EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/18/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Bismarck Tribune: PSC won’t require release of Summit’s North Dakota CO2 spread model; other topics discussed

• North Dakota Energy Council: PSC: Plume Model Will Remain Secret

• North Dakota Monitor: Attorneys differ on interpretation of common carrier law in Summit case

• Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota releases website as part of $300K CO2 education push. Experts react

• KTIV: Summit Carbon Solutions holds meetings on Phase II of proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through NW Iowa

• Associated Press: Hundreds of homes near Houston still under evacuation orders as pipeline fire burns for second day

• KTRK: Pipeline owner Energy Transfer still not answering questions on Deer Park fire’s 2nd day

• Houston Public Media: La Porte pipeline fire could possibly cause pollution, despite officials saying otherwise 

• KIII: Are residents concerned about a pipeline fire happening in Coastal Bend?

• KTRK: Do you know if you live near a pipeline? Here’s how you can find out

• KCEN: Central Texans share input on proposed DeLa Express pipeline at public meeting

• WPBN: Enbridge hosts open house with Line 5 tunnel project contractors

• Anchorage Daily News: Report pitches Alaska gas line over imports as cheaper solution to looming energy challenges

• Globe and Mail: ATCO submits regulatory application for massive pipeline project

• Pipeline Safety Trust: Join us and register for our 2024 Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on Nov. 21 and 22

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Why Greens Are Antsy About Project 2025 

• WIRED: Project 2025 Would Drastically Cut Support for Carbon Removal

• E&E News: Carbon removal companies get cash infusion as political risks mount

STATE UPDATES

• Cowboy State Daily: Gordon: Wyoming Can Make Carbon Capture Work If Feds Would Get Out Of The Way

• Wisconsin Public Radio: State environmental, clean energy groups join forces to oppose natural gas expansion 

• Undark: In Arid New Mexico, a Debate Over Reusing Oil-Industry Wastewater

• Colorado Public Radio: Two oil and gas companies orphaned a record number of wells in Colorado last year, records show 

EXTRACTION

• CBC: ‘A lost opportunity’: Alberta gives back $137M to Ottawa in unspent funds to clean up inactive wells

• E&E News: Corporations are declining to fund dubious climate projects

• Associated Press: Burning oil tanker is safely towed away from Yemen after rebel attacks

CLIMATE FINANCE

• E&E News: Republicans block Democratic amendments to ESG bills

• Responsible Investor: Investors target Canadian energy firms over removal of sustainability disclosures

OPINION

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We don’t agree on much. We’re united in support of Enbridge Line 5 relocation.

• Edmonton Journal: Carbon capture isn’t the solution

• Farmers Advance: Landowners score monumental victory in pipeline battle

PIPELINE NEWS

Bismarck Tribune: PSC won’t require release of Summit’s North Dakota CO2 spread model; other topics discussed
Joey Harris, 9/16/24

“The North Dakota Public Service Commission won’t require Summit Carbon Solutions to publicize a model that would show how CO2 would spread during a pipeline rupture,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “The agency on Monday made the decision during a work session, where it discussed a variety of topics related to the company’s project permit. Summit secured a protective order for the model last year, citing concerns about terrorism, but Burleigh County — where the pipeline has faced backlash from local governments — challenged the order in May. “This commission has, for a lot of years, been very cautious about releasing information like this where protection is sought because of potential for it kind of opening the door for what someone might want to do to impose terrorist action,” said Commission Chair Randy Christmann, who also referenced the recent conviction of a Canadian man who shot at an electric substation in northwest North Dakota… “Mary Senger, emergency manager for Burleigh and Emmons counties, testified at a project hearing in May that what she has seen so far has not given her confidence that emergency response could effectively deal with a rupture… “Summit has fought efforts to make its spread models public in North Dakota at both the state and local level. Still, in recent hearings, prominent Bismarck-area developer Chad Wachter, who opposes the pipeline’s proposed location, testified that Summit showed him and oil industry lobbyists the model in a private meeting… “Wachter previously told the Tribune that he believes the model should be public… “I was thinking about the cultural and archeological resources that we keep secret, as well. We do that because people use that information, they go out and steal those resources that are out there. Although a terrorist act is probably unlikely, I’d hate to be the cause of it by releasing too much information,” PSC Administrative Law Judge Tim Dawson said.”  

