EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/13/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• E&E News: Pipeline companies can defer required work, feds say

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Supreme Court denies Iowa counties’ request for rehearing in pipeline case against Summit

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa legislative leaders call for civility, action on pipelines on session’s first day

• South Dakota Searchlight: Property rights coalition proposes more limits on eminent domain in South Dakota

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa ethanol industry blames ‘stagnant’ production on lack of carbon sequestration

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: U.S. Gas Demand Sets Up Largest Pipeline Expansion Since 2008

• Clarksville Now: ‘These kinds of opportunities do not come along very often’: City Council OKs agreement for gas pipeline from Cadiz, Kentucky

• Law 360: Energy Transfer Asserts Blackstone Fraud In Pipeline Row

• The Energy Mix: Fast-Tracked Western Pipeline Won’t Draw Investors Without Taxpayer ‘Backstop’, Ex-Alberta Energy Minister Says

• The Narwhal: Ontario to keep forcing municipalities to give Enbridge Gas free access to public land

• Canadian Press: PetroChina meeting obstacles as it seeks to buy South Bow pipeline stake

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Washington Post: Louisiana residents, Big Oil spar over coastal damage at Supreme Court

• New York Times: E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution

• E&E News: Legal tests await Trump’s offshore energy agenda in 2026

• E&E News: Trump may unleash competition for cash between US and Venezuelan oil

• E&E News: Can Big Tech save the permitting talks?

• E&E News: BLM proposes more California oil and gas leasing

• Washington Post: Trump seeks to quell data center rebellion

• E&E News: Democrats target data centers’ energy, water use

• Heatmap: Local Opposition to Data Centers Is Surging. So Are Canceled Projects.

STATE UPDATES

• KALB: La. House Speaker Pro Tempore files legislation targeting carbon capture, reintroduces local choice bill

• KBMT: Potential carbon capture project raises questions in Newton County’s Precinct 4

• Seminole Sentinel: Commissioners to be Briefed on Carbon Capture

EXTRACTION

• Reuters: Trading houses beat US majors to first deals for Venezuelan oil

• World Economic Forum: How to scale carbon capture and storage and turn climate targets into action

• American Chemical Society: Oil Residues Can Travel Over 5,000 Miles on Ocean Debris

• CBC: What supporters and opponents of the oil tanker ban in B.C. get wrong

• Climate Home News: Q&A: “False” climate solutions help keep fossil fuel firms in business

• Upstream: China’s century-old oilfield to deploy CCUS for enhanced oil recovery

OPINION

• Glenwood Springs Post Independent: Will we let 2026 be the year of the great oil and gas giveaway?
  

PIPELINE NEWS

E&E News: Pipeline companies can defer required work, feds say
Carlos Anchondo, 1/13/26

“U.S. pipeline safety regulators rolled out a new enforcement policy Monday that allows companies to put off compliance activities if they can prove the actions would exacerbate what the Trump administration calls a “national energy emergency,” E&E News reports. “…Trump’s executive order said Biden administration policies pushed the United States into an energy emergency, with ‘inadequate’ energy supply and an ‘increasingly unreliable’ electric grid. A number of environmental advocates have disputed the emergency designation, saying it helps the Trump administration promote the use of fossil fuels… “Such conditions include showing that performing the required activity would “contribute to the national energy emergency by adversely impacting the transportation of energy in and through” the West Coast, the Northeast and Alaska, “including by increasing energy prices for American consumers.” Another condition is demonstrating that deferral of the activity wouldn’t create an “unreasonable risk” to public safety or the environment.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Supreme Court denies Iowa counties’ request for rehearing in pipeline case against Summit
Cami Koons, 1/12/26

“The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request Monday from Story and Shelby counties requesting a review of a lower court’s ruling that county ordinances pertaining to a carbon sequestration pipeline were preempted by federal pipeline regulations,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “…In October 2022, county supervisors from Story and Shelby counties enacted local ordinances that established setback, permitting, emergency management and abandonment standards for hazardous materials pipelines within the counties. Summit sued the counties later that year, arguing the ordinances were preempted by federal pipeline safety standards. The courts ruled in favor of Summit in the lawsuit, which has also paused similar lawsuits with other counties from progressing. Shelby and Story county supervisors voted in August to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court after their requests for a rehearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Omaha was denied… “Shelby County was surprised and disappointed by the denial by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear such an important case addressing local control authority and protections,” the statement said… “Landowners in opposition of the project, many of them from Shelby County, plan to lobby Tuesday against the sequestration pipeline at the Iowa State Capitol.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa legislative leaders call for civility, action on pipelines on session’s first day
Robin Opsahl and Kathie Obradovich, /12/26

