EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/1/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Bleeding Heartland: Proposed Summit Carbon project set to use much more water

• Houston Chronicle: Oil Report: New joint venture will grow access to Gulf Coast facilities

• National Observer: Standing up to Enbridge over Line 5 pipeline

• Public News Service: TX watchdog group targets pipeline leaks, Railroad Commission priorities

• Bowen Island Undercurrent: BC Energy Regular issues discharge permit to FortisBC

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: FERC prevails in court fight over gas project approvals

• E&E News: Democrats rebuke Biden for fighting young climate activists in court

• E&E News: Red states push court to block Biden LNG pause

• E&E News: How do you ensure hydrogen is ‘clean’? Treasury rules draw fire.

STATE UPDATES

• Houston Chronicle: Oil spill extended 2 miles into Houston’s Horsepen Bayou, EPA reports as it monitors cleanup

• Athens Independent: ODNR investigated 26 Athens County oil and gas incidents in last five years

• 1012 Industry Report: How Louisiana is working to escape-proof carbon sequestration

• WyoFile: Controversial state mandate spurs Wyoming utility to join carbon capture partnership

• Carbon Herald: CarbonCapture Inc. Is Looking For Partners For The Wyoming Regional DAC Hub

• CBS News: 200 people show up to testify on bill that would ban oil & gas drilling in Colorado by 2030

• E&E News: California regulators propose rules to discourage gas in new homes

EXTRACTION

• New York Times: Can We Engineer Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?

• Global Energy: CO2 capture systems more than doubling cost of combined cycle plants, study says

• Guardian: ExxonMobil accused of ‘greenwashing’ over carbon capture plan it failed to invest in

• MarketsandMarkets: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Market worth $12.9 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 24.0% 

• Trinidad & Tobago Newsday: TEMA: Oil-spill clean-up going well after 50 days

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Creating a ‘Healthy, Happy Student Population’ Through Outdoor Learning

OPINION

• Bleeding Heartland: Iowa House Democrats strangely quiet on eminent domain bill

• The Conversation: How federal tax dollars meant to fight climate change could end up boosting Louisiana’s fossil fuel production

• NOLA.com: Plaquemines officials sacrificing our water for LNG. Whom are they serving?

• Columbus Dispatch: Tim Ryan unrecognizable. Former rep now hired gun for dangerous Big Oil and Gas

• Corpus Christi Caller Times: Biden LNG pause stifles Texas’ ability to deliver energy around the world

• The Hill: Companies that care about climate change, need to care about their banking
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Bleeding Heartland: Proposed Summit Carbon project set to use much more water
Nancy Dugan, 3/30/24

“In September 2023, Bleeding Heartland posted estimates of proposed water use for thirteen partner ethanol plants along the Summit Carbon pipeline. The estimates were based on the testimony of James “Jimmy” Powell, chief operating officer for Summit, and they included the Absolute Energy St. Ansgar facility, which Summit Carbon announced had been added to the route in June 2023. But much has changed since that story was published. The number of ethanol plants now on the proposed Iowa route has risen to 30 with the inclusion of the POET and Valero facilities,” Bleeding Heartland reports. “During his September 5 testimony, Powell explained that water demand for each of the carbon capture projects will depend on the production volume at the facilities. “They’ll range from 20 gallons a minute to 120 gallons a minute,” he said. Additionally, in a November 2023 Des Moines Register article, Sabrina Zenor, director of stakeholder engagement and corporate communications for Summit Carbon, stated that ethanol plants expect overall water use to increase by less than 10 percent for the purposes of carbon capture… “The Nebraska Corn Board estimates that it takes about three gallons of water to make one gallon of ethanol. That would mean that Homeland uses roughly 600 million gallons of water each year, placing its water use estimate of 55.9 million gallons per year for carbon capture at under 10 percent of that figure… “It is difficult to calculate with any precision just how much water Summit Carbon will use to capture CO2 at its 30 partner ethanol plants in Iowa. Hypothetically, assuming the 30 plants are operational around the clock, 365 days a year, yields an estimated withdrawal rate of more than 1.1 billion gallons per year… “If the pipeline is built and Rastetter’s prediction is correct, the amount of water needed to produce ethanol at these plants will increase by 25 percent. And that, in turn, will increase the amount of water needed for carbon capture and sequestration by 25 percent, with the above estimate based upon Powell’s testimony rising from 1.1 billion gallons to nearly 1.4 billion gallons annually.”

Houston Chronicle: Oil Report: New joint venture will grow access to Gulf Coast facilities
Mella McEwen, 3/30/24

“A new joint venture is being launched to highlight the growing importance of Permian Basin natural gas to the Gulf Coast and its liquefied natural gas export facilities,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The new joint venture between WhiteWater/I Squared, MPLX LP and Enbridge will develop, construct and operate natural gas pipeline and storage assets connecting the Permian Basin natural gas supply to the Gulf Coast… “The proposed Rio Bravo project would be a new 42-inch and 48-inch pipeline transporting natural gas 147 miles from Agua Dulce to NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project in Brownsville. Enbridge is also contributing $350 million to the project and will fund the first $150 million to complete the Rio Bravo project.”

