EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/6/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• E&E News: California regulators throw struggling oil pipeline a lifeline

• Santa Barbara News-Press: Sable oil court rulings spark special Monday meeting of Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors

• Capitol Confidential: Constitution Pipeline says it doesn’t need new permits from New York for approval

• Clean Air Task Force: DOE’s latest coal funding push misallocates taxpayer money. Here’s how the Department’s existing authorities can drive energy production with carbon utilization.

• Bloomberg: Canadian Oil Pipeline Gets Political Boost From Trump’s Venezuela Shock

• Canadian Press: Carney says Canadian oil will be competitive after Maduro ouster

• Canadian Press: Alberta premier says Maduro capture outlines urgency of West Coast pipeline

• Globe and Mail: Canada needs new pipeline urgently to counter Venezuelan oil surge, Strathcona chair says

• Associated Press: Record $9.6 million fine for Third Coast after substantial oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

• Louisiana Illuminator: $9M fine proposed for pipeline operator for 2023 oil spill off Louisiana coast

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• CNN: Big Oil doesn’t share Trump’s dream of making Venezuelan oil great again

• E&E News: Trump’s Venezuela gambit relies on oil boom for payback

• E&E News: Whitehouse says permitting reform talks on pause

• E&E News: 5 climate court battles to watch in 2026

• E&E News: Congress would boost oil and gas spending in fiscal 2026 package

• Inside Climate News: EPA Funding Salvaged in US Congress Spending Bill

• Utah News Dispatch: BLM makes more lands inhabited by greater sage-grouse available for energy development

STATE UPDATES

• E&E News: Judge keeps Honolulu climate case alive

• WyoFile: Drillers say ‘political process’ outweighs environmental law in Wyoming oilfield

• WCIA: Decatur will host community forum to hear concerns about carbon capture project

• Louisiana Illuminator: Plastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’ are polluting beaches and waterways

EXTRACTION

• Bloomberg: Chevron, US Oil Stocks Rally as Trump Vows Venezuela Revival

• Reuters: Former Chevron executive seeks $2 billion for Venezuelan oil projects, FT reports

• New York Times: A Revival of Venezuela’s Oil Industry Poses a Challenge for Canada

• Gasworld: China switches on first SCO2-enabled power generator

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Bloomberg: Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt

OPINION

• Ink Free News: Letters Of Opposition To Carbon Capture Sequestration Plan Available
  

PIPELINE NEWS

E&E News: California regulators throw struggling oil pipeline a lifeline
Noah Baustin, 1/6/26

“California regulators on Friday proposed approving an emergency 59 percent rate increase in an attempt to save a floundering crude oil pipeline central to the state’s energy infrastructure,” E&E News reports. “…The proposed decision is a major win for pipeline owner CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust, which has been warning for months that without rate hikes, it would be forced to shutter the last remaining link between the Southern California oil fields and Northern California fuel refineries. In September, the company appealed to Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite a trio of CPUC proceedings. The agency green-lighted two of the requested rate increases on the company’s Southern California pipeline system in the months that followed; Friday’s proposal would fulfill the last of their requests.”

Santa Barbara News-Press: Sable oil court rulings spark special Monday meeting of Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors
Joshua Molina, 1/4/26

“The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is holding a special meeting Monday morning just days after environmental groups lost a bid to immediately block oil company Sable from restarting its Santa Ynez oil pipelines,” the Santa Barbara News-Press reports. “The meeting will be held in closed session at 9 a.m. amid a flurry of legal back-and-forth actions involving multiple groups. Board chair Laura Capps called the special meeting. Although the discussion will be in private, public comment is allowed prior to the hearing. “Santa Barbara County is a community that cares deeply about our environment and has long been engaged in issues related to offshore oil,” Capps told the News-Press. ” With all of the recent developments related to Sable, we have heard from many concerned constituents. As Chair of the Board, I called a special hearing to allow the Supervisors to receive an update on the ongoing litigation we face.”

Capitol Confidential: Constitution Pipeline says it doesn’t need new permits from New York for approval
Dan Clark, 1/5/26

“The company that’s been seeking to construct a new natural gas pipeline through upstate New York for more than a decade is taking a new approach,” Capitol Confidential reports. “The Constitution Pipeline would run from Pennsylvania into the Binghamton area and all the way up to Schoharie County, where it would meet other pipelines… “It’s a project of Williams, a company whose Northeast Supply Enhancement project pipeline was recently approved by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The agency said the same day of that pipeline’s approval that Williams had withdrawn its application for water quality permits that would clear the way for the Constitution Pipeline. A letter from the company confirmed its withdrawal. But the company is now using a procedural maneuver that it argues would allow the project to move forward without those permits. It dates back to when the state previously considered, and rejected, permits for the pipeline.”

