By Drew Hudson, RE: Good answers to the question/concern that ending fossil fuel subsidies will raise gas prices, which are already high enough that Biden has asked OPEC to pump more oil. “No. Ending fossil fuel subsidies will not raise gas prices.” And here’s one more excellent report (thanks Public Citizen!) about why: Dozens of fossil fuel executives received lavish …
Methane is responsible for about 25% of the climate change we’re experiencing today. IEA has clarified: no new wells! For existing ones, we need an enforcement system that responds to community concerns with definitive, timely action to reduce harmful emissions.
It’s time to recommit to controlling methane emissions to combat climate change: We need urgent action to curb oil and gas pollutants that threaten our health, especially for those living closest to development. Dan Grossman, Colorado Sun, May 15, 2021. latest IEA report (confirms we need zero new fossil fuel investments to reach net zero by 2050), “It’s Time to …
Harvard study says tighter oil, gas rules that allow exemptions make little difference: Study reviews Pennsylvania law
By JUDITH KOHLER | jkohler@denverpost.com | The Denver Post, April 29, 2021 A new study that looks at Pennsylvania’s rules for locating oil and wells, and which notes Colorado’s new regulations, found that the distance between buildings and wells didn’t significantly change when the rules were tightened because exemptions were allowed. The study by the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard …
Energy companies have left Colorado with billions of dollars in oil and gas cleanup: CO has only about $185 million in bonds from industry — just 2% of the estimated cleanup bill
Excerpt from the High Country News – March 2021 – Colorado has only about $185 million in bonds from industry — just 2% of the estimated cleanup bill. COGCC assumes an average cost of $82,500 per well — lower than the Carbon Tracker’s figure, which factors in issues like well depth. But even using the state’s more conservative number, the …
Fossil fuel risk bond programs underway in Oregon and Washington, now part of national legislation
Center for Sustainable Economy’s (CSE) work on fossil fuel risk bond programs (FFRB) – a signature ‘polluter pays’ project on fossil fuel infrastructure that was launched about 2 years ago — would provide a major deterrent for building new fossil fuel infrastructure as well as incentives to retire existing infrastructure early in any jurisdiction that adopts it. 2019 and 2020 brought …
Fracking is banned in the Delaware Basin
A quick video to highlight the 10+ years of organizing that led to this victory, and calling out Biden for abstaining from the vote today. Here’s the gist: “Fracking is banned in the Delaware river basin! This is a huge victory for our grassroots movement. Govs from PA, NY, NJ & DE voted to #BanFracking & protect 15 million ppl’s …
Natural gas utilities lobby for pre-emption against gas bans and building decarbonization
Across the country, natural gas utilities and their lobby, the American Gas Association, are lobbying state legislatures to adopt laws preempting cities and municipalities from banning new natural gas infrastructure in order to combat climate change. Preemption laws are an anti-majoritarian tool increasingly used by business lobbying groups and conservative lawmakers to stem grassroots progressive momentum. Gas Industry Lobbies In …
Pneumatic controllers, second-largest source of oil and gas industry emissions in basin
Some in the industry estimate the policy could cut emissions of methane, ozone-causing chemicals and volatile organic compounds by as much as 33% at retrofitted well sites. Colorado has more than 52,000 active wells in oil and natural gas fields. Big, multiwell locations that produce high volumes of oil and gas can have 50 pneumatic controllers or more, while a …
Gov. Polis claims Colorado has already achieved a 40% GHG reduction ahead of milestones
And thus that analysis provided by third-party entities on Colorado’s lack of progress and need to phase out coal by 2025 or stop expanding fossil fuel production are irrelevant… Polis did say the roadmap calls on the Public Utilities Commission, for example, to make the target 80% reduction in electric power emissions by 2030 a “floor” rather than the ceiling, and Polis …
Zombie mines idle cleanup while workers suffer in limbo
https://publicintegrity.org/environment/while-zombie-mines-idle-cleanup-and-workers-suffer-in-limbo/, excerpt 2020 U.S. coal production has fallen by a third in the past decade, and temporary cessation has emerged as an escape route for cash-strapped owners. One in five non-abandoned coal mines now sits idle. Hoops’ companies have idled coal operations more often and for longer than nearly anyone, and the Blackjewel and Revelation bankruptcy proceedings offer a master …