Shell is closing its Convent refinery; what does this mean for clean energy in Louisiana?

[TexasTowelie]

When Shell announced it would close its big oil refinery in Convent, the energy company said the 1,100-employee complex didn’t fit into its plans for a low-carbon future.

The Nov. 5 announcement came two days after Americans picked Joe Biden as their next president and two weeks after Biden said in a nationally televised debate that he wanted to transition the country away from fossil fuels.

Those disparate announcements -- which came amid dire warnings from Louisiana Republicans, led by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, about the dangers of Biden’s energy policies -- seemed to cast a pall over the future of the state’s energy-centric economy.

But the real picture is much more complicated, industry analysts say.

The decision to shut down the Shell refinery, midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, was a unique case, they say. While Louisiana’s oil and gas sector so far has taken minimal steps toward a green future, it could easily move in that direction as the economy evolves, they add.

Read more: https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_f1a883f0-2606-11eb-b3f0-9780a04bd4f8.html