“…Among issues lawmakers have said they intend to address this year, eminent domain with regard to liquid carbon pipelines also was a focus in leaders’ opening-day remarks, amid calls for unity,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “…Though Republican leaders at the GOP party’s annual legislative breakfast spoke about the importance of “unity” in speeches before gaveling in, House GOP leaders said they intend to quickly move on legislation that may not be popular with Senate Republican leaders — restricting the use of eminent domain in carbon capture pipeline projects… “House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann said in his first session leading the Republican House caucus, he said “not a whole lot is going to change” compared to how the caucus operated in previous years, and that his “personality is going to be the same.” He said legislatively, his priorities should be “no surprise.” “We’re going to have an eminent domain debate, and we’re going to have it early,” Kaufmann said. “And anybody that thinks that debate is not going to be centered around eminent domain, well, you’re wrong.” “…Klimesh’s proposal would widen the corridor approved by the Iowa Utilities Commission in these projects, allowing utility companies and constructors in projects to find “willing landowners” to enter land easement agreements, which would allow projects to proceed without invoking the use of eminent domain… “Most critically, our proposals will expand the noticed corridor, dramatically expanding the ability of private investment and private property owners to voluntarily exchange easements and payments,” Klimesh said. “I believe this change will all but eliminate the need for eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines.” “…Grassley also stated in his opening remarks the issue of eminent domain is “not going away” in 2026, and reiterated that a House proposal on the issue will specifically focus on eminent domain. “We have tried multiple approaches in our efforts to protect landowners,” Grassley said. “This year, you can expect our approach to be narrowly tailored. If last year’s bill had too many components to it, then let’s return to the crux of the issue and focus on the topic of eminent domain.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Property rights coalition proposes more limits on eminent domain in South Dakota
Meghan O’Brien, 1/12/26

“The South Dakota coalition that successfully pushed for a state ban on eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines last winter will propose broader limits on eminent domain and more protections for landowners this legislative session,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Sen. Mark Lapka, R-Leola, announced the efforts. One would send a proposed state constitutional amendment to voters in November that would further restrict eminent domain. “Codified law is too easily amendable over time,” Lapka told Searchlight. “It’s the constitutionally protected rights that hold firm forever.” The amendment would “eliminate eminent domain for private gain,” Lapka told Searchlight, while allowing for public works projects such as public highways, water lines and other infrastructure… “Landowner opposition to the Summit project in South Dakota culminated in the Legislature’s passage of a law last year banning carbon pipelines from using eminent domain. Summit is still pursuing the project and has permits in other states, but has been denied permits twice by South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission. Lapka announced his new proposals at a property rights rally Monday in the state Capitol rotunda, attended by dozens of South Dakota farmers, ranchers and lawmakers. Along with the constitutional amendment, Lapka announced what he’s calling the “Bossly Bill,” named for Jared Bossly, of rural Aberdeen, who is suing Summit Carbon Solutions for allegedly trespassing on his land while it was asserting its right to use eminent domain. Lapka told Searchlight the bill will mirror language in a decision by the South Dakota Supreme Court in 2024. The decision said Summit had not proven it was a common carrier. That meant the company could not use eminent domain to access landowners’ property.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Iowa ethanol industry blames ‘stagnant’ production on lack of carbon sequestration
Cami Koons, 1/12/26

“Iowa produced 4.6 billion gallons of ethanol in 2025 — a figure consistent with the past two years and one that Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says could be higher if Iowa had access to carbon sequestration technologies,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The call for carbon capture and sequestration comes from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association at the start of Iowa’s 2026 legislative session, where debate around property rights and carbon sequestration pipelines are set to be top priority. A proposed carbon sequestration pipeline from Summit Carbon Solutions would connect to Iowa ethanol plants and transport their sequestered carbon dioxide to an underground storage site. This would allow ethanol plants to participate in the ultra-low carbon ethanol industry to produce things like sustainable aviation fuel and marine fuel, but the project has been contested in legal and legislative settings by landowners who feel the pipeline is not a public use worthy of the power of eminent domain… “Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw told the Dispatch Iowa is “behind in the race” as other states work to take advantage of incentives and market benefits of ultra-low carbon ethanol. “Investment dollars flow to areas with a perceived competitive advantage,” Shaw said in a news release. “The states attracting significant investment have one thing in common – the ability to sequester carbon either locally or via pipeline infrastructure.” “…According to the association, if all 4.6 billion gallons of Iowa ethanol utilized carbon sequestration technology, it could bring $3 billion to the state via 45Z tax credits… “Landowners opposing the pipeline project plan to lobby, beginning Tuesday, for similar legislation this year to limit the project’s ability to take land for its construction against landowner wishes… “Iowa needs carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and conservation-smart agriculture practices to be attractive,” Shaw said.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: U.S. Gas Demand Sets Up Largest Pipeline Expansion Since 2008
1/12/26

