EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 5/11/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• NPR: A rupture that hospitalized 45 people raised questions about CO2 pipelines’ safety

• Radio Iowa: Pipeline opponents make their pitches to new IUB members

• Bismarck Tribune: Bismarck leaders join opposition to CO2 pipeline route; Burgum supports ‘safe transport of CO2’

• KXNET: Bismarck residents oppose CO2 pipeline location at City Commission Meeting

• KIOW: IUB Convenes on Eminent Domain Issue

• Siouxland News: Along the Route: Land impact of a carbon-pipeline rupture

• Michigan Advance: As the anniversary of Enbridge’s refusal to shut down Line 5 approaches, groups press Biden admin

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• New York Times: E.P.A. Proposes First Limits on Climate Pollution From Existing Power Plants

• Press release: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Outlines Priorities for Building America’s Energy Infrastructure Faster, Safer, and Cleaner

• Washington Post: Will a permitting overhaul be in a debt limit deal? Here are three reasons it might not be.

• E&E News: The complete guide to CCS and the EPA power plant rule

• Reuters: Tribes Split Over Biden Plan To Ban Drilling Near New Mexico Cultural Site

• Bloomberg: Climate Groups Drop EPA Suit After New Draft Climate Regulations

STATE UPDATES

• New Scientist: 14,000 oil and gas wells remain unplugged in the Gulf of Mexico

• InsideClimate News: Climate Resolution Voted Down in El Paso After Fossil Fuel Interests and Other Opponents Pour More Than $1 Million into Opposition

• Planet Detroit: ‘Insulting’: Environmental agenda stalls in state House as industry-funded Dems move mining bills

• Press release: 33 groups call on Gov. Newsom to cut fossil fuel subsidies

EXTRACTION

• Politico: EU lawmakers back tougher rules on methane emissions

• The Conversation: What is hydrogen, and can it really become a climate solution?

• Wall Street Journal: The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen

• Reuters: BP ventures back into oil frontiers to boost output

CLIMATE FINANCE

• New York Times: He Could Uncork Trillions to Help Fix the Planet

• Bloomberg: Church of England to Vote Against Shell Chair on Climate

OPINION

• Equation Campaign: How a 137-Year-Old Seed Helped Stop a Pipeline

• Teen Vogue: Cancer Alley: Pollution Is Making Louisianans Sick, and They’re Fighting Back

• New Yorker: A Supreme Court Ruling the Fossil-Fuel Industry Doesn’t Like
  

PIPELINE NEWS

NPR: A rupture that hospitalized 45 people raised questions about CO2 pipelines’ safety
Julia Simon, 5/10/23

“Across the U.S., companies are building carbon dioxide pipelines as a possible climate solution. But after a Mississippi pipeline rupture hospitalized dozens, there are questions about their safety,” NPR reports. “First, though, to Mississippi, where there’s a big push for a possible climate solution. It involves trapping carbon dioxide before it leaves smokestacks, then building new pipelines to store it underground. NPR’s Julia Simon reports from Satartia, Miss., on the questions about the safety of those pipelines… “Deemmeris Debra’e Burns showed me the spot on a rural road that changed his life – an experience he thinks is a warning for America. On a Saturday night three years ago, Burns was heading home from a fishing trip in a red Cadillac with his brother and his cousin… “SIMON: But people in Satartia fear that, three years since the incident in their town, America still has a lot to learn about carbon dioxide pipeline risks. SIMON: When too much carbon dioxide gets in the air, it displaces oxygen, and cars can stop working. Combustion engines need oxygen to run. Here’s a 911 call from that night in Satartia… “JERRY BRIGGS: I said, turn around. Keep this thing running. Don’t let it die because I don’t want to be stranded with nothing to get us out of here. SIMON: And CO2 doesn’t just affect cars. It affects health. Humans are always breathing some carbon dioxide, but too much causes a thirst for oxygen, disorientation, and things quickly go downhill… “SIMON: Briggs and his team finally found Burns, his brother and cousin in the red Cadillac. BRIGGS: Slumped over, foaming at the mouth, obviously unresponsive. SIMON: They dragged the men to the sputtering vehicle, got them to the hospital. They all woke up. But for Burns, his health problems didn’t end there. He, his brother and cousin were on oxygen for several months… “SIMON: Burns still has neurological issues three years later, headaches, difficulty concentrating. NPR spoke with the chief of staff of a local hospital who said his patients who experienced the pipeline rupture have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of their asthma attacks and chronic lung issues… “SIMON: Pipeline companies expanding across the South and Midwest tell NPR they’re learning from Satartia. In statements, Denbury told NPR they fully cooperated with regulators to investigate the incident and worked with local officials and residents to address the impacts. They say they remain committed to continually improving pipeline safety and mitigating the impact of climate change. But Congressman Huffman questions if this even is a climate solution. Most of the CO2 now in these pipelines is used to extract more oil. And he told NPR new carbon capture projects could extend the life of fossil fuel operations.”

