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Introduction to the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)
by Frack Check WV: admin 05 May '23

05 May '23

# [Introduction to the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/05/introduction-to-the- appalachian-regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-arch2/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/8F242A68-69CE-49BC-828F-02011D22A04A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/8F242A68-69CE-49BC-828F-02011D22A04A.jpeg) Don’t be color blind! ARCH2 is gray, or blue, or ……. green? **NETL Director Outlines Lab’s Role in Transition to the Hydrogen Economy** From the [Address by Brian Anderson, National Energy Technology Laboratory](https://netl.doe.gov/node/12512), May 4, 2023 NETL Director Brian Anderson highlighted the expertise of the Lab’s researchers to advance innovations and scientific discoveries that support the development of regional clean hydrogen hubs across America, including a project planned through a partnership with the State of West Virginia, EQT Corp., the nation’s largest natural gas producer, and others. Speaking Tuesday, May 2, at the West Virginia Manufacturing Energy Growth Summit at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, Anderson explained that hydrogen energy has the potential to decarbonize multiple economic sectors, including heavy-duty transportation and steel manufacturing, create good-paying jobs and pave the way toward a grid powered by clean energy resources. “West Virginia could serve as an ideal location for a clean hydrogen hub due to its unique access to ample low-cost natural gas feedstock as well as its outstanding workforce and technology capabilities and carbon sequestration potential,” Anderson said during a panel discussion that focused on plans to establish ARCH2 — the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub. A network of clean hydrogen producers, potential clean hydrogen consumers and connective infrastructure located in close proximity, a hydrogen hub “can reduce emissions from multiple carbon-intensive sectors and open a world of economic opportunity to create clean energy businesses and jobs,” Anderson said. NETL has served as a participating entity in ARCH2 since it was established in September 2022. The ARCH2 team is composed of entities with operations across the Appalachian region spanning the hydrogen value chain as well as energy technology organizations, including NETL, that will provide commercial, technical and programmatic leadership for the development and buildout of the hub. Concentrated in Appalachian counties across West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, ARCH2 will leverage diverse regional resources to build a sustainable clean hydrogen hub that can scale and integrate into a national clean hydrogen network. In January, the ARCH2 team received notification from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations that it was among applicants encouraged to submit a full application for regional hydrogen hub funding. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established an $8 billion program to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water, electricity and heat. However, most of the hydrogen produced in the United States comes from natural gas through steam methane reforming. Therefore, virtually all hydrogen currently used now is considered “gray,” meaning it’s extracted from natural gas. Turning it “blue” requires infrastructure to capture the greenhouse gas emitted in that process and store it in deep underground reservoirs or convert it into value-added products, which are areas of NETL expertise. “When paired with carbon capture projects, hydrogen power — sourced from our country’s vast fuel resources — presents exciting opportunities to decarbonize power plants and industrial facilities,” Anderson said. Clean hydrogen hubs are also a critical component to achieve DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goal of reducing the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per 1 kg in one decade (1-1-1) while supporting the Biden Administration’s vision for a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/05/introduction-to-the-appalachian- regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-arch2/>

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The Financial Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program Adopts the 1.5°C Limit
by Frack Check WV: admin 04 May '23

