EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/23/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• Reuters: Key hearing for U.S. carbon capture pipeline begins in Iowa

• Cedar Rapids Gazette: Landowners share frustrations, fears at Summit pipeline hearing

• Pipeline Fighters Hub: Iowa Utilities Board: Summit CO2 Pipeline Hearings [VIDEO]

• AgWeek: Eminent domain arises quickly in Summit Carbon Solutions hearing in Iowa

• Radio Iowa: Critics rally before IUB’s Summit pipeline hearing

• Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators reject efforts to delay hearing for controversial carbon capture pipeline

• Radio Iowa: Weeks-long hearing on carbon pipeline begins

• WHO: Iowa landowners protest Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline at IUB hearing

• KCRG: Eminent domain hearings begin for proposed Summit carbon capture pipeline

• KTIV: Iowa Utilities Board begins evidentiary hearing for carbon capture pipeline

• KGAN: Pipeline opponents frustrated with Iowa Utilities Board, claim Summit hearing is ‘shrouded in secrecy’

• KCCI: Hearings begin on permits for Iowa’s first carbon capture pipeline

• Des Moines Register: Opponents of carbon pipeline protest Iowa hearing for Summit permit [PHOTOS]

• South Dakota Searchlight: During debate with lawmaker, carbon pipeline executive calls eminent domain a ‘last resort’

• WGEM: Hancock County residents voice opposition to CO2 pipeline, board deciding on litigator

• Quad City Sun: Attorney: Pipeline would violate Endangered Species Act

• Santa Maria Times: Santa Barbara County supervisors split on Pacific Pipeline valve project appeal

• Natural Gas Intelligence: TC’s NGTL Natural Gas System Seeking to Rebrand, Attract Indigenous Investors

• Dallas Morning News: Billionaire Kelcy Warren puts down a $40 million bet on Energy Transfer

• Argus Media: TMX crude pipeline likely to start ‘later’ in 1Q

• Prairie Public Broadcasting: Pipeline Authority director: More take away capacity needed for natural gas liquids

• Alberta Energy Regulator: Pipeline Performance Statistical Report

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Biden urged to embrace climate lawsuits during Maui visit

• Politico: The carbon capture campaign pissing off enviros

• E&E News: White House launches task force to boost ‘clean’ hydrogen

• The Hill: Biden administration reinstates Obama-era offshore drilling safety rules

STATE UPDATES

• Energy News Network: Critics question how climate-friendly an Appalachian ‘blue’ hydrogen hub will be

• Tribune Star: Vigo commissioners ask for public comment extension period on CO2 wells

EXTRACTION

• Axios: Critics drill Big Oil over new carbon technology moves

• Guardian: Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds

• E&E News: Europe’s climate activists face ‘repressive tide,’ rights watchdogs warn

• Reuters: Pope Francis to update landmark document on world environmental crisis

• Reuters: Canada steps up pace of oil production growth, seen rising 8% in two years

• Oil Change International: Shut Down 60% of Existing Fossil Fuel Extraction to Keep 1.5°C in Reach

• Wall Street Journal: Europe’s Gas-Guzzling Days Are Fading

• KRQE: Sandia Labs developing energy generation from carbon capture

• Qnergy: According To A New Report, Half Of The Methane Leaks From U.S. Oil And Gas Production Are Associated With Gas Pneumatics

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Reuters: World Bank’s green overhaul is slowly taking shape

OPINION

• Des Moines Register: Summit Carbon CEO: Our carbon capture investment is earning Iowans’ support

• Chicago Sun Times: How carbon capture and storage would boost Illinois economy

• Dakota Free Press: Iowa Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Seeks 21M Gallons of Water a Year from Redfield Well

• National Observer: We can shut down Line 5 and still meet our energy needs

• The Messenger: The Climate Kids Are All Right — At Least in Montana, Following a Constitutional Victory
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Reuters: Key hearing for U.S. carbon capture pipeline begins in Iowa
Leah Douglas, 8/22/23

“Iowa residents living along the route of the U.S.’s largest proposed carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipeline told state regulators they were worried about possible ruptures and land takings at the start of a hearing that will determine the fate of the project,” Reuters reports. “The hearing, which could last weeks, is a major test for the $5.5 billion pipeline proposed by Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions, and for CCS, which the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden sees as a critical tool in fighting climate change… “The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), which will decide whether to grant Summit’s permit application, heard on Tuesday from landowners who have not signed agreements with Summit and could be forced under eminent domain law to hand over land if the project moves ahead. Jessica Marson told the board she feared the pipeline could rupture and that its construction could harm her 80 acres of cropland. “We are concerned about our safety, we are concerned about the community,” she said… “Summit recently faced a setback in North Dakota, when regulators on August 4 denied its permit application, saying the company had failed to prove that the pipeline would not hurt the state’s citizens and environment. The company submitted a new application last Friday.”

Cedar Rapids Gazette: Landowners share frustrations, fears at Summit pipeline hearing
Erin Jordan, 8/22/23

“Three Iowa landowners — all women — testified Tuesday about their fears and frustrations about a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline being built by their homes, crops and dairy cows,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. “We’re challenged in understanding how a carbon pipeline — to nowhere now — has the ability to meet the common good,” said Jessica Marson, of Rockford in Floyd County. The proposed Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 underground pipeline would cut through 80 acres of Marson’s land, which she said is prime ground yielding of up to 250 bushels of corn per acre. She’s concerned the pipeline would disrupt underground drainage tiles and put her family at risk if the pressurized pipeline ruptures. Marson, who answered questions for an hour, was the first of dozens of landowners expected to testify during a multiweek evidentiary hearing over Summit’s permit application with the Iowa Utilities Board… “Nelva Huitink, of Hospers in Sioux County, said her view on underground pipelines has been soured by their experiences signing an easement for the Dakota Access pipeline, which transports crude oil from North Dakota across Iowa to Illinois. Last month, Huitink was helping chop alfalfa when the tractor she was driving drove over a new sinkhole along the Dakota Access route on their farm, she said. “Once you dig a hole in the ground, the soil is going to react differently,” she said. “Would we like to be consulted? Yes. But every time with Dakota Access we would have to talk with a different person. With Summit right now we’ve had four different land agents. We always have to start over from square one.” “It sounds like deja vu this time around,” said Brian Jorde, an attorney representing another landowner opposed to the project… “Langner said she was frustrated Summit surveyors went onto their land without permission, spooking cattle. She also asked the company not to bother her 93-year-old mother who lives at a care center. “He assured me she would not be contacted. Later, I found out she had been harassed by multiple Summit agents,” Langner said. “This process already has showed lack of respect for homeowner rights.”

