Tag Archives: solar

Russian South Stream natural gas pipeline no longer dead certain

August 27, 2014Economy, LNG, Politics, Russia, SolarBlack Sea, Blue Stream, dead certain, Economy, EU, FPL, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Politics, Russia, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, South Stream, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Vladimir PutinJohn S. Quarterman

Even Putin couldn’t push a pipeline past opponents. Russia’s formerly “dead certain” South Stream natural gas pipeline around Ukraine now has “potential for huge delays. Sceptics wonder whether it will happen at all.” Gazprom used the same pipeline-pushing script as Spectra, and that ended up as farce. So maybe Sabal Trail isn’t “moving forward”, either. State and local permitting, or just plain public opposition, could turn that Sabal Trail pipeline snake into roadkill, so we can get on with solar power for real economic benefits without eminent domain and with clean air and water.

Guy Chazan wrote for Financial Times 24 August 2014, South Stream gas project may now be a pipe dream,

In November 2005, a pipeline called Blue Stream was inaugurated to bring Russian gas across the Black Sea to Turkey. It was, said President Vladimir Putin, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Continue reading Russian South Stream natural gas pipeline no longer dead certain →

OSFR v. FPL: head to head in the Gainesville Sun

August 18, 2014Economy, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, LNG, SolarEconomy, FE, FERC, FPL, Fracking, Gainesville Sun, Georgia Power, Hazards, Jim Tatum, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, OSFR, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Evidently Spectra’s Andrea Grover was too obviously failing to convince people to stop worrying and love the Sabal Trail pipeline, because FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy has taken up the mighty megaphone of methane talking points. And the Gainesville Sun ran him on the same page as Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Jim Tatum of Our Santa Fe River, today, 18 August 2014. Here are the links and a few excerpts. Read ’em for yourselves!

Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Jim Tatum, Pipeline poses multiple problems,

Again, we must point out that Florida Power & Light just recently estimated that in 10 years the demand for power will increase approximately 13 percent, but the Sabal Trail’s new pipeline would have an increase of 33 percent delivery capability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed a report with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission saying that the recently completed (2011) Southeast Supply Header System was designed as an “alternative natural-gas source during hurricane-related disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico.”

That’s actually an underestimate Continue reading OSFR v. FPL: head to head in the Gainesville Sun →

Ted Turner’s Nonami objects to GA EPD about Sabal Trail compressor station

July 21, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, Georgia, Health, Solar, Trees, WaterAir, CO2, compressor, conservation easement, Dougherty County, environment, Flint River, GA EPD, Georgia, Georgia Land Trust, Greenlaw, Health, John S. Quarterman, longleaf, Nonami, Nonami Oglethorpe, NOX, solar, SpectraBusters, Ted Turner, Trees, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Via Greenlaw, comments on GA-EPD air permit application #22637. Sinkholes, CO2, NOX, VOCs, potential damage to people, animals, longleaf pine trees, air, and water. The best part: Nonami recommends if the compressor station should be built, it should be powered by solar panels. If others want to file comments, the application number and the address are in here. -jsq

Continue reading →

The evitability of Andrea Grover’s fracked methane pipeline

July 14, 2014Colquitt County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Law, LNG, Orange County, Solar, Suwannee CountyAndrea Grover, Colquitt County, Economy, eminent domain, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Landowner, Law, LNG, open-access, Orange County, permits, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, taxes, trespassJohn S. Quarterman

If they can’t even survey for it, they can’t build it, which may be why Andrea Grover just chanted desperately in three newspapers “the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline is moving forward.” Nevermind almost everyone who has spoken up about it is against it. She didn’t say anything about taking your land for for profit for her company in Houston and for LNG export that would raise U.S. natural gas prices. But one thing she did say is why that can happen with no further permits if this pipeline should go forward.

Almost everybody opposed the pipeline at the “more than 50 open houses and public meetings” Ms. Grover bragged about in the Orlando Sentinel, in the Suwannee Democrat, and in the Moultrie Observer. She didn’t mention that opposition, but you can see it for yourself in these Continue reading The evitability of Andrea Grover’s fracked methane pipeline →

Kinder Morgan tries stealth pipeline expansion in Massachusetts

July 12, 2014Economy, Environment, Fracking, Law, LNG, Massachusetts, SolarEconomy, environment, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, Law, LNG, Massachusetts, No Fracked Gas in Mass, Rolling March, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, TGPJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra competitor Kinder Morgan is trying to fly under residents’ radar to gouge its hundred-foot Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) right of way through Massachusetts. This is another $3 billion boondoggle that, like Spectra’ Sabal Trail pipeline through the southeast, could easily be replaced by solar power and conservation, which would keep LNG export from running up the price of existing methane gas supplies.

Nick Miller wrote for Nashoba Publishing 11 July 2014, Why Kinder Morgan fears an informed public,

Kinder Morgan is proposing to build a large, high pressure natural gas pipeline through 45 towns in Massachusetts, including Groton.

More than five month ago, agents of this company entered the town of Groton and began requesting that affected residents sign survey permission forms. They did not disclose Continue reading Kinder Morgan tries stealth pipeline expansion in Massachusetts →

Another speed-permit LNG export bill: H.R. 3301

July 8, 2014Fracking, Law, LNG, SolarFracking, Government, H.R. 3301, H.R. 6, house, John Barrow, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Sanford Bishop, Senate, solar, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

LNG export to Canada or Mexico with almost no permitting and no environmental review of anything but the part that crosses the border. That’s H.R. 3301, just passed by the U.S. House of Representatves, but not yet taken up by the Senate, and already the presdent’s administration “strongly opposes” it; so strongly his advisors recommend vetoing it. Apparently H.R. 6 for blanket export to all WTO countries isn’t likely to pass, so fracked methane pushers are trying a similar approach for fewer countries. Get it across the nearest borders, and then export to other countries? Previously listening Sanford Bishop (GA-02 Albany) voted for both bills in the full House.

