Community & Environment
Mexico Energy Regulator Gives Natural Gas 'Clean' Label, Drawing Criticism
A move by Mexico's energy regulator to declare some natural gas-fired power as "clean" drew criticism from environmental groups that say the change will not help the country reach its clean energy targets.
US Offers Oil, Gas Drilling Rights in First Auction Since Biden's IRA
Biden's Interior Department had attempted to suspend federal oil and gas leasing to study its environmental and climate impacts, but the Inflation Reduction Act that passed last year requires some oil and gas auctions if federal rights of way are offered for renewable energy projects.
Alaska LNG Project Clears Legal Challenge, Advances 800-Mile Gas Pipeline
A U.S. appeals court has rejected a lawsuit filed by environmental groups that challenged the federal approvals required for a $39 billion project aimed at transporting natural gas across Alaska, starting from the North Slope. According to a spokesperson, construction on the 800-mile pipeline and related infrastructure has not yet commenced.
Biden Administration Clears Mountain Valley Pipeline for Progress Through Jefferson National Forest
(P&GJ) — The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service issued a record of decision Monday afternoon, allowing the Mountain Valley Pipeline project to cut through a 3.5-mile stretch of the Jefferson National Forest along the West Virginia-Virginia border. The determination clears the way for the project — which is 94% complete but has been mired in a lengthy permitting process for years — to finish construction.
Democratic US Senator Manchin Says He Will Oppose All EPA Nominees
Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he would oppose all nominees for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts until President Joe Biden's administration halts what he described as its "radical climate agenda."
Biden's EPA Proposes Crackdown on Power Plant Carbon Emissions
The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. power industry, one of the biggest steps so far in its effort to decarbonize the economy to fight climate change.
Pipeline Operator Kinder Morgan Begins Commercial Operations at Renewable Fuels Logistics Hub
(P&GJ) — Kinder Morgan Inc. has announced the commercial in-service of its renewable feedstock storage and logistics hub project with Neste, a leading provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
Pipeline Operator Enbridge’s Board Rejects Resolution to Fully Report Indirect Emissions
Shareholders of North American pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. rejected on Wednesday a small investor's resolution to ask the company to annually report all the indirect greenhouse gas emissions of the oil and gas it handles.
Louisiana's Carbon Well Permitting Application Heads to Federal Register
Louisiana's application to obtain enforcement authority over carbon capture wells has gone to the Federal Register for public comment, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday, a key step in receiving "so-called" primacy and speeding up the permitting process.
Chemours, TC Energy Partner to Develop Clean Hydrogen Facilities in West Virginia
Chemical maker Chemours Co. said it has partnered with pipeline operator TC Energy Corp. to develop two clean hydrogen production facilities in West Virginia.
Editor’s Notebook: California’s Pipeline, CCUS Quandary
(P&GJ) — California, in laying out a bold clean air initiative, has placed a great deal of emphasis on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in an effort to start removing the same amount of carbon from the air as what the state emits by 2045.
Williams, MPLX, WES DJ Gathering Reach Settlement with EPA, DOJ Over Methane Leaks
The settlements announced by the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency require the three natural gas processors to pay a combined $9.25 million in civil penalties and make about $16 million in improvements at plants and compressor stations.
PG&E Reduces Emissions from Gas Pipelines by More Than 20%
(P&GJ) — PG&E's Gas Operations and Engineering teams took a comprehensive approach to reduce emissions from the natural gas system, including enhancing the leak survey program that now assesses more than 42,000 miles of natural gas distribution pipeline every three years versus the previous every-five-years rotation.
Official: Louisiana on Track for Carbon Well Permitting by Year-End
Louisiana likely will receive permitting authority over wells designed to capture and store greenhouse gases by the end of the year, U.S. Congressman Garret Graves, who represents a southern section of the state, said on Tuesday.
California City Can't Enforce Natural Gas Ban, Appeals Court Says
Berkeley, California, cannot ban natural gas hookups in new buildings because a U.S. federal law preempts its rule, a federal appeals court said Monday, siding with a challenge the state's restaurant industry made.
Norway Parliament Asks for CCS Alternative to Decarbonize Major LNG Plant
Norway's parliament on Tuesday told the government to consider an alternative way to cut carbon emissions at Western Europe's largest LNG plant, but stopped short of outright halting a controversial plan to use power from land.
