EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/30/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• Associated Press: Army Corps approves Enbridge pipeline reroute around Wisconsin reservation

• Law360: Fed. Judge Bars US From Enbridge Pipeline Oral Argument

• North Dakota Monitor: Judge slashes jury damages in Greenpeace case to $345 million

• Law360: 5th Circ. Backs FERC’s Approval Of Pacific NW Pipeline

• Seeking Alpha: South Bow: Assessing Calls To Resurrect Keystone XL (Downgrade)

• Reuters: HF Sinclair mulls pipeline expansions to boost US West Coast fuel supply

• Inspenet: Pemex advances in the recovery after leak in Alamo pipeline

• WUNC: Why our energy crisis runs through a gas pipeline

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Bloomberg: Trump Administration Backs Off Bid for Atlantic Oil Drilling

• E&E News: Biden-era limits on Alaska drilling up for Senate debate

• Bloomberg: Environmental Groups Challenged in Fighting Trump’s Alaska Moves

• Bloomberg: How Trump pressures the world into burning more oil and gas

• E&E News: Historic preservation enters the permitting conversation

• E&E News: Moniz-led group unpacks $8B in DOE project cancellations

• Guardian: All operational US liquefied natural gas terminals have violated pollution limits, says report

STATE UPDATES

• Press release: Energy Department Announces Loan for Indiana Coal-Powered Fertilizer Facility

• Washington Free Beacon: Trump Admin Finalizes $1.5B Loan To Transform Rust Belt Coal Plant Into Fertilizer Plant, Strengthening Domestic Supply

• Indiana Action Team: Hoosiers Decry Trump Administration $1.5 Billion Loan for Carbon Capture Scam Project

• Signal Ohio: Ohio GOP bill declares natural gas is ‘clean energy’ the state should favor

• Cleveland.com: Ohio’s war on nonprofit tax breaks is starting with… The Nature Conservancy?!

• ExxonKnews: Exxon uses free speech argument to fight climate laws

• E&E News: Environmental groups condemn California’s legislative session

• Politico: California knows the drill

• Los Angeles Times: In controversial move, LADWP says it will shift its largest gas power plant to hydrogen

EXTRACTION

• Globe and Mail: Talks to capture oil sands industry’s emissions in Alberta gather momentum

• CBC: Energy minister hints at support for carbon capture in climate strategy, no mention of emissions cap

• The Narwhal: The emissions that won’t be stopped by Canada’s carbon capture dreams

• Food & Water Watch: New Research Undermines Google’s Carbon Capture Claims

• Upstream: UK framework ‘not there’ for carbon capture development, says ExxonMobil

• New York Times: Bill Gates Says Climate Change ‘Will Not Lead to Humanity’s Demise’

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Federal government investigates Inpex’s Darwin oil spill, emissions error

OPINION

• Reporting From Alaska: Korean shakedown to provide cash for Alaska pipeline, Trump official claims
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Associated Press: Army Corps approves Enbridge pipeline reroute around Wisconsin reservation
10/29/25

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday approved energy company Enbridge’s plans to reroute an aging oil pipeline around a northern Wisconsin tribal reservation,” the Associated Press reports. “…The tribe wants the pipeline off its land. But along with environmental groups, the tribe argues that regulators have underestimated the environmental damage of construction and that the project perpetuates the use of fossil fuels. The opponents are suing to try to reverse construction permits issued by the state of Wisconsin. But the Army Corps of Engineers approved the separate federal permit Wednesday. “The approval of the Enbridge Line 5 reroute application is a great success and will advance the President’s energy dominance agenda for America,” Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, said in a statement… “Environmental groups criticized the Corps’ decision to grant the federal permit as “premature and unlawful” given that the litigation over the state permits is ongoing. “This is a clear violation of the Clean Water Act. It appears the Army Corps is fast-tracking a fossil fuel project at the expense of environmental protection and legal due process,” Rob Lee, a staff attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, told AP.”

Law360: Fed. Judge Bars US From Enbridge Pipeline Oral Argument
Joyce Hanson, 10/29/25

“U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker, in a one-page order Tuesday, denied the United States’ motion seeking permission to participate in the Nov. 12 oral argument on Enbridge Energy’s motion for summary judgment,” Law360 reports.

