Preview Newsletter
PM ACC Clips Report - March 11, 2019
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(ACC Mentioned) Chemical, Apparel Industries Push Zero Tariffs with U.K.
Mar 6, 2019 | Bloomberg Law
By Rossella Brevetti
Representatives of the apparel and chemical industries called for immediate, reciprocal duty-free access in a U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement during March 6 testimony before the International Trade Commission. Ed Brzytwa, director of ... -
(ACC Mentioned) Americas Top Stories: Weekly Summary
Mar 11, 2019 | ICIS
Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 8 March. Germany’s Evonik to sell methacrylates business to US Advent for €3bn: Evonik has agreed to sell its methacrylates business to US-based private equity.... -
Effort to Regulate Chemicals in Personal Care Products Commended
Mar 11, 2019 | Technology Networks
The Endocrine Society applauded the reintroduction of a Senate bill that would give government regulators needed authority to protect consumers from exposure to hazardous endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in cosmetics and... -
Monsanto, Landscaping Company Under Fire in Lawsuit Filed by Mother with Stage-4 Cancer
Mar 11, 2019 | Legal Reader
By Brianna Smith
Monsanto and a Florida-based landscaping company recently came under fire in a billion-dollar lawsuit filed by a Palm Beach County mother battling cancer. According to the suit, Melanie Lynn LaFond, a mother to three children, is... -
House Democrats' Strategy: Small Energy Wins over Bold Green New Deal
Mar 11, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Zack Colman
The progressives that designed the Green New Deal are pushing the plan as an ambitious overhaul of the U.S. energy system that will end decades of inaction on climate change and launch the country on a path toward building a clean... -
Second Wave of U.S. Shale Revolution Is Coming, Says IEA
Mar 11, 2019 | Wall Street Journal
By Christopher Alessi
The U.S. is on track to become a net petroleum exporter by 2021 and will soon after surpass Russia and rival Saudi Arabia, currently the world’s largest oil exporter, the International Energy Agency said Monday. The U.S. is expected to... -
Top 10 Destinations for U.S. LNG Exports in 2018
Mar 11, 2019 | Houston Chronicle
By Sergio Chapa
With more liquefied natural gas plants coming online, the number of U.S. LNG export cargoes grew to nearly 500 shipments in 2018, new data from the Department of Energy shows. Four U.S. LNG facilities owned by three... -
At CERAweek, a Shifting Slate of Topics Signals New Energy Realities
Mar 11, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Ben Lefebvre and Eric Wolff
As top executives from the oil and gas industry gather in Houston for the annual CERAWeek conference that starts on Monday, they may be surprised to see some new topics taking up space on the agenda next to sessions on global price... -
Drilling Down: Texas Tech Prepares to Go ‘Wildcatting’
Mar 11, 2019 | Houston Chronicle
By Sergio Chapa
Texas Tech University’s Department of Petroleum Engineering is preparing to go “wildcatting” at the edge of Lubbock city limits. The department is seeking permission from the Railroad Commission of Texas to drill a pair of exploratory... -
Insight from Washington: US Refiners Worry about White House Wild Card as IMO 2020 Nears
Mar 11, 2019 | S&P Global Platts
By Meghan Gordon
A strict sulfur limit for marine fuels starting in 2020 and its potential to boost US gasoline and diesel prices may have caught the White House off guard last year, but it’s not taking refiners or members of the shipping industry by surprise. -
Two Workers in Critical Condition after Chemical Spill in Henrietta
Mar 11, 2019 | Rochester First
Two demolition workers are listed in critical condition after a spill of a hazardous chemical at a former factory off Jefferson Road in Henrietta. Crews were called around 9:20 Monday morning to the Ansbury Truth building for a... -
Safety for Any Situation
Mar 11, 2019 | Mass Transit
By Mischa Wanek-Libman
Maintaining transit rail systems can be a complex task and one that can be impacted by the type of environment in which it occurs, the time of day and if nearby track is to remain active. While nothing can replace a robust safety... -
Trump Seeks 31 Percent Cut to EPA Funding Levels
Mar 11, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Abby Smith
The Trump White House is again seeking to sharply reduce the EPA’s budget, an opening offer that Congress isn’t likely to follow but signals the administration’s continued desire to shrink the agency. The administration’s request, the... -
The Energy 202: A Wave of State Bills Could Threaten Science and Climate Education
Mar 11, 2019 | Washington Post
By Paulina Firozi
State lawmakers from Connecticut to Florida are proposing measures that some groups say could threaten how science and climate change are taught in the classroom. More than a dozen such bills have popped up this year... -
What America Needs Is a ‘Green Real Deal’: Obama/Bush Energy Policymakers Say
Mar 11, 2019 | CNBC
By Ernest Moniz and Andy Karsner
The Green New Deal has sparked a timely impassioned national conversation on the imperative of addressing climate-change risks to our economy, environment and security and the associated needs of disadvantaged communities. -
Ewire: GOP's 'Green' Deal Talking Point May Rely on 'Bogus' Figure
Mar 11, 2019 | Inside EPA
Republican lawmakers are increasingly lambasting the Green New Deal (GND) climate change resolution as wildly expensive, though their oft-cited talking point with an astronomical projected cost is based on a “bogus” estimate of...
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(ACC Mentioned) Chemical, Apparel Industries Push Zero Tariffs with U.K.
Mar 6, 2019 | Bloomberg Law
By Rossella Brevetti
Representatives of the apparel and chemical industries called for immediate, reciprocal duty-free access in a U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement during March 6 testimony before the International Trade Commission.
Ed Brzytwa, director of international trade for the American Chemistry Council, and Steve Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, told the commission thatU.K. tariffs on inputs used by U.S. manufacturers raise costs.
American Chemistry Council members want duty-free access on day one of any new deal, Brzytwa told Commissioner Jason Kearns, who questioned whether some producers were worried about immediate tariff elimination for particular products. Lamar told Kearns that there are a small number of U.S. footwear producers who consistently ask for the longest tariff phaseout.
A trade deal that eliminates U.S. tariffs on chemical imports from theU.K. could save U.S. chemical manufacturers $88 million annually, Brzytwa said. When questioned about this number, he said it was based on the assumption that theU.K.'s average chemicals tariff is 3 percent, similar to the EU average tariff rate for chemicals.
The two countries have yet to begin official talks and can’t until theU.K. officially severs ties with the EU. But they are having preliminary discussions on what the talks would include, following the U.S. release March 1 of preliminary negotiating objectives. One objective is securing duty-free access for U.S. textile and apparel products.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative asked the commission to prepare a confidential report, which will help guide the trade representative in the negotiations. The timing of launching the talks is unclear because of continued uncertainty about the Brexit process for theU.K. to leave the EU.
Commissioners also raised questions concerning the impact of Brexit. But Lamar said it would depend on what the U.K. and EU decided. A quick Brexit could present an opportunity for the U.S.-U.K. to move forward with talks on the free trade agreement, and that would provide some certainty, he said.
Commissioner Meredith Broadbent asked about theU.K. possibly joining to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Brzytwa said the USMCA contains “gold-standard” provisions in many areas, including on customs matters, but he objected to USMCA provisions that dramatically limit investor arbitration against governments.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/international-trade/chemical-apparel-industries-push-zero-tariffs-with-u-k
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(ACC Mentioned) Americas Top Stories: Weekly Summary
Mar 11, 2019 | ICIS
Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 8 March.
Germany’s Evonik to sell methacrylates business to US Advent for €3bn
Evonik has agreed to sell its methacrylates business to US-based private equity firm Advent International for €3bn, the Germany-based specialty chemicals company announced on Monday.
