Community & Environment

US Investor Group Clinches Tax Credit Deal for $1.5 Billion Renewable Power Acquisition

Invenergy Renewables, Blackstone and Canada's second-largest pension fund said on Wednesday they struck a deal with Bank of America to help buy wind and solar plants worth $1.5 billion, capitalizing on a new tax structure included in President Joe Biden's climate law.

Canada Reaches Out to Indigenous Groups About Trans Mountain Stake Sale

The Canadian government has reached out to Indigenous groups about potentially selling them a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, edging ahead on its long-promised involvement of local communities in the controversial project, the finance minister's office said on Wednesday.

Chevron Invests in Lower-Carbon Pilot Projects in Australia

The energy major would provide funding to Carbon Sync, which is leading a soil carbon sequestration pilot project as well as a research project with Deakin University to explore potential carbon dioxide sequestration opportunities in the region's coastal wetlands.

Montana Judge Rules State Policies Must Consider Climate Change in Fossil Fuel Projects

Montana is violating the rights of young people with policies that prohibit the state from considering climate change effects when it reviews coal mining, natural gas extraction and other fossil fuel projects, a state judge said Monday.

Vision RNG, Meridian Waste Launch Landfill Gas to Renewable Natural Gas Project in Missouri

(P&GJ) — Vision RNG has announced that its Landfill Gas to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project at Meridian Waste’s Eagle Ridge Landfill in Bowling Green, Missouri is now fully operational.

Canada Looking to Sell Trans Mountain Pipeline Stake to Indigenous Groups

Canada is looking to sell a stake in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline to indigenous groups through a special-purpose vehicle that will allow individual communities to buy into the enterprise, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.

Challenges to Biden's Carbon Plan Emerge from U.S. Power Sector

Edison Electric Institute has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for revisions of the proposed power plant standards, which hinge on the widespread commercial availability of carbon capture and storage and low-emissions green hydrogen, adding the agency's vision was "not legally or technically sound."

Williams and Chattanooga Gas Partner to Deliver Certified Low-Emission NextGen Gas

(P&GJ) — Williams has entered into an agreement with Chattanooga Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company Gas, to provide certified, low-emissions NextGen Gas over a three-year period.

SwRI Tapping into Geothermal Energy Possibilities in Texas

(P&GJ) — Electric power generates the second-largest share of greenhouse gas emissions and includes emissions from electricity production used by end use sectors, such as industry. Nearly 80% of electricity in the U.S. comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.

Pipeline Companies to Pay $12.5 Million in Penalties After Spills in Montana, North Dakota

Belle Fourche Pipeline Company and Bridger Pipeline LLC that own and operate a network of crude oil pipelines in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming have together agreed to pay a $12.5 million civil penalty relating to oil spills.

Venture Global LNG's Calcasieu Pass 2 Project Gets Final U.S. Environmental Nod

Venture Global LNG's proposed Calcasieu Pass 2 project in Louisiana has received FERC's environmental approval, clearing the way for a final vote by the commission on expanding the company's natural gas liquefaction facility.

Supreme Court Approves Completion of 303-Mile Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline

The justices granted Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC's request to lift stays imposed by a lower court that had halted construction of a final short section of the 303-mile (488-km) natural gas pipeline. That section is a 3.5-mile (5.6-km) corridor through the federally owned Jefferson National Forest.

TC Energy's Columbia Gas Pipeline Explodes Near Virginia's Interstate 81

(P&GJ) — A gas line explosion occurred near Strasburg, Virginia, in rural western Virginia, not far from Interstate 81. The incident took place on Tuesday morning and was promptly responded to by local officials, according to The Associated Press.

Canada Releases Framework to Phase Out Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Climate policy analysts said the framework was an important step forward but fell short in continuing to allow government support for oil and gas projects that plan to reduce emissions through technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).

US to Spend $700 Million for Oil and Gas Sector to Cut Methane Emissions

The U.S. government will provide up to $700 million in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, setting aside half of the amount for grants to states, two agencies said on Monday.

Natural Gas Pipeline at Risk as Wildfire Sweeps Through Washington County

The Newell Road Wildfire has already destroyed several structures in the area and is threatening homes, farms, crops and livestock, solar and wind farms and a natural gas pipeline, county emergency officials said.

Guest Perspective: EJ and Civil Rights in U.S. Construction Projects

(P&GJ) — Since taking office two years ago, the Biden Administration has emphasized efforts to incorporate environmental justice considerations into federal agency permitting, funding and financial support decision-making.

Editor’s Notebook: Alaska’s Long Road Back

(P&GJ) — With the Biden administration’s recent approval of exports from a proposed LNG project and the rejection of a lawsuit challenging construction of related infrastructure, prospects may again be looking up again for the Final Frontier.

World’s Top LNG Players Push for More, But Greener, Gas Investments

Current investments in gas infrastructure are falling short of what is needed, officials at an industry conference in Japan said on Wednesday, citing the role they say the fuel has to play in both global energy security and the transition to net zero.

Riyadh, Tokyo to Cooperate on Energy Security, Hydrogen and Ammonia

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it remains committed to securing oil supplies for Japan and will continue cooperating with Tokyo on clean hydrogen, ammonia, and recycled carbon fuels.

Exxon Expands Carbon Pipeline Network with $4.9 Billion Denbury Deal

Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday agreed to buy Denbury Inc. for $4.9 billion, acquiring a company with a substantial carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration operation that could accelerate its nascent energy transition business.

Gas Operator DESFA Looking to Build 336-Mile Hydrogen Pipeline for $1.12 Billion

DESFA said that the 540-km (336-mile) pipeline will be part of a European corridor connecting regions with high potential for hydrogen production with central Europe and southern Germany, where significant demand is expected by 2030.

TC Energy Urges Canada to Speed Permits for Energy Transition Projects

TC Energy has more than 20,000 kilometers (14,300 miles) of pipeline in western Canada that could be repurposed to carry carbon dioxide for sequestration underground or transport low-emissions hydrogen, CEO Francois Poirier said.

CPC Adopts New Regulations on Tanker Loadings in Its Marine Terminal

Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said it has adopted new regulations allowing it to reduce the loading speeds of oil tankers in its marine terminal at times of changing weather conditions to minimize air pollution.

Ohio's Columbiana County Evacuates 450 After Gas Leak at Hilcorp Energy Well

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Tuesday that more than 450 people have been evacuated from areas within a mile of a natural gas well in Columbiana County while state authorities responded to a gas leak there.

Canada Regulator Issues Order to Trans Mountain Over Community Impact Monitoring

The Canada Energy Regulator issued an "Inspection Office Order" to Trans Mountain for not adhering to an approved plan to monitor the impact of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on local communities during construction.

Jobs in US Energy Grew 3.8% in 2022, Led by Work in Clean Energy

Jobs in the U.S. energy industry rose 3.8% last year, faster than overall employment growth and led by work in clean energy, the Department of Energy said on Wednesday.

MVP Pipeline Foes Say Congress Can't 'Mandate Victory' for the Project

A provision of the U.S. debt ceiling bill that streamlined the federal approval process for the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline and limited court reviews of challenges to the project violates the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine, opponents of the pipeline have claimed.

TotalEnergies Faces Second Lawsuit Over Uganda Oil Projects

The French and Ugandan groups, led by Friends of the Earth France, accuse the energy company of failing to protect people and the environment from its Tilenga oil development and the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

Useful Considerations for CO2, Hydrogen Pipeline Operators

(P&GJ) — When a pipeline operator becomes a “common carrier” under Texas law, it is granted the power of eminent domain over private property for public use. Texas law provides two independent sources for common carrier status: Texas Natural Resources Code Section 111 and Texas Business Organizations Code Section 2.105. Common carrier status is critical to pipeline projects in Texas, especially when easements are difficult to obtain.