04 May '23

# [The Financial Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program Adopts the 1.5°C Limit](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/04/the-financial- initiative-of-the-united-nations-environment-program-adopts- the-1-5%c2%b0c-limit/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/067E7866-AC36-4BA7-A44E-8CB3AD3FFE1B-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/067E7866-AC36-4BA7-A44E-8CB3AD3FFE1B.jpeg) Our transitions can be facilitated even if they involve many small steps **Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance sets expectations for oil and gas investments and calls on companies and policymakers to align with 1.5C pathways** From the [United Nations Environment Program Financial Initiative](https://www.unepfi.org/industries/net-zero-asset-owner-alliance- outlines-new-guidance-for-oil-and-gas-investments-while-calling-on-companies- policymakers-and-investors-to-align-with-1-5c-pathways/), March 29, 2023 1\. US$11 trillion Alliance expects members to develop and align individual oil and gas policies with this position and cover portfolio allocation, stewardship programmes, and policy engagement 2\. Oil and gas producers and their customers expected to set science-based, absolute- and intensity-oriented emissions targets covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions that are aligned with 1.5°C no or limited overshoot scenarios 3\. The Alliance calls for increased policy ambition to rapidly reduce oil and gas demand and increase the supply and availability of renewable alternatives **GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance today outlines new guidance for members regarding their approach to the oil and gas sector, calling on consumers and suppliers of oil and gas to set Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets while aligning their operations activities, including capital expenditure, with established 1.5°C pathways.** This Position on the Oil and Gas Sector underscores the Alliance’s recognition that unabated climate change poses significant economic and investment risks. Members are committed to mitigating these systemic risks on behalf of their clients and beneficiaries and, as such, should consider how economies can transition away from dependency on activities that contribute to climate change, including the combustion of oil and gas. **The Alliance’s view on this essential transition away from oil and gas dependency is guided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) 1.5°C no or limited overshoot scenarios, as well as on the One Earth Climate Model (OECM) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap (NZE 2050).** The numerous challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy are best mitigated by a position that considers all available options for concurrently reducing the supply and demand of oil and gas and in overall economic systems. Thus, the Alliance’s Position on the Oil and Gas Sector is expressed in the form of expectations for producers, consumers, policymakers, and investors. **Günther Thallinger, Allianz SE Board Member and Chair UN convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, says:** _“The world must achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, with a maximum 1.5°C of temperature rise. This is necessary to avoid the most extreme effects of climate change. How energy is provided and consumed must therefore dramatically change. This includes the need to phase out non-renewable sources like oil and gas in many, if not most, of its current uses. This challenge must be tackled while balancing the supply of oil and gas on the one hand, and society’s demand for affordable and reliable energy on the other. Investors want to support this transition and the Alliance Position on the Oil and Gas Sector describes how our members wil do that.”_ **Expectations of investors** ~ On private asset investment in new unabated oil and gas infrastructure, investors, including Alliance members, shall align with credible 1.5°C net zero scenarios. This cannot be achieved if there are new upstream insfrastructure investments in new oil and gas fields. Alliance members are expected to adopt policies that align with these positions on infrastructure investments, or show how existing policies already align. The Alliance does recognise that some net-zero committed investors have already put in place policies to cease financing of all oil and gas infrastructure. Others may choose to continue to invest in new oil and gas infrastructure in exceptional circumstances, where alternatives for affordable and reliable alternatives are not yet viable or where government-issued regional/national 1.5°C pathways and/other regional specificities may influence portfolio decisions. In all cases, the Alliance strongly advises against investment in long-lived assets that are likely to be stranded in a 1.5°C -aligned transition. Other specific guidelines for investors listed in the paper focus on direct stewardship for action—aligning science-based portfolio allocation and stewardship decisions with individual climate ambitions—as well as indirect options like supporting policy and regulatory efforts that address climate change. For asset owners in particular, the Alliance emphasises the need for engagement with the asset manager community so that climate action is recognised as supporting the best interests of managers’ clients. **Expectations of oil and gas companies** ~ According to the Alliance’s position, oil and gas producers and companies in intensive fossil fuel-using sectors are expected to set science-based, absolute- and intensity-based emissions targets that cover Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, in line with science-based, no- or limited-overshoot, 1.5°C-aligned pathways established by IPCC, OECM or IEA NZE 2050 roadmaps. As these scenarios make clear, a rapid scaling of zero-carbon energy, as well as the development of enabling technologies and policies, is needed to deliver a significant reduction in oil and gas demand. These scenarios also note that no new oil and gas fields must be developed to meet this declining demand. When engaging and setting expectations for these companies, the majority of Alliance members will take into consideration that the current oil and gas demand level is not yet in line with these scenarios, while other members will expect more immediate action, including no new oil and gas fields. Therefore, Alliance members should continue to set clearer expectations for them to set targets in line with the 1.5°C pathways, aligning their strategies and activities to be congruent with these targets. Alliance members should also pursue their own engagement strategies and other corporate activities to support reduced demand of oil and gas and increased supply of zero-carbon alternatives. **Expectations of policymakers and regulators** ~ For policymakers, the Alliance focuses on systemic interventions that can facilitate oil and gas demand reductions and increase alternative energy supply through economy-wide actions, such as implementing well designed and just carbon-pricing mechanisms and funding innovative technologies. These actions can help to incentivise decarbonisation, to unlock much-needed innovation, and to effectively harness the power of the capital markets by pricing externalities into the system and facilitating a transition to net zero. **About the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance** ~ The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance is a member-led initiative of 85 institutional investors, with over US$11 trillion in assets under management, committed to transitioning their investment portfolios to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Alliance members were the first in financial industry to set intermediate targets (aligned with the Paris Agreement schedule) and they report on their progress annually. The Alliance is convened by UNEP FI and PRI and is supported by WWF and Global Optimism. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/04/the-financial-initiative-of-the- united-nations-environment-program-adopts-the-1-5%c2%b0c-limit/>

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THURSDAY NIGHT ~ “Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow” (5/4/23)
by Frack Check WV: admin 03 May '23

03 May '23

# [THURSDAY NIGHT ~ “Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow” (5/4/23)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/03/thursday- night-%e2%80%9cinflation-reduction-act-roadshow%e2%80%9d-5423/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/2EA1E671-E925-4FED-A462-F363F19F7723-300x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/2EA1E671-E925-4FED-A462-F363F19F7723.png) Learn about this important legislation that affects all of us …. **Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow set for Thursday, May 4th @ 6 PM** [Dear Friends and Concerned Citizens ~ Calling all folks near Morgantown!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-morgantown- tickets-590271246187) This Thursday, May 4th at 6:00PM, come visit us at the IRA Roadshow! Join this free informational event to learn about how individuals, municipalities, and organizations in West Virginia can benefit from millions of dollars of investments contained in the Inflation Reduction Act. Last summer, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act which includes historic investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and community development initiatives. At these events, community members and elected officials will have the opportunity to learn from experts from around the state about how to put these investments to use in homes and communities. WHAT: FREE informational event WHEN: Thursday, May 4th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm WHERE: Sincerest United Methodist, 479 Van Voorhis Rd, Morgantown WV 26505 [RSVP now to engage in this opportunity in northern West Virginia](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-morgantown- tickets-590271246187). **WV New Jobs Coalition is a coalition advocating for stronger communities for a brighter future here in West Virginia. Join us as we work to move state and federal policies to improve climate, healthcare, jobs and justice for all in West Virginia.** [Join our Mailing List - Donate - Volunteer - Share Your Vision for WV](https://www.newjobswv.org/) _WV New Jobs Coalition is a growing campaign made up of:_ American Friends Service Committee of WV, Common Defense of WV, WV Working Families Party, Sierra Club of WV, SEIU District 1199, West Virginia Citizen Action Group and more! URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/03/thursday- night-%e2%80%9cinflation-reduction-act-roadshow%e2%80%9d-5423/>

