Progress Report: Some Good News

Here are some items reported by Heatmap News:

Permian Basin methane emissions drop

Methane emissions from the Permian Basin, America’s biggest oilfield, dropped by 26% in 2023, according to a new report. What’s behind the plunge? The most likely answer is President Biden’s crackdown on venting and leaky oil and gas infrastructure, a priority he set on day one of his presidency. New rules from the Environmental Protection Agency are set to require producers to identify and fix leaks or face a fine, though the incoming Trump administration could roll back those regulations. The report, from S&P Global Commodity Insights and Insight M, says that “finding and fixing leaks makes financial sense most of the time, even at low gas prices and with no regulatory impetus.” Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has more warming potential than carbon dioxide. It is estimated that methane is responsible for about 30% of the global temperature rise seen since the Industrial Revolution.

Biden approves 11th large-scale offshore wind project

The Biden administration approved a large wind farm to be built south of Nantucket island. Construction on SouthCoast Wind is set to start next year. The project will have 141 turbines and supply power to some 840,000 homes by 2030. It’s the 11th large-scale offshore wind farm approved under this administration.

Coal Plant Conversion to Solar + Battery

A large coal plant in Texas is being converted into a solar and battery power facility. The San Miguel Electric Cooperative Inc. will get $1.4 billion from the Department of Agriculture as part of the “Empowering Rural America” grant program. The plant has been a major source of pollution in the state – the USDA estimates “the project will reduce climate pollution by more than 1.8 million tons each year, equivalent to removing 446,000 cars from the road each year, and support as many as 600 jobs.” Nine other rural electric cooperatives also received grants totaling $4.37 billion in clean energy investments.

Ho, Ho, Ho – Christmas Trees!

New research finds that real Christmas trees tend to be more eco-friendly than fake trees, so long as they’re recycled or composted. The study, from the University of Sheffield, concluded that a plastic tree needs to be reused more than five times to lower its carbon footprint enough to be as green as the real thing.

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