Clean Air Task Force: DOE’s latest coal funding push misallocates taxpayer money. Here’s how the Department’s existing authorities can drive energy production with carbon utilization.
1/5/26

“A second coal-focused notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), “Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Coal-Based Power Plants,” misallocates carbon capture funding to keep America’s aging coal fleet online,” according to the Clean Air Task Force. “Like the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) “Restoring Reliability: Coal Recommissioning And Modernization” funding opportunity announcement, this NOFO would divert funding away from carbon capture innovation programs authorized by Congress in the Energy Act of 2020 during the first Trump administration. Instead, DOE proposes to use this $100 million to refurbish and extend the operation of aging coal plants… “As the newly formed HGEO has indicated, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is a priority area for R&D and deployment, creating a clear opportunity to design carbon capture programs that align with both industry capabilities and DOE’s energy production objectives… “By maintaining the 45Q incentive and establishing parity in utilization, the legislation makes this a particularly timely opportunity to advance the deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage… “DOE should advance carbon capture, utilization, and storage by addressing midstream infrastructure and capital barriers using existing authorities under both HGEO and DOE’s newly renamed Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF): The Office of Energy Dominance Financing can drive the build-out of shared carbon dioxide pipelines, essential for scaling both enhanced oil recovery and geologic storage. Under the previous administration, the $2.1 billion Carbon Dioxide Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (CIFIA) program was unable to support a single project amid industry concerns about slow and uncertain federal financing and permitting processes. IIJA made CIFIA appropriations available until expended, so aside from those funds that Congress chooses to transfer to another purpose, the $2.1 billion in CIFIA appropriations remain available to DOE’s new Office of Energy Dominance Financing (EDF), under the “Clean Coal, Oil and Gas & Hydrocarbons EDF tech sector.” “…Prioritize speed of deployment and leverage “Other Transaction Authority” for CO₂ pipelines. In addition to potentially leveraging EDF’s new focus on speed of execution, HGEO could consider utilizing DOE’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA). OTA can streamline government contracting processes to tailor agreements and fast-track funding for critical projects. For example, in certain regions, modeled networks of carbon dioxide pipelines can be optimized to utilize existing rights-of-way for as much as half of the buildout, which would significantly ease the financial and regulatory barriers to infrastructure development… “DOE could also leverage Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) to expedite permitting processes for carbon capture and carbon dioxide pipeline projects.”

Bloomberg: Canadian Oil Pipeline Gets Political Boost From Trump’s Venezuela Shock
Erik Hertzberg, Robert Tuttle, and Brian Platt, 1/6/26

“President Donald Trump’s push to unlock Venezuelan crude is strengthening the political case for a proposed pipeline that would allow Canada to ship more oil to China and other Asian markets,” Bloomberg reports. “Refineries in the American Midwest are configured to process Canada’s heavy crude. But prices for the commodity slumped Monday as traders worried that the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will clear the way for US access to abundant resources from the South American country, which produces a similar type of oil. “Once Venezuelan oil is not just unblocked but unsanctioned, it will begin competing more directly with Canadian barrels on the US Gulf Coast,” Rory Johnston, a researcher at Commodity Context, told Bloomberg. Venezuelan oil could get to the region “much more cheaply than can barrels shipped by pipeline all the way from Alberta,” he added… “Recent events surrounding Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro emphasize the importance that we expedite the development of pipelines to diversify our oil export markets, including a new Indigenous co-owned bitumen pipeline to BC’s northwest coast to reach Asian markets,” Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, posted on social media… “The events in Venezuela reinforce the need for export diversification, and a pipeline to the west coast would be the best solution,” Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at Servus Credit Union, told Bloomberg… “China, in particular, may emerge as a bigger buyer of Canadian crude if oil production from Venezuela is rerouted. In recent years, most Venezuelan crude exports have flowed to China due to sanctions… “This is likely to be an accelerant for Canada to diversify away from the US when it comes to sourcing energy demand,” Bipan Rai of BMO Global Asset Management told Bloomberg.”

