Community & Environment

U.S. Senate OKs Reversal of Trump Rollback of Methane Emissions Rule

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a measure to restore regulation of emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, a move Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called a "big deal" in fighting climate change.

OPAL, NextEra Energy Unit to Build Renewable Gas Facility in Minnesota

The project will be located at a landfill owned by Republic Services Inc, and interconnect with a pipeline owned by Xcel Energy Inc, leading electric and gas utility in the region.

U.S. Senate to Vote on Measure to Reverse Methane Rule Rollbacks

The Senate lead sponsor of the bill said that restoring those rules, which targeted methane leaks from new wells as well as pipelines, capture the "lion's share" of methane emissions.

Colonial Pipeline Increases Estimate of Gasoline Spilled in North Carolina

New data shows the amount of gasoline released in Mecklenburg County’s Oehler Nature Preserve exceeds Colonial Pipeline’s 1.2-million-gallon estimate.

Judge Orders Army Corps Update on Dakota Access Pipeline by May 3

A federal judge ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide an update by May 3 on when it plans to complete an environmental review of the Dakota Access oil pipeline and whether it recommends the line should shut during the review process.

Canada's Trans Mountain Ordered to Suspend Oil Line Expansion to Protect Hummingbird Nests

The Canadian government has ordered Trans Mountain Corp to halt work on a section of its oil pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, British Columbia, for four months to protect hummingbird nests.

Texas February Freeze Cost About $1.6 Billion, Vistra Says

U.S. energy company Vistra Corp boosted the negative impact of winter storm Uri in Texas in February to about $1.6 billion from its prior estimate of $900 million to $1.3 billion.

U.S. Makes ‘Game Changing’ Pledge at Climate Summit to Cut Emissions 50% by 2030

The Biden administration pledged at a U.S. climate summit attended by world leaders to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, a target it hopes will spur other big countries to raise their ambition to combat global warming.

Michigan Regulator to Weigh Climate Impact of Enbridge Oil Line Tunnel

A state of Michigan regulator said on Wednesday it will consider the impact of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions when deciding whether Enbridge Inc can build an underwater tunnel to rehouse a four-mile (6-km) section of its Line 5 oil pipeline.

Perspective: Oil Execs, Environmentalists Could Support Hydrogen for Climate Solution

Some see hydrogen as a potential substitute for hard-coal coke in making steel. It also offers energy companies a future market using processes they know. It can be liquefied, stored, and transported through existing pipelines and LNG ships, with some modifications.

Dakota Access Argues Pipeline Closure Would Cause 'Economic Shock'

The operators of the DAPL argued to a federal court that the system's shutdown would be even more harmful than previously anticipated, in their final plea to keep the line open after a key permit was scrapped.

Project Canary to Measure Greenhouse Gases from Rio Grande LNG Facility

NextDecade Corporation and Project Canary announced the formation of a joint pilot project for monitoring, reporting, and measurement of the greenhouse gas intensity of LNG to be sold from NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export facility in Brownsville, Texas.

Quickly Finishing MVP in Best Interest of Consumers, Environment, Equitrans Says

The joint venture behind Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) still targets an in-service date late this year and believes previous applications will contribute to an efficient permitting process.

Equitrans Midstream Supports Methane Reduction Efforts

Equitrans Midstream supports the U.S. oil and gas industry's ongoing efforts to reduce methane emissions and reaffirms its prior opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rollback of methane regulations in 2020.

Canadian Lawmakers Call for Action in Michigan Pipeline Dispute

Canadian lawmakers urged the leaders of the United States and Canada to take further steps to resolve a dispute between Enbridge Inc and the state of Michigan over the cross-border Line 5 oil pipeline.

Pipeline Company Recognizes April as National Safe Digging Month

Georgia’s Colonial Pipeline is reminding homeowners and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to protect people and prevent damage to critical utility services.

Germany’s Uniper May Turn Coal Plant Site into Hydrogen Hub

German utility Uniper is studying the conversion of its coal-fired power plant site at Wilhelmshaven on Germany's North Sea coast into an import and electrolysis hub to tap into emerging demand for "green" hydrogen.

Carbon-Neutral or Green LNG: A Pathway Toward Energy Transition

As natural gas has a central role to play in mitigating carbon emissions, LNG producers have started to look for ways to minimize or counterbalance their carbon footprints, which ongoing LNG decarbonization efforts are likely to expedite.

Gas Industry Highlighting Its Own ‘Greener’ Alternatives

A growing recognition is seeping out of the industry that the dump-fossil-fuels campaign isn’t going away, and oil and gas operators must take responsibility for their carbon footprints. From global majors to local gas distribution companies (LDC), the oil patch is thinking a lot more about alternative energy and renewables.

Energy Defense Fund Pilots Method to Measure Offshore Emissions

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will collaborate with Neptune Energy to test a first-of-its-kind approach for measuring oil and gas methane emissions from offshore oil and gas facilities.

SSE Thermal and Equinor Planning UK Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Projects

The projects would utilize the parallel hydrogen and CO2 pipeline infrastructure being developed by the Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) partnership – which includes Equinor and SSE Thermal – and offshore CO2 infrastructure.

TC Energy Seeking Renewable Energy to Power Pipelines

TC Energy Corporation is seeking to identify potential contract and/or investment opportunities in wind energy projects that could generate up to 2,500,000 megawatt hours per year or 620 megawatts of zero-carbon energy to meet the electricity needs for a portion of its pipeline assets along its U.S. corridor.

EPA Chief: Biden Admin's Methane Emission Curbs to Exceed Obama's

The Biden administration’s curbs on methane will be more ambitious than those imposed by former President Barack Obama and will go a long way to helping the United States achieve its overall targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.

Fate of Dakota Access Pipeline at Stake at Friday Court Hearing

The fate of the Dakota Access pipeline could be decided at a U.S. court hearing Friday, where federal regulators could set in motion a months-long shutdown of the line while the Biden Administration completes an environmental review.

Canadian Pipeline Companies See Natgas Opportunities in Shift to Green Energy

Natural gas and liquids will continue to play a prominent role in the energy economy for decades to come, one executive said, even as a transition to cleaner energy evolves.

Democrats Asking Biden to Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline

A group of 33 Democratic congress members are named on a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline while it undergoes a court-mandated environmental review.

New Poll Shows Widespread U.S. Support for Pipelines

The Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) released new polling data measuring the sentiment of the American public toward pipelines, climate change and the energy transition.

Certarus, RNG Moovers Agree on Delivery of Renewable Natural Gas

Certarus will be responsible for the delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG) from several dairy farms in California to gas pipeline injection points, where it will help to meet the growing demand for lower carbon intensity fuel.

Oil Companies Launch On-site Vaccinations as Supplies Rise

U.S. energy companies are organizing employee vaccinations as more COVID-19 doses become available, officials and employees told Reuters, setting up on-site clinics or offering time off to workers to get the shot.

Top U.S. Gas Utility Sets Net Zero Emissions Goal for 2045

Southern California Gas Co, the largest U.S. gas distribution utility, set a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, aligning with the state's target to become carbon-neutral within 25 years.