Pipeline Fighters Hub: Iowa Utilities Board: Summit CO2 Pipeline Hearings [VIDEO]
8/22/23

“Summit Carbon Solutions’ permit application hearing before the Iowa Utilities Board began on Tuesday, Aug. 22 in Fort Dodge, IA, and Bold Alliance captured video of the proceedings. Non-intervening landowners testified after the IUB Commissioners issued decisions on motions and dealt with housekeeping during the hearing, which is expected to last weeks if not months. Landowner witnesses were questioned by landowners’ attorney Brian Jorde (Iowa Easement Team); Wally Taylor (Sierra Club Iowa Chapter); and attorneys for the Iowa Office of Consumer Advocate, Iowa Farm Bureau, and Summit Carbon, along with the IUB Commissioners. Landowners are represented by the Iowa Easement Team legal co-op, and attorney Brian Jorde of Domina Law Group, Omaha, NE: https://iaeasement.org. More details on eminent domain & CO2 pipelines:https://PipelineFighters.org” 

AgWeek: Eminent domain arises quickly in Summit Carbon Solutions hearing in Iowa
Jeff Beach, 8/22/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board got right to the question of eminent domain as it considers the controversial carbon pipeline project from Summit Carbon Solutions,” AgWeek reports. “Property owners who have refused to sign a voluntary easement were on the witness stand on Tuesday, Aug. 22, the first day of what will likely be a months-long trial-like hearing on Summit’s pipeline application. Marcia Langner who lives in Clay County near Ayrshire, Iowa, testified that Summit representatives “harassed” her 93-year-old mother and went back on promises to notify them when surveyors would be on their property… “She said the surveyors disturbed cattle during calving season and risked exposing themselves to chemicals after spraying. She said proper notice could have avoided that. “This process already has shown disrespect for landowner rights by allowing surveyors to enter unannounced,” she said… “A Summit attorney referenced more than 10,000 pages of written testimony from attorney Brian Jorde, who represents landowners in multiple states. He bemoaned the uncertainty of not knowing when landowners may be called on to testify in the coming months… “Summit attorneys asked a limited number of questions for the three landowners that testified Tuesday. More landowners were set to testify on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.”

Radio Iowa: Critics rally before IUB’s Summit pipeline hearing
O. Kay Henderson, 8/22/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board has begun its hearing on the Summit Carbon Solutions application to construct, operate and maintain a liquid carbon pipeline through Iowa,” Radio Iowa reports. “Critics of the project held a rally in Fort Dodge just before the hearing started at 10 a.m.. The proposed pipeline goes through Tim Baughman’s property in Crawford County. “This decision will set precedent so we, the people need to speak out now,” Baughman said. According to Baughman, people who own 900 parcels of land along the Iowa route have not signed contracts granting Summit access to their land. The company is asking regulators to grant it eminent domain authority to force unwilling property owners to sign easements. “Despite Summit’s immense pressure and bullying and we stand here today united to show that together we can and must stop the Summit pipeline,” Baughman said, then he led the crowd in a chant: “No eminent domain for private gain.” Steve Kenkel, chairman of the Shelby County Supervisors, said the people testifying are seeking respect for their land and their livelihoods. “Your dignity should never be compromised or disrespected for selfish gain, greed or politics,” Kenkel said, to cheers.

Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators reject efforts to delay hearing for controversial carbon capture pipeline
Donnelle Eller, 8/22/23

“As a hearing got underway here Tuesday on Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed $5.5 billion carbon capture pipeline across Iowa, state regulators denied efforts to postpone the proceedings, citing in part the time and effort spent on preparations,” the Des Moines Register reports. “…Parties have experienced untold costs in anticipation of the hearing,” Erik Helland, chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, said, adding that the board “alone has spent half a million dollars to date.” The costs to the state, which include having more than a dozen engineers review the pipeline route, will be recouped from Summit, a utilities board attorney said. The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter was among organizations seeking a delay in the hearing after North Dakota regulators earlier this month denied Summit a permit for the portion of the pipeline crossing that state… “The denial of the North Dakota permit is just one of many controversies surrounding the pipeline plan. Outside Fort Dodge’s Cardiff Event Center on Tuesday, about 200 pipeline opponents showed up wearing red shirts to express their concerns about the pipeline’s safety and potential damage to farmland that the 700-mile Iowa segment would cross. Above all, they object to Summit’s request that the utilities board allow it to use eminent domain to force unwilling landowners to sell it access to their property. One of the protesters, Tim Baughman, a fourth-generation Crawford County farmer, called on state leaders to take a stand against granting eminent domain to a private company… “There is no time left for decision-makers to claim to be neutral,” Baughman said. “A person is either for or against preserving landowner rights. This decision will set precedence, so we the people need to speak out now.” Steve Kenkel, chairperson of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors, said eminent domain shouldn’t be used for a carbon capture pipeline… “You want respect for your land,” Kenkel said. “You want respect in knowing that your livelihood won’t be damaged. You want respect that your family will be safe and protected from harm. “Respect is what unifies all of us together today,” he said.

Radio Iowa: Weeks-long hearing on carbon pipeline begins
O. Kay Henderson, 8/22/23

“Landowners who object to letting the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline run through their properties are making their case to state utility regulators,” Radio Iowa reports. “…Marcia Langner of Ayrshire spent an hour and a half testifying about her concerns about the proposed pipeline route through her Clay County farm. “For one, I can’t imagine that the land wouldn’t be of a lower value…by having a hazardous CO2 pipeline placed on it,” she said. Langner accused developers of using “scare tactics” when they say corn prices “will tank” if the pipeline isn’t built. “Keeping the land intact without private entities encroaching on it is a fundamental desire and right,” Langner said. Nelva Huitink of Hospers said her family put a plan to build an automated milking facility on hold after learning Summit’s pipeline might run through their dairy farm. “Move it. Go around us. We just do not want it on our land,” Huitink said. “…Summit Carbon, at their information meeting, said to us: ‘You’ll never know that we have touched your land.’ Dakota Access said the same thing,” Huitink said. “Six years later, now we have to deal with them coming in, trying to repair this sinkhole. They’ll be tearing up our ground again.” Jessica Marson was the other landowner who testified on the hearing’s opening day. Her family farm is near Rockford, in Floyd County. “…There is too much ambiguity at this point, which is why we’ve said, ‘No.’” The hearing will resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and ten more pipeline opponents are scheduled to testify. The hearing is expected to last for several weeks, perhaps to the end of September.”

WHO: Iowa landowners protest Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline at IUB hearing
Roger Riley, 8/22/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board began a public evidentiary hearing regarding the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline on Tuesday,” WHO reports. “…The audience was filled with people wearing red shirts in opposition to the pipeline. That included Bonnie Ewoldt, who owns land in Crawford County where the pipeline is proposed to run “My main concern is that it is a violation of our constitutional rights to protection of private property,” Ewoldt told WHO. “They are taking the eminent domain for a private entities, taking it and using eminent domain for profit for no public use.” The board early this afternoon heard from a landowner in north central Iowa who expressed concern over lack of information about the pipeline, and a mystery of who are the people behind the project. Marcia Langner farms with her family in Clay County near Ayrshire. She expressed concerns over Summit survey crews scaring her livestock. She also was opposed to the project being forced on landowners. “Eminent domain is intended for government projects that are undeniably for the public good,” said Langner. “Eminent domain should not apply to projects being for private entities.”