North Dakota Monitor: Judge slashes jury damages in Greenpeace case to $345 million
Mary Steurer, 10/29/25

“A North Dakota judge has nearly halved the $660 million sum Greenpeace was ordered to pay the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline in March,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “A nine-person jury had found the environmental group at fault for harming Energy Transfer during anti-pipeline protests in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017, as well as for publishing false statements to harm the company’s reputation. The jury’s award included more than $200 million of compensatory damages — money to address financial harms — plus about $400 million in punitive damages. In a Wednesday order, Southwest Judicial District Judge James Gion reduced the award after finding some of the jury’s damages had no legal basis, were duplicative or had exceeded statutory caps on punitive damages. The revised amount is about $345 million, according to Gion’s order… “He eliminated awards related to the claim that Greenpeace had trespassed or encouraged trespassing on land owned by Energy Transfer, for example. He also threw out millions Greenpeace was ordered to award Energy Transfer on claims that the environmental group unlawfully seized and abused its property. Gion left intact about $149 million in damages for Greenpeace’s alleged on-the-ground harms to Energy Transfer, including for trespassing and nuisance… “Energy Transfer, in a Wednesday afternoon statement, told the Monitor it planned to ask the North Dakota Supreme Court to reverse Gion’s revisions to the defamation and conspiracy awards.”

Law360: 5th Circ. Backs FERC’s Approval Of Pacific NW Pipeline
Juan-Carlos Rodriguez, 10/29/25

“The Fifth Circuit has affirmed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of a TC Energy Corp. natural gas pipeline, rejecting states’ claims that FERC didn’t fully consider costs to consumers and green groups’ claims that an environmental review was inadequate,” Law360 reports.

Seeking Alpha: South Bow: Assessing Calls To Resurrect Keystone XL (Downgrade)
10/30/25

“In recent weeks, the notion of resurrecting the Keystone XL pipeline project has been surfaced at high level trade talks between Canada and the United States. South Bow Corp, the owner of the Keystone pipeline, has joined the conversation by expressing its support for exploring opportunities within the existing energy corridor,” according to Seeking Alpha. “…In February, in response to President Trump’s comments about the Keystone XL pipeline, the company said in an e-mail that it has “moved on” from Keystone… “Just how likely is a South Bow sponsored project to build the long talked about Keystone XL pipeline? Looking at South Bow’s investment profile and the current regulatory context, it’s hard to see that the company has the capacity or the inclination to advance a project of this magnitude… “With approximately USD $7.9B in long-term debt, South Bow has a significant debt burden serviced with its current assets. The company’s weighted average cost of long-term debt is 5.7%. The company’s generous dividend yield of 7.7%, makes for an even more costly equity component within South Bow’s capital structure. Operating a mature asset, South Bow was set up to be a cash cow, not a developer of major projects. The company’s modest growth plans will focus on relatively small executable projects that expand existing capacity and link existing infrastructure. South Bow’s leveraged balance sheet limits the company’s financial flexibility to contemplate any major capital investments. In the event that Keystone XL is resurrected, South Bow’s investor profile as a mature and low growth firm makes it an unsuitable candidate to be the developer.”

Reuters: HF Sinclair mulls pipeline expansions to boost US West Coast fuel supply
Nicole Jao, 10/29/25

“U.S. refiner HF Sinclair is considering expanding its pipeline systems across the Rocky Mountain and West Coast to bolster fuel supplies in markets including California and Nevada, the company said on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “New pipeline expansions could help ease the strain on West Coast fuel supplies from the planned closures of Phillips 66’s Los Angeles refinery by the end of this year and Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery next year. The planned shutdowns, set to reduce approximately 20% of California’s refining capacity, have prompted regulators to seek alternative fuel supplies… “The plan, currently under review and subject to regulatory and board approvals, could add up to 150,000 barrels per day of incremental product into regional markets… “This would include expanding the Pioneer Pipeline, a jointly-owned asset with Phillips 66, that connects Sinclair, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as its UNEV Pipeline that runs from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Dallas, Texas-based refiner is reviewing its Medicine Bow Pipeline that connects Denver, Colorado to Sinclair, Wyoming, for possible expansion and reversal. It is also evaluating a project to construct a new lateral from Salt Lake City, Utah to Reno, Nevada.”

Inspenet: Pemex advances in the recovery after leak in Alamo pipeline
Ruth Arteaga, 10/8/25

“The work led by Petróleos Mexicanos have made it possible to fully contain the oil spill registered in the Álamo pipeline, specifically in the 30-inch Poza Rica-Madero line, at kilometer 46+935 in the municipality of Álamo Temapache, Veracruz,” Inspenet reports. “With the deployment of more than 750 workers from PEMEX, SEMAR, ASEA and the State Government, the containment phase was completed with the installation of 94 marine barriers and 467 oleophilic cordons that extended along 35 kilometers of the Tuxpan River and up to the first bridge in downtown Tuxpan across the Pantepec River. These structures prevented the spread of crude oil to populated and sensitive ecosystems. Meanwhile, recovery work is progressing intensively at seven strategic points where more than one million liters of hydrocarbons have already been collected. The operation is supported by two recovery vessels, seven small boats, skimming equipment and large capacity trucks… “After stabilization of the incident, the pipeline was put back into operation under safe conditions. industrial safety.”