“Strong growth in U.S. natural gas demand is driving the largest wave of pipeline construction since the peak of the shale boom in 2008, with nearly 18 billion cubic feet per day of new capacity expected to come online in 2026, according to a new analysis from Morningstar DBRS,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The expansion is being fueled by a combination of rising LNG exports, growing power demand from data centers and manufacturing, and surging associated gas production in the Permian Basin, where pipeline takeaway constraints have pushed regional prices sharply lower. Morningstar DBRS estimates that 12 major new and expanded pipeline projects across Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma will be completed next year, representing the largest annual capacity addition in nearly two decades. The combined capacity exceeds total daily natural gas consumption in Canada. A key driver behind the build-out is severely depressed pricing at the Waha Hub in West Texas. Spot prices at Waha turned negative for extended periods in 2025 as associated gas production outpaced available takeaway capacity, forcing producers to sell gas at steep discounts or pay to move volumes out of the basin… “Unlike past cycles, Morningstar DBRS noted that today’s pipeline expansion is increasingly being driven by demand-side players rather than producers alone. LNG exporters, utilities and large industrial power users are helping anchor new projects by committing to long-term firm transportation to secure discounted gas supply… “The analysis also points to a more favorable U.S. regulatory environment as a catalyst. Recent permitting reforms and accelerated review timelines under the National Environmental Policy Act have reduced regulatory risk and improved project economics for midstream developers.”

Clarksville Now: ‘These kinds of opportunities do not come along very often’: City Council OKs agreement for gas pipeline from Cadiz, Kentucky
Christian Brown. 1/12/26

“A rare opportunity has presented itself to the City of Clarksville, as a natural gas pipeline is planned to stretch from Cadiz, Kentucky, to the state line, offering a redundant supply of natural gas for Clarksville,” Clarksville Now reports. “A resolution was approved last week by the City Council that enters the Clarksville Gas & Water Department into an interlocal agreement with the Pennyrile Regional Energy Agency (PREA), which will supply CGW with natural gas… “These kinds of opportunities do not come along very often,” Riggins said. “If we were not to do this, I don’t know if we’ll ever see one for the next 50 years. So, we’re very happy to partner with PREA on this.” “…Over the weekend, Riggins told Clarksville Now that, “We will be speaking with our large industrial gas users about future expansion possibilities which may require additional natural gas demand. We can use this info to negotiate additional demands and capacity with PREA to serve our community’s needs.”

Law 360: Energy Transfer Asserts Blackstone Fraud In Pipeline Row
Spencer Brewer, 1/12/26

“Energy Transfer says Blackstone used a series of self-dealing arrangements to undercut the amount of natural gas liquids a subsidiary delivered to an Energy Transfer pipeline in Texas, telling a state court on Friday that Blackstone wrongly diverted “massive sums” to itself,” Law 360 reports.

The Energy Mix: Fast-Tracked Western Pipeline Won’t Draw Investors Without Taxpayer ‘Backstop’, Ex-Alberta Energy Minister Says
Mitchell Beer, 1/12/26

“Alberta is demanding even faster federal approval of a bitumen pipeline to British Columbia’s west coast, even as a former provincial energy minister admits the project would have “zero” chance of attracting private investors without federal subsidies to “backstop” it,” The Energy Mix reports. “The new demands came just six weeks after Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a controversial memorandum of understanding (MOU) that envisioned an accelerated, two-year approval schedule for at least one new pipeline… “Alberta intends to submit its application for a pipeline to the Major Projects Office by June—and [Smith] asked that it gets approved by this fall,” CBC reports. “Within the current geopolitical context, timelines of up to two years are still woefully long and risk putting Canada at a disadvantage,” Smith wrote. “Any delay risks ceding market share, losing investment, and undermining Canada’s competitive position in a rapidly changing global energy landscape.” When the MOU was signed in late November, impact assessment experts warned that even a two-year approval period would be too short to allow for thorough review of a major, new pipeline, or for engagement with Indigenous and other affected communities. Short-circuiting those steps could help land a project in court, where it would only face further delays.”

The Narwhal: Ontario to keep forcing municipalities to give Enbridge Gas free access to public land
Fatima Syed, 1/13/26

“The Ontario government is not considering changing its law that prevents municipalities from charging Enbridge Gas for building pipelines on public land, despite calls to do so,” The Narwhal reports. “…Last November, Waterloo Region became the second Ontario municipality, after Guelph, to resist renewing these agreements. Doing so would have meant locking in for another two decades of offering free space to pipelines that carry natural gas, which is largely made up of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. Through longstanding regulation, the province prohibits municipalities from charging for the right of way used for natural gas pipelines. The law requires municipalities to enter into franchise agreements with natural gas providers, allowing them to build pipelines under roadways and surrounding lands without charge. Enbridge Gas has these agreements with more than 340 municipalities, the details of which are negotiated through the Ontario Energy Board, a non-partisan regulator mandated to uphold provincial law. These are unique arrangements in Canada; in provinces including British Columbia and Alberta, municipalities can charge gas companies that want to build pipelines on their land.”