Blue Hydrogen Emerges as Key to Transition Future
(P&GJ) — The energy sector is undergoing a transformation, with a growing focus on cleaner energy sources and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Canada Offers $26 Billion Green Tax Credits But Still Trails Behind US Incentives
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has been under pressure to level the playing field with its largest trading partner since Washington passed massive, uncapped incentives for clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act last year.
Seven US States Submit Joint Proposal for New Clean Hydrogen Hub in Northeast Region
(P&GJ) — New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have submitted a group proposal for its Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub project to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Hawaiʻi Gas Issues Request for Proposals for Renewable Natural Gas, Renewable Hydrogen
(P&GJ) — Hawaiʻi Gas is seeking proposals from local and national suppliers who can provide up to 65,000 therms of RNG or up to 2,300 kg per day of renewable hydrogen. This request is the equivalent of replacing nearly all of the utility’s synthetic natural gas with RNG.
Kinder Morgan's California Renewable Diesel Hubs Begin Commercial Operations
(P&GJ) — Kinder Morgan Inc. has begun full commercial operation of its Southern and Northern California renewable diesel (RD) hub projects, the company said on April 3. RD is an alternative fuel that allows trucks, trains and any equipment that uses diesel to operate with significantly lower life-cycle emissions.
Pipeline Operator Enbridge Expected to Enter Carbon-Capture Cement Partnership
Pipeline operator Enbridge and German firm Heidelberg are expected to enter a partnership to develop a facility to capture carbon emissions from cement production.
Bid to Pause ConocoPhillips' Alaska Willow Project Fails
A federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by environmentalists to temporarily suspend the U.S. government’s approval of ConocoPhillips' multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska’s Arctic.
Mountain Valley Pipeline's West Virginia Water Permit Tossed by Court
A federal appeals court on Monday vacated a water permit needed by developers to restart construction on the Mountain Valley pipeline in West Virginia, marking the latest setback for the $6.2 billion project.
South Africa's Transnet Halts Gas Supplies After Pipeline Damage
South Africa's Transnet has halted gas supplies through its Durban pipeline after an excavator damaged it, the state-owned logistics utility said on Friday.
Mountain Valley Clears Permit Hurdle for 303-Mile Pipeline Project in Virginia
A federal appeals court on Wednesday backed construction authorizations for the $6.2 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline project in Virginia, after finding state regulators thoroughly reviewed the project's environmental impacts.
Virginia Natural Gas Receives Approval for Renewable Natural Gas Pilot Program
(P&GJ) — The five-year pilot program will allow for the production and delivery of RNG into Virginia Natural Gas' pipeline system and support the procurement of both RNG and next-generation natural gas.
Army Corps Extends Line 5 Tunnel Review, Delaying Enbridge’s Pipeline Project by 18 Months
Canada's Enbridge Inc. said on Thursday it was "disappointed" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to extend the federal permitting process for the company's proposed Great Lakes Tunnel that would rehouse its Line 5 oil pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac.
Editor’s Notebook: Getting the CO2 Out
(P&GJ) — Navigator Heartland Greenway has voluntarily withdrawn its application for a certificate of authority to build a 250-mile portion of its CO2 pipeline through a part of western Illinois, but the company said it plans to refile soon.
TotalEnergies' Bet on Gas Means No Big Emissions Cut by 2030
French oil major TotalEnergies forecasts its overall greenhouse gas emissions will not see a big reduction by 2030 given it wants to grow its gas business, executives said in an update on its climate strategy on Tuesday.
- Keystone Oil Pipeline Resumes Operations After Temporary Shutdown
- Freeport LNG Plant Runs Near Zero Consumption for Fifth Day
- Biden Administration Buys Oil for Emergency Reserve Above Target Price
- Mexico Seizes Air Liquide's Hydrogen Plant at Pemex Refinery
- Enbridge to Invest $500 Million in Pipeline Assets, Including Expansion of 850-Mile Gray Oak Pipeline
- Enbridge Receives Approval to Begin Service on Louisiana Venice Gas Pipeline Project
- U.S. to Acquire 3 Million Barrels of Oil for Emergency Reserve in September
- AG&P LNG Acquires 49% Stake in Vietnam's Cai Mep LNG Terminal
- BP's Carbon Emissions Increase in 2023, Ending Decline Since 2019
- Texas Sues EPA Over Methane Emission Rules for Oil and Gas Sector