National Observer: Standing up to Enbridge over Line 5 pipeline
Matteo Cimellaro, 4/1/24

“It all started with a chance meeting. Mary Mazzio, a self-proclaimed recovering lawyer, was looking for a legal case that could provide an “amphitheatre” for a documentary showcasing the voices of Indigenous Peoples in the United States,” the National Observer reports. “She was introduced to Mike Wiggins, leader of the Bad River Band, an Ojibwe nation in northern Wisconsin on the southern shore of Lake Superior… “Bad River Band was in the middle of a legal fight with Canada-based Enbridge over its contentious Line 5 pipeline, which carries oil and gas from Alberta to Ontario while crossing the American border. The documentary tracks the legal fight through a decision by a U.S. judge that ruled Enbridge had to pay Bad River US$5.1 million in Line 5 profits and move the pipeline by 2026 to avoid an immediate shutdown that would cause economic havoc… “Enbridge offered to work with the filmmaker who, unfortunately, did not show much interest in telling a balanced story,” Enbridge said in a statement to Canada’s National Observer. The company said the film gives short shrift to the millions of people who rely on the pipeline on both sides of the border and agreements signed by the band giving permission for the line. But for Mazzio, the story is about tribal sovereignty and who has a right to control the land… “Along the way, however, the documentary tells stories that may be familiar to mainstream Canada now but not to many Americans oblivious to colonialism. Among those stories were the history of treaties and boarding schools, and the abuse found in them, which Mazzio says isn’t as well-documented in the mainstream as in Canada… “The documentary also chronicles the American Indian Movement and its role in bringing light to Indigenous rights and self-determination.”

Public News Service: TX watchdog group targets pipeline leaks, Railroad Commission priorities
Freda Ross, 4/1/24 

“A Texas group is on a mission to reform how the state monitors and repairs oil and gas pipeline leaks,” Public News Service reports. “More than 480,000 miles of pipeline run across the state, carrying everything from oil to natural gas to hazardous liquids. Executive Director of the group Commission Shift – Virginia Palacios – told PNS people often aren’t aware of what lies beneath their neighborhoods, and potentially dangerous pipeline leaks in some areas are going unrepaired. “There have been studies showing that the response time of leak complaints can vary depending on someone’s neighborhood, their race or their income level,” Palacios told PNS. “There’s a perception that certain communities aren’t safe.” A recent study found that gas leak density in neighborhoods with people of color and lower household incomes is 37% higher than in predominantly white neighborhoods… “The Railroad Commission of Texas is in charge of pipeline safety in the state. Its mission statement says protecting the environment and preserving property rights are two of its primary responsibilities. Commission Shift says the Railroad Commission often prioritizes oil and gas development over safety and the environment.”

Bowen Island Undercurrent: BC Energy Regular issues discharge permit to FortisBC
Andrew Hughes, 3/29/24

“The BC Energy Regulator (BCER) has issued a permit allowing FortisBC to discharge effluent into the environment for the Eagle Mountain to Woodfibre Pipeline project,” the Bowen Island Undercurrent reports. “A permit issued by the BCER on March 25, 2024, authorizes FortisBC to discharge treated wastewater at the BC Rail and Woodfibre sites, the two sides of the natural gas pipeline tunnelling below the Squamish Estuary.  The permit approves three discharge points: two at the BC Rail site and one at the Woodfibre site. Each discharge site authorizes several types of activities and includes daily maximums, which FortisBC will have to measure and record. Discharge that will be released into a storm sewer at the BC Rail site includes “contact water from precipitation, groundwater and water generated during the construction process including drilling, grouting and tunnel boring.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: FERC prevails in court fight over gas project approvals
Pamela King, 4/1/24

“A federal appeals court Friday refused a bid by environmental groups to force energy regulators to change their process for approving timelines for fossil fuel projects,” E&E News reports. “In a unanimous opinion written by a Biden-appointed judge, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission acted “well within” its authority when it granted extensions for two gas pipeline projects. “FERC enjoys broad discretion in determining whether a project developer has demonstrated ‘good cause’ for an extension and whether circumstances have changed enough to warrant revisiting the Commission’s findings justifying approval of the project,” wrote Judge Florence Pan. The decision strikes down a pair of challenges filed by the Sierra Club and Public Citizen against FERC’s finding of “good cause” to give more time to developers of the Northern Access pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York and the Corpus Christi liquefied natural gas terminal in Texas.”