WUNC: Why our energy crisis runs through a gas pipeline
Charlie Shelton-Ormond, Jerad Walker, 10/30/25

“Driven by unprecedented energy demand from data centers, the US is in the midst of one of the biggest energy infrastructure expansions of all-time. For many energy companies, the solution to this crisis runs through natural gas pipelines in places like Rockingham County, North Carolina. But does it come with a price?,” WUNC reports. “Featuring: Celeste Gracia, environment reporter for WUNC; Ben Lefebvre, deputy energy editor for POLITICO.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Bloomberg: Trump Administration Backs Off Bid for Atlantic Oil Drilling
Jennifer A Dlouhy and Ari Natter, 10/28/25

“The Trump administration is ruling out selling offshore oil and gas leases along the US East Coast, after its initial plan for auctioning them drew alarm from Republican strongholds in the Southeast,” Bloomberg reports. “The shift in thinking comes after the White House earlier contemplated a more expansive approach to auctioning offshore drilling rights, having drafted plans for potential sales up and down the US East Coast, people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because they aren’t authorized to discuss the deliberations told Bloomberg. But news reports on that broader approach drew swift condemnation from environmentalists and provoked alarm among some Republican stakeholders in the Southeast due to fears it could impact tourism. Concerns about Atlantic oil and gas drilling helped sink an earlier plan by President Donald Trump to open up the region during his first term… “The proposal could be formally advanced in coming weeks, marking the opening step in a long process toward developing a new five-year schedule for selling offshore oil and gas leases.”

E&E News: Biden-era limits on Alaska drilling up for Senate debate
Garrett Downs, 10/29/25

“The Senate on Wednesday will vote on whether to advance a proposal overturning a Biden administration rule limiting drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve,” E&E News reports. “Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced S.J. Res. 80 in September, saying it would roll back “key parts of Biden’s Last Frontier Lock Up” in a social media post. The resolution would specifically move to overturn a 2022 decision from the Biden administration that protected millions of acres in the NPR-A from oil and gas development. The Alaska delegation has long complained that the Biden administration was too aggressive with land protections in the state, arguing that extractive industries like oil and gas were essential to the economic well-being of communities and the state. “This will benefit North Slope communities with jobs & economic growth, and support their tax base to improve access to essential services like water and sewer systems and clinics,” Sullivan said of his Congressional Review Act measure, which only needs a simple majority to proceed in the upper chamber.”

Bloomberg: Environmental Groups Challenged in Fighting Trump’s Alaska Moves
Bobby Magill, 10/29/25

“The Trump administration’s opaque decisions during the government shutdown to permit oil and gas leasing and road building in Alaska make it hard to determine how those actions address environmental harm and can be challenged in court, environmental lawyers say,” Bloomberg reports. “When you call or email an agency looking for documents underlying the decision the Secretary announced, you get an out of office message,” Erik Grafe, deputy managing attorney for Earthjustice, a nonprofit law firm that often sues to challenge federal decisions, told Bloomberg. “No one is home.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Oct. 23 announced the agency’s decision to open the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas leasing, issue three federal permits to build the 211-mile Ambler Road across federal lands to planned copper and critical minerals mines, and approve a land exchange for a road within a federal wilderness area in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Environmental groups have challenged each of those projects in court previously, but they say the information about how the Trump administration arrived at its final approvals of those projects is too scarce to determine next steps.”

Bloomberg: How Trump pressures the world into burning more oil and gas
Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Akshat Rathi, 10/29/25

“Trump administration officials have seized on the U.S.-EU trade deal to urge other changes. For instance, Energy Secretary Chris Wright is pressuring the bloc to relax curbs on the methane footprint of imported gas,” Bloomberg reports. “The EU is already easing corporate sustainability requirements so fewer companies are compelled to limit their environmental harms, a retrenchment that came after pressure from Germany and other European stakeholders as well as the White House. Meanwhile the administration has been goading the International Energy Agency to shuffle its leadership and urged the agency to reinstate forecasts that show a rosier outlook for fossil fuel demand. It has pressed multilateral development banks to prioritize fossil fuels over climate adaptation and clean energy projects when their financing of those green initiatives has become critical given widespread foreign aid cuts.”

