Tag Archives: FE

Sabal Trail admits environmental destruction to Valdosta newspaper

July 27, 2014Environment, Ethics, FE, Florida, Georgia, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, TreesAndrea Grover, environment, Ethics, FE, Florida, FPL, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, LNG export, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Trees, Valdost, Valdosta Daily Times, VDTJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra’s Andrea Grover admitted trees don’t grow back fast, a “need to draw that line in the sand” and “we’re now moving forward”. This is the kind of “working with the landowners and the communities” that the Valdosta Daily Times found when it went to the local Sabal Trail office. STT plans to file with FERC at the end of October. But Spectra’s Andrea Grover admitted they need complete survey data, and Sabal Trail admitted they have no Georgia customers, which means they have no Georgia eminent domain, so every landowner who refuses is indeed putting a crimp into Spectra’s fracked methane pipeline.

Matthew Woody wrote for the VDT 27 July 2014, Sabal Trail explains its position, Continue reading Sabal Trail admits environmental destruction to Valdosta newspaper →

LNG exports worse than coal –U.S DoE

June 12, 2014Environment, FE, Law, Leak, LNG, Solar, WaterChina, environment, FE, John S. Quarterman, Law, leak, LNG, LNG export, Office of Fossil Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

The same Office of Fossil Energy (FE) that authorizes LNG exports now reports that methane leaks from fracking wells and pipelines are at least as bad for the climate as CO2 from coal. Add to that the destruction of private property rights, wetlands and forests, and overuse and contamination of groundwater, and fracked methane is a disaster. Plus it diverts resources that could be used to go straight to solar and wind power.

Steven Mufson wrote for the Washington Post 9 June 2014, Exporting U.S. natural gas isn’t as “clean” as you think,

The report is titled “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States.”

It says the benefits of cleaner, more efficient combustion of natural gas are largely offset by methane leakage in U.S. production and pipelines and by methane leaks and energy used in the process of liquefying and transporting the LNG. In the case of shipping LNG from the U.S. gulf coast to Shanghai, the greenhouse gas benefits could in some cases be completely offset by those factors when measured over a 20-year period, the report says.

The Energy Department report was released Continue reading LNG exports worse than coal –U.S DoE →

The Halliburton fracking Loophole and LNG exports

June 1, 2014Economy, Environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Law, LNGClean Water Cat, Climate Change, coal, CWA, Economy, Ed Markey, EIA, Energy Policy Act, environment, EPA2005, export, FE, FERC, Fracking, Halliburton Loophole, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, NEPA, nuclear, RCRA, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, review, Safe Drinking Water Act, SDWA, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

So FE proposes to follow the law, NEPA, specifically. How about we also repeal the Halliburton Loophole in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA2005) that enables fracking and LNG exports?

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE)’s parent U.S. Department of Energy (DoE)’s writeup on EPA2005 doesn’t mention its fracking effects or liquid natural gas (LNG) storage or export. FERC’s writeup spells out that EPA2005 not just enabled but required LNG export:

Mandatory within 60 days after date of enactment
Continue reading The Halliburton fracking Loophole and LNG exports →

LNG export approval pause puts FERC on hook for EIAs

June 1, 2014Economy, Environment, FE, FERC, Law, LNGEconomy, Ed Markey, EIA, environment, export, FE, FERC, Law, LNG, NEPA, review, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC won’t be able to say it doesn’t know anything about LNG exports anymore, with this plan to require FERC environmental assessments before FE authorization. But this does nothing about the FE authorizations aleady granted, including the three at the end of the Transco -> Sabal -> FSC pipeline. A better idea: cancel LNG exports and build solar power instead.

