EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/5/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• WXXI: The Trump Administration Wants to Revive the Constitution Pipeline. New York is Fighting Back

• Corporate Knights: Fossil fuel expansionists beware: demand is cooling

• Canadian Press: ‘Tight timeline’ to nail down trade-offs in Pathways deals, Cenovus executive says

• Reuters: TC Energy raises 2026 profit outlook, announces C$3 bln in pipeline projects

• Press release: South Bow Reports Third-quarter 2026 Results, Provides 2027 Outlook, and Declares Dividend

• Oil & Gas: Energy Transfer approves South Mississippi Pipeline gas line for 2030 service

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: MPLX says 2.5-Bft3d Blackcomb Pipeline nears service as it raises distribution 12.5%

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: Columbia Gulf seeks FERC approval for 8.68-mile, $95-MM Clark Project lateral to Kentucky power plant

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Heatmap: What Does the Blue Wave Mean for Permitting Reform?

• Axios: Democrats’ big win clouds the permitting picture

• S&P Global: Democratic wins cloud US energy permitting reforms, kick off oversight push

• Politico: Senate’s permitting champions push back on calls to delay bill.

• Fortune: ‘Seismic’ blue wave triggers the sinking of oil prices, energy stocks, and the chances of power permitting reform

• High Country News: New bill slashes tribes’ role in projects that impact ancestral sites, water and wildlife

• WV News: NRDC raises environmental concerns over Capito-backed federal permitting reform bill

• Press release: BAAJA Proponents’ Own Modeling Illuminates Bill’s Failures

• Oil Change International: How the BAAJA Could Unlock a Massive Expansion of Data Center-Linked Gas Infrastructure

• Politico: Dems made Big Tech a foil — and they couldn’t stop winning

• Politico: Enviros embrace the blue wave

• Politico: Jared Huffman announces bid for Natural Resources gavel

• Politico: Frank Pallone launches bid for Energy and Commerce gavel

• Politico: Spending panel shakeup could elevate energy, environment budget champions

• Politico: A new group of Democrats is coming. Climate isn’t their priority

• Politico: The blue wave is straining the AI boom

STATE UPDATES

• States Newsroom: Voters across the country reject data centers

• Bloomberg: Democrat Wins Texas Oil Regulator Seat, Breaks Long GOP Hold

• Colorado Sun: Amendment 82, which would add “right to natural gas” to Colorado Constitution, appears unlikely to pass

• Canary Media: Can DTE build 2 gas plants and still meet Michigan’s 2040 carbon-free goal?

• Journal of Petroleum Technology: Texas Carbon Storage Project Receives FID

• Oil & Gas Watch: Public meetings to be held Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 for draft permit to drill three carbon storage wells at Exxon’s Sunflower Storage Project

EXTRACTION

• Associated Press: Australia Approves Seabed Site Where a Japanese Company Will Store Carbon Pollution

• Reuters: Owners of US shale producer Enduring Resources IV explore $4 billion sale, sources say

• The Insider: Black Sea oil spill kills 13,500 birds as court-ordered damages reach $1.5 billion

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Young hands today create big impact for tomorrow

OPINION

• Climb That Hill: On Permitting, the Only Good Deal Right Now is No Deal at All

• More Than Just Parks: Democrats Just Won Everything. Now Kill the Permitting Bill

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Don’t Gut Our Nation’s History in the Name of Permitting Reform

• The Hill: Congress drafted a historic climate bill. Environmental groups want to kill it.

• Real Clear Energy: After Huge Election Win, Democrats Hold Key to Lowering Energy Prices

• The Hill: Let us build: Permitting reform can’t wait

• Fossil Free Memo: The Blue Wave Is Here. Want to Be a Working-Class Hero? Take on Big Oil.
  

PIPELINE NEWS

WXXI: The Trump Administration Wants to Revive the Constitution Pipeline. New York is Fighting Back
Samuel King, 11/4/26

“A federal lawsuit from the state of New York against the Trump Administration over the proposed Constitution Pipeline is making its way through the courts. The state has opposed the natural gas pipeline, citing environmental concerns,” WXXI reports. “But the project is being revived by the Trump administration, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issuing a new environmental assessment last month… “The Department of Environmental Conservation sent back the application three times to the developer for lack of completeness,” Ken Lovett, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, told WXXI. “The developer then pulled the application and is looking for the federal government to circumvent New York’s permitting process, a move the state has sued over to protect our oversight rights.” “…A group of community members and Indigenous elders held the “Women’s Water Walk” that wrapped up earlier this month along 108 miles of the proposed pipeline route… “A few days later, they rallied at the Capitol, and delivered water collected along the route to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.”

Corporate Knights: Fossil fuel expansionists beware: demand is cooling
Victoria Foote, 11/4/26

“…Even conservative scenarios depicting the pace of the energy transition have prompted some analysts to question the proposed Pacific Link pipeline,” according to Corporate Knights. “…Its business case therefore rests on sustained demand for Canadian heavy crude well into the middle of the century… “But shifting demand in Asia makes that calculation a gamble. In a recent report put out by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), energy finance analyst Mark Kalegha and consultant Will Scargill argue that with China electrifying “significantly faster” than the rest of the world, oil-demand growth will likely plateau within a few years, followed by a decline. At least six different pipeline projects to move oil from Canada to the United States or export markets from the Pacific coast are under way or at the proposal stage. Should all projects be built, Canadian export pipeline capacity would increase by 45%, or 2.25 million barrels per day, by 2035, according to a Reuters calculation. Maximizing that capacity would require oil supply to increase by more than a third by 2034, a near-doubling of its current annual average growth rate. The leap in output will require producers to move ahead on major new oil-sands projects at a scale that no company has undertaken in more than a decade… “Even so, the authors of the IEEFA report counter, the price tag attached to the Pacific Link – up to $44 billion – may be too high.”

