EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/7/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• Lootpress: West Virginia Appeals Court Partially Reverses Dismissal in Mountain Valley Pipeline Protest Case

• E&E News: Trump pushes New York governor on pipelines as deadline looms

• Appalachian Voices: Tennesseans rally at TVA headquarters to protest construction of Ridgeline pipeline

• KMA: Page County board joins counties in funding ISAC amicus brief in pipeline lawsuit

• KMA: Montgomery County board backs brief bucks in pipeline court case

• News Channel Nebraska: Supervisors asked to join opposition to Iowa carbon pipeline

• Greene County News: Supervisors give ‘thumbs down’ to new offer from Summit for easement on bike trail

• Wyoming Public Radio: Final Ag Committee peppered with eminent domain, climate change denial and procedural confusion

• North Dakota Monitor: Natural gas pipeline developer to sign up western North Dakota suppliers, eastern users next year

• Canadian Press: Eby, coastal First Nations call on Ottawa to maintain oil tanker ban

• Globe and Mail: TC Energy sees strong demand for more pipeline projects in U.S., Alberta

• Calgary Herald: TC Energy praises ‘policy environment’ in North America as pipeline company looks to grow

• Reuters: Canada’s Enbridge misses third-quarter profit estimates on higher capital costs

• Canadian Press: Pembina Pipeline posts drop in profit, gas pipeline expansions in the works

• Clean Energy Wire: German parliament adopts law reform to pave the way for carbon capture and storage

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• New York Times: Interior Secretary Faces Scrutiny for Travel Amid Shutdown

• Source NM: Trump nominates former NM GOP Congressman Steve Pearce to lead federal public lands agency

• E&E News: Met coal, uranium and copper are now ‘critical’ minerals

• NPR: The government shutdown is delaying an assistance program families use to heat homes

• E&E News: Federal energy aid goes dark with heating bills set to rise

• Heatmap: The Data Center Backlash Is Swallowing American Politics

• Associated Press: U.S. presses Europe to cut Russian gas faster, pledges LNG surge to help Ukraine

STATE UPDATES

• WTVY: Local farmer raises concerns over proposed carbon storage hub in Covington County

• Hoodline: Oregon Lawmakers Join Forces Against Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Plans

• VC Reporter: Democratic Lawmakers Oppose Oil Drilling: Carbajal, Padilla detail concerns over offshore oil drilling in letter sent to Washington D.C.

• Marcellus Drilling News: OH Judge Tosses Big Green Case Attacking State Park Fracking Law

• The Frontier: Like a ‘buried body.’ Small Oklahoma town overwhelmed by fumes from oil waste disposal

• Bloomberg: ConocoPhillips lifts Willow project cost to $9 billion, delays start to 2029

• Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Environmentalists urge Shapiro, lawmakers not to compromise on climate to end budget impasse

• Penn State University: Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane, metals into water

EXTRACTION

• New York Times: The U.S. Is Skipping This Year’s Climate Summit. For Many, That’s OK.

• E&E News: Trump’s fossil fuel crusade confronts the climate faithful

• Reuters: Oil producers need to step up drilling to sustain output, EIA says

• Reuters: US LNG producers ink near record contract volumes, even as fees climb

• E&E News: UN launches carbon market in bid to accelerate climate action

• Clean Technica: Canada’s New Budget Has Billions in Fossil Subsidies Disguised As Climate Action

• Canadian Press: Budget signals tone shift on oil and gas, but key details still unclear: expert

• Carbon Pulse: Canada’s carbon capture investments face major risks, auditor warns

• Axios: Shell backs plan to scale direct air capture project

• E&E News: Shell funds carbon removal plant that makes water

• Guardian: Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI

OPINION

• NOLA.com: More than moratorium needed to stop what’s coming with carbon capture

• NOLA.com: Moratorium undermines Louisiana’s energy leadership

• Pagosa Daily Post: One Month Into Shutdown, White House Has Approved More Than 600 Drilling Permits
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Lootpress: West Virginia Appeals Court Partially Reverses Dismissal in Mountain Valley Pipeline Protest Case
11/7/25