Canadian Press: Carney says Canadian oil will be competitive after Maduro ouster
Sarah Ritchie and David Baxter, 1/6/26

“Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is working to expand oil markets in Asia with the prospect of Venezuelan oil displacing Canadian product in the American market,” the Canadian Press reports. “His remarks come as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is urging Carney to “immediately approve a pipeline to the Pacific Coast” in an letter to the prime minister shared on social media this morning. In Paris for talks on Ukraine, Carney was asked if U.S. President Donald Trump wanting to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry will heighten the need for a pipeline to B.C.’s northwest coast. Carney says the government is working toward a potential new pipeline and expanding oil markets as part of signing a “comprehensive” memorandum of understanding with the Alberta government.”

Canadian Press: Alberta premier says Maduro capture outlines urgency of West Coast pipeline
Lisa Johnson, 1/5/26

“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the American capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro underlines the urgency of building oil pipelines to export Canadian oil to new markets,” the Canadian Press reports. “…Recent events surrounding Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro emphasize the importance that we expedite the development of pipelines to diversify our oil export markets,” said Smith in a statement on Monday. That includes a new pipeline to British Columbia’s West Coast to reach markets in Asia, she said… “Smith said her government is continuing its work to submit that application and expects the federal government to move forward “with urgency.” “Alberta supports building pipelines in all directions to get our product to market and we look forward to continuing to work with provincial and federal partners to advance these projects,” Smith said. The premier’s comments echo that of many commentators and industry experts who argued Trump’s military strike bolsters Alberta’s case for building more export capacity with a pipeline to the Pacific.”

Globe and Mail: Canada needs new pipeline urgently to counter Venezuelan oil surge, Strathcona chair says
Emma Graney, Jeffrey Jones, 1/6/26

“Canadian oil tycoon Adam Waterous says building a new pipeline to the B.C. coast to expand access to overseas markets is now even more urgent, given U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to get Venezuela’s crude pumping with the help of billions of dollars invested by American oil majors,” the Globe and Mail reports. “Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised two-year approvals for major nation-building projects such as pipelines, but that needs to be trimmed to three months or less to remain competitive, Mr. Waterous, the chief executive of Waterous Energy Fund and executive chairman of oil producer Strathcona Resources Ltd., told the Globe and Mail. A new pipeline is no longer about growing the oil and gas sector, Mr. Waterous old the Globe and Mail in an interview, it’s about preventing industry contraction when more Venezuelan oil eventually enters the market… “Regardless, Mr. Waterous old the Globe and Mail Venezuelan supplies threaten to displace Canadian oil sands crude in the medium term. “We need to find new markets or our production will fall. So now, building a new pipeline is not to grow the business – it’s to avoid shrinking,” he old the Globe and Mail.. No longer can the federal government create a static regulatory environment where two-year approvals are set in stone “and it ignores what else is going on in the world,” he old the Globe and Mail. “Whatever level of urgency there was to build a pipeline has now gone up, because … now it’s just protecting what we’ve got. That’s a very different dynamic.” “…Stephen Legault, senior manager of the Alberta Energy Transition at Environmental Defence, countered that the global transition to clean energy is well under way and accelerating rapidly, negating the need for any new oil pipeline from Alberta to Canada’s West Coast. “If the oil and gas industry is not interested in investing in more production capacity in Canada, why would they do so in Venezuela? They know what is coming and are focused on profit-taking while they still can,” he told the Globe and Mail.”

Associated Press: Record $9.6 million fine for Third Coast after substantial oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Josh Funk, 1/5/26

“Pipeline safety regulators on Monday assessed their largest fine ever against the company responsible for leaking 1.1 million gallons of oil into the Gulf off the coast of Louisiana in 2023,” the Associated Press reports. “But the $9.6 million fine isn’t likely to be a major burden for Third Coast to pay. This single fine is close to the normal total of $8 million to $10 million in all fines that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration hands out each year. But Third Coast has a stake in some 1,900 miles of pipelines, and in September, the Houston-based company announced that it had secured a nearly $1 billion loan. Pipeline Safety Trust Executive Director Bill Caram told AP this spill “resulted from a company-wide systemic failure, indicating the operator’s fundamental inability to implement pipeline safety regulations,” so the record fine is appropriate and welcome. “However, even record fines often fail to be financially meaningful to pipeline operators. The proposed fine represents less than 3% of Third Coast Midstream’s estimated annual earnings,” Caram told AP. “True deterrence requires penalties that make noncompliance more expensive than compliance.” “…A Third Coast spokesperson told AP the company has been working to address regulators’ concerns about the leak, so it was taken aback by some of the details the agency included in its allegations and the size of the fine. “After constructive engagement with PHMSA over the last two years, we were surprised to see aspects of the recent allegations that we believe are inaccurate and exceed established precedent. We will address these concerns with the agency moving forward,” the company spokesperson told AP.”