Argentina and Brazil PET prices increase on higher feedstock
March polyethylene terephthalate (PET) prices in Argentina and Brazil increased by $50/tonne on the back of rising feedstock prices.
Trade war deal should address China’s distorting practices, reduce tariffs - ACC’s CEO
The potential resolution of the US-China trade war should involve the Asian superpower rolling back some of its “market distorting practices” and reduce the US tariffs imposed on Chinese products, according to the CEO at the US’ chemicals trade group the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
US base oil prices gauged at bottom in March
US base oil prices are gauged at bottom levels at early March, after several quarters of price decreases in the posted tiers and falling prices in the wider market.
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/03/11/10330690/americas-top-stories-weekly-summary/
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Effort to Regulate Chemicals in Personal Care Products Commended
Mar 11, 2019 | Technology Networks
The Endocrine Society applauded the reintroduction of a Senate bill that would give government regulators needed authority to protect consumers from exposure to hazardous endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in cosmetics and other personal care products.
The Personal Care Products Safety Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins, would set a rigorous safety standard for personal care products and provide the public with more information about the chemicals in the products they are purchasing. The Society and its 18,000 members, including researchers studying the health risks of endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure, are leading efforts to enact science-based policies that would protect the public from these chemicals.
“Soaps, lotions, cosmetics and other personal care products contain known endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including phthalates, parabens and the antibacterial triclosan,” said Heather Patisaul, Ph.D., a member of the Society’s Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals Advisory Group. “Current chemical testing and labeling rules do not adequately inform or protect consumers from the long-term health risks these chemicals pose, particularly to pregnant women and children.”
An EDC is a chemical or mixture of chemicals that can cause adverse health effects by interfering with hormones in the body. There are more than 85,000 manufactured chemicals, of which thousands may be EDCs. EDCs are found in everyday products and throughout the environment. EDC-related health outcomes include male reproductive disorders, premature death, obesity and diabetes, neurological impacts, breast cancer, female reproductive disorders, prostate cancer and thyroid disorders.
The bill’s reintroduction comes days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new steps it is taking to better monitor cosmetic safety within the existing limitations of its authority. Under the current law governing cosmetic safety, which dates to 1938, manufacturers are not legally required to test their products for safety.
The Personal Care Products Safety Act calls for some chemicals found in shampoo, deodorant, cosmetics and other personal care products to be reviewed for safety for the first time. Under the proposed legislation, propyl paraben and diethyl phthalate—potential EDCs linked to reproductive system disorders and breast cancer—would be two of the initial five chemicals designated for review.
The Society supports the legislation’s provisions to arm the FDA with the necessary authority and fees to properly regulate personal care products.
“These measures will create a safer marketplace for personal care products and reduce the public health threat posed by EDCs,” Patisaul said.
This article has been republished from materials provided by the Endocrine Society. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/effort-to-regulate-chemicals-in-personal-care-products-commended-316544
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Monsanto, Landscaping Company Under Fire in Lawsuit Filed by Mother with Stage-4 Cancer
Mar 11, 2019 | Legal Reader
By Brianna Smith
Monsanto and a Florida-based landscaping company recently came under fire in a billion-dollar lawsuit filed by a Palm Beach County mother battling cancer. According to the suit, Melanie Lynn LaFond, a mother to three children, is currently battling Stage-4 esophageal cancer. She argues in her suit that she became ill from being “routinely exposed to the herbicide Roundup at her job without being warned of its potentially harmful effects.”
Together with her attorney, Willie Gary, LaFond is suing Monsanto over allegations of “negligent design and marketing.”Additionally, Gary argues the landscaping company, “For Ever Green Landscaping, failed to warn and equip Lafond with proper gear while using Roundup.”
What happened, though? Well, between 2016 and 2018, LaFond claims she had to “wear a tank as a backpack and spray Roundup on plants” in her job. Attorney Larry Stauss said:
“So it wasn’t just a homeowner who is doing this 20 minutes or something like that, she was doing it regularly day in and day out over the course of two years so her level of exposure is substantial.”
Gary added, “She’s trying to raise three boys though not easy and the landscaping company gave her a job so she took it and now she’s in a situation where she has less than six months to live.”
Gary also noted that he reached out to Bayer, the company that owns Monsanto. In response, Bayer sent over a statement claiming its Roundup and other herbicide products are “safe when used as directed.” It also noted that “Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them.”
The entire statement from Bayer is as follows:
“There is an extensive body of research on glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, including more than 800 rigorous studies submitted to EPA, European and other regulators in connection with the registration process, that confirms that these products are safe when used as directed. Notably, the largest and most recent epidemiologic study – the 2018 independent National Cancer Institute-supported long-term study that followed over 50,000 pesticide applicators for more than 20 years and was published after the IARC monograph – found no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer. Additionally, EPA’s 2017 post-IARC cancer risk assessment examined more than 100 studies the agency considered relevant and concluded that glyphosate is ‘not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,’ its most favorable rating. Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them.”
At the moment, For Ever Green has not responded to requests for comment.
https://www.legalreader.com/monsanto-landscaping-company-under-fire-in-lawsuit-filed-by-mother-with-stage-4-cancer/
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House Democrats' Strategy: Small Energy Wins over Bold Green New Deal
Mar 11, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Zack Colman
The progressives that designed the Green New Deal are pushing the plan as an ambitious overhaul of the U.S. energy system that will end decades of inaction on climate change and launch the country on a path toward building a clean, sustainable economy.
Democrats on the House's top energy policy committee have a different idea.
Amid the enthusiasm generated by activists and freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee is hunkering down to take up several long-stalled, meat-and-potatoes policies like energy efficiency, home weatherization, modernizing the electric grid and training a modern energy workforce.
Those policies have been circulating for years and tend to enjoy bipartisan support, though they've been stalled by the gridlock in Congress that has kept most energy initiatives on the shelf. And they don't inspire moon-shot metaphors the way calls to transform the U.S. into a clean-energy paragon do — even though those wonky, technical measures will all be necessary if the green revolution is ever to take place.
And while the focus on the Green New Deal and other progressive policy planks may be stirring up activists, some Democratic lawmakers are starting to chafe at the attention they are getting.
“Medicare for All, Green New Deal. That’s all they want to talk about,” committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said, motioning to reporters in the Capitol last week.
Other veteran Democrats complain the Green New Deal's call to action is too nebulous in its grand ambition to be turned into a piece of legislation.
“The Green New Deal, I can’t really wrap my arms around it because it’s over here, it’s over there, it’s up there, it’s down there, it’s all over the place,” said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who chairs the panel’s energy subcommittee. “Our message, our initiative, our position has to be centered around putting Americans who are out of work back to work.”
Democrats who had been relegated to the minority in the House for the past eight years are anxious to show they can pass legislation and advance the more modest energy measures. But the new lawmakers say years of stalling on climate change action by Republicans means that drastic action is required now.
"It's important to assert that those bills in and of themselves are not sufficient," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Just doing small work alone isn't going to save our future."
But she acknowledged that those modest bills do constitute steps toward enacting the Green New Deal.
"It's all a question of where we stop. And if we're going to just stop at the small bills, then it's a problem," she said.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said she and other newly elected progressives were sent to Congress by people who want aggressive action on climate change. For now, they would be content to see the modest energy initiatives move forward as a down payment.
"We're looking for obviously something bigger. We'll support them on that, but we'll continue to advocate for something much bolder," Tlaib said.
The new lawmakers have been talking "to real Americans across the country and their voice is very critical on all conversations," she said. "I think more and more people are with us and I think that will move the other folks to understand the importance of the Green New Deal."