E&E News: Historic preservation enters the permitting conversation
Garrett Downs, 10/30/25

“Lawmakers are weighing a new hurdle in the fight over permitting overhaul: History,” E&E News reports. “In a Senate hearing held Wednesday, there was even some bipartisan agreement on the matter. The discussion centered on public consultation required by the National Historic Preservation Act, a statute known as Section 106. The law requires government-funded projects to consult with stakeholders before taking actions that could affect a historic site. Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) called the hearing to discuss how Congress can streamline the consultation process that he said is hampering projects and has become “more like a maze without a map.”

E&E News: Moniz-led group unpacks $8B in DOE project cancellations
Christa Marshall, 10/29/25

“The Department of Energy’s decision to cancel roughly $8 billion in projects this month will have ripple effects in 49 states and ‘disproportionately’ affect state governments, public universities and nonprofits, according to a new report,” E&E News reports. “The analysis from the EFI Foundation — led by former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz — sheds new light on DOE’s Oct. 2 announcement to nix funding for 223 projects, primarily in blue states. Using Treasury, congressional and National Environment Policy Act data, EFI found that $5.8 billion of the awards were contractually obligated through final contracts.”

Guardian: All operational US liquefied natural gas terminals have violated pollution limits, says report
Dharna Noor, 10/29/25

“Every fully operational liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the US has violated federal pollution limits in recent years, a new report has found,” according to the Guardian. “The analysis of public records comes as the Trump administration is aiming to fast-track the approval of new export terminals in an attempt to sell more domestic LNG to Europe and Asia… “The LNG industry portrays itself as environmentally friendly, but companies do not consistently comply with air and water pollution control laws that LNG terminals must follow,” says the report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a non-profit research organization… “Late last year, seven US LNG export terminals were fully operational: three in Louisiana, two in Texas, and one each in Maryland and Georgia. Between October 2022 and July 2025, all seven of those terminals have been in noncompliance with the Clean Air Act for at least one quarter, according to the analysis of data from the EPA and state governments…. “The review shows that export terminals routinely breach key environmental protection laws, the authors say. “These findings are absolutely not surprising to anyone who has spent time near these facilities,” Anne Rolfes, executive director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which opposes fossil fuel buildout, told the Guardian.”

STATE UPDATES

Press release: Energy Department Announces Loan for Indiana Coal-Powered Fertilizer Facility
10/29/25

“U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) closed a loan to support independent, American-made, and coal-powered fertilizer production. The $1.5 billion loan to Wabash Valley Resources, LLC, will help finance a coal and ammonia fertilizer facility in West Terre Haute, Indiana. The project will restart and repurpose a coal gasification plant idled since 2016 to produce 500,000 metric tons of anhydrous ammonia per year by using coal from a nearby Southern Indiana mine and petcoke as feedstock. “For too long, America has been dependent on foreign sources of fertilizer,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are changing that by putting America first, relying on American coal, American workers, and American innovation to power our farms and feed our families.” “…The loan, which was carefully evaluated under the new LPO guidance directed by Secretary Wright, delivers on the Trump administration’s promise to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars and unleash American energy dominance.”

Washington Free Beacon: Trump Admin Finalizes $1.5B Loan To Transform Rust Belt Coal Plant Into Fertilizer Plant, Strengthening Domestic Supply
Thomas Catenacci, 10/29/25

“The Department of Energy is finalizing a $1.5 billion loan for a first-of-its-kind project that will transform a shuttered Indiana coal plant into a fertilizer plant, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. The project’s developer, Wabash Valley Resources, will use coal from a southern Indiana mine and petcoke, a byproduct of refined crude oil, to produce 500,000 metric tons of fertilizer a year, according to the Department of Energy… “After taking office, Trump officials initiated a review of the loan and engaged in negotiations with executives at Wabash Valley Resources to modify some of its terms. The Department of Energy said Wednesday that its decision to finalize the loan ultimately delivers on “the Trump administration’s promise to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars and unleash American energy dominance.” It represents the second Biden-era energy loan the Trump administration has closed on. Earlier this month, the Department of Energy closed on a $1.6 billion loan for a power line project stretching across the Midwest. Both actions suggest the Trump administration is willing to move forward on Biden-backed projects so long as they help satisfy President Donald Trump’s sweeping economic agenda.”