Louisiana Illuminator: $9M fine proposed for pipeline operator for 2023 oil spill off Louisiana coast
Greg LaRose, 1/5/26

“The Trump administration has assessed what it’s calling the largest civil fine ever for an offshore oil spill in 2023 off the Louisiana coast,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration sent notice Dec. 31 to Panther Operating Co. of Houston that it has proposed a $9.62 million fine for the failure of its Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline system. An estimated 1.1 million gallons of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico when a connector on the pipeline malfunctioned, allowing oil to flow for more than nine hours, according to the agency. The leak was visible nearly 20 miles off the Mississippi River Delta… “According to the notice, a Panther controller was aware of the leak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 based on pressure gauge observations and noted a zero flow rate for the pipeline five hours later. However, the controller did not order the pipeline shut down before his shift ended the next morning at 6:00. His replacement called for it to be closed around 6:30 a.m., which was 13 hours after the pressure issues were first noted, the agency said.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

CNN: Big Oil doesn’t share Trump’s dream of making Venezuelan oil great again
Matt Egan, 1/5/26

“President Donald Trump may have made a major miscalculation about Venezuela’s oil,” CNN reports. “Trump has expressed excitement over the prospect of US oil companies getting their hands on Venezuela’s vast oil resources. But industry sources tell CNN that American oil executives are unlikely to dive headfirst into Venezuela for multiple reasons: The situation on the ground remains very uncertain, Venezuela’s oil industry is in shambles and Caracas has a history of seizing US oil assets. Perhaps the biggest problem is that oil prices are too low today to justify spending the gobs of money – possibly tens of billions of dollars – that would be required to revive Venezuela’s decaying oil industry. “The appetite for jumping into Venezuela right now is pretty low. We have no idea what the government there will look like,” one well-placed industry source told CNN on Monday. “The president’s desire is different than the industry’s. And the White House would have known that if they had communicated with the industry prior to the operation on Saturday.” “…Yet when oil companies decide to invest in far-flung drilling projects, they need confidence about what the operating environment there will look like years, if not decades, into the future. These days it’s hard to feel solid about Venezuela’s form of government and institutions weeks from now, let alone years… “Conoco is still trying to recover an estimated $12 billion from the prior nationalization of its Venezuela assets, while ExxonMobil is seeking to recover almost $2 billion, according to Reuters. “Venezuela is the country that has seen the most expropriation cases brought against it. This means the starting risk premium there is very high,” Palacios, the former Citgo executive who is now interim director of research and managing director of energy transition finance at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, told CNN.”

E&E News: Trump’s Venezuela gambit relies on oil boom for payback
Mike Soraghan, Carlos Anchondo, 1/5/26

“Leaders around the world questioned the geopolitics and legality of Saturday’s U.S. raid in Venezuela, but President Donald Trump presented it as a business transaction,” E&E News reports. “The United States plans to get its money back. The South American petrostate has the world’s largest oil reserves. So, Trump said, there should be plenty of money to revive oil production, pay back oil companies who say they were wronged years ago by nationalization and lift the fortunes of the beleaguered population of Venezuela… “But reimbursement is not as simple as it might seem in the wake of the dramatic U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday morning and drug trafficking charges. Analysts told E&E restoring the Venezuelan oil industry won’t happen fast and won’t be easy — and there are some early warning signs. For one thing, oil companies are not rushing in to set up shop. POLITICO reported over the weekend that some industry officials are waiting whether the conflict-ridden country will hospitable to oil development. Some observers told E&E the Trump administration hasn’t done much to show it will be. Part of the reluctance is tied to the current glut of oil, which has driven prices so low that U.S. oil companies are starting to back off some of their production plans in the United States… “Beyond all of that, it’s not clear what Trump and his top leaders mean when they talk about “reimbursement” and funding Venezuela operations with the country’s oil money. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday, though Trump told reporters that the U.S. action in Venezuela is about “peace on earth.” “…Rystad estimates that it would take about $110 billion worth of investment to increase production from about 1 million barrels a day to 2 million barrels by early 2030. By comparison, the United States last year produced more than 13 million barrels of oil a day. It is “difficult for international companies to justify new investments in Venezuela at present,” León told E&E.