“The Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia has partially sided with Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC in its legal battle against four protesters who blocked construction of the natural gas pipeline in Summers County,” Lootpress reports. “In a decision released Thursday, Judge Greear wrote that the lower court was wrong to dismiss the company’s claims of trespass, tortious interference, and injunctive relief, allowing those parts of the lawsuit to move forward. However, the appeals court upheld the dismissal of Mountain Valley’s claims of civil conspiracy, violations of the state’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, and a stand-alone claim for punitive damages. The case stems from a September 2023 protest when several opponents entered pipeline property without permission. According to court records, protesters sat in rocking chairs across an access road and one demonstrator attached herself to drilling equipment, halting work until state police intervened and made arrests… “The Circuit Court of Summers County dismissed the case last year, finding the company lacked a legal basis for its claims. The appeals court disagreed in part, ruling that the pipeline company had adequately alleged that the protest interfered with its lawful right to use the property and caused quantifiable harm. The judges said those claims should be heard by a jury… “At the same time, the panel agreed with the lower court that the company failed to show property damage necessary to pursue a claim under the West Virginia Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, a statute that allows civil penalties for damage to infrastructure sites.”

E&E News: Trump pushes New York governor on pipelines as deadline looms
Marie J. French, 11/5/25

“President Donald Trump bashed Gov. Kathy Hochul over pending pipeline decisions, linking the lack of new gas infrastructure to high energy prices in the Northeast,” E&E News reports. “Governor Kathy Hochul of New York State is killing the entire region with Energy Prices that are OUT OF CONTROL, and expected to TRIPLE because she can’t get an Upstate and, separately, Long Island, PIPELINE built,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. Pipeline developer Williams Co. has revived two previously rejected pipeline projects with Trump’s support. Hochul has signaled growing openness to new gas infrastructure as she zeroes in on energy costs for consumers.”

Appalachian Voices: Tennesseans rally at TVA headquarters to protest construction of Ridgeline pipeline
11/6/25

“Community members with Ridgeline Voices and other groups rallied at the TVA headquarters on Wednesday evening to protest the start of construction of the 122-mile-long Ridgeline Expansion Project, coinciding with the TVA board meeting. Ridgeline is a methane gas pipeline that threatens water quality and wildlife habitat in hundreds of east and middle Tennessee streams and allows a proposed 1,550-megawatt gas plant to fuel devastating climate change. “Tennessee deserves energy that does not hurt the amazingly unique creeks and rivers in our state,” said Sue Havens, community advocate with Ridgeline Voices… “Coming from rural Morgan County to the city of Knoxville, affected community members and speakers urged TVA to abandon its plans to build nine costly and polluting gas plants and three pipelines throughout the region, and to stop the construction of the Ridgeline pipeline. In its study for replacing the Kingston coal plant, TVA identified the possibility of building solar and energy storage options, but opted for the polluting gas project that economists have found to be over $1 billion more expensive. “TVA is putting us on a collision course with high energy costs coupled with high environmental costs,” said Kent Minault, energy policy activist… “The rally at the TVA headquarters brought dozens of demonstrators together with music and speakers to call for clean, affordable energy in the Tennessee Valley, including members of Third Act Tennessee, the American Indian Movement Indian Territory TN, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Appalachian Voices, the Sierra Club and Ridgeline Voices. Protestors promised to continue resisting TVA’s plans for methane gas.”

KMA: Page County board joins counties in funding ISAC amicus brief in pipeline lawsuit
Ethan Hewett, 11/5/25

“Page County officials have joined the growing number of counties in Iowa chipping in on a legal brief in a court case related to local control and carbon pipelines,” KMA reports. “Meeting in regular session Wednesday evening, the Page County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a one-time $500 contribution to the Iowa State Association of Counties for an amicus brief in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case between Shelby and Story County and Summit Carbon Solutions. Shelby and Story county officials seek to appeal the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in June that upheld a lower court’s ruling barring counties from implementing ordinances regulating carbon sequestration projects–such as the proposed Midwest Express CO2 pipeline… “Imogene area farmer Marty Maher says the principle of “subsidiarity” for counties is at risk due to current court rulings… “You know more than the governor and you know certainly more than the federal government knows about the needs of our local area. Your authority is at stake for any future issues you face if this circuit court ruling stands.” “…The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved a similar contribution Wednesday morning.”

