Problems with Q45 Tax Credits for Carbon – Paul Blackburn

01/26/24 • 53 min

Our guest tonight is Paul Blackburn of Pipeline Fighters’ Hub. Paul provides legal services on pipeline and renewable energy matters. He has worked on crude oil pipeline issues since 2008, and has experience in renewable energy policy and development. Paul represented nonprofit clients in the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline, and in the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission hearing on expansion of Line 67, another Enbridge pipeline. He has provided policy analysis and strategic advice on a variety of pipeline matters and authored reports on pipeline safety and oil spill response.

Paul started his legal career in Washington, DC, at the law firm of Van Ness Feldman, where he assisted clients in renewable energy and coal-fired power plant development, a variety of regulatory, legislative, and litigation matters, and Native American commercial law. After leaving private practice, he began a career in the nonprofit sector, including employment by the Sierra Club, the National Environmental Trust, and Oceana in organizing and media. He also has experience in community wind and solar energy development. Paul holds a B.A. in Biology from Macalester College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

In this episode we discuss topics including:

· An overview of the Q45 Carbon sequestration tax credit program

· Who benefits from the Q45 Tax Credit Program?

· How Fossil Fuel companies take advantage of the Q45 program and use it to continue to justify producing more fossil fuel

· Problems with the reporting system for 45Q to the EPA and IRS

For more information, see:

· The Pipeline Fighters Hub web site

· The Congressional Research Service’s page on the Q45 program

Support the show

Visit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

In this episode we discuss topics including:

· An overview of the Q45 Carbon sequestration tax credit program

· Who benefits from the Q45 Tax Credit Program?

· How Fossil Fuel companies take advantage of the Q45 program and use it to continue to justify producing more fossil fuel

· Problems with the reporting system for 45Q to the EPA and IRS

For more information, see:

· The Pipeline Fighters Hub web site

· The Congressional Research Service’s page on the Q45 program

Support the show

Visit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

Previous Episode

Standing Up for Communities in Houston – Erandi Trevino

Our guest this episode is Erandi Trevino of Public Citizen, Houston. Erandi grew up in Houston and has been concerned about the pollution in her neighborhood since she was a young child.

Before joining Public Citizen in Houston as a Climate Policy and Outreach Specialist, she was an Advocacy Fellow with the Fulbright Association in Washington, DC, where she worked on education policy, nutrition, and financial regulations. During her time in DC, Erandi also volunteered for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Earlier in her career, Erandi assisted the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations in New York. She has a law degree from Fordham University and degrees in International Relations and Latin American studies from Seton Hall University. Following her graduation there, she received a Fulbright Grant to teach English in Belo Horizonte, Brazil where she became fluent in Portuguese.

In this episode we discuss the following topics:

The coalition of companies and other institutions that are partners with this new project called the HyVelocity Hub and their claims to be able to build an “ecosystem” from the existing hydrogen and pipeline industry in Houston to make clean hydrogen.
HyVelocity Hub claims that they will be able use carbon capture to make “clean” hydrogen (called blue hydrogen) using existing hydrogen production plants.
How credible is Houston’s Clean Hydrogen Roadmap in general?
Is HyVelocity’s goal of achieving 2kg CO2 / kg of H2 is realistic?
RMI currently estimates 20 kg CO2 / kg H2 with Texas’s current fossil-heavy power grid.
How credible is HyVelocity’s vision “to serve disadvantaged communities by providing jobs and higher labor standards, reducing local pollution, and supporting and complying with the Justice40 initiative?
Who are the powerful investors in this endeavor and how are they affecting the plans for these plants? Are they listening to local concerns or just greenwashing their environmental challenges?
What is Public Citizen doing as a local activist to get some oversight on this HyVelocity Hub project?

Resources:

Center for Houston's Future

Houston Healthy Port Communities Coalition

Environmental Defense Fund - Better Hubs - Expring Decarbonizing Industry

Greater Houston Port Bureau's Project 11

On Breath Partnership's "What is Port Houston's Project 11?"

Erandi's Contact Information

Support the show

Visit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

Next Episode

Developing Clean Energy Solutions for the Seneca Nation - Matt Renner

Matt Renner serves as Vice President of Seneca Environmental, a tribally owned and controlled Earth-healing solutions company focused on helping commercial customers achieve ambitious climate goals while supporting the long-term well-being of the Seneca Nation and other Indigenous people. His work focuses on partnership development and customer acquisition to create unprecedented collaboration and profitably accelerate climate action.

Matt has worked as a nonprofit executive in clean energy, climate policy, and journalism for over a decade, focusing on the near-term social and economic impacts of climate change. He was the head of Climate Mobilization and now serves on their board of directors. He began his career as an investigative reporter and later became the Executive Director of the World Business Academy to focus on the transition to a climate-constrained economic paradigm.

Matt has a BA degree in Political Science and Government from the University of California, Berkeley.

Topics Discussed Include:

· How Seneca Environmental is set up and its main goals.

· Why the Seneca Nation set up a specific section to invest in clean climate change solutions.

· How Seneca Environmental made the 2023 Time100 List and what Matt has done to make Seneca Environmental unique.

· An outline of the work Renner has done for the Native American community and for corporate businesses on producing clean energy.

· Why Seneca Environmental’s business model is working for both the Native American community and corporate businesses.

· How Seneca Environmental’s model and efforts can be replicated with other tribes and businesses to help the clean energy movement going forward.

Further Reading:

· The Seneca Environmental web site

· Video overview of the Seneca Nation

· Federal Tax Credits for Businesses

· Department of Energy Loan Programs

Support the show

Visit us at climatemoneywatchdog.org!

Climate Money Watchdog - Problems with Q45 Tax Credits for Carbon – Paul Blackburn

Transcript

Gregory A. Williams00:00:10.589

Thanks for joining us for another episode of climate money watchdog where we investigate and report on how federal dollars are being spent on mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. We are a private, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that does not accept advertisers or sponsors. So we can only do this work with your support. Please visit us at climate money watchdog.org To learn more about us and consider making a don