EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/11/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin DNR asks Enbridge to halt work on temporary bypass around site of gas leak

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michigan tribes demand state regulators block key Line 5 tunnel permits

• Pipeline Safety Trust: Enbridge’s Line 5 Releases an Estimated 1.3 Million Gallons of Natural Gas Liquids in Iron County, Wisconsin

• Law360: FERC Chair Maintains Push To Fast-Track Gas Pipeline Work

• Calgary Herald: ‘Wind at their backs’: As oil jumps above $100, public support grows for Canada exporting more oil and gas

• Cordova Times: Some Cordovans express concern over 30-year Alaska Pipeline renewal

• Press release: $11 Billion in ‘Big Six’ Gas Pipeline Spending Drives 67% Surge in Pennsylvania Gas Utility Bills

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Reuters: Trump advisers warn Iran conflict may last through end of his term, WSJ reports

• Reuters: US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA says

• Reuters: US natural gas output, demand to hit record highs in 2026 and 2027, EIA says

• Politico: House will vote on legislation shielding consumers from data center energy costs

• Politico: Scientists attack White House plan to revise major climate report

STATE UPDATES

• Carbon Pulse: Developers, environmental advocates diverge on strictness of California carbon capture rules

EXTRACTION

• CNBC: Europe pushes carbon capture to future-proof industry [VIDEO]

• New Scientist: The world’s biggest carbon sink may start emitting CO2 after net zero

OPINION

• Mid Hudson News: If energy affordability matters, pipeline capacity must be part of the conversation

• Toronto Star: Star columnist’s pipeline scheme is a lose-lose scenario

• TIME: Trump’s Attacks on the Environment Are Out of Touch With America
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin DNR asks Enbridge to halt work on temporary bypass around site of gas leak
Danielle Kaeding, 9/10/26

“The head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking Enbridge to halt work on building a new stretch of its Line 5 pipeline around the site of a gas leak in Iron County, saying the company lacks state approvals,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “…The DNR issued a notice of noncompliance to the company for conducting work on the bypass without state approvals, and the agency said it may consider enforcement action. “Given that Enbridge has made decisions to prioritize restarting Line 5 without the necessary approvals from the department, the department requests that Enbridge halt construction of the bypass so Enbridge can prioritize addressing the unresolved spill at the (natural gas liquids) spill site,” Hyun wrote… “Hyun’s letter underscores the state’s continued frustrations with Enbridge after an Aug. 25 gas leak in Iron County… “Rob Lee, an attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates, told WPR that Enbridge has shown “extraordinary disregard” for Wisconsin environmental laws. The company has had at least five spills of drilling fluid, or frac-outs, since work began. “Based on this pattern of noncompliance demonstrated by Enbridge, my concern over the environmental impacts of Enbridge’s activities over the past weeks has only heightened,” Hyun wrote.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michigan tribes demand state regulators block key Line 5 tunnel permits
Caitlin Looby, 9/10/26

“Four Michigan tribes are demanding state regulators open a contested case to block two key permits advancing Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac, warning the approvals flout state law and put treaty-protected Great Lakes resources at risk,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “The move comes one day after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state’s environmental director said the state must reassess permits issued in July by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE. Whitmer had faced intense criticism from Great Lakes groups and tribes after her administration reissued wetlands and bottomlands permits for the controversial tunnel project. She and the state’s environmental director said a July 31 Michigan Supreme Court ruling − which found regulators with the state’s Public Service commission conducted an overly narrow review and must complete a broader analysis − compels the state to reassess the permits issued by EGLE… “The Bay Mills Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians are included in the petition. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is filing a separate one. “The proposed tunnel is a trap designed to keep Line 5 operating throughout Michigan for generations to come,” said Bay Mills President Whitney Gravelle in a statement. “Tribal Nations have treaty-reserved rights and a sovereign responsibility to protect the Great Lakes, and those rights cannot be ignored to preserve the interests of a foreign oil company.”