There's ample evidence that the Green New Deal has generated excitement on the Democrats' left flank, and the non-binding resolutions introduced have garnered 89 co-sponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate, including presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
Any action on a Green New Deal agenda would need to pass through Pallone's powerful Energy and Commerce committee — and none of the new progressives are members. Democrats on those committees are generally supportive of the goals of the ambitious plan, but they don't want to jettison other important, if modest, measures simply to make a statement that would ultimately die in the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Aspirational is great. I’m from California. If we could pass (a 100 percent clean energy bill) here, I would do it,” said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), an Energy committee member, referring to his state’s climate law. “But if it doesn’t pass, it’s not worth spit because it doesn’t help the planet to do nothing.”
Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), who chairs the Energy committee's environment and climate change panel, said he favors a "two-track" approach of passing small measures to score some wins while working toward building momentum on the larger climate change goals.
"That enables us to do some of the more available opportunities, a more doable agenda. Some call it the harvesting of the low-hanging fruit — weatherization, energy efficiency, conservation, grid modernization, research, charging stations — those kinds of things that are straight-forward. People have been thinking them through,” Tonko said.
Those ideas don’t typically grab congressional leadership by the lapels, and many similar energy policy changes died in conference committee in 2016. But liberal groups say they hope Congress can move some bills before attention gets diverted to the 2020 election.
“Part of the rush is to move quickly to show that Democrats have a solution before we get completely enveloped by the political season,” said Christy Goldfuss, a senior vice president for Energy and Environment Policy for the liberal think tank the Center for American Progress and a former Obama administration official.
Pallone says he recognizes that, too, and he wants the committee’s priorities to hitch a ride on a legislative package that could be attractive to President Donald Trump and Republicans. He cited upgrades to the electrical grid, repairs to leaky pipelines and boosting efficiency as measures that could become part of sweeping infrastructure legislation.
“Those are the things we are going to be able to do with Republicans. We would like to actually be able to accomplish something,” Pallone said. “Obviously we may go beyond that, but we would like to at least initially see if we can do some things with the Republicans that would actually be bipartisan.”
Any legislation will have to get by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who may be wary of giving House Democrats a win, and generating enough political momentum to force such a vote on small policy moves may be a long shot. But those measures can be important, said Dylan Reed, director of clean energy trade association Advanced Energy Economy.
“[Maybe] we can get something done that might not be the home run that advocates are hoping for. But if you hit singles and doubles, that’s good,” he said.
Tweaks to electricity markets — which the were the subject of several hearings when Republicans led the Energy and Commerce Committee — could help promote battery installation for storing wind and solar energy to use when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing, Reed said. Improving energy efficiency in buildings, which is also a goal of the Green New Deal, has marinated in Congress for nearly a decade under proposals from Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).
The environmental advocacy group Center for Climate and Energy Solutions met with committee staff recently to present its own roadmap, which focuses on concepts that can be built upon for more ambitious efforts in the future. It's calling for amplifying research and development spending in areas like batteries; growing incentives for carbon capture and advanced nuclear power; expanding credits for electric vehicles and spending for charging stations; and plugging pipeline leaks of methane, a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas.
“We recognize our recommendations … are not the climate solutions that are the full suite of them, but they are a number of them that will be very foundational to those solutions,” said Bob Perciasepe, the group's president and former top Obama EPA official. Those policies, he added, are likelier to pass a divided Congress than Green New Deal-style approaches.
But there's little chance that those measures will placate progressive and environmental activists who say the time for small steps has passed. They point to scientists’ warning that the world needs to be on a pathway by 2030 to eliminating its carbon footprint by mid-century to avoid irreversible, dire effects of climate change.
“I’m 23. We have 12 years to transform our economy and society to avert unprecedented catastrophe within my generation’s lifetimes. For too long, Democrats have used bipartisanship as a cover for failing to offer solutions to climate change on the scale we need,” said Stephen O’Hanlon, spokesperson with Sunrise Movement, a youth-led environmental group that has been at the center of the push for a Green New Deal.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/energy/article/2019/03/house-democrats-strategy-small-energy-wins-over-bold-green-new-deal-1234251
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Second Wave of U.S. Shale Revolution Is Coming, Says IEA
Mar 11, 2019 | Wall Street Journal
By Christopher Alessi
The U.S. is on track to become a net petroleum exporter by 2021 and will soon after surpass Russia and rival Saudi Arabia, currently the world’s largest oil exporter, the International Energy Agency said Monday.
The U.S. is expected to double its gross crude oil exports to 4.2 million barrels a day by 2024, while total exports of crude and refined products should reach 9 million barrels a day, the IEA said in its annual five-year oil outlook report.
U.S. crude production, driven by relentless growth in shale oil, is expected to account for 70% of the total increase in global production capacity over the next five years, the agency added. The report also said the U.S. should account for 75% of the expansion in liquefied natural gas trade.
“The second wave of the U.S. shale revolution is coming,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “This will shake up international oil and gas trade flows, with profound implications for the geopolitics of energy.”
The use of hydraulic fracturing in the U.S. to drill for oil in shale rock, a process known as fracking, has dramatically reshaped the global oil industry over the past decade. It has allowed the U.S. to rival traditional producers like Russia and Saudi Arabia—the de facto head of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries—for market share.
Shale was largely behind the glut of American oil that flooded the market more than four years ago, leading oil prices to fall to $30 a barrel from more than a $100 a barrel in late 2014.
U.S. shale production in 2018 grew faster than it did during the boom years of 2011 to 2014, the IEA said last year.
The U.S. last year surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil, with output currently hovering around 12 million barrels a day.
U.S. crude production is expected to rise to 13.7 million barrels a day by the end of its five-year forecast period, the IEA said Monday.
“Annual gains will boost the U.S. to levels never seen in any country, in excess of maximum capacity in both Russia and Saudi Arabia,” the report noted.
OPEC’s production capacity is expected to fall by around 400,000 barrels a day in the run up to 2024, in part as a result of supply outages in Iran and Venezuela, the agency said. The oil industries of both countries are under U.S. sanctions.
OPEC’s 14 member-nations and a group of 10 producers outside the cartel led by Russia, agreed in late 2018 to hold back crude output by a collective 1.2 million barrels a day for the first half of 2019. The coordinated cuts have helped to rebalance an oversupplied market that had caused prices to plunge by roughly 40% in the fourth quarter of last year, the IEA said.
“However, robust non-OPEC production growth in the early part of the forecast period suggests that some form of market management might stay in place,” the agency added.
Oil prices have climbed by around 20% since the start of 2019 on the back of the OPEC-led cuts.
On Monday morning, Brent crude—the global oil benchmark—traded up 0.8% at $66.28 a barrel on London’s New York Mercantile Exchange. West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. oil standard, were up 0.7% at $56.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The IEA said it expects the world’s appetite for oil to grow at an average annual rate of 1.2 million barrels a day up to 2024, reaching 106.4 million barrels a day, compared with 99.2 million barrels a day in 2018.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/second-wave-of-u-s-shale-revolution-is-coming-says-iea-11552291237
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Top 10 Destinations for U.S. LNG Exports in 2018
Mar 11, 2019 | Houston Chronicle
By Sergio Chapa
With more liquefied natural gas plants coming online, the number of U.S. LNG export cargoes grew to nearly 500 shipments in 2018, new data from the Department of Energy shows.
Four U.S. LNG facilities owned by three companies exported a combined 483 shipments in 2018, marking an 84 percent increase from the 262 export cargoes in 2017.