E&E News: Democrats rebuke Biden for fighting young climate activists in court
Lesley Clark, 4/1/24

“Congressional Democrats are chastising the Biden administration for trying to quash a long-running youth climate case against the U.S. government,” E&E News reports. “In a friend of the court brief, 27 Democratic members of Congress and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called on the executive branch to “cease its extraordinary and oppressive efforts … to silence youth plaintiffs’ efforts to vindicate their Constitutional rights.” The brief filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes as President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice has asked federal courts to dismiss Juliana v. United States, arguing that the case would put a judge in the position of deciding policy that is better left to the executive and legislative branches. But Democratic lawmakers argue that the administration is asking courts to “close their eyes” to what they said are violations of young people’s constitutional rights. “As decades of evidence in the record show, the political branches predominantly choose short-term economic gains rather than face the difficult task of solving the issue of climate change head-on,” the brief says. “As a result, the problem has exponentially worsened.” Led by Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, the brief notes that DOJ has made an “unprecedented” seven requests for a writ of mandamus to prevent the case from proceeding to trial. Their brief says the effort is “unique among the more than 40,000 cases the Department of Justice is defending” and that the Congressional Research Service has confirmed that the government has filed more petitions in Juliana than in any case of public record. If DOJ’s latest request is granted, it would shut down Juliana before evidence is even heard, the lawmakers said… “Merkley, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, last July introduced legislation that seeks to bolster Juliana through a resolution that calls on the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions to protect children from the effects of global warming.”

E&E News: Red states push court to block Biden LNG pause
Pamela King, 3/29/24

“Louisiana and 15 other Republican-led states have asked a federal court to stop the Biden administration from enforcing its moratorium on new liquefied natural gas export approvals,” E&E News reports. “In a motion filed Thursday night in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, the states said the Department of Energy’s pause will cause them “substantial and irreparable injuries” and should be reversed immediately. “Plaintiff States are substantially likely to prevail on the merits of their claims, and a stay or preliminary injunction is necessary,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) wrote in the motion.”

E&E News: How do you ensure hydrogen is ‘clean’? Treasury rules draw fire.
Christian Robles, 4/1/24

“Treasury Department rules for hydrogen tax credits are exposing deep divisions between industry and environmentalists, highlighting the challenge for the Biden administration as it aims to build hubs of “clean” fuel that do not spike emissions,” E&E News reports. “The split was on display last week as the department held its first hearings on the draft rules published in December to receive tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, known as 45V. Treasury, which is weighing more than 30,000 comments on the proposal, is aiming to ensure that the industry has ample incentives to grow and will rely only on low-carbon sources for production such as renewables, nuclear and carbon capture. “The results of the final regulations for this tax credit are truly make or break for this industry,” said Frank Wolak, president of the trade group Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, at one of the hearings. “At this time, financiers and participants are largely sitting on the sidelines.” A chief area of dispute at the hearings was how to handle language in the tax guidance requiring hydrogen producers to use new low-carbon energy sources powering the grid, rather than existing generators. The goal is to avoid new fossil-fuel-fired power being brought online to help meet hydrogen’s electricity consumption… “But environmentalists pushed back against assertions that Treasury’s plan would kill the nascent clean hydrogen industry, pointing to recent announcements to build projects. Unlike traditional hydrogen made from natural gas, clean hydrogen envisions using emissions-free power like renewables or tying production from fossil fuels with carbon capture. “Claims that the [draft guidance] will hinder industry growth consistently flout on-the-ground evidence,” said Erik Kamrath, a hydrogen advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council.”

STATE UPDATES

Houston Chronicle: Oil spill extended 2 miles into Houston’s Horsepen Bayou, EPA reports as it monitors cleanup
Yvette Orozco,, 3/28/24

“Crews remained at a cleanup site Thursday near Houston’s Sylvan Rodriguez Park after a Monday oil spill into Horsepen Bayou,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The crude oil spill was reported Monday and originated from Denbury Resources’ Webster Saltwater Disposal facility, according to bulletins provided Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is overseeing the response efforts and will conduct a final site inspection. According to a March 27 bulletin provided by the EPA, Denbury Resources, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, reported that an estimated 40 barrels of crude oil and 2,000 barrels of saltwater were released from the facility. The EPA estimates between 10 and 15 barrels of crude oil entered Horsepen Bayou in the Clear Lake area… “A dark brown sheen could be seen from as far away as the intersection of Space Center Boulevard and Horsepen Bayou, about 2 miles from the Denbury facility, according to the EPA… “The amount of saltwater released into the bayou is was unknown… “The EPA bulletin states several fish, two unidentified amphibians, one owl and one softshell turtle died as a direct result of the spill.” 

Athens Independent: ODNR investigated 26 Athens County oil and gas incidents in last five years
DANI KINGTON, 3/28/24

“The Ohio Department of Natural Resources investigated at least 26 oil and gas incidents in Athens County over the past five years, according to ODNR data analyzed and published by the environmental nonprofit FracTracker Alliance,” the Athens Independent reports. “Across the state, ODNR investigated more than 1,500 incidents over the same period, from 2018 through early September 2023. That’s a stark contrast with the claims of some industry leaders: FracTracker’s investigation began after Rob Brundrett, president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, told WOSU that Ohio rarely has issues with oil and gas incidents. Brundrett’s statement prompted environmental activist Jenny Morgan with Save Ohio Parks to submit a public records request for the data. Morgan then shared the data with FracTracker for analysis. “Data show the total number of oil and gas incidents in the state, and their level of severity, has been grossly misrepresented,” FracTracker’s Midwest program coordinator Gwen Klenke said in a press release.”

