for Chevron spills in Kern County, also described as “the largest administrative fine in department history.”

KTVB: Diesel spill in Nampa creek, tributary to Boise River
Tracy Bringhurst, 3/24/24

“A diesel spill from a 10,000 gallon above ground tank from a trucking yard has contaminated three miles of Mason Creek in Nampa, an 18.2 mile tributary to the Boise River. According to Nampa Fire Department Battalion Chief, Keith Elkins, crews were called to the scene on the afternoon of Saturday, Mar. 24,” KTVB reports. “…KTVB spoke to EPA spokesman Bill Dunbar, he said the leak from the ground tank has been contained and the trucking company has taken responsibility and is actively helping with the response. The company has not been named at this time. Dunbar said they discovered a valve was inadvertently left open, and the safety system that would have prevented it from leaking failed… “The department will also be looking for any diesel in the Boise River and also remove it. The EPA is advising people to keep pets and livestock away from the creek until further notice.”

Carbon Herald: Carbon America Submits First Class VI Permit Application In Nebraska
Violet George, 3/25/24

“Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) company Carbon America has just submitted a Class VI injection well permit application in Nebraska,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The application submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) marks the first of its kind to be filed in Nebraska and the second to be filed by Carbon America. The company submitted its first permit application earlier this year in Colorado… “If granted, the Class VI injection well permit in Nebraska will enable 175,000 tons of CO2 emissions from the Bridgeport Ethanol CCS project to be safely stored in geologic storage sites.”

New Orleans Public Radio: LSU to drill carbon capture research well on campus
Piper Hutchinson, 3/25/24

“LSU’s College of Engineering will soon drill a new well on campus to research carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS),” New Orleans Public Radio reports. “The well will be added to LSU’s Petroleum Engineering Research, Training and Testing Lab, a hands-on research facility near Alex Box Stadium made up of two industrial-scale research wells, additional storage wells and surface facilities. The two wells aren’t used to drill for oil, and no fluid is injected into them. Rather, they allow researchers to simulate conditions at real oil drilling sites. The new well will be similar in this regard, but will be capable of handling carbon dioxide, which is not possible in the existing facilities… “Carbon capture has the support of the fossil fuel industry, though critics say it would be better for oil and gas companies to reduce their CO2 output directly. Many feel the environmental and safety impacts of underground carbon storage have not been fully vetted. Louisiana has been at the forefront of carbon capture projects, although not without controversy. Proposed projects are often met with distrust from community members who have concerns about how the technology will impact the environment… “In addition to the well, the university will construct a building to house part of the external flow loop in order to conduct research in a climate-controlled environment.” 

Carbon Herald: Tenaska’s Longleaf Carbon Capture And Storage Hub Officially Launched
Petya Trendafilova, 3/25/24

“Tenaska, a private U.S. energy company with over 35 years of experience, officially announced the Longleaf CCS Hub, a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project planned for Mobile County,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The facility will provide an innovative business solution to assist manufacturers, power plants, industrial processors and other industries in South Alabama in meeting emissions regulations and climate mandates… “Longleaf CCS Hub is participating in an award through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), allowing for $17.9 million in funding to support geologic characterization and permitting efforts… “The project’s Class VI application is under review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Tenaska has solicited interest from a number of emitter customers in the region. Pending all necessary permitting approvals, construction is slated to begin as soon as late 2025, with commercial injection expected a year later.”

Newsweek: Lauren Boebert’s ‘Harmful’ Bill Sparks Colorado Backlash 
Kaitlin Lewis, 3/23/24

“Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado is facing pushback from elected officials in her own state amid House passage of her bill, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act,” Newsweek reports. “The bill, which Boebert introduced in October, would repeal a rule previously proposed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that made changes to the federal oil and gas leasing program. According to BLM’s website, the bureau’s proposed reforms would ‘ensure a balanced approach to development, deconflict drilling with important wildlife habitat and cultural sites, and update outdated fiscal terms to benefit the American taxpayer.’ Supporters of Boebert’s bill, which passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a 216-200 vote, say that the BLM’s updates to the oil and gas program would stifle American energy companies. But in a letter signed by over 100 elected Colorado officials prior to Tuesday’s vote, critics called Boebert’s bill ‘harmful’ and said that it was not supported by their respective constituents.”