Three of the facilities exported 330 LNG cargoes using tankers in 2018. The fourth facility sent out another 153 LNG shipments in a special type of container known in the industry as ISOs, the data shows.
Nearly 82 percent of the U.S. LNG tanker exports in 2018 went to 10 nations. South Korea was the top destination with 73 export cargoes followed by Mexico with 53 shipments and Japan with 37 cargoes.
There were only two destinations for LNG export cargoes using ISO containers in 2018. The Bahamas received 102 of them while Barbados received 51 shipments.
Combined, the three companies exported nearly 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which is roughly equal to 14 percent of the 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas produced in Texas during 2018.
Tanker shipments averaged 3.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas while ISO shipments averaged 2 million cubic feet of natural gas.
Houston liquefied natural gas company Cheniere Energy accounted for 282 of the LNG export tanker cargoes in 2018, or roughly 85 percent. Richmond, Virginia-based power company Dominion Energy accounted for 48 export tanker cargoes, or roughly 15 percent.
Cheniere took advantage of record natural gas production from shale revolution and began LNG exports from the continental United States when its Sabine Pass LNG facility in Louisiana sent out its first tanker shipment in February 2016. Now the largest buyer and exporter of natural gas in the United States, the company's Corpus Christi LNG facility began exports in December 2018.
Dominion began tanker exports at its Cove Point LNG facility in Maryland in March 2018. New York-based American LNG Marketing began ISO exports from its South Florida facility in February 2016.
LNG exports shipments are expected to keep growing in 2019. Fourteen production terminals at four facilities in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas are expected to begin export operations to support tanker exports by the end of the year.
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Top-10-destinations-for-U-S-LNG-exports-in-2018-13678202.php
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At CERAweek, a Shifting Slate of Topics Signals New Energy Realities
Mar 11, 2019 | Politico Pro
By Ben Lefebvre and Eric Wolff
As top executives from the oil and gas industry gather in Houston for the annual CERAWeek conference that starts on Monday, they may be surprised to see some new topics taking up space on the agenda next to sessions on global price outlooks and shale economics: energy innovation and transitions.
The industry is certainly no stranger to adopting new technologies and adjusting its slate of products to meet changing energy needs, but the new issues are designed to chew over topics like the rise of electric vehicles and decarbonizing the economy, which once got little serious attention at fossil-fuel dominated events.
CERAWeek is IHS Markit's showcase energy event, presided over by Daniel Yergin, the noted energy expert and historian who is vice chairman of the company. And while it doesn't often produce industry-shaking news, the conference is one of the best windows into the issues being discussed in corporate boardrooms and government offices.
Among the top guests speaking at the event in downtown Houston are Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who will spend most in town with much of DOE’s leadership team. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will address the conference on Tuesday, and FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee will speak on Thursday. BP CEO Bob Dudley, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, Equinor CEO Eldar Sætre, LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov and, Marathon CEO Gary Heminger will all take their turns speaking from the stage.
The rising amount of conference time devoted to renewables, decarbonization and electric vehicles is simply a reflection of the industry today, Yergin told POLITICO.
“It’s a response to what we see coming down the road. These issues all loom increasingly large,” he said.
But that shift comes as the U.S. energy outlook, and the country's role in the world marketplace, have changed dramatically in recent years.
"This is the first time that we’ve been holding this conference that the U.S. is the world’s number one oil producer," Yergin said. "But this is a big tent conference. We have NGOs and utilities and public officials who want to move very fast toward alternative energy, and others who just don’t think that’s feasible or that it’s going to happen. Two words we’ll hear a lot at the conference: energy transition. There’s no agreement on what that transition is.”
While Houston — the epicenter of the U.S. oil and gas industry — may feel like it's a long way from Washington, at least one topic from Capitol Hill will get some attention.
“Obviously, the Green New Deal one way or another will be a subject of discussion," Yergin said. "The currents are out there — already the 2020 presidential campaign has begun and energy and climate are big parts of that.”
Oil and gas giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron announced plans last week to boost development of their shale holdings in the U.S., and Exxon has notched up major reserves increases this year. But rising pressure from states and shareholders is forcing the big producers to address climate change — despite the fact that President Donald Trump has rolled back many Obama-era climate regulations and pledged to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.
“Trump was elected, then lots of oil folks popped corks because they thought the whole climate change shareholder thing is over,” said Amy Jaffe, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council for Foreign Relations. “What this year is showing is that no, it’s still a serious issue.”
The rebirth of climate change as a subject of serious attention comes after last year's Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives. Climate change, already a campaign issue for the Democrats, swiftly became a top priority in Congress, where progressives introduced the non-binding Green New Deal resolution designed to transition the U.S. economy to clean energy in a decade.
"The elections and the Green New Deal — like it or not, those have been very splashy headlines headlines, and companies see that," said Roman Kramarchuk, head of energy scenarios for S&P Global Platts.
Energy companies have taken modest steps toward adjusting to a carbon-constrained world. Last month, Shell bought German battery maker Sonnen, and Norway's Equinor paid $135 million last year for the right to build offshore wind near Massachusetts. U.S. companies have homed in on reducing their emissions, with Exxon promising to plug the methane leaks in its gas extraction processes, and Chevron, Occidental, and Exxon hiking spending on carbon capture technology.
Exxon also recently signed a deal to use 500 megawatts of renewable power to support its oil and gas operations in the Permian basin, the biggest oilfield in the country.
“These companies are in a position where they’re getting pressure from shareholders to show a business plan that shows they can transition to a 2-degree world,” Jason Bordoff, director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and a former Obama energy official, said, referring to the global target to limit the average global temperature increases.
Still, the sharp growth in U.S. oil output and the emergence of U.S. exports as a major factor in global markets shows that the industry isn't giving up on its core business.
“Part of the country is trying to move away from hydrocarbons. Part of it is not," Yergin said. "I think what is not understood in Washington is just what a big deal of what’s happening in the oil and gas industry is for the economy and jobs and capital investment and manufacturing all across the country."
Institutional shareholders and corporate accountability groups have been leaning on companies to take their climate risk into account. Shareholder resolutions related to climate change are gaining momentum, according to a report from CDP, a nonprofit formerly known as the Climate Disclosure Project that monitors corporate environmental impacts. The California Public Employees Retirement System made climate change a core value last year, and public funds run by Ireland and the cities of Paris, Berlin and New York have all made promises to reduce exposure to fossil fuels in their portfolios.
Companies may also see climate change as a more immediate threat in the wake of the bankruptcy filing by Pacific Gas & Electric, a California investor-owned utility. The company's equipment is blamed for causing multiple wildfires over the last 10 years, including last year's "Camp Fire" that was the nation's deadliest in a century. Those fires have been exacerbated by climate-change-induced droughts.
“We see what happened to PG&E,” said Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel of As You Sow, a corporate accountability non-profit. “That’s the risk that shareholders face — that a strong company could go under because of the results of climate impacts.”
But companies in the U.S. have been slower to respond to these pressures. The industry as a whole in 2018 only spent 1 percent of its capital expenditures on green energy projects, the CDP report said.
Complicating matters, global energy consumption is forecast to grow by a third between now and 2040, according to the latest baseline forecast by BP, and the companies attending CERAweek will be expected to meet that need. Natural gas and renewable energy will fill most of the new demand, but the need for oil could also grow slightly, mostly to make plastics, said Spencer Dale, BP group's chief economist.
That leaves companies wondering how to best react if demand for oil and gas remains steady amid calls to reduce emissions to meet the targets set by the Paris climate agreement — or even if those targets are within reach, Dale said at a recent presentation of BP’s latest energy forecast.
