EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/29/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• Grist: In eastern Montana, a new oil pipeline comes with perils and a potential payday

• WPLN: Kinder Morgan plans 150-mile methane gas pipeline through Tennessee

• Inside Climate News: As Trump Backs a Gas Pipeline, New York’s Climate Priorities Face a Test

• Louisiana Illuminator: Pipeline projects booming while federal regulations ease, report notes

• Bold Nebraska: Radio Ad Features 911 Call From CO2 Pipeline Rupture, Warns Nebraska Landowners of Safety and Eminent Domain Threats From Summit Carbon Pipeline

• Press release: Enacting Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Before the End of the 119th Congress

• Press release: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Modernizes LNG Regulations to Secure American Energy Dominance

• Reuters: US regulator proposes new rules to speed up LNG projects

• WBSM: Massachusetts Electricity Rates Are Skyrocketing — Could Project Beacon Be the Fix?

• Gas Compression Magazine: New Double E Project Tackles Permian Takeaway Constraints

• St. Albert Gazette: Former Alberta energy CEO says natural gas Crown corp. could be bad for private sector

• Alberta Energy Centre: Coastal GasLink pipeline deal gives five First Nations more control of their economic future

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Bloomberg: White House Study Sees Higher Growth, Wages From Permitting Bill

• Heatmap: Trump Hasn’t Been Advancing New Wind Farms During Permitting Talks

• Bloomberg: Permitting Bill Opens Rift Between Green Groups, Senate Allies

• Semafor: Democrats divided on timing for permitting reform

• KELO: Kloucek Urges Thune, Rounds to Oppose Federal Permitting Changes

• NM Political Report: Stansbury “adamantly opposed” to Heinrich’s signature permit reform bill

• Axios: How the permitting bill could change the energy landscape

• Press Release: 60+ Oregon and Washington Organizations Send Open Letter to Congress Opposing “Permitting Reform” Deal.

• NAACP: Community Vision for Permitting Reform

• National Parks Conservation Association: Sweeping Permitting Bill Risks Irreversible Damage to National Parks

• Press release: Federal Permitting Reform Legislation Raises Concerns for Historic Preservation Protections

• High Country News: Permitting reform would de-fang bedrock environmental laws

• ‘Surfrider Foundation: How Upcoming Congressional Actions Could Elevate the Risk of Offshore Drilling

• Press release: Clean Tech Leaders Urge Congress to Pass Bipartisan Federal Permitting Reform

• Washington Examiner: Is Permitting Reform Reshaping Climate Policy?

• The Center Square: Trump’s claims about drilling, Venezuelan oil imports contradict data

STATE UPDATES

• Carbon Herald: EPA Proposes Primacy Approval For Utah Class VI Carbon Storage Permitting

• The Center Square: ST LNG approved for deepwater port license off Texas coast

• WildEarth Guardians: New Mexico Oil and Gas Liquid Spills Jump 29% as Industry Pushes to Expand Toxic Waste Disposal

EXTRACTION

• New Scientist: Major greenhouse gases rise again to record levels

• Reuters: US energy firms to produce record natgas in 2026 as global demand soars

• Reuters: Phillips 66 posts record quarterly profit on refining strength

• The Scotsman: UK Budget 2026: ‘Hammer blow’ for North Sea as Labour scraps Acorn carbon capture funding

• The Independent: UK Government will stand by funding for carbon capture project – minister

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Moving beyond abuse: Protecting victims, rebuilding lives

OPINION

• Salt Lake Tribune: Diligent scrutiny of risky projects — like the proposed pipeline in Emigration Canyon — is thoroughly justified. I found out the hard way.

• Wes Siler: The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened To Public Lands Could Be A New Bill You’ve Never Heard Of

• Union of Concerned Scientists: The Senate Permitting Deal Could Lock in Fossil Fuel Dominance for Generations
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Grist: In eastern Montana, a new oil pipeline comes with perils and a potential payday
Ellis Juhlin, Nora Mabie, & Jacob Olness, 10/29/26

“…Wyoming-based Bridger Pipeline LLC plans to build a 650-mile pipeline to move tar sands oil — a dense mix of sand, clay, water, and a molasses-like form of petroleum that generates about 20 percent more greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional crude,” Grist reports. “…The company has said it plans to break ground within a year… “Bridger spokesperson Bill Salvin told Grist and Montana Free Press in October that the company has paid each of the roughly 450 landowners on the preferred route for the right and access to conduct surveys… “But the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has hosted regular meetings with Bridger and county commissioners along the route, and as a result, local commissioners are largely championing the project… “Several landowners on the pipeline’s route told Grist and Montana Free Press they are in the dark about what the pipeline will carry and its final destination… “Krystal Two Bulls, executive director of Honor the Earth, an Indigenous-led environmental advocacy organization, told Grist plotting a pipeline’s path just beyond a reservation boundary is a “familiar tactic.” “…It’s like, ‘We’ll put the pipeline just close enough where you don’t have rights. And you can’t say that it’s on the reservation, so, legally, you don’t have the same protections or the same ability to fight it.’ But it’s close enough where it’s going to have an impact.” “…Slavin told Grist and Montana Free Press the company has improved its safety protocols since the 2015 spill… “BLM representatives provided council members with little in the way of specifics, repeating several times that Bridger’s delay in providing logistical information about the pipeline has stalled the agency’s progress on its environmental analysis.”