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The Climate Commitment Act in the Washington State Shows Great Promise
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 02 May '23

02 May '23

# [The Climate Commitment Act in the Washington State Shows Great Promise](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/02/the-climate-commitment-act- in-the-washington-state-shows-great-promise/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/4E8EEB32-07FD-4A67-9B0D-238AE1E7479D-300x150.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/4E8EEB32-07FD-4A67-9B0D-238AE1E7479D.png) State of Washington: outstanding record of climate crisis programs (Click to expand image) **The “Cap and Invest” Plan to Limit Greenhouse Gases Approved Under Gov. Inslee** Program [Summary from the Department of Ecology, State of Washington](https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Climate-Commitment- Act#:~:text=The%20Climate%20Commitment%20Act%20\(CCA,path%20to%20lower%20carbon%20emissions.), 2021 & 2022 The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) caps and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Washington’s largest emitting sources and industries, allowing businesses to find the most efficient path to lower carbon emissions. This powerful program works alongside other critical climate policies to help Washington achieve its commitment to reducing GHG emissions by 95% by 2050. The CCA also puts environmental justice and equity at the center of climate policy, making sure communities that bear the greatest burdens from air pollution today see cleaner, healthier air as the state cuts greenhouse gases. Finally, funds from the auction of emission allowances will support new investments in climate-resiliency programs, clean transportation, and addressing health disparities across the state. **A market-based solution** ~ In the CCA, the Legislature directed us to design and implement a cap-and-invest program to reduce statewide GHG emissions. This program works by setting an emissions limit, or cap, and then lowering that cap over time to ensure Washington meets the GHG reduction commitments set in state law. Only the second such program in the U.S., cap-and-invest uses the powers of supply and demand to incentivize businesses to cut their emissions, using whatever strategy they think is best. **Building a sustainable market** ~ The Legislature also tasked Ecology with designing the program so that it could, potentially, be linked with similar programs in California and Québec, which already share a combined carbon market. Based on an independent economic analysis commissioned as part of our current rulemaking for Chapter 173-446 WAC, Ecology will begin a public process to explore the possibility of linking in early 2023. **Cleaner air for overburdened communities** ~ The CCA aligns with the requirements of the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act and includes provisions to ensure communities in Washington that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and air pollution benefit from cleaner air. In addition to the GHG reductions that will result from the cap-and-invest program, the CCA also directs us to reduce "criteria" air pollutants — such as ozone and particulate matter — in overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. **Funding allocation and accountability** ~ The CCA also directs the Environmental Justice Council to make recommendations to the Legislature on how auction revenue should be used and requires agencies using funding from CCA accounts to report their progress toward environmental justice goals to the Council. **Investing in the future** ~ Under the law, proceeds from the CCA allowance auctions must be invested in critical climate projects focused on improving clean transportation options — increasing climate resilience in ecosystems and communities — and addressing issues of environmental justice and health inequity in Washington. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/673B1E47-E77A-471E-9F19-D26757FDCD0B-150x150.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/673B1E47-E77A-471E-9F19-D26757FDCD0B.png) **Importantly, the CCA requires that at least 35% of funds be invested in projects that benefit overburdened communities, and a minimum of 10% go to projects with tribal support.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/02/the-climate-commitment-act-in- the-washington-state-shows-great-promise/>

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Full Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals is Long Overdue ~ Legislation Needed
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 01 May '23

01 May '23

# [Full Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals is Long Overdue ~ Legislation Needed](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/01/full-disclosure-of-fracking- chemicals-is-long-overdue-legislation-needed/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/5D93D41D-80EE-4776-B194-6D696D13D56B-300x224.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/5D93D41D-80EE-4776-B194-6D696D13D56B.jpeg) These challenges exist in PA, OH, WV, CO, CA, ND, NM & TX (click to enlarge this image) **EDITORIAL: Implement reforms for drilling & fracking in Pennsylvania** . . From the [Republican & Herald Newspaper, Pottsville, PA](https://www.republicanherald.com/opinion/editorial/implement-reforms-fo… drilling-fracking/article_52934037-28d5-5ddf-b503-324be4a4dd44.html), on April 29, 2023 . . **Lawmakers were so eager to accommodate the natural gas industry nearly two decades ago that they opened the rich Marcellus Shale gas field without an adequate regulatory regime. Now, the state continues to play catch-up. It still does not require drillers to disclose all of the chemicals that they use to drill and hydraulically fracture gas wells, for example.** **Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has raised the question of long-term fracking-waste disposal, three years after a statewide grand jury identified major regulatory failures and recommended significant reforms to better inform and protect the public.** **That grand jury was convened by Attorney General Josh Shapiro. It followed up its findings of criminal wrongdoing against two drillers with a report on which the Governor — the very same Josh Shapiro — and the Legislature now should act.** **According to the EPA, the industry nationally produces about 1 trillion gallons of contaminated wastewater each year, about 2.6 billion gallons of which comes from deep wells in Pennsylvania.** To the industry's credit, it reuses most of the wastewater. But according to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, the industry still permanently disposed about 234 million gallons of the wastewater in deep injection wells in 2022. The industry also holds about 90 million gallons above ground at any given time, pending its reuse. **Because Pennsylvania has just 12 deep disposal wells, drillers ship most of the contaminated water by truck to Ohio, which has more than 200 such wells.Those wells themselves are controversial, partly because earthquakes have been attributed to them, including in Ohio. A consultant for a PA-DEP advisory board recently told the agency that the state would need between 17 and 34 more injection wells to handle the current wastewater volume.** Democratic state Sen. Katie Muth of Montgomery County has introduced a bill to implement the grand jury's recommendations, including full disclosure of fracking chemicals individually and in combination and labeling fracking waste as what it is rather than "residual waste" for transport purposes. **Because of its massive environmental and potential health impacts, all aspects of drilling and fracking should be an open book. Gov. Shapiro should push for reforms and the Legislature should adopt them.** ===================================== **SEE ALSO:** [Hydraulic Fracturing & Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/fracking/index.cfm), November 15, 2022 ===================================== **SEE ALSO:** [List of additives used for fracking - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_used_for_frackin… In the United States, about 750 compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing, also known as ingredients of pressurized fracking fluid, in an industry report to the US Congress in 2011 after originally being kept secret for "commercial reasons". The following is a partial list of the chemical constituents in additives that are used or have been used in fracturing operations, as based on the report of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, some are known to be carcinogenic. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/01/full-disclosure-of-fracking- chemicals-is-long-overdue-legislation-needed/>