Radio Iowa: Pipeline opponents make their pitches to new IUB members
O. KAY HENDERSON, 5/9/23

“Opponents of carbon pipelines are asking the state’s new utility regulators to take their objections “to heart,” Radio Iowa reports. “The three-member Iowa Utilities Board convened this morning, the first meeting for new members Eric Helland and Sarah Martz. Julie Glade of Cedar Falls told the board her family’s farm in Wright County would be impacted by the Summit pipeline. “I’d like to start by welcoming our two new board members. Thank you for stepping up to the job,” Glade said. “…I urge you each to represent the 78% of Iowans who oppose the use of eminent domain for private carbon capture pipelines.” Beth Klahsen said she’s trusting regulators to “do the right thing.” Her family’s farm near Arlington is along the Navigator route. “I do not envy the position you guys are in this time,” she said. “I do think the whole matter got pushed off to you because our elected officials didn’t want to go on the record either way. Our legislature failed to pass any sort of bill this past session to help.” Denise Kleppe owns a century farm that’s on the Wolfe pipeline route. “I wouldn’t want to be in your position with this decision hanging on your shoulders,” Kleppe said, “but again you wouldn’t want to be in my situation where your legacy is being threatened by multi-billion dollar global corporations.” Mark Maher, a farmer from Imogene, told the board the Summit pipeline route would be too close to his home and grain bin complex. “If you do grant something to do forward, make them uphold and respect the county ordinances that the board of supervisors, our elected representatives, have in place,” he said. Craig Woodward owns land in Cerro Gordo County that might be impacted by the Summit pipeline. Woodward tried to ask questions of the new regulators, but veteran board member Joshua Byrnes reminded Woodward that the board cannot comment on a pending case.”

Bismarck Tribune: Bismarck leaders join opposition to CO2 pipeline route; Burgum supports ‘safe transport of CO2’
BLAKE NICHOLSON, 5/10/23

“The Bismarck City Commission is supporting calls for moving or delaying a planned carbon dioxide pipeline some believe would be unsafe and could impede the capital city’s northward progression,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “The unanimous decision Tuesday night came at the urging of Bismarck-area developers who presented their own resolution to the commission opposing the proposed northern Burleigh County route of the regional Midwest Carbon Express line. “It’s not enough for the City Commission just to have a conversation; what we’re asking for today is that you come out and publicly oppose the pipeline route,” developer Chad Moldenhauer said. Separately, Gov. Doug Burgum told The Bismarck Tribune Editorial Board on Tuesday afternoon that he supports “the safe transport of CO2” and believes there is “a lot of misinformation out there.” He decried “Trying to turn carbon and CO2 into the devil element on the periodic table, when in fact it could actually be the thing that is the breakthrough that helps us solve a bunch of these huge global environmental problems.” “…The Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association, which represents nearly 350 member businesses, presented the City Commission with a resolution opposing the proposed route “due to its proximity to Bismarck’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, rural developments and future development path.” “…The City Commission after a short discussion passed a resolution supporting Burleigh County’s actions — which Mayor Mike Schmitz and City Commissioner Steve Marquardt had voted in favor of as members of the Burleigh County Planning and Zoning Commission — and urging that a state permitting decision be put off until the new federal rules are ready… “The City Commission resolution also asks that regulators consider Bismarck’s Together 2045 plan — which includes goals, policies and recommendations to guide the development of the city in coming decades — and site the pipeline at least 25 miles from the city’s extraterritorial area. “We’re eventually going to grow to where that pipeline is,” Commissioner Mike Connelly said, adding, “We’ve got 95,000 people here that we all care about, and we want the best decision going forward.” “You can be against the (Summit) pipeline if you’re against coal, you’re against oil and gas, you’re against fertilizer, if you’re against sustainable aviation fuel and you’re against agriculture in general,” the governor said. “If you’re against all the things that we do, then you can be against a CO2 pipeline.” He suggested that energy and agriculture trade groups “step up and help educate the public on CO2 because there has to be an industry (voice), it can’t just be government. Ag, coal, and oil and gas — our three biggest industries — all benefit so mightily from this opportunity.”

KXNET: Bismarck residents oppose CO2 pipeline location at City Commission Meeting
Christina Randall, 5/10/23

“Bismarck City Commissioners gathered Tuesday night to hear the public’s concern over CO2 Pipeline safety in the area,” KXNET reports. “The Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association is opposing the location of the Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline in relation to the city of Bismarck. However, the organization is requesting that it be relocated to a safer distance. A major point of concern for the organization is the dangerous nature of CO2 — especially in liquid form. According to the organization, CO2 pipelines carry major risks, such as leaks, explosions, and potential environmental damage. “What happens if a city crew hits this pipeline that is four feet underground?” asked Chad Moldenhauer, the owner of K and L Homes. “Is the city’s insurance going to cover it? There are a lot of unanswered questions, and that’s because Summit has been so uneasy to provide the information we need and what the true danger is to Bismarck.”

KIOW: IUB Convenes on Eminent Domain Issue
AJ Taylor, 5/9/23

“Opponents of carbon pipelines are asking the state’s new utility regulators to take their objections to heart,” KIOW reports. “The three-member Iowa Utilities Board convened on Tuesday morning, the first meeting for new members Eric Helland and Sarah Martz. Julie Glade of Cedar Falls says her family’s farm in Wright County would be impacted by the Summit pipeline. Beth Klahsen’s family farm near Arlington is along the Navigator route. Klahsen says she’s trusting regulators to do the right thing. Denise Kleppe owns a century farm that’s on the Wolfe pipeline route. Mark Maher, a farmer from Imogene, says the Summit pipeline route would be too close to his home and grain bin complex… “Governor Kim Reynolds appointed two new members to the board last month. Their terms started last week.”

Siouxland News: Along the Route: Land impact of a carbon-pipeline rupture
Katie Copple, 5/9/23

“The two carbon-capture pipelines in the works from Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures will carry pressurized carbon dioxide hundreds of miles across 6 states. While the technology for these pipeline infrastructures has advanced and improved, a rupture is always a possibility,” Siouxland News reports.  “The consequences to the land agricultural production lies and examination afterward, there’s not much research done on that specific type of spill. Finding it in the literature is incredibly hard if it even exists, but there are a few things that we can expect for when that happens.” Aaron Daigh is a land and soil expert who has studied pipeline ruptures and the impact they can have on the land. “You would expect whatever zone that supercritical carbon spread out on in the ground, is likely stripping out some of the nutrients and fertility of that ground and so in addition to that microbial part, you would see a reduction and productivity or that’s what you would expect to occur.” And the danger that poses is not just for humans. “One of the things is that because of that extreme temperature shift, biology is going to respond to that,” Daigh told Siouxland News. “And in a lot of these areas, the ground freezes during the winter but the degree of freezing is very different than the temperature change that you would see from a pipeline break.” So what happens when a carbon dioxide pipeline ruptures or leaks? How big of an area could be impacted? Daigh told Siouxland News it depends on how long it takes to notice it… “In the first installment of “Capturing America’s Heartland: CO2 Pipeline,” Lori Hinz seeks to introduce existing CO2 pipelines to viewers, beginning with an interview with current North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality Director David Glatt.”