1012 Industry Report: How Louisiana is working to escape-proof carbon sequestration
Sam Barnes, 4/1/24

“Louisiana has the ideal geology for carbon sequestration, but an abundance of existing oil and gas wells and the inability of industry to detect carbon leaks across vast areas could be the proverbial flies in the ointment,” according to 1012 Industry Report. “There is the potential, at least, for the sequestered carbon to find its way back to the surface undetected through thousands of existing well sites, adding to the urgency of current efforts to plug the state’s orphaned wells. The federal government is providing Louisiana with more than $100 million through 2030 to plug the wells, which have been abandoned with no financially viable owner. To catalyze the process, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources issued a new regulation last fall that increases fees on wells that have been inactive and unplugged for five years or more, while reducing fees for operators who plug 10 or more wells in a year. The new regulation makes the state eligible for up to $70 million in additional federal funding to help tackle the problem. Eric Smith, director of the Tulane Energy Institute, told the Report sequestered carbon reentering the atmosphere through existing well site could be a problem, as it’s difficult to find a viable sequestration site that hasn’t already been drilled at some point over the past century… “And even if the carbon escapes, it will likely pose minimal risk. “Carbon is not a poison and it’s not explosive,” he told the Report… “John Flake, a professor in the LSU Department of Chemical Engineering, told the Report apart from possible seepage out of an abandoned well, “it seems unlikely that (sequestered carbon) would make its way to the surface.” He told the Report two sequestration sites that are already operating in Decatur, Ill., and Canada have had no issues to date… “The big challenge is how do you know where it’s going to go?  No one has ever had a reason in the past to search out, with seismic data, the connections that exist between these saline aquifers… “To tackle the leak detection problem, a team of LSU researchers and the National Energy Technology Laboratory are currently developing a distributed fiber optic sensor that will monitor for carbon leaks across more expansive areas. Industry partners Air Products and Shell are closely watching their progress. Using $500,000 in experimental grant money from the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, they hope to be able to prevent and/or detect, isolate and mitigate leaks throughout every step of the sequestration process.”

WyoFile: Controversial state mandate spurs Wyoming utility to join carbon capture partnership
Dustin Bleizeffer, 3/29/24

“Wyoming’s largest electric utility will move forward with new plans to potentially retrofit one of its coal-fired power plants with carbon-capture technology, following initial estimates of astronomical costs that could further inflate monthly electric bills.” WyoFile reports. “Rocky Mountain Power, a division of Warren Buffet’s PacifiCorp, announced Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with North Carolina-based 8 Rivers, which has developed an oxyfuel process that “uses carbon dioxide to drive a turbine to generate power,” according to a Rocky Mountain Power press release. The partnership includes support from South Korea’s SK Group, a conglomerate of global tech innovation companies. The first order of business will be to determine whether to retrofit the Wyodak coal-fired power plant near Gillette or the Dave Johnston coal plant outside Glenrock. Rocky Mountain Power has not offered a timeline for that decision… “Gov. Mark Gordon gave credit to himself and lawmakers for what he considers a remarkable step forward in implementing one of his top climate and energy policies.”

Carbon Herald: CarbonCapture Inc. Is Looking For Partners For The Wyoming Regional DAC Hub
Violet George, 3/29/24

“CarbonCapture Inc. has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to find partners in the clean energy sector for short- and long-term collaborations on the company’s new project in Wyoming,” the Carbon Herald reports. “These partners will help with figuring out how to deliver electricity to the Wyoming Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub, which is one of the first of its kind in the United States and aims to remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere… “In the first stage (by 2027), CarbonCapture will need its partners to provide 100 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity in southwest Wyoming. As the project grows, aiming to remove more than a million tons of CO2 by 2030, it will need even more clean energy… “The carbon removal provider is searching for industry leaders with fresh ideas, who can push beyond the limitations of today’s energy market and help develop solutions for a future with lower carbon emissions.”

CBS News: 200 people show up to testify on bill that would ban oil & gas drilling in Colorado by 2030
Shaun Boyd, 3/28/24

“Hundreds of people packed a hearing at the State Capitol on Thursday for a bill that would phase out the oil and gas industry in Colorado,” CBS News reports. “In order to meet our clean energy goals, we cannot keep drilling forever,” State Sen. Sonya Jacquez Lewis (D) told the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Jacquez Lewis and State Sen. Kevin Prioloa (D) are sponsors of the bill that would ban new oil and gas permits in Colorado by 2030. Heidi Leathwood with nonprofit 350 Colorado said the bill is critical to addressing climate change. “The oil and gas industry regards the proposal to phase out new oil and gas permits as an existential threat,” Leathwood said. “It’s ironic that they face a threat of their own making. They created the real existential threat to life as we know it on this planet.” Patricia Garcia Nelson with Green Latinos Colorado also testified in support of the measure, saying the oil well behind her son’s school had three leaks just last week. “To not support a transition away from fossil fuels is not only wrong its negligible,” Garcia Nelson said. But Julie Murphy disagrees. She is the director of the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission in the Department of Natural Resources. Murphy says the bill would do more harm than good. “Reducing production in Colorado likely would increase Colorado’s emissions due to importing oil and gas from neighboring states,” she said… “Some 200 people signed up to testify on the bill that is one of about a dozen oil and gas measures this session.”