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Hydrogen Could Find More Uses, But Isn’t Practical as Our Primary Energy Medium
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 30 Apr '23

30 Apr '23

# [Hydrogen Could Find More Uses, But Isn’t Practical as Our Primary Energy Medium](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/30/hydrogen-could-find-more-us… but-isn%e2%80%99t-practical-as-our-primary-energy-medium/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/B61B463E-6529-4170-8745-D80CC6282C38-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/B61B463E-6529-4170-8745-D80CC6282C38.jpeg) Shell Oil Co. has this REFHYNE facility in Germany to produce hydrogen. **Is hydrogen a miracle solution for climate, or the new** From an [Article by Ivy Main, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/25/is-hydrogen-a-miracle- solution-for-climate-or-the-new-ethanol/), April 25, 2023 **The hydrogen gold rush is on. Spurred by the urgency of the climate crisis, and attracted by generous incentives in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, companies ranging from oil majors to small start-ups are pouring money into the Next Big Thing in energy: a fuel that is flexible, transportable and carbon-free.** Is hydrogen a critical piece of the decarbonization puzzle that needs floods of new funding, or a[n over-hyped, not-ready-for-prime-time financial boondoggle? At this point the answer seems to be both](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/25/is-hydrogen-a-miracle- solution-for-climate-or-the-new-ethanol/). In his 2022 Energy Plan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted hydrogen as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine Virginia’s future and meet energy needs through an abundant, dispatchable, and zero-emission fuel source where water is the only required input.” This statement has its problems, including the fact that water is actually not the only required input. Making hydrogen from water requires a lot of energy, which must come from some other fuel. Therein lies the rub. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/DAC105E4-0035-453F-82BC-43D3402EA734-300x163.png)](… content/uploads/2023/04/DAC105E4-0035-453F-82BC-43D3402EA734.png) (Click on image to enlarge it) **DIAGRAM ~ How the Department of Energy believes clean hydrogen could help decarbonize the U.S. economy. (U.S. Department of Energy)** One way to make hydrogen — and the method everyone is talking about — is using electricity to split water (H2O) into its components, hydrogen and oxygen, through electrolysis. Energy is lost in the process, so there is no point in using hydrogen for anything that can plug into the grid. Hydrogen is also more expensive and less efficient than battery storage, which explains why automakers are focusing on electric vehicles rather than ones that run on hydrogen fuel cells. Yet some kinds of transportation (aviation, long-haul trucking) and many industrial processes are hard or impossible to electrify, at least for now. Hydrogen, ammonia and other products can often replace fossil fuels for these uses, and perhaps also play a role in long-term energy storage for grid power. **Recognizing this potential, last year’s Inflation Reduction Act included a range of incentives to spur investment in so-called green hydrogen, defined as hydrogen made from renewable energy. Growing the supply of green hydrogen will require a massive buildout of wind and solar as well as years of technological refinement, but airlines, steelmakers and other customers are already either starting to use green hydrogen or say they want it for their operations.** **Unfortunately, any time the government dangles a subsidy, some businesses will look to exploit any opening to grab free money, even if the result is contrary to the whole point of the subsidy. Those businesses do find champions among politicians who are more interested in generating economic activity than in making sound public policy (or maybe they just confuse the two). But getting the rules right is critical for the climate, and for making sure customers get the carbon-free product they sign up for.** **Hydrogen is already used in many industrial processes and in the manufacture of fertilizers but today it is mostly made from methane gas, at half the cost of green hydrogen. Oil companies like Chevron have urged that to build the market quickly, making hydrogen green is “secondary” to making it affordable. This is all wrong. The great promise of hydrogen is the potential to make it from renewable energy once wind and solar have scaled up so much that there is a glut of cheap, emissions-free power.** **That is not the situation today.** Nationally, fossil fuels make up 60% of electricity generation, with all renewables together representing 21.5%. The regional grid that serves Virginia includes less than 10% wind and solar in the generation mix. Renewables are growing fast while coal shrinks, but few states have so much renewable energy that some of it occasionally goes to waste. California has experienced this under ideal conditions, and is likely to be the first to have surplus renewable energy on a predictable basis. **The challenge is that a company that invests in the capital costs of a hydrogen production facility may not want to run it only when there is surplus wind and solar. These companies will make the most money by running their systems around the clock; profitability might even depend on it. Their choices are to build new renewable energy and battery storage for their own purposes and cut back production when they have to, or manipulate the rules.** So as the U.S. Treasury Department writes the rules around eligibility for green hydrogen incentives, corporate America is asking for loopholes. NextEra, the world’s largest renewable power generator, wants to be allowed to use fossil fuels to fill in whenever there isn’t enough wind or solar energy on the grid, without losing the “green” designation and all the subsidies that accompany it. The company proposes buying carbon credits as an offset. The proposal makes climate advocates very uneasy. We have seen this movie before. When the federal government first offered subsidies for ethanol made from corn in the 1970s, the idea was that blending American-made ethanol into gasoline would reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Forty years later, the program still consumes some 30 million acres of corn every year, and is estimated to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars, all while actually harming the climate. But just try scaling back ethanol subsidies today. Any politician who proposes such a thing gets their head handed to them by the powerful farm lobby. **That makes it really important that rules set into place today for hydrogen and other “green” fuels do not compromise on the requirement that they be made from carbon-free sources. Make an exception once, and we’ll never close the loophole.** ### URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/30/hydrogen-could-find-more-uses- but-isn%e2%80%99t-practical-as-our-primary-energy-medium/>