North Dakota Energy Council: PSC: Plume Model Will Remain Secret
DUSTIN GAWRYLOW, 9/17/24

“Yesterday, the Public Service Commission issued a decision that it would not force the long-sought after “plume model” to be released,” the North Dakota Energy Council reports. “The “plume model” is the essentially computer-generated “simulation” showing what will happen if something bad happens and there is a physical rupture to pipeline itself that is not caught in time… “Secondary only to the initial private property rights ramifications related to the potential use of eminent domain, the concern over the “plume model” and being prepared for a toxic event has been at the forefront of the controversy. Summit has declared they can’t release the plume model because it will give terrorists and ordinary vandals ideas on how to cause a mass casualty event. Opponents of the project have said the fact that the pipeline could be used as to create a mass casualty event is another reason why it needs to be moved as far away for high density populations as possible. It’s sort of a chicken vs. egg situation – logic would dictate that if the pipeline is a target for terrorists, they will be able to figure out where it is and where the worse place to cause destruction would be. Private viewings of the plume model have been shown to local government officials as well as some of the landowner/developers worried about this project, but they do not instill confidence:.. “We wish everyone near this route the best if the project is built, and sincerely hope that Summit Carbon Solutions will reconsider the idea of building a project that would be a likely terrorist target so close to a populated area.”

North Dakota Monitor: Attorneys differ on interpretation of common carrier law in Summit case
JEFF BEACH, 9/16/24

“Two attorneys involved in the Summit Carbon Solutions case have differing opinions on the state law that could allow the pipeline developer to use eminent domain,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “North Dakota Public Service Commission attorney Zack Pelham said Monday that a recent state Supreme Court decision has established that Summit Carbon Solutions has the right to use eminent domain and force landowners to provide right-of-way for its carbon capture pipeline. Brian Jorde, an attorney for landowners fighting the pipeline, said a ruling on eminent domain, which would give Summit a powerful tool in negotiations, would only come from Summit taking a landowner to court. Jorde, an attorney based in Nebraska, said in an email to the North Dakota Monitor the North Dakota Supreme Court did not rule on common carrier status.  “Common carrier would most appropriately be challenged when and if Summit were to file a condemnation lawsuit against any North Dakota landowner,” Jorde told the Monitor. “The trial court made it clear landowners have the ability to challenge the factual basis of the common carrier allegation in any eminent domain proceeding.” Some landowners in North Dakota have testified in PSC hearings that they have been threatened with eminent domain by Summit representatives… “In his email, Jorde cited Century Code 49-19-11 that says for common carrier status, a pipeline “will accept, carry, or purchase, the oil, coal, gas, or carbon dioxide of the state or of any person not the owner of any pipeline, operating a lease or purchasing oil, coal, gas, or carbon dioxide at prices and under regulations to be prescribed by the commission.” Jorde told the Monitor the PSC has not set prices or price regulations for carrying carbon dioxide in North Dakota… “The PSC tentatively set the next Summit work session for 9 a.m. Oct. 7.”

Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota releases website as part of $300K CO2 education push. Experts react
Joey Harris, 9/14/24

“Carbon capture, a big initiative from North Dakota’s state government, has run into some backlash. The extent of the opposition is difficult to say, but it has been enough to stop or slow projects and spurred the state to take a more active role in telling its side of the story,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “The North Dakota Industrial Commission, made up of the governor, attorney general and agricultural commissioner, voted 3-0 this year for a $300,000 marketing and education program on carbon dioxide capture and storage for state residents. Last month, the state released the website, carbonnd.com/, as part of the effort. The education program is not limited to the website; it also involves outreach and meetings with local authorities and the public. So far, a little more than $46,000 has been spent for 225 hours of work on the effort, according to an invoice the Industrial Commission shared with the Tribune. That averages to around $200 an hour, though rates varied based on who was doing the work… “But a pipeline safety watchdog group told the Tribune the website “glosses over” safety issues that are not addressed in existing regulations for CO2 pipelines… “Erin Sutherland, the policy and program director at the Pipeline Safety Trust, a Washington state-based watchdog group told the Tribune, “This website glosses over critical safety issues associated with transporting carbon dioxide via pipeline that should not be ignored, such as the fact that CO2 can be an asphyxiant and intoxicant, and that existing regulations do not address matters that would keep communities safe, such as specialized emergency response needs, setbacks, and CO2-specific plume dispersion modeling.”

KTIV: Summit Carbon Solutions holds meetings on Phase II of proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through NW Iowa
Ellen Eide, 9/17/24

“Meetings to inform landowners about the second phase of the Summit Carbon Solutions carbon capture pipeline route continues this week,” KTIV reports. “…Tuesday night’s meeting was held in Spencer, Iowa. Many questions raised reflected safety concerns raised following historic flooding in June. Dozens of Clay County residents, landowners, and farmers attended the meeting and raised questions relating to how this past summer’s flood could have been worse had the pipeline been active. They also asked about training and equipment already short-staffed local first responders need in the case of an accident. Farmers also shared concerns about what may happen if a pipeline on their property were to rupture. “We have seen what happened in Mississippi, luckily none was killed,” said landowner Terry King. “But, this is going to happen. They can’t run this many miles of pipeline without having an incident. And, I want my grandkids to come out to the farm and play.”