KMA: Montgomery County board backs brief bucks in pipeline court case
Mike Peterson, 11/5/25

“Montgomery County is among those chipping in on a legal brief connected to a case involving local control of carbon pipeline projects,” KMA reports. “By a 4-to-1 vote Wednesday morning, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved a $500 contribution to the Iowa State Association of Counties for an amicus brief in an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case. Last month, Shelby and Story County officials filed a petition in their case against Summit Carbon Solutions. Both counties seek to appeal the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in June that upheld a lower court’s ruling barring counties from implementing ordinances regulating carbon sequestration projects–such as the proposed Midwest Express CO2 pipeline. Despite voting in favor of the contribution, Supervisor Bryant Amos expressed mixed emotions. “I do believe in local control,” said Amos. “But I think a lot of this is going to be no matter what we do, we have the federal government that is so far into this, it’s not going to matter. We’ve got too many people making money off of this to satisfy California and New York.”

News Channel Nebraska: Supervisors asked to join opposition to Iowa carbon pipeline
Dan Swanson, 11/4/25

“The Fremont County Board of Supervisors discussed opposition to carbon pipelines that include service to an ethanol plant in Shenandoah,” News Channel Nebraska reports. “Minutes of an October meeting say Jan Norris of Montgomery County urged supervisors to join legal action taken by Shelby and Story counties in hopes of overturning a court ruling preventing counties from banning carbon sequestration projects. She seeks county financial support for legal actions, including an amicus brief intended to recognize local zoning ordinances above federal safety standards. The county earlier offered an objection to using eminent domain to establish carbon pipelines. Norris told supervisors to inquire about adding water usage at the Shenandoah ethanol plant for the purpose of carbon sequestration.”

Greene County News: Supervisors give ‘thumbs down’ to new offer from Summit for easement on bike trail
11/5/25

“It stinks” was how Greene County supervisor Peter Bardole characterized a new offer from Summit Carbon Solutions for an easement to construct a pipeline to carry liquified carbon dioxide on a route that would go under the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Franklin Township,” Greene County News reports. “…Summit has a proposed route across the bike trail, but the offer calls for the company retaining the right to place the pipeline anywhere within the parcel. The ultimate permanent easement would be 50 feet wide… “It’s very smart, what they’re doing. They’re trying to get us to get others to agree,” Laehn said… “Another provision in the agreement requires the county to promise “to cooperate with the pipeline and advocate for and join with Summit in any application or proceedings related to government authorization,” Laehn said. The county would need to withdraw its previously-filed objection to the pipeline and advocate for it before the Iowa Utilities Commission. It was at that point that Bardole offered, “it stinks.” Laehn continued that the county “could not directly or indirectly oppose Summit’s effort to gain governmental authorization, nor make any statements that directly or indirectly interferes with the project.” “I don’t think they’ve piqued our interest,” board chair John Muir said. “I can say anything I want now… It’s a small sentence, but permanent is a big thing.” “It takes away our rights, our freedom of speech,” supervisor Dan Benitz said. “At this point, their ask is a lot more, what they’re asking us to obligate the county to,” Muir said.

Wyoming Public Radio: Final Ag Committee peppered with eminent domain, climate change denial and procedural confusion
Caitlin Tan, 11/6/25

“Lawmakers recently debated how much say landowners should have when companies want to build new pipelines for carbon dioxide, ultimately tipping toward industry,” Wyoming Public Radio reports. “The draft bill in question would’ve required 66% of landowners in a CO2 pipeline’s path to be on board with the project… “It doesn’t go to the extreme where one person can stop or can force a project,” said Brett Moline, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation’s policy advocacy director, to lawmakers about the draft bill. “I think it’s a good middle ground.” “…Wyoming Stock Growers Association’s Jim Magagna expressed a similar sentiment to the 13 lawmakers on the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources committee… “Most CO2 is used as an injectant for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a technique used to recover 30 to 60 percent more oil from mature fields,” according to a UW pipeline guide. “CO2-based EOR accounts for 6% of total annual oil production in Wyoming, generating approximately $26,000,000 annually in state tax revenue.” “…This has just thrown up some more roadblocks, for what? For the industry that doesn’t need any more roadblocks,” Davis said. “Our current federal leadership has been tearing down the roadblocks. So I don’t know why we’re throwing another roadblock in the way.” “…But Continental Resources’ Shelley Shelby reassured them, “We hate wind. We hate solar.” “…It is actually oil and gas that is doing this, not some Green New Deal, Biden thing,” Shelby said. Shelby opposed the landowner buy-in requirement because she said it could handcuff industry. Ultimately, lawmakers didn’t pass the draft bill.

