"Proposed new rules for CCS projects transfer long-term liabilities to the province."

"Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been hyped by industry groups like the Pathways Alliance as a credible solution to help decarbonize the Alberta oil industry, despite several studies questioning both the effectiveness and the economics of storing carbon dioxide underground.

But there may be a simpler way to assess whether this is a real effort or just PR smoke and mirrors. Are oil companies willing to play with their own money on CSS? Are they transparent with documentation and process? And are they willing to assume their own risks?

The answer to all these questions seems a resounding “no.” Freedom of information documents unearthed by The Narwhal reveal that Pathways Alliance demanded the federal government pony up 50 percent of the operating costs of their proposed CCS project at Cold Lake Alberta, estimated to cost over $16 billion.

This same trove of lobbying documents also shows that Pathways insisted on assurances that the project would not be subject to a federal environmental assessment. At the provincial level, it is being broken into 126 separate parts to avoid triggering an Alberta environmental assessment. "

Mitch Anderson reports for DeSmog October 17, 2024. [2]