“If we’re going to get anywhere close to getting on a pathway consistent with meeting Paris, the speed of change and transition is unprecedented relative to anything we’ve seen in history,” he said.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/energy/article/2019/03/at-ceraweek-a-shifting-slate-of-topics-signals-new-energy-realities-1245699
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Drilling Down: Texas Tech Prepares to Go ‘Wildcatting’
Mar 11, 2019 | Houston Chronicle
By Sergio Chapa
Texas Tech University’s Department of Petroleum Engineering is preparing to go “wildcatting” at the edge of Lubbock city limits.
The department is seeking permission from the Railroad Commission of Texas to drill a pair of exploratory test wells on its Red Raider lease, which was named after the school’s mascot. The vertical wells target the Wildcat field down to a depth of 1,500 feet.
Under Railroad Commission rules, wells that target a geological layer or fields with very little data are designated as targeting the Wildcat field. “Wildcatting” refers to drilling an exploratory well in an unproven field or geological layer.
Texas Tech last received a drilling permit for an exploratory test well on the same lease in October 2001. Department of Petroleum Engineering Chair Marshall Watson told the Houston Chronicle that the two new wells will be part of the university’s Oilfield Technology Center Campus, which features real-life oilfield equipment for research, undergraduate instruction and vocational training.
“We plan to place a functional drilling rig permanently over one well and a functional pulling unit permanently over the other drilled well,” Watson said. “We are in communication with community colleges regarding training of drilling and pulling unit hands.”
Permian Basin
Houston oil company Birch Resources is getting ready to do a heavy round of drilling in West Texas. The company filed for 13 drilling permits on its Captain Cane lease in Howard County, which is named after the University of Tulsa’s mascot. The horizontal wells target the Spraberry geological layer at total depths ranging from 8,200 to 8,400 feet.
Eagle Ford Shale
Norwegian oil giant Equinor is seeking permission to drill six new horizontal wells on its Escondido Creek lease in Karnes. The six wells target the sweet spot of the Eagle Ford — the Sugarkane field down to a depth of 16,000 feet.
Haynesville Shale
The British oil and gas company BP is seeking permission to drill a horizontal well on its Callisto Gas Unit lease in Nacogdoches County. The gas well target the Carthage field of the Haynesville geological layer down to a total depth of 19,500 feet.
Barnett Shale
Dallas oil company Legacy Exploration is preparing for its first new drilling project of 2019. The company is seeking permission to drill a horizontal well on its Alexander Omega Trust lease in Clay County. The horizontal oil and natural gas well targets the Dillard SW field of the Marble Falls geological layer.
Conventionals
McKinney oil company Headington Energy Resources company is seeking permission to drill a directional well on its KMF lease in Kenedy County in the East Texas brushland. Located nearly 17 miles southwest of Sarita, the well targets the Rita field.
https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Drilling-Down-Texas-Tech-prepares-to-go-13677255.php
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Insight from Washington: US Refiners Worry about White House Wild Card as IMO 2020 Nears
Mar 11, 2019 | S&P Global Platts
By Meghan Gordon
A strict sulfur limit for marine fuels starting in 2020 and its potential to boost US gasoline and diesel prices may have caught the White House off guard last year, but it’s not taking refiners or members of the shipping industry by surprise.
US refiners say they have been preparing for the International Maritime Organization’s 0.5% sulfur cap for a dozen years by making billions of dollars of investments to their plants. They also think US oil producers are well positioned to meet new global demand for lower-sulfur fuels.
Despite the industry’s confidence, Gulf Coast refiners are nevertheless skittish about one major wild card.
The January 1, 2020 implementation date comes right in the middle of President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, and this White House has shown a particular sensitivity to pump prices and their impact on voters.
Trump has proved through his Twitter feed that he personally keeps a close eye on oil prices, even if he sometimes confuses ICE Brent and NYMEX WTI. Additionally, his administration weighs policy options with an understanding of how they might move gasoline and crude oil prices.Click to enlarge
Trump administration sources told the Wall Street Journal in October that the White House was considering ways to delay the IMO’s 0.5% sulfur cap beyond the long-scheduled January 1, 2020, implementation date. The story alone sent the stock market value of five US refining companies down by a combined $11 billion – hence their skittishness.
Within weeks of the story, trade groups for refiners, oil and gas producers, LNG exporters and steelworkers created the Coalition for American Energy Security to educate White House officials and members of Congress about IMO 2020 and what US industries were already doing to prepare.
“As we draw closer to implementation of IMO 2020, it’s essential that the president and his administration are fully aware of the job impacts and energy security benefits of implementing the standards on time,” said Ken Spain, spokesman for the Coalition for American Energy Security. “The American energy industry is ready to dominate the global market for these new fuels, and timely implementation is critical to achieving that objective.”
The International Energy Agency and Energy Information Administration project modest price increases for diesel and jet fuel as a result of the tighter marine sulfur standards, but other analysts see more dramatic impacts coming at the end of the year.
Short-term price spikes?
Either way, the impending sulfur cap will bring big changes for the shipping, aviation, refining, oil production and power generation sectors.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol testified to Congress in February that there was a “bit of panic” in the oil industry about the impending regulations, but refiners are adjusting.
“There may be some temporary price spikes for diesel and jet fuel prices, but we think the market will adjust, and we don’t expect those price spikes will be long-lasting and big,” he said. “There will be some adjustment period. But the refineries are today being configured according to the IMO rules, and the US is one of the leaders.”
So if US pump prices or oil benchmarks spike ahead of implementation day, what can the White House do to delay IMO 2020? Not much at all – short of building a majority coalition supporting delay ahead of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting in May. That looks very unlikely, though, after the panel in October already rejected a proposal for a soft rollout of the standards.
Trump does hold a few tools that he could use for domestic messaging purposes if prices spike: releasing fuel from the 1 million barrel Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve or ordering an emergency crude oil drawdown from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Citigroup commodities strategist Eric Lee said that the White House wanting to lower fuel prices ahead of the November 2020 elections is the most notable policy risk surrounding implementation of the sulfur specs.
“The headline risk alone could drive a selloff in diesel cracks and thus jet cracks, though we see a low probability of IMO 2020 actually being stymied or pushed back, and thus would expect such market reactions to reverse,” Lee wrote in a note to clients.
Twitter effect
In the year since Trump first used Twitter to complain about high oil prices, his oil-related tweets continue to move intraday prices in a big way. Lee’s analysis found an average 1.5% movement immediately after a tweet, with Trump’s February 25 tweet driving a 3-4% selloff within five hours.
While Trump’s oil tweets may move the market for a day or two, Lee said the tweets have ultimately had little long-term effect in changing the course of oil prices.
“It is not the first time a US president has tried to influence OPEC policy, but the speed of the new information hitting the market, the specific tone of Trump’s tweets, and the automation of trading orders, is driving more short-term and sharp reactions to such messaging for oil markets,” Citigroup’s Lee said.
Goldman Sachs sees a “non-trivial probability” that the 2020 presidential election will have an influence on IMO implementation.
“There is a risk on the horizon, but it is not our base case,” Jeff Currie, the bank’s global head of commodities research, told S&P Global Platts. “We wouldn’t discount any involvement if prices were to rise significantly.”
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/03/11/refiners-white-house-wild-card-imo-2020/
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Two Workers in Critical Condition after Chemical Spill in Henrietta
Mar 11, 2019 | Rochester First
Two demolition workers are listed in critical condition after a spill of a hazardous chemical at a former factory off Jefferson Road in Henrietta.
