Arkansas, Oklahoma push delay for E15 petition

Spanish Market: Biofuels, Emissions, Oil products
17/10/23

Arkansas and Oklahoma have joined an oil industry effort to delay beyond 2024 a gasoline reformulation that eight Midwestern states have requested to preserve year-round sales of 15pc ethanol gasoline (E15).

Unless the fuel specification change is delayed until at least April 2025, the governors of Arkansas and Oklahoma worry their drivers will inadvertently face higher pump prices and fuel shortages. The governors cited warnings from the oil sector that, without more time to comply, the industry will be unable to provide enough of two new "boutique grades" of gasoline that are being requested by the eight Midwestern states.

"This will result in an insufficient supply of gasoline and add to the cost of gasoline at the pump for Arkansans," governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) wrote on 9 October in a request for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay the fuel specification change.

Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt (R), in a similar letter sent on 25 August, said the fuel specification change sought by other states would mean higher fuel costs for "unsuspecting Oklahoma motorists" at a time of already high gasoline prices. Stitt said he supported a congressional solution to the issue so the eight states would not require a "Band-Aid" to preserve year-round E15 sales.

E15 has been available for sale year-round nationwide since 2019, but absent intervention, the fuel blend will eventually face sales limits in the summer. A federal court in 2021 found the Clean Air Act offers a fuel volatility "waiver" exclusively to 10pc ethanol gasoline (E10), a ruling EPA has sidestepped for the last two summers by issuing temporary emergency orders citing the war in Ukraine.

To avoid future sales restrictions on E15, the eight Midwestern states — Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — have filed a petition to rescind the longstanding Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for E10, which would lead to the reformulation of the blendstocks used to produce both E10 and E15.

EPA this spring proposed approving the request from the eight states with an effective date of 28 April 2024, but it has yet to finalize the rule, leaving the oil sector uncertain about the change.

Not enough time to comply

US refiners say revoking the waiver will require them to supply two new fuel grades — regular and premium — to the eight states as soon as 1 March 2024, which they say will not offer enough time to comply.

Oil industry officials say the upgrades required to handle the new fuel grades could require years of work.

Magellan Midstream, which said it supplies the majority of gasoline sold in many of the eight Midwestern states, said it does not have adequate infrastructure at most of its terminals to accommodate the two new grades of gasoline the reformulation change would require.

"The timeline for new storage and infrastructure modifications is 24 months or more," Magellan said in an 18 August letter to the EPA requesting a one-year delay. Additional time would be needed for permitting and construction of the new infrastructure, and it would also make it more costly for Magellan to operate its entire pipeline system by reducing "fungibility" of the same 9 psi RVP gasoline to most states it serves.

Magellan also supplies fuel to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, North Dakota and Wyoming, which are not seeking the gasoline reformulation.

Change known about for months

Ethanol industry groups oppose delaying the effective date for the new fuel past April 2024, saying refiners and terminal operators have known for months that EPA was preparing a final rule requiring the fuel change.

"If refiners and pipeline and terminal operators don't like the idea of supplying lower-volatility gasoline in these eight states, they should join us in supporting recently introduced legislation that would permanently resolve this issue nationwide and make these state petitions unnecessary," Renewable Fuels Association president Geoff Cooper said.

The oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute, in a letter to EPA on 29 September seeking to delay the fuel change until 2025, said it supports a bill sponsored by US senator Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) extending the E10 waiver to E15 as preferable to states seeking different rules.

But uncertainty over the prospects for that bill have raised concerns by the oil industry. Magellan said any spending to handle the new fuel grades sought by the eight states would be "high risk investments" that could be stranded if Congress grants a nationwide E15 waiver. Delaying the change to 2025 could provide time to develop a legislative solution, Magellan said.

EPA did not respond to a request for comment on the timing of its final rule.