Canadian Press: PetroChina meeting obstacles as it seeks to buy South Bow pipeline stake
1/12/26

“PetroChina Canada Ltd. has run into obstacles as it seeks to take full ownership of an Alberta pipeline system,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Canadian arm of the Chinese state-owned energy giant has a half-interest in the Grand Rapids Pipeline, with Calgary-based South Bow Corp. holding the rest. Grand Rapids runs 460 kilometres between the oilsands region in northeastern Alberta and the Edmonton area. PetroChina was seeking to acquire South Bow’s interest under an option contained in their agreement that includes a 30-day time limit, said an Alberta Court of King’s Bench written decision posted online last week… “PetroChina reached its deal to build Grand Rapids in 2012 with TransCanada Corp., now known as TC Energy Corp. (TC spun off its oil pipeline business into South Bow in late 2024) and it’s been in operation since 2017. The construction price tag at the time was $3 billion. The recent court decision did not include an updated valuation.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Washington Post: Louisiana residents, Big Oil spar over coastal damage at Supreme Court
Julian Mark and Brady Dennis, 1/12/26

“Lawyers for the oil giant Chevron and a small Louisiana parish squared off Monday in a case that could have major consequences for how local communities can rectify environmental damage that may have been caused by oil company operations going back decades,” the Washington Post reports. “In April, a Louisiana state court jury ruled that Chevron must pay nearly $745 million to help restore coastal wetlands in Plaquemines Parish that were damaged as far back as World War II. Chevron is asking the Supreme Court to order the case moved to federal court, where it could get more favorable terms. The ripple effects could be large: If the justices rule that the company can move the case to federal court, the hefty award for Plaquemines Parish could be wiped out, legal experts told the Post. Moreover, the case could affect the outcomes of nearly a dozen other lawsuits that make similar allegations about the oil and gas industry. The justices on Monday questioned Chevron’s arguments that it should be allowed to take the case to federal court even though its federal contracts did not squarely deal with oil drilling, which Plaquemines Parish says caused the coastal damage… “If the company prevails in having the verdict thrown out and the long-running case moved to federal court, other companies that do business with the federal government are likely to pursue similar arguments in the future, Mark Davis, director of the Center for Environmental Law at Tulane University, told the Post.”

New York Times: E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
Maxine Joselow, 1/12/26

“For decades, the Environmental Protection Agency has calculated the health benefits of reducing air pollution, using the cost estimates of avoided asthma attacks and premature deaths to justify clean-air rules. Not anymore,” the New York Times reports. “Under President Trump, the E.P.A. plans to stop tallying gains from the health benefits caused by curbing two of the most widespread deadly air pollutants, fine particulate matter and ozone, when regulating industry, according to internal agency emails and documents reviewed by The New York Times. It’s a seismic shift that runs counter to the E.P.A.’s mission statement, which says the agency’s core responsibility is to protect human health and the environment, environmental law experts told the Times. The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these pollutants from coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country, the emails and documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier air… “Long-term exposure to both pollutants is linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, and premature death. Even moderate exposure to PM2.5 can damage the lungs about as much as smoking… “But the Trump administration contends that these estimates are doubtful and said the E.P.A. would no longer take health effects into account in the cost-benefit analyses necessary for clean-air regulations, according to the documents. Instead, the agency would estimate only the costs to businesses of complying with the rules.” “…The idea that E.P.A. would not consider the public health benefits of its regulations is anathema to the very mission of E.P.A.,” Richard Revesz, the faculty director of the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law, told the Times.”

E&E News: Legal tests await Trump’s offshore energy agenda in 2026
Niina H. Farah, 1/13/26

“From stalled offshore wind turbines along the Eastern Seaboard to an oil drilling boom off the Gulf Coast, the Trump administration’s moves to shake up the energy sector are getting their day in court in 2026,” E&E News reports. “This year, federal judges will decide the legality of the Trump team’s reversals of advances in the offshore wind industry and its push to open more of the nation’s waters to fossil fuel development… “Federal judges are also poised to rule this year on the president’s power to reverse indefinite bans on new offshore oil and gas drilling implemented under prior administrations. So far, no appeals court has ruled on the issue as the Trump administration pushes to open more federal waters to fossil fuel developers. Environmental and Indigenous groups are fighting to reinstate protections for more than 625 million acres of U.S. offshore waters… “The legal fight could come to a head as soon as this year, the earliest point the Trump administration has proposed holding a lease sale in the Beaufort Sea off the coast of Alaska, Earthjustice’s Hardy, who is representing opponents of the sale, told E&E… “Interior’s decision not to analyze the environmental impact of lease sales is another key legal target for opponents of the Trump administration’s offshore energy strategy. Such cases will be the latest battleground over the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act after the Supreme Court ruled in June in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County that the statute only requires agencies to study the impacts of proposed projects themselves — not the effects of future or related projects… “The issue is likely to come up in future sales, as the Trump administration has said it does not plan to conduct any NEPA reviews for any of the 30 lease sales mandated under the new law.”