Indiana Action Team: Hoosiers Decry Trump Administration $1.5 Billion Loan for Carbon Capture Scam Project
10/29/25

“Landowners and concerned citizens in Indiana called out the Trump administration’s Oct. 29 announcement that the Dept. of Energy’s Loan Program Office will provide a $1.5 billion loan to Wabash Valley Resources for its proposal to turn a coal plant into a fertilizer plant with an attached “carbon capture & storage” (CCS) emissions system,” according to the Indiana Action Team. “The loan, which was initiated by the Biden administration, was frozen at Trump’s behest until an announcement on Wednesday that said Trump officials “carefully evaluated under the new LPO guidance directed by Secretary Wright,” and reports indicating that they met with Wabash executives and “modified some of the terms.” The project description provided by the Dept. of Energy no longer makes any mention of the carbon capture & storage elements of the project, which will generate millions of dollars in taxpayer credit giveaways to the company. However, Wabash Valley Resources recently completed an Environmental Assessment of the project for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and signed two local real estate mortgages for properties associated with potential CO2 injection well sites within Indiana. “It is shameful that this Administration would hand out $1.5 billion to a privately owned, Korean backed corporation during a shutdown when everyday people can’t receive basic government services and government employees go unpaid. That is not the American way. Vermillion and Vigo County communities, both directly targeted by the Wabash Valley Resources (WVR) Pilot Project, are standing united together against this unwanted, unnecessary project. Indiana law states WVR must have 60% voluntary pore space before eminent domain can be used to take our property against our will. This company and its foreign partners will be hard pressed to ever have majority support in our community. We are steadfast in our commitment to protecting Hoosier land and lives from this dangerous scheme,” said Janet Cianteo, targeted landowner and member of Concerned Citizens Against Wabash Valley Resources and Indiana Action Team. “It is disgraceful that this project is being foisted on Hoosiers with the backing of our government and our public money. Enough is enough. We should not have to sacrifice our property rights or take on the risks of a proven-to-fail technology so Wabash Valley Resources’ investors can afford another private island,” said Emma Schmit, Bold Alliance’s Pipeline Fighters Director.”

Signal Ohio: Ohio GOP bill declares natural gas is ‘clean energy’ the state should favor
Jake Zuckerman, 10/29/25

“Natural gas – a fossil fuel that’s one of the biggest contributors to global climate change – would be considered “clean energy” that’s favored during Ohio’s permitting process, under new legislation proposed Tuesday,” Signal Ohio reports. “That same legislation would also declare that renewable energy sources like wind and solar power are not “reliable” because they depend on wind and sun, unlike coal or gas plants that can run nonstop. The legislation may be more than just wordplay – it would “force” the Ohio Power Siting Board, which considers permit applications for energy projects in the state, to favor projects that the bill deems are both clean and reliable, as sponsoring Sen. Mark Romanchuk, a Richland County Republican, described it in an interview… “It would grant ‘clean energy’ status to natural gas, the common term for methane… “Sen. George Lang, one of the Republican co-sponsors, said in committee that natural gas is a cleaner energy source than coal… “In an interview, Romanchuk told Signal Ohio law already considers natural gas to be “green” energy, and he said the new definition is “tied in” to the federal Clean Air Act… “Romanchuk also suggested that while wind and solar power don’t produce greenhouse gasses when they’re operational, the process of building and constructing those operations might.”

Cleveland.com: Ohio’s war on nonprofit tax breaks is starting with… The Nature Conservancy?!
10/29/25

“For decades, some institutions have been untouchable when it comes to property taxes: hospitals, churches, museums, and conservation groups. Now Ohio lawmakers want to test that boundary — starting with land conservancies,” Cleveland.com reports. “On Tuesday’s episode of the Today in Ohio podcast, hosts explored a new bill that targets The Nature Conservancy’s vast land holdings and could pave the way for taxing other nonprofits once considered off-limits. House Bill 540, introduced by Republican Representatives Justin Pizzulli of Scioto County and Dave Thomas of Ashtabula County, proposes a targeted approach that could eventually lead to a much broader revolution in nonprofit taxation… “The bill would specifically target large nonprofit conservation groups owning more than 15,000 acres in a single county. Starting next year, these organizations would owe 2.5% of the taxable value of their land, with proceeds going to local governments. For The Nature Conservancy, this would amount to between $230,000 and $275,000 annually.”

