Federal OK of Cove Point LNG Export A Disaster For Climate & US Consumers

Maryland Governor O’Malley & NJ Gov. Christie Both Silent on Controversial Energy Exports

Obama takes us more quickly to runaway climate change and climate catastrophe

A climate death spiral

I’ve given up waiting for the NY or NJ press corps to write the story about the recent *Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Dominion Energy’s Cove Point Maryland LNG export facility – while instead we get energy industry propaganda – so I figured I’d outline the contours and meaning of the story myself.

That controversial FERC approval story is big news in the fracking gas fields of Pennsylvania – as well as the facility’s host state of Maryland – not to mention among the business press and energy industry shills and right wing free market zealots.

But the Cove Point LNG plant will have regional impacts far outside the fracking fields of Pennsylvania, including the NY/NJ metropolitan region, where consumers will compete for the same finite supply of Marcellus shale frack gas that will be exported and people will suffer the impacts of accelerating sea level rise and virtually certain catastrophic climate change.

Maryland Governor O’Malley is as silent on the LNG export issue as  his fellow 2016 Presidential aspirant NJ Gov. Chris Christie is. 

They both are trolling for the same energy industry campaign bribes.

And because it’s bi-partisan, and Obama backed, the energy export  issue won’t get press coverage in any meaningful way, particularly now that industry propagandists have convinced right wing hawks in Congress and Hilary Clinton’ State Department that energy exports are vital to US national security interests (i.e. the “domestic energy independence” and revived Russian cold war lies).

The FERC decision is a disaster for at least these reasons: (read the FERC environmental assessment)

1) Climate

Cove Point will export approximately 1 billion cubic feet per day, or 7.82 million metric tons of liquified natural gas (LNG) per year. Those exports will increase the rate of emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and CO2.

The environmental review of the project was fatally flawed because it did not consider lifecycle cumulative climate impacts from the Marcellus well field source through pipeline transport, processing, shipment, and combustion of the gas in feign countries of export (see section 2.9.9)

Currently, there is no standard methodology to determine how the Project’s incremental contribution to GHGs would result in physical effects on the environment, either locally or globally. However, estimated emissions associated with the Project would incrementally increase the atmospheric concentrations of GHGs, in combination with GHG emissions from other sources identified in the cumulative impacts analysis. Because we cannot determine the Project’s incremental physical impacts due to climate change on the environment, we cannot determine whether or not the Project’s contribution to cumulative impacts on climate change would be significant

Common sense – as well as law – says that if Dominion Energy and FERC can not determine whether climate impacts would be significant, then they may not receive federal approvals.

2) Diversion of $3.8 billion – scarce Infrastructure Investment capital away from renewables

The project cost is estimated at $3.8 billion – capital in a scarce resource.

That same money could be invested in far more jobs producing, lower cost, and carbon free energy efficiency and renewables.

3) more carbon fuel infrastructure

That $3.8 billion private investment will need a supply of gas to export. The project is part of continuing reckless investments in infrastructure that will lock the US into producing carbon fuels for another generation.

4) domestic gas prices will rise to world levels

Local and regional gluts of Marcellus shale gas have kept prices low.

Exports will increase US domestic prices in the direction of much higher world prices.

It is now estimated that if the Obama administration approves all the existing applications for LNG export terminals as expected, nearly half of all the natural gas produced in the U.S. could be exported. This could cause natural gas prices in the U.S. to more than double.

Why no press reports about that – instead of the industry spin we read about lower gas prices?

This significant increase in US domestic prices will hurt consumers and generate windfall profits that will be reinvested in more fossil production – a climate death spiral.

5) accelerate Marcellus fracking

Increasing demand and higher global export prices will put pressures on drilling, fracking and pipelines for Marcellus shale gas.

6) Increase public health and safety risks

From air and water pollution to explosions and fires, gas is a hazard.

The terrifying math of climate science says we must leave 80% of fossil reserves in the ground.

That means a moratorium on all new and expanded oil, gas, and coal infrastructure.[including the five proposed LNG export projects, as well as proposed coal exports.]

Obama and FERC are taking us more quickly to runway climate change and climate catastrophe.

 [Update: Here is the text from FERC decision document on climate change impacts – I assume that this will be litigated: (@ p. 75)