Community & Environment

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.

Insight: Huge Phillips 66 Biofuels Project Will Test the Industry’s Green Promises

In the oldest refining town in the American West, Phillips 66 is promising a greener future as it moves to halt crude-oil processing and build a massive renewable diesel plant.

Canada's B.C. Province Sets High Emissions Bar for New LNG Projects

British Columbia's decision this week to toughen emissions standards for new LNG projects creates one of the most robust climate plans in North America, but sets a high hurdle for industry even as many countries look to Canada to become a global supplier of gas.

Green Groups Sue Biden Administration Over Approval of Alaska Willow Oil Project

Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday over the Biden administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' Willow oil and gas project in Alaska, which they claimed could be a stepping stone to more development in an ecologically sensitive region.

Pembina Pipeline, Haisla Nation Receive Approval to Construct Pipeline for Cedar LNG Project

The Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corp., partners in the development of the proposed Cedar LNG project, have announced that Cedar LNG has received its Environmental Assessment Certificate for the construction of a pipeline that will connect the project into the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

Minister: Britain to Announce New CCS Support Within Days

The British government will outline within days incentives for companies to bury their greenhouse gases deep underground, using a promising technology for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, a minister said on Thursday.