Michigan Advance: As the anniversary of Enbridge’s refusal to shut down Line 5 approaches, groups press Biden admin
JON KING, 5/10/23

“As the two-year anniversary approaches since Canadian oil company Enbridge began defying a state shutdown order, environmental groups this week are renewing their call for the Biden administration to take immediate action to protect the Great Lakes from a controversial 70-year-old crude oil pipeline,” Michigan Advance reports. “There’s no place for old technology that pumps crude oil through Lake Michigan,” Sean McBrearty, coordinator for the anti-Line 5 group Oil & Water Don’t Mix, told the Advance. “Whether or not Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac is ever replaced some day, right now it is a ticking time bomb. That’s why the State of Michigan acted to shut it down and that’s why President Biden must urgently act to protect the Great Lakes before it’s too late.” “…Saturday will mark two years since the energy company has refused to comply… “While Biden has not taken a public stance on Line 5, Oil & Water Don’t Mix told the Advance his administration successfully challenged the oil industry in a Colorado case before the U.S. Supreme Court with similarities to the Line 5 controversy, keeping it within the jurisdiction of Colorado’s state courts… “Meanwhile, an emergency filing was made Tuesday by the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin seeking to close the Line 5 pipeline after extensive flooding in the area. “Just 11 feet of bank remains between the Bad River and Line 5,” read the request for an injunction in U.S. District Court to halt the pipeline’s operations. “Once Line 5 is exposed at the meander neck, the length of exposed pipeline could expand rapidly and unpredictably, resulting in pipeline failure and the release of oil in as little as one storm event.” “Enbridge insisted that it would be years before we would see this kind of erosion. Yet, here we are facing an imminent catastrophe,” Beth Wallace, freshwater campaigns manager for the National Wildlife Federation, told the Advance. “Not only is Enbridge knowingly trespassing on sovereign territory, but they appear to be gambling with an entire ecosystem to continue to pocket millions a day.” 

WASHINGTON UPDATES

New York Times: E.P.A. Proposes First Limits on Climate Pollution From Existing Power Plants
Coral Davenport, 5/11/23

“The Biden administration on Thursday announced the first regulations to limit greenhouse pollution from existing power plants, capping an unparalleled string of climate policies that, taken together, could substantially reduce the nation’s contribution to global warming,” the New York Times reports. “…The government is not mandating the use of equipment to capture carbon emissions before they leave the smokestack, a nascent and expensive technology. Rather, it is setting caps on pollution rates, which power plant operators would have to meet. They could do that by using a different technology or, in the case of gas plants, switching to a fuel source like green hydrogen, which does not emit carbon. The plan is sure to face opposition from the fossil fuel industry, power plant operators and their allies in Congress. It is likely to draw an immediate legal challenge from a group of Republican attorneys general that has already sued the Biden administration to stop other climate policies. A future administration could also weaken the regulation… “The White House argues that the collective impact of Mr. Biden’s climate regulations and legislation, in terms of reduced emissions, outweighs any environmental damage that would be caused by the Willow project… “Last summer, the Supreme Court confirmed that the E.P.A. had the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, but in a limited way. Biden administration officials involved with the new power plant rule — many of whom worked on the defunct Obama rule — have sought to ensure that this time, it will stand up to scrutiny. “In light of what the Supreme Court ruled, they’re not swinging for a home run,” Richard Lazarus, an environmental law professor at Harvard Law School, told the Times. “They’re swinging for a hit.”

Press release: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Outlines Priorities for Building America’s Energy Infrastructure Faster, Safer, and Cleaner
5/10/23

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is making a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure and our clean energy future that is creating good-paying union jobs, growing our economy, building energy security, combating climate change, advancing environmental justice, and helping lower costs for families. To continue to drive these efforts, the Biden-Harris Administration today announced a set of priorities it urges Congress to pass as part of bipartisan permitting reform legislation… “Building clean energy projects in the U.S. at the speed and scale needed to adequately address the climate crisis requires strategic reforms that improve the way such projects are sited and permitted at the federal, state and local levels. The Administration is acting to move projects forward, using its existing authority to accelerate the federal permitting process. These actions include establishing a new interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the timely, responsible, and equitable permitting of electric transmission infrastructure… “The Biden-Harris Administration supports the important reforms contained in the Building American Energy Security Act of 2023 as the kind of bipartisan compromise needed to tackle this challenge. The Administration encourages the inclusion of the following priorities in any bipartisan permitting reform package… “Deploy Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide Infrastructure. Congress should address the siting of hydrogen and carbon dioxide pipelines and storage infrastructure and provide federal siting authority for such infrastructure. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 governs the designation of energy corridors on federal lands and covers oil, gas and hydrogen pipelines, and electric transmission lines. Such corridors are also suitable for carbon dioxide pipelines and need to be expanded in legislation to cover both prospectively designated and previously designated corridors… Recommendations to Streamline the Permitting Process: Improve Permitting Efficiency and Predictability. To build infrastructure expediently and responsibly, the necessary reviews, permits and approvals need to be robust, be completed within a predictable timeframe, and result in prompt and legally defensible decisions. To facilitate this process, Congress should act to further improve coordination of federal data sharing and reviews, expand the use of programmatic and tiered reviews, reduce the length of federal decision documents, and set reasonable decision time frames for projects. In making these reforms, Congress should: Create a programmatic review fund to provide the resources to execute more programmatic reviews – which can allow environmental review work to be re-used for multiple projects – by authorizing agencies to impose a fee on project sponsors to cover costs associated with a programmatic review upon which their project relies. Support long term programmatic review use to clarify that the analysis may be relied upon for five years, unless there are new circumstances and, that a programmatic review’s analysis should be able to be relied upon after five years so long as the agency reevaluates the analysis and finds that it continues to sufficiently analyze the project’s effects. Expand responsible use of administrative categorical exclusions… “Enhance Data Collection Needed for Effective Permitting; Cut Duplicative and Burdensome Analysis and Reviews; Improve Community Engagement; Address Gaps in the Permitting Workforce; Establish Clearer Requirements for Mitigating Environmental Harms; Incentivize State and Local Permitting Reform and Standardization.”