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WVU Schedules Drilling for Geothermal Research Well in Morgantown Industrial Park
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 Apr '23

29 Apr '23

# [WVU Schedules Drilling for Geothermal Research Well in Morgantown Industrial Park](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/29/wvu-schedules- drilling-for-geothermal-research-well-in-morgantown-industrial-park/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/1820A1CB-62E8-4362-8A6A-3FC5FCB48669-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/1820A1CB-62E8-4362-8A6A-3FC5FCB48669.jpeg) **NNE Marcellus Well Pad @ Morgantown Industrial Park** ~ Drilling for the new WVU geothermal data-collection well is set to begin during the second week of May. **WVU announces drill date for first geothermal & carbon dioxide storage research well in West Virginia** . . [From the WVU News Service, Morgantown](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/04/28/wvu-announces-drill- date-for-first-geothermal-carbon-capture-and-storage-data-collection-well-in- west-virginia), April 28, 2023 . . **Drilling will start on the West Virginia University geothermal and carbon capture data-collection well during the second week of May, marking a significant step forward in clean energy research in West Virginia.** The well is located at an existing well pad operated by Northeast Natural Energy in the Morgantown Industrial Park. Core samples at shallower depths will be collected to study the potential for underground carbon dioxide storage. [This will be the first-of-its-kind geothermal study in West Virginia and will collect core samples and temperature data down to a depth of 15,000 feet, critical to testing the potential of geothermal energy in the region. Data also will be gathered on the potential for underground carbon storage in the Appalachian basin — another scientific first in the state.](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/04/28/wvu-announces-drill-dat… for-first-geothermal-carbon-capture-and-storage-data-collection-well-in-west- virginia) The project is a collaboration first spearheaded by the WVU Energy Institute with WVU faculty and experts at Northeast Natural Energy LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy, with support from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey and Hewitt Energy Strategies. **The DOE provided approximately $9.1 million in funding from the Geothermal Technologies Office and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Northeast Natural Energy, WVGES and WVU contributed $2.76 million in cost- share funding.** “The successful partnership between DOE, industry and academia to test the potential of both geothermal and carbon sequestration in the state is a significant step towards creating new economic opportunities in clean energy diversification,” said Shikha Sharma, geology professor in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the project’s principal investigator. **Drilling will be located at an existing well pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park operated by Northeast Natural Energy, a West Virginia-based energy company.** “It’s exciting for Northeast Natural Energy to be able to use its scientific and operational expertise to help better understand the geothermal energy and carbon capture potential of our great state,” said B.J. Carney, vice president of Geoscience and Innovation at Northeast Natural Energy. **This is the second drilling research project that Northeast Natural Energy has partnered on with WVU. The first was the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory for which WVU coordinated with academia, government and industry partners that started in 2015. MSEEL scientists used multiple Northeast Natural Energy wells near Morgantown to research new technologies to improve well production and minimize environmental impacts during unconventional natural gas development projects.** “We look forward to partnering with the researchers at WVU and the DOE to lead the way in the Appalachian Basin toward establishing additional clean energy sources,” Carney said. “We are also eager to understand the feasibility of capturing and storing CO2 in the subsurface to ensure a sustainable future for our vast natural gas resources already in place. These types of projects fit with Northeast Natural Energy’s focus on providing energy of all types to serve our communities and improve their quality of life,” Carney added. “To be clear, instead of producing energy, this well will produce data,” said Sam Taylor, assistant director of Strategic Partnerships and Technology at the WVU Energy Institute. “The goal is to gather enough data to decide if geothermal reservoirs in the region can be a cleaner energy source for parts of West Virginia and mid-Appalachia, along with collecting data on possible carbon storage.” “We’re excited that the test well will provide WVU students with hands-on experience in the field, working with industry professionals while collecting data, providing them with invaluable, real-world experience as a part of their academic studies at WVU,” Sharma said. House Bill 4098 was passed in 2022 and gave the Department of Environmental Protection regulatory oversight on geothermal energy. Taylor was invited to provide expert testimony to state delegates when the bill was reviewed. “This project is a significant milestone in the testing of geothermal energy potential, not only in the state, but also in 70% of the U.S. where lower subsurface temperatures have prevented its use,” Sharma said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/29/wvu-schedules-drilling-for- geothermal-research-well-in-morgantown-industrial-park/>