E&E News: California regulators propose rules to discourage gas in new homes
Wes Venteicher, 3/29/24

“California regulators on Thursday proposed making it even harder to install gas appliances in new homes with a draft energy code update that promotes electric heat pumps,” E&E News reports. “The California Energy Commission’s proposal would set tougher energy efficiency standards that are most easily met by using heat pumps to regulate both air and water temperatures in most new homes, Commissioner Andrew McAllister told reporters. The draft update comes amid a far-reaching fight over natural gas in buildings and homes. Last week, the city of Berkeley dropped its proposed ban on gas appliances in new homes in accordance with a court’s ruling that the ban violated federal law. “We’re trying to unwind the combustion system so we can get the greenhouse gas reductions that we need and really rely on the electric system as the backbone of our decarbonization efforts,” McAllister said.

EXTRACTION

New York Times: Can We Engineer Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?
David Gelles, 3/31/24

“…If all goes as planned, the enormous vacuum will soon be sucking up vast quantities of air, stripping out carbon dioxide and then locking away those greenhouse gases deep underground in ancient stone — greenhouse gases that would otherwise continue heating up the globe,” the New York Times reports. ”Just a few years ago, technologies like these, that attempt to re-engineer the natural environment, were on the scientific fringe. They were too expensive, too impractical, too sci-fi. But with the dangers from climate change worsening, and the world failing to meet its goals of slashing greenhouse gas emissions, they are quickly moving to the mainstream among both scientists and investors, despite questions about their effectiveness and safety… “Many of the projects are controversial. A plant similar to the one in Iceland, but far larger, is being built in Texas by Occidental Petroleum, the giant oil company. Occidental intends to use some of the carbon dioxide it captures to extract even more oil, the burning of which is one of the main causes of the climate crisis in the first place… “In coming years, Occidental said it planned to build 100 facilities, each capable of capturing 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. It has struck up a financial partnership with BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, and made a deal to develop direct air capture plants with Adnoc, the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company. In South Texas, it is planning to build 30 of the plants on the King Ranch, funded in part by $1.2 billion the Biden administration last year awarded to direct air capture projects… “It’s very expensive,” Mr. Robock told the Times. “And so it’s not going to be a solution in the short term or the long term.” “…Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, told the TImes climate interventions in general, and carbon capture in particular, were dangerous distractions from the more urgent work of rapidly reducing the use of fossil fuels. “There are many solutions that are just not helpful at all, that do not help an iota for climate and don’t help an iota for air pollution,” he told the Times. “Among these are direct air capture.”

Global Energy: CO2 capture systems more than doubling cost of combined cycle plants, study says
3/30/24

“The implementation of carbon capture & storage (CCS) systems more than doubles the average construction costs of combined cycle plants, according to a study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA),” according to Global Energy. “Whereas the average cost of conventional combined cycle plants, which use steam power and gas turbine engines, is no more than $1,330 per kilowatt (kW) of electricity, the use of CCS systems, which make it possible to adsorb up to 90% of carbon dioxide emissions, raises this figure to $3,019 per kW (in 2022 prices)… “BloombergNEF estimates that global investments in the construction of CCS systems almost doubled in 2023 (to $11.1 billion). The global capacity of operating CCS systems reached 52 million tons per year by the end of 2023, and hit 12 million tons and 134 million tons per year, respectively, for CCS systems under construction and design. The most popular method of CO2 capture remains the use of monoethanolamine, a colourless liquid with an ammonia odour that absorbs carbon dioxide very well… “In addition to the power industry, CCS technologies could find the widest application in the cement and steel industries, where the production of industrial products is associated with high CO2 emissions (Scope 1 emissions), which cannot be offset by switching to low-carbon electricity sources (Scope 2) or adjusting the behaviour of end consumers (Scope 3).”