Crews were called around 9:20 Monday morning to the Ansbury Truth building for a report of a chemical leak. We're told five people were exposed to a chemical known as methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Three people were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital, two of them in critical condition, while two others were treated at the scene.
All employees were evacuated and about 50 responders were called to the scene -- including the Monroe County Hazardous Materials unit who entered the building to determine the extent of the chemical leak.
The building used to be AmesburyTruth. Previous to that, it was the Schlegel Corporation. They have recently been moved to out of state and crews were in the process of demolition in the back of the building.
The assistant fire chief tells us that the caused the leak of MDI, a chemical known to cause respiratory issues and can even be fatal. "As part of that, there were three to four large tanks of this material. The tanks had been cleaned out. They were in the process of demolishing those tanks and the associated pipes that ran from the tanks to the building. It appears that during the demolition of one of those pipes, that chemical came out and exposed the patients."
Crews are expected to be here for the next four hours or so. We were told the situation is contained.
https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/henrietta-firefighters-respond-to-chemical-spill-at-jefferson-rd-factory-leak/1839979535
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Mar 11, 2019 | Mass Transit
By Mischa Wanek-Libman
Maintaining transit rail systems can be a complex task and one that can be impacted by the type of environment in which it occurs, the time of day and if nearby track is to remain active. While nothing can replace a robust safety culture and standard safety procedures, there are systems available that can enhance safety of maintenance-of-way crews. These systems leverage technology to provide safety plans with additional layers of protection.
Proactive solutions
Metrom Rail supplies the AURA Train Control System, a full suite of modular solutions that incorporates train control, worker protection and collision avoidance. The system is based on Ultra Wideband (UWB) radio frequency technology, which the company explains allows for highly accurate ranging data and communication capabilities between trains, wayside interfaces, maintenance-of-way equipment and workers. Metrom Rail explains the accuracy of its UWB-based solution is advantageous in underground and urban locations or in other environments where traditional RF-based systems experience difficulty.
“Ranging accuracy and absolute distance measurement is vital to enforcing a reliable and consistent safety system,” said Rick Carlson, Jr., director, business development and corporate strategy. “As AURA can identify the exact distance and speed between two objects, it can then identify the exact point where action must be taken to maintain safe operating behavior. In other words, AURA serves as a proactive tool for safety, as opposed to one that only works when operating rules have been violated.”
Metrom Rail was established in 2010 with a goal of creating a new approach to safety and efficiency in both the freight and transit rail sectors. Carlson explains that the complicated relationship between safety and technology means there is a certain amount of trepidation surrounding anything labeled “new”.
“Systems that promise to offer safety must work 100 percent of the time in order to avoid creating a skeptical user base that might not trust or even use the systems as indicated. Looking past this, it can be difficult to reconcile the theoretical versus practical benefits of technologies,” said Carlson. “Additionally, it is no secret that this industry does not historically welcome or adopt new technologies with open arms. We are encouraged to see an accelerating trend in transit agencies embracing new ideas and concepts and we hope to maintain a role in further modernizing the industry.”
Carlson says UWB technology is shaping the way Metrom Rail reimagines the concept of safety and its application in the AURA Train Control System allows for the safe operation of trains through work zones, to communicate and maintain safe distances to MOW equipment and to each other.
AURA Collision Avoidance Systems can identify the distance and closure rate between trains or MOW equipment. The systems will provide advanced warning that action must be taken to maintain a programmed separation distance and will automatically apply brakes to enforce the distance.
“As this system operates with speed in mind, distances can be configured – for example, an agency may choose to stop trains above 20 mph at 200 feet and trains under 5 mph at five feet to facilitate double berthing or slow operation between MOW equipment,” said Carlson. “The concept of interoperability between MOW equipment and trains has always been a difficult thing to overcome for traditional systems; AURA addresses this to allow maintenance and revenue service to operate in parallel as efficiently as possible.”
Referencing his earlier comment about the complicated relationship between safety and technology, Carlson points to the AURA Worker Protection System (WPS) as an example of the changing dynamic between safety and technology.
“Before the WPS, agencies relied on training and operational standards to protect on-track workers; this was largely due to a lack of systems that could practically support a sensible worker protection plan, notwithstanding enforcement of [positive train control (PTC)] worker protection requirements. The AURA WPS introduces work zones, inside of which workers wearing vests equipped with UWB technology are alerted to an oncoming train. This alarm is customized to each agency, but as a baseline, our requirements for validation of the system were 15 seconds of advanced warning at 60 mph. Both the workers and train operator receive alarms, which require confirmation by pressing a single button. Failure to confirm the alarms will cause the train to apply brakes before the work zone, coming to a stop prior to violating the defined zone,” he said.
Carlson explains that Metrom Rail will continue to explore ways UWB can be applied to enhance safety within the rail industry from how UWB-based technology can address longstanding Positive Train Control interoperability challenges to how the technology can meet property trespassing and platform fall detection needs.
“Metrom Rail is focused on innovative, sometimes unorthodox uses of UWB technology to solve industry problems. We’re excited to continue pushing the envelope on UWB applications to shape modern transit technology approaches,” said Carlson.
Additional level of safety
Miller Ingenuity’s ZoneGuard is an electronic roadway worker protection system (eRWP) that is engineered to work in tandem with standard rail safety procedures. The system warns rail maintenance crews of incoming track vehicles within their work zones with an audible and physical alert to each worker’s wearable device. Miller Ingenuity reiterates the system is not meant to replace standard procedures, but to provide an additional level of safety while performing maintenance work.
This eRWP safety solution can be installed affixed to permanent structures, such as a catenary pole, or transported to each jobsite using Miller’s compact and lightweight portable unit.
“ZoneGuard’s flexibility allows it to perform within high-noise urban environments, under high power lines, on bridges, within tunnels and across multiple tracks giving maintenance crews the ability to provide safer work zones wherever they need to operate,” said Miller Ingenuity.
The system’s optional onboard unit is installed within the locomotive cab and can give train operators a warning alert when they are approaching an active work zone. While the onboard unit is not required for the whole ZoneGuard system to operate, the company says that it does provide another level of communication and safety for rail maintenance crews.
Miller Ingenuity notes that many manufacturing and industrial industries, including rail, have been hesitant to evolve themselves from strictly mechanical products to innovative high-tech solutions that would advance their industry. The company says technology is providing the push needed to move the rail industry into innovative territory.
“With the development of rail safety technology, such as PTC or electronic roadway worker protection systems, railroads are able to feel more confident in their ability to provide safer working environments for their employees,” said the company. “Technology is fluid and always evolving, which results in newer and more advanced solutions constantly being developed. ZoneGuard’s patented detection technology is so accurate and unique, that the technology can evolve to many new industry uses over time.”
Miller explains that traditional rail maintenance safety procedures rely on watchman lookouts to warn their crews of track vehicles entering an active work zone.
“This process is incredibly vulnerable to mistakes due to basic human error factors that include distractions, complacency, miscommunication with train operators and inexperience. Seeing the need for technological advancement in this area, Miller developed ZoneGuard to provide rail maintenance crews with the ability to put the responsibility of safety back into their own hands,” said the company.
Miller Ingenuity explains that the ZoneGuard technology can be applied to additional industry needs such as pedestrian and trespasser detection, PTC integration, train performance tracking through the system’s web dashboard and more.
Providing an extra “eye”
Protran Technology, a Harsco Rail Company, offers a suite of safety products for rail maintenance including solutions for roadway worker protection (RWP), collision avoidance for rail maintenance machines and wayside power monitoring.