Jennifer A. Dlouhy wrote for Fuelfix 30 May 2014, Winners and losers in feds’ new gas export review plan,

The Energy Department intends to scrap a two-year-old approach for considering applications to export LNG to countries that don’t have free trade agreements with the United States. Instead of reviewing them in the order they were filed, as the agency largely does now, the Energy Department would first tackle those that have already cleared an expensive, time-consuming environmental assessment typically done by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Sen. Ed Markey’s statement of 29 May 2014, Markey Commends DOE Move to Study Impacts of Large-scale Natural Gas Exports, heads in the right direction but doesn’t go far enough: Continue reading LNG export approval pause puts FERC on hook for EIAs →

How long until Excelerate files for LNG export from Massachusetts Bay?

May 1, 2014FE, LNG, MARAD, Massachusetts, TexasBoston, Department of Transportation, Excelerate, FE, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, LNG, MARAD, Maritime Administration, Massachusetts, Northeast Gas Association, Northeast Gateway facility, Office of Fossil Energy, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, Texas, Texas Eastern, TGPJohn S. Quarterman

How long until the same company that already got FE authorization for LNG export from Texas files for the same from its idle LNG facility offshore from Boston?

The Northeast Gas Association wrote February 2014, The Role of LNG in the Northeast Natural Gas (and Energy) Market,

The Northeast Gateway facility is owned and operated by Excelerate Energy. The facility began commercial operations Continue reading How long until Excelerate files for LNG export from Massachusetts Bay? →

FERC and FE oversight committee approved LNG export legislation for non-FTA countries

May 1, 2014Economy, FE, FERC, LNGDr. Strangelove, Economy, Energy & Commerce Committee, Energy and Power Subcommittee, FE, FERC, Government, John Barrow, John S. Quarterman, Kathy Castor, LNG, Major Kong, Rooskies, Russia, Slim Pickens, SpectraBusters, Ukraine, WTOJohn S. Quarterman

Should we let Congress authorize blanket LNG export to 159 WTO member countries, including China and Ukraine, so fossil fuel companies can profit by taking our lands to pipe fracked methane to Florida? If not, it’s time to call your House member.

After approval by its Subcommittee on Energy and Power, which is the oversight committee for both FERC and the U.S. DoE’s Office of Fossil Fuels, both of which can authorize LNG export, the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee voted yesterday to send to the full House of Representatives H.R. 6, “A BILL To provide for expedited approval of exportation of natural gas to World Trade Organization countries, and for other purposes.” That bill would add to Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act ( 15 U.S.C. 717b(c) ), Continue reading FERC and FE oversight committee approved LNG export legislation for non-FTA countries →

Proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline Threatens Southwest Georgia Communities –in Georgia Sierran

April 28, 2014Alabama, Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FE, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hazards, LNG, Lowndes County, Safety, Solar, WaterAlabama, aquifer, China, Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, FE, FERC, Florida, Floridan Aquifer, FPL, FTA, Georgia, Gilchrist County, gopher tortoise, Hazards, Houston, John S. Quarterman, Juno Beach, LNG, LNG export, Lowndes County, Port Dolphin, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TPP, TTIP, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

In the April-May-June ~~2004~~ 2014 issue of Georgia Sierran Georgia Sierra Club‘s Chapter newsletter. The same issue has an excellent article on Georgia’s aquifers, including the Floridan Aquifer that is a drinking water source for all of Florida, through which the Sabal Trail pipeline proposes to bulldoze.

Proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline Threatens
Southwest Georgia Communities

By John Quarterman
Why should a shell corporation owned by two companies in Houston, Texas and Juno Beach, Florida get to take Georgians’ property to pipe fracked methane to Florida through our fragile karst limestone drinking water aquifer?

Yet that’s what Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, proposes to do, Continue reading Proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline Threatens Southwest Georgia Communities –in Georgia Sierran →

Can Sabal Trail fracked methane go to China?