WPLN: Kinder Morgan plans 150-mile methane gas pipeline through Tennessee
Caroline Eggers, 10/28/26

“Kinder Morgan plans to construct one of its largest pipelines in decades through the Southeast,” WPLN reports. “The company proposed trenching 470 miles of gas pipeline through its “Southeast Connector” project, with 150 miles in Tennessee and additional segments continuing through Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida… “This proposed pipeline is mammoth, and it could get even bigger,” Shelley Robbins, a utility expert at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, told WPLN. “But Kinder Morgan isn’t telling the public who the end customers are. They have signed agreements with shippers that are being kept secret, so right now, we don’t even know who this pipeline is actually for.” ”…What you can expect from pipelines of this size are extreme risks,” Jasmine Vazin, deputy director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign, told WPLN. Gas pipelines can leak and cause explosions. In the U.S. alone, pipeline explosions killed an average of 12 people each year during the past two decades, according to PHMSA, which has recorded 234 deaths and nearly $12 billion in damage from pipeline explosions since 2006… “The new pipeline poses considerable risks due to the planned volume of gas flowing daily, according to Vazin… “Tennessee does not have a minimum setback regulation to dictate how close a pipeline can be placed next to homes or buildings. In 2022, the state passed preemption legislation designed to prevent local governments from blocking any type of fossil fuel infrastructure, including pipelines… “Nationally, some of the planned pipelines are larger and have more capacity than most existing pipelines. The new projects alone could deliver almost 40 percent more gas than the U.S. consumed per day in 2025, according to the report… “We have really seen landowners’ rights stripped away through the changes in the permitting process,” Vazin told WPLN.”

Inside Climate News: As Trump Backs a Gas Pipeline, New York’s Climate Priorities Face a Test
Lauren Dalban, 10/29/26

“When her husband bought 82 acres in Schoharie County, New York, in 2023, she knew Williams Cos. held an easement on the property for the proposed natural gas pipeline. But the state had rejected the project’s water quality permit application in 2016 and courts upheld that decision. She assumed it would never be built,” Inside Climate News reports. “Now, the 125-mile pipeline, which would stretch from Pennsylvania to upstate New York, is back in the federal regulatory process, backed by the Trump administration’s push to expand domestic energy production. The U.S. Department of Energy has announced plans to direct up to $42 million to the project under the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that allows the federal government to support private-sector production in the interest of national security. For New Yorkers, the pipeline’s revival has implications beyond the fate of a single project. It’s the latest flashpoint in the state’s debate over how to balance energy costs and supply with its climate commitments—and the debate is taking center stage in the state’s governor’s race… “Even if Hochul wins this November, environmental advocates question whether the state will maintain protections they fought for years to secure… “Back in Schoharie County, Konwinski is worried Williams will win approval from regulators, allowing it to build the Constitution pipeline that could cut across her family’s land. She and her husband hoped to develop community agriculture programs on their land, but those plans have stalled, she told ICN. “Over the last year or more, I’ve shifted completely and focused on opposition to the pipeline,” she told ICN.”

Louisiana Illuminator: Pipeline projects booming while federal regulations ease, report notes
Elise Plunk, 10/28/26

“New pipeline projects are booming across the United States at the same time the Trump administration rolls back federal environmental and safety regulations, according to a new report,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “A new analysis from the Environmental Integrity Project, a policy nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., looked at public records from federal and state agencies as well as publicly available information from company websites to determine there were 193 new pipeline projects either proposed or under construction as of Aug. 1. The report said recent growth in U.S. pipeline capacity, expected to build 17,000 miles of new pipelines, is the largest in almost 20 years, when hydraulic fracturing technology expanded oil and gas drilling across the globe. Of the 193 pending projects, 151 would transport natural gas, and 81 will cross through more than 19,000 acres of federally protected wetlands, according to the report’s analysis… “Jen Duggan, executive director with the Environmental Integrity Project, told the Illuminator during an online news conference Wednesday that these pipeline projects require thoughtful evaluation before they are built, something the report argues is not happening under the Trump administration… “Of the 193 pipeline projects proposed or being built, 52 have requested or received expedited or streamlined reviews from federal agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Army Corps of Engineers, according to the report. At least 30% of the 81 projects impacting wetlands have either requested or received accelerated reviews of wetlands permits under the Trump administration’s energy emergency policy.”

Bold Nebraska: Radio Ad Features 911 Call From CO2 Pipeline Rupture, Warns Nebraska Landowners of Safety and Eminent Domain Threats From Summit Carbon Pipeline
10/28/26

“A new 60-second radio ad sponsored by Bold and Nebraska landowners opposed to Summit Carbon’s risky CO2 pipeline proposed to traverse the state features a 911 call recording from a 2020 carbon pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi that caused evacuations, hospitalizations and lingering health impacts to this day. In the radio ad – that began running last week on stations across Nebraska – the narrator describes what happened during the 2020 incident in Satartia, MS where a carbon pipeline operated by Denbury Resources ruptured, causing an explosive release of carbon in an immense plume, which was later found by a government-issued report to be toxic for more than a mile from the site of the rupture. A video version of the ad will also run as an ad on Facebook across Nebraska counties that may be impacted by the proposed Summit pipeline… “Summit earlier this year announced a pivot of its troubled business plan, and instead now intends to route its proposed CO2 pipeline across the entire state of Nebraska, with Wyoming as a new final destination for the CO2 waste dumps. Summit would need eminent domain to seize landowners’ property across Nebraska for the dangerous carbon pipeline. Already in Nebraska, Stanton County voted unanimously to deny a conditional use permit to Summit for its proposed pipeline, while Dakota County tabled and subsequently removed a pipeline permit request from its official agenda. More recently, Logan County, McPherson County and Red Willow County approved 12-month moratoriums on projects that include CO2 pipelines, and Hitchcock County has considered a similar moratorium. Meanwhile, counties including Antelope, and Holt have taken action to adapt local zoning rules, and enact conditional provisions on any possible permits for Summit. “The pipeline company and their investors are using this unproven and hazardous idea as a tax scam and will try to take our land for their own private gain. The safety questions go unanswered by the pipelines’ representatives, but they continue to state their pipelines are going to be “different” than the one that exploded in Satartia.The farmer and landowner takes all the risk – including the risk of explosion and death of all living beings in the path of the plume,” said Shelli Meyer, Nebraska Director for Bold Alliance and impacted landowner on a century farm in Dixon County, Nebraska… “Bold is currently collecting signatures on a petition urging Nebraskans to support a bill in the legislature in the coming year to ban eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. Bold also recently launched another petition in response to recent applications to permit carbon injection well waste dumps in western Nebraska counties, a new threat of contamination to the Ogallala aquifer and our groundwater resources. The new petition also targets Nebraska’s pending application to the U.S. EPA to take over “primacy” of these sequestration wells, and instead authorize the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment to handle both permitting and monitoring of risks from the highly-pressurized gas injected underground, supposedly forever.”