E&E News: Whitehouse says permitting reform talks on pause
Kelsey Brugger, 1/6/26

“A key Senate Democrat in the permitting talks left the door open to ongoing negotiations, even after he threatened to walk away from the table just before the holiday recess over the Trump administration’s renewed attacks against offshore wind,” E&E News reports. “Asked Monday evening if permitting talks would continue, Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told E&E the discussions were on pause. “I think they said that they were pausing the offshore wind stuff. So I’m pausing the permitting reform negotiations,” Whitehouse told E&E. Just before the break, Whitehouse and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s ranking member, condemned the Trump administration for halting five offshore wind projects off the Atlantic Coast.”

E&E News: 5 climate court battles to watch in 2026
Lesley Clark, 1/6/26

“Blockbuster legal fights over climate policy are on the horizon this year as the Trump administration and business interests head to court to prevent states from reining in greenhouse gas emissions and forcing some of the largest U.S. companies to disclose climate risks,” E&E News reports. “Climate could also once again become a major issue at the Supreme Court in 2026, as the justices consider an oil industry bid to stop states, cities and counties nationwide from holding the fossil fuel industry financially accountable for rising global temperatures. Beyond the courtroom, the administration is expected to soon finalize the rollback of a 2009 finding that underpins most climate rules, stoking debate over whether doing so will weaken an argument the oil industry has used to defend itself against liability lawsuits… “1. DOJ battles states: The Department of Justice last spring sued four Democratic-led states, spurred by an executive order Trump signed in April instructing DOJ to target state laws the president says are “burdening” fossil fuel production. DOJ’s lawsuits carry “potentially far‑reaching consequences for traditional energy companies,” the law firm Jones Day wrote in a recent note to clients… “2. California climate disclosure: California’s first-in-the-nation climate disclosure laws had been set to take effect Jan. 1 before a federal appeals court in November pumped the brakes on one measure requiring major companies to report climate risks… “3. Taxing tourists to pay for climate change: A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked Hawaii from imposing a tax on cruise ship passengers to offset the costs of climate change… “4. A Supreme Court battle royale: The nation’s highest bench will soon reveal whether it will take up the oil and gas industry’s latest effort to quash a swath of lawsuits seeking to hold companies financially accountable for the costs of climate change… “5. Endangering a key oil industry defense: Even as oil and gas producers challenge climate liability lawsuits at the Supreme Court, the industry has notched nearly a dozen wins against the local governments that are suing them, convincing judges the claims are preempted by the Clean Air Act. But fossil fuel companies’ winning argument could be undercut by the Trump administration’s move to repeal the endangerment finding, the 2009 EPA decision that serves as the foundation for many federal climate regulations.”

E&E News: Congress would boost oil and gas spending in fiscal 2026 package
Ian M. Stevenson, 1/6/26

“Spending bills released Monday by congressional appropriators contain provisions focused on boosting the oil and gas industry, a long-standing Republican priority,” E&E News reports. “House and Senate appropriators released final, negotiated versions of the Energy-Water, Interior-Environment and Commerce-Justice-Science bills. They’re part of an effort to prevent another government shutdown after Jan. 30. Congress previously passed three other final fiscal 2026 bills as part of the deal to end last year’s shutdown. The three new bills would increase funding for agencies that manage oil and gas activities on U.S. land and waters.”

Inside Climate News: EPA Funding Salvaged in US Congress Spending Bill
Liza Gross, 1/5/26

“In a step toward heading off a government shutdown when a temporary funding agreement expires at the end of January, appropriators in both the Senate and House of Representatives released a bipartisan spending package Monday morning that kept the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency largely intact,” Inside Climate News reports. “The spending package would fund several federal agencies and scientific bodies, including the EPA, departments of Interior and Energy and the National Science Foundation through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year… “This legislation is a forceful rejection of draconian cuts to public services proposed by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, told ICN. “The bill prioritizes unleashing American energy, ensuring access to public lands, promoting the reversal of harmful Biden-era rulemakings that have hamstrung farmers and industries and rightsizing agency funding levels, including a $320 million reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chair of the House Appropriations Committee, told ICN in a statement outlining key provisions of the package. The package allocated $8.8 billion for the EPA, roughly 4 percent less than last year’s $9 billion budget for the agency, a far less drastic reduction than environmental advocates had feared… “The bill is a notable step in the right direction, Boom told ICN, “but it doesn’t yet undo the damage to EPA’s capacity to protect public health or prevent further destructive actions by Administrator [Lee] Zeldin.”