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Mountain Valley Pipeline ~ A 303 Mile “Uniquely Risky” & Unnecessary Experiment
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

# [Mountain Valley Pipeline ~ A 303 Mile “Uniquely Risky” & Unnecessary Experiment](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/28/mountain-valley- pipeline-a-303-mile-%e2%80%9cuniquely-risky%e2%80%9d-unnecessary-experiment/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/5BE0EFB3-D0B1-4BFB-B63C-3AC90D27D1C0-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/5BE0EFB3-D0B1-4BFB-B63C-3AC90D27D1C0.jpeg) PHOTO ~ MVP pipe in water near a home in Franklin County, VA: according to a local landowner, this pipe was left in a trench that sometimes filled with water up to 2 feet high, for more than a year, until the trench was dewatered ~ Source: Preserve Bent Mountain **Mountain Valley Pipeline: "Uniquely Risky" Due to Plastic Coating & Multiple Other Reasons** . . [Article by Amy Mall, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)](https://www.nrdc.org/bio/amy-mall/mountain-valley-pipeline-uniquely- risky-0), November 3, 2022 . . **Steel pipelines used to transport fossil fuels are prone to corrosion.** Contaminants in oil or gas, such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, can cause corrosion on the inside of the pipes. Rain and dew can cause corrosion on the exterior of pipes when they are stored outdoors. Soil constituents and groundwater can cause corrosion on the exterior of pipes when they are buried beneath the surface, with wet areas more susceptible to corrosion than dry areas. **Corrosion in a pipeline is extremely dangerous, leading to catastrophic explosions and death. Indeed, corrosion problems are the second greatest cause of pipeline failures.** Fortunately, coatings can be applied to pipes to help protect against corrosion. Ideally, pipes are coated both internally and externally to protect from both types of corrosion. Unfortunately, federal regulations only require external coatings for oil and gas pipelines. And pipe coating is not permanent or indestructible. It has to be carefully maintained to retain its protective qualities. If coated pipes are stored outdoors and exposed to the elements, the pipe coating can degrade due to rain, wind, and—especially—ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. As coating degrades, its protective function also diminishes. Even a tiny imperfection in the coating can create a concentrated area of accelerated corrosion. The rate and extent of coating degradation will vary by the particular circumstances at a site, but according to the National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators: “Above ground storage of coated pipe in excess of 6 months without additional Ultraviolet protection is not recommended.” A 2020 study found that coated pipes that were not provided with additional protection and were exposed to UV rays for many years beyond the recommended six-month maximum “completely failed to retain their original properties and attributes” and were “no longer fit for purpose." (Ref. 1) **Mountain Valley Pipeline coatings not reliable** Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a partially completed pipeline that would have high explosive risk if it is completed and enters operation. Its large diameter and high pressure are enough to make it a higher risk pipeline than most other gas transmission pipelines. This risk is further increased by the steepness of the Appalachian mountain slopes it would traverse for long distances. MVP is designed to traverse 75 miles of the steepest slopes in Appalachia and more than 200 miles with “high landslide susceptibility,” which places it at higher risk for explosions. This has never before been attempted for a large gas pipeline. **Taking all of this into consideration, MVP is perhaps the riskiest new pipeline construction project in the country. Indeed, it’s been called “uniquely risky” by an environmental hydrologist. This is not a hypothetical risk. MVP has already caused dozens of “slips” where a slope has become unstable, including slopes outside of the pipeline’s right-of-way. And, in 2019, MVP itself reported that a landslide along the pipeline route “progressed to the point where a residence directly downslope is unsafe to be occupied.”** **PHOTO in Article** ~ MVP construction on a steep slope in the Adney Gap area of Franklin County, VA, with a home below ~ SOURCE: Preserve Bent Mountain **Pipes for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) were purchased years ago. From company testimony in a 2018 court hearing, it appears that they were ordered before the project had even obtained a certificate of approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ref. 2). The pipes are primarily coated with 3M Scotchkote Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) 6233 coating. Many are still being stored outdoors throughout the pipeline route in Virginia and West Virginia; some are sitting in trenches in the ground and some are stacked in storage yards. Each separate pipe is stamped with the “date of coating.”** **MVP pipe has coating date stamps from as long ago as December 2016 — six years ago. Local citizens report they have not come across any pipe dated later than 2017**. **PHOTO in Article** ~ MVP pipe with 2016 date stamp in Franklin County, Virginia ~ Source: Preserve Bent Mountain **According to the Pipeline Safety Trust, “There are significant concerns about the effectiveness of the FBE epoxy coatings on the pipeline segments that have been exposed to sun and weathering for far longer than recommended by the manufacturer.” MVP’s coated pipe has been exposed to the elements for up to six years because of the pipeline owner’s bullish decision to purchase and coat the pipes before resolving outstanding issues regarding the unlawfulness of its design and permits issued by federal agencies during the Trump Administration.** MVP claims that they will inspect the pipe and repair any damaged coating or thin spots on exposed pipe before installing it in the ground. But there aren't any federal regulations that specify standards for repair. According to the Pipeline Safety Trust, “The regulations are written to largely allow the operator to determine if the coating is appropriate as opposed to prescribing exactly what would make a coating safe or unsafe.” When pipes for the proposed (and now cancelled) Keystone XL pipeline were stored outdoors for approximately six years due to delay, a company representative stated that any pipe determined to need recoating would have to be transported back to a plant to be stripped and recoated. That requires time — and money. Given that MVP is already more than $3 billion over budget and more than five years behind schedule, the company has incentive to cut corners. **Leaving pipeline inspection and repair up to the pipeline company is simply wrong.** The communities along the route need to able to sleep at night with confidence that their lives and those of their loved ones are being considered — perhaps the most important purpose of the coatings. These pipes are sitting on private property that belongs to real people who live in what is known as the “blast zone”— the distance from an explosion where death or serious injury is likely. And they won’t be able to sleep at night knowing that a pipeline company that has been fined millions of dollars for hundreds of state alleged violations is allowed to decide how to address the risks associated with deteriorating pipe coating that has been exposed to the elements for far too long. Reference #1. Keith Coulson, James Ferguson, and David Milmine, “Study of stockpiled fusion bond epoxy coated pipe,” in Corrosion Management, Institute of Corrosion, January/February 2020. Reference #2. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. Sharon Simmons, et al, Defendants, Civil Action Number: 1:17CV211, Proceedings had in the Motion Hearing on January 23, 2018. ### URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/28/mountain-valley- pipeline-a-303-mile-%e2%80%9cuniquely-risky%e2%80%9d-unnecessary-experiment/>