April 26, 2014British Columbia, FE, FERC, Florida, LNG, Martin CountyAES, Bahamas, British Columbia, Carib Energy, China, Crowley Maritime, EU, Europe, export, FE, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridian LNG, Ford, FPL, India, Japan, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Martin County, Ocean Express, Russia, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TPP, Transco, TTIP, Ukraine, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

People talk about LNG exports to China through the Transco – Sabal Trail – Florida Southeast Connection pipeline, even though FPL says it knows nothing about exports through that Southeast Market Pipelines Project (SMPP), and FERC also seems to know nothing. If that fracked gas really can go to China, where’s FERC’s rationale for federal eminent domain, which depends on Florida needing the gas? Nevermind FPL’s own 10-Year Site Plan doesn’t support a need for the gas, and EPA doesn’t buy what it’s seen as rationalizations for that alleged need: can the gas go to China?

FERC has admitted in more than one Scoping Meeting that it’s not the pipeline company that has to get export authorization: it’s the end user. And FPL is not the only end user and FERC is not the only export-authorizing agency. Continue reading Can Sabal Trail fracked methane go to China? →

FPL supports solar power without spending money on it –FPL to FERC

April 25, 2014FE, FERC, Law, LNG, Martin County, Okeechobee County, SolarCape Canaveral, Carib Energy, coal, Crowley Maritime, EPA, export, FE, FERC, FL PSC, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridian LNG, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Martin County, oil, Okeechobee County, Pam Rauch, Sabal Trail Transmission, SMP, solar, Southeast Market Pipelines, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

FPL doubled down on a need because it claims fracked methane is “clean”, in its FERC filing of 21 April 2014. FPL says it is “a strong supporter of solar power” even though it didn’t increase its solar capacity from 2010 to 2013 because of the lame baseload capacity excuse. FPL says it knows nothing about Export of Gas, even though Floridian LNG, located next to FPL’s Martin County “Clean Energy” Center right at the end of the Transco-Sabal-FSC pipeline, was approved for LNG export by the U.S. DoE Office Fossil Energy (FE) 14 November 2013, and Crowley Maritime’s Carib Energy was approved for export from Florida by FE 27 July 2011. And FPL says its ratepayers are not paying the costs of the pipeline, even though FPL VP of development and external affairs Pam Rauch argued in pring 29 July 2012 for a “Clean Energy” (fracked methane) Center at Cape Canaveral that was one of several mentioned by the Tampa Times 24 October 2014 as a reason for a new pipeline, and that same Pam Rauch filed PF14-2 with FERC for the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) pipeline that connects from Sabal Trail to FPL’s “Clean Energy” Center in Martin County, next to Floridian LNG. FPL doesn’t seem to know what’s going on next to it, and maybe not what its own employees are doing. I hope EPA doesn’t consider the questions it filed with FERC the same day answered by this weak tea from FPL.

April 21, 2014
Ms. Kimberly D. Bose
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20426
Subject: Southeast Market Pipelines Project
Docket Nos. PF14-1-000, PF14-2-000, and PF14-6-000
Dear Ms. Bose:
Florida Power & Light Company (“FPL”) hereby submits these comments in response Continue reading FPL supports solar power without spending money on it –FPL to FERC →

Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC

April 21, 2014Environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, LNG, PHMSA, Safety, SolarBeth Gordon, efiling, environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Health, insurance, Law, LNG, PHMSA, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sanford Bishop, SEC, solar, SpectraBusters, Ted Yoho, Texas Eastern PipelineJohn S. Quarterman

FERC’s ecomment system was malfunctioning, so Beth emailed this on behalf of the board, which unanimously approved it earlier that same day. She also forwarded it to John Peconom of FERC and to her U.S. Rep Ted Yoho (FL-03) and to Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). Here is contact information for your elected officials and candidates. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
To: efiling <efiling@ferc.gov>
Date: Sat, Apr 19, 2014 6:05 pm
Subject: PF14-1 Sabal Trail Pipeline
To Whom it may Concern at FERC:
I am the President of a group of citizens and landowners from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida affected by the Sabal Trail Pipeline. Here are some important questions we hope you will answer for us. We have had no answers from FERC representatives at any other time. These are the questions we would like answered:

Is lack of justification of energy need by Florida sufficient for FERC staff to recommend denying a permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline? Continue reading Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC →