NextDecade has canceled the carbon capture component of its Rio Grande LNG terminal after a federal court revoked project approvals due to environmental and regulatory concerns.
Shannon Kelly reports for DeSmog.
In short:
- NextDecade withdrew its carbon capture plan for the Rio Grande LNG terminal following a D.C. Circuit Court ruling.
- The court found that federal regulators did not adequately assess the project's environmental and community impacts.
- NextDecade's claims of capturing 90% of emissions were criticized as unrealistic and insufficient by environmental groups.
Key quote:
“For three years, NextDecade has insisted to FERC and the public that it would implement a carbon capture and sequestration project that would reduce Rio Grande LNG’s egregious greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90 percent.”
— Nathan Matthews, senior attorney, Sierra Club
Why this matters:
The cancellation raises doubts about the viability of carbon capture in large-scale fossil fuel projects, particularly when environmental justice and regulatory oversight are at stake.
Read more: Climate activists pan carbon capture plans