North Dakota Monitor: Natural gas pipeline developer to sign up western North Dakota suppliers, eastern users next year
Jacob Orledge, 11/6/25

“WBI Energy on Thursday released new details of the timeline for the planned Bakken East natural gas pipeline connecting the two halves of North Dakota,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “…WBI will hold a binding open season during the first quarter when shippers will commit to ship natural gas on the pipeline. Then WBI expects to sign agreements with gas customers along its planned route by the midpoint of the year. “We feel good about where we are today based on our ongoing conversations with a host of potential customers,” Mark Anderson, vice president of business development and marketing for WBI, told the Monitor. The potential customers include utilities, industrial users, and others such as data center developers. WBI will apply for federal regulatory approval between July and September 2026, Anderson told the Monitor.. The company is optimistic the regulatory process will go smoothly… “The pipeline is expected to transport up to 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas out of the Bakken per day… “The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved a $500 million financial guarantee earlier this year to help get the project off the ground.”

Canadian Press: Eby, coastal First Nations call on Ottawa to maintain oil tanker ban
Ashley Joannou, 11/5/25

“British Columbia Premier David Eby and coastal First Nations have signed a declaration calling on the federal government to maintain an oil tanker ban off the province’s north coast,” the Canadian Press reports. “Eby says one oil spill in the area would destroy billions of dollars in economic activity along the coast, with no technology available to clean it up. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been calling for the tanker ban to be repealed as part of her government’s proposal to build an oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. Chief Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations, says the tanker ban is a result of 50 years of advocacy by coastal communities and is “foundational” for keeping the coast healthy and the economy strong. Jason Alsop, president of the Haida Nation, says there’s “absolutely no support for pipelines” to the coast or oil tankers around Haida Gwaii. The declaration says repealing the tanker ban would risk major projects and “cheat” B.C.’s economy out of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments while risking irreversible ecological damage.”

Globe and Mail: TC Energy sees strong demand for more pipeline projects in U.S., Alberta
Emma Graney, 11/5/25

“TC Energy Corp. expects to place $8.2-billion worth of projects into service by the end of the year, driven by the surging demand for natural gas all over North America,” the Globe and Mail reports. “Government policies across the continent have become “increasingly supportive” of development that can help meet unprecedented demand growth, chief executive officer François Poirier told analysts on an earnings call Thursday. That includes pipelines and power plants fired by natural gas. Mr. Poirier pointed to recent federal policy developments in Canada, for example, that he said have improved the regulatory environment for projects of national interest such as LNG Canada Phase 2, which is supplied by TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline. The company’s latest forecast has North American natural gas demand increasing by 45 billion cubic feet a day by 2035, driven primarily by an expected tripling of liquefied natural gas exports, unprecedented power demand from data centres and coal-to-gas conversions… “In Mexico, for example, the government plans to bring eight gigawatts of new natural gas capacity online by 2030 – and TC Energy’s assets there are “strategically positioned to support this necessary build-out,” Mr. Poirier said… “TC Energy has placed $8-billion worth of projects into service this year alone, and they are tracking roughly 15 per cent under budget, Mr. Poirier said. He expects that number to climb to $8.2-billion by the end of the year… “The bulk of TC Energy’s projects, however, are brownfield and corridor expansions in the U.S., where the company is expanding its existing infrastructure to capitalize on the extensive demand for power generation and data centres.”