Associated Press: Hundreds of homes near Houston still under evacuation orders as pipeline fire burns for second day
JUAN A. LOZANO, SEAN MUPRHY, 9/17/24

“A pipeline fire that erupted in a suburban Houston neighborhood burned throughout a second day and into the night Tuesday with still no definitive word on when the blaze would finally go out, when nearby residents may be able to return home or why a car drove through a fence and hit a valve before the destructive explosion,” the Associated Press reports. “Although the fire was getting smaller, the disruptions caused by the Monday morning explosion in a grassy corridor between a Walmart and a residential neighborhood left some locals increasingly weary. On Tuesday, people could be seen returning to their homes to get clothes and other items before quickly leaving again… “Over 36 hours after the blast — which shot towering flames like a blowtorch above the suburbs of Deer Park and La Porte — authorities have provided few details about the circumstances leading up to the explosion… “Deer Park officials have said police and FBI agents found no preliminary evidence to suggest the explosion of the pipeline, which carried natural gas liquids, was a coordinated or terrorist attack… “Authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 homes at one point and ordered people in nearby schools to shelter in place. By Tuesday afternoon that number was down to just over 400. “The fire is still burning, but the good news is that the pressure within the pipeline is continuously dropping, which means we are getting closer to the fire going out,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement… “Robert Hall, a senior advisor at the nonprofit Pipeline Safety Trust, told AP it’s not surprising that it’s taken more than a day for the material to stop burning. “You’re talking about 20-inch pipelines and miles between valves, so it takes a long time to burn down,” Hall told AP… “Since leaving home, Reff and her family have been staying in a hotel room paid for by Energy Transfer.”

KTRK: Pipeline owner Energy Transfer still not answering questions on Deer Park fire’s 2nd day
Daniela Hurtado, 9/17/24

“A day and a half have passed since the fire from the Deer Park pipeline explosion started to burn after police said an SUV crashed into a valve,” KTRK reports. “…As another day of the fire continued, families were still out of their homes, evacuations were still in place, and, on Tuesday evening, many questions remained unanswered. ABC13 has not seen or heard from anyone in person at Energy Transfer, the pipeline’s owners. On Monday, the company let three hours pass before saying what had happened and confirming it was their pipeline. ABC13 sent countless emails with questions and went to the hotel where officials were staged, trying to ask them to speak with us, but so far, nothing. Energy Transfer ignored ABC13’s requests for an interview. “Some of the plastic in my car was already melted within seconds of when the fire started,” Marian Rodriguez, an evacuated homeowner from Fast Meadow Drive, told KTRK… “They should do things fair. Their first priority should be East Meadow Drive,” Rodriguez told KTRK of Energy Transfer… “On Tuesday, people across the community lodged many questions about who will be held accountable for the disaster and why Energy Transfer has yet to talk… “From the moment [on Monday], Energy Transfer has stepped up to tend to the needs, and in many cases, they’re subsidizing or paying for all the displaced people to be dealt with currently,” Mayor Mouton told KTRK.

Houston Public Media: La Porte pipeline fire could possibly cause pollution, despite officials saying otherwise 
Kyle McClenagan, 9/17/24

“The natural gas pipeline fire in La Porte near Deer Park has been continuously burning for over 24 hours and despite some officials stating that there’s no air quality risk, some experts said it might lead to some air pollution,” Houston Public Media reports. “The bottom line is this, anytime chemicals are flowing into the air, there is a concern for air quality,” Jennifer Hadayia, the executive director of Air Alliance Houston told Houston Matters on Tuesday morning. “Liquid methane gas is flowing from this pipeline breach. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, more potent than carbon, so that is the potential concern as the methane gas burns, it causes smoke pollution.” “…Hadayia told HPM the smoke pollution could result in particulate matter, which is one of the most concerning air pollutants to public health… “As of Tuesday morning, Hadayia told HPM that the state and local agencies were monitoring the fire’s air pollution. “People are literally holding portable air monitoring to take air measurements at the ground,” she told HPM. “We are monitoring the particulate matter levels as well. They have shown some uptick since the fire and anyone who’s interested in monitoring the general air quality for the area can use the air quality index on air index on airnow.gov. Although there are no immediate concerns for lingering health concerns, Hadayia told HPM people know their bodies the best and should always see a professional if they’re concerned.”

KIII: Are residents concerned about a pipeline fire happening in Coastal Bend?
Brian Burns, 9/17/24

“While Deer Park and La Porte residents worry about the ongoing pipeline fire, some local residents are concerned that something like this can happen closer to home,” KIII reports. “Corpus Christi has experienced incidents in just the last few years where a pipeline fire and a rupture at the gas docks in the Inner Harbor led to scary moments for residents and refinery workers alike. Resident Gladys Marsh, who has lived along Dona Drive for 60 years told KIII she is worried of a similar event happening here… “A fire that big can still travel real quick, so no one that lives in this neighborhood is safe,” Marsh told KIII. “I hate to say that, but it’s true.” However, not everyone in the neighborhood is as concerned, like resident Leo Mendez who has lived on Dona Drive for 16 years. “I worked refineries for 20 years so they’re pretty safe,” he told KIII. “It’s just something you have to live with if you live around here.” He told KIII he has tried to reassure his neighbors, to no avail.” 