Canadian Press: ‘Tight timeline’ to nail down trade-offs in Pathways deals, Cenovus executive says
11/4/26

“An executive at Cenovus Energy Inc. says top oilsands producers, Ottawa and the Alberta government face a time squeeze to finalize agreements on moving the Pathways carbon storage project forward by their mid-month target,” the Canadian Press reports. “…Members of the Oil Sands Alliance, which includes Cenovus and four of its peers, reached a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Ottawa and the province in July. They set a Nov. 15 target to pin down binding agreements with each of the companies…“Nov. 15 is a pretty tight timeline to get all this stuff done, but we’re working towards that. And I guess we’ll play it week by week if we actually hit that timeline.” “…The idea is for Pathways to offset some of the carbon dioxide emissions the proposed West Coast pipeline, Pacific Link, would enable through increased oilsands production. The parties are aiming for another 10 million tonnes of reductions by 2045. That’s a significant scale-back from the 22 million tonnes of emissions by 2030 they had earlier targeted.”

Reuters: TC Energy raises 2026 profit outlook, announces C$3 bln in pipeline projects
Sumit Saha, 11/5/26

“TC ‌Energy raised its 2026 adjusted core earnings forecast on Thursday and unveiled about C$3 billion ($2.15 billion) of new growth projects, betting on rising North American natural gas demand,” Reuters reports. “…TC Energy, which also topped ⁠quarterly earnings estimates, now expects 2026 adjusted core profit of C$11.8 billion to C$12.0 ​billion, up from its previous forecast of C$11.6 billion to C$11.8 billion. The newly approved projects ​include the $1.8 billion Crossroads Expansion and the $400 million American Midwest project, adding a combined 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of capacity to serve US Midwest power demand. The company also greenlit an expansion of ​Coastal GasLink, the C$4.9 billion Phase 2 project, following a final investment decision by ​LNG Canada and its partners, lifting system capacity to about 4.5 bcf/d, with service expected in the ‌early 2030s. In ⁠addition, TC Energy sanctioned the ANR Optimization project, a roughly $100 million expansion designed to support coal-to-gas switching in the United States.”

Press release: South Bow Reports Third-quarter 2026 Results, Provides 2027 Outlook, and Declares Dividend
11/5/26

“South Bow Corp. reports its third-quarter 2026 financial and operational results and provides its 2027 outlook… “Recorded third-quarter 2026 average throughput of approximately 586,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) on the Keystone Pipeline. Average throughput on the U.S. Gulf Coast segment of the Keystone Pipeline System was approximately 663,000 bbl/d, with pricing differentials tightening and demand for capacity moderating as the disruptions to global crude oil trade flows observed in the second quarter of 2026 eased… “Continued to advance remedial actions related to the Milepost 171 (MP-171) incident, including in-line inspections and integrity digs, while continuing to work closely with the Company’s in-line inspection technology vendors… “Following internal engineering reviews, South Bow began lifting pressure restrictions on certain segments of the Keystone Pipeline. During the third quarter of 2026, South Bow experienced a tragic contractor fatality at its Cushing, Okla. facility. The loss was deeply felt across the organization and reinforced South Bow’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of everyone who works on or around its assets. The incident remains under investigation… “Continued execution planning, permitting activities, and stakeholder engagement across the Company’s growth initiatives, including South Bow’s proposed Prairie Connector project and the jointly proposed Liberty Bridge Pipeline project with Bridger Pipeline LLC (Bridger), which are advancing as planned toward a targeted mid-2027 final investment decision (FID).”

Oil & Gas: Energy Transfer approves South Mississippi Pipeline gas line for 2030 service
Sepehr Alann Achard, 11/5/26

“Energy Transfer has taken a final investment decision on the South Mississippi Pipeline, a 215-mile, 36-inch natural gas line with capacity of 1.2 billion cubic feet a day. It is expected to cost about $1.6 billion (about AED 5.88 billion),” Oil & Gas reports. “It said long-term, demand-based transportation agreements back the project, which is projected to enter service in 2030… “Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline is developing the Mississippi Crossing Project, nearly 208 miles of pipe with up to 2.1 bcf/d of capacity at about $1.7 billion (about AED 6.24 billion). US regulators authorised it on 31 July, with service expected as early as the second quarter of 2028, subject to permits.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: MPLX says 2.5-Bft3d Blackcomb Pipeline nears service as it raises distribution 12.5%
11/4/26

“MPLX said its 2.5-billion-cubic-feet-per-day (Bft³d) Blackcomb Pipeline from the Permian Basin to Agua Dulce, Texas, has been commissioning since July and is expected to enter service in the fourth quarter, as the partnership reported higher third-quarter adjusted EBITDA and raised its distribution,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “MPLX owns 34% of Blackcomb and 34% of the 2.5-Bft³d Traverse Pipeline from Agua Dulce to Katy, Texas, which is expected in service in the second half of 2027. It also holds 30% of the Bay Runner system, which will carry up to 5.3 Bft³d from Agua Dulce to Brownsville, Texas. Bay Runner is expected in service in the fourth quarter, with Bay Runner Twin following in 2029. Further out, MPLX owns 22% of the 3.7-Bft³d Eiger Express pipeline from the Permian to Katy, expected in mid-2028, and 10% of the Solitude Pipeline System, two 2.25-Bft³d lines from the Permian to Katy expected in phases in the second half of 2029 and in 2030.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: Columbia Gulf seeks FERC approval for 8.68-mile, $95-MM Clark Project lateral to Kentucky power plant
11/4/26