ExxonKnews: Exxon uses free speech argument to fight climate laws
Emily Sanders, 10/29/25

“ExxonMobil has sued California over a pair of state laws that force big companies to disclose financial climate risks to shareholders and the full greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their businesses — arguing that the measures violate the company’s free speech. It’s the latest example of Exxon, the biggest U.S. oil company, wielding the First Amendment as both a shield and sword in court,” ExxonKnews reports. “…Exxon’s new lawsuit argues that by requiring it to account for the entirety of its emissions, the laws would force it to “espouse California’s preferred framing for issues of immense public concern” and to “describe its emissions and climate-related risks in terms the company fundamentally disagrees with.” The lawsuit asks a U.S. District Court to stop California from enforcing the laws. The case targets the country’s only existing disclosure laws for greenhouse gas emissions, even as the federal government ends emissions reporting and required climate disclosures at the federal level. But it’s also part of a years-long trend of corporations using First Amendment arguments in an attempt to shield themselves from scrutiny and regulation, experts told ExxonKnews. “​​This is part of a long history of companies including Exxon trying to use the First Amendment to block regulation that they dislike,” Amanda Shanor, an associate professor of legal studies and business ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, who has chronicled some of those high-stakes efforts, told ExxonKnews. “That’s not really how the First Amendment works or is supposed to work.” The fossil fuel industry, in particular, has leveraged First Amendment arguments to repel criticism over their role in the climate crisis… “We’ve seen this movie before,” Robert Brulle, an environmental sociologist and professor at Brown University and director of research at the Climate Social Science Network, who has co-authored briefs in support of climate deception lawsuits, told ExxonKnews. “Their fallback defense is freedom of speech — ‘nobody ever said we have to be truthful.’”

E&E News: Environmental groups condemn California’s legislative session
Camille von Kaenel, 10/28/25

“Dozens of conservation and environmental justice groups lambasted Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature in a letter Monday for weakening major environmental laws in this year’s legislative session,” E&E News reports. “What happened: Over 50 groups signed on to the letter, including the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition and the Leadership Counsel on Justice & Accountability Action. They called out in particular this year’s passage of SB 131, which overhauled the California Environmental Quality Act in the name of building more housing, and SB 237, which cleared the way for more oil drilling in Kern County. ‘Under the guise of ‘affordability’’ and ‘abundance,’ you enacted the most regressive policies in generations,’ they wrote.”

Politico: California knows the drill
Noah Baustin, 10/29/25

“The Trump administration wants to shove new oil drilling onto California’s doorstep. The state may have built a bulwark strong enough to ward it off,” Politico reports. “The news broke last week that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is poised to propose opening up new oil and gas lease sales off the coast of California, as well as the Atlantic seaboard, for the first time in a generation. If Trump officials go through with their plan, it could lead to the first purchases of California leases since the infamous 1969 oil spill off Santa Barbara, according to the California Natural Resources Agency. But the long opposition to new development has stunted oil industry growth. A lack of infrastructure, combined with California’s hostile politics, make it unlikely that new petroleum platforms will pop up off the state’s coast anytime soon, if ever, according to industry leaders and researchers alike. “You can develop oil in other places, and it’s going to be more profitable, generally,” Ken Medlock, a Rice University energy studies professor, told Politico, adding that he saw it as “playing politics” to open up the new lease sales off the California and Atlantic coasts. “There’s nothing really that is commercially prospective there anyway,” he told Politico.”

Los Angeles Times: In controversial move, LADWP says it will shift its largest gas power plant to hydrogen
Hayley Smith, 10/29/25

“The board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on Tuesday approved a controversial plan to convert part of the city’s largest natural gas-fired power plant into one that also can burn hydrogen,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “…The power plant dates to the late 1950s and both units are legally required to be shut down by the end of 2029. In their place, the DWP will install new combined-cycle turbines that are expected to operate on a mixture of natural gas and at least 30% hydrogen with the ultimate goal of running entirely on hydrogen as more supply becomes available. The hydrogen burned at Scattergood is supposed to be green, meaning it is produced by splitting water molecules through a process called electrolysis… “But the plan has many detractors, including a number of local environmental groups who told the Times it will prolong the life of the city’s fossil fuel infrastructure at a moment when L.A. should be investing heavily in more proven clean technologies such as solar, wind and battery energy storage. “I’m very skeptical that progress looks like maintaining reliance on gas plants,” Julia Dowell, a senior campaign organizer with the Sierra Club, told the Times. “When this project initially comes online, there likely won’t actually be any hydrogen in the mix, so we’ll still just be burning 100% methane for potentially an indeterminable amount of time.” “…Nearly 50 people spoke up at Tuesday’s meeting, with detractors also expressing concerns about water use and pollution from burning the gas.”