KCRG: Eminent domain hearings begin for proposed Summit carbon capture pipeline
Conner Hendricks, 8/22/23

“A hearing started Tuesday on whether Summit would get state approval to build a Carbon Capture pipeline through Iowa,” KCRG reports. “…Much of the hearing is focused on plans to use eminent domain to acquire land for the pipeline. Before Tuesday’s session started, a group of landowners in the proposed path held a press conference, encouraging the board to put “people over pipelines”. “There is no time left for decision-makers, to claim to be neutral. The person is either for or against preserving landowner rights. This decision will set precedence, so we the people need to speak out now, Tim Baughman, an affected landowner said. Landowners opposed also pointed to concerns over the safety of the pipeline. “The hazardous pipeline easements force land owners to bear all the risk and only rewards Summit. Our safety, our land, our lives, and livelihoods are more important than Summit’s Private, for-profit, bottom line,” Baughman said. Steve Kenkel, Chair of Shelby County Board of Supervisors, said public support is against using eminent domain for the private pipeline project. “78 percent of Iowans respect your position and agree that eminent domain should not be used for CO2 pipelines. Summit must show the pipeline is a public use,” Kenkel said… “All three board members of the Iowa Utilities Board are appointed by the Governor. We asked Governor Reynolds’ office if she supports the proposed pipeline, but did not hear back.”

KTIV: Iowa Utilities Board begins evidentiary hearing for carbon capture pipeline
Katie Copple, 8/22/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board has begun its evidentiary hearing for one of two major carbon capture pipelines set for Iowa,” KTIV reports. “..Landowners, environmentalists, and elected officials, who are fighting against the pipeline, spoke ahead of the hearing. They tell KTIV, this isn’t just about fighting for the rights to their land, but also fighting for respect. “Respect is what unifies all of us here today. No matter what your main concern is about these hazardous CO2 pipelines, it all boils down to being respected, to being heard, and treated fairly and knowing your constitutional rights are being upheld,” said Steven Kenkel, a member of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors. Landowners, who oppose the project, are the first to testify. One Clay County, Iowa, woman says this fight has taken a toll on Iowans’ physical and mental health. “Landowners’ physical and mental health is greatly affected by the need to protect what they in past generations have garnered through lifetimes of hard work, sleepless nights, and days spent devoted to upholding property rights are taking a toll throughout Iowa,” said Marcia Langner, a Clay County landowner. “My husband and I have experienced this firsthand.”

KGAN: Pipeline opponents frustrated with Iowa Utilities Board, claim Summit hearing is ‘shrouded in secrecy’
Valeree Dunn, 8/22/23

“Tuesday marked the first day of the Iowa Utilities Board’s (IUB) hearing on whether to approve or deny Summit Carbon Solutions’ $5.5 billion carbon pipeline plan,” KGAN reports. “…The hearing could last weeks, and many landowners aren’t happy with the process or the plans. Opponents of the project have accused the IUB of trying to fast-track the pipeline, after urging the board to reschedule the hearing for next year, so the process wouldn’t interrupt farmers tending their crops… “But farmers say the hearing still overlaps with their work in the field, since the dry year is forcing them to harvest early, and many won’t be able to participate in the hearings to defend their land… “Who benefits from the IUB’s refusal to communicate basic information about the hearing process? Those of us impacted by Summit’s pipeline have lives, jobs and other commitments,” said Greene County landowner Beth Tribble. “We have already spent two years fighting to protect our land, and now we’re expected to put our lives on hold for months. The IUB claims to work for Iowans, but their secrecy and refusal to share necessary details only serves Summit.” Landowners and their lawyers were required to wait outside for an extended period during a heat advisory to enter the hearing. Summit was allowed to enter through the back door… “The venue was not large enough to accommodate all interested parties, a concern the IUB was well aware of. Rather than rescheduling until a reasonable venue was available, the IUB chose to turn concerned citizens away. At multiple points during the first day of the hearing, Summit was seen walking behind the stage curtain with IUB staff, an area off-limits to every other involved party… “Sioux County Dairy Farmer Nelva Huitink told the IUB Tuesday her experience with the Dakota Access Pipeline in the last decade doesn’t inspire confidence in this project, and that another pipeline will severely limit the ability to control what happens to her own land. Huitink said she’s been dealing with a sinkhole on her property due to the construction of DAPL, there’s no resolution in sight, and she doesn’t see things being much different with Summit.”

KCCI: Hearings begin on permits for Iowa’s first carbon capture pipeline
8/22/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board is deciding if an Ames company can build the state’s first carbon capture pipeline,” KCCI reports. “…Landowners and environmentalists opposed to the plan held a small protest outside the Iowa Utilities Board hearing room Tuesday morning. “We are here today to protect our land,” Crawford County landowner Tim Baughman said in front of a crowd of protestors in Fort Dodge Tuesday. “When will Summit realize we don’t want their pipeline scam?” “…Opponents say they don’t want a pipeline going under their land and they worry about the safety of the carbon dioxide pipes. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my grandkids someday with CO2 pipes in an unzoned maze in my county jeopardizing their way of life to wonder what the hell grandpa was thinking,” Shelby County Supervisor Steve Kenkel said… “Many landowners also dislike Summit Carbon Solutions using eminent domain to install the pipes on their private property. Monty Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says that’s the law. “You don’t want one person to stop a project that’s beneficial to the public good,” Shaw told KCCI.

Des Moines Register: Opponents of carbon pipeline protest Iowa hearing for Summit permit [PHOTOS]
Lily Smith, 8/22/23

“Landowners hold signs during a press conference by opponents of the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 in Fort Dodge,” the Des Moines Register reports. 

South Dakota Searchlight: During debate with lawmaker, carbon pipeline executive calls eminent domain a ‘last resort’
Joshua Haiar, 8/23/23

“An executive for a carbon dioxide pipeline company said during a debate Tuesday evening that eminent domain is “a tool of absolute last resort,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, vice president of government and public affairs for Navigator CO2, debated state Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, at the Dacotah Bank Event Center. Hansen is a critic of Navigator’s proposed pipeline and another pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, both of which would capture carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants in multiple states and transport the gas in liquid form to be injected underground or sold for industrial use… “Hansen said the initial letters the company sent out threatened eminent domain… “Hansen said when eminent domain is hanging overhead, “no matter how you slice it, that’s not a voluntary negotiation, that’s coercion.” The debate drew a crowd of hundreds — mostly landowners opposed to the project who cheered for Hansen… “Hansen also attacked the motivation for carbon pipeline projects. “I would describe this project as a boondoggle,” he said, adding that the only reason for the project is federal tax credits. The credits incentivize the removal of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, where it contributes to climate change… “Burns-Thompson described ethanol – which is made from corn to be mixed with gasoline – as more than a fuel. She mentioned its byproducts, including distillers grains, which can be used as livestock feed. “What’s left?” she asked the crowd. “That CO2.”  Burns-Thompson said by creating a market for ethanol’s carbon byproduct, ethanol will be more successful.” 