E&E News: Trump may unleash competition for cash between US and Venezuelan oil
Shelby Webb, Carlos Anchondo, 1/13/26

“A mainstay of President Donald Trump’s domestic energy policy has long been ‘drill, baby, drill,’ but his recent calls for massive spending in Venezuela could reduce — or complicate — investments in U.S. oil and gas,” E&E News reports. “Industry leaders cheered as Trump slashed regulations aimed at fossil fuels and encouraged companies to produce as much U.S. oil and gas as possible, from Texas to North Dakota. Now, they face pressure to invest in South America — and analysts say there’s only so much capital to go around as companies weigh risks and rewards in many countries. “It’s kind of a mutually exclusive thing — if you’re spending the dollars over here in Venezuela, then you’re not spending them in the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford and the Bakken and the Marcellus and the Haynesville,” Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told E&E. “So, what’s our priority?” “…Since the military intervention earlier this month that saw U.S. troops capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Trump has asked major oil companies to spend at least $100 billion repairing and replacing Venezuela’s crumbling oil and gas infrastructure and ramping up production.”

E&E News: Can Big Tech save the permitting talks?
Kelsey Brugger, 1/13/26

“Senate Democrats hope the White House’s quest to win the artificial intelligence race with China will blunt President Donald Trump’s unrelenting hatred of offshore wind turbines and help restart talks on a permitting deal. It may be wishful thinking,” E&E News reports. “The administration’s decision in December to halt the construction of five offshore wind projects prompted Democrats to pause bipartisan permitting negotiations on Capitol Hill at a time when some of the nation’s most powerful lobby groups are increasing pressure on Congress to ease project approvals. They said continued attacks on wind and solar means the president can’t be trusted to treat all projects fairly… “The artificial intelligence folks, the crypto folks, the data system folks who need massive amounts of electrons — you all need to start showing up and letting people know that you actually want permitting reform, and you actually want an administrative and regulatory process in which electrons are treated fairly, irrespective of source, so you can get the power that you need,” Whitehouse said during floor remarks Wednesday.”

E&E News: BLM proposes more California oil and gas leasing
Ian M. Stevenson, 1/13/26

“The Bureau of Land Management has begun paving the way for new oil and gas leases in California, concluding in draft environmental analyses that new drilling would not significantly harm public health or the environment,” E&E News reports. “…The analysis from the Bakersfield Field Office, which oversees 400,000 acres of federal land, predicts as many as 400 new wells per year. The Central Coast Field Office predicts up to 37 new wells in its area over 20 years; the office manages 250,000 acres of public land, as well as the mineral rights for more than 500,000 acres… “California’s public lands are a refuge for human wonder and beautiful wildlife, not places for Trump’s oil and gas cronies to exploit and pollute,” Victoria Bogdan Tejeda, an attorney for the group, told E&E. “We won’t let this administration get away with permanently destroying our public lands. We’ll fight his perverse effort to worsen climate change and expose California’s people and wildlife to more toxic pollution from dirty drilling and fracking.”

Washington Post: Trump seeks to quell data center rebellion
Ian Duncan and Evan Halper, 1/13/26

“In a bid to tamp down growing unrest in communities where tech giants are building power-hungry data centers, President Donald Trump said his administration would push Silicon Valley companies to ensure their massive computer farms do not drive up people’s electricity bills, seizing on a promise Tuesday by Microsoft to be a better neighbor,” the Washington Post reports. “…But neighbors of the vast warehouses of computer chips that form the technology’s backbone — many of them in areas otherwise supportive of the president — have grown increasingly concerned about how the facilities sap power from the grid, guzzle water to stay cool and secure tax breaks from local governments. And Trump now appears to be recalibrating his approach. “We are the “HOTTEST” Country in the World, and Number One in AI. Data Centers are key to that boom, and keeping Americans FREE and SECURE but, the big Technology Companies who build them must ‘pay their own way,’” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site Monday, teasing Microsoft’s announcement of a new initiative to address the issue and framing it as part of a broader effort by his administration. The tech giant said Tuesday it was making five policy pledges to ensure that its data centers are not a burden on people living nearby. The measures include replenishing water supplies, not asking for property tax breaks and making sure that Microsoft’s data centers don’t drive up electricity rates… “Trump’s effort to ease voters’ concern over the AI build-out comes as the politics of data centers is rapidly shifting against Silicon Valley and lawmakers who support its push to quickly build hulking structures across the country that can consume more electricity than entire cities. The community anger crosses the partisan divide. Conservative activists in ruby-red towns in Oklahoma have been circulating petitions demanding the firing of officials who sign nondisclosure agreements to negotiate terms with tech companies. And progressive groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America and the NAACP have rallied around data center opposition. Already, some liberal politicians, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) are calling for a moratorium on all new data center construction… “The big tech companies are feeling the sting. Communities that once embraced them are now blocking their plans. And in cities and counties where tech companies have been in quiet negotiations for months or even years to set up shop, local leaders are getting cold feet as they fear a backlash once plans become public.”