Utah News Dispatch: BLM makes more lands inhabited by greater sage-grouse available for energy development
Alixel Cabrera, 12/22/25

“The Trump administration is planning on making more acres of public land available for energy and mineral development in eight Western states, a move worrying environmentalists watching for the declining population of greater sage-grouse,” the Utah News Dispatch reports. “The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday plans to modify its greater sage-grouse land use plan on about 50 million acres of sagebrush across Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, California, Utah and Wyoming. The bird has been eligible for some Endangered Species Acts protections since the early 2010s, establishing limits on mining oil, gas, transmission lines and other heavy industry operations, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The federal agency says the plan addresses threats to the birds’ habitat while balancing the government’s ability to manage public lands for other uses with states’ input… “The Center for Biological Diversity said in a release the plan strips protections for the bird, including removing “protections from 4.3 million acres of prime sage-grouse habitat” and reducing the amount of protected habitat in Utah… “The Center for Biological Diversity is planning to sue the administration over the amendment.”

STATE UPDATES

E&E News: Judge keeps Honolulu climate case alive
Lesley Clark, 1/6/26

“A Hawaii judge has allowed Honolulu’s lawsuit against the oil and gas industry to move closer to trial,” E&E News reports. “First Circuit Court Judge Lisa Cataldo on Friday rejected four attempts by fossil fuel companies to dissolve the lawsuit brought by the city and county of Honolulu, writing in one order that she “cannot conclude that continued discovery efforts would be futile.” The decision came a year after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the fossil fuel industry’s claim that the lawsuit poses a threat to a sector that is “vital to economic and national security.” In her rulings, Cataldo denied efforts by BP, Exxon Mobil and others to dismiss the 2020 lawsuit that seeks to force companies to help communities foot the bill for rising tides and worsening storms.”

WyoFile: Drillers say ‘political process’ outweighs environmental law in Wyoming oilfield
Angus M. Thuermer Jr., 12/23/25

“The political process,” and not environmental law, governs the development of a Delaware-sized oil and gas field in central Wyoming, drilling companies argue in an ongoing lawsuit that challenges the Converse County Oil and Gas Project,” WyoFile reports. “…Harold Hamm, founder of Continental Resources, donor to President Donald Trump and friend and associate of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, is watching his company’s prospects flourish as Converse County drilling proceeds despite a temporary injunction imposed by a Washington, D.C. court. Continental, along with Devon Energy, Anschutz Exploration and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, is fighting a new claim by the Powder River Basin Resource Council and Western Watersheds Project in the 3-year-old suit. The energy companies are aligned with the state of Wyoming and the federal government — all opposing a new claim that developers are skirting a court’s 2024 temporary injunction… “Just because [conservationists] wish BLM had decided differently does not mean that they can enlist this Court under the guise of judicial review to delay or block the Project,” Continental and the other drillers wrote. “The political process, and not [the National Environmental Policy Act], provides the appropriate forum in which to air policy disagreements.” Hamm’s “political process” includes donating millions of dollars to Trump’s campaigns, causes and aligned political action committees. Critics say the donations, documented by numerous media outlets, gave Hamm influence over energy policy and the political appointees who implement it.”

WCIA: Decatur will host community forum to hear concerns about carbon capture project
Alex Whitney, 1/5/26

“Residents in Decatur are asking city officials to take a second look at a carbon capture project,” WCIA reports. “Those concerned say the company behind the project didn’t disclose previous leaks that could put the city’s drinking water at risk… “But for Verlyn Rosenberger, the new project brings its own dangers. “Once the CO2 leaks and pollutes the rivers, the lakes, the streams, there is no turning back,” Rosenberger told WCIA. Rosenberger’s concerns aren’t unfounded. In March of 2024, ADM discovered a leak in one of its existing carbon capture projects. That leak has since been addressed, and thankfully, the EPA says it didn’t impact any drinking water. But what happened while ADM was responding to that leak has been just as concerning for Rosenberger and others as the leak itself. “If we go back in time, now well over two years, the citizens of Decatur, I would argue, did not have enough time to think about an easement for sequestration under Lake Decatur. And much has happened since that time,” Decatur City Council member Dave Horn said. While the leak was happening, ADM was negotiating with Decatur to expand its carbon capture operations. Those negotiations concluded in July of 2024, with the city reaching an agreement with ADM for a 99-year easement. But Verlyn said at no point in those negotiations did ADM disclose a leak had happened. “It wasn’t a mistake. It was obviously intentional that ADM did not disclose any leaks or problems to the city council before they ask for a 99-year lease,” said Rosenberger… “The information on the project, and public comment will be happening on Monday, Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Decatur Public Library.”