KTRK: Do you know if you live near a pipeline? Here’s how you can find out
Rosie Nguyen, 9/17/24

“The Energy Transfer pipeline that exploded Monday after an SUV crashed into a valve station on Spencer Highway in La Porte forced families from at least 50 homes to evacuate and prompted shelter-in-place orders at two elementary schools,” KTRK reports. “According to Bob Firth, dean of engineering and construction technologies at Oklahoma State University, it is within federal guidelines to have these types of pipelines near homes and businesses… “Many neighbors in those evacuation zones told ABC13 that they were aware that they lived right next to the pipeline. However, others said they didn’t know they were in such close proximity to the easement. So, how can you find out if there’s a pipeline near you? Two websites can help. The first is the Railroad Commission of Texas’ Public GIS Viewer website… “If you find out that you live near a pipeline, Firth told KTRK there’s not much you can do on your own to decrease the safety risks.”

KCEN: Central Texans share input on proposed DeLa Express pipeline at public meeting
Baylee Bates, 9/17/24

“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is in Central Texas on back to back days to hear from the public on the massive natural gas pipeline that is being proposed,” KCEN reports. “The government agency had its first public input meeting in the Central Texas area in Lott on Sept. 17 where several dozen people attended to learn about the DeLa Express proposal and share their input. One Central Texas landowner told 6 News that they have lots of concerns about the DeLa Express, especially since she already has several pipelines on her property. “The worst thing about it is the fact that it’s coming up closer to my house,” Patricia Sharp told KCEN. “The other thing is the destruction of the land. It never gets put back correctly. With this particular pipeline, and the one before, it’s wanting to come through a creek and cut down the trees.” Sharp told KCEN the land she lives on now has been in her family since the 1800s. To her, the compensation offered for a pipeline isn’t worth the value and meaning behind her land. “It’s the land to me that’s most important,” Sharp told KCEN. “It’s the freedom of owning the land, but you aren’t free to own it. The eminent domain says that it’s for the public that they’re taking your land, but that’s not true. It’s for private companies. It’s all about money, greed and power.” Sharp made sure her concerns were heard by exercising her right at the meeting, where she formally put her thoughts on the pipeline on record.”

WPBN: Enbridge hosts open house with Line 5 tunnel project contractors
Daniel Zivian, 9/17/24

“Enbridge introduced Line 5 tunnel contractors to the public Tuesday, as the project faces legal issues and awaits a major permit,” WPBN reports. “…This one marks the first time residents can meet the Line 5 contractors. “Barnard and CBNA partnered up to build this project,” said Jordan Hoover, with Mackinac Straits Partners… “Hoover said the partnership has already visited the straits to look over jobsites and plans… “We do anticipate there’ll be some core team members that will relocate and be here for the project, but we also anticipate working with the local and regional workforces in order to supplement and add workers to this project,” Hoover said. All of this is theoretical unless the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approves the tunnel… “Another obstacle is litigation. Enbridge is appealing a federal decision to shutdown a portion of Line 5 located on tribal land in Wisconsin. As well, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s 2019 lawsuit is still ongoing.”

Anchorage Daily News: Report pitches Alaska gas line over imports as cheaper solution to looming energy challenges
Alex DeMarban, 9/17/24

“A long-sought 800-mile gas line would provide cheaper natural gas for use in the state compared to imported gas, according to a preliminary analysis commissioned by the Alaska Gasline Development Corp.,” the Anchorage Daily News reports. “The report, conducted by global energy analyst Wood Mackenzie, also says that the long-productive Cook Inlet basin in Southcentral Alaska could be depleted of gas in about a decade. The head of Enstar, Southcentral Alaska’s natural gas utility, told ADN the utility supports a gas line from the North Slope and does not disagree with the report’s findings. But the utility, which is pursuing a plan to import gas, told ADN the longer time need to build the gas line is an issue. The analysis comes as state leaders grapple with the looming shortage of gas from the basin, and utilities like Enstar weigh gas imports that are expected to boost the price of heat and power for Alaskans. The report does not answer where the billions of dollars needed to build that gas line will come from, a problem that for decades has hobbled efforts to build the infrastructure needed to tap vast quantities of North Slope gas… “The Wood Mackenzie report found that shipping North Slope gas to Southcentral Alaska for in-state use would cost about 9% less than imports, on average.”