E&E News: Democrats target data centers’ energy, water use
Nico Portuondo, 1/13/26

“A pair of House Democrats are moving to address the impacts of data centers with two bills that would impose new restrictions on energy and water use at those facilities,” E&E News reports. “Reps. Rob Menendez of New Jersey and Greg Casar of Texas introduced the “Preventing Rate Inflation in Consumer Energy (PRICE) Act,” H.R. 6983, and the “Data Center Transparency Act,” H.R. 6984, arguing the measures are needed to rein in rising electricity costs and environmental impacts associated with artificial intelligence-driven data center growth. “While AI innovation is promising, we must ensure that our constituents are not negatively impacted by the industry’s continued expansion,” Menendez told E&E. “New Jersey families have seen their electricity bills increase by 20 percent because of the rapid growth of energy-intensive AI data centers.” The “PRICE Act” would require data center operators to generate all of the electricity they consume, a significant shift from the current model in which most facilities draw power from the broader electric grid. While some major technology companies have explored building their own generation, self-supply remains uncommon.”

Heatmap: Local Opposition to Data Centers Is Surging. So Are Canceled Projects.
Robinson Meyer, 1/12/26

“…There’s just one problem: Many Americans seem to be turning against the buildout. Across the country, scores of communities — including some of the same rural and exurban areas that have rebelled against new wind and solar farms — are blocking proposed data centers from getting built or banning them outright,” Heatmap reports. “At least 25 data center projects were canceled last year following local opposition in the United States, according to a review of press accounts, public records, and project announcements conducted by Heatmap Pro. Those canceled projects accounted for at least 4.7 gigawatts of electricity demand — a meaningful share of the overall data center capacity projected to come online in the coming years. Those cancellations reflect a sharp increase over recent years, when local backlash rarely played a role in project cancellations, according to Heatmap’s review. The surge reflects the public’s growing awareness — and increasing skepticism — of the large-scale fixed investment that must be kept up to power the AI economy. It also shows the challenge faced by utilities and grid planners as they try to forecast how the fast-growing sector will shape power demand. The number of cancellations is likely to grow in the year to come. At least 99 data center projects nationwide are now being contested by local activists or residents, according to a Heatmap review of local news stories and public records, out of about 770 planned data centers across the country, according to Data Center Map… “About 40% of data centers that face sustained local opposition are eventually canceled, Heatmap’s review suggests… ““Those numbers don’t totally surprise me,” Peter Freed, a founding partner at the Near Horizon Group and the former director of energy strategy at Meta, told Heatmap. “This is what projects falling out of the development pipeline looks like.” He expects only about 10% of data center projects that are now being planned or developed to turn into finished projects, he added… “The rising local resistance to data center development may suggest an early victory for the left flank of the environmental movement, which has opposed the expansion of virtually all AI infrastructure. Last month, Greenpeace USA, Friends of the Earth, and Food and Water Watch called for a national moratorium on all new data center construction.”

STATE UPDATES

KALB: La. House Speaker Pro Tempore files legislation targeting carbon capture, reintroduces local choice bill
Rob LaPerle, 1/12/26

“Pineville’s State Representative and House Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson filed three legislative bills on Monday, January 12, targeting carbon capture projects, with the lead measure aimed at eliminating eminent domain powers for private companies,” KALB reports. “I want you to tell the people that live in my parish that they shouldn’t have the right because somebody else wants this. I don’t think that is anything American about that.” The frontrunner bill, named the “Louisiana Landowners Protection Act,” and described by its author as simple and straightforward, would eliminate eminent domain for carbon capture projects and empower local landowners by “[encouraging]…companies to go and negotiate.” “…The two runner-up bills would revive previously introduced and subsequently failed legislative proposals, allowing parishes to host local elections on the basis of their opting in or out of the state’s carbon capture program. Fellow Central Louisiana lawmaker, State Representative Charles “Chuck” Owen of Vernon Parish, was the original author of the past legislative proposals and voiced support for Johnson’s bills… “A staunch point made by both Johnson and Owen was that their respective bills were not introduced as an attempt to primarily damage industries, but instead uplift the constitutional rights of Louisiana citizens. “We’re not making a decision for the people. We’re trying to make a decision to give the decision to the people and protect their rights to their property,” Johnson told KALB. “My basis is not a motivation to hurt industry.”

KBMT: Potential carbon capture project raises questions in Newton County’s Precinct 4
Scott Eslinger, 1/12/26

“Questions about a potential carbon capture project in Newton County’s Precinct 4 have prompted a public explanation from County Commissioner Bubba Powell, who shared legal guidance on the issue in a Facebook post and said public meetings will be held soon to provide information and address concerns,” KBMT reports. “In the post, Powell said residents had raised questions over the past several weeks about a possible carbon capture project in the precinct. Powell forwarded the questions to the Newton County District Attorney’s office and shared the response. According to the legal counsel response included in the post, county government has no direct authority to stop carbon capture projects from coming to Newton County… “The response notes that critics are concerned the state could “rubber stamp applications for the sake of the economy and the oil & gas industry.” The guidance also encourages public involvement in the permitting process. Permit applications for carbon capture storage sites include a public comment period during which the Railroad Commission of Texas can receive feedback from residents.”