Washington Post: Will a permitting overhaul be in a debt limit deal? Here are three reasons it might not be.
Maxine Joselow, 5/10/23

“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has pushed to include Republicans’ energy package — including provisions aimed at speeding up the permitting process for energy projects — in a deal to raise the government’s debt ceiling. But his efforts to include a permitting overhaul face long odds, for at least three big reasons,” the Washington Post reports. “For one thing, when Democrats and Republicans talk about “permitting reform,” they’re talking about very different things. Republicans have primarily sought to speed up the permitting process for fossil fuel and mining projects, while Democrats have largely tried to expedite clean-energy projects and transmission lines. For another matter, lawmakers have until sometime in June to lift the debt ceiling or risk a calamitous default. But it would probably take longer to iron out any bipartisan deal on permitting, given the significant differences between the parties. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the debt limit negotiations have shown little sign of progress. The White House has insisted on a “clean” debt limit increase that doesn’t include any policy concessions, and McCarthy told the Post he saw no “new movement” in a roughly hour-long meeting yesterday with President Biden and congressional leaders… “Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), one of the most vocal climate hawks on Capitol Hill, told the Post yesterday that he would not support any permitting deal that doesn’t help transmission… “Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, told reporters yesterday that he would aim to introduce his own permitting proposal by Memorial Day.  A Carper aide told the Post that the forthcoming bill would probably include a section on transmission that doesn’t “completely reinvent the wheel” and resembles some of these existing proposals.”

E&E News: The complete guide to CCS and the EPA power plant rule
Brian Dabbs, Carlos Anchondo, Christa Marshall, 5/10/23

“The looming EPA rule on power plants is expected to point to carbon capture as a viable option to cut emissions,” E&E News reports. “But many questions remain about whether the technology can be deployed fast enough and cheaply enough across the nation’s power sector. It ran into hurdles and cost overruns when large projects were proposed in the past. Gas plants — which are a growing part of the electricity mix — also pose higher cost challenges than some previous projects… “Unless the technology is deployed over the next 30 to 50 years, “we don’t have a shot at meeting climate targets because we’re not going to stop using fossil fuels globally,” Charles McConnell, executive director of the University of Houston Center for Carbon Management in Energy who used to run the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy in the Obama administration, told E&E… “Many environmentalists tell E&E federal lifelines for it are simply handouts to the fossil fuel industry that deceived the public on climate change for decades… “There currently is only one power plant in the world using carbon capture at scale: the Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan, Canada — just over the North Dakota border… “Many other attempts in the United States to install carbon capture in the power sector failed in the past 15 years… “Meanwhile, an academic paper authored by a political staffer at the Department of Energy earlier this year in Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability has caused a stir by calling for an “extremely cautious” regulatory approach to CCS projects… “Under the Clean Air Act, EPA sets emissions limits consistent with the “best available control technology,” or BACT, and then leaves it to utilities and states to decide how to meet the emissions limits. McConnell told E&E the agency is likely to conclude capture technology is a BACT. “EPA has been doing this for the past 50 years when you have a control technology that’s validated,” he told E&E. “That’s like the scrubbers and the baghouses and all the other BACT stuff that EPA has mandated over time. We’ve now decided that CCUS is a BACT-worthy technology.” “…Proposed CO2 pipelines in the Midwest — although tied to ethanol — have faced pushback from landowners and opponents to eminent domain. Meanwhile, to tackle climate change, the Biden administration and private sector are eyeing permanent geologic storage. There are obstacles there, too. Along with the need for transporting greenhouse gas from a capture site, some research has raised concerns about large volumes of injected CO2 and earthquakes. Public acceptance of a technology that could allow stored greenhouse gas near communities also is a factor.”

Reuters: Tribes Split Over Biden Plan To Ban Drilling Near New Mexico Cultural Site
Nichola Groom, 5/9/23

“The Navajo Nation has withdrawn support for a Biden administration plan to stop new oil and gas drilling near a sacred site in New Mexico, saying its members should have the right to develop those resources if they choose to,” Reuters reports. “The move puts the tribe at odds with New Mexico’s Pueblo nations who support the administration’s proposed protection of the Chaco region, a split that reflects the complexities of President Joe Biden’s goals to conserve public lands. In a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland last week, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and 25th Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said a tribal committee had passed a resolution opposing the plan to halt mineral leasing within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park for a period of 20 years. The tribe also rescinded its support for a 5-mile buffer zone that it had previously agreed to, according to the letter. “As leaders of the Navajo Nation, we support the Navajo allottees who oppose the proposed withdrawal of these public lands,” the Navajo leaders said in the letter… “Navajo Nation members hold some 160-acre allotments within the 339,000 acre withdrawal zone that were granted beginning in the late 19th century. The withdrawal would preclude those people from issuing new leases but would not halt development on existing leases. Allotment leases can fetch royalty rates of between 2% and 20% of production and rents of about $1,120 a year, according to an analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The BLM analysis found that the proposed withdrawal would likely impact about 86 allotments. The Navajo Nation said the funds from leasing support the basic needs of “elderly culture bearers” who want to live on those lands forever.”