Press release: Enacting Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Before the End of the 119th Congress
10/28/26

“Dear Chairmen Cruz, Guthrie, and Graves and Ranking Members Cantwell, Pallone, and Larsen: On behalf of the undersigned oil and natural gas trade associations, we write to urge you to negotiate and enact a comprehensive pipeline safety reauthorization before the 119th Congress adjourns. Authorization for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety program lapsed on September 30, 2023, following enactment of the PIPES Act of 2020. Over the course of the 119th Congress, your committees have devoted significant time and effort to developing bipartisan pipeline safety legislation. With each committee having now acted, we respectfully encourage you to build on that work, resolve the remaining differences among the bills, and make every effort to enact a final package this year. There is substantial bipartisan common ground on which to build… “A final reauthorization also presents an opportunity to advance several important safety and regulatory priorities across the pipeline sector, including… “Regulatory predictability and due process. Special permit reform, uniform and timely permit processing, and a statutory opportunity for formal hearings in significant enforcement actions provide the certainty that supports prudent long-term investment… “Respectfully, American Gas Association (AGA); American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM); American Petroleum Institute (API) American Public Gas Association (APGA)…”

Press release: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Modernizes LNG Regulations to Secure American Energy Dominance
10/28/26

“U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to update liquefied natural gas (LNG) standards for the first time in decades. The update will fast-track new LNG infrastructure projects, lower energy costs, expand export capacity, and boost America’s status as a global energy powerhouse. The proposed rule will codify advanced, cost-saving technologies that will enhance safety by allowing operators to seamlessly adopt modern innovations like pipe-in-pipe systems, single-walled ASME containers, and membrane storage tanks. Leveraging these technologies will generate $100 million in savings annually. “America has the natural resources, innovative spirit, and private sector might to be the world’s number one energy powerhouse. The only thing standing in our way is outdated red tape,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “By overhauling these basic rules to embrace modern technologies, we can safely unleash America’s energy dominance, lower costs, and generate millions in economic opportunity for the men and women powering our energy sector.” “As the world’s largest LNG exporter, the United States’ regulations for LNG facilities are the gold standard,” said PHMSA Administrator Paul Roberti. “But we have let those regulations stagnate, relying on an outdated version of an industry standard from more than twenty years ago. Today’s long overdue proposal recognizes the innovation that has transformed the industry over the last ten years and enhances safety by streamlining regulatory requirements and incentivizing the deployment of cutting-edge technologies.” The NPRM updates PHMSA’s safety framework for LNG facilities by incorporating the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 59A (2026 edition) for the siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of LNG facilities.”

Reuters: US regulator proposes new rules to speed up LNG projects
David Shepardson, Arathy Somasekhar and Curtis Williams, 10/28/26

“A US regulator proposed new rules on Wednesday to hasten liquefied natural gas projects and expand export capacity as part of the Trump administration’s larger push to speed up energy infrastructure development and cut costs for consumers,” Reuters reports. “…The latest rule, proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), will help operators adopt new technologies to save costs and boost safety, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said… “The proposed rulemaking updates PHMSA’s safety framework for LNG facilities by incorporating National Fire Protection Association standards for the siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of LNG facilities. “By overhauling these basic rules to embrace modern technologies, we can safely unleash America’s energy dominance, lower costs, and generate millions in economic opportunity for the men and women powering our energy sector,” Duffy said. The Trump administration’s pro-energy stance has led to public announcements from the largest LNG exporters, including Cheniere and Venture Global LNG, that they will move forward with permitting as much LNG capacity as they think they can build because of permitting certainty under the Trump administration… “Even with the rule change, LNG project developers will still have to go through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permitting process, face constant legal challenges and get environmental approvals.”

WBSM: Massachusetts Electricity Rates Are Skyrocketing — Could Project Beacon Be the Fix?
Barry Richard, 10/29/26

“A new study by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation (FAF) finds that Massachusetts ratepayers could save $367 million on electricity and heating bills each winter if the Commonwealth opts into the Project Beacon pipeline project,” WBSM reports. “…The Fiscal Alliance Foundation report says Massachusetts’ electricity rates are among the highest in the nation, in part because of “the state’s limited access to affordable and reliable natural gas.” “In any given year, over 65 percent of the state’s electricity comes from natural gas,” according to FAF, which says, “Expanding access to natural gas from the nearby Appalachian producing region could help reduce natural gas prices in Massachusetts and, in turn, power prices.” “…Should Project Beacon receive federal approval, it would be several years before Massachusetts ratepayers would begin to enjoy its benefits.”

Gas Compression Magazine: New Double E Project Tackles Permian Takeaway Constraints
10/29/26

“Double E Pipeline is seeking US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval for its Texas Mainline Compressor Station Project in Loving County, Texas,” Gas Compression Magazine reports. “The project involves construction and operation of the Mainline Compressor Station (CS) and two new 42-inch (106-cm) diameter pipeline laterals connecting to company’s existing Double E Pipeline system, together with associated station piping, appurtenant facilities, and site access improvements. The purpose of the project is to expand the Double E Pipeline system’s ability transport additional natural gas produced in the Delaware and Permian Basins to downstream markets. The project has binding agreements with project shippers, representing long-term firm transportation commitments for the project’s capacity. The project will create about 800,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation capacity on Double E’s existing pipeline system.”

St. Albert Gazette: Former Alberta energy CEO says natural gas Crown corp. could be bad for private sector
David Boles, 10/28/26

“The former CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission says the idea of a Crown corporation to build out natural gas pipeline infrastructure could push out private investment,” the St. Albert Gazette reports. “…One of the plans floated in the report involved establishing a Crown Corporation to build natural gas pipelines, although the idea was recently dismissed by Premier Danielle Smith on her weekly provincewide radio show. “I think there’s enough private sector interest that we would not have to go to what they do in other provinces,” said Smith. “We would very unlikely have to create a Crown Corporation to do it.” Masson told the Gazette establishing a Crown agency to handle this file could be problematic. “If you’re going to start to change the rules of the system, does that scare off the capital that you expect, right?” Masson told the Gazette. “Because the Crown corp isn’t going to take over 100 per cent of building natural gas. They don’t have the people, they don’t have the money, they don’t have the skill set.” “…I think this is where governments and regulators need to have a hard look at it and say, ‘Have we made building in Canada uncompetitive?’ Because if it is uncompetitive, you know, on a risk-adjusted return basis, and I’m not saying that it is, then you won’t be able to track the capital you need,” Masson told the Gazette.”