By Chris Knight

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21/11/24

Cop: Developing countries reject new finance draft

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — Developing countries have expressed discontent with the climate finance draft text released today and continue to stick to their initial positions in negotiations at the UN Cop 29 climate summit, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Cop 29 presidency earlier today released a new draft text on the key issue of climate finance for developing countries , but entrenched positions remain with no progress on an amount. Countries must agree on a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) — a new climate finance target — building on the $100bn/yr that developed countries agreed to deliver to developing countries over 2020-25. Parties such as the group of 77 (G77) and China, Pakistan and Kenya — on behalf of the African Group of Negotiators — today responded with disappointment at the lack of an amount for finance. They are calling for a figure close to 1.3 trillion/yr in provided and mobilised finance, an amount that has long been pushed forward by developing countries. Developed countries have not indicated a number . "We cannot talk about a lower or higher number because there is no number," said Colombia's environment minister Susana Muhamad. The country seeks to end the country's dependence on fossil fuels , while promoting a transition to clean and renewable energy, but has long said that it is lacking the financial means to do so. The finance goal "is not an investment goal, but there remains text on investment flows," complained the G77 and China group. China's representative emphasised that the text should not "cherry-pick single paragraphs" from the Cop 28 deal, as developed countries seek to add language on fossil fuels agreed in Dubai last year. The finance text should duplicate accurately and fully the wording of the Paris Agreement, they said. China also reiterated that the finance goal is for developed countries to honour their obligations. The country pointed out that although it has provided 177bn yuan ($24.5mn) since 2016 in support of developing countries, "the voluntary support" of the global south is not part of the goal. It is different in nature from the obligation of developed countries to provide financial resources, the Chinese negotiator said. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres today urged parties to "soften hard lines" and focus on the bigger picture. "Finance is not a hand-out… it's a downpayment on a safer, more prosperous future for every nation on earth." "The time to repeat initial positions has come to an end, and parties should find areas of possible compromise," he said. The summit is scheduled to end on 22 November, but many participants said it is likely to overrun. By Prethika Nair and Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

21/11/24

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have committed to submit new national climate plans setting out "steep emission cuts", that are consistent with the global 1.5°C temperature increase limit sought by the Paris Agreement. The EU and four countries made the pledge at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan today, and called on other nations to follow suit — particularly major economies. Countries are due to submit new climate plans — known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) — covering 2035 goals to the UN climate body the UNFCCC by early next year. The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have not yet submitted their plans, but they will be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today. The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit the global rise in temperature to "well below" 2°C and preferably to 1.5°C. Canada's NDC is being considered by the country's cabinet and will be submitted by the 10 February deadline, Canadian ambassador for climate change Catherine Stewart said today. Switzerland's new NDC will also be submitted by the deadline, the country's representative confirmed. Pamana's special representative for climate change Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez also joined the press conference today. Panama, which is designated as carbon negative, submitted an updated NDC in June. It is planning to submit a nature pledge, Monterrey Gomez said. "It is time to streamline processes to get to real action", he added. The UK also backed the pledge. The UK announced an ambitious emissions reduction target last week. The UAE — which hosted Cop 28 last year — released a new NDC just ahead of Cop 29, while Brazil, host of next year's Cop 30, released its new NDC on 13 November during the summit. Thailand yesterday at Cop 29 communicated a new emissions reduction target . Indonesia last week said that it intends to submit its updated NDC ahead of the February deadline, with a plan placing a ceiling on emissions and covering all greenhouse gases as well as including the oil and gas sector. Colombia also indicated that its new climate plan will seek to address fossil fuels, but it will submit its NDC by June next year . By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: EU says finance draft text not acceptable

21/11/24

Cop: EU says finance draft text not acceptable

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The latest draft of the text on climate financing presented at the UN Cop 29 climate summit is not ambitious enough on mitigation — reducing emissions — and "clearly unacceptable," EU energy commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today. Parties must agree at Cop 29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) — a new climate finance target — building on the $100bn/yr that developed countries agreed to deliver to developing countries over 2020-25. The text is the main outcome for the summit. "What we had on our agenda was not just to restate the [Cop 28] consensus but actually to enhance that and to operationalise that," but the text goes in the opposite direction, Hoekstra said. Parties to last year's Cop 28 summit in Dubai made an historic pledge to "transition away" from all fossil fuels. The EU has warned against any backsliding on this pledge . "We cannot accept the view that the previous Cop did not happen," Hoekstra said. A draft text on the mitigation work programme — a process that focuses on emissions reduction — was released by the Cop 29 presidency in the early hours of this morning. It does not mention phasing out or reducing fossil fuels in energy systems, or reference the agreement reached on the latter point at Cop 28 last year. Hoekstra indicated today's text does not provide enough clarity to allow the EU to put a concrete number on the amount of climate finance that should be available. The bloc has insisted the final number for climate financing can come only when other elements, including the structure and contributor base, are settled. But recipient country groups such as the G77 and Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) groups have expressed impatience at the lack of a concrete number. Minor bright spots in the numerous draft texts released overnight include those on Article 6, which governs international carbon credits, Hoekstra said. But the commissioner is "sure there is not a single ambitious country who thinks this is nearly good enough." By Rhys Talbot Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: Talks on Article 6 near final agreement

