Brennan Weintraub -
Research Assistant
Jackie Schweichler -
Staff Attorney
The following
information is an update of recent local, state, national, and international
legal developments relevant to shale gas.
GHG Emissions:
Pennsylvania Joins U.S. Climate Alliance and Releases PA Climate Action Plan
On April 29, 2019, Governor
Wolf released the Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan and announced that Pennsylvania will join the
U.S. Climate Alliance. Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Plan is
a report and climate solution assessment prepared by the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection. It establishes the Green Government
Council and recommends 100 actions to reduce emissions. The Plan includes
the creation of an efficiency program for natural gas, as well as new policies
and practices to reduce emissions from oil and gas operations. In addition, policies under the Plan will
encourage the use of domestically produced natural gas through regulation, the
impact fee, and local ordinances. To reduce emissions from electricity
generation, the Plan suggests meeting these goals by shifting from coal-fired
generation to natural gas electricity generation. By joining the U.S. Climate Alliance
(Alliance), Governor Wolf joins a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors working
to develop climate solutions in each state. The Alliance was formed to advance the goals
of the Paris Agreement and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent by
2025. The Alliance promotes clean energy policies and boasts the creation
of over 1.7 million renewable energy jobs.
LNG Exports: Department of Energy
Grants Approval for Two Natural Gas Export Terminals
On May 2, 2019, the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) granted approval for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) export
terminals, the Driftwood LNG LLC export facility (Driftwood) and the Port Arthur LNG, LLC export facility (Port Arthur). Driftwood will be
constructed in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana and will be operated by Tellurian
Inc. The latest DOE approval will allow Driftwood to export 1,415.3 Bcf
of natural gas per year (3.88 Bcf/d) for 20 years to non-FTA countries.
Port Arthur will be constructed in Port Arthur, Texas and operated by
Sempra Energy. The DOE approval grants
Port Arthur an increase from its previous application for 517 Bcf of natural
gas per year and will now allow the export of 689 Bcf/yr (1.91 Bcf/d).
According to the DOE press release, the U.S. has been a net exporter of
natural gas for the past three years, in part due to the export of domestic
LNG.
GHG Emissions:
Canadian Appeals Court Holds in Favor of National Carbon Tax
On May 3, 2019, the
Court of Appeals for Saskatchewan held that the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (Act) is not unconstitutional and falls
within the legislative authority of Parliament (In the matter of the Greenhouse
Gas Pollution Pricing Act, 2019 SKCA 40). The Act will require fuel
distributors to pay a charge to the government, depending on the type of fuel
and the province. The Act provides exemptions for farmers, fishermen, air
carriers, and marine carriers. The purpose of the Act is to create a
national price on greenhouse gas emissions in order to minimize the effects of
emissions on climate change.
Wastewater Treatment/Disposal: Study Examines the
Impact of Fluid Injection on Aseismic Slip
On May 3, 2019, a
study examining the occurrence of earthquakes resulting from fluid injection
was published in Science. The study looks at potential seismic
activity occurring as a result of fluid injection relating to geothermal or oil
and gas operations. The study is titled Fluid-Induced Aseismic Fault Slip Outpaces Pour-Fluid
Migration
and was produced from
a collaboration of researchers from Tufts University and the Indian Institute
of Technology. The researchers observed controlled fluid injection to
study whether injection could cause perceptible surface displacement, or
aseismic slip. According to the researchers, aseismic slip could be observed
more quickly and at a greater distance than the injection fluid.
From the National Oil
& Gas Law Experts:
Pennsylvania
Legislation:
HB954: would require public notice to be given to communities where a
natural gas drilling permit has been submitted (Referred to Environmental Resources and Energy - April 29, 2019)
Connect with us on Facebook! Every week we will post the CASL
Ledger which details all our publications and activities from the week.
Want to get updates,
but prefer to listen? Check out the Shale Law Podcast! We can always be found
on our Libsyn page, iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher.
This week we published
two new Shale Law in the Spotlight articles: Shale Law in the Spotlight – President Trump’s Executive
Order on Promoting Energy Infrastructure and Economic Growth and Shale Law in the Spotlight – President Trump’s Executive
Order on the Issuance of Permits for Cross-Border Infrastructure Projects.
Check the April Agricultural Law Brief! Each month we compile the biggest legal
developments in agriculture. If you’d like to receive this update via email,
check out our website and subscribe!
No comments:
Post a Comment