AJAs 2017 Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | super-basin |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | Sept. 11, 2023 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Independent |
| Name of Program: | n/a |
| If co-produced, list partner: | n/a |
| Location: | St. John's, NL |
| List awards, grants: | n/a |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | n/a |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been touting its 'green transition' efforts, including its recent efforts to attract proponents in the green hydrogen industry. As part of that effort, the province sent a large delegation to the Netherlands in May 2023 to attend an industry event called the World Hydrogen Summit. The money and resources devoted to that trip were criticized by opposition parties, but the government insisted it was necessary in order to network with potential investors and governments. I filed access to information requests to try and get an inside look at the government's intentions, plans and communications around that trip. Among the 1,100+ pages of responsive records, I found documents that revealed the provincial government was pitching Newfoundland and Labrador as "The World's First Net-Zero Potential Energy Super Basin". I researched energy super basins online and found that energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie uses the term to describe regions with fossil fuel resources “that are co-located with both plentiful clean electricity and [carbon capture and storage] potential.” They suggest that jurisdictions with fossil fuel reserves can prolong the extraction of oil and gas by "decarbonizing" the extractive industry via clean, renewable energy sources. Amid climate breakdown, including extreme weather events impacting NL, and a desperate need to transition off of fossil fuels, these documents reveal that despite the science, the economics and dire projections for the oil and gas industry, the province is not pursuing a green transition for the sake of transitioning off of oil and gas. Instead, it is covertly pitching (or "signalling," as they told me, rejecting the term "pitch") to investors that Newfoundland and Labrador is doing what it can to extend the fossil fuel industry's life in this province. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: I am a salaried journalist and prioritize my duties as Editor-in-Chief, but also pursue investigative and other reporting work as time permits. In this case, there were multiple deadline extensions with the FOI request and the story was published about four months after the requests were first filed. |
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