“Columbia Gulf Transmission has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Clark Project, an 8.68-mile, 30-inch greenfield natural gas pipeline in Kentucky that would serve East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s existing J.K. Smith power plant, according to a FERC notice issued Nov. 3,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The project would provide about 250,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service to the cooperative. Along with the new pipeline, it includes an aboveground tie-in to Columbia Gulf’s existing mainline with a new launcher/receiver assembly and an aboveground meter station with its own launcher/receiver assembly, all in Estill and Clark counties. Columbia Gulf, which filed the application Oct. 20 under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, estimates the project’s total cost at about $95.2 million… “Motions to intervene, protests and comments are due by 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 24.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Heatmap: What Does the Blue Wave Mean for Permitting Reform?
Emily Pontecorvo, Jael Holzman, 11/4/26

“In the lead-up to the midterm elections, the outlook for passing the Senate’s bipartisan permitting reform deal during the lame-duck session was already highly uncertain,” Heatmap reports. “While environmental and clean energy advocates praised the transmission sections of the deal, a growing chorus warned of negative consequences from its provisions to fend off politically motivated attacks on energy projects, as well as its changes to tribal consultation in the federal permitting process… “Post-election, the odds of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act’s passage are likely a few degrees worse. Jared Huffman, the Democratic Representative from California who is next in line to lead the House Natural Resources Committee, reiterated his view that the Senate should hold off on a vote and take another pass at the bill in the next Congress, when Democrats have more leverage… “We don’t have more years to lose as clean energy projects sit on the sidelines, and there’s no guarantee Congress would ever find another compromise that would be able to pass the Senate,” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, one of the bill’s authors, told Heatmap. “Democrats ran and won on affordability, and this bill lowers costs for families and will allow us to start delivering on our election promises. It’s a bird in the hand. We’d be fools not to take it.”

Axios: Democrats’ big win clouds the permitting picture
Ben Geman, 11/5/26

“Democrats’ blowout win further complicates the fraught path to passing a permitting deal in the lame duck,” Axios reports. “…But critics argue the Senate plan unacceptably weakens environmental protections and tribal input… “Analysts with Jefferies also see reduced odds of lame duck support for a package that makes it easier to build gas pipelines. Yes, but: The bipartisan bill’s Democratic co-authors argued on Wednesday that now remains the time, with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) calling it a “bird in the hand” and saying “we’d be fools not to take it.” “…Huffman, who wants to wait until next year, said Dems should demand hearings and amendments on the bill he currently opposes.”

S&P Global: Democratic wins cloud US energy permitting reforms, kick off oversight push
Zack Hale and Maya Weber, 11/4/26

“Sweeping Democratic victories in the 2026 midterm elections could complicate efforts to pass a bipartisan Senate permitting reform package before the current US Congress adjourns, federal policy experts said Nov. 4,” S&P Global reports. “…The Senate package, unveiled by negotiators in September, was crafted “in a world where the prospects of Democrats controlling the US Senate looked fundamentally different than the at least 54-seat majority that Democrats achieved last night,” Joseph Brazauskas, a partner at law firm Bracewell, said during a Nov. 4 post-election webinar… “Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, a lead negotiator and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, on Nov. 4 reiterated support for moving the package forward in the current Congress. “We’ve been trying to pass permitting reform for the better part of a decade,” Heinrich told S&P. “It doesn’t necessarily get easier just because of who the chair is…This is the closest we have come to actually finding something that can get signed into law, and I’m not going to wait.” Still, Brazauskas argued that Democrats’ electoral performance was “so overwhelming last night that the outside groups that talk to Democrats, the NGOs, have to be emboldened. “…Democrats will likely walk back in and need to reassess whether those are things that should be dealt with during this lame-duck period or handled in the upcoming Congress, where they hold a much stronger bargaining position,” Holt Edwards, a principal at Bracewell, said Nov. 4.”

Politico: Senate’s permitting champions push back on calls to delay bill.
Nico Portuondo, 11/4/26

“Two Senate Democrats are trying to rebut calls within their party to postpone permitting legislation until next Congress, arguing that lawmakers shouldn’t walk away from a bipartisan deal despite Democrats’ massive election wins,” Politico reports. “House Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said late Tuesday that Democrats can get a better deal next year when they take control of the House and Senate. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) also said that Democrats must reconsider deals on legislation negotiated with Republicans, including the permitting reform deal. But the deal’s two lead Democratic negotiators, Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), said that walking away now, just days before the Senate acts on the legislation, would be a mistake. “This is the closest we have come to actually finding something that can get signed into law,” Heinrich said in a post-election statement shared first with POLITICO on Wednesday. “I’m not going to wait.” “…Three Democratic governors — including Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico — also weighed in with reservations in a letter sent Friday to the bill sponsors. They cited ‘substantial concerns’ regarding changes to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, Section 106 of the NHPA, NEPA and ESA that they said would limit community input and state autonomy.”

Fortune: ‘Seismic’ blue wave triggers the sinking of oil prices, energy stocks, and the chances of power permitting reform
Jordan Blum, 11/4/26

“…The other potential loser is the bipartisan legislation to expedite the construction of energy projects—and power the AI boom—that would benefit both renewable power and oil and gas pipelines,” Fortune reports. “Anti-fossil fuel Democrats are now potentially motivated to take harder negotiating tactics. TD Cowen analysts slashed their projection for passing the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) from 40% to 25% during the lame-duck session before the new Congress is sworn in.”

High Country News: New bill slashes tribes’ role in projects that impact ancestral sites, water and wildlife
Anna V. Smith, 11/5/26

“…That process includes tribal consultation, which is critical to upholding tribes’ ability to protect cultural landscapes, wildlife and water, would change dramatically under the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a permitting reform bill introduced by Western Republican and Democratic senators, including Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mike Lee, R-Utah,” High Country News reports. “…It has drawn fierce opposition from Native leaders and organizations, who argue that the increased speed comes at the cost of tribal sovereignty, and that they were not consulted before it was introduced… “This is one of those extreme, existential threats that’s in front of us right now,” said Mark Macarro (Pechanga), president of the National Congress of American Indians, at the organization’s conference… “The proposed changes are “a direct assault on tribal sovereignty,” said Ira Matt (Séliš), executive director for Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations for the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers… “These are not simply changes to a permitting process. They are deliberate attempts to undermine tribal self-determination.”

