The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the U.S. and in other countries. Numerous proposals have been made and could continue to be made at the international, national, regional, state and local levels of government to monitor, limit and eliminate both existing and future emissions of GHGs. These proposals expose Boardwalk Pipelines’ operations as well as the operations of its fossil fuel producer customers to a series of regulatory, political, litigation and financial risks.
In the U.S., no comprehensive climate change legislation has been implemented at the federal level, but President Biden has shown that action to address climate change is an important part of his Administration’s agenda. For example, in August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) passed which advanced numerous climate-related objectives. Additionally, the EPA has issued several rules regulating GHGs following the U.S. Supreme Court finding that GHGs are air pollutants under the CAA and the EPA’s own endangerment finding for certain GHGs, including carbon dioxide and methane. The EPA regulates GHGs through various requirements, including permitting for GHG emissions from large stationary sources, annual reporting on GHG emissions from oil and gas facilities, New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) restricting methane emissions from new facilities in the natural gas sector, and GHG emissions limits on vehicles (together with the DOT). The EPA’s regulation of methane emissions continues to undergo significant changes. In June 2021, President Biden signed into law a joint resolution of Congress under the Congressional Review Act that rescinded the EPA’s 2020 Policy Rule, effectively reinstating the 2012 and 2016 NSPS for the transmission and storage sector. In November 2021, the EPA proposed a rule to establish standards of performance for methane and volatile organic compound emissions from new sources and, for the first time, existing sources (those that commenced construction or reconstruction after November 15, 2021), within the crude oil and natural gas source category, including the transmission and storage sector. On November 11, 2022, the EPA released a supplemental methane proposal that modified the original proposal and provided additional detail. The proposed rule includes several requirements relevant to Boardwalk Pipelines’ operations, including stricter emissions limits for various facilities and equipment (including pneumatic devices, storage tanks, reciprocating compressors and wet seal and dry seal centrifugal compressors), more frequent leak detection and monitoring of fugitive emissions from compressor stations, and deadlines for repairing fugitive emissions. The proposal also establishes a program for third-party notification of “super-emitter” events. The final rule will likely work alongside the IRA, which appropriates significant federal funding for renewable energy initiatives as well as amends the CAA to impose a first-time fee on the emission of methane from sources required to report their GHG emissions to the EPA. The methane emissions fee applies to excess methane emissions from certain facilities and starts at $900 per metric ton of leaked methane in 2024 and increases to $1,200 in 2025 and $1,500 in 2026 and thereafter. Compliance with the EPA’s proposed new rule and the IRA’s methane emissions fee could increase Boardwalk Pipelines’ operating costs and the costs of Boardwalk Pipelines’ customers and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels which could, in turn, reduce the demand for its services, thereby adversely affecting its operations.
Governmental entities, including certain states and groups of states, have adopted or are considering legislation, regulations or other initiatives such as GHG cap and trade programs, carbon taxes, GHG reporting and tracking programs, and emissions limits. At the international level, in February 2021 the U.S. rejoined the Paris Agreement, which requires member nations to submit non-binding GHG emissions reduction goals every five years. In April 2021, President Biden announced a new target for the U.S. to reduce GHG emissions 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030. In November 2021, the U.S. joined other nations for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), during which nations including the U.S. made various commitments, including the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Additionally, at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in November 2022, countries, including the U.S., reiterated the agreements from COP26 and were called upon to accelerate efforts toward the phase out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. The U.S. also announced, in conjunction with the European Union and other partner countries, that it would develop standards for monitoring and reporting methane emissions to help create a market for low methane-intensity gas. Although no firm commitment or timeline to phase out or phase down fossil fuels were made at COP27, there can be no guarantees that countries will not seek to implement such a phase out or phase down in the future. Additionally, Boardwalk Pipelines cannot predict whether similar efforts at future climate conferences will be successful and the potential resultant impact this may have upon its business or financial condition.