Pipeline Safety Trust: Enbridge’s Line 5 Releases an Estimated 1.3 Million Gallons of Natural Gas Liquids in Iron County, Wisconsin
9/3/26

“On Aug. 25, a parked, unoccupied truck, which Enbridge says belonged to a subcontractor, rolled into an open excavation site along Line 5 and struck the pipeline. This strike damaged the pipeline, which led to a release Enbridge currently estimates at 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids (NGL), which included propane, butane, and other undisclosed hazardous materials,” according to the Pipeline Safety Trust. “As of late last week, Enbridge said roughly 2,000 barrels, or 84,000 gallons, of liquid product remained pooled in the excavation, and the company has been flaring off vapors from the isolated section… “A release of this size raises questions about how quickly the line was isolated and how far apart its shutoff valves sit. Pipelines built after the federal pipeline regulator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) 2022 “Valve Rule” are required to install and use Rupture Mitigation Valves (RMVs) with defined valve spacing based on the location of the pipeline, safeguards that can reduce how much product is released during a rupture. But the Iron County leak occurred on the original 1950s-era section, which predates many of those new requirements. PHMSA’s investigation should establish whether those safeguards would have limited this release… “The only reason this accident wasn’t a catastrophe is luck. Not Enbridge’s safety practices and not our pipeline safety regulations,” Pipeline Safety Trust Executive Director Bill Caram said. “And there are still tens of thousands of gallons of hazardous liquid product sitting in an open trench which can soak into the soil and move toward groundwater, and its vapors can reach nearby communities. We need to know what’s in that liquid, what the monitoring shows, and what the cleanup plan is… “While we don’t know exactly why the truck struck the pipeline, we do know that Enbridge is ultimately responsible for the oversight of its contractors and the accidents they cause,” Caram said. “In the aftermath of this accident, Enbridge’s pipeline safety management system (PSMS) needs to be reviewed.” “…This is not the first incident off of Line 5, in 1999 Line 5 dumped over 226,000 gallons of NGL and crude oil into a marsh in Crystal Falls, Michigan. And, this is also not the first Enbridge accident in the Midwest to release such a large amount of hazardous liquid. In 2010, Enbridge’s Line 6B ruptured and dumped nearly a million gallons of heavy crude oil into the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Michigan, a watershed moment for hazardous liquid pipeline safety”.

Law360: FERC Chair Maintains Push To Fast-Track Gas Pipeline Work
Keith Goldberg, 9/10/26

“Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Laura Swett on Thursday lauded the agency’s efforts to speed up permitting of gas infrastructure, and emphasized that projects that won’t have major impacts on pipeline operations or ratepayers shouldn’t be subject to unnecessary additional scrutiny,” Law360 reports.

Calgary Herald: ‘Wind at their backs’: As oil jumps above $100, public support grows for Canada exporting more oil and gas
Chris Varcoe, 9/11/26

“As oil prices top US$100 a barrel, two new reports hammer home one powerful point — Canadian oil production is primed for growth over the next decade as new pipelines are built,” according to the Calgary Herald. “And as expectations mount for oil production to increase in Alberta, a public-opinion poll this summer indicates 75 per cent of Canadians back the idea of the country exporting more oil and gas to help the world gain access to secure, reliable energy supplies. That’s up from 58 per cent in 2022. In Canada, two reports released Wednesday highlight the changing dynamic facing the oil and gas industry, projecting significant increases in oilsands production over the next decade as more pipelines are built or existing ones expand. A study by energy analytics firm Enverus forecasts that oilsands production will grow by 1.3 million barrels per day by 2035 — up from 400,000 bpd in its outlook last year — but it also “identifies producer capital discipline and diluent availability as emerging constraints.” The Enverus report said pipeline expansions and new projects could potentially add enough transportation export capacity out of Western Canada to support between two and three million barrels per day of production growth into the late 2030s… “A new study by BMO Capital Markets said pipeline capacity in Western Canada could potentially expand to 6.2 million barrels per day by the end of this decade, while the West Coast greenfield project would add another one million bpd to the mix. The report indicates oilsands output will increase by 865,000 bpd by 2030. And if all of the proposed additional pipeline capacity does come onstream, it could support oilsands production climbing by up to 1.6 million bpd from a decade earlier levels by 2035, it states.”