WV News: NRDC raises environmental concerns over Capito-backed federal permitting reform bill
Charles Young, 11/5/26

“A national environmental organization is warning that a bipartisan federal permitting reform package championed by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., could weaken environmental protections and limit the ability of communities and courts to challenge projects, even as the legislation includes significant changes to the nation’s electric transmission system,” WV News reports. “The Natural Resources Defense Council is warning that a bipartisan federal permitting reform bill championed by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., could weaken environmental protections and limit state authority and judicial oversight, despite supporting several of its proposed electric transmission reforms… “However, the organization raised concerns about provisions affecting the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, arguing that the legislation could reduce environmental oversight, limit state and tribal authority and make it more difficult for courts to stop projects that violate federal law… “Under the bill, agencies would generally be prevented from changing or withdrawing approved permits except under specified circumstances… “The NRDC specifically cited West Virginia’s experience with the Mountain Valley Pipeline as an example of why those provisions matter. The organization said that if the proposed changes had been in effect during the pipeline’s development, West Virginia might not have been able to require the erosion and runoff controls and compliance monitoring that allowed the state to enforce its requirements following violations associated with the project.”

Press release: BAAJA Proponents’ Own Modeling Illuminates Bill’s Failures
11/4/26

“Rhodium Group released long-awaited modeling of the climate impacts of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) on Monday… “Rhodium’s modeling fails to estimate emissions from the effects of “project certainty,” which hamstrings future administrations from regulating fossil fuels, along with other provisions that support fossil fuel buildout. At best, the model shows cumulative greenhouse gas emissions reductions from 2027-2040 of only 2.4% under BAAJA compared with current policy. This still leaves U.S. emissions in 2040 over 2.1 billion tons short of where they need to be. Total U.S. emissions increase under BAAJA between 2033 and 2040 in the model’s high-emissions scenario… “As stated by Rhodium modelers, BAAJA’s provisions make it easier to build new gas pipelines that data centers may require. Environmental Integrity Project estimates that more than 10,000 miles of new gas pipelines are currently underway or proposed. “Even BAAJA’s proponents are unable to produce modeling that shows it would meaningfully alter our climate future. Rhodium’s new analysis underscores how ill-advised it would be to sacrifice our bedrock environmental protections for the sake of this bill. Last night, Congress received a clear mandate to rein in data center construction, Big Tech, and Big Oil. They must reject BAAJA and pursue a rapid transition to clean, affordable renewable energy that doesn’t sacrifice our communities’ health and safety,” said Lorne Stockman, Research Director at Oil Change International.”

Oil Change International: How the BAAJA Could Unlock a Massive Expansion of Data Center-Linked Gas Infrastructure
Lorne Stockman, 11/4/26

“The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) strips communities of critical protections against the impacts of data centers and gas infrastructure on land, clean water and air, public health and safety, energy access, and the cost of living,” according to Oil Change International. “…Oil Change International has compiled a list of gas infrastructure in development – hundreds of pipelines and power plants – to show how BAAJA could accelerate fossil fuel expansion. We also highlight five fossil gas projects (STAK Data Center, Project Jupiter, Ports-Pike Data Center, Desert Southwest Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline Boost, and the Rockies Columbia Connector) from this list to illustrate their impact on frontline communities and the climate, and highlight what is at stake. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) is chock full of provisions that will streamline permitting for gas infrastructure in the U.S., just as a massive, unprecedented buildout of gas power plants and pipelines is being planned to fuel Big Tech’s data center boom, increase LNG exports, and secure the domination of gas on the nation’s grids. This imminent gas boom is a key reason BAAJA would fail to trigger a clean energy revolution, as the bill will boost it rather than impede it. As communities across the country challenge the enormous burden data centers and gas infrastructure threaten to place on land, clean water and air, public health and safety, energy access, and the cost of living, BAAJA will take away their ability to demand accountability and protection… “The surge in gas power can only happen with an expansion of gas pipelines across the country. Hundreds of projects are currently in the permitting process or have been proposed.”

Politico: Dems made Big Tech a foil — and they couldn’t stop winning
Gabby Miller, Owen Dahlkamp and Jacob Wendler, 11/4/26

“Democrats’ decisive midterms victory marked a warning shot to politicians who choose to align with the artificial intelligence industry and its growing unpopularity: rein in the powerful technology and its corporate interests or beware,” Politico reports. “The blue wave carried a repudiation of Silicon Valley’s biggest donors who over the cycle poured hundreds of millions of dollars to boost pro-industry Republicans and fend off voters’ frustrations over the industry’s growing influence. “Allying with the worst parts of the AI industry is just kryptonite for a campaign, and the results tonight double down on that,” Alex Bores, the former New York lawmaker who was buried by Big Tech’s coffers in a House primary this spring, told Politico… “In Texas and Ohio, two centerpieces of the data center build-out, Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa and former Sen. Sherrod Brown leaned on voters’ uneasiness about the facilities to successfully oust Republican incumbents. Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin deployed the same playbook, propelling her to victory, as did Pennsylvania Democrats like Paige Cognetti, Bob Brooks and Bob Harvie… “Some members of Congress are viewing their electoral success as a mandate to wield their newfound gavels against Big Tech.”