WGEM: Hancock County residents voice opposition to CO2 pipeline, board deciding on litigator
Dylan Smith, 8/22/23

“A proposed CO2 pipeline by a company called Navigator received mass opposition during Tuesday night’s Hancock County Board meeting,” WGEM reports. “Approximately 20 Hancock County residents listened and chimed in on how they think the county should proceed. While Board Chairman Mark Menn said Navigator hasn’t sent the county a written contract, the board is proceeding with caution. In the last year they allocated $30,0000 towards a litigator to represent the citizens of Hancock County. Menn said roughly $15,000 of that was used… “We wanted the voice of the public to tell us whether they approve of that or not and it sounds like tonight that they do want us to move forward with that and make sure the citizens of Hancock County are represented,” Menn said. Several opposing the project addressed their concerns to the board while very few in favor made note. One resident, Tim Etter, is concerned about safety and property values. “If that thing is to rupture, there’s going to be a lot of people that will probably meet their death,” Etter said. Etter owns 17 acres in the Nauvoo area. He said the pipeline would come within 360 feet of his home. By placing the pipeline on his property, he said he would lose property rights and not be able to build anything… “The pipeline has also faced opposition in neighboring McDonough County, where there’s a two-year moratorium on the project. Several anti-pipeline signs can be found along country roads. In Bushnell, a billboard expresses opposition to the pipeline… “Menn said it’ll likely be decided at the next board meeting if the county will continue to seek representation from a litigator.”

Quad City Sun: Attorney: Pipeline would violate Endangered Species Act
8/23/23

“The attorney representing the Village of Logan has asked the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to order a halt to construction of a proposed water pipeline to Ute Lake because it would violate the Endangered Species Act,” the Quad City Sun reports. “Logan attorney Warren Frost on behalf of the village wrote a letter Aug. 16 to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, with copies sent to officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. He alleges the Bureau of Reclamation is in violation of the Endangered Species Act by supporting and funding the pipeline project. The 130-mile pipeline would pump up to 16,415 acre-feet of water annually from Ute Lake near Logan to communities in Curry and Roosevelt counties that have experienced depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer… “Frost cited two endangered species he said would be threatened by the project. One would be the peppered chub, a minnow whose habitat is below Ute Dam west of Logan into Lake Meredith in Texas… “Frost also stated the lesser prairie chicken would be threatened by pipeline construction. He said its 85-foot-wide permanent easement for northern Curry County and southern Quay County would have “a deleterious impact” on the bird’s habitat.” “…Frost sent the letter just days before the authority was scheduled to hold a groundbreaking ceremony near Clovis for the first phase of the pipeline project, including a visit by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich.”

Santa Maria Times: Santa Barbara County supervisors split on Pacific Pipeline valve project appeal
Mike Hodgson, 8/22/23

“An abbreviated Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was unable to reach a decision on an appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of a permit for Pacific Pipeline Co. to install safety valves in a pipeline that ruptured in 2015,” the Santa Maria Times reports. “In twin 2-2 votes — one to uphold the appeal filed by Pacific Pipeline and one to deny the appeal — supervisors allowed the Planning Commission’s decision to stand Tuesday, but set up a potential for the pipeline to be reopened without any additional safety valves. The tie votes were the result of 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann recusing herself from the public hearing because the pipeline passes near a corner of her Santa Ynez Valley property, enroute from the Gaviota Coast to Kern County… “I don’t see how we deny this appeal unless our goal as a board is to obstruct the vested rights of PPC [to operate the pipeline],” Nelson said. But Capps said she had to take a “big picture” look at the project. “I was elected to look at the big picture, and the big picture is climate change, it’s a reliance on fossil fuels,” Capps said. “It’s a direction that we’re headed in the wrong direction… “OK, maybe you don’t want to use it,” he said, indicating the audience. “But the vast majority of the people in Santa Barbara County are using, and basically addicted to, this product, which is petroleum.”

Natural Gas Intelligence: TC’s NGTL Natural Gas System Seeking to Rebrand, Attract Indigenous Investors
GORDON JAREMKO, 8/22/23

“TC Energy Corp. has added its mammoth natural gas collection grid for Alberta and British Columbia (BC), Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL), to a strategy that spreads ownership of its pipeline empire to other investors,” Natural Gas Intelligence repots. “Subsidiary TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. (TCPL), the parent of NGTL, disclosed the plan for the 66-year-old North American gas industry mainstay in an application to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) for a corporate reorganization. CER approval, sought by Nov. 1 for a restructuring with a completion target by year’s end, would convert the Western Canada network into NGTL LP. The new entity could recruit investors to obtain minority stakes in the company, namely Canadian Indigenous tribes.

Dallas Morning News: Billionaire Kelcy Warren puts down a $40 million bet on Energy Transfer
Paul O’Donnell, 8/22/23

“Days after striking a $7 billion deal to expand Energy Transfer’s oil and gas pipeline network, the Dallas firm’s executive chairman is spending nearly $40 million to raise his personal stake in the company,” the Dallas Morning News reports. “Kelcy Warren bought 3 million shares in three separate transactions last week and this week, according to a regulatory filing… “Top executives typically buy shares in companies they run when they consider the stock price to be undervalued or as a way to signal their confidence to other investors. Since January 2018, Warren has acquired over 103 million Energy Transfer shares — totaling just under $950 million. Warren’s net worth is estimated at over $5.6 billion, with Energy Transfer shares accounting for most of his fortune, according to Bloomberg’s real-time billionaires index. He held a 9.4% stake in the company’s common units as of a May 25 filing… “The company owns and operates nearly 125,000 miles of pipeline and related infrastructure in 41 states.”

Argus Media: TMX crude pipeline likely to start ‘later’ in 1Q
Brett Holmes, 8/22/23

“The 590,000 b/d Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) crude pipeline in western Canada will likely start commercial “later” in the first quarter next year as it enters the final stages of the C$30.9bn ($22.8bn) project,” Argus Media reports. “Shippers are at most seven months away from using the federally owned pipeline project, according to Trans Mountain last week in response to information requests from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). The regulator is guiding both Trans Mountain and shippers toward a hearing, but first asking parties to elaborate on their positions relating to both line fill and tolls. A specific in-service date still appears premature for the massive project that will connect oil producers in Alberta to an export terminal in British Columbia, but it is a sign of relative certainty for the pipeline that has been marred by construction and legal challenges, culminating in repeated delays and cost overruns since it was first proposed in 2013… “Trans Mountain is still planning for the possibility of putting the expansion into commercial service in January, contingent on putting the final touches on construction, which means the expansion would need to have line fill completed in advance of the first round of monthly nominations which would be due on 13 December… “Tolls filed were opposed by oil companies and refineries, prompting the regulator to request more information from Trans Mountain on the rising costs… “Trans Mountain said it will be responsible for 69pc of the C$23.5bn cost increase since 2017, with the remaining 31pc passed on to shippers in the form of higher tolls.”

Prairie Public Broadcasting: Pipeline Authority director: More take away capacity needed for natural gas liquids
Dave Thompson, 8/21/23

“North Dakota’s pipeline authority director said there is a real need in North Dakota for more liquid natural gas pipelines,” Prairie Public Broadcasting reports. “Justin Kringstad told PPB OneOK has announced the expansion of the Elk Creek Pipeline system by 100,000 barrels of NGLs. “We very much need that additional NGL capacity, so the timing is going to be great,” Kringstad told PPB. “We expect liquid gas volumes to continue to increase.” Kringstad told PPB with that increase, there is a possibility of more of the liquid gas being transported by rail. “We may see another one or two additional trains with NGLs leaving the region as the gas volumes continue to grow,” Kringstad told PPB… “Kringstad told PPB discussions are now underway on how to meet that need.”