Calgary Herald: TC Energy praises ‘policy environment’ in North America as pipeline company looks to grow
Steven Wilhelm, 11/6/25

“Natural gas pipeline company TC Energy Corp. says governments across North America are moving toward clearer, faster permitting, allowing projects to be delivered faster and at lower costs,” the Calgary Herald reports. “The policy environment is becoming increasingly supportive,” François Poirier, TC Energy’s chief executive, told analysts on a Thursday earnings call, announcing results for the company’s latest quarter… “Poirier said the LNG project will be enabled by TC Energy’s 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline, adding that recent developments — including Bill C-5 — will “further ensure our infrastructure projects can meet the unprecedented growth in demand.” Tina Faraca, TC Energy’s vice-president and chief operating officer, said power generation is the biggest driver of North America’s natural gas needs, while electrification, coal power plant conversions and energy requirements for data centres are increasing demand. “By 2035, we expect that 60 per cent of North American (natural) gas production will move through TC Energy-connected basins, providing our pipeline(s) long-term, abundant, low-cost supply,” Faraca told analysts… “On top of policy shifts in Canada, the company also highlighted regulatory changes in the U.S. that have reduced delays and heightened demand for new capacity in Mexico as reasons for optimism.”

Reuters: Canada’s Enbridge misses third-quarter profit estimates on higher capital costs
Pooja Menon, 11/7/25

“Enbridge missed third-quarter profit estimates on Friday, pressured by higher financing costs from capital investments including U.S. gas utility acquisitions, sending its shares down nearly 2% in premarket trading,” Reuters reports. “The Calgary-based pipeline operator had bought three Dominion Energy utilities last year — East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas and Public Service Co of North Carolina — in a $14 billion deal, including debt. It reported adjusted core profit of C$2.31 billion ($1.65 billion) from its liquid pipelines unit, down from C$2.34 billion a year earlier, due to lower contributions from the Flanagan South and Spearhead pipelines. The company’s Mainline system, the largest pipeline network in North America, saw third-quarter adjusted core profit marginally fall to C$1.34 billion due to lower toll pricing… “Enbridge sanctioned roughly C$3 billion in new projects during the quarter and its growth backlog now sits at about C$35 billion.”

Canadian Press: Pembina Pipeline posts drop in profit, gas pipeline expansions in the works
11/6/25

“Pembina Pipeline Corp. posted a profit of $286 million during the third quarter, a drop from the $385 million it earned during the same period a year earlier,” the Canadian Press reports. “…Revenue was $1.79 billion, down from $1.84 billion. The Calgary-based natural gas shipper and processor says it has more than $1 billion of proposed pipeline expansions in the works to handle growing production out of the Montney, Duvernay and Deep Basin areas of Alberta and British Columbia. Pembina also says it and partner Kineticor are expecting to make a final investment decision on the Greenlight Electricity Centre natural gas-fired power plant in Alberta during the first half of next year. It adds that Cedar LNG, the liquefied natural gas export terminal under construction in B.C. that Pembina owns alongside the Haisla Nation, is tracking on budget and on schedule.”

Clean Energy Wire: German parliament adopts law reform to pave the way for carbon capture and storage
Julian Wettengel, 11/7/25

“Germany’s parliament has adopted a reform that allows carbon storage under the seabed, enables the buildout of pipelines to transport CO2 and excludes the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for coal power plants,” Clean Energy Wire reports. “The government and industry welcomed the decision, while environmental NGOs warned that the reform failed to introduce sufficiently strict guardrails to protect the climate and environment. The council of federal state governments (Bundesrat) has yet to give the final green light to the reform. The German chapter of environmental group WWF criticised the reform for allowing CCS on gas-fired power plants, which would create the basis “to keep fossil fuels artificially alive”. Emissions from the energy sector could be avoided “and have no place in the seabed”, said WWF’s Karoline Schacht. The organisation welcomed that marine protected areas are excluded as storage sites, but warned that allowing the construction of pipelines for CO₂ transport could still cause “massive disruption” in these zones… “Chemical industry association VCI said the parliament decision finally marked the starting signal for CCS and CCU and represented a “pragmatic” approach to climate policy. Now, speed is of the essence, said managing director Wolfgang Große Entrup. “The CO2 pipeline network must be planned, approved and built at turbo speed – and publicly funded.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

New York Times: Interior Secretary Faces Scrutiny for Travel Amid Shutdown
Maxine Joselow, 11/4/25