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U.S. Secretary of Energy is Misguided on Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)
by Frack Check WV: admin 27 Apr '23

27 Apr '23

# [U.S. Secretary of Energy is Misguided on Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/27/u-s-secretary-of-energy-is- misguided-on-mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/E9EBED77-1927-4976-AFED-0AA34CBA40B7.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/E9EBED77-1927-4976-AFED-0AA34CBA40B7.jpeg) One of the rallies over the last eight years opposing the 42” MVP …. **Despite Environmental Justice Pledge, Pres. Biden Disrespects People Like Me in Path of Fracked Gas Pipeline** From the [Article by Maury Johnson (Monroe County, WV), Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/biden-administration-disrespec… mountain-valley-pipeline-impacted-communities), 4/26/23 **Secretary Granholm 's letter cheerleading the Mountain Valley Pipeline came the day after she promised to meet with me, a landowner impacted by Senator Manchin's pet fossil fuel project.** I am saddened by the depths that proponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) will go to advance a false narrative and spread inaccuracies. This time it is Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm who on Friday, April 21, 2023 wrote a cheerleader's letter rooting for the MVP, Joe Manchin's pet project. It is very ironic and even a bit disturbing that she wrote this letter one day after she appeared before the Senate Energy Committee and the very next day after she told me personally that she (or her staff) would meet with me in the next week or two. I am currently in Washington, D.C. where I attended the Senate Energy Committee meeting on Thursday, April 20. I spoke to the Secretary at the conclusion of the hearing and asked her to meet with me. She indicated that a meeting could be arranged this week or next. But in what appears to be a hastily prepared letter — even possibly dictated by the fossil fuel lobby — she expressed her desire to exert political pressure on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other federal agencies. **The Secretary apparently decided that she did not need to talk to those most affected by the project or even entertain an opposing viewpoint.** Like many agencies, she did not talk with or listen to any affected landowner and totally continued to perpetrate the social, racial, and environmental injustice concerns that President Joe Biden had just a few hours before expressed that his administration would take seriously. **You can 't have it both ways**: You either listen to impacted communities or you don't. This letter appears to be written to appease Senator Manchin and others in the MVP camp. It is also strange that this letter was filed just before Equitrans Midstream Corporation — the company behind the pipeline — had its shareholder meeting on Monday morning, April 24. You can't have it both ways: You either listen to impacted communities or you don't. **The MVP project is not necessary to support the nation 's energy security and energy supply.** Just because they say it is so, doesn't make it true. It actually would do just the opposite. It would lock us into decades of methane and carbon pollution that the nation or the planet can ill afford. As the lead federal agency for the project under the FAST-41 framework, I feel that the FERC has failed in its regulatory duty to be an independent agency by submitting to inappropriate industry-generated political pressure similar to that which is reflected in Secretary Granholm's letter. It appears to me to be an attempt to intimidate the commission. **In a letter I just completed and sent to the FERC, I requested that they do their job and follow their charter as an independent agency:** to evaluate all projects on their merits and with regard to their impact on climate change and to resist the political pressure placed on them by politicians like Senator Manchin, who would build more pipelines, mine more coal, drill for more oil and gas, despite the fact that it would put us on a fast track to total environment destruction. I do not believe that the MVP project would help ensure the "reliable delivery of energy that heats homes and businesses, and powers electric generators that support the reliability of the electric system," despite what Secretary Granholm may state in her letter. **This is a 42-inch diameter interstate transmission line which is most likely slated to transmit gas for export.** Infrastructure such as MVP destroys communities, pollutes water, harms our environment, and has no role to play in the clean energy transition. Unproven technologies such as "carbon capture" facilitated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are not something you should rely on to fix our climate emergency. With the severe problems we are facing, these proposals are too little, too late. No new pipeline infrastructure is needed. The rapid growth of hydrogen as an emissions-free fuel is also a misnomer, especially if the hydrogen is produced as a byproduct of more drilling. The transport of carbon dioxide through a pipeline might be the most dangerous thing we could ever do. I believe Secretary Granholm herself knows better than what she stated in her April 21 letter. As extreme weather events continue to put strain on the U.S. energy system, we must quickly transition to green energy and continuing to build pipelines cannot be part of that transition. The MVP project would, if completed, lock us into decades of climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions as it destroys communities and property across its entire route. **The MVP project would, if completed, lock us into decades of climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions as it destroys communities and property across its entire route.** **Now here is the hardly disguised, hard-hitting core message embedded in a (not so funny part of) Granholm 's letter:** _" While the Department takes no position regarding the outstanding agency actions required under federal or state law related to the construction of the MVP project, nor on any pending litigation, we submit the view that the MVP project will enhance the Nation's critical infrastructure for energy and national security. We appreciate the Commission's prompt actions to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities regarding natural gas infrastructure under the Natural Gas Act, and the interagency coordination it provides as the lead federal agency for the project under FAST-41. We look forward to continuing to work with FERC to ensure consumers have access to reliable, cost-effective, and clean energy."_ **That was a very strong armed tactic, if I ever saw one. I believe it is totally inappropriate to write such a letter, especially when just one day before she said she would meet with me and the president issued the Executive Order Revitalizing Our Nation 's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All on the morning before she wrote her letter to the FERC. The president said all executive branch agencies have a duty to pursue environmental justice. Apparently Secretary Granholm did not get the message.** Meanwhile, I am still in Washington D.C. waiting to hear from Secretary Granholm. Personally, I don't understand her rush to write her letter cheering for the MVP. It is also typical of how most government leaders have treated landowners and other citizens in the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/0ACD60AA-63B0-4B8D-BB39-431A6FAF1191-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/0ACD60AA-63B0-4B8D-BB39-431A6FAF1191.jpeg) Maury Johnson inspected a section of the plastic coated pipe here >>> Maury Johnson is a southern West Virginia landowner, whose organic farm has been impacted by the Mountain Valley Pipeline. He is a member of Preserve Monroe and the POWHR (Protect Our Water, Heritage, & Rights) Coalition, both have been fighting the MVP and other harmful projects across WV/VA&NC for 8 years. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/27/u-s-secretary-of-energy-is- misguided-on-mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp/>