Alberta Energy Centre: Coastal GasLink pipeline deal gives five First Nations more control of their economic future
10/25/26

“Haisla Nation elected Chief Councillor Maureen Nyce says a new ownership agreement in the Coastal GasLink pipeline realizes a long-held goal for her community and shows industry is “moving in the right direction,” according to the Alberta Energy Centre. “The deal with TC Energy, announced October 13, gives five northern B.C. First Nations an undisclosed equity stake in the pipeline, which supplies natural gas to the LNG Canada export terminal on Haisla traditional territory… “Karen Ogen, CEO of the First Nations Natural Gas Alliance, said the agreement gives participating communities greater control over their economic future. “This is what economic reconciliation looks like,” said Ogen, former elected chief of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation… “West Moberly First Nations Chief Roland Willson also described the agreement as an important step for his community… “The company said the agreement is the first of two planned Indigenous investment transactions related to the pipeline, with the second expected to close before the end of the year.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Bloomberg: White House Study Sees Higher Growth, Wages From Permitting Bill
Jennifer A Dlouhy, 10/28/26

“A bipartisan bill to remake US permitting laws and expedite the development of energy projects promises to boost economic growth, shave electric bills and increase real wages nationwide, according to analysis by the White House Council of Economic Advisers,” Bloomberg reports. “…The US economy stands to get a growth boost of between 0.28% and 0.56% annually with expedited environmental reviews under the permitting reform measure, the CEA said — with potentially $82 billion to $164 billion in additional output each year… “The latest assessment says that Americans’ electric bills would shrink by an estimated $178 to $251 annually thanks to the pending legislation, as power generation projects are more swiftly authorized and constructed. Tax revenue would also climb as much as $28 billion under the proposed requirements, the analysis found. However, realizing the benefits would take time, with the CEA anticipating “a roughly three-year dead zone at the start of the reform, during which output is essentially unchanged.” “…While the permitting package has won praise from oil companies and renewable power developers, it’s drawn skepticism from some Democrats and environmental groups who argue it favors fossil fuels over advanced, emission-free technologies.”

Heatmap: Trump Hasn’t Been Advancing New Wind Farms During Permitting Talks
Jael Holzman, Emily Pontecorvo, 10/28/26

“In September, the Trump administration told a reporter that the president directed the Pentagon to finally process wind projects through routine airspace approvals as required under a court order. By doing this, it created the appearance of real headway and good faith in talks with Democrats in Congress on energy permitting legislation before the November midterm elections. But the White House’s assurances are not what they seem,” Heatmap reports. “All of the projects the administration has reportedly advanced over the past week are repowerings, meaning they’re only upgrades of existing projects, and two of the “projects” they’ve advanced were just two individual turbines, the American Clean Power Association on Tuesday told members involved in litigation with the administration… “Among the commitments Politico reported were made: to approve about 30 projects awaiting a countersignature from the Pentagon on a mitigation agreement related to airspace impacts. In federal court, the renewable energy trade groups who brought the lawsuit clearly don’t think the Trump administration actually followed through with that promise. On Oct. 20, after updates from the Justice Department showed little signs of progress (which I wrote about), the trade groups filed a motion to enforce the judge’s stay on their air clearance freeze, saying that very little had advanced since the ruling in early August, and that none of the 30 projects awaiting countersignature on their mitigation agreements actually had advanced from Pentagon review. In addition, they said the government was now asking project developers to sign onto a litany of new requirements in exchange for a sign-off on mitigation agreements. They submitted a joint declaration from subject matter experts, including from former military personnel, who described these requirements as a vast departure from precedent with little basis in security rationale that they said also had terms that could violate state or local laws, like a blanket prohibition on aircraft detection light systems.”

Bloomberg: Permitting Bill Opens Rift Between Green Groups, Senate Allies
10/28/26

“Senate Democrats with sterling environmental credentials are betraying those values by supporting a bipartisan permitting overhaul bill, a coalition of 140 climate, environmental justice, and conservation groups said Wednesday,” Bloomberg reports. “Language in the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act aiming to give all energy projects a fair shake without political interference will have the opposite effect, preventing future administrations from being able ‘to unwind the harm caused by the Trump administration’s fossil fuel agenda,’ the groups wrote in a letter to Democratic senators, and addressed specifically to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).”

Semafor: Democrats divided on timing for permitting reform
Tim McDonnell, 10/29/26

“Leading Democrats are divided on whether to press forward now on a bipartisan permitting reform bill, or wait and try for more concessions after the midterm elections,” Semafor reports. “A group of left-leaning Senate Democrats, echoing concerns from environmental groups, said a vote should be put off until the White House commits to restore clean energy funding it cut. And former President Joe Biden’s climate advisor John Podesta warned the bill is “a loaded Howitzer” for Trump to push through fossil fuel projects. But Biden administration Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and erstwhile presidential candidate Tom Steyer, urged Congress to move forward now. ”…Columbia University researchers concluded it would meaningfully accelerate the country’s electrification. “Those gains come with a cost,” the researchers nevertheless wrote, including weakening the government’s oversight powers, making environmental harms harder to reverse, and not delivering noticeable reductions in electric bills for “years after households start paying for new infrastructure.”

KELO: Kloucek Urges Thune, Rounds to Oppose Federal Permitting Changes
Liz Ryan, 10/28/26

“Public Utilities Commission candidate Frank Kloucek is urging U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds to oppose federal permitting changes he says would weaken South Dakota landowners’ rights,” KELO reports. “S. 5653, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, would restrict court challenges and expand federal authority over transmission projects. Senator Thune should hold this legislation until Congress protects the people whose land sits in its path,” Kloucek told KELO… “Developers who win lawsuits over improper federal interference with a permitted project could collect an additional 25 to 50 percent of incurred costs not already recovered under the section’s attorney-fee and delay-cost provisions. Those awards also would come from the Judgment Fund. “That puts taxpayers on the hook for potentially enormous payments to developers,” Kloucek told KELO. “Thune and Rounds need to explain why Congress should create that liability while making it harder for landowners to challenge a faulty review.”