Globe and Mail: ATCO submits regulatory application for massive pipeline project
Emma Graney, 9/18/24

“Calgary-based ATCO Energy Systems Ltd. has taken a major step forward on its massive $2.8-billion natural gas infrastructure project, submitting the first regulatory application for its Yellowhead Mainline pipeline,” the Globe and Mail reports. “The pipeline’s planned capacity has already grown since ATCO announced the project in May. If approved, it will consist of approximately 230 kilometres of natural gas pipeline from west of Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, just northeast of the provincial capital. The pipeline is expected to have the capability to deliver up to 1.1 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas, reinforcing Alberta’s natural-gas network for its growing population and industries… “Yellowhead Mainline, which is essentially a massive expansion of Alberta’s existing natural gas transmission system, is the largest infrastructure project in ATCO’s history… “One of those customers is Dow Chemical, for its Path2Zero project – the planned expansion and retrofit of an existing ethylene plant outside Edmonton with carbon-capture technology so it can triple production by the end of the decade… “ATCO Energy Systems expects Yellowhead Mainline construction to begin in 2026 and the project to be on-stream in the fourth quarter of 2027.”

Pipeline Safety Trust: Join us and register for our 2024 Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on Nov. 21 and 22
9/18/24

“This year’s conference will be held at the InterContinental New Orleans Hotel on Nov. 21 and 22,” according to the Pipeline Safety Trust. “For this year’s conference, after a morning of traditional panel discussions, we will host five unique concurrent working groups separated by topic… “The group topics are listed below: Preparing for and Responding to Pipeline Emergencies; Emerging Pipeline Commodities; Maintaining Safety with Aging Pipelines; Getting to Zero: Development of Pipeline Safety Standards; Pipeline Siting and Planning Near Pipelines.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Why Greens Are Antsy About Project 2025 
Robin Bravender, 9/16//24

“Environmentalists are sounding an alarm over what a conservative playbook for the federal government could mean on everything from climate change to the conservation of public lands,” E&E News reports. “Leaders of the green group Earthjustice warned Monday of wide-ranging environmental impacts if the policies laid out in Project 2025 are adopted. That 922-page playbook, organized by the conservative Heritage Foundation, has become a flashpoint in the presidential campaign. Democrats continue to assail former President Donald Trump and his allies for promoting those policies, while Trump himself has sought distance from the plans. Many of the authors served in Trump’s administration… “Project 2025 “would gut” environmental laws including the Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act, Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation for lands, wildlife and oceans at Earthjustice, told E&E. It would also “vastly expand oil and gas development and mining on federal lands, which would harm the climate, public health and the public lands themselves,” Caputo told E&E.” 

WIRED: Project 2025 Would Drastically Cut Support for Carbon Removal
MATT REYNOLDS, 9/18/24

“Over the past few years, the United States has become the go-to location for companies seeking to suck carbon dioxide out of the sky,” WIRED reports. “…But support for carbon storage is far from guaranteed. Project 2025, the nearly thousand-page Heritage Foundation policy blueprint for a second Trump presidency, would dramatically roll back policies that support the DAC industry and carbon capture more generally. The Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership document proposes eliminating the DOE’s Office for Clean Energy Demonstrations, which provides funds for DAC facilities and carbon capture projects, and also calls out the 45Q tax credit that supports DAC as well as carbon capture, usage, and storage—filtering and storing carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and heavy industry… “These tax credits are important because they provide long-term support for companies actually sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. “What you have is a guaranteed revenue stream of $180 per ton for a minimum of 12 years,” Jack Andreasen at Breakthrough Energy, the Bill Gates–founded initiative to accelerate technology to reach net zero, told WIRED. “It’s particularly critical given that the costs of capturing and storing a ton of carbon dioxide are likely to exceed the market rate of carbon credits for a long time… “Most of the DAC industry experts WIRED spoke to thought there was little political appetite to reverse the 45Q tax credit—not least because it also allows firms to claim a tax credit for using carbon dioxide to physically extract more oil from existing reservoirs. They were more worried, however, about the prospect that existing DOE funds set aside for DAC and other projects might not be allocated under a future administration… “The Heritage Foundation doesn’t just doubt the carbon removal industry—it is openly skeptical about climate change, writing in one report that observed warming could only “theoretically” be due to the burning of fossil fuels, and that “this claim cannot be demonstrated through science.” In its Project 2025 plan, the foundation says the “government should not be picking winners and losers and should not be subsidizing the private sector to bring resources to market.”

E&E News: Carbon removal companies get cash infusion as political risks mount
Corbin Hiar, 9/18/24

“Millions of dollars are pouring into startups with plans to turn climate pollution into cash, despite trouble on the horizon for the nascent carbon removal sector,” E&E News reports. “The recent flurry of support — from the Frontier buyers club, the startup accelerator AirMiners, and the Japanese firm JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration — comes as some energy companies and financial institutions have watered down their commitments to limit global warming. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has promised to rollback federal climate subsidies if he wins the election — some of which have benefited carbon removal startups. James Lawler, the founder of the New York-based enhanced rock weather startup Anvil, told E&E those potential challenges won’t undermine an emerging industry focused on sucking carbon dioxide from the sky. “We think about this as a very long range problem, and a lot the buyers in the space and investors in the space are thinking along similar lines,” he said Tuesday on a call with reporters organized by Frontier, a consortium mainly funded by Google, Stripe and other tech companies. “The amount of CO2 we have to remove from the atmosphere is not going to change based on a changing administration.”