Alberta Energy Regulator: Pipeline Performance Statistical Report
8/22/23

“Under the industry performance program, we release an annual Pipeline Performance Report, which includes information about pipeline incidents,” according to the Alberta Energy Regulator. “This year’s report covers the period from 2017 to 2022. The AER regulates oil and gas pipelines solely within the borders of Alberta… “The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) regulates oil and gas pipelines that cross provincial or international borders… “ In 2022, there were about 40% fewer incidents than in 2013, even though the total pipeline kilometres (km) grew by 8% in the same period. The 2022 pipeline incident rate was 0.73 per 1000 km of pipeline compared with 1.32 in 2013. This ongoing improvement in the incident rate is attributable to industry development and adoption of better pipeline practices and our continuous improvement of pipeline requirements and inspections that focus on educating industry about pipeline safety. However, oil and gas industry downturns have resulted in fewer operational pipelines, possibly contributing to the lower incident rate.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Biden urged to embrace climate lawsuits during Maui visit
Lesley Clark, 8/21/23

“As President Joe Biden arrives in Maui on Monday to witness the devastation caused by one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, activists are urging him to use the trip to endorse a lawsuit that could force the fossil fuel industry to pay up for the ravages of climate change,” E&E News reports. “Maui is among more than two dozen cities, counties and states that are looking to hold oil supermajors financially liable for global warming effects such as severe weather, sea-level rise and wildfires. Those lawsuits — if they are successful — could force oil companies to pay hundreds of billions of dollars for their role in spewing greenhouse gas emissions and warming the planet. “Simply connecting the deadly Maui fires and other recent disasters to climate change is not enough,” Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, which backs the liability lawsuits, told E&E. “It’s time for President Biden to make clear to the American people that the oil and gas industry must be held accountable for their lies and pollution that continue to fuel the climate crisis.”

Politico: The carbon capture campaign pissing off enviros
BLANCA BEGERT, 8/22/23

“For a technology that doesn’t exist at commercial scale in California, carbon capture and storage is getting a lot of attention lately,” Politico reports. “Long advocated for by oil companies who say it can help them reduce their emissions, and largely opposed by environmental justice groups who see it as a way to extend the life of polluting facilities, the technology has recently been thrust into the national spotlight… “Now, a lobbying firm is ruffling feathers in the state with a new CCS campaign. Rodriguez Strategies, a Los Angeles-based firm, emailed environmental groups earlier this month to ask them to advocate for CCS to state lawmakers. The emails cited other environmentalists’ support for the technology and said they were part of a “coalition” that had also reached out to lawmakers. Not so, say the enviros. “We have a position on carbon capture, but it is not reflected in what Rodriguez Strategies is telling people,” Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Environmental Defense Fund’s California director, told Politico. The emails from Rodriguez’s deputy director of public affairs, Ana Kassar, listed EDF, the Natural Resources Defense Fund, the California Air Resources Board, Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center, Eden Youth and Family Center and more as “CCS supporters.” The firm also circulated a flyer with pro-CCS quotes from NRDC, EDF, EPA, Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability, Clean Air Task Force and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers… “Roedner Sutter told Politico EDF’s position on carbon capture is nuanced — the group acknowledges that it will “likely be necessary” to hit net-zero targets, but that it needs to be limited. EDF, NRDC and CATF wrote an Aug. 18 letter to lawmakers denouncing the campaign. “Saying that we are a supporter, just blanket, is not at all an accurate description of our position,” she told Politico. “It’s a lot more complicated than that. It’s a very technical issue and the details really matter.”

E&E News: White House launches task force to boost ‘clean’ hydrogen
Brian Dabbs, 8/21/23

“The Biden administration announced a new task force Friday to boost efforts to produce 10 million metric tons annually of “clean” hydrogen by 2030, a figure matching the amount of hydrogen currently made in the U.S. with fossil fuels,” E&E News reports. “Led by the White House and the Department of Energy, the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force aims to drive down costs and secure proper storage sites for clean versions of the fuel, priorities identified in a DOE hydrogen strategy in June. “To reach 100 percent clean energy, we really need hydrogen,” deputy national climate adviser Mary Frances Repko said on a conference call with reporters Friday. “The work of agencies to tackle the deployment of hydrogen is already staggering.” Repko, who joined the White House in January, is a co-chair of the new task force. She was a former top staffer at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee who helped craft the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, which funds much of the hydrogen supply chain activity in the U.S., including $8 billion allocated for hydrogen hubs.”

The Hill: Biden administration reinstates Obama-era offshore drilling safety rules
ZACK BUDRYK, 8/22/23

“The Biden administration has finalized the restoration of Obama-era offshore oil drilling rules, passed in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, that the Trump administration rolled back,” The Hill reports. “The final rule restores the bulk of the 2016 protections, including a required analysis and investigation of any failures within three months of an incident as well as real-time drilling monitoring.  It also strengthens safety requirements for blowout preventers, the system of seals and valves used to prevent pressurized oil and gas from bursting out of wells. A 2014 report by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board determined that the failure of a blowout preventer was a major factor in the Deepwater Horizon disaster… “The rule was vocally opposed by the oil and gas industry and its leading trade group, the American Petroleum Institute, which in a statement called the rule “yet another example of the Biden administration working to restrict American energy, which could lead to higher energy costs and weaken U.S. security.” “…Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer for ocean conservation group Oceana, said in a statement on Tuesday that the new rules are “a big step in getting us back on track…”But offshore drilling simply will never be safe. When there is a spill like Deepwater Horizon, it’s too late, our options are severely limited, so prevention is the only solution and this is a good step in that direction. That said, there is no way we can do enough to prevent an oil spill, it is an inherently risky business and it’s not a matter of if, but when we will have another one. So a big part of prevention has to be to stop selling new leases,” Savitz told the Hill.

STATE UPDATES

Energy News Network: Critics question how climate-friendly an Appalachian ‘blue’ hydrogen hub will be
Kathiann M. Kowalski, 8/21/23

“Critics say a pair of proposals to make Appalachian Ohio part of regional hydrogen hubs is likely to benefit the state’s oil and gas industry more than the climate,” Energy News Network reports. “The two proposals are among 21 projects competing for shares of a $7 billion pot of grant money under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law defines hydrogen hubs as networks of clean hydrogen producers, their potential consumers and infrastructure connecting them. At least one of the winning projects is to be a “blue” hydrogen hub, meaning it would make hydrogen from fossil fuels with carbon capture, storage and possible reuse, or CCUS… “As a decarbonization strategy, a blue hydrogen hub would be “a really energy-intensive, really water-intensive thing that commits that sector to being fossil-based forever, essentially,” Emily Grubert, an energy policy expert at the University of Notre Dame, told ENN. It’s unclear whether blue hydrogen “would even result in a net reduction of carbon emissions,” Ben Hunkler, communications manager for the Ohio River Valley Institute, told ENN. In a 2022 analysis, he said a blue hydrogen hub would be “a risky gamble,” whose costs likely outweigh environmental benefits when compared with other options, such as renewable energy. Although industry and government “now talk about carbon capture as having been proven, it really hasn’t,” David Schlissel, director of resource planning and analysis for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, told ENN. There hasn’t been any long-term, large-scale demonstration of its effectiveness over the time frame when promoters expect blue hydrogen hubs to operate… “Hydrogen can also leak, especially because its molecules are so small. “We think it leaks everywhere, but there’s no commercially available technology that can measure hydrogen leakage,” Schlissel told ENN. 