Cordova Times: Some Cordovans express concern over 30-year Alaska Pipeline renewal
Camille Botello, 9/10/26

“Some Cordova officials are concerned with the pending operational renewal of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System,” the Cordova Times reports. “The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Aug. 26 that it had begun reviewing a proposal that would authorize the pipeline to continue transporting crude oil across the state for another 30 years… “The BLM opened a 15-day comment period for the renewal – from Aug. 26 to Sept. 10 – but after pressure from officials, the agency extended the comment period through Sept. 17… “David Janka, Cordova resident and local representative on the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (PWSRCAC), encouraged Cordovans and city leaders to engage with the public comment process. PWSRCAC, formed in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, is a group of locals that advise agencies and policymakers on issues related to the Alyeska Pipeline terminal and associated tankers. Janka said the more than seven year head start in renewing the Alaska Pipeline permit suggests the BLM is capitalizing on President Donald Trump’s administration, which has long supported the pipeline’s operations… “Multiple Cordova City Council members said they were “distraught,” “upset,” and “very distressed” after learning of the permit renewal process. Mayor Kristin Smith indicated interest in submitting comments to the BLM. Meanwhile, PWSRCAC plans to discuss the Alaska Pipeline right-of-way renewal during its board meeting in Whittier from Sept. 17-18.”

Press release: $11 Billion in ‘Big Six’ Gas Pipeline Spending Drives 67% Surge in Pennsylvania Gas Utility Bills
9/10/26

“The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) today released a new report, The Cost of Heat: Managing Pennsylvania’s Thermal Transition, finding that Pennsylvania’s largest “Big Six” gas utilities spent $11 billion on Act 11-enabled gas pipeline replacement programs from 2013 to 2025. Infrastructure-related delivery charges now make up roughly two-thirds of a typical Pennsylvanian’s residential gas bill, while the gas itself accounts for about only one-third. The report also finds that this Act 11 spending is a major driver of the 67% average increase Pennsylvanians have seen on their monthly residential gas bills over the past ten years… “Act 11, passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2012, allows utilities to ramp up capital spending on their gas distribution systems and accelerate their recovery of these costs through surcharges on customer bills. “Act 11 is essentially a blank check for accelerated spending by gas utilities,” said Kristin George Bagdanov, Associate Director of Research at the Building Decarbonization Coalition. “If Pennsylvania continues to pour money into its increasingly expensive gas system, households who are already struggling to afford their energy bills will continue to see their utility gas bills rise at a rapid rate. Instead of continuing down this path, there’s a better alternative—Pennsylvania can shift some or all of the billions it plans to spend on gas pipelines towards more cost-effective thermal energy, electric grid, and other investments that will make heating homes more affordable over the long term.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Reuters: Trump advisers warn Iran conflict may last through end of his term, WSJ reports
Carlos Méndez, 9/10/26

“Top White House advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could extend through the remainder of his presidency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials,” Reuters reports. “…The advisers told Trump in private discussions in the Oval Office and the Situation Room that Tehran could continue to resist U.S. pressure, potentially prolonging the conflict beyond Inauguration Day in January 2029, the Journal added. The reported warning contrasts with Trump’s own public remarks about the war. The president said on Wednesday he expected the war to end “immediately after” the U.S. midterm elections in November, arguing that Iran was trying to influence the vote but would be unable to sustain its resistance much longer.”

Reuters: US power use to beat record highs in 2026 and 2027 as AI use surges, EIA says
Scott DiSavino, 9/9/26

“U.S. power consumption will rise to record highs in 2026 and 2027, driven by AI-hungry data centers and electrification, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “The EIA projected power demand will rise from a record 4,195 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025 to 4,270 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,349 billion kWh in 2027. Demand is surging in large part due to data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and as homes and businesses use more electricity and less fossil fuels for heat and transportation… “As renewable output rises, the EIA said the share of power generation from coal will slide from 17% in 2025 to 16% in 2026 and 14% in 2027, while the share of natural gas will hold at 40% in 2026 and 2027, the same as in 2025. The percentage of renewable generation will rise from around 24% in 2025 to 25% in 2026 and 27% in 2027, while nuclear power’s share will hold at 18% in 2026 and 2027, the same as in 2025, according to the outlook.”