Guardian: ExxonMobil accused of ‘greenwashing’ over carbon capture plan it failed to invest in
Ben Webster, 3/31/24

“Motorists concerned about the impact on the planet of petrol and diesel cars may be comforted by Esso’s marketing campaign on “thoughtful driving”. One of its most eye-catching initiatives is a proposal to trap carbon dioxide at a vast oil refinery and petrochemical complex on the south coast and store it under the seabed of the English Channel,” the Guardian reports. “…The oil firm says the scheme will mean drivers can “fill up with less impact” and make “a major contribution to the UK’s move to net zero”. But now the oil giant faces allegations of greenwashing as an investigation by openDemocracy reveals that the project may never get off the drawing board. It hasn’t received a licence or government support, and the company has not committed any of its own money to build it. Paul Greenwood, Exxon’s UK boss, has said a 2030 target to complete a first phase of construction may be hit only “if you wave a magic wand”. Doug Parr, chief scientist for Greenpeace UK, said carbon capture and storage was hailed by the oil industry as a “miraculous silver bullet”, but had failed to deliver. “Carbon capture and storage does not appear to be much closer to reducing carbon emissions, or being affordable, than it did 20 years ago,” he said. “This scheme stands out as greenwashing.” “…However, Exxon is yet to secure either a carbon storage licence for the English Channel site or government support for the project.” 

MarketsandMarkets: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Market worth $12.9 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 24.0% 
3/29/24

“The Global Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Market  size is projected to grow from USD 3.6 Billion in 2023 to USD 12.9 Billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 24.0%, as per the recent study by MarketsandMarkets. During the forecast period, the global carbon capture, utilization, transportation, and storage market is expected to grow in the coming years, driven by increasing demand from various industries such as oil & gas, chemical & petrochemical, and power generation. The market is also expected to benefit from technological advancements in carbon capture, utilization, transportation, and storage technology, enabling to achieve higher carbon capture efficiency. List of Key Players in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Market: Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands); Fluor Corporation (US); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan); Exxon Mobil Corporation (US); Linde Plc (UK); JGC Holdings (Japan); Schlumberger Ltd (US); Aker Solutions (Norway); Honeywell International (US); Equinor ASA (Norway). Key Findings of the Study: Capture service segment comprises a major share of the carbon capture, utilization, and storage market, in terms of value and volume. Chemical looping technology type to be the second dominating segment in the global carbon capture, utilization, and storage market in terms of value and volume Oil & gas industry is the dominating end-use industry in the global carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage market in terms of value. Asia Pacific to be the fastest-growing region in the carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage market during the forecast period.”

Trinidad & Tobago Newsday: TEMA: Oil-spill clean-up going well after 50 days
KINNESHA GEORGE, 3/29/24

“Director of the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Allan Stewart, on March 27, boasted of making significant strides on day 50 of the clean-up an oil spill off the south coast of the island,” Trinidad & Tobago Newsday reports. “The spill came about as a result of an overturned barge – the Gulfstream – which began leaking an oil-like substance, since identified as bunker fuel, some 200 metres off the coast of the Cove Eco Industrial Park on February 7… “We have seen to date, that there have been some changes – the schools that were impacted have been reopened, roadways that were blocked are now reopened. We have seen a scaling-back on the activities in the Scarborough area whereby the 15 metres of impacted shorelines across the Atlantic shoreline has been cleared significantly.” “…How do we manage the waste that has been extracted as that of hydro-carbon. In addition to that, we have seen the complexity of the mixture of sargassum which we are going through one of those rough seasons with sargassum seaweed. It requires a particular type of posture whereby we separate the hydrocarbon that has been affected from that of the regular sargassum. So, in large, the sargassum response plan is in effect.” “…We had close to 140 persons operating in the field on a daily basis, that has been reduced to now 60 persons. preparation for what they may perceive to be addition hydrocarbon that is lodged within the vessel itself.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Creating a ‘Healthy, Happy Student Population’ Through Outdoor Learning
3/29/24

“…East Foundation began offering education programs, dubbed Behind the Gates, in 2014, motivated by research that shows kids who learn outdoors are “healthier, smarter, happier,” says Tina Buford, director of education at the Foundation,” according to Enbridge. “…In support of the initiative, Enbridge recently awarded the Foundation a Fueling Futures grant of $15,000 to fund a learning station.”

OPINION

Bleeding Heartland: Iowa House Democrats strangely quiet on eminent domain bill
Laura Belin, 3/29/24

“What’s the opposite of “loud and proud”? Iowa House Democrats unanimously voted for the chamber’s latest attempt to address the concerns of landowners along the path of Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed CO2 pipeline. But not a single Democrat spoke during the March 28 floor debate,” Laura Belin writes for Bleeding Heartland. “The unusual tactic allowed the bill’s Republican advocates to take full credit for defending property rights against powerful corporate interests—an extremely popular position. It was a missed opportunity to share a Democratic vision for fair land use policies and acknowledge the progressive constituencies that oppose the pipeline for various reasons… “None of the Iowa House Democrats asked to speak during the debate on the latest eminent domain bill. So Speaker Pat Grassley recognized two other Republicans who have been vocal about private property rights—State Representatives Bobby Kaufmann and Steve Holt—before Thomson gave his closing statement… “House Democrats did tout their support for private property rights in posts on Facebook and X/Twitter shortly after the debate. If they were so proud to support private property rights, why didn’t anyone say that on the House floor, or even in a press release that could have been quoted in news articles?… “Even if by some miracle GOP senators had a change of heart, Governor Kim Reynolds would never put any obstacle in Summit Carbon’s path. The Carbon Sequestration Task Force she created in 2021 made it obvious that the fix would be in for Summit Carbon Solutions… “By not speaking during the debate, House Democrats passed up a chance to thank progressive constituencies that have mobilized opposition to the pipelines. Holt expressed his gratitude “to landowners who have refused to quit, representing the kind of character that I think built this nation.” No one saluted progressive organizations that have devoted extensive resources to fighting for better land use policies. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Food & Water Watch, and the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter have been among the leading grassroots organizers against the CO2 pipelines.”