Tribune Star: Vigo commissioners ask for public comment extension period on CO2 wells
8/21/23

“Vigo County commissioners are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a 30-day extension in the public comment period regarding permit requests for underground injection wells for carbon dioxide in West Terre Haute and Vermillion County,” the Tribune Star reports. “The text of the letter, sent Monday and shared by commissioners, says: “The Vigo County Board of Commissioners are asking for a 30-day extension for public comments regarding Wabash Carbon Services, Class VI UIC injection wells. We believe this will allow Wabash Valley Carbon Services LLC sufficient time to address valid concerns from the community across northeast Vigo County.” The project has generated considerable public interest, including well attended public forums such as: The EPA-run hearing Aug. 10 on the Indiana State University campus; An Aug. 14 meeting at Universal Town Hall with U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s staff members; At the Aug. 15 Vigo County commissioners’ meeting; At a public meeting Aug. 16 presented by Wabash Valley Resources — Wabash Valley Carbon Services’ parent company — in Vermillion County. Wabash Valley Resources is hosting another public meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Fayette Elementary School, 9400 N. Beech Place, in Vigo County. Others also have called for an extension of the public comment period, among them state Rep. Tonya Pfaff, D-Terre Haute, who wrote that “the risks and rewards of carbon sequestration were never adequately explained to the hundreds of residents whose lives and property might be affected.”

EXTRACTION

Axios: Critics drill Big Oil over new carbon technology moves
Andrew Freedman, 8/22/23

“A multi-billion dollar federal spending commitment, a big corporate deal and one oil executive’s provocative comment are fueling skirmishes about the promise and peril of nascent technology to draw carbon out of the air,” Axios reports. “Why it matters: Where the debate leads may shape the future of the direct air capture (DAC) industry, and the ability of countries to meet climate goals… “One of the main threads of the conversations has been sparked by the oil giant Occidental’s $1.1 billion purchase of the DAC firm Carbon Engineering last week. This move has raised key questions around the potential role for oil and gas in the DAC business… “An Oxy spokesperson told Axios via email they do not plan to use DAC under the deal for such purposes… “Oxy has positioned itself to eventually offer customers ways to reduce their carbon footprint through the production of what it calls “net zero oil.” To that end, the company is spending more in the DAC space than many of its counterparts… “Oxy’s intentions have been called into question by a quote that has been making the rounds from its CEO, Vicki Hollub, in which she seemed to say the quiet part out loud. By using direct air capture, the oil and gas industry can continue producing more fossil fuels for another 80 years. Critics of big oil and gas have pounced on that statement, using it to question the viability of DAC technology, and arguing for more federal funding of renewables instead… “The bottom line: It may take new legislative policies or policies in other forms to ensure DAC doesn’t become yet another form of industry greenwashing.”

Guardian: Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds
Ajit Niranjan, 8/21/23

“Anger is by far the most powerful emotional predictor of whether somebody plans to take part in a climate protest, research suggests,” the Guardian reports. “The study, which asked 2,000 Norwegian adults how they felt about the climate crisis, found the link to activism was seven times stronger for anger than it was for hope. The effects were smaller for other actions, but fear and guilt were the best predictors of policy support, while sadness, fear and hope were the best predictors of behavioural change… “The problem isn’t that people feel too scared about climate change,” Thea Gregersen, a climate psychologist at the Norwegian Research Centre and lead author of the study, told the Guardian. “The problem, in Norway at least, seems to be that they’re not scared enough.” “…The researchers in Norway, a rich oil-exporting country, found that for every two steps a person took along the anger scale, they moved one step along the activism scale. The link between emotion and action was weaker for questions about limiting emissions in everyday life and supporting a tax on petrol and diesel… “Previous studies have shown “intentions are surprisingly weakly aligned with actual behaviour”, Cameron Brick, a social scientist at the University of Amsterdam who was not involved in the study, told the Guardian… “I realised eight years ago … that the narratives I was hearing around climate change were the same as the narratives I’d heard around child abuse. The very people who are supposed to protect you are the people who are hurting you. And not only are they hurting you, they’re telling you that they love you and they’re doing it for your own good,” Hickman, who was the lead author of the 2021 study and previously a social worker, told the Guardian. When the researchers in Norway asked participants what made them angry, they found most people mentioned human actions such as causing the climate crisis or failing to stop it. A further 26% said their anger related to human qualities such as people not caring. “People should feel angry because they had been deliberately deceived by fossil fuel companies and governments had let that happen,” Dr Laura Thomas-Walters, a social scientist at the Yale Programme on Climate Communication and an activist with Extinction Rebellion, who was not involved in the studies, told the Guardian. The link from anger to activism was logical, she added. “It’s in the name that activism is an ‘active’ behaviour, and anger can spur action.”

E&E News: Europe’s climate activists face ‘repressive tide,’ rights watchdogs warn
ZIA WEISE, 8/18/23

“Before Wolfgang Metzeler-Kick answers any questions, he makes sure to switch off his phone. “Per court order, they can tap it,” he says,” E&E News reports. “Over the past year, Metzeler-Kick, 49, has spent several weeks in jail and racked up tens of thousands of euros in fines. His crime? Taking part in climate protests. The Bavarian activist has delivered manure to Germany’s agriculture minister, dug up the lawn in front of Olaf Scholz’s chancellery and tried to disrupt flights at Berlin airport to draw attention to the dangers of global warming. Mainly, he glues himself to roads to “disrupt our fossil-fueled routines,” as he puts it. “We have to stop doing business as usual,” he adds. “We’re hurtling toward disaster.” As a wave of similar protests sweeps Europe — targeting key infrastructure, causing travel chaos and sparking widespread public outrage — governments are getting tough on activists. Too tough, say human rights advocates. United Nations experts, the Council of Europe and other rights groups warn that European countries are increasingly employing disproportionate methods to stymie climate activism.”

Reuters: Pope Francis to update landmark document on world environmental crisis
Philip Pullella, 8/21/23

“Pope Francis said on Monday that he was writing a follow-up to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the protection of the environment and the dangers of climate change “to bring it up to date”,” Reuters reports. “He made the surprise announcement in a brief, unprepared addition in a speech to a group of lawyers from Council of Europe countries. In 2015, Francis wrote Laudato Si (Praised Be), a major document on the need to protect the environment, face the dangers and challenges of climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels. An encyclical is the highest form of papal writing. “I am writing a second part to Laudato Si to bring it up to date with current problems,” Francis told the group, without elaborating. The encyclical, which made Francis a hero to many climate activists, was seen to have influenced the decisions taken later that year at the Paris climate conference that set goals to limit global warming. At the time it was issued, some conservative Catholics allied with conservative political movements and corporate interests fiercely criticised the pope for backing the opinion of a majority of scientists who said global warming was at least partly due to human activity.”