21/11/24

Cop: Talks on Article 6 near final agreement

Washington, 21 November (Argus) — Negotiators at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, appear close to a final agreement on the details of an international carbon market under the Paris Agreement. The ministers leading the final discussions on 21 November released updated texts for Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 of the accord that attempt to bridge the gap on remaining issues. It is not yet clear if these are the final texts, but any work left may only involve some "small tweaks", International Emissions Trading Association (Ieta) international policy director Andrea Bonzanni said. Those two sections of the Paris Agreement govern how countries can use carbon credits to meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction pledges, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Article 6 aims to help set rules on global carbon trade. EU energy commissioner Wopke Hoekstra called Article 6 one area of the talks "where at least the text is a bit encouraging." "We've always been pleading for more progress on Article 6," he said. "We've stressed the tremendous importance of transparency, predictability, credibility of these items." On the key issue of the Article 6 credit registry, the text reflects the idea of a "dual layer" approach that Singapore environment minister Grace Fu suggested on 20 November . The text calls for the creation of a registry to issue and trade credits that would be run by the UN and would be separate from the Article 6 registry, which would only serve an accounting function. "It looks like they managed to make both sides happy," Bonzanni said. The text also says that the inclusion of any emissions credits — known as internationally transferable mitigation outcome (Itmo) units — in the UN registry does not represent any sort of validation of their environmental integrity, in response to concerns raised by the US and others. "There was a concern that if the Itmos are in a UN registry, they may be seen as automatically having legitimacy or UN endorsement," Bonzanni said. The US should be happy with that language, he added. But the EU got only some of what it has sought over the past year. Most notably, the latest text does not include a definition of a "cooperative approach," essentially what it means for countries to buy and sell emissions units under Article 6. An earlier draft of the text included a definition, but there were concerns that it "could have restrained the markets significantly" and created confusion around certain requirements for when countries authorise Itmos, Bonzanni said. "I believe the presidency did a good job by making tough calls." Ieta is not happy with everything in the text, but at the same time "there is nothing harmful" to trading in it, Bonzanni said. By Michael Ball Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: New climate finance draft does not bridge divide

21/11/24

Cop: New climate finance draft does not bridge divide

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The UN Cop 29 presidency has released a new draft text on the key issue of climate finance, but entrenched positions remain with no agreement on an amount, and no explicit reference to reducing fossil fuels in energy systems. The outcome of the finance discussions are inextricably linked to progress on mitigation, or cutting emissions. Developing countries have long said they cannot decarbonise or implement an energy transition without adequate finance. Developed countries are calling for substantially stronger global action on emissions reduction. Countries are working at Cop 29 to decide the next stage of a climate finance goal. Developed countries agreed to deliver $100bn/yr in climate finance to developing nations over 2020-25. The draft, released in the early hours today, streamlines previous iterations. But countries' views on details such as the amount beyond 2025 are set out in separate 'options', illustrating a lack of common ground. The text does not overtly reference phasing out or reducing fossil fuels, although it does call on the fossil fuel industry to align itself with the Paris Agreement and for phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. It is unclear if there was wide agreement on these points. Countries agreed at Cop 28 last year to "transition away" from fossil fuels. The first option, which roughly covers developing country views, sets out a climate finance goal of upwards of $1 trillion over 2025-35, broken down into provision and mobilisation. The provision element — which developed countries would be called on to provide — is in the billions of dollars, from a $100bn/yr floor, and should be grant or grant-equivalent, according to the draft. Mobilised finance, which could be private finance or even from carbon markets, would make up the rest — although no specific figures are in this part of the draft text. The second option, broadly covering developed countries' position, focuses on the Paris climate agreement that seeks to limit the global rise in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This option sets a floor of $100bn/yr by 2035 for "collectively mobilising" finance "from a wide range of sources". It outlines a goal of $1 trillion or more for "global finance in climate action… from all sources of finance". The contributor base has long been a point of contention. UN climate body the UNFCCC delineated developed and developing countries in 1992, and the former group has consistently argued that economic circumstances have since changed, requesting a wider contributor base for climate finance. But positions on this appear not to have changed. The first option "invites developing country parties willing to contribute" to do so voluntarily, but says this will not be counted in the official finance goal. The second option notes that developed countries take the lead, but contributions from "countries with the economic capacity to contribute" will be counted. "This is not a text that aims to bridge", non-profit WRI director of international climate action David Waskow said today. He sees "a lot of work to be done". Cop 29 is scheduled to finish on 22 November, but many participants said it is likely to overrun. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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