Reuters: US natural gas output, demand to hit record highs in 2026 and 2027, EIA says
Scott DiSavino, 9/9/26

“U.S. natural gas supply and demand will both rise to record highs in 2026 and 2027, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “The EIA projected dry gas production will rise from a record 107.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to 111.7 bcfd in 2026 and 115.9 bcfd in 2027. The agency also projected domestic gas consumption will rise from a record 91.9 bcfd in 2025 to 92.2 bcfd in 2026 and 94.3 bcfd in 2027… “The agency forecast average U.S. liquefied natural gas exports would rise from a record 15.1 bcfd in 2025 to 17.4 bcfd in 2026 and 18.6 bcfd in 2027… “The agency projected carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels would decline from a three-year high of 4.904 billion metric tons in 2025 to 4.821 billion tons in 2026 and 4.816 billion tons in 2027 as oil and coal use decreases.”

Politico: House will vote on legislation shielding consumers from data center energy costs
Kelsey Brugger, Mia McCarthy, 9/10/26

“House GOP leaders will put legislation on the floor next week designed to compel tech companies to pay for the infrastructure associated with energy-sucking data centers, according to the offices of Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise,” Politico reports. “It comes as vulnerable House Republicans have been pleading with leadership to take some sort of action before the midterms to address the rising power prices linked to the data center boom, necessary to meet the growing artificial intelligence demand. Many of these Republicans, who were hammered on the issue during the summer recess by fed-up constituents, have been calling for consideration specifically of the so-called Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in July… “Many Republicans, in recent weeks, have continued to argue that data center construction is a local matter that ought not be regulated at the national level.”

Politico: Scientists attack White House plan to revise major climate report
Chelsea Harvey, 9/1126

“A White House proposal to discredit a major federal climate report three years after its release is sparking backlash from leading researchers nationwide, who say the plan attacks science and aims to downplay the dangers of climate change and weaken federal climate policies,” Politico reports. “Six former top federal scientists, all previously leaders within the agency that produced the report, slammed the move Wednesday as a “falsification of research” and a “serious breach of scientific integrity.” Other prominent climate scientists and federal researchers raised similar concerns, saying the congressionally mandated 2023 National Climate Assessment was reviewed rigorously and that post-publication alteration would be unethical… “The Trump administration at the same time has sought to undermine the National Climate Assessment, which Congress requires the federal government to produce at least every four years. The administration in April 2025 dismantled the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which Congress established in 1990 and produces the report. It also removed links from federal websites to all five previous installments of the report, dating back to 2000.”

STATE UPDATES

Carbon Pulse: Developers, environmental advocates diverge on strictness of California carbon capture rules
Daniel Rodriguez, 9/10/26

“Developers and environmental advocates are pulling in opposite directions on how strict California’s new carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) should be, according to comments made at a public hearing Tuesday,” the Carbon Pulse reports.

EXTRACTION

CNBC: Europe pushes carbon capture to future-proof industry [VIDEO]
Annette Weisbach

“Yara is betting on carbon capture to help cut emissions from heavy industry while keeping production competitive in Europe,” CNBC reports. “CNBC speaks with Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Yara, Sebastian Bray, Head of Chemicals Research at Berenberg, and Wopke Hoekstra, EU Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, on the economics, scale and policy behind Europe’s CCS push.”

New Scientist: The world’s biggest carbon sink may start emitting CO2 after net zero
Alec Luhn, 9/1/26