Bloomberg: Climate Groups Drop EPA Suit After New Draft Climate Regulations
Samantha Hawkins, 5/9/23

“Climate activists have dismissed their suit to compel the US Environmental Protection Agency to use a chemicals law to phase out the production of greenhouse gases, in light of the agency’s new climate regulations,” Bloomberg reports. “Two nonprofit groups—Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative and Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions—along with several scientists petitioned the EPA in June to use the authority granted by the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act amendments to conclude that ongoing manufacture, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of chemicals such as methane and carbon dioxide present an “unreasonable risk of injury to health and the environment.”

STATE UPDATES

New Scientist: 14,000 oil and gas wells remain unplugged in the Gulf of Mexico
James Dinneen, 5/8/23

“More than 14,000 inactive oil and gas wells remain uncapped in the Gulf of Mexico,” New Scientist reports. “Leaks from the wells could harm marine ecosystems and add to planet-warming methane emissions, but plugging them would cost billions. Mark Agerton at the University of California, Davis, and his colleagues collected data from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement on the 82,000 wells drilled in the Gulf of Mexico. While most of the wells have been plugged and abandoned, they found that more than 14,000 are unplugged, despite having been inactive for at least five years, a point beyond which they are unlikely to restart production. Operators are legally required to plug wells once they are taken out of production, which usually involves a cement cap covered with sediment. A little over 5000 wells remain active. Oil leaking out of the wells, especially those nearest shore, could harm marine ecosystems. Wells near shore may also leak methane that can go on to reach the atmosphere. The researchers found methane leaking from wells in deeper water further offshore would mostly be consumed by marine microbes… “An infrastructure bill passed by the US Congress in late 2021 dedicated $4.7 billion to plugging orphaned onshore and offshore wells, but David Pettit at the National Resources Defense Council told NS “there’s no chance” that every well will be plugged. “There’s not enough administrative interest or money.” The researchers estimated that plugging all the inactive wells would cost more than $30 billion; plugging only wells in shallow waters would cost around $7 billion. For wells in federal waters, the oil companies that dug them are liable for plugging them – and they remain on the hook even if a well they drilled is sold to a smaller operator who can’t pay to plug. In state waters, the cost of plugging such “orphaned” wells could fall to the state.”

InsideClimate News: Climate Resolution Voted Down in El Paso After Fossil Fuel Interests and Other Opponents Pour More Than $1 Million into Opposition
Martha Pskowski, 5/9/23

“Voters in El Paso resoundingly rejected a ballot proposition that would have set the city on the path to 100 percent renewable energy and explored municipalization of the local electric utility,” InsideClimate News reports. “Sunrise El Paso, the local climate justice organization behind the proposition, bet on a grassroots, people-powered campaign to achieve ambitious climate action in Texas’ hostile political climate. But opponents spent more than $1 million to defeat Proposition K, including $500,000 from Consumer Energy Alliance, which represents fossil fuel and energy companies. The opposition campaign also included the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, El Paso Electric and Marathon Petroleum  At the ballot box, 81 percent of voters rejected the proposition. Prop K’s defeat shows that even in local elections, progressive climate campaigns face an uphill battle against fossil fuel interests… “We were up against the full force of the fossil fuel industry,” Sunrise El Paso’s Dominic Chacon told ICN. “As well as the power that they have through their donations over elected officials.” “…The Chamber of Commerce commissioned a study by Points Consulting of Moscow, Idaho, that found the charter would cost El Paso billions of dollars and kill nearly half the city’s jobs. Energy economists from the University of Texas, Austin debunked these claims, which they said overlooked the benefits of a transition to renewables and were based on faulty assumptions. That didn’t stop Political Action Committees opposed to Proposition K from repeating the study’s claims in mailers, billboards and television ads that blanketed El Paso in the weeks leading up to the vote… “The Consumer Energy Alliance formed an eponymous PAC and contributed $548,250. CEA, the public-facing side of HBW Resources, a Houston-based lobbying firm, includes Shell USA and Occidental Petroleum Corp. among its members. According to an interview with a local business journal, CEA’s Southwest director, Matthew Gonzales, lived for a month in a downtown El Paso hotel while leading the organization’s campaign against Proposition K. Americans for Prosperity/The Libre Initiative formed a third PAC. Americans for Prosperity is a libertarian conservative political advocacy group funded by the Koch brothers. All told, these PACs reported more than $1 million in contributions to fight Prop K.”

Planet Detroit: ‘Insulting’: Environmental agenda stalls in state House as industry-funded Dems move mining bills
TOM PERKINS, 5/9/23

“Over 100 days into the Michigan Democratic Party’s first-in-a-generation trifecta control over the Legislature and governor’s office, no significant environmental legislation is moving,” Planet Detroit reports. “Instead, industry-backed mining bills that critics say would dramatically increase air and water pollution are being debated in committee. And one Democratic lawmaker behind the bill, Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township), has received thousands of dollars in political donations in recent months from a mining industry trade group, a Planet Detroit analysis of campaign finance records found. At a Tuesday morning press conference, a coalition of Michigan environmental groups voiced frustration with State House Democratic leadership over what they view as a prioritization of industry over voters. The groups charged that they helped Democrats secure a razor-thin state House majority and viewed the lack of action on environmental priorities as a slap in the face. “…The new legislature also has not advanced any environmental justice bills that would provide relief from pollution in lower-income communities or those with majority Black or minority populations, Roshan Krishnan, policy associate with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, told PD. “It’s an insult,” he told PD. “We were told this administration cared about environmental justice … but where is the proof?” Bills that the MEJC has pushed to require private utilities to pay more to customers following long outages or rein in cumulative air pollution in overburdened communities have so far gone nowhere.” “…The groups say industry influence in Lansing is behind the delays… “dark money groups affiliated with DTE and Consumers Energy are notorious for throwing money around in the state legislature. Most state legislators have also received some money from utility industry political action committees (PACs), and DTE’s political spending has jumped in recent years.” 