Reuters: Canada steps up pace of oil production growth, seen rising 8% in two years
Nia Williams, 8/23/23

“A busy oil sands maintenance season and early summer wildfires put a dent in Canadian crude production in the second quarter, but oil companies are ramping up growth over the next two years and will add nearly 8% to Canada’s total output, analysts estimate,” Reuters reports. “The roughly 375,000 barrel per day (bpd) increase in two years would be more than Canada, the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, has managed to add over the last five years combined, even after promising European allies it would boost crude output in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. According to Canada Energy Regulator data, Canadian oil production averaged 4.86 million bpd in 2022, up from 4.61 million bpd in 2018. Much of the growth will come from oil sands producers like Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL) (CNQ.TO) tweaking operations to boost efficiency. Companies are also moving forward on so-called “step-out” or “tie-back” oil sands thermal projects, where instead of building an entirely new facility to steam bitumen deposits, they are linking new areas with existing plants to speed up development and lower costs. The move to boost output – while continuing to funnel free cash to shareholders – shows producers are confident prices will stay firm, analysts told Reuters… “Increasing production would be at odds with the Canadian government’s effort to meet its goal of cutting carbon emissions by 40-45% by 2030, given oil and gas is the country’s highest-emitting sector. RBN expects total Canadian crude output to increase 175,000 bpd this year and another 200,000 bpd in 2024, while S&P Global Commodity Insights analyst Kevin Birn said annual oil sands production alone will rise around 350,000 bpd by 2025.

Oil Change International: Shut Down 60% of Existing Fossil Fuel Extraction to Keep 1.5°C in Reach
8/16/23

“In May 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) sent shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry and its allies in government by concluding that no new coal mines or oil and gas fields should be developed if the world is to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C), the limit agreed by governments to preserve a livable climate. The IEA’s logic was clear: Already-developed extraction projects – those actively producing fossil fuels or under construction – contain enough oil, gas, and coal to fulfill declining levels of demand aligned with limiting warming to 1.5°C. Developing more fields and mines would come with climate and/or economic costs that could be avoided by simply saying “no” to new extraction… “We found that developed extraction projects hold not only enough fossil fuels to meet 1.5°C-aligned demand but way too much. Extracting the oil, gas, and coal within already developed fields and mines would push the world well beyond 1.5°C of warming. In fact, our study concluded nearly 40% of developed fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground to keep the 1.5°C limit in reach. Thus, in addition to ceasing new oil, gas, and coal development, as per the IEA’s recommendation, governments must also ensure a significant portion of existing extraction sites are shut down and decommissioned prematurely.”

Wall Street Journal: Europe’s Gas-Guzzling Days Are Fading
Carol Ryan, 8/21/23

“Last year’s hottest gas market has cooled, and some of the change will stick,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Demand for natural gas in Europe hasn’t bounced back despite lower prices. The region’s TTF benchmark price is down 85% compared with a year ago, when Europe was rushing to fill its gas-storage facilities for winter after Russia cut off supply. Prices have fallen partly because Europe’s gas storage is already full. It hit a 90% capacity target last week, more than two months ahead of a schedule set last year by the European Union. But underlying demand is also weak. According to think tank Bruegel’s European natural gas demand tracker, use of gas in the first quarter of this year was 18% lower than the 2019-2021 average, and 19% below in the second quarter. The declines have accelerated from the 12% fall recorded last year. Weaker economic growth is one reason why gas use hasn’t recovered. Another may be that lower wholesale prices haven’t been passed on to end users yet, according to Ben McWilliams, author of the Bruegel tracker.”

KRQE: Sandia Labs developing energy generation from carbon capture
Curtis Segarra, 8/21/23

“…Now, Sandia National Labs researchers are exploring a way to generate a bit of energy while also storing carbon,” KRQE reports. “The idea is to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and put it deep underground. That’s nothing new. But researchers are testing ways to produce energy during the process, which could be used to power continuous monitoring systems deep underground. “Ideally, you would have continuous underground sensing, with several different types of sensors, that would tell you how the carbon dioxide is moving, if it is reacting with the groundwater or the minerals,” Charles Bryan, a Sandia geosciences engineer and leader of the project to develop the device, said in a press release. “You could demonstrate that it’s not moving out of the reservoir. However, it’s difficult to run power down a borehole: You can’t just have wires running down a working borehole.” The researchers are using the natural difference in heat between the warm earth and cooler carbon dioxide flowing down the length of the carbon-capture borehole to generate electricity. They developed both a lab-bench prototype and a version for field testing.”

Qnergy: According To A New Report, Half Of The Methane Leaks From U.S. Oil And Gas Production Are Associated With Gas Pneumatics
8/22/23

“Thunder Said Energy published a comprehensive report last week that details the large magnitude of gas pneumatics needing to be replaced as part of a zero methane emissions oil and gas industry… “Thunder Said Energy’s analysis shows that across U.S. onshore oil and gas upstream operations, approximately 50% of methane emissions may be attributed to bleeding gas pneumatic devices. Their conclusion derives from data across 200 oil and gas producers in 12 of the U.S. basins. Pneumatic devices, essential components of upstream oil and gas operations, are powered by pressurized natural gas and are widely used in the industry for process control and chemical injection, especially in off-grid production areas. These devices vent methane directly into the environment threatening the clean fuel advantages of natural gas.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Reuters: World Bank’s green overhaul is slowly taking shape
Rebecca Christie, 8/21/23

“To step up the fight against climate change, World Bank President Ajay Banga wants to overhaul the lender’s balance sheet without overturning its credit rating,” Reuters reports. “The bank’s new chief has a golden opportunity to expand the bank’s reach, thanks to support from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. At least $200 billion in extra resources each year need to materialise for the bank to do its part. The overarching needs are big: $3 trillion in additional annual funding for fighting poverty and meeting sustainable development goals, according to a July report to the G20 major economies. A team of prominent economists led by Lawrence Summers and N.K. Singh called for developing countries to mobilise $2 trillion in local finance and domestic resources, with another $1 trillion coming from richer countries and external private investors. Of that portion, they reckon between $200 billion and $300 billion should come through multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, using a mix of market-rate and concessional project loans. U.S. support will be pivotal for any of these proposals to move forward. Earlier this year, the World Bank pledged $50 billion over 10 years via changes to how it manages its equity to loan ratio. President Joe Biden signalled greater ambition with his choice of Banga, a former Mastercard (MA.N) CEO and Citigroup (C.N) Asia executive, and finance chief Yellen has put the ball in his court… “Banga’s plan to expand the bank’s balance sheet is a promising move to reduce poverty, fight climate change and create jobs. When the World Bank holds its annual meetings in Marrakech in October, it will at least be able to argue that it is working hard to pull its weight.”

OPINION

Des Moines Register: Summit Carbon CEO: Our carbon capture investment is earning Iowans’ support
Lee Blank is CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions, 8/22/23

“Today, the Iowa Utilities Board will start the hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions’ carbon capture project,” Lee Blank writes for the Des Moines Register. “My name is Lee Blank, and I am proud to be the CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions. I was raised on a 600-acre farm near Garner, Iowa, and this is a project I truly believe in… “Today, I want to clarify some facts. First, a majority of affected landowners support our project… “The strong support for our project is because landowners see carbon capture as vital for the future of ethanol and the wider agricultural economy… “Concerns were raised about a pipeline incident in Mississippi, but that was due to a failure to comply with regulations. In contrast, we will meet or exceed all regulations, and have completed thousands of biological, cultural, geotechnical and other surveys to ensure a safe pipeline route… “Making necessary investments in infrastructure is key to creating quality jobs, competitive wages, and supporting growth in vital industries. Carbon capture projects are driven by this approach. By ensuring the long-term future of ethanol and supporting the agricultural economy, these projects are crucial for Iowa and the Midwest’s success in the future. We look forward to working with landowners and ethanol plants to advance this project through the regulatory process. The future is bright for farmers, ethanol producers, and rural communities, as we all continue to explore new opportunities and work toward a sustainable and thriving future.”