The company notes that its RWP systems fit a variety of scenarios for fixed and mobile work crews regardless of the physical characteristics of the transit or railroad. These systems can be portable, vehicle or wayside based. Protran Technology explains the systems include advanced train approach warning technology that alerts workers of approaching trains or maintenance vehicles and notifies operators of these vehicles when they are approaching crews on the roadway so they can be aware and, if needed, make appropriate operational adjustments.
Protran Technology says distances for alerts and alarming in its collision avoidance system can be configured for any requirement to provide advanced warning to maintenance vehicle operators in the event another vehicle gets too close during travel or work modes.
The company also offers electrical monitoring and power verification technology for both third rail and catenary systems. This technology allows workers to validate power status and to continually monitor the status of the electrical power system during any rail maintenance activity.
Protran Technology explains that roadway workers and operators no longer have to be placed in unsafe conditions due to potential single point failures in safety and operating rules.
“With the implementation of advanced warning technologies and monitoring equipment, worker safety is now protected by secondary systems in the event primary rules and procedures are violated or those providing primary protection (i.e. flagmen/watchmen) become distracted. Additionally, as operators are tasked with more and more responsibilities collision avoidance technology can add an additional ‘eye’ to assist operators while in work or traveling operations,” said the company. “In Protran’s history at agencies where this technology has been implemented, there have been no railroad worker fatalities and ‘near miss’ occurrences have been reduced to almost zero.”
Protran has worked to enhance safety is in the control center where there may be an inability to pinpoint exact locations of maintenance workers near active tracks.
The company says its recently developed Enhanced Employee Protection System (EEPS) and ProAccess RWP System are tools that now allow transit agencies to track the exact location of multiple crews (both mobile and fixed) while on the roadway.
“These systems allow controllers and managers to gather a tremendous amount of both safety data and track access efficiency data while adding enhanced safety to workers on the trackway. In addition to those current features, we are developing accurate location detection for both assets and rail defects along the trackway,” said Protran. “Having accurate defect location data improves track maintenance efficiency which leads to safer railroads and also improves the time track workers are out on the trackway.”
https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/maintenance/railroad-right-of-way-and-maintenance-of-way-equipment/article/21069435/safety-for-any-situation
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Trump Seeks 31 Percent Cut to EPA Funding Levels
Mar 11, 2019 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Abby Smith
The Trump White House is again seeking to sharply reduce the EPA’s budget, an opening offer that Congress isn’t likely to follow but signals the administration’s continued desire to shrink the agency.
The administration’s request, the broad strokes of which were released March 11, would seek $6.1 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency in fiscal year 2020, a cut of more than 2 billion or 31 percent compared with the estimated $8.8 billion in fiscal year 2019.
That estimate doesn’t reflect the recent budget bill enacted by Congress in February to end the partial government shutdown, which closed the EPA for several weeks.
The move is consistent with the Trump administration’s prior budget requests for the EPA. For its request for the prior fiscal year, the White House proposed a similar funding level for the EPA, of $6.15 billion.
But Congress hasn’t matched those cuts, and it’s unlikely to do so this year. The fiscal year 2020 budget is the first the Trump administration is putting forth before a divided Congress.
Enacted Levels
The requested cut for fiscal year 2020 may not be as large when compared to enacted fiscal year 2019 levels. The EPA received $8.058 billion under the appropriations bill Congress passed in February, according to a conference report for the legislation.
The Trump budget proposal would cut the EPA’s budget roughly 24 percent below that funding level.
The budget proposal also asks for new user fees to fund the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, which helps consumers save energy through efficient appliances, saving the government $460 million over the next decade.
https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/trump-seeks-31-percent-cut-to-epa-funding-levels
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The Energy 202: A Wave of State Bills Could Threaten Science and Climate Education
Mar 11, 2019 | Washington Post
By Paulina Firozi
State lawmakers from Connecticut to Florida are proposing measures that some groups say could threaten how science and climate change are taught in the classroom. More than a dozen such bills have popped up this year, including from state lawmakers pushing back against broad scientific consensus that people are warming the planet, according to the National Center for Science Education.
The measures have emerged as many young people around the nation and world intend to skip school this week to demand government action on climate change, and as there is renewed emphasis in Washington on a Green New Deal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, despite skepticism President Trump and his appointees have expressed about the state and causes of global warming.
Glenn Branch, the deputy director at NCSE, which tracks the measures, told me the organization has seen more activity on this front in 2019 than it usually tracks in an entire year -- Branch usually expects to see a half dozen to a dozen of bills annually aimed at changing how science is taught in elementary and secondary school classrooms. While many of the measures have already failed, they’re an example of how the climate debate is trickling down to states, where there’s entrenchment from some conservatives as the issue rises in importance in national politics.
Most of these measures were introduced by state Republicans and are aimed at affecting public education in a range of ways, from removing language about climate science from statewide standards to repealing those state standards for science instruction or by broadly requiring "balance" in the teaching of “controversial issues.”
And there's no evidence they will necessarily pass, though the wave of introductions is notable.
A state lawmaker in Connecticut, for example, has proposed prohibiting the use of the Next Generation Science Standards, which were developed by states to improve science education and have been adopted by 19 states and the District of Columbia. A similar proposal was introduced in Iowa.
State Rep. John Piscopo (R-Conn.) introduced one bill to eliminate the section on climate change from the standards and another to prohibit schools from using the standards at all. Piscopo told me he let both of his bills die and is working on a measure to specifically address language in state education standards that say human activity is a major factor in global warming.
He wants those standards to say instead there is a “continuing scientific debate over how much global warming humans are causing and the amount of warming.” “The people that object to this totally deny — they’re the deniers — there’s a scientific debate about the causes of man-made greenhouse gases,” he said. “To be just resigned in the comfort of consensus is not science at all.”
In Florida, GOP state Sen. Dennis Baxley wants to pass a bill requiring schools to teach “controversial theories and concepts” in science standards in a “factual, objective and balanced manner.” Baxley’s bill doesn’t define what would be deemed “controversial theories,” and he told me groups worried the bill would target climate change or evolution are “mischaracterizing” the measure.
“I’m not telling them what to teach... There is some language to make sure we teach different schools of thought. There are all kinds of areas as you know where everybody is not in complete agreement,” he told me. “It’s important for [students] to know the different schools of thought out there on science.”
But there’s little debate within the scientific community about the reality and severity of climate change. Last year’s consensus report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned the world has about a dozen years to address global warming to avoid its dire effects.
Some of the bills NCSE tracks don’t explicitly refer to climate science or even science at all, but Branch said they could still have an impact on science education.
Two other bills in Florida, for example, would require instructional materials in public schools to “provide objective, balanced and noninflammatory viewpoints on controversial issues.” Branch said even though these two bills don’t mention science, such measures could “expand the ability of Floridians to challenge instructional materials to which they take exception.”
Even if the measures don’t ultimately advance, Branch said it’s important for people to know their state legislators are eyeing changes to how science is taught. “They’re not aware there’s a sizable constituency that likes to see these bills introduced and hopes they will be passed,” Branch said. “The only way to be sure they don’t pass is to raise public awareness of them and to localize concerns about the integrity of public science education by speaking about them.”
Nationwide, there’s overwhelming support for education about global warming, according to data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication — 79 percent of adults believe schools should teach about climate change causes and potential solutions. There is 83 percent support among adults for climate education in Connecticut, for example, and 78 percent support in Florida.
That support is reflected in the effort from lawmakers in Connecticut and Washington state who want to bolster climate education. Connecticut Democratic Rep. Christine Palm,for instance, introduced a bill this year to require public schools to teach climate science starting in elementary school. While Connecticut has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, she said they don’t go far enough.
