A new report on the potential impacts of Plaquemines LNG was released and sent this morning in a set of joint comments from Sierra Club and Healthy Gulf to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which urge the agency to deny the facility’s request to produce an additional 3.2 MTPA (million metric tons per year) of fracked gas. The organizations also argue that FERC must prepare a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that fully analyzes the facility’s potential impact on the environment, climate, and environmental justice communities in the construction of the Plaquemines LNG export terminal.
BRUSSELS -- Today, European Union adopted its RePowerEU plan to begin eliminating Russian fossil fuel imports. RePowerEU will focus on increasing energy efficiency and demand savings, reducing bottlenecks for clean energy projects, and expanding solar energy, with the goal of cutting the EU’s fossil gas imports from Russia by two-thirds this year and the remaining one-third by 2027. At the same time, the EU also released its International Energy Strategy, which will partially focus on increasing imports of false solutions like blue hydrogen and fossil gas through deals with the US, Egypt, Israel, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Japan, Korea, and other countries.
Despite the escalating climate crisis caused by the global over-reliance on fossil fuels, the state-backed French company Engie made a 15-year deal with NextDecade to import 1.75 million metric tons per year of fracked gas from Rio Grande LNG, an export terminal proposed for South Texas. While Engie scrapped its original deal with Rio Grande LNG in 2020 because of the French government’s environmental concerns over hydraulic fracking in Texas, Engie has apparently reversed course despite the persistence of those same environmental concerns.
Yesterday, a group of environmental and community advocacy groups, including the City of Port Isabel, Esto’k Gna Tribal Nation of Texas, Healthy Gulf, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and Vecinos para el Bienestar de la Comunidad Costera, filed a motion to intervene to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), in an extension request from Rio Grande LNG, a fracked gas terminal proposed for the Gulf Coast.
Sempra’s Port Arthur LNG fracked gas export terminal will not reach its final investment decision (FID) until late 2022 or as late as 2023. Port Arthur LNG was initially expected to reach FID in 2019.
Rio Grande LNG, a fracked gas export terminal proposed for construction in South Texas, requested an extension from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the facility to come online in 2028. Rio Grande LNG was initially expecting to be operational by 2026.
This morning, President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the development of plans to help the EU end its reliance on Russian gas in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The announcement lays out strategies to both expand the supply of US-produced gas to Europe and to reduce Europe’s need for fossil fuels. Gulf Coast communities are speaking out against any plans the Task Force may develop to expand gas exports as this will endanger their communities and environment, which are already overburdened by industry presence.
Early this morning, President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the development of plans to help the EU end its reliance on Russian gas in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The announcement lays out strategies to both expand the supply of US-produced gas to Europe and reduce Europe’s need for fossil fuels, though the latter is light on details about how this would be achieved or whether it includes investments in false solutions like blue hydrogen.
The Biden administration is reportedly in talks with European Union leaders about expanding the supply of US-produced gas to Europe as the EU looks to end its reliance on Russian gas.
PennFuture, Clean Air Council, and Sierra Club obtained a settlement on March 18 that halts construction of the proposed Bradford County Real Estate Partners (BCREP) liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in Wyalusing Township, Bradford County, and requires the applicant to obtain a new air quality permit should it wish to continue with this proposed project.
A crowd of 50 people descended on the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality public hearing last night, urging regulators to defend the Louisiana coast and reject plans to issue an air permit to the Commonwealth gas export facility.
Today, 120 organizations sent letters to the six biggest American banks urging them to stop lending and support for new and expanded gas export facilities, citing environmental justice and climate concerns as well as rising home heating costs for American communities being driven by the rise in exports.