NM Political Report: Stansbury “adamantly opposed” to Heinrich’s signature permit reform bill
Pat Davis, 10/22/26

“In a rare public split between members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury says she is “adamantly opposed” to and will not – for now – vote for Senator Martin Heinrich’s career-defining permit reform legislation being teed up for quick passage in Congress during the scant few weeks available for votes between Election Day and the end of this Congress at the end of the year,” according to NM Political Report. “Stansbury, a Democrat representing the First District in Albuquerque and eastern New Mexico, released a statement on Tuesday saying “as drafted… I adamantly opposed to this bill – which could undermine Tribal sovereignty and consultation, protection of sacred and cultural sites, our public land and waters and the ability of our communities to have a say in the projects that impact them.” Sources close to both officials confirm that Heinrich did not reach out to Stansbury about the bill before it was introduced, though House and Senate members routinely introduce legislation in their own chambers independently.”

Axios: How the permitting bill could change the energy landscape
Ben Geman, 10/28/26

“The Senate permitting plan would cut emissions from power plants in the near term and help keep electricity prices down, a new analysis finds,” Axios reports. “The study from scholars at Resources for the Future, a nonpartisan think tank, offers some of the most detailed independent modeling yet of the bill’s effects… “Among the findings from its central scenario: It would drive “robust” transmission expansion (see above), enabling “use of additional clean energy and existing resources of all types.” Overall electricity system costs are an estimated 3.5% to 7% lower each year through 2041 compared to a no-bill baseline, saving over $350 billion total through 2050 in present-value terms. That should translate into lower electricity bills for people, co-author Kevin Rennert tells Axios, though the study does not directly model retail prices… “CO2 from the power sector would initially drop as more coal is edged aside, and then climb over time — but remain below levels projected without the bill… “For example, it does not capture how changes in environmental laws would affect mining, pipelines, and various activities outside the power sector.”

Press Release: 60+ Oregon and Washington Organizations Send Open Letter to Congress Opposing “Permitting Reform” Deal.
10/27/26

“Today, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley released a statement expressing strong reservations about the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA). Their statement comes days after 62 groups representing tens of thousands of people in Oregon and Washington sent an open letter to both state’s senators and Democratic representatives urging them to oppose the bill. The letter was sent by Columbia Riverkeeper, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, Association of Northwest Steelheaders, Washington AI Resistance, Oregon Data Center Defiance, and 350.org chapters in Seattle, Portland, Salem, Spokane, Eugene, Wenatchee, and Deschutes County, among other groups. Other prominent political leaders from the Pacific Northwest have also expressed concerns about BAAJA, including Oregon and Washington’s Attorneys General… “This legislation would accelerate the buildout of gas pipelines, hyperscale data centers, ICE detention centers, and mines on our public lands. It strips communities of fundamental democratic rights by eliminating environmental review for 32 types of fossil fuel and mining projects, significantly reducing public comment time periods, and shortening timelines for communities to challenge bad projects in court. BAAJA weakens our nation’s bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Sections 1401 and 1402 of the bill would lock in the Trump administration’s attacks on clean energy and fossil fuel dominance by making it impossible for future presidents to unwind the harm.”

NAACP: Community Vision for Permitting Reform
10/29/26

“The proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (BAAJA) would make significant changes to federal environmental permitting processes, including protections under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, and other environmental laws. These changes could weaken environmental oversight, limit public participation, and make it harder for communities to hold polluters accountable,” according to the NAACP. “The NAACP has raised concerns about the legislation’s potential impact on Black communities and others already facing disproportionate exposure to pollution… “The NAACP demands: 1. A cumulative harm and impact assessment before any new permit… 2. Congress Prioritizes Clean And Renewable Energy… 3. Reaffirm NEPA and broad environment legal and regulatory protections as the foundation for accountability…. “Also essential: Hold Polluters Accountable… Limit Exclusions… Halt on Speedy Permits.”

National Parks Conservation Association: Sweeping Permitting Bill Risks Irreversible Damage to National Parks
10/27/26

“Congress is close to passing a sweeping permitting bill, but serious concerns remain about what it will cost our national parks,” according to the National Parks Conservation Association. “…However, as written, the bill would strip the public, Tribes and park experts of their voice in decisions affecting our most cherished places. The risks so far are not worth the reward. And that’s why NPCA is urging senators to fix the bill before it reaches the Senate floor, so it does not jeopardize protections for our national parks… “NPCA also has serious concerns about the bill’s changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, an essential law guiding responsible development and public engagement in our nation’s project planning. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act prevents courts from pausing or halting flawed projects based on NEPA violations alone, therefore allowing construction to continue even as new reviews are completed. The bill would also narrow NEPA’s scope and limit the time allowed for public comments.”

Press release: Federal Permitting Reform Legislation Raises Concerns for Historic Preservation Protections
10/27/26

“Preservation New Jersey continues to monitor proposed federal legislation that could significantly change how historic and cultural resources are considered during federally funded, licensed, or approved projects. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 (S. 5653) proposes substantial changes to the federal permitting process, including provisions affecting Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Preservation organizations across the country have raised concerns that these changes, as currently drafted, could weaken longstanding protections for historic properties, limit public participation, and reduce opportunities for meaningful consultation. Section 106 has been a cornerstone of federal historic preservation policy since 1966. It requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties and provide opportunities for consultation with State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Nations, local governments, and other interested parties… “The coalition acknowledges the importance of improving federal permitting efficiency but argues that the legislation, as drafted, would narrow the scope of historic preservation review, diminish opportunities for consultation, and grant federal agencies greater discretion in determining how historic resources are considered. The letter calls for substantial revisions to the proposed provisions and greater collaboration with preservation organizations, Tribal Nations, state agencies, and local governments.”