On Congress.gov, H.R. 3301 – North American Energy Infrastructure Act 113th Congress (2013-2014) and on govtrack.us.

North American Energy Infrastructure Act—(Sec. 3) Prohibits any person from constructing, connecting, operating, or maintaining a cross-border segment of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility at the national boundary of the United States for the import or export of oil, natural gas, or electricity to or from Canada or Mexico without obtaining a certificate of crossing under this Act.

Requires the Secretary of State, Continue reading Another speed-permit LNG export bill: H.R. 3301 →

My son was killed in a pipeline explosion –Paul W. McCorkle

July 7, 2014Explosion, FERC, Hazards, PHMSA, Solarexplosion, FERC, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, NTSB, PHMSA, Sabal Trail Transmmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

A comment on Other Hazards 30 June 2014:

My son was killed in a pipeline explosion 7-5-10. There are many old lines that are only a few inches in the ground, because of years because of top cover erosion. A shallow covered gas line is more dangerous than an exposed one!!! This was the case of my accident. After the accident, several lines in my immediate area were found to be totally exposed!!! What about the ones that are not covered to the proper depth and are seldom inspected. The federal pipeline administration is a joke. They have no idea how to do their own investigation, the rely on the pipeline companies to tell them what happened or what to do. As it has been said, THE PIPELINE COMPANIES ARE FUNDING TO MUCH MONEY TO THE AGENCIES THAT REGULATE THEM.

Paul W. McCorkle

For those who have not heard about that very unfortunate event, WDRW.com wrote 5 July 2010, Continue reading My son was killed in a pipeline explosion –Paul W. McCorkle →

Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes?

July 5, 2014Colquitt County, Economy, Environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Lowndes County, Marion County, Solar, TreesAndrea Grover, Brian Fahrenthold, cigarettes, Colquitt County, Dunnellon, Economy, environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Greg Ebel, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Marion County, methane, Moultrie, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, sustainabile, Tobacco, Trees, Trenton, Valdosta, windJohn S. Quarterman

What company prints its sustainability report on wind-powered paper, yet pipes a greenhouse gas 20 times worse than CO₂? Yep, it’s Spectra Energy, also bragging about how respectful they are to Sabal Trail “stakeholders”. Selling fracked methane through a 36-inch pipe in a hundred-foot gash through forests and wetlands with a thousand-foot explosive radius is like selling cigarettes and claiming you’re for good health. Tobacco companies can’t get away with that any more, and why should fossil fuel companies?

On the very last page of a 16-page report, 2013 Sustainability Highlights Report, Spectra Energy says:

This paper is manufactured using clean, renewable wind-power energy and carbon offsets for additional savings.

That’s the only mention of wind or renewable energy in the document, while solar power is not mentioned even once.

And look at Spectra’s Purpose on page 2: Continue reading Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes? →

Norman Bay new FERC Chair?

June 29, 2014FERC, Solarattorney, chair, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, FERC, John Barrasso, John S. Quarterman, Jon Wellinghoff, New Mexico, Norman Bay, Senate, solar, SpectraBusters, WyomingJohn S. Quarterman

The fossil fuel industries that fund FERC also control enough Senate seats to make approving a non-fracking FERC chair very difficult. Did they just do so?

Michael Coleman wrote for the Albequerque Journal 18 June 2014, Senate committee approves NM’s Norman Bay to lead FERC,

Norman Bay, a former U.S. Attorney in New Mexico and University of New Mexico School of Law professor, won support from a key Senate panel today in his bid to become head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but not without some significant objections from committee members.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 13-9 to approve President Obama’s nomination of Bay to the powerful regulatory post.

That article has various verbiage about how well Bay knows energy. But why did it take so long to find a replacement after former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff resigned last November? Wellinghoff resigned after allegations Continue reading Norman Bay new FERC Chair? →

20 MW Solar at Hazlehurst, GA by Silicon Ranch for Green Power EMC

June 23, 2014Georgia, Jeff Davis, SolarGeorgia, Green Power EMC, Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis County, John S. Quarterman, Silicon Ranch Corporation, solar, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

After the 30+ MW solar farm in Social Circle, Walton County, GA for Georgia Power, another 20 MW one near Hazelhurst, Jeff Davis County, GA for Green Power EMC. Do this every month and Georgia will start to catch up with other states such as New Jersey. Somebody tell FERC solar is faster, cheaper, and far far cleaner than a dirty, dangerous, land-grabbing fracked methane pipeline.

PR 20 June 2014, Green Power EMC Project Boosts GA’s Supply of Solar Energy,

Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), has reached an agreement to purchase the full output of a new 20 megawatt (MW) solar project planned for construction in southeast Georgia.

The ground-mounted solar project will be constructed near Hazlehurst, Ga., in Jeff Davis County. It will be one of the largest solar generating facilities in Georgia. The solar array will occupy approximately 135 acres and will incorporate over 87,000 solar modules. Once completed, the solar array will generate more than 43,000 megawatt hours of clean, renewable electricity annually.

Under an agreement with owner-operator Silicon Ranch Corporation, Continue reading 20 MW Solar at Hazlehurst, GA by Silicon Ranch for Green Power EMC →