E&E News: Berkeley plans to repeal first US gas ban
Jason Plautz, Niina H. Farah, 3/26/24

“The city of Berkeley, California, has agreed to repeal the nation’s first-ever gas ban, raising questions about the fate of similar restrictions on fossil fuels across the West,” E&E News reports. “Berkeley unveiled the decision about its 2019 restrictions on gas hookups for new buildings as part of a legal agreement Friday ending a lawsuit brought by the California Restaurant Association. Berkeley said it will stop enforcing the policy while it goes through the legal process of repealing the ban. The California Restaurant Association touted the settlement, saying it should set a precedent for dozens of cities and counties in California to rescind their own gas bans modeled after Berkeley’s. “Climate change must be addressed, but piecemeal policies at the local level like bans on natural gas piping in new buildings or all-electric ordinances, which are preempted by federal energy laws, are not the answer,” Jot Condie, president and CEO of the CRA, told E&E. “Cities must comply with the law. Rather, the ban was passed with a disregard for available cooking technologies and ultimately for small businesses in the community that rely on gas-burning equipment for their cuisines.” But advocates for decarbonizing buildings tell E&E the court decision and Berkeley’s repeal only marks the end of a chapter — and may even open the door for more durable strategies to phase out fossil fuels. “It’s a huge bummer, but ultimately, it’s not going to stall the transition,” Sage Welch, principal and founder of the climate and energy communications firm Sunstone Strategy, told E&E. “We’re in a really different place this spring than we were last spring, from a policy level across the board on a lot of fronts. There’s a lot of momentum to continue the transition of buildings.” “…A three-judge panel on the circuit ruled that Berkeley’s ban violated the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which gives the U.S. Department of Energy the ability to set energy efficiency standards and bars states or localities from setting their own rules. The 9th Circuit in January also declined to rehear the case striking down Berkeley’s ordinance… “But the court ruling also prompted a renewed look at how local areas could strengthen their building codes to encourage electrification without falling into the same legal challenge as Berkeley. Under California law, municipalities can set their own building codes that are stricter than state regulations.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: How funding and incentives under recent laws advance carbon capture technologies
Pamela Wu, 3/25/24

“Carbon capture technologies will play an important role in achieving emissions reduction and climate goals as they can be utilized to mitigate hard-to-abate emissions sources, including power plants and industrial facilities. While carbon capture technologies exist, many remain in active development and demonstration and at a technological readiness level that may not be ripe for widespread adoption in the power and industrial sectors,” Reuters reports. “…At the end of 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced the selection of three carbon capture projects to receive up to a total of $890 million in funding… “In total, the BIL allocated $2.5 billion to demonstrate commercial-scale carbon capture technologies, transportation, and storage infrastructure. Additional funding may become available in the near future to further support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative carbon capture technologies to reduce emissions from the power and industrial sectors and to build carbon dioxide transportation infrastructure… “It will also need to account for the availability of infrastructure to transport the captured carbon dioxide from the point of capture as well as the availability of a geologic formation or other storage site to store the captured carbon dioxide… “The availability of funding and tax credits can be a big factor in the decision to invest capital to equip or retrofit an existing facility to incorporate carbon capture technologies.”

The Energy Mix: Canada’s Support for Oil Extends Beyond Financial Subsidies: Panel
Christopher Bonasia, 3/26/24

“The Canadian government’s enabling relationship with the oil and gas industry is holding back action to end financing for fossil fuels, say advocates, raising concerns about meeting climate goals as fossil fuel companies continue to grow,” The Energy Mix reports. “The reality that the oil sector is growing amid a climate crisis is “the tip of the iceberg” indicating the relationship between the government and the industry, said Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who recently co-hosted a panel of experts in Ottawa to discuss steps toward ending public finance for fossil fuels. Though Canada has plans to phase out its “inefficient” oil and gas subsidies, making it the first among wealthy G20 countries to take such a step, its fossil fuel sector continues to thrive and is on track to keep expanding. While emissions intensity is falling, Canada’s overall emissions continue to climb, in step with its increasing oil and gas production. This trend will continue unless the federal government breaks off its support for the fossil fuel industry, panelists said, and that goes beyond financing—through implicit policy alignments and support beyond financial subsidies. The manner in which resource extraction intersects with Indigenous rights is one gauge of how the government backs industry, said panelist Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, executive director and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action. Deranger said Canada has failed “massively” to uphold commitments made in treaties and legislation to consult with and get approval from First Nations. Instead, the government uses “economic coercion.” Indigenous communities are cornered as partners in fossil fuel projects as the government emphasizes that the projects must go forward. A community is left with only two choices: be part of it, or not. Meanwhile, essential community systems remain underfunded as investments continue to flow to oil and gas. And instead of listening and hearing warnings to stop pipelines, the government and industry are “inviting” First Nations to be partners in developing fossil fuels, Deranger added. In effect, the government gives “social licence” to oil and gas companies to continue, a different form of subsidy than plain money, she added.