High Country News: Permitting reform would de-fang bedrock environmental laws
Jonathan Thompson, 10/29/26

“…Groups as disparate as Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, the American Petroleum Institute, climate hawks and the Breakthrough Institute — which promotes technological solutions to environmental problems — supported the legislation,” High Country News reports. “…But one person’s red tape is another person’s environmental safeguard. In order to achieve its goal of accelerating transmission and other energy projects, the legislation takes aim at bedrock environmental laws designed to protect human health and the environment while ensuring that the public has a say in how its land and resources are managed — laws like the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and the National Historic Protection Act. To get Republicans on board, the bill was expanded to apply to fossil fuel projects as well as clean energy. But ecology-minded green groups and the conservation community, tribal nations and progressive federal lawmakers warned that gutting these laws could seriously impact communities, landscapes and cultural sites. The Western Environmental Law Center’s Erik Schlenker-Goodrich denounced the bill as a “turd grenade” on social media, and even the NRDC said that the provisions weakening environmental laws were “deeply flawed,” and vowed to get them changed.”

Surfrider Foundation: How Upcoming Congressional Actions Could Elevate the Risk of Offshore Drilling
Katie Day, 10/28/26

“…This long awaited bipartisan permitting reform bill includes measures to speed up and secure certainty for renewable energy projects and transmission lines that support an important transition to a renewable energy future. However, the bill threatens those very climate benefits by also speeding up and securing certainty for fossil fuel extraction projects and other harmful actions like seabed mining,” according to the Surfrider Foundation. “The bill goes as far as rolling back critical components of bedrock national policies including the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Protection Act. The current version of the bill would prevent agencies from being able to better regulate GHG emissions or pollution from previously approved projects; lock in ill-conceived projects like seabed mining approved during this administration; remove the ability of states and Tribes to stop federal projects from polluting their waterways; and block future administrations from protecting coastlines and marine ecosystems from new offshore oil drilling.”

Press release: Clean Tech Leaders Urge Congress to Pass Bipartisan Federal Permitting Reform
10/29/26

“As founders, business leaders, and investors building American clean technology companies, we urge Congress to pass the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) this year. We thank Senators Capito, Lee, Whitehouse, and Heinrich for building a bipartisan path to the infrastructure America needs to lower energy costs, power a growing economy, and maintain its technological leadership. Each year that Congress delays permitting reform carries real costs in postponed investment, deferred hiring, slower commercialization, and missed opportunities to strengthen America’s economy, security, and competitive edge… “Collectively, our companies employ thousands of Americans across more than 25 states and have raised more than $6 billion in private capital. We are building projects across geothermal, energy storage, fusion, advanced solar, transmission and distribution, critical minerals, carbon management, and other sectors that will help lower costs for consumers, improve energy access, enhance resilience, and address critical supply chain gaps… “Projects should be built responsibly, with meaningful public engagement and thorough environmental review. We do not need to lower review standards; we need clear decision points and predictable processes… “We ask Congress to pass BAAJA before the end of this session. We welcome the opportunity to meet with your offices and discuss what these delays mean for our companies and the communities we serve. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to advancing bipartisan solutions that strengthen America’s economy and industrial capacity.”

Washington Examiner: Is Permitting Reform Reshaping Climate Policy?
Callie Patteson, Maydeen Merino, 10/28/26

”In the four weeks since Senate negotiators released text for their bipartisan permitting reform legislation, commonly referred to as BAAJA, one thing has been abundantly clear: climate hawks and environmentalists can’t agree on whether it is a good bill,” according to the Washington Examiner. “…Jane Flegal, who served as Senior Director for Industrial Emissions in the Biden administration’s Office of Domestic Climate Policy, has been at the forefront of the debate on social media regarding the benefits and drawbacks of the permitting legislation… “I don’t think it’s great that the organizations that are being funded at massive scale to represent public interest in climate are not supporting it,” Flegal told the Examiner… “It’s a debate about whether we should be focused on weaponizing the permitting regime to block fossil or not,” she told the Examiner. “I don’t think there’s any evidence that rescinding permits for fossil fuels has been an effective decarbonization strategy.” “…She argued that any attempts to leverage permits to block oil and gas projects such as pipelines have only had “marginal impact on emissions at best.” “…Flegal told the Examiner green groups risk “making themselves irrelevant” if the bill passes in spite of their opposition… “Flegal argued that changes to the NHPA in the permitting bill would help create pathways to build clean energy resources to power tribal communities. While she said she expects the NHPA measures to be one of the key considerations when amending the bill next month, Flegal told the Examiner she did not think the concerns were worth “undermining” the legislation.”

The Center Square: Trump’s claims about drilling, Venezuelan oil imports contradict data
Bethany Blankley, 10/28/26

“At a campaign event in Corpus Christi, Texas, President Donald Trump again touted Venezuelan oil over U.S. oil,” The Center Square reports. “…Throughout most of his administration, rig counts in Texas have been down, according to Baker Hughes data, The Center Square has reported… “Under Trump, the Texas upstream sector has consistently reported job losses — attributed to increased costs stemming from operators shutting down rigs, citing Trump tariff policies and the conflict with Iran… “When it comes to rig counts, drilling and jobs, companies aren’t investing in drilling new wells because costs increase as oil prices increase, Heywood Cooper, president of Houston-based refinery developer/contractor, Argos Minerals Inc., told TCS. With record high prices under the Trump administration, it’s more expensive to drill and operate than it was two years ago, Cooper told TCS. “If you drill a well today at $100-$110/barrel and the price of oil later falls to $60-$70/barrel, it negatively effects the payout of the well.” In February, the Texas upstream sector reported 1,200 job losses in one month. In March, oil topped $120 a barrel. The industry continued to report job losses… “Importing Venezuelan oil will eventually help strengthen the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but the best way to increase drilling is to reduce costs, he told TCS. Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, agreed. He told The Center Square that the one million barrels of Venezuelan crude imported to Texas “is a small volume relative to U.S. consumption of more than 20 million barrels per day and will not meaningfully reduce retail gasoline prices in the near term.”