Seminole Sentinel: Commissioners to be Briefed on Carbon Capture
Sam Kaufman, 1/13/26

“A Texas Railroad Commission presentation scheduled for Wednesday’s commissioners court meeting will relate to potential carbon capture projects, according to the meeting agenda,” the Seminole Sentinel reports. “The Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission will make the presentation, it adds.The meeting is set for 9 a.m. at the courthouse.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: Trading houses beat US majors to first deals for Venezuelan oil
Dmitry Zhdannikov, Marianna Parraga and Shariq Khan, 1/12/26

“Global oil trading houses have emerged as early winners in the race to control Venezuelan crude flows, getting ahead of U.S. energy majors wary of credit and legal risks and securing a potentially lucrative business opportunity in the country with the world’s largest crude reserves,” Reuters reports. “U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. majors would invest billions of dollars in Venezuela to quickly rebuild its dilapidated oil sector following the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro earlier in January… “The first companies to secure any business in the wake of the U.S. military action in Caracas, however, were Dutch-based trader Vitol and Singapore-headquartered peer Trafigura, rather than U.S. majors. The U.S. government tapped the giant merchant houses because they were better suited to quickly get Venezuelan oil exports flowing again, four industry sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters. That is the first order of business for Washington before reconstruction can begin, so that revenue from exports under U.S. supervision can fund the government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas. “Securing and marketing the initial barrels of Venezuelan crude oil was done at record speed to benefit both the American and Venezuelan people,” a White House official told Reuters… ”Legal teams and advisors have discouraged some big U.S. oil producers from getting involved in the initial oil shipments due to the potential for Venezuelan creditors to seize the revenue, one of the sources told Reuters.”

World Economic Forum: How to scale carbon capture and storage and turn climate targets into action
1/13/26

“…The scale and complexity of tackling the climate crisis demand more than plans for the future; they demand solutions that work today. This is where carbon capture and storage (CCS) comes in: a proven, scalable solution that enables us to cut large industrial emissions while safeguarding the systems we rely on – from energy to food,” according to the World Economic Forum. “…Many hope that renewables and the phase-out of fossil fuels will deliver net zero, but the energy reality is more complex… “Even as renewable energy expands, it is not growing fast enough to fully replace fossil fuels in industrial processes. This gap between long-term ambition and near-term reality is where CCS becomes indispensable… “Fertilizer and ammonia production are clear candidates for both electrification and CCS. This is because carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released as a direct byproduct of chemical reactions in ammonia production – emissions that can be eliminated by capturing and storing them… “The climate challenge is so great, and the timeline so short, that we do not have the luxury to pick only one or two technologies. Reaching climate targets at pace and scale requires using all solutions that can deliver real and verifiable emissions reductions. Climate policy must therefore be technology-neutral, supporting effective carbon reductions regardless of the solution used. When policy focuses on outcomes rather than prescribing technologies, investments can move faster and decarbonization can scale.”

American Chemical Society: Oil Residues Can Travel Over 5,000 Miles on Ocean Debris
1/12/26

“When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists’ attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil’s coastline,” according to the American Chemical Society. “Using ocean current models and chemical analysis, the team explains in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how some of the oily material managed to travel over 5,200 miles (8,500 kilometers) by clinging to debris. “The research findings of our study would not have been possible without the dedication of the Friends of Palm Beach,” says Bryan James, lead author of the study and a researcher at Northeastern University. “Their long-term knowledge of the local marine debris enabled them to notice when unique and interesting items like oily plastic comes ashore. If they hadn’t been willing to investigate and share their observations, this discovery would still be lost at sea.” Although some plastics can drift thousands of miles on ocean currents, crude oil or refined petroleum usually doesn’t. Instead, sunlight and microbes break down oil within a few hundred miles (300 kilometers) of where it entered the water… “James, Reddy and their colleagues hypothesized that the oily plastic and rubber littering the beach in Florida could have the same origin as similar pollution found on Brazil’s coast in late 2019. And the source of the oil and rubber might be the SS Rio Grande, a sunken World War II supply ship in the Atlantic Ocean… “Several of the oily residues collected from the Florida debris showed evidence of refining, and the “chemical fingerprints” of the oily plastic matched those collected from the Brazil oil spill. Reddy concludes that this work demonstrates an additive contaminant effect where plastic pollution can transport oil pollution far beyond its origin, and it expands on the current understanding of “petroplastic” — a recently recognized form of plastic pollution from humans.”