CLIMATE FINANCE

Inside Climate News: The Politics Behind the SEC’s New Climate Disclosure Rule—and What It Means for Investors
Steve Curwood, Living on Earth, 3/23/24

“During the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to help safeguard U.S. financial markets against collapses like the Wall Street Crash of 1929. That was decades before scientists alerted the world to the problem of climate disruption, which is creating new financial risks because of just how expensive it is; climate disasters now cost the U.S. around $100 billion every year,” Inside Climate News reports. “And adapting to sea level rise, extreme heat and hurricanes requires significant and costly upgrades to infrastructure and buildings. The climate emergency mandates a rapid shift towards cleaner energy, bringing new economic opportunities but also tanking the value of fossil fuel assets. So the financial regulatory body that was created by FDR recently approved a rule that by 2026 will require public companies to inform investors about their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks. The three Democrats on the Securities and Exchange Commission all voted for the climate disclosure rule, while their two Republican colleagues voted against it. The fossil fuel industry immediately pushed back against the rule and filed several lawsuits with the help of conservative states, resulting in a temporary stay by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The opposition is part of a broader challenge by Republicans to the right of agencies to regulate environmental issues, from protecting fragile wetlands to setting air pollution standards. Pat Parenteau, Emeritus Professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, joined Living on Earth Host Steve Curwood to explain the SEC rule and the pushback.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: ‘A way out’ for those facing violence and abuse
3/26/24

“In northern Wisconsin, New Day Advocacy Center provides shelter, counselling advocacy and support. Physical safety. Protection and advocacy. A way out,” according to Enbridge. “These are what victims of family violence and sexual abuse urgently need, and it’s what they will find at New Day Advocacy Center (NDAC) in Ashland, Wisconsin, a small city of 8,000 on the shore of Lake Superior… “Last year, we contributed a $50,000 Fueling Futures grant to continue to help NDAC deliver its programming to protect children and families.”

Enbridge: Launching a Fulfilling Journey Into the Trades
3/24/24

“A stay-at-home mother of two stepped out of her comfort zone and enrolled in a trades exploration program. It changed her life. She started earning more than a living wage immediately after finishing her free training through Women Building Futures (WBF), a non-profit based in Edmonton, Alberta,” according to Enbridge. “…In recognition of the impact Journey to Trades has on women workers in our industry, we awarded WBF a $105,000 Fueling Futures grant to support the expansion of its programming into Saskatchewan.”

OPINION

Omaha World-Herald: Midlands Voices: Carbon capture and ethanol, Nebraska’s next great story
Greg Ibach is Nebraska’s longest serving director of agriculture. He was appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA, 3/24/24

“During my public service as director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, we sought out opportunities to position Nebraska agriculture to capture domestic and international markets for our crops and livestock,” Greg Ibach writes for the Omaha World-Herald. “…Today, consumers of ethanol around the globe are looking for biofuels that have an increased mindfulness of environmental sustainability. Carbon dioxide is emitted during the ethanol production process, and capturing it is not new to the ethanol industry. At a small scale, many of our facilities already capture this by-product to be used in food processing and on a larger scale, ethanol giant ADM itself has been utilizing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) in some of their operations for over a decade. By pairing CCS with ethanol production, our state will not only address these adjusting consumer purchasing preferences by creating low carbon ethanol, we also directly enable our ethanol to be converted into sustainable aviation fuel which is a massive and emerging market for Nebraska’s corn. Interestingly, this pairing also opens the door for other industries to invest in our state who could utilize the carbon dioxide as a raw material. CCS sets stage for our next great agricultural story — and it’ll be written today, as it was yesterday, and will be for generations in the farms and fields of Nebraska.”

Racine County Eye: Opinion: Line 5 v. Indigenous view
Yvonne Besyk, 3/25/24

“What is the Western view of land as it relates to the Line 5 pipeline? For or against, discussion often sounds like a math equation; “If Line 5 blank the result is $blank.” There is little thought of what we owe the land,” Yvonne Besyk writes for the Racine County Eye. “What if we took the Indigenous view — that land is not separate, but our neighbor, teacher, doctor and provider? The Western view sees land as a resource — a commodity used for gain without repayment or planning for future generations… “In contrast, Line 5 fossil fuel threatens the atmosphere, soil and water that feeds plants. Its extraction leaves a barren landscape. And it is not renewable. Once burned, it’s gone and can’t be reproduced for thousands of years. Eventually it will run out and destroy the earth as it is used up, killing many in the process. This sounds extreme — but it is true. We must find another way. I conclude the earth has rights, and deserves respect and reciprocity. Regarding Line 5, consequences of its operation include oil spills, aquifer breaches, ground water heating, and the effects of CO2 causing wildfires, floods and drought. The need has never been greater to change our view. Which world do you want to live in?”