STATE UPDATES

Carbon Herald: EPA Proposes Primacy Approval For Utah Class VI Carbon Storage Permitting
Violet George, 10/29/26

“The US EPA has issued a proposed rulemaking to grant Utah primacy for Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells under Section 1422 of the Safe Drinking Water Act,” the Carbon Herald reports. “…The EPA has scheduled a virtual public hearing for December 3, 2026, and will accept written public comments through December 7, 2026.. “Utah originally submitted its formal primacy application on December 23, 2025. Upon final regulatory approval, primary administration and enforcement of the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI framework within state borders will transfer from federal EPA regional oversight to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (UDOGM)… “To support the administrative record ahead of a final determination, the EPA has established a public consultation process: Public Hearing: A virtual public hearing will be conducted via Zoom on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm MDT, allowing registered stakeholders to present oral testimony subject to a three-minute limit per commenter. Docket Submissions: The agency is soliciting formal written comments through December 7, 2026, submitted under Federal Register Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2026-0496 at regulations.gov.”

The Center Square: ST LNG approved for deepwater port license off Texas coast
Alton Wallace, 10/28/26

“Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Wednesday the U.S. Maritime Administration has approved a deepwater port license application for ST LNG LLC, marking the quickest regulatory review period for an offshore maritime project in more than two decades,” The Center Square reports. “…As planned, the $8.2 billion deepwater port will include 20 liquified natural gas production platforms, four mooring systems able to accommodate LNG floating storage units or oceangoing export vessels and 7.7 miles of pipeline, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation statement. The company expects to produce up to 8.4 million tonnes of LNG per annum at the port facility… “According to the Environmental Integrity Project’s Oil & Gas Watch, the ST LNG terminal would release up to 9.03 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.”

WildEarth Guardians: New Mexico Oil and Gas Liquid Spills Jump 29% as Industry Pushes to Expand Toxic Waste Disposal
10/27/26

“Oil and gas companies reported 29% more liquid spills in New Mexico during the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with more than three-quarters occurring on federal and state public lands, according to a new Oil & Gas Waste Watch report released by WildEarth Guardians. The report documents 7,963 reported spills and releases between July 1 and September 30, averaging nearly 87 every day. Of those, 453 were liquid spills, up from 350 in Q3 2025. Nearly 98% of all reported releases occurred in Eddy and Lea counties in the Permian Basin. “Toxic liquid spills jumped 29% from this time last year, and 76% of spills occurred on public lands,” said Melissa Troutman, Climate & Health Advocate and lead author of the report. “These persistent failures in the oil and gas industry produce enormous volumes of toxic waste. New Mexico should be strengthening pollution prevention and holding repeat polluters accountable, not opening new pathways for this waste to threaten even more land and water.” “…Environmental groups, including WildEarth Guardians, have raised concerns about groundwater contamination, inadequate monitoring, and legal protections that indemnify operators and would leave affected communities bearing the costs of pollution… “New Mexico should be shutting down pathways for toxic fracking waste to pollute our land and water, not creating new ones,” said Rebecca Sobel, Climate & Health Director at WildEarth Guardians.”

EXTRACTION

New Scientist: Major greenhouse gases rise again to record levels
Shosha Adie, 10/27/26

“The three main greenhouse gases reached unprecedented concentrations globally in 2025, continuing an upward trend that will lead to more global warming, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns,” New Scientist reports. “…It reports that the global average surface concentration of carbon dioxide reached a record 426.8 parts per million (ppm) in 2025, which is 53 per cent higher than pre-industrial levels… “The levels of methane and nitrous oxide also reached record highs of 1948 parts per billion (ppb) and 339.1 ppb respectively in 2025, an increase of 167 per cent and 26 per cent on pre-industrial levels… “Greenhouse gases are trapping an unprecedented amount of heat in the atmosphere, providing energy for more extreme weather and associated risks to our economies and societies,” WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett told NS. This follows the UN recently confirming that the global target to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is due to be exceeded in the next few years, with emissions on track to cause 2.8°C of warming by the end of the century. The WMO report also warns that more attention should be given to the steadily rising levels of two other gases in the atmosphere, molecular hydrogen and sulphur hexafluoride, as more countries decarbonise their energy systems.”

Reuters: US energy firms to produce record natgas in 2026 as global demand soars
Scott Disavino, 10/27/26

“US energy companies expect 2026 to mark a second consecutive year of record natural gas production, as global demand for liquefied natural gas exports and fuel to power massive data centers grows,” Reuters reports. “…On an annual basis, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said US gas production was on track to rise from a record 107.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025 to 112.2 bcfd in 2026 and 116.1 bcfd in 2027. “The bulk of that (growth) is coming from the Permian associated gas as well as the Haynesville,” Matthew Bernstein, vice president of North American oil and gas at energy research and consulting firm Rystad Energy, told Reuters. The Permian Basin spans eastern New Mexico and West Texas, while the Haynesville crosses northwest Louisiana and eastern Texas. Bernstein told Reuters that the growth of gas production in the Permian, the nation’s biggest oil-producing shale basin, was associated with rising oil production… “Total US gas demand, meanwhile, will rise from a record 116.5 bcfd in 2025 to 120.0 bcfd in 2026, according to EIA data, due primarily to a 17% spike in LNG exports.”

Reuters: Phillips 66 posts record quarterly profit on refining strength
Pooja Menon, 10/28/26

“Phillips 66 beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by higher refining margins as ongoing tensions in the Middle East boosted demand for US fuel exports,” Reuters reports. “…The company’s refining segment reported a sharp jump in adjusted earnings to $6.06 billion from $430 million a year earlier. Phillips 66’s realized margin rose to $38 per barrel in the quarter, compared with $12.15 per barrel a year earlier. The Houston, Texas-based company reported an adjusted profit of $14.08 per share for the three months ended September 30, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $11.73, according to data compiled by LSEG.”