“The Southern Ocean draws down more carbon than any other single region, absorbing about 10 per cent of human emissions. But if the world reaches net-zero emissions and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations fall, the ocean will start releasing CO2 into the air,” New Scientist reports. “This massive release of carbon will prolong global warming for centuries, even if humanity artificially removes gigantic amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, a study has found. The results show how difficult it will be to reverse climate change, even as countries place ever-larger hopes on carbon dioxide removal. “That impact can sustain much, much longer than we expected,” Yechul Shin at Seoul National University in South Korea told NS. “Let’s say we try to reduce the CO2… this sink-to-source transition in the Southern Ocean still acts as an obstacle to reduce the atmospheric CO2 concentration.” The notoriously strong winds around the “roaring forties” and “furious fifties” latitudes of the southern hemisphere stir up waves and encourage the water to absorb CO2. Through exposure to the cold Antarctic air, the water cools and sinks, storing that carbon away in the deep ocean for centuries or millennia. This carbon uptake has been increasing as humanity pumps ever more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, creating a higher concentration of CO2 in the air than in the surface water. But if the atmospheric CO2 concentration begins falling, that ratio will flip, and the Southern Ocean will start releasing rather than absorbing CO2… “But regardless of when humanity reaches net zero, the ocean as a whole is likely to become a net source of CO2 as it begins releasing all the carbon that major sinks like the Southern Ocean stored, according to Alberto Naveira Garabato at the University of Southampton, UK.”

OPINION

Mid Hudson News: If energy affordability matters, pipeline capacity must be part of the conversation
Donna L. DeCarolis, Senior Energy Policy Advisor, National Fuel Gas Company, Member, New York State Climate Action Council, 9/10/26

“…This summer’s conditions, and the resulting strain on the electric grid, reinforced a fundamental reality: New York’s ability to meet peak electricity demand continues to depend heavily on natural gas,” Donna L. DeCarolis writes for Mid Hudson News. “When electricity use surged, natural gas-fired generation provided the reliable, on-demand energy needed to help maintain grid stability and serve customers. While renewable resources play an important and growing role, natural gas remains a critical component of the energy mix, compensating for the intermittency of wind and solar and providing the flexibility and reliability needed during periods of extreme weather and high demand. Ensuring access to the region’s abundant natural gas supplies via adequate pipeline and storage infrastructure is therefore critical, not only for winter heating needs, but also for maintaining the reliability of the gas and electric systems year-round… “While the lack of sufficient pipeline capacity is concentrated in the downstate regions where the electric grid is more reliant on natural gas, the adverse economic impact of the supply-demand imbalance reverberates across the state… “Expanding pipeline capacity is an affordability solution. When done right, the savings of gaining access to cheaper energy supplies is likely to more than offset the cost of additional infrastructure, while also improving reliability and even helping to advance our climate goals.”

Toronto Star: Star columnist’s pipeline scheme is a lose-lose scenario
Alberto Sarthou, Toronto, 9/11/26

“Mark McQueen says Prime Minister Mark Carney can win the trade war in only one of two ways. 1. Export tariffs, which he dismisses. 2. Build four pipelines — two to the Atlantic and two to the Pacific. If the second is the way to win, then we are doomed,” Alberto Sarthou writes for the Toronto Star. “We keep hearing that 2030 will be peak oil — the point at which global demand for oil begins its permanent decline. China is leading the world building and relying on renewables. Europe is also bent on relying on renewables. If that is the case, who will we be selling our oil and gas to? The four pipelines will become stranded assets and so will our oil and gas. If, however, that proves wrong, fossil fuels will continue to be the way to go and the world will keep demanding oil and gas. In which case, climate change will doom us. Either way, we lose.”

TIME: Trump’s Attacks on the Environment Are Out of Touch With America
Benji Backer is the founder and CEO of United By Nature, 9/10/26

“The most pro-American stance a leader can take is to defend our best ideas. America’s national parks and our nation’s beautiful environment are part of our heritage, identity, and are ultimately our greatest strength,” Benji Back writes for TIME. “…The current administration is not honoring that shared American value. Nearly two years into President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration is failing the American people on the environment, on our national parks, and on the public lands that are supposed to unite us… “This president labels his policies “America first,” but on public lands and national parks he’s simply put America last… “Thus far, the Trump Administration has gutted national park staff, opposed by around 86% of Americans. They’ve proposed sell-offs of public land, which is opposed by nearly 90% of voters in Western states, where these spaces are concentrated. They’ve prioritized rollbacks to policies like the Endangered Species Act, which is opposed by 85% of Americans. They’ve stripped protections for clean water, clean air, national forests, and more, also opposed by the vast majority of Americans. On issue after issue, this administration has landed on the wrong side of the American people on the environment… “My prediction: The Republican Party will continue to lose voters if they fail to protect our environment, and it should.”