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Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 2
by Frack Check WV: admin 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

# [Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 2](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/26/our-methane-opportunity-and- our-responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-2/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/568EFB2E-2EA6-4B62-907E-156AB8AFACE4.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/568EFB2E-2EA6-4B62-907E-156AB8AFACE4.jpeg) When fracking is done just for petroleum, the excess gas is flared **Getting companies to cut methane emissions is the challenge** Continued [Article by Jim Krane (Rice University), Yahoo! News](https://news.yahoo.com/why-fixing-methane-leaks-oil-132702814.html), 11/17/22 **Motivating U.S. producers to act has been the big hurdle.** ~ The Biden administration is aiming for an 87% reduction in methane emissions below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. To get there, it has reimposed and strengthened U.S. methane rules that were dropped by the Trump administration. **These include requiring drillers to find and repair leaks at more than 1 million U.S. well sites.** **The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 further incentivizes methane mitigation, including by levying an emissions tax on large oil and gas producers starting at $900 per ton in 2024, increasing to $1,500 in 2026.** That fee, which can be waived by the Environmental Protection Agency and doesn’t affect small producers or leaks below 0.2% of gas produced, is based on the social cost to society from methane’s contribution to climate damage. Customers are also putting pressure on the industry. Regulatory indifference by the Trump administration to U.S. methane flaring and venting led to cancellation of some European plans to import U.S. liquefied natural gas. Reducing methane isn’t always straightforward, though, particularly in the U.S., where thousands of oil companies operate with minimal oversight. A company’s methane emissions aren’t necessarily proportional to its oil and gas production, either. For example, a 2021 study using data from the EPA found Texas-based Hilcorp Energy reporting nearly 50% more methane emissions than ExxonMobil, despite producing less oil and gas. Hilcorp, which specializes in acquiring “late life” assets, says it is working to reduce emissions. Other little-known producers have also reported large emissions. Investor pressure has pushed several publicly traded companies to reduce their methane emissions, but in practice this sometimes leads them to sell off “dirty” assets to smaller operators with less oversight. In such a situation, the easiest way to encourage companies to clean up is via a tax. Done right, companies would act before they had to pay. **Using technology to keep emissions in check** ~ Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers in the atmosphere for a century or more, methane only sticks around for about a dozen years. So, if humans stop replenishing methane stocks in the atmosphere, those levels will decline. **A review of methane leaks in the Permian Basin shows the big impact that some regions can have.** ~ Researchers found that gas and oil operations in the Permian, in west Texas and New Mexico, had a leakage rate estimated at 3.7% in 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic. A 2012 study found that leakage rates above 3.2% make climate damage from using natural gas worse than that from burning coal, which is normally considered the biggest climate threat. Methane leaks used to escape detection because the gas is invisible. Now, the proliferation of satellite-based sensors and infrared cameras makes detection easy. **Companies such as GTI Energy’s Veritas, Project Canary and MiQ have also launched to assist natural gas producers in reducing emissions and then verifying the reductions. At that point, if leaks are less than 0.2%, producers can avoid the federal fee and also market their output as “responsibly sourced” gas.** >>> This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Jim Krane, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/26/our-methane-opportunity-and-our- responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-2/>

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