Governmental, scientific and public concern over the threat of climate change arising from GHG emissions has resulted in increasing political risks in the U.S. The Biden Administration and future administrations could take various actions to curtail oil and natural gas production and transportation, including limiting fracturing of oil and natural gas wells, restricting flaring and venting during natural gas production on federal properties, limiting or banning oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore waters, increasing requirements for construction and permitting of pipeline infrastructure and LNG export facilities, and further restricting GHG emissions from oil and gas facilities. Litigation risks are also increasing, as a number of cities and other governmental entities have brought suit alleging that fossil fuel producers created public nuisances by producing fuels that contributed to global warming effects such as rising sea levels, are responsible for associated roadway and infrastructure damage, or defrauded investors or customers by failing to timely and adequately disclose adverse effects of climate change.
There are also increasing financial risks for fossil fuel energy companies as investors become increasingly concerned about the potential effects of climate change and may elect in the future to shift some or all of their investments into non-fossil fuel energy related sectors. Some institutional lenders who provide financing to fossil fuel energy companies also have become more attentive to sustainable lending practices that favor alternative power sources (such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and biofuels), making those sources more attractive, and some of them may elect not to provide funding for fossil fuel energy companies. Many of the largest U.S. banks have made “net zero” carbon emission commitments and have announced that they will be assessing financed emissions across their portfolios and taking steps to quantify and reduce those emissions. At COP26, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero announced that commitments from over 450 firms across 45 countries had resulted in over $130 trillion in capital committed to net zero goals. Financial institutions could be required to adopt policies that limit funding for fossil fuel energy companies. In late 2020 the Federal Reserve joined the Network for Greening the Financial System (“NGFS”), a consortium of financial regulators focused on addressing climate-related risks in the financial sector, and in September 2022, announced that six of the U.S.’ largest banks will participate in a pilot climate scenario analysis to enhance the ability of firms and supervisors to measure and manage climate-related financial risk. The Federal Reserve released its pilot exercise in January 2023, which is designed to analyze the impact of both physical and transition risks related to climate change on specific assets of the banks’ portfolios. While Boardwalk Pipelines cannot predict what policies may result from these announcements and activities, a material reduction in the capital available to the fossil fuel industry could make it more difficult to secure funding for exploration and production or midstream energy business activities, which could adversely impact its business and operations. Additionally, in March 2022, the SEC released a proposed rule that would establish a framework for the reporting of climate risks, targets, and metrics. A final rule is expected to be released in 2023, but Boardwalk Pipelines cannot predict the final form and substance of the rule and its requirements. The ultimate impact of the rule on Boardwalk Pipelines’ business is uncertain and, upon finalization, may result in increased compliance costs and increased costs of and restrictions on access to capital. Separately, the SEC has also announced that it is scrutinizing existing climate-change related disclosures in public filings, increasing the potential for enforcement if the SEC were to allege that an issuer’s existing climate disclosures are misleading or deficient. These agency actions could increase the potential for litigation.
The adoption and implementation of new or more stringent international, federal, regional, state or local legislation, regulations or other initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector or otherwise restrict fossil fuel production could result in increased costs of compliance for fossil fuel use, and reduce demand for fossil fuels, which could reduce demand for Boardwalk Pipelines’ transportation and storage services. Political, litigation and financial risks may result in Boardwalk Pipelines’ fossil fuel producer customers restricting or canceling production activities, incurring liability for infrastructure and other damages as a result of climatic changes, or impairing their ability to continue to operate in an economic manner, which also could reduce demand for Boardwalk Pipelines’ services. Moreover, the increased competitiveness of alternative energy sources could reduce demand for hydrocarbons and for Boardwalk Pipelines’ services. Finally, Boardwalk Pipelines may also be subject to various physical risks from climate change. For more information on these physical risks, see Boardwalk Pipelines’ risk factor titled “Climatic conditions and events could adversely impact Boardwalk Pipelines’ operations, pipelines and facilities, or those of its customers or suppliers” below.