The Conversation: How federal tax dollars meant to fight climate change could end up boosting Louisiana’s fossil fuel production
Ned Randolph, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Communications, Tulane University, 3/31/24

“Billions of federal tax dollars will soon be pouring into Louisiana to fight climate change, yet the projects they’re supporting may actually boost fossil fuels – the very products warming the planet,” Ned Randolph writes for The Conversation. “At issue are plans to build dozens of federally subsidized projects to capture and bury carbon dioxide from industries… “In practice, however, this may lead to a net increase in fossil fuel production and more emissions. That’s because many of these carbon capture projects will be handling emissions from facilities that rely on oil and natural gas – in fact, many of the projects are tied to major oil and gas companies through subsidiaries. Under new federal rules, the projects can receive generous tax subsidies. The more carbon dioxide the factories produce and capture, the more federal money the projects can receive. The coup de grâce: Louisiana can authorize as many of these federally subsidized projects as it sees fit. The Environmental Protection Agency recently approved its quest to become only one of three states with regulatory “primacy” over such carbon storage wells. Fossil fuel industry advocates are eager to get projects approved… “Carbon capture has similarly turned the oil and gas industry into a critical component of mitigating climate change while the industry continues producing products that are heating the planet… “At least 24 carbon capture applications are now pending in Louisiana. Many more are in preliminary stages, according to a Louisiana Department of Natural Resources spokesman. Environmental advocacy groups say the program is riddled with problems, including lacking third-party verification that the carbon is being stored as claimed. An earlier federal investigation by the U.S. Treasury found that 90% of the $1 billion in tax credits awarded to companies for carbon storage between 2010 and 2019 was incorrectly documented… “Critics argue that using carbon capture as a transition technology will divert billions of dollars in federal resources away from more proven renewable energy development and require building thousands of miles of specialized pipelines… “When Louisiana petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency for regulatory primacy over these projects, the agency received 45,000 public comments. Residents raised fears that projects would contaminate underground aquifers or that stored carbon dioxide could escape through the state’s thousands of old oil wells.”

NOLA.com: Plaquemines officials sacrificing our water for LNG. Whom are they serving?
Bishop Wilfret Johnson is a community leader, volunteer, and pastor at Oakville Missionary Baptist Church in Plaquemines Parish, 3/28/24

“Jesus once said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” It was of spiritual sustenance that our Lord and Savior spoke, not what flows from the tap. Yet for four months, the people of Plaquemines Parish literally drank tainted water that left them with thirst rather than nourishment,” Bishop Wilfret Johnson writes for NOLA.com. “…At the same time our community was facing a shortage of fresh drinking water due to the infiltration, Venture Global was tapping our public water system for use at the Plaquemines LNG construction site. That’s according to the company’s own environmental assessment, submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. While the D.C.-area corporation was pulling from our water supply, our local officials urged ordinary citizens to use less water to nourish ourselves and our children. Did those officials call on Venture Global to conserve water or pause construction? They did not. Since then, this same corporation has gained approval from federal regulators for a 24/7 construction schedule. To make this round-the-clock work possible, Venture Global wants to build a work camp — a massive settlement for temporary workers — in the heart of the community, across the street from our church, no less. Apparently, it’s not enough to take our drinking water from under our feet. They now want to uproot our community itself just to accommodate their schedule. Our very safety is on the line… “All of these slights come against a backdrop of favoritism and government protectionism for Venture Global. The firm has already received a nearly $30 million tax rebate through Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption/Incentive Program, or ITEP. In short, the same out-of-state company that’s depriving us of water is being paid with our tax dollars to come here and do it… “My congregants, and everyone in Plaquemines Parish, deserve better. And it should go without saying that our elected officials and regulators at all levels of government must prioritize our health and safety over the profit margins of some corporate giant inside the Capital Beltway.”