Louisiana Illuminator: Plastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’ are polluting beaches and waterways
David Montgomery, 1/6/26

“Aboard an aluminum skiff or one of her five kayaks, fourth-generation shrimper and fisherwoman Diane Wilson often plies the coastal bays and streams near her tiny hometown of Seadrift, Texas. But instead of fishing for shrimp, black drum or blue crabs, these days the 77-year-old is an environmental activist looking for “nurdles”— tiny plastic pellets that are polluting beaches and waterways in Texas and around the country,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “The minuscule spheres, typically less than 5 millimeters in diameter, are the basic building blocks of nearly all plastic products. But when they are mishandled during manufacturing or transport, they can slip through storm drains and into waterways, posing a health threat to both wildlife and humans. They are difficult to clean up, and act like sponges for toxins as they progress through the food chain. An estimated 445,970 metric tons of nurdles make their way into oceans annually. “They’re everywhere,” Wilson, who is now executive director of San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, an environmental group focused on protecting Matagorda Bay, on the Texas Gulf Coast, told the Illuminator. “They’re a real threat to human health and the planet, and we’re trying to protect the communities and the fishermen and the bays.” California enacted a law designed to curb nurdle pollution in 2007. Now the issue is gaining attention elsewhere: In 2025, legislators in Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia introduced bills. But the threat of nurdle pollution is beginning to resonate even beyond such left-leaning states. In Wilson’s deeply conservative Texas, a coalition of environmentalists, fishermen, business leaders and local officials is pushing for more nurdle regulation, arguing that the pellets pose an economic threat to coastal communities.”

EXTRACTION

Bloomberg: Chevron, US Oil Stocks Rally as Trump Vows Venezuela Revival
Mitchell Ferman, 1/5/26

“US oil stocks jumped Monday after President Donald Trump pledged to revive the Venezuelan energy sector following the capture of Nicolás Maduro over the weekend,” Bloomberg reports. “Chevron Corp., the only American oil major currently operating in the South American nation under special US permission, surged as much as 6.3%, the most since April. ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil Corp. also rose. The three largest oil-service companies — Halliburton Co., SLB Ltd and Baker Hughes Co. — all jumped more than 5%. Trump said US oil companies will spend billions of dollars to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure and restore the nation’s oil sector to its former glory… “A full revival of the country’s oil industry could take many years and cost upwards of $100 billion, Francisco Monaldi, director of Latin American energy policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, told Bloomberg… “It’s unclear how willing global oil companies are to pour substantial sums of money into a country run by a temporary US-backed government without established legal and fiscal rules. ConocoPhillips said this weekend it is premature to speculate about future business activities… “Exxon would look at any potential opportunity in Venezuela but would be cautious because its assets there have been expropriated in the past, Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods told Bloomberg in a November interview.”

Reuters: Former Chevron executive seeks $2 billion for Venezuelan oil projects, FT reports
1/4/26

“A former top Chevron executive, Ali Moshiri, is raising $2 billion for Venezuelan oil projects after the U.S. captured its leader Nicolas Maduro and President Donald Trump said Washington would take control of the oil-producing nation, the Financial Times reported on Monday,” according to Reuters. “Moshiri’s investment fund, Amos Global Energy Management, has identified multiple Venezuelan assets and was talking to institutional investors about a private placement to kick-start investment, he told the newspaper. “I’ve had a dozen calls over the past 24 hours from potential investors. Interest in Venezuela has gone from zero to 99 percent,” Moshiri told the FT.”