The Scotsman: UK Budget 2026: ‘Hammer blow’ for North Sea as Labour scraps Acorn carbon capture funding
David Bol, 10/28/26

“Scotland’s flagship carbon capture project has been dealt a “hammer blow” after the UK government scrapped the £200 million earmarked to finally get the facility up and running,” The Scotsman reports. “…A failure for Scotland’s carbon capture project to materialise could have drastic consequences on the Scottish government’s strategy to reach net zero by 2050 with a large proportion of emissions reductions put down to the controversial technology… “Last year, then energy secretary Ed Miliband, visited the site of the proposed Acorn project as the Labour UK government pledged £200m for the site after years of failed-promises from successive Westminster governments in the spending review… “But the Scotsman reported that the Chancellor had earmarked funding earmarked for carbon capture projects to be repurposed to pay for a huge boost to defence spending – now confirmed in his Budget. Storgerra, the lead developer, is currently seeking another partner to take forward the Acorn project after announcing it intends to sell its share of the scheme… ”A final investment decision for the Acorn project was due to be made at next year’s UK government spending review but the Scottish project has been left without a confirmed funding commitment. Instead, UK Labour ministers have argued they are exploring whether private investment, government loans or equity funding could support its future development.”

The Independent: UK Government will stand by funding for carbon capture project – minister
Katrine Bussey, 10/29/26

“The UK Government is honouring its pledge to fund a key carbon capture and storage project in Scotland’s north east, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has said,” The Independent reports. “Speaking about £200 million previously promised by the Labour Government at Westminster to support the Acorn carbon capture and storage initiative, Emma Reynolds said that ministers “stand by that commitment”. Her comments came after business leaders in the north east of Scotland raised concerns about the funding in the wake of Wednesday’s UK Budget… “Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, Ms Gilruth said: “That certainty on funding for investors and industry is really important, so the Acorn project and more broadly the Scottish cluster can move forward.” “…Bosses at SSE have already said that progress on a controversial new, gas-fired, power station at Peterhead – which was consented to by Scottish ministers earlier this week – was “contingent” on the Acorn and the wider Scottish carbon capture and storage cluster proceeding… “Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: “We are honouring the £200 million that was announced earlier this year, we know how important this project is to Scotland’s industrial future…We’re not cutting the grant funding and we will probably need to look at some sort of financial transactions to secure the rest of the project.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Moving beyond abuse: Protecting victims, rebuilding lives
10/28/26

“Before Women Aware’s Middlesex Family Justice Center opened three years ago, survivors of domestic violence in Middlesex County, New Jersey, had to visit up to 42 different locations to find help,” according to Enbridge. “…As a consistent supporter of Women Aware, we’ve awarded the organization $45,000 in Enbridge community grants since 2021… “We’re also proud and honored to have received the Voice of Partnership award at the event.”

OPINION

Salt Lake Tribune: Diligent scrutiny of risky projects — like the proposed pipeline in Emigration Canyon — is thoroughly justified. I found out the hard way.
Patricia Nelson, West Jordan, 10/29/26

“I read the op-ed by Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones regarding her concerns on the pipeline to be routed through Emigration Canyon. It resonates with me because of what happened to my family home in rural Wisconsin,” Patricia Nelson writes for the Salt Lake Tribune. “…The day after the listing there was an explosion from the pipeline being built through our neighbors’ land. There were massive clouds of gas hundreds of feet high. The neighbors were evacuated and the airspace closed. That was in August; the neighbors have not been able to return. I don’t know what happened to their farm animals, and no one knows when they will be allowed to return to their homes. Will they be able to return? Is the land poisoned? What about the trout stream? It empties into Lake Superior. Is the lake poisoned? Will it be safe to hunt on the land, and the venison safe to eat? What about the ground water? Everyone has wells. Will the water be safe to drink? The gas company bought our land. We had hoped to sell it to a family with kids that would explore and have adventures there. Instead, it may never be habitable. No one should take lightly the risks involved with any project that has a potential to harm. Please pay attention and do not be afraid to speak up if you have concerns.”

Wes Siler: The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened To Public Lands Could Be A New Bill You’ve Never Heard Of
Wes Siler, 10/28/26

“A bipartisan group of Senators is rushing to pass a bill that would bring drastic changes to the permitting process for industrial activities on public lands. And while that sentence might not inspire the kind of fear and action that the words “sell off” did last year, this could actually turn out to be a lot worse,” Wes Siler writes. “That’s because the legislation would reduce or eliminate most environmental and legal safeguards, while eliminating the ability for future administrations to undo the harm being done to public lands by this one. Need that phrased more simply? All the data centers in all the places you care about, locked in for all time. “Nobody in their right mind would call a bill the ‘who needs clean water and a healthy environment when we could just build data centers instead act’ but that’s exactly what this bill is doing,” explains Teal Lehto, an environmental advocate who runs the popular Instagram account… “Well, in the short term, it would basically enable the Trump administration to avoid any legal or environmental reviews and permit anything on public lands it wants by simple declaration, then prevent any branch of government from undoing those permits in the future, while levying extraordinarily heavy penalties paid by American taxpayers to the developer in question should anyone ever manage to find a way to cancel those permits. In the long term, it would unravel the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the Clean Water Act. Basically all the laws preventing industry from running rampant on public lands… “BAAJA’s technical complexity and the public’s larger focus on the mid-term elections seem to have combined to limit awareness that something so destructive is being sped towards law. That’s really bad, because there will likely be no more harmful executive action or legislation attempted over the next two years.”

Union of Concerned Scientists: The Senate Permitting Deal Could Lock in Fossil Fuel Dominance for Generations
David Watkins, 10/27/26

“To address the energy affordability crisis and climate crisis, what’s needed most are critical improvements to the power grid that will accelerate deployment of clean energy across the country. Instead, the Senate Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) sponsored by Senators Capito (WV), Whitehouse (RI), Lee (UT), and Heinrich (NM)—also known as S. 5653 or the Senate permitting deal—is warped in favor of fossil fuels and would harm people, communities, and the environment if enacted,” David Watkins writes for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “BAAJA undermines bedrock environmental laws while granting the fossil fuel industry more power, more access to public lands, and less accountability. In return, the package includes tenuous renewable energy and transmission provisions, many of which could be achieved under current law. Without significant improvements, which seem unlikely, enactment of BAAJA could be worse than the status quo… “The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act might accelerate transmission deployment and benefit some renewable energy projects down the road, but it will lock in fossil fuel projects now and well into the future.”