Pipe dreams leave U.S. energy firms caught in climate trap

(Reuters, 23 Nov 2020) As authorities face the challenge of a smooth transition to a lower-carbon future, energy firms are wrestling with investment decisions to keep their businesses running.

In remote northern Michigan a propane shortage in early 2014 caused prices to nearly double, squeezing about half of the families there who rely on the fossil fuel to heat their homes.

Glenda Bowler remembers her son fitting a wood stove at his restaurant as an alternative to propane, which reaches Michigan's Upper Peninsula via a 645 mile (1038 km) pipeline.

"Everybody's thermostats got turned down, and you turned to supplemental, like wood or electric to help. I'm old, so I can't go cut wood," the 68-year-old said.

Now the future of the Enbridge Inc owned line supplying the region is under threat, as climate activists widen their campaign to cut U.S. fossil fuel dependency from new pipelines to the refurbishment or expansion of older ones.

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Reuters, 23 Nov 2020: Pipe dreams leave U.S. energy firms caught in climate trap