Politico: Enviros embrace the blue wave
Noah Baustin, Alex Nieves, Riley Ramirez, 11/4/26

“…After two years of President Donald Trump and his Republican allies attacking California’s environmental and renewable energy policies, Democrats will control Congress. The state’s environmental champions are hoping that this will halt the ongoing assault on offshore wind, oil production and air emission rules,” Politico reports. “California lawmakers have also been signaling for months that they intended to strongly push back on the Trump administration, if the midterms went their way. “The Democratic strategy is still coming together, but what I’ve heard is that the Dems plan some truly epic investigations,” RL Miller, president of Climate Hawks Vote, told Politico… “It seems pretty unlikely that [Republicans are] going to want to carve out time for vindictive attacks on California’s air,” Bill Magavern, policy director at the Coalition for Clean Air, told Politico. But on Wednesday, Rep. Zoe Lofgren threw cold water on the idea that a Democratic-controlled Congress will be the primary force limiting rollbacks to California’s environmental laws. “We’d have an interest in doing that, of course, but California’s had pretty good success in the court, because most of what the administration has done violates the law,” Lofgren told Politico. “I think their best bet remains in the courts.”

Politico: Jared Huffman announces bid for Natural Resources gavel
Amelia Davidson, 11/4/26

“Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) officially announced on Wednesday his intent to chair the Natural Resources Committee next year, vowing to make the panel a locus for oversight and environmental policy following Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories,” Politico reports. “…The California progressive and one-time Natural Resources Defense Council lawyer has spent the past two years hammering President Donald Trump on his expansion of fossil fuels and projects on public lands… “He named public land stewardship, environmental species protection, wildfire and drought resilience, clean energy buildout and ‘responsible permitting reforms’ as key areas of focus.”

Politico: Frank Pallone launches bid for Energy and Commerce gavel
Kelsey Brugger, 11/4/26

“Rep. Frank Pallone will officially seek to retake the gavel of the Energy and Commerce Committee after Democrats won back the House majority Tuesday night,” Politico reports. “…As one of the first senior Democrats to come out in favor of a data center moratorium, Pallone said in his letter he would seek to move legislation that would put ‘strong guardrails’ on facilities driving up energy costs for consumers. He also wants to restore a suite of clean energy tax credits the GOP weakened as part of their tax and spending megabill and “rein in Big Tech’s rapidly evolving artificial intelligence’ with regulations ‘centered on safety, fairness, and accountability.”

Politico: Spending panel shakeup could elevate energy, environment budget champions
Andres Picon, 11/4/26

“…Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is set to become chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and could potentially head the Energy-Water subcommittee next year after Democrats seized the Senate majority in Tuesday’s midterm elections,” Politico reports. “Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — who has led Republicans on the Interior-Environment subcommittee for more than 15 years — is in line to replace Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) as the top Republican member on the full panel after Collins lost her bid for reelection. If both Murray and Murkowski decide to keep their current subcommittee leadership assignments in the next Congress, they would bring decades worth of energy and natural resources expertise to the upper echelons of Congress’ most powerful committee, putting the budgets of EPA, the Interior Department and the Department of Energy front and center in spending negotiations potentially for years to come. That outcome could be a boon for environmentalists, public lands advocates and communities in Washington and Alaska. It could also be a nightmare scenario for Trump administration officials, who have come under fire from both Murray and Murkowski and would be subject to more fierce scrutiny in future Appropriations Committee hearings.”

Politico: A new group of Democrats is coming. Climate isn’t their priority
Zack Colman, Sara Schonhardt, 11/5/26

“The midterms made it clear that Democrats are no longer the Green New Deal party. The moderate slate of candidates that swept Republicans out of power — in conservative strongholds from Texas to South Carolina — ran heavily on the rising price of energy, rather than energy’s cost on the environment,” Politico reports. “…Instead, they come from Republican bastions like South Carolina and Texas, where climate politics are often viewed with skepticism… “In Texas, Sen.-elect James Talarico pledged to defend the oil and gas industry, in an acknowledgment of the state’s role as America’s fossil fuel capital. That creates challenges for Democrats who want to go back to their traditional positions on the environment, said analysts. While some incoming Democrats touted renewables as a solution to high energy prices, others are unlikely to support efforts within their caucus to regulate the oil and gas sector.”

Politico: The blue wave is straining the AI boom
Benjamin Storrow, 11/5/26

“…Democrats seized control of governors’ offices in Texas, Ohio and Georgia, by promising to place moratoriums on the sprawling facilities at the heart of the tech boom,” Politico reports. “Other Democrats were elected based on similar pledges in Michigan, New Mexico and Oregon. Those victories threaten to upend the race to develop artificial intelligence, which has been driving the U.S. economy and sending electricity demand soaring. After Tuesday, 41% of the country’s planned data centers are in states with existing or proposed moratoriums, according to Cleanview, a company that tracks the industry… “All that spending is a test for Democrats, who swept into power Tuesday on pledges to limit data center development. They must balance voters’ disdain for the facilities’ impacts on electricity bills with the economic benefits of building the massive computing centers.”

STATE UPDATES

States Newsroom: Voters across the country reject data centers
Alex Brown, 11/4/26

“In local elections across the country, Americans voted overwhelmingly to restrict the buildout of data centers in their communities,” States Newsroom reports. “Late Tuesday evening, 33 ballot measures to restrict data centers were passed by voters or were leading in ongoing vote counts, according to the tracking website Data Centers on the Ballot. Roughly a dozen similar measures were on the ballot in communities where vote totals had not yet been announced. The measures included outright prohibitions, temporary moratoriums, limitations on energy use, mandating voter approval before construction and advisory measures urging local officials to restrict data centers… “Residents in Republican and Democratic cities alike have pushed back on tech companies’ plans to aggressively build data centers to power their artificial intelligence platforms. Local and national activists have raised concerns about energy costs, pollution, water use, noise and conversion of farmland and other open spaces. According to an NBC exit poll, 56% of voters said AI and data centers played a “crucial or major factor” in their vote for Congress.”