“Next Generation Science Standards are great, but they’re more like recommendations than mandates,” she said. “They don’t talk about climate change in any meaningful way until the fifth grade, and I think it’s too late.” Palm told me her original bill wasn't raised by the necessary committee but she is pushing to include the content in another bill.
Washington state Democrat Sen. Claire Wilson proposed a bill requiring schools to teach science “with special reference to the environmental and sustainability standards,” and would establish grants to train teachers on the Next Generation Science Standards.
“We know there’s a growing crisis called climate change,” Wilson told me, “and we believe it’s underrecognized by many people … We cannot crack this nut and deal with it until we believe it’s true and we start teaching young people about it and have them help us come up with the solution.”
Palm said she has “tremendous hope in Millennials and Gen Z and X kids who are in fact globally doing walkouts and changing what the United Nations is doing … Once you raise someone’s awareness to a problem and to what they can do about the problem, it empowers them to take a stand.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2019/03/11/the-energy-202-a-wave-of-state-bills-could-threaten-science-and-climate-education/5c8569bc1b326b2d177d603f/?utm_term=.f8bd5c21df50
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What America Needs Is a ‘Green Real Deal’: Obama/Bush Energy Policymakers Say
Mar 11, 2019 | CNBC
By Ernest Moniz and Andy Karsner
The Green New Deal has sparked a timely impassioned national conversation on the imperative of addressing climate-change risks to our economy, environment and security and the associated needs of disadvantaged communities.
The mission is clear: Action is urgently needed to set and follow high-impact pathways to a low-carbon future. We must, however, strive for a broader public consensus that respects local differences and allows all citizens equal opportunity to build a prosperous, fair, safe and secure low-carbon future.
We should first dispel any question about the gravity of addressing climate change. The accelerated pace of change is significantly stressing the world’s natural, social and economic systems. We are already paying the price — extreme weather, forest fires, drought, sea-level rise and coastal storm intensity are all high-cost leading indicators.
The price tag for inaction promises to get much higher, and the transformation to a low-carbon energy will inevitably stretch to mid-century and beyond. Those who can least afford it — the poorest Americans and the world’s developing countries — will be economically hit worst and first and continue to pay the steepest price unless the rate of investment and innovation is accelerated and extended into all parts of our country.
The need for urgency and the disparate impacts of inaction underscores the dangers of magical thinking at either extreme. Climate deniers, as well as those with demonstrably impractical, short-term, feel-good solutions are moving us sideways when forward motion is essential.
The urgent need to act now on climate requires focus and prioritization. It is time to do the hard work of forging a broadly acceptable and practical plan to transform the energy system. A wise and just transition to a low-carbon economy, moving as fast as is technically and socially possible, must minimize stranded physical assets as well as stranded workers and communities. It will be based on practicality, not ideology. In other words, it had to be a Green REAL Deal to achieve real results.
A vision of a low-carbon future
So what are the features of a Green Real Deal? Increased energy efficiency across all economic sectors, a very low-carbon electricity system and the electrification of buildings, transportation and industry to the extent that is practical are key. All of this is happening, and the pace must be quickened through policy and markets.
Innovation that has dramatically reduced the cost of solar and wind energy is a big part of the story. But it is also a fact that much of the electricity decarbonization has taken because of the natural gas revolution that has reduced coal use. Furthermore, the ability of natural gas to respond to the variability of solar and wind is critical for maintaining a reliable and resilient system.It is time to do the hard work of forging a broadly acceptable and practical plan to transform the energy system.
Batteries are now entering the electricity system to take up some of the role of natural gas, but this will address storage needs over hours, not weeks or even seasons. Systems-level approaches are fundamental to accelerating the pace of development.
These are just examples to indicate that outcomes derived from innovation are a much better bet than prescriptions based on someone’s preferred technologies. For electricity this means looking hard at advanced nuclear technologies and the capture, storage and use of carbon dioxide, as well as renewables. Indeed, this might eventually include direct carbon removal from the air, a prohibitively expensive proposition today in its very early stages of R&D.
Carbon Emission
Decarbonization of buildings, heavy-duty vehicles and aircraft, industry and agriculture is more complicated, and emissions from these sectors add up to a lot more than those from electricity. Options such as electrification, hydrogen, renewable gas and carbon dioxide utilization become much less costly. Business-model innovation will be needed in parallel with technology innovation, both of which must be unleashed.
Another key feature of a Green Real Deal is the need to fully accommodate regional differences in climate solutions. Low carbon solutions will look very different in various parts of the United States and, for that matter, in different countries with different climates. Not only do we need to up the ante for an innovation agenda, we also should grow regional innovation ecosystems that will develop tailored options. This includes recognizing the important urban-rural differences that often divide our politics.
In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration as part of the New Deal, both to create infrastructure jobs and to bring electricity to rural areas as a matter of fairness and opportunity. A similar push on rural telephone connection after World War II, supported by Federal loans, provides a great example of technology, business and policy uniting local communities in a broad effort to overcome a national challenge. The crisis of the Great Depression and the capacity of presidential leadership came together to move the needle to the lasting benefit of our country.
Today we face the “slow-motion train wreck” of climate change, but without the presidential leadership that enabled the original New Deal. This present circumstance only elevates the importance of acting now in Congress, in states and cities and in civil society to develop a practical Green Real Deal that will provide the political coalitions needed for an inclusive societal push to accelerated climate action.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/11/what-america-needs-is-a-green-real-deal-top-energy-experts-say.html
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Ewire: GOP's 'Green' Deal Talking Point May Rely on 'Bogus' Figure
Mar 11, 2019 | Inside EPA
Republican lawmakers are increasingly lambasting the Green New Deal (GND) climate change resolution as wildly expensive, though their oft-cited talking point with an astronomical projected cost is based on a “bogus” estimate of the still-nebulous resolution, according to one report.
Politico takes a look at the Green New Deal cost estimate, which was conducted by the center-right think tank American Action Forum (AAF). The group issued “ballpark” estimates for several aspects of the resolution, while includes several ambitious progressive policy goals in addition to an aggressive greenhouse gas reduction schedule.
Crucially, AAF did not sum up its cost figures for the various aspects of the Green New Deal resolution, but Republicans have not been nearly as shy, frequently charging that the plan would cost $93 trillion. The article says the figure is "bogus."
The bulk of the figure -- $80.6 trillion -- comes from high-end projections of a jobs guarantee and universal health care. As Politico notes, “While liberal activists say economic justice must be a part of any eventual policy based on the resolution, most see the Green New Deal itself as a vehicle for an energy transition and industrial economic policy, rather than something more sweeping, like 'Medicare for All.'”
Inside EPA's Doug Obey several days ago reported on how the AFF study was playing into the GOP's sharp attacks on the Green New Deal.
He noted that there is a “broader political question about whether the GND creates an opening for major climate policy -- including carbon pricing programs that Democrats have unsuccessfully pushed for years -- or whether it is a massive political misstep that carbon control critics can exploit.”
AAF's analysis examines six policies it assumes would become part of the GND -- a 10-year transition to very low-carbon power grid; “enough high speed rail” to make air travel unnecessary; a guarantee of union jobs with retirement security for all Americans; universal health care; guaranteed housing for every American; and food security for all residents in the country.
In addition to the group's cost estimates for the non-climate portions of the GND resolution, at least some of its assumptions on the specific carbon policies appear to go beyond the stated policies in the actual resolution -- particularly on the speed at which GHGs would be reduced and the investments required for high-speed rail.
https://insideepa.com/daily-feed/ewire-gops-green-deal-talking-point-may-rely-bogus-figure
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