Press release: 33 groups call on Gov. Newsom to cut fossil fuel subsidies
5/8/23

“On Monday, over 30 groups sent a letter calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to cut tax subsidies for oil and gas while maintaining funding in the state budget for clean transportation and clean energy programs. The Governor’s January budget proposal would cut $6 billion in investments meant to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Rather than cutting these important programs that protect California’s air, climate, and public health, the Governor should instead cut subsidies and tax expenditures for oil and gas, which work against these critical goals. Ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry is consistent with the state’s climate goals and could provide an important alternate source of revenue to continue to ensure California leads the way on climate. We can protect the funding needed to combat climate change and protect communities by cutting subsidies for major polluters… “Ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry is consistent with the state’s climate goals and could provide an important alternate source of revenue to continue to ensure California leads the way in staving off the worst impacts of climate change. Ongoing savings associated with excluding the oil and gas industry from utilizing these tax expenditures (after calculating the benefit to Proposition 98) should be utilized to fund climate programs that were cut or delayed in the January Budget as part of the 2023-24 Budget Act. The statutory changes can be contained within a trailer bill to effectuate these changes. Now more than ever, we must maintain our commitment to programs that safeguard communities from the impacts of climate change while building a clean energy economy.”

EXTRACTION

Politico: EU lawmakers back tougher rules on methane emissions
ZIA WEISE, 5/9/23

“The European Parliament on Tuesday voted for stricter measures to reduce emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, dodging a last-minute rebellion,” Politico reports. “The legislation, proposed by the European Commission in December 2021, applies only to the energy sector, responsible for about a fifth of the bloc’s methane emissions. Lawmakers defeated an effort by a clutch of conservative MEPs to weaken the Parliament’s stance.  A comfortable majority — 499 in favor, 79 against and 55 abstentions — backed a compromise text amending the Commission’s proposal with tighter rules for monitoring emissions, as well as more stringent leak detection and repair (LDAR) requirements to tackle leaky fossil fuel infrastructure. The Parliament also asked the Commission to come up with a framework to ensure exporting countries have to abide by similar rules… “This bill will be the bloc’s first legislation, while countries such as Canada, the United States or Nigeria already have frameworks in place. Companies in the U.S., the other Global Methane Pledge founder, will have to pay for excessive methane emissions from next year, for example… “In its now approved text, the Parliament wants companies to carry out regular LDAR work. Companies operating fossil fuel infrastructure such as pipelines would be required to check for leaks as often as every two months, rather than every three months as proposed by the Commission or every six to 12 months as proposed by the EPP rebels. Another key change — a rare decision by the Parliament to weaken the measures — is to relax rules on coal mine emissions following protests from Poland.” 

The Conversation: What is hydrogen, and can it really become a climate solution?
Hannes van der Watt, 5/9/23

“Hydrogen, or H₂, is getting a lot of attention lately as governments in the U.S., Canada and Europe push to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. But what exactly is H₂, and is it really a clean power source?” The Conversation reports. “…It is already used in industry to manufacture ammonia, methanol and steel and in refining crude oil. As a fuel, it can store energy and reduce emissions from vehicles, including buses and cargo ships. Hydrogen can also be used to generate electricity with lower greenhouse gas emissions than coal or natural gas power plants. That potential is getting more attention as the U.S. government prepares new rules that would require existing power plants to cut their carbon dioxide emissions. Because it can be stored, H₂ could help overcome intermittency issues associated with renewable power sources like wind and solar. It can also be blended with natural gas in existing power plants to reduce the plant’s emissions. Using hydrogen in power plants can reduce carbon dioxide emissions when either blended or alone in specialized turbines, or in fuel cells, which consume H₂ and oxygen, or O₂, to produce electricity, heat and water. But it’s typically not entirely CO₂-free. That’s in part because isolating H₂ from water or natural gas takes a lot of energy… “Green H₂ is produced using electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar or hydropower. While green hydrogen is completely CO₂-free, it is costly, at around US$4-$9 per kilogram ($2-$4 per pound) because of the high energy required to split water. Other less energy-intensive techniques can produce H₂ at a lower cost, but they still emit greenhouse gases. Gray H₂ is the most common type of hydrogen. It is made from natural gas through methane reforming. This process releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and costs around $1-$2.50 per kilogram (50 cents-$1 per pound). If gray hydrogen’s CO₂ emissions are captured and locked away so they aren’t released into the atmosphere, it can become blue hydrogen. The costs are higher, at around $1.50-$3 per kilogram (70 cents-$1.50 per pound) to produce, and greenhouse gas emissions can still escape when the natural gas is produced and transported… “A combination of renewable energy sources and clean H₂, including blue, green or turquoise, will likely be necessary to meet the world’s energy needs in a sustainable way.”

Wall Street Journal: The Most Valuable U.S. Power Company Is Making a Huge Bet on Hydrogen
Katherine Blunt, 5/9/23

“NextEra Energy grew into a clean-energy powerhouse by investing early in wind and solar farms. Now, it is staking its growth on hydrogen, a much-hyped energy source whose economics are unproven,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The new strategy is a huge bet for the Florida-based business, which has become the most valuable power company in the U.S., in part because it outperformed its financial targets: Its 2022 profit was up roughly 70% from a decade ago. Over the past two decades, NextEra’s market capitalization has soared to more than $150 billion from roughly $11 billion. NextEra now says it sees the potential to invest more than $20 billion in so-called green hydrogen after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides significant tax credits for such projects. There is a limited market for green hydrogen currently, and NextEra is hoping the new law, coupled with an increasing push to cut carbon emissions, will simultaneously create supply and demand.”