STATE UPDATES

Cowboy State Daily: Gordon: Wyoming Can Make Carbon Capture Work If Feds Would Get Out Of The Way
Leo Wolfson, 9/17/24

“Campbell County Commissioner Jim Ford believes capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions could be commercially applied in just a few years if politicians would just get out of the way and let industry do it,” the Cowboy State Daily reports. “…Ford is also the operations manager at the Integrated Test Center (ITC) in Gillette, which Ford describes as the best location in America for testing large-scale carbon capture and usage… “On Tuesday afternoon, Ford gave a tour organized by Gov. Mark Gordon’s office of the ITC to showcase the projects that are underway at the facility… “There is a perception among some in Wyoming that making carbon capture commercially viable is unattainable or unrealistic. Others lump it in with alternative energies like wind and solar, while others still maintain it’s anti-coal. Ford told the Daily none of these conclusions hit the mark and that carbon capture is just another iteration of coal production becoming cleaner and more efficient… “Gordon told the Daily weaving through the federal bureaucracy on carbon capture is no easy task, especially when trying to navigate the mixed messaging coming from President Joe Biden’s administration and the Environmental Protection Agency… “Ford told the Daily carbon capture is a viable avenue to protect the coal industry, not hinder it. Put simply, if CO2 is the main concern of burning coal to make electricity, finding ways to negate those emissions and still have the benefit of burning cheap, reliable coal should also be on the table, not only renewables.”

Wisconsin Public Radio: State environmental, clean energy groups join forces to oppose natural gas expansion 
JOE SCHULZ, 9/18/24

“Clean energy and environmental groups from across Wisconsin are coming together to oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure investments proposed by state utilities,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “Those groups have formed the Power Wisconsin Forward campaign to host events aimed at informing Wisconsinites of the environmental impacts of natural gas, and the benefits of clean energy. It’s an offshoot of the Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin, which brings together more than 50 organizations. Power Wisconsin Forward is raising concerns about plans by WEC Energy Group, the parent company of We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, to build $2 billion worth of natural gas infrastructure in the southeastern part of the state.  Those plans include building a new natural gas plant on the Oak Creek Power Plant Campus and converting the Elm Road coal plant in Oak Creek to a gas plant. The utility also plans to build a 33-mile pipeline to supply those sites, and install combustion engines in Kenosha County. At the same time, We Energies and WPS earlier this year applied for rate increases worth roughly $800 million over the next two years. “We Energies is raising rates and proposing very expensive methane gas infrastructure, which is just harming its customers,” Laura Lane, communications coordinator for Healthy Climate Wisconsin, told WPR. “While that’s happening, the technology with renewable energy is just getting better and better, and our neighboring states are taking advantage of that.” The coalition is also opposed to Alliant Energy’s plan to convert its coal-fired power plant in Sheboygan into a natural gas plant by 2028.” 

Undark: In Arid New Mexico, a Debate Over Reusing Oil-Industry Wastewater
SARA VAN NOTE, 9/16/24

“This year, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission held a hearing in Santa Fe to seek public input on regulating wastewater discharge from the oil and gas industry. It ended up dealing a blow to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s ambitious proposal to reuse the water for alternative energy development,” Undark reports. “Under the proposal, which was announced a few months earlier at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference and dubbed the “Strategic Water Supply,” the state would buy both natural brackish and oilfield-produced water, contract with private companies for treatment or cleaning, and then provide the cleaned water to so-called green industries like solar and wind energy, and electric vehicle manufacturing. The $500 million investment, Lujan Grisham said at the U.N. conference, would help “strengthen our climate resiliency and protect our precious freshwater resources.” But the majority of the public who attended the hearing or submitted written comments opposed any discharge of either treated or untreated produced water, with some calling the water toxic and contaminated. New Mexico Water Quality Control Commissioner Katie Zemlick summarized the concerns of many citizens: Given the lack of reliable data on the chemicals found in the industrially produced water, “why would we want to move forward with applications that could potentially interact with ground or surface water?” Some environmental and Indigenous activists also panned the proposal, with activists calling it a “false solution” that funnels money to the oil and gas industry… “Ted Schettler, science director at the Science and Environmental Health Network, a nonprofit group, told Undark, “produced water is highly toxic.” In addition to known carcinogens like formaldehyde, he told Undark, produced water presents “reproductive hazards, developmental hazards, neurotoxic hazards” to humans.”