Bloomberg: Democrat Wins Texas Oil Regulator Seat, Breaks Long GOP Hold
David Wethe, 11/4/26

“Democrat Jon Rosenthal defeated Republican firebrand Bo French to become the first member of his party in 36 years to win a seat on the powerful panel that oversees the $200 billion Texas oil industry,” Bloomberg reports. “…The three-member Texas Railroad Commission regulates an industry that pumps more crude than every OPEC member except Saudi Arabia. Its purview expanded from overseeing freight rates more than 100 years ago to handling drilling permits and well inspections as well as enforcing safety and pollution rules… “During the campaign, Rosenthal vowed to push for tougher oversight of the oil and gas industry, including imposing stricter methane flaring rules and requiring companies to plug abandoned wells faster. He also pledged to reduce the industry’s influence over the Railroad Commission. Rosenthal’s ability to impose changes will be limited, however, since Republicans will still hold two of the three seats on the commission.”

Colorado Sun: Amendment 82, which would add “right to natural gas” to Colorado Constitution, appears unlikely to pass
Michael Booth, 11/4/26

“A Colorado ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to add a right to produce and use natural gas, Amendment 82, appeared unlikely to pass late Tuesday,” the Colorado Sun reports. “…The initiative aimed to prevent state and local bans or limits on natural gas sales and use, and seeks to overturn existing laws or regulations with the same aim. The pitch to voters was part of an ongoing battle between Democratic state officials and environmental groups, who want to move the Colorado economy toward cleaner electric sources powered by wind, solar and batteries, and oil and gas interests wanting to protect fossil fuel use. Some local governments have considered ending natural gas lines to new developments, and state utilities are being required to sharply cut emissions associated with natural gas distribution and burning… “The groups opposed to the measure said it would have given “monopoly utilities and gas distributors legal power to challenge vital environmental regulations, threatening our clean air and water protections . . . tie regulators’ hands in favor of corporations” on issues like pipelines and air quality, and forced “Colorado families (to) bear the costs of expanding and maintaining natural gas wells, pipelines and other infrastructure that doesn’t even benefit them,” including data centers.”

Canary Media: Can DTE build 2 gas plants and still meet Michigan’s 2040 carbon-free goal?
Kari Lydersen, 11/4/26

“Can a utility commit to building massive gas plants and still achieve zero carbon emissions?,” Canary Media reports. “DTE Electric in southeast Michigan says yes, and it outlines how in a 20-year plan currently being considered by regulators. The key, the utility says, will be carbon capture and sequestration — collecting carbon dioxide emissions from two proposed gas-fired power plants and storing them underground… “The gas plants would go online in 2031 and 2032, and carbon capture equipment would be added by 2035, according to the long-range integrated resource plan that DTE filed with the state public service commission in September. The problem, as critics see it, is that carbon capture and sequestration has not been successfully deployed by electric utilities in the U.S. thus far. Even if the technology becomes economically viable, public opposition to the technology is likely to remain strong, as evidenced by the response to the Michigan Legislature’s efforts to adopt a carbon sequestration law. Public outcry has also erupted in neighboring states over plans for carbon dioxide pipelines and injection wells. In other words, DTE proposes to invest billions of customers’ dollars in gas plants that are dependent on a nascent and uncertain solution to comply with state law on emissions that would harm the climate and public health.”

Journal of Petroleum Technology: Texas Carbon Storage Project Receives FID
11/5/26

“Ozona CCS, a San Antonio-based carbon management company, announced a final investment decision (FID) on the Pawnee Carbon Sequestration Project, a 50/50 joint venture with Marubeni in Bee County in southern Texas,” the Journal of Petroleum Technology reports. “The project is designed to capture carbon dioxide from a StarTex Field Services natural gas treating facility then compress, transport, and permanently store it underground… “The companies are targeting first injection in the first quarter of 2027. The project plans to use an existing well, O’Neal Gas Unit No. 4, to inject the gas. Ozona has said the well and associated storage area has a potential capacity of about 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and reported that an injection test into the Sligo formation was successful… “The well has a pending Class II disposal permit with the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency tasked with regulating the oil and gas industry and its wells.”

Oil & Gas Watch: Public meetings to be held Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 for draft permit to drill three carbon storage wells at Exxon’s Sunflower Storage Project
11/4/26

“On October 15, 2026, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) proposed a draft permit that would authorize the construction and operation of three carbon storage wells at Exxon’s Sunflower Storage Project in Jefferson and Liberty Counties,” Oil & Gas Watch reports. “If approved, the permit would allow 25.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to be stored over an 11-year injection period. The CO2 would come from industrial emitters in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, though no specific sources have yet been announced. The RRC will accept comments until November 28, 2026. A public meeting will be held on Nov. 9 at 6 pm at Nome City Hall, 1586 2nd Street, Nome, Texas. Another meeting will be held virtually at noon on Nov. 10.”

EXTRACTION

Associated Press: Australia Approves Seabed Site Where a Japanese Company Will Store Carbon Pollution
11/4/26

“Australia has designated a seabed storage site near its northern coast where a Japanese company plans to store massive amounts of carbon pollution using a technology that has divided climate scientists,” the Associated Press reports. “Approval of the site to store up to 443 million metric tons (488 million tons) of carbon dioxide has become part of the global debate over carbon capture and storage: Proponents say the project will play an important role in reducing emissions from hard-to-clean-up industries like steel production and shipping… “Detractors say it will slow progress of already off-track global efforts to curb emissions and allow power plants and industrial facilities to continue burning fossil fuels under the promise of capturing the exhaust later… “Environmental groups are concerned about the impact the project would have on marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems… “Construction of the project will be a major disturbance these ecosystems, Chelsea Deng, a campaigner at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, told AP. “We see it as a greenwashing tactic that fossil fuel companies are using to green light continued pollution instead of doing the obvious choice of ramping down production and phasing out fossil fuels.”