Reuters: BP ventures back into oil frontiers to boost output
5/10/23

“BP is ramping up oil exploration and drilling activity in frontier prospects as the energy giant tries to stem a decline in its oil and gas output after years of focusing on a shift to renewables to cut carbon emissions,” Reuters reports. “The move comes as companies try to balance pressure to slash climate-warming pollution against a desire to capitalise on soaring profits from oil and gas sales, even as governments work to tame energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. BP said that on Monday started drilling a wildcat, or exploratory, well far off the east coast of Canada which could open a new oil province in one of the world’s most remote locations… “It also holds a 35% stake in the nearby Bay du Nord offshore acreage operated by Norway’s Equinor, which is considering developing the block after making several discoveries there. In addition BP has revived in recent weeks plans to develop a complex oil reservoir in the Gulf of Mexico named Kaskida that was shelved a decade ago due technical challenges. The new technology it will use to do so, if successful, could help unlock other similar resources around the world, it said. BP largely abandoned exploration of new oil and gas frontiers after Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney in 2020 announced plans to reduce its oil and gas output by 40% by 2030 as part of an ambitious climate strategy… “But Looney decided in February to scale back plans to cut oil and gas output – already down some 10% from 2019 levels – in response to investor pressure, now aiming to cut output by 25% by 2030 to 2 million boe per day.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

New York Times: He Could Uncork Trillions to Help Fix the Planet
Manuela Andreoni, 5/9/23

“What if a new world leader came on the scene who could potentially free up trillions to help developing countries cope with climate change?” the New York Times reports. “That’s essentially what could be happening soon at the World Bank. The bank’s mission is to help countries develop sustainably and reduce poverty. The bank advises countries on what they need to do, lending them money to get projects off the ground and guaranteeing investments from other financial institutions. For years, though, it’s been accused of being insufficiently responsive to the needs of countries battered by climate change and heavy debt. Enter Ajay Banga, a business executive who was nominated by President Biden to lead the bank and confirmed by its board. He’ll formally take over leadership next month. Will he move quickly to free up the vast sums needed to wean humanity from fossil fuels and adapt to climate change?”

Bloomberg: Church of England to Vote Against Shell Chair on Climate
Will Mathis, 5/9/23

“The Church of England pension funds will vote against Shell Plc Chairman Andrew Mackenzie and the rest of the board in a rebuke to the company’s climate ambitions under new Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan,” Bloomberg reports. “The move is part of a broader effort among European institutional shareholders to keep up pressure on oil majors to increase efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions after high fossil fuel prices delivered record profits last year. But the efforts may be an uphill battle against markets that are rewarding companies for producing more oil and gas in the short term. “We are receiving the signals from Shell’s new chief executive of a return to the pursuit of maximizing short-term returns,” Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer at the Church of England Pensions Board, wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “While this thinking may provide short-term dividends, it increases medium to long-term risk for pension funds by making the transition less likely and more unstable.” In addition to opposing the company’s board at Shell’s annual general meeting on May 23, the Church of England will also back a resolution from activist shareholder group Follow This to align CO2 emissions cuts with the goals of the Paris Agreement. It’s a reversal from previous years when the Church opposed Follow This resolutions… “A Shell spokesperson told Bloomberg the company is taking the right approach and strongly disagrees with the positions taken by the Church of England Pensions Board, PIRC, MN and PGGM.” 

OPINION

Equation Campaign: How a 137-Year-Old Seed Helped Stop a Pipeline
Rebecca Lambert, 5/10/23

“As someone whose family amassed great power from the Earth’s fossil resources, I understand firsthand how power is connected to land. Today, the science is clear: we cannot burn all the world’s reserves of oil and gas if we want to halt climate catastrophe. That’s why I’m investing my power, which is derived from the Earth, in the power to protect it,” Rebecca Lambert writes for the Equation Campaign. “For frontline communities, fossil fuel expansion is an existential threat. But when these communities derive strength from the land – whether that is through legal standing, financial power, spiritual and ancestral strength, and physical footing to stand their ground – grassroots efforts can win the battle to “keep it in the ground,” even against great odds… “Last fall, I traveled with Equation Campaign, grantees, and funders from across the country to Nebraska, to participate in harvesting Ponca sacred corn. Our destination was the Tanderup farm in the Sandhills in north-central Nebraska, where a “Cowboy-Indian Alliance” of ranchers and Indigenous Tribes has been planting “resistance corn,” as the Ponca call it. For the past decade, the planting has helped to fight the Keystone XL (KXL) Pipeline. Our objective was to learn from their success, to learn from each other, and to strategize in the fight against oil and gas… “The Tanderup farm was threatened with an “eminent domain” easement by TC Energy, the Canadian company laying the KXL route. Once the Tanderups discovered that the proposed pipeline intersected with the Ponca Trail of Tears–the route the Ponca nation took some 140 years ago when they were forcibly removed to Oklahoma–they agreed to hold a Spirit Camp on their farm. At this camp, the Ponca leader Mekasi Camp-Horinek had a dream that the Ponca corn–whose seeds had been kept for 137 years–should be planted back in ancestral Ponca territory as “medicine for the land”. It turned out to be a brilliant legal strategy. The Tanderups, along with Mekasi Camp-Horinek, certified the sacred corn with the USDA in 2015, and later the Tanderups deeded a portion of their land back to the Ponca. Now TC Energy could not simply assert eminent domain over an individual farmer to lay its pipeline. It would have to go into federal-level consultation with the Tribe. This legal protection helped delay pipeline permitting and construction through the Trump administration, until President Biden could finally cancel it in one of his first Executive Actions in 2021. “The corn could stop that pipeline, not us,” Art said before we started harvesting. “This land is a church.  That corn is sacred.  This is a church.  That pipeline couldn’t come across here.  There’s no way.” Mekasi Camp-Horinek’s dream led to the formation of a powerful alliance of ranchers, Indigenous people, and environmental activists, and provided the annual rituals that bind it: planting and harvesting the corn. KXL is now dead, but the alliance continues its fight against a new threat: carbon pipelines. While some in the climate movement believe that funding these “magic bullet” carbon capture and storage solutions are the answer, we at Equation Campaign think very differently… “If cutting people from the land weakens the people, what happens when people are connected – and reconnected – with land? And what can we learn from those who have always been connected to the land, like property owners such as the Tanderups or members of Indigenous Tribes such as Mekasi Camp-Horinek? They show us how resilience and strength grows when people have ground to stand on. They also show us a powerful strategy that we need for climate victory. The Ponca “seeds of resistance” provided enough legal protection to delay the KXL and contribute to its demise, and this way of finding power by standing your ground is not unique. In Louisiana, descendants of enslaved people are stopping industry by enforcing laws that protect their ancestral burial grounds and cemeteries; across the Midwest, landowners are litigating against “eminent domain for private gain” one farm or ranch at a time; across the nation, tribal nations are demanding legal enforcement of sovereign treaty rights to control their lands and waters; in polluted areas, communities of color are using environmental justice legislation to stop pipeline expansion.”   