EXTRACTION

Globe and Mail: Talks to capture oil sands industry’s emissions in Alberta gather momentum
Emma Graney, 10/30/25

“The group behind a proposal for a massive carbon-capture project in Alberta’s oil sands has begun preliminary discussions with the federal government’s new Major Projects Office, driven by a renewed sense of urgency around the plan,” the Globe and Mail reports. “The discussions so far have been “very high-level,” Pathways Alliance president Kendall Dilling told The Globe and Mail on Wednesday, but he expects the MPO will be instrumental in getting the emissions-reduction project up and running. Discussions ramped up slower than many in the sector expected, Mr. Dilling told the Globe and Mail, owing in part to the continuing trade war with the United States. But he said that Ottawa’s Bill C-5 has conversations “happening in earnest now.” The legislation aims to fast-track major infrastructure projects that are in the national interest. Mr. Dilling expects high-level agreement by the end of the year on how to move the Pathways plan forward… “Industry as well as the governments in Ottawa and Alberta have always lent their support to the concept of the project, Mr. Dilling told the Globe and Mail, but its significant expense has to be balanced with the oil sector’s global competitiveness. Although Ottawa and Alberta have tax credits available for the construction of carbon-capture projects, the financial hurdles for Pathways are not yet resolved… “It was hard for the Canada Growth Fund to deal with the realities of the scope and scale of our project and, frankly, the unpredictability of carbon markets. So it’s hard for them to step into that space decisively,” he told the Globe and Mail.”

CBC: Energy minister hints at support for carbon capture in climate strategy, no mention of emissions cap
David Thurton, 10/30/25

“Ahead of the release of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s climate competitiveness strategy, his energy minister offered some hints of what will be included when it’s introduced in Tuesday’s budget,” the CBC reports. “…But without mentioning the climate strategy specifically, Hodgson spoke about three levers guiding the government’s work. One involves “tactically using” public funding and tax credits to lessen risk and spur investment in “first-of-a-kind projects,” Hodgson told CBC. The goal, the minister said, is ensuring the Canadian economy “stays competitive and Canadian products compete — and win — in a low-carbon world.” The minister suggested Canada’s burgeoning carbon capture, storage and removal sector could be de-risked and scaled with government funding… “A former federal government adviser on climate policy, Louise Comeau, told CBC Hodgson is signalling that the Carney government favours carbon capture and storage over an emissions cap… “I don’t think it’s a secret that the proposed oil and gas cap will not be put into regulation in favour of investment in carbon capture and storage,” Comeau, a former member of Ottawa’s arm’s-length Net Zero Advisory Body, told CBC.”

The Narwhal: The emissions that won’t be stopped by Canada’s carbon capture dreams
Olivia Bowden, 10/30/25

“They come from driving a car or taking the bus to the office. Or when employees are given a company-owned smartphone. They can even result from a three-course dinner at a holiday gala — or that box of doughnuts at a meeting. And for companies that extract fossil fuels, they also come when customers use their products. All are examples of the creation of Scope 3 emissions: greenhouse gases that are indirectly produced by a corporation or institution’s supply chain and everyday operations,” The Narwhal reports. “…They’re also produced when Canadian oil and gas is used as fuel, whether in this country or another one. These emissions will still get into the atmosphere and heat the planet even if oil and gas producers succeed in their ambitious plans to capture and bury the emissions they create when extracting fossil fuels. Yet attempts to get Canadian companies to report them — even voluntarily — keep getting delayed… “Sara Hastings-Simon, an associate professor in the department of earth, energy and environment at the University of Calgary, told the Narwhal labelling and, hopefully, tracking these emissions is a way to hold companies responsible for emissions created by the goods and services they are producing and encouraging people to purchase and use… “Companies have a role, often, in creating the demand for their product,” Hastings-Simon told the Narwhal, which is why she believes they should be held accountable for emissions made all along its supply and use chain. Scope 3 are not some intangible drop in the pond of global emissions. They are frequently the “largest source” of emissions for companies and represents the “most significant” opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas globally, according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a Washington, D.C.–based organization that creates global standards to measure emissions. Think about the Alberta oilsands: yes, mining and upgrading bitumen creates emissions. But the burning of the products — say, in consumers’ cars — creates far more of an impact… “Young told the Narwhal carbon capture is a “pacifier” for the oil industry. “It’s a delay tactic, and it won’t work,” he told the Narwhal. “Why would we waste billions trying to come up with a techno fix that only prolongs a bunch of industries that don’t want to change?”