Columbus Dispatch: Tim Ryan unrecognizable. Former rep now hired gun for dangerous Big Oil and Gas
Ericka Copeland is the Ohio chapter director for the Sierra Club, 3/29/24

“Most Ohioans would look at new policies that keep our energy bills affordable while strengthening our national security and curbing the climate crisis as a good thing. Unfortunately, former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan now sees them as a threat to his own bottom line,” Ericka Copeland writes for the Columbus Dispatch. “It was a few dozen months ago that Ryan sought — and failed — to become Ohio’s U.S. senator and, before that, U.S. president, claiming to stand up for average Ohioans who deserved better from our employers, our representatives, and our country.  Unfortunately, in his retirement, Ryan has abandoned his populist brand and turned into a hired gun for one of the most powerful and dangerous special interests in our country: Big Oil and Gas. Ryan has been all over the media attacking the Biden Administration’s common sense pause on new authorizations for gas export facilities – a basic step forward that will examine the impact of gas exports on our bills, health, and safety. When you see Ryan making these attacks, it’s important to know he’s now working as a paid spokesperson for a Washington, D.C.-based front group funded by some of the biggest gas companies in the country. Ryan’s new employers want you to believe that this new policy is apocalyptic. But the truth is that this common-sense evaluation is an important move to lower energy bills for Ohio families, reduce harmful pollution from fracking, and prevent U.S. gas from being used by our rivals to build more power around the globe… “The pause on new LNG export authorizations may put a damper on the billions of dollars in profits of Tim Ryan’s bosses, but it’s good for Ohio families who are trying to make ends meet and keep their families safe and healthy.”

Corpus Christi Caller Times: Biden LNG pause stifles Texas’ ability to deliver energy around the world
Todd Staples is president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, 3/29/24

“The Biden administration’s recent decision to pause the permitting approval process for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is a major mistake based on inaccurate information that puts American jobs and allies at risk and undermines the global progress made possible through increased use of American natural gas,” Todd Staples writes for the Corpus Christi Caller Times. “In their decision in January to pause all pending approvals of new LNG export facilities, the Biden administration pointed to U.S. LNG exports’ potential to raise domestic energy costs. This is baseless. The truth is, according to an analysis prepared by Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) chief economist Dr. Dean Foreman, the real price of natural gas in America hit its lowest point in 30 years in mid-February while our LNG exports have tripled in volume since 2019. Texas’ LNG exports to Europe – 6.8 billion cubic feet per day in FY23 – reached a record high of 8.1 bcf/d in October 2023. At the same time, natural gas prices at Henry Hub, Louisiana, fell as low as $1.52 per million btu (mmbtu) in mid-February 2024, marking the lowest real prices for the month on record since 1994. What’s more, our research confirms that expanded LNG exports actually spur production and productivity gains, which help to drive prices down. In Texas, we know LNG exports have a substantial positive effect on our state’s economy… “With so much uncertainty in the world, this is a devastating blow to a proven technology that benefits our state, nation and global allies. The need for reliable, responsibly produced energy from a stable trading partner has never been more crucial… “Reckless decisions like this squander our nation’s global energy leadership and force our allies to look to other nations, some of which are hostile to America, to meet their energy needs… “We urge the Administration to swiftly reverse this decision so that America can continue to provide the affordable, reliable energy that fuels modern life, advances environmental progress, and ensures energy security for our nation and its allies.”

The Hill: Companies that care about climate change, need to care about their banking
Alec Connon is the coalition co-director for Stop the Money Pipeline, a network of more than 200 organizations working to end financing for fossil fuels, 3/29/24

“…Meanwhile, at a recent oil and gas conference in Houston, the head of the world’s largest oil company told a packed room that the world “should abandon the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas.” These are good reasons why the world should pay attention to a new report, out this week, that might just hold the secret to getting the U.S. financial industry to finally take the climate crisis seriously,” Alec Connon writes for The Hill. “For years, big corporations ― from tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft to retailers like Walmart and Costco ― have viewed decarbonization of their supply chains as a critical part of their work to achieve their various climate promises… “However, as the new Carbon Bankroll report reveals, many of these companies have been overlooking their largest source of emissions of all: their money. The main way that a large company’s financials drive up its emissions is through its choice of bank. When a big company puts money in the bank, the cash doesn’t just sit idly in the account, waiting for payday. Banks can use up to 90 percent of the money they hold in deposits to provide loans to companies across the economy. That means if you’re, say, Google, and you have a few billion dollars with Citigroup or Chase or Wells Fargo or Bank of America, the world’s four largest funders of fossil fuels, they are almost certainly using a chunk of that money to finance new coal mines, new oil pipelines and new deep sea drilling operations―all of which cause huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and are incompatible with global climate goals. This represents a colossal oversight from corporate America. According to Carbon Bankroll, the emissions enabled by the largest banks and asset managers in the U.S. are so substantial that, if they were a country, they would be the third-largest emitting country in the world, behind only China and the U.S. For many companies in the world, the emissions enabled by their cash and investments are larger than all their other emissions combined. So, what should companies that want to reduce their financed emissions do? Some are already leading the way. In 2021, Seventh Generation became one of the first companies to voluntarily measure and disclose its cash emissions. Atlassian no longer uses investment vehicles that include companies that get more than 10 percent of their revenue from fossil fuel extraction and development. Patagonia’s treasury director, Charlie Bischoff, has been pushing its banking partners to align with climate goals.”