Colorado Public Radio: Two oil and gas companies orphaned a record number of wells in Colorado last year, records show 
Ishan Thakore, 9/17/24

“Individual oil and gas operators deserted a record number of oil and gas wells in Colorado last year, according to a new report from state regulators,” Colorado Public Radio reports. “Omimex Petroleum, Inc., surrendered 339 wells in Phillips and Yuma counties, while WME Yates LLC, offloaded 212 wells in Phillips and Sedgwick counties, the report shows. Both companies are now defunct and the wells are considered ‘orphaned,’ a classification that means they’re effectively controlled by Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management Commission… “According to a Colorado State University study, unplugged orphaned wells in Colorado emit on average 70 times more methane — a powerful greenhouse gas — than the U.S. average… “In January 2023, regulators notified WME Yates that it had not filed its financial assurance form. The Colorado company had previously assured regulators that it had $255,000 in cash to plug its wells or clean up its sites. After an investigation, regulators fined the company nearly  $3,600. But in May 2023, the company said it didn’t have the money to plug its wells, and reached an agreement with state regulators that banned it from drilling in Colorado. The state also seized the company’s wells, bonds and other property as part of the commission’s order… “In 2022, The Colorado Sun highlighted concerns about WME Yates, which at the time had 211 low or non-producing wells, but had posted only a fraction of the estimated cost required to plug them.” 

EXTRACTION

CBC: ‘A lost opportunity’: Alberta gives back $137M to Ottawa in unspent funds to clean up inactive wells
Kyle Bakx, 9/17/24

“The Alberta government has officially handed back more than $137 million to the federal government after running out of time to spend the cash to clean up old oil and natural gas wells,” the CBC reports. “Questions remain about why the provincial government was unable to use the much-needed funding, considering there are tens of thousands of inactive wells. Many companies are also disappointed that the full amount wasn’t spent because of the loss of reclamation work it would have created. The cash was part of the federal government’s $1.7-billion funding pledge in 2020 aimed at reducing the environmental risk of aging oil and gas infrastructure, while also providing work for the oilfield service sector after the pandemic began and oil prices crashed. The money was divided between B.C. ($120 million), Alberta ($1 billion) and Saskatchewan ($400 million). Alberta’s Orphan Well Association received a $200-million loan to support the cleanup of wells left over when companies go bankrupt. Saskatchewan dispersed all of its share, while B.C. had to return a small amount of unspent money, the federal government confirmed… “Initially, the Alberta government struggled to launch its Site Rehabilitation Program (SRP) as government staff were overwhelmed by a flood of applications. Eventually, tens of thousands of projects were approved to use up all of the federal funding. Still, after a few years, a portion of the money remained unspent as some of the approved cleanup work was not completed… “The number of inactive and marginal producing wells in Alberta has declined slightly in recent years from 206,800 in 2020 to 177,801 this year, according to the Alberta Energy Regulator.”

E&E News: Corporations are declining to fund dubious climate projects
Anne C. Mulkern, 9/18/24

“Corporations that give money to climate-related projects as a way of offsetting their own emissions are increasingly avoiding those considered unlikely to cut greenhouse gas pollution, experts said Tuesday,” E&E News reports. “The increasing scrutiny of projects funded through the voluntary carbon market is making corporations wary of financing projects considered low quality because they may not actually reduce planet-warming pollution, market analysts said at a webinar held by the Environmental Defense Fund. At the same time, corporations and other polluters are increasingly interested in funding climate projects that have been verified by a United Kingdom nonprofit that scrutinizes projects that rely on corporate funding provided through the voluntary carbon market. “You will see more and more [of] a differentiation in price between those [projects] that meet our standards and those that don’t,” said Pedro Martins Barata, EDF’s associate vice president for carbon markets and private sector decarbonization.”

Associated Press: Burning oil tanker is safely towed away from Yemen after rebel attacks
JON GAMBRELL, 9/16/24

“Salvagers successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission said Monday,” the Associated Press reports. “The Sounion reached waters away from Yemen… “The EU naval mission, known as Operation Aspides, issued a statement via the social platform X announcing the ship had been moved. The Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” the EU mission said. “While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

E&E News: Republicans block Democratic amendments to ESG bills
Andres Picon, 9/18/24

“The House Rules Committee blocked a raft of Democratic amendments to Republican bills Tuesday evening, denying proposals that aimed to protect corporate climate disclosure requirements and sustainability-driven investing,” E&E News reports. “The panel’s Republican majority advanced six bills and a Congressional Review Act resolution centered on the Biden administration’s “woke” policies — going after initiatives such as environmental, social and governance-based investing and vehicle emissions standards. Lawmakers will vote on the legislation as soon as Wednesday, along with a proposal from House Republican leaders to extend government funding into March. President Joe Biden has opposed the bills. Republicans are hoping the votes this week will help amplify their messaging about the administration’s environmental agenda with less than two months to go before the elections.”

Responsible Investor: Investors target Canadian energy firms over removal of sustainability disclosures
Gina Gambetta, 9/18/24

“Investors are engaging Canadian energy companies after the introduction of a bill that has seen firms remove some of their sustainability disclosures from their websites, while also flagging “issues” with the rollout of the rules,” Responsible Investor reports. “In June, a bill with new amendments to Canada’s Competition Act, including new greenwashing measures, received royal assent… “Firms could be find up to $10 million for a first offence and $15 million for any subsequent infraction… “Since the passing of the bill, a raft of companies including Suncor, Cenovus Energy, MEG Energy and Canadian Natural have removed some references to sustainability and climate from their websites… “British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is asking select Canadian energy companies that removed their sustainability disclosures for considerations and timelines for reinstating them, and amending as needed… “However, the investor noted they have so far only seen oil and gas majors and utilities responding by removing information from their websites. “I think this was an overaction to take everything down, as they are no longer providing material information, which we need.”