Chicago Sun Times: How carbon capture and storage would boost Illinois economy
Sean M. O’Brien is the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. James T. Callahan is general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Brent Booker is general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. Mark McManus is general president of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, 8/22/23

“…Globally, nationally and locally here in Illinois, companies and consumers alike are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprints,” write for the Chicago Sun Times. “The state’s agricultural supply chain stands ready to respond to these demands while also creating good-paying jobs for Illinois’ union workers, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Laborers’ International Union of North America and the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters. A key component of this opportunity is carbon capture and storage, or “CCS” for short… “But CCS is not without its detractors. They raise concerns about safety and regulatory oversight… “First, the proposed pipeline is designed with rigorous safety measures in place to ensure safe operation… “Claiming that this pipeline will be dangerous is, we think, questioning by extension the integrity of our members’ commitment to the safety of co-workers and communities in which we build projects… “Second, there is extensive regulatory oversight for this pipeline, chiefly by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration… “ADM has been safely operating a CO2 storage site in Decatur for 10 years without incident… “If we hesitate to capitalize on this opportunity, other states won’t, putting at risk the jobs that could have been anchored right here in Illinois. The state’s agriculture and manufacturing industries underpin farming communities, nurture local economies and provide secure, family-sustaining jobs. As Illinois workers, our unions recognize CCS as a way to not only bolster — but also future-proof — Illinois’ agriculture and manufacturing jobs.”

Dakota Free Press: Iowa Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Seeks 21M Gallons of Water a Year from Redfield Well
CORY ALLEN HEIDELBERGER, 8/21/23

“Not only does Summit Carbon Solutions want to take your land, but it also wants to take your water,” Cory Allen Heidelberger writes for the Dakota Free Press. “The Iowa company, which wants to run a network of carbon dioxide pipelines across South Dakota to cash in on federal tax credits for carbon sequestration, wants to drill a well near Redfield and take 21 million gallons of water a year: A corporate entity affiliated with Summit Carbon Solutions, called Redfield SCS Capture, has applied to drill a well that could take up to 21 million gallons of water per year from the Dakota Aquifer, which is an amount equivalent to about 32 Olympic-sized pools… “The state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources said in a written statement to South Dakota Searchlight that the water will be used for “non-contact cooling.” “…After its use, the water would be discharged into a local waterway, DANR’s report says… “One of those nearby residents is Debra Curtis, who ranches about 2.5 miles from the proposed Summit well and fears it would “reduce the water pressure and flow of my well.” Dave and Stacey Marlow wrote to the department that their drive-in theater “will not have adequate water pressure to continue business” if the project is permitted… “Concerned water users will get a chance to voice their opposition to Summit Carbon Solution’s well application before the state Water Management Board at a contested case hearing on October 4 in Pierre.”

National Observer: We can shut down Line 5 and still meet our energy needs
Michelle Woodhouse is the water program manager at Environmental Defence and a Métis-British Canadian water protector, 8/23/23

“Recently, a court ruled that fossil fuel giant Enbridge must shut down a section of the Line 5 oil pipeline that runs through the territory of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa by June 2026. The band has been fighting a legal battle against Enbridge since 2019 to have the pipeline removed from its watershed. Enbridge has been found guilty of trespassing on Bad River Band territory since 2013,” Michelle Woodhouse writes for the National Observer. “…Unsurprisingly, Enbridge is trying to downplay the risk of a Line 5 rupture into the Great Lakes… “As part of Enbridge’s ongoing efforts to continue operating this deteriorating pipeline, it is attempting to reroute 65 kilometres of pipeline around the Mashkiiziibii Chippewa’s territory. However, this proposal ignores the band’s call to have the pipeline removed from the entire Mashkiiziibii watershed… “The reroute is a dangerous and false solution. It would cross 186 bodies of freshwater that flow into Lake Superior. Horizontal directional drilling is the method that would be used to bury the new section of pipeline, a method that often leads to drilling fluid leaks. In Minnesota, horizontal directional drilling was recently used to complete the Line 3 pipeline and now more than half of the water bodies Line 3 crosses have been polluted with drilling fluid and at least four aquifer breaches have occurred… “The reality is that we can meet our crude oil energy needs without Line 5… “Indigenous nations and Great Lakes advocates have been raising the alarm bells for over a decade about this ecological disaster in the making. During that time, Enbridge has had years to work with the impacted parties and develop a plan to shut down Line 5. Instead, it continues to delay action to protect the Great Lakes and distracts decision-makers with false solutions… “We must act in the best interest of the Great Lakes and the more than 40 million people who rely on them. Both Canada and the United States must support a planned and permanent shutdown of Line 5. The Great Lakes are essential for all life in this part of the world. Line 5 is not.”

The Messenger: The Climate Kids Are All Right — At Least in Montana, Following a Constitutional Victory
Durwood Zaelke is president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) in Washington, D.C. and Paris; Trina Chiemi is a founding co-chair of Fast Action on Climate to Ensure Intergenerational Justice (FACE Intergenerational Justice), 8/18/23

“This week’s historic youth-led climate victory in Montana illustrates the power and potential of law and litigation to address climate change, particularly the power of the state’s constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment,” Durwood Zaelke and Trina Chiemi write for The Messenger. “The Montana trial court victory follows a Hawaiian Supreme Court climate victory earlier this year, which held that the right to a clean and healthy environment under the Hawaiian Constitution includes the right to a “life-sustaining climate system.” While these two victories are still the exception in the U.S., they join a growing number of successful cases around the world, including an increasing number of youth-led cases. Over the last decade, the youth climate movement has grown in political strength and sophistication, and young people are now one of the most important political forces in efforts to protect the climate. Young people also are increasingly leading the charge on climate litigation in the U.S. and around the world, and they will be an even more potent force in the future… “Of course, no conclusion of law on climate protection is ever easy in the political climate in the U.S., where fossil fuel companies continue to block many sensible and essential climate protection efforts, and where the history of their climate deception campaign runs deep… “Outside of the U.S., over 100 countries have constitutional protections for the right to a healthy environment that can support other climate cases… “While only four U.S. states (Hawaii, Illinois, Montana and recently, New York) have explicit constitutional rights to a clean and healthy environment, there are efforts in several other states to develop such rights. With the Montana victory under their belt, the youth movement in the U.S. will surely be doubling down on this strategy by encouraging their state governments to pass Green Amendments. Cementing the legal basis for future lawsuits is critical for ensuring intergenerational climate justice. As the Montana and Hawaii victories remind us, the right law can turn the tables on the fossil fuel industry and protect the planet, even if it’s one state at a time.”