CBC: What supporters and opponents of the oil tanker ban in B.C. get wrong
1/12/26

“The federal government’s pact with Alberta to move ahead with a possible oil pipeline through B.C. has put the political spotlight on the North Coast oil tanker ban. For The National, CBC’s Lyndsay Duncombe explains how the ban works and where both sides of the political debate have it wrong,” the CBC reports. “There is a sea of misleading soundbites about the ban preventing oil tankers along B.C.’s North Coast that could make an informed decision on its future tricky. The oil tanker ban has become a political football once again after a memorandum of understanding was signed by the federal government and Alberta, opening the door for an oil pipeline to the North Coast. If that happens, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act that came into effect in 2019 — which prevents oil tankers from stopping, loading or unloading in any port along a large swath of the B.C. coast — would come into question. Opponents, including First Nations in B.C. and Premier David Eby, have pushed for the ban to remain in place and say ending it would jeopardize a sensitive marine environment. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says that, for instance, the Hecate Strait in northwest B.C. is among the most dangerous to navigate in the world. Proponents, on the other hand, say that Canadian oil is being unfairly targeted by the tanker ban, and that international tankers are able to navigate the West Coast and head up to Alaska without issue. As the CBC’s Lyndsay Duncombe finds out, both those claims need broader scrutiny — and they’re among a number of issues that make the future of oil tanker ban murky.”

Climate Home News: Q&A: “False” climate solutions help keep fossil fuel firms in business
Megan Rowling, 1/12/26

“From cross-border pipelines for green hydrogen that can also carry natural gas, to sustainable aviation fuel that threatens forests, and costly carbon capture projects that are used to recover more oil, “false solutions” to climate change have gained ground in recent years, often backed by fossil fuel firms,” Climate Home News reports. “A new research paper, published last month in the journal Energy Research and Social Science, shines a light on this trend, exploring such projects that have also caused environmental injustices such as air pollution or depriving communities of their source of income… “The researchers argue that “false solutions” – which also include large-scale carbon offsetting projects, many of which have been discredited – help to reinforce the political and economic power of the industry that is responsible for the climate crisis, and are undermining the global energy transition. Climate Home News spoke to co-author Freddie Daley, a research associate at the University of Sussex’s Centre for Global Political Economy, about the paper’s findings and implications for climate policy. Q: What was your motivation in exploring these types of “false solutions” to the climate crisis? A: It’s very much a reaction to the fossil fuel industry insisting these technologies are solutions, rather than us creating a typology of things that are not working. All of the [paper’s] authors are very keen on a habitable planet – and we’re not going to let perfection be the enemy of the good. But this is a call [to] arms to say that governments need to be very careful about what they’re giving public subsidy to, because in a complex situation – where there’s an urgency for reducing emissions but also for creating sustainable livelihoods and for ensuring that the needs of people living in and around these projects are met – I think it’s very important to scrutinise the viability of these schemes. The starting point was off the back of oil majors – or so-called integrated energy companies – coming out and being very bullish on sustainability and net zero, and alongside this, proffering that they were part of the solution to climate mitigation, energy transition, job creation, green growth. And we took this as a problem statement to begin our analysis: How can fossil companies be part of the solution?”

Upstream: China’s century-old oilfield to deploy CCUS for enhanced oil recovery
Sharon Foo, 1/12/26

“A carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) facility will be deployed at China’s Yanchang oilfield to support enhanced oil recovery (EOR) efforts at the century-old producing asset,” Upstream reports.

OPINION

Glenwood Springs Post Independent: Will we let 2026 be the year of the great oil and gas giveaway?
Will Roush is the executive director of Wilderness Workshop in Carbondale, Colorado, founded in 1967 to protect the wilderness, water, and wildlife of western Colorado’s public lands, 1/13/26

“As the New Year begins, friends and family have been asking about our advocacy work at Wilderness Workshop and our priorities for Colorado’s public lands,” Will Roush writes for the Glenwood Springs Post Independent. “I’ll start with the obvious; we’re fighting some big challenges. For the past year, the Trump Administration and its allies in Congress have pushed an anti-public lands agenda that threatens our wildlife, local economies, and Western way of life… “As 2026 comes into focus, my biggest concern centers on a quiet but sweeping land giveaway now happening across the West. Under direction from the Trump Administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is rushing to lease nearly every available acre of public land for oil and gas drilling. This push is fueled by the so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBBA), legislation that prioritizes fossil fuel profits over all other uses on public lands. Since its passage last summer, the BLM has proposed massive lease sales covering nearly 250,000 acres across Colorado, the largest annual total in state history… “Just as troubling, the OBBBA strips the ‘public’ out of public lands. The legislation attempts to compel the BLM to offer almost any industry-nominated parcel for sale, effectively eliminating input from local governments, state wildlife agencies, or even BLM’s own experts. It also dismantles commonsense safeguards that required companies to pay fair royalties, cover cleanup costs, and avoid sensitive lands. As a result, meaningful public input is disappearing, replaced by rushed, boilerplate environmental reviews and rubber-stamped leases that ignore long-term impacts to water, wildlife, climate resilience, and local communities.”