New York Times: A Revival of Venezuela’s Oil Industry Poses a Challenge for Canada
Ian Austen, 1/5/26

“The U.S. attack on Venezuela will likely have ripple effects on Canada’s oil industry, which may now have to intensify efforts to diversify beyond the U.S. market, experts said,” the New York Times reports. “President Trump’s plan to revive the oil flow in Venezuela — which involves U.S. companies returning to spend “billions of dollars” to fix infrastructure and then selling large amounts of oil to the rest of the world — is a particular challenge for Canada, which produces the same heavy and difficult-to-refine oil that Venezuela does. Until 2024, virtually all of Canada’s oil exports, which mostly come from Alberta’s oil sands, headed to the United States. Mr. Trump’s vision to revitalize Venezuela’s energy industry, which faces considerable hurdles, may accelerate moves to wean Canada from its reliance on the United States market, such as a pipeline linking the Pacific Coast of British Columbia to landlocked Alberta. “The only way, in the long term, to increase our competitiveness and increase our optionality is with pipeline capacity that doesn’t just point to the United States,” Rory Johnston, the founder of Commodity Context, an oil markets analytics firm in Toronto, told the Times… “Robert Johnston told the Times that there was little apparent interest among major oil companies in making large-scale investments in Venezuela despite Mr. Trump’s wishes. Still, he told the Times, any resumption of substantial shipments to the Gulf Coast from Venezuela would mean lower prices for Canadian oil in the U.S. market.”

Gasworld: China switches on first SCO2-enabled power generator
Dominic Ellis, 1/5/26

“The world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) power generator has begun operation in a steel factory in Guizhou province, China,” Gasworld reports. “The Chaotan One demonstration project comprises two 15MW CO₂ waste-heat power generators, jointly developed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC) of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and partners. It is designed to address global technical bottlenecks in the efficient utilisation of medium- and high-temperature heat sources in small to medium power projects… “CNNC launched a molten salt energy storage and SCO2 power generation demonstration project in 2024, which is expected to be deployed by 2028. The main challenges to using SCO2 are material durability, since materials must withstand high temperatures and pressures, and system complexity, dealing with fluctuating temperatures. SCO2 is used as the working fluid in high-efficiency water heat pumps for domestic and business heating and cooling applications.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Bloomberg: Banks Notch Higher Fees From Green Bonds Than Fossil Fuel Debt
Tim Quinson, 1/2/26

“Wall Street’s biggest banks made more money financing green projects than they did from working with fossil fuel companies for a fourth straight year, even as they faced ongoing pressure to pull back from the business,” Bloomberg reports. “Lenders generated roughly $3.7 billion of revenue from climate-related loans and bond underwriting in 2025, compared with about $2.9 billion from oil, gas and coal, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That marks a sharp reversal from 2020, when banks pocketed almost double the fees from fossil fuel companies than they did from backing green initiatives. Surging demand for capital tied to the energy transition, including renewables and batteries, resulted in “strong green issuance,” Grace Osborne, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, told Bloomberg. “Banks are no longer backing sustainability for reputational reasons. It’s increasingly where deal flow, fees and growth are.” “…Still, the $3.7 billion is a drop from the $4.2 billion banks collected for their work on green initiatives a year earlier. That decline came as many lenders abandoned the Net-Zero Banking Alliance — a group dedicated to helping lenders reduce their carbon footprints — in an effort to shield themselves from increasing political pressure as Donald Trump returned to the White House.”

OPINION

Ink Free News: Letters Of Opposition To Carbon Capture Sequestration Plan Available
Josh Leffel, North Manchester, 1/5/26

“As many people already know, but several others may not, Poet Biorefining, North Manchester, has partnered with Vault 44.01 with the intentions of building a carbon capture sequestration facility at Poet North Manchester,” Josh Leffel writes for Ink Free News. “They plan on sequestering (injecting) 250,000 metric tons of pressurized CO2, in a supercritical state, into the ground below our aquifers, every year for 12 years. They will be funded with a 45Q carbon credit (taxpayer money) valued at $85 per sequestered ton of CO2, to the tune of $25,250,000 per year. The 45Q carbon credits are valid for a time period of 12 years, the same time frame the project is slated to operate for… “Its newly proposed plan of dealing with its CO2 – carbon capture sequestration, or CCS – has become a very hot topic in and around Wabash County right now, the plan receiving tremendous amounts of pushback from local residents and owners of land in Wabash County. Poet recently held a meeting where it distributed “Letters of Support” for its proposed project, in hopes that people would send these to our Wabash County commissioners. This was an invite-only-style meeting. This prompted the idea for a “CCS Letter of Opposition” to be created.”