Reuters: Owners of US shale producer Enduring Resources IV explore $4 billion sale, sources say
David French, 11/4/26

“The private equity backers of Enduring Resources IV are weighing a sale of the oil-focused producer, which operates in Colorado and New Mexico, in a deal that could value the company at more than $4 billion including debt, people familiar with the matter said,” Reuters reports. “…Enduring Resources held more than 557,000 net acres and had proven reserves of 229 million barrels of oil equivalent at the end of 2025, per its website.”

The Insider: Black Sea oil spill kills 13,500 birds as court-ordered damages reach $1.5 billion
11/3/26

“A total of 13,500 birds died on the coast of Russia’s Krasnodar Territory after the wreck of two Volgoneft tankers in December 2024, according to environmental lawyer Natalya Lisitsyna, who cited this data from the case file of the Commercial Court of Krasnodar Territory,” The Insider reports. “The court ordered the owners and the charterer of the tankers to pay 34.25 billion rubles ($423 million) over harm caused to wildlife and their habitat. Taking into account two previous rulings, the total court-ordered damages for the consequences of the manmade disaster have reached 119.2 billion rubles ($1.47 billion), The Insider calculated. According to the data cited by Lisitsyna, great crested grebes died in the largest numbers — about 10,300, which accounts for more than three-quarters of the recorded deaths. Another 1,022 of the killed birds belonged to nine different endangered species.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Young hands today create big impact for tomorrow
11/4/26

“…Partnering with ReLeaf Michigan, the students on Oct. 16 planted at least 27 trees on their campus, contributing to aesthetics while meeting a practical need,” according to Enbridge. “…For the last two years, ReLeaf Michigan has received support from Enbridge to advance ReLeaf’s mission to create tree canopies throughout the State. In addition to covering the cost of the trees for various plantings, Enbridge’s Michigan employees often are among the volunteers who plant the trees. “Tree canopies have environmental benefits that contribute to a community’s overall health and wellbeing,” said Kirstie Staelens, Enbridge senior advisor, community engagement.”

OPINION

Climb That Hill: On Permitting, the Only Good Deal Right Now is No Deal at All
Larry Shapiro, 11/4/26

“…But, so far, I haven’t read or heard much that indicates that Senate Democrats will back off from the effort of some of their colleagues to pursue a terrible deal on environmental permitting (although kudos to Senator Mark Kelly on his comments today). That deal is embodied in the inaccurately named Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act,” Larry Shapiro writes for Climb That Hill. “… Its most important features, which I’ve discussed in previous posts, greatly damage the public participation provisions enshrined in our environmental laws and gut much of the substance of those laws… “While the bill is “American” in the sense that is being considered by a legislative body that convenes on this continent, its attack on public participation in a democracy seems to me to be as anti-American as can be… “But why Democrats who see themselves as environmentalists (and in fairness, that includes both Senator Heinrich and Senator Whitehouse) would try to pass a bill that does such great damage to the opportunities that we have in this great democracy to engage in influencing public decision making is very hard to understand. It’s especially hard to understand now that political circumstances have changed. The best thing to do on BAAJA would be to stop now.”

More Than Just Parks: Democrats Just Won Everything. Now Kill the Permitting Bill
Jim Pattiz, 11/4/26

“…Before any of that happens, the Congress voters just fired gets one more crack at our public lands. On Monday, the first vote of the lame-duck session will try to advance the Senate’s ‘permitting reform’ bill, the 417-page giveaway Martin Heinrich and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote with Shelley Moore Capito and Mike Lee,” Jim Pattiz writes for More Than Just Parks. “… It’s the extraction industry’s wish list with two Democrats’ names on it, a rewrite of the laws that have protected our land and water for half a century. It hands the Trump administration the power to approve whatever they want on our public lands, and it makes sure that nobody can undo what they approve, not a judge or a future president. Permanent permitting, regardless of the law. Sounds sane to give to Trump right?… “Here’s the good news. Republicans hold 53 seats in the outgoing Senate, and the bill needs 60. It can’t move without at least seven Democrats, which means Democrats can kill it Monday all by themselves. Joe Manchin, the former West Virginia Senator who tried over the years to get a ‘permitting reform’ bill of his own, predicted that Republicans facing defeat would rush to lock in a deal before handing over power, and he called the lame duck ‘the last best chance.’ He meant that as a sales pitch. It also might be the best argument against the bill anyone’s made.”

National Trust for Historic Preservation: Don’t Gut Our Nation’s History in the Name of Permitting Reform
Brent Leggs is President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

“Sixty years ago this fall, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, a landmark statute grounded in a simple democratic principle: when government decisions threaten to alter or destroy the historic places that Americans care about, the public deserves a voice in what happens to them. Now, as Congress considers sweeping changes to the federal permitting process, that principle is facing its greatest test yet,” Brent Leggs writes for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the aftermath of World War II, federal policies fueled an unprecedented building boom that reshaped the nation, with new suburban housing developments and black ribbons of highway asphalt sprawling out. Within the nation’s cities, urban renewal programs aimed to clear away ‘blighted’ older neighborhoods to make room for something newer, cleaner, and as many federal policymakers believed, something better. By the 1960s, many began to recognize that this progress was coming at a severe cost. Neighborhood residents, community leaders, and preservationists pointed to the loss of architectural landmarks and tight-knit neighborhoods as whole blocks of communities across the country were leveled with federal support… “The NHPA codified the basic infrastructure of preservation as we now know it, creating the National Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Offices, and the Historic Preservation Fund. These programs empowered states and communities to document their heritage and provide financial resources and technical know-how to help revitalize old places to meet modern needs… “These lessons matter today because the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 currently advancing in Congress also contains provisions that would dramatically alter and harm Section 106 and remove hard-won protections of our nation’s historic resources. Proposed changes in the bill go beyond streamlining and efficiency—they threaten its purpose and its proven benefits. If passed in its current form, the larger permitting reform package would fundamentally gut the country’s historic preservation framework by transforming meaningful consultation with communities, states, and Tribal Nations—a process designed to identify and resolve harmful impacts to historic places—into little more than a procedural box to be checked by federal agencies disconnected from local history. These changes don’t promote progress. They are a step backward.”