Globe and Mail: To build a new resource project, Indigenous participation is now essential
Kelly Cryderman, 3/25/24

“The Fort McKay First Nation in northern Alberta is surrounded by oil sands projects. Like other Indigenous communities in the area, it endures noise and emissions, and has concerns about water, air quality and boreal forest destruction,” Kelly Cryderman writes for the Globe and Mail. “But the First Nation has also, over the decades, adapted to living amidst the mines and in situ projects north of Fort McMurray. It is wealthier than most, in part through community-owned companies that do service work – jobs like transport, waste disposal and catering – for the oil companies. It brags that only 5 per cent of its annual operating budget comes from government. Through all of this, the First Nation has never been an oil producer itself. But that could change with a new agreement that puts the community in the driver’s seat. It’s an example of how Indigenous participation in resource projects so that they are even remotely tenable is now essential. Earlier this month, the First Nation announced a memorandum of understanding with Suncor Energy to explore the possibility of a new oil-sands mine on reserve lands… “On the other side of the contract, Fort McKay is looking for more control of its lands and resources. Chief Raymond Powder described the new plan as the “true meaning of reconciliation.” “…An actual oil sands mine isn’t a sure thing and, even if built, it’s likely a decade or more away. But if new projects are to be considered, this is likely the only way it will happen – with the explicit participation of and benefits accrued to Indigenous communities. Proponents would say not only is this imperative for economic reconciliation, but it also diminishes one of the key arguments from opponents: that Indigenous communities are against it.”

Boulder Daily Camera: It’s time for Colorado to start taking orphan wells issue seriously
Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board, 3/24/24

“Over the past couple of years, Colorado has made a lot of progress in the messy fight against orphaned wells, passing legislation to help prevent wells from being abandoned in the first place, imposing fees to help their clean up and increasing the budget and resources of the state agency tasked with plugging wells and remediating sites. These advances are laudable and necessary in our fight against climate and environmental degradation, but they are unfortunately not enough in the face of the problem Colorado is dealing with,” the Boulder Daily Camera Editorial Board writes. “…Put a little more bluntly, an orphan well is an extraction venture that is no longer profitable. In some cases, the oil or gas company that owns the well simply goes out of business. In some cases, the original owner sells the well after its heyday to “less solvent companies that then vanish into a haze of bankruptcy.” In others, the well may be old enough that records fail to show who the actual owner is (which is likely to only occur because at some point the well stopped making money). But in all cases, these orphan wells become a public problem… “The truth of the matter is that Colorado can and must do more to hold well operators accountable and prevent wells from becoming orphaned in the first place. This is not to imply that Colorado should not be investing in plugging and remediating all orphan sites — we absolutely should — but we must do more to plug this problem at its source. One attorney with the environmental organization Earthjustice recently told The Denver Post that the state’s rules regarding the transfer of wells are a “regulatory Rube Goldberg machine, with numerous loopholes.” Capping these loopholes should be one goal of our current legislative session.”

Pipeline Technology Journal: The Pipeline Industry in a Changing Energy Landscape
Marion Erdelen-Peppler, President, European Pipeline Research Group, 3/25/24

“…An emphasis on decarbonizing the existing gas infrastructure will lead to greater penetration of greener fuels, ultimately produced from renewable energy. The pipeline industry has safely managed to transport these emerging fuels for decades. While this does constitute a solid foundation, there is a common understanding that emerging fuels pipelines of the future, transporting energy rather than feedstock, will be operated differently from their present-day equivalents, thus needing dedicated assessment,” Marion Erdelen-Peppler writes for Pipeline Technology Journal. “Existing gaps have been carefully identified and are addressed by ongoing research. As resources are limited, it is more important than ever to bundle the existing capacity to achieve reliable results in the shortest possible time. Collaboration in research groups can be an effective measure to achieve this goal… “The current programme on hydrogen and CO2 have been tailored to the needs of the wider industry, to address and close the most important gaps. This will contribute to ensure economical operation of the new pipelines at the highest levels of safety.”

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