Food & Water Watch: New Research Undermines Google’s Carbon Capture Claims
10/29/25

“New research released today by the national environmental organization Food & Water Watch stories the failure of carbon capture and storage (CCS) development in the United States. As the data center boom is set to massively increase fossil fuel production, carbon capture is seen as the fossil fuel industry’s preferred alternative to renewable energy. Meanwhile, CCS buildout has not lived up to expectations of government officials, industry leaders, and other supporters of the faulty technology. The analysis comes a week after Google announced its first CCS project in Decatur, Illinois to “capture emissions.” “…Well failures at the Decatur facility where they plan to inject their emissions prompted lawmakers to call for a moratorium on carbon dioxide injection wells because of the risks they pose to drinking water and nearby communities… “Food & Water Watch found that: Gas plants have a track record of CCS failure… “CCS is an emissions generator:.. “Carbon capture and storage is the fossil fuel industry’s way to breathe new life — and money — into the polluting sector by rebranding itself as a green solution. In fact, it’s a distraction from actionable, meaningful climate action,” said Food & Water Watch Senior Researcher Oakley Shelton-Thomas. “In an era of deregulation, continuing to build out CCS infrastructure is a waste of resources that puts people in harm’s way, all while ignoring the climate solutions we have at our disposal. Google’s move marks an escalation in the industry’s promotion of this dangerous false solution.” The research concludes that CCS provides cover for continued fossil fuel investment and an excuse to funnel yet more public money to the oil and gas industry.”

Upstream: UK framework ‘not there’ for carbon capture development, says ExxonMobil
Rebecca Conan, 10/30/25

“Development of the UK’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) market will be impossible without changes to government incentives, according to ExxonMobil,” Upstream reports.

New York Times: Bill Gates Says Climate Change ‘Will Not Lead to Humanity’s Demise’
David Gelles, 10/28/25

“Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who has spent billions of his own money to raise the alarm about the dangers of climate change, is now pushing back against what he calls a “doomsday outlook” and appears to have shifted his stance on the risks posed by a warming planet,” the New York Times reports. “In a lengthy memo released Tuesday, Mr. Gates sought to tamp down the alarmism he said many people use to describe the effects of rising temperatures. Instead, he called for redirecting efforts toward improving lives in the developing world. “Although climate change will have serious consequences — particularly for people in the poorest countries — it will not lead to humanity’s demise,” he wrote. “People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future.” Coming just four years after he published a book titled “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” Tuesday’s memo appears to amount to a major reframing of how Mr. Gates, who is worth an estimated $122 billion, is thinking about the challenges posed by a rapidly warming world. Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University, told the Times Mr. Gates was setting up a false dichotomy “usually propagated by climate skeptics” that pits efforts to tackle climate change against foreign aid for the poor. “Despite his efforts to make clear that he takes climate change seriously, his words are bound to be misused by those who would like nothing more than to destroy efforts to deal with climate change,” Dr. Oppenheimer told the Times… “But the memo also sought to redirect efforts away from the campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and instead focus on other ways to improve human lives and reduce suffering.”

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Federal government investigates Inpex’s Darwin oil spill, emissions error
Roxanne Fitzgerald, 10/29/25

“An oil spill that leaked into Darwin Harbour and the substantial under-reporting of toxic emissions has put Inpex, one of Australia’s biggest gas companies, under federal investigation as scrutiny intensifies over its environmental record and oversight,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. “Earlier this month, Inpex admitted to drastically under-reporting several emissions in the 2023-24 financial year at its large-scale Ichthys onshore gas processing facility — on the edge of Darwin city. The recalculated figures showed a 13,000 per cent increase in benzene levels — known to cause some cancers — revised from 4.12 tonnes, to 556.9 tonnes. The figures also showed an 11,000 per cent increase in toluene emissions — which can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract — from 5 tonnes, to 496 tonnes.”

OPINION

Reporting From Alaska: Korean shakedown to provide cash for Alaska pipeline, Trump official claims
Dermot Cole, 10/29/25

“If U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is right, a big if, the Alaska gas pipeline could be a public works project funded by the Korean government under duress,” Dermot Cole writes for Reporting From Alaska. “I find it hard to believe that the Koreans will do what Lutnick claims and hand over $200 billion in cash, some of which Lutnick claims would go to the Alaska LNG project, making it the most expensive example of government involvement in private industry. I find it hard to believe that it would be legal for Trump to have a $200 billion slush fund that he can spend on anything he chooses. I find it hard to believe that the Trump tariffs are legal… “If by some miracle Lutnick is right, Trump will get cash from the Koreans in exchange for not raising the tax on U.S. purchasers of Korean cars beyond 15 percent. Trump continues to falsely claim tariffs would be paid by Koreans, not be Americans. He is also claiming that the Koreans will invest more than $600 billion in the U.S., a number that he appears to have made up. As if often the case with Trump and Lutnick, it’s not clear that what they are saying is accurate. And there is no joint statement with real details about the alleged free money from the Koreans. I suspect they will not be in a hurry to do anything.”