The Hill: Congress drafted a historic climate bill. Environmental groups want to kill it.
Ethan Brown is Program Manager at the University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute, 11/4/26

“On Nov. 9, the Senate will take up the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, a sweeping bill that could become one of America’s most powerful climate policies. Stunningly, environmental groups are lining up in opposition,” Ethan Brown writes for The Hill. “…Yet 222 environmental organizations, including Greenpeace USA, the Climate Justice Alliance, and the Center for Biological Diversity, signed a letter urging Congress to reject the bill, arguing its environmental cost would “outweigh the potential emissions reductions” it could deliver… “By rejecting limits on the ability to delay or derail development, environmentalists risk sacrificing the biggest opportunity in decades to advance a sustainable future… “Many environmentalists object that the bill would ease fossil fuel permitting, a concession they consider untenable. But today’s infrastructure barriers don’t displace fossil fuels; they entrench them as the only option. Reform won’t fix that alone, but with solar, onshore wind, and battery storage comprising 93 percent of planned 2026 U.S. electricity additions, clean energy is better positioned to capitalize on deregulatory policy… “If Democrats bail, they risk politicizing future reform under a president willing to reject popular bipartisan legislation to punish Democrats… “By fighting it, environmental organizations risk jeopardizing the vision they’ve spent decades imagining.”

Real Clear Energy: After Huge Election Win, Democrats Hold Key to Lowering Energy Prices
Paul Bledsoe served as a staff member in the House of Representatives and Senate Finance Committee, and as an official at the Interior Department and the White House under President Clinton, 11/4/26

“This week’s stunning Blue Wave election result leaves no doubt: affordability, inflation and especially high energy prices are the dominant voting issues in America now—and likely for years to come,” Paul Bledsoe writes for Real Clear Energy. “…The Senate is scheduled to vote on November 9 on the most important bill to lower energy prices in decades: comprehensive bipartisan energy permitting reform that can unleash the building of trillions of dollars of new low-cost energy infrastructure across the country over the coming decades… “It is hard to overstate how precious this opportunity is… “Now the upcoming post-election session of Congress provides a rare political moment for action, an opportunity unlikely to occur again this decade… “But to make it happen, rank and file Democrats must make lowering consumer energy prices their overriding objective. And they must ignore the siren call of narrow special interests like some far-left-wing environmental groups who speciously oppose the bill and are completely tone deaf to the interests of consumers… “Some radical environmental advocates have claimed that legislative sections on “project certainty” — aimed at stopping presidents from attacking specific energy sectors like clean energy — could also limit the ability of states and courts to block projects fossil fuel projects. But these concerns are deeply overwrought since already most fossil fuel development is upheld by current statute and has been supported by courts, with or without permitting reform. The sad truth is that far left-wing opposition is fundamentally flawed because these groups don’t care about high costs to average consumers.”

The Hill: Let us build: Permitting reform can’t wait
Brent Booker is the general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, 11/4/26

“The Laborers’ International Union of North America, known by the acronym LIUNA, represents more than 540,000 skilled workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada. They build our highways, bridges and schools. They power the country with wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower and pipelines,” Brent Booker writes for The Hill. “Put simply: LIUNA builds North America. We take pride in delivering projects safely, on time and on budget. But too often, that work gets politicized, delayed or cancelled… “Our members can’t afford this instability. That’s why LIUNA supports Sen. Martin Heinrich’s (D-N.M.) Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. It sets clear deadlines for court challenges. It narrows and adds transparency to environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. And it gives our members the certainty they’ve needed for years. It also protects good union jobs, prevailing wages, apprenticeships and the safeguards that protect workers and communities, all while lowering energy costs for every American. For more than a decade, LIUNA has testified, filed comments and backed permitting bills, only to watch them die in the final hours of a congressional session. This time, we have a real shot. It’s time to stop gambling with the futures of hardworking LIUNA members and get this bill passed.”

Fossil Free Memo: The Blue Wave Is Here. Want to Be a Working-Class Hero? Take on Big Oil.
Fossil Free Media, 11/4/26

“…Now comes the harder part. Democrats have won an extraordinary opportunity to show Americans that they’re actually willing to take on the powerful corporations and wealthy interests that have spent decades rigging the economy and political system in their favor. And for a new generation of Democrats looking to make a name for themselves as champions of working people, there’s an obvious place to start. Take on Big Oil,” Fossil Free Memo writes. “Few industries better represent the corporate greed and political corruption that voters just rejected. Fossil fuel companies have spent enormous sums influencing elections and lobbying Washington, made staggering profits as Americans struggled with high energy prices, and fought tooth and nail to avoid paying for the climate disasters their products have helped fuel… “Across the country, newly elected Democratic governors, state lawmakers, and attorneys general have fresh opportunities to advance climate accountability laws, defend existing lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, and fight back against the industry’s efforts to secure special legal immunity… “A new generation of leaders is coming to Washington and state capitals after campaigning on promises to challenge corporate greed, lower costs, and fight for working people. They now have a chance to build their political identities around actually delivering on those promises, and taking on an industry as wealthy, powerful, and unpopular as Big Oil is a pretty good place to start.”