OPINION

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We don’t agree on much. We’re united in support of Enbridge Line 5 relocation.
Emily Pritzkow is the executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council; Lee Kinnard is the president of the Dairy Business Association; Brian Dake is the president of Wisconsin Independent Businesses, 9/18/24

“While our organizations often do not agree politically, we are part of a diverse coalition of Wisconsinites pushing to ensure that Enbridge’s Line 5 remains operational for years to come to help assure families, farms and small businesses they will have access to the energy they need to heat their homes, drive their kids to school and feed our state and nation. Wisconsin may not produce much energy, but we are home to pipelines that are essential to energy supplies, including Line 5,” Emily Pritzkow, Lee Kinnard and Brian Dake write for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition is made up of over three dozen of the most recognizable trade unions, business and agricultural groups in our state. Our coalition’s membership also includes local government leaders and Native-owned businesses. We all understand how important Line 5 and the relocation project are to Wisconsin’s families and Wisconsin’s economy… “Unfortunately, the vast majority of the opposition comments to Line 5 seem to be coming from people who have never been to Wisconsin and likely never will set foot in our state… “During the 2022 DNR public comment period, while opponents of Line 5 submitted tens of thousands of comments against Line 5, we learned that by a 2-to-1 margin Wisconsinites who submitted comments supported the project. While residents of San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Chicago, and even from outside the United States, try to influence a Line 5 relocation project that is being done 100 percent inside Wisconsin, we, and the other members of the Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition, remain committed to giving Wisconsinites a voice in this process no matter how much out-of-state influences try to tell us Wisconsinites what we should think and do.”

Edmonton Journal: Carbon capture isn’t the solution
Peter Willott, Parkland County, 9/18/24

“Premier Danielle Smith notes the need to reduce emissions to somehow balance an increase in production. She is quoted as saying “carbon capture is a real solution” helping to solve the polluting problems associated with fossil fuels. Carbon capture is not the solution,” Peter Willott writes for the Edmonton Journal. “It is expensive to develop, and the tarsands Big Six of the Pathways Alliance are not ready with it, anyway. Even if the technology were available to capture and store during production, she misses the point. Production is a small part of the problem. Alberta passes the big part of the problem to the purchasers and users. Fossil fuels produce energy when being burned. Why else are they produced? And burning them produces carbon dioxide. That is not addressed. Stephen Legault is correct; the real solution is to find alternatives, producing less oil and gas. Ms. Smith’s “solution” is an excuse to produce more, and therefore release more carbon dioxide, but hopefully somewhere else, as if Alberta has nothing to do with it. Until you have a solution to the polluting uses of fossil fuels, please stop trying to fool us, Ms. Smith.”

Farmers Advance: Landowners score monumental victory in pipeline battle
Amanda Radke is a Mitchell, South Dakota cattle rancher, writer, mother and motivational speaker, 9/18/24

“There is a groundswell of support arising from rural communities in the Northern Plains and the Midwest, where a multi-state pipeline is proposed to plow through — busting up communities, tearing up fields and pastures, destroying tree lines, and worst of all, burying plant food in a dangerous pipeline, in what could be the largest fleecing of taxpayer dollars through the Green New Deal boondoggle,” Amanda Radke writes for Farmers Advance. “The opposition to this absolute farce of a project is not a small, vocal minority; instead, it’s an avalanche of support that grows in numbers by the day — bi-partisan in nature, grassroots and citizen-led — all coming together for one common cause: to fight for the people’s God-given, Constitutionally-protected private property rights… “In August, the landowners and communities were validated, countless prayers answered, when the South Dakota Supreme Court determined that Summit Carbon Solutions had failed to demonstrate it was a “common carrier” under state law. In short, this company does not have the power of eminent domain and can only use minimally invasive methods to survey routes for the carbon pipeline… “This is a huge victory for all of us who have been on the front lines of this fight, but South Dakota has once again demonstrated that ‘We Are Not For Sale’,” said Ed Fischbach, a South Dakota landowner and farmer near Mellette… “In South Dakota — our next fight is here. We must vote No on Referred Law 21 (SB201), the so-called “landowner bill of rights” that reads much more like a “bill of sale” for a private, out-of-state company seeking to enrich themselves with our tax dollars. Don’t buy the lie. RL21 simply greases the wheel for one company, and it sets a precedent for much more to come, stripping away local control and negating our private property rights… “Simply stated, RL21 is bad legislation. You can learn more and support the citizen-led effort to protect the future of our state by visiting www.sdnotforsale.com.”