Teen Vogue: Cancer Alley: Pollution Is Making Louisianans Sick, and They’re Fighting Back
KAMEA SIBLEY OZANE AND ROISHETTA SIBLEY OZANE, 5/10/23

“My name is Kamea and I am 10 years old. I live in Sulphur, Louisiana near the Gulf Coast with my mom and my brothers and sisters. I love my home, but I’ve also learned that pollution from oil and gas is making me and the environment sick and it is also contributing to climate change,” Kamea Sibley Ozane and Roishetta Sibley Ozane write for Teen Vogue. “I had everything planned for my tenth birthday party. I had picked out the decorations and a cake. I was so excited. But one week before my party, everything changed. My skin started to burn, itch, and break out. We went to the doctor and they told me I had a skin disease that I can’t even pronounce. They told me that I couldn’t have my party, but that my skin would get better. It didn’t. The doctors ran more tests and they told me that my skin condition is caused by  my environment— the air around me is peeling off my skin. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been affected by my environment. I’ve had asthma since I was little. But now that I’m older, I started to ask questions. What is happening to me? What’s causing it? How do we stop it? My name is Roishetta and I am Kamea’s mom. It broke my heart to have to explain to my daughter and the rest of my children that the petrochemical facilities around us are poisoning our air. They spew dangerous chemicals, and pollutants that make it more likely for my kids, and others like them, to break out in skin rashes and develop other illnesses. They also pollute our water. For example, a recent report concluded that oil refineries in Lake Charles “release about 675 thousand pounds of nitrogen pollution a year in the Calcasieu river,” causing serious environmental harms. I’ve also had to explain to my family that oil and gas companies are hurting us by causing climate change… “I want President Biden to stop approving these oil and gas projects. President Biden, please don’t let the Gulf Coast become a sacrifice zone. We don’t want these facilities in our backyards because they are poisoning our water and our air. It makes it harder for kids like me to spend time outside, and enjoy our planet. We only have one Earth, and it’s time we start acting like it.” 

New Yorker: A Supreme Court Ruling the Fossil-Fuel Industry Doesn’t Like
Bill McKibben, 5/10/23

“…Of all the powerful institutions that we’ve failed to hold to account, none is currently flying higher, despite the fact that the industry’s products have raised the temperature of the Earth to the point where scientists are in near-panic.,” Bill McKibben writes for the New Yorker. “…Yet last month saw an unexpected development, and it came in the Supreme Court: with only Brett Kavanaugh issuing a public dissent, the Justices declined to review a petition from Exxon and Suncor Energy to move a case from state to federal court… “That procedural victory may not sound like much, but it could turn out to be a signal moment in the climate fight… “Exxon helped to found and lead the Global Climate Coalition, an alliance of some of the world’s largest companies seeking to halt government efforts to curb fossil fuel emissions… “With the new evidence in hand, cities and states around the country began filing lawsuits against oil companies… “The industry responded to the lawsuits by retaining lawyers who have spent the past half decade arguing that the cases should not be heard in state courts but, instead, should be consigned to the federal judiciary system… “Six federal appeals courts across the country had heard those arguments over the years, and all six rejected them… “So now the cases can proceed in state courts… “None of this means that the cases will be simple to prove… “But assume that such cases do play out. Polling shows that “make polluters pay” is a popular argument that crosses partisan boundaries. And as Wasserman, of the Rockefeller Family Fund, said, “If, as a corporation, you’re found to have deceived the public, there are consequences.” Those consequences could conceivably lead to some kind of general settlement, as happened when a wave of lawsuits forced the tobacco industry not only to pay hundreds of billions of dollars to fund related health-care costs that states had to bear but also to support anti-smoking education programs and even to wind down the corporations’ lobbying front groups… “The Colorado lawsuit, she says, is asking players like Exxon to pay their fair share. But it could come to more than that. “I think the outcome could be an awakening that there has been some serious bad acting going on, some misinformation and disinformation from these companies that have led us to chase our tails, to focus on our own carbon footprints, and not on the massive shift we need to see. This could be our moment of system change.”