“Doug Burgum, the interior secretary and President Trump’s energy czar, is on a weeklong swing through the Middle East and Europe, with stops in Abu Dhabi for a major oil summit and in Athens for a global energy gathering,” the New York Times reports. “…Yet some critics are questioning whether it’s appropriate for the interior secretary to be traveling abroad at taxpayer expense when the federal government is shut down. One of Mr. Burgum’s main responsibilities is oversight of national parks, which are suffering damage and illegal activity during the shutdown because of low staffing levels. “As national parks are either closed or operating on skeleton crews, I can’t imagine anything more disconnected than for the secretary of interior to jet off to these places and schmooze with oil oligarchs,” Representative Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, told the Times. Mr. Huffman questioned whether Mr. Burgum flew on commercial or private planes and at what cost to taxpayers… “While our parks and public lands languish largely unstaffed, Burgum has exited the scene,” Elizabeth Villano, a spokeswoman for Resistance Rangers, a group of off-duty and former park rangers and supporters, told the Times. “We call on him to do his job as secretary of the interior, protecting our nation’s irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage. This is not a job that allows for remote work from Bahrain.”

Source NM: Trump nominates former NM GOP Congressman Steve Pearce to lead federal public lands agency
Patrick Lohmann, 11/5/25

“President Donald Trump has nominated Steve Pearce, a Republican former member of Congress from New Mexico, to lead the federal Bureau of Land Management, the White House announced Wednesday,” Source NM reports. “Pearce would be in charge of an agency that oversees 245 million acres of public lands, including for recreation, cattle grazing and extraction of oil and natural gas. His nomination drew swift criticism from environmental groups in New Mexico and across the country. They urged Congress to reject Trump’s nomination. “Pearce’s entire political career has been dedicated to blocking Americans’ access to public lands while giving the oil and gas industry free rein to drill and frack anywhere they wanted,” Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, told Source NM… “According to the Center for Western Priorities, Pearce amassed a “lengthy anti-public lands record” while in Congress, including co-sponsoring bills undermining the Antiquities Act and opening national forests to industry.”

E&E News: Met coal, uranium and copper are now ‘critical’ minerals
Hannah Northey, 11/6/25

“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has added metallurgical coal, copper and uranium to a list of minerals deemed critical for the nation’s economy and security, opening up new projects to billions of dollars of federal incentives and faster permitting under the Trump administration,” E&E News reports. “Burgum, acting through the director of the U.S. Geological Survey amid the ongoing shutdown, signed off on a final list of critical minerals that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, a document that the agency said is ‘dynamic’ and will be updated more often to guide federal decisions.”

NPR: The government shutdown is delaying an assistance program families use to heat homes
Sophia Schmidt, 11/6/25

“As millions of Americans face a gap in food assistance due to the federal government shutdown, some families also worry about how they’ll pay their winter heating bills,” NPR reports. “The shutdown has delayed federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, a program that helps about 6 million households nationwide pay their heating or cooling bills, buy fuel or fix broken heaters. For nearly a decade, preschool teacher Justina Ray has relied on LIHEAP to heat her Pennsylvania home. “My income itself comes down with all the holidays and the school closures,” Ray told NPR. Without LIHEAP, she told NPR, her winter energy bills are “not affordable.” “…Around this time each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sends most of the annual LIHEAP funding to states to run the program. But because of the shutdown, that hasn’t happened… “For Ray and millions of other people, delays in LIHEAP funding could lead to tough choices. Ray told NPR she’s holding off turning on the heat in the gray-shingled duplex just north of Philadelphia, which she shares with her two kids. “Without LIHEAP, I really don’t know what I’m going to do,” Ray told NPR… “She told NPR the LIHEAP delay and uncertainty around SNAP may force her to miss a car payment, skip holiday traditions with her kids or travel less to visit family.”

E&E News: Federal energy aid goes dark with heating bills set to rise
Jason Plautz, 11/7/25

“The government shutdown is delaying federal assistance that helps 6 million households pay energy bills — just as winter weather threatens to push those bills higher,” E&E News reports. “This is around the time the Department of Health and Human Services would typically send states most of its funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. But the Trump administration isn’t making those payments, so states are scrambling to fill the gap, which could force tough decisions for households that rely on the money to keep the power on. Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, told E&E it would likely take four weeks once the government reopens to get LIHEAP funds moving again — “if everything goes well.” “That delay puts a significant wrench in the works,” Wolfe told E&E. “People will suffer from this.”

Heatmap: The Data Center Backlash Is Swallowing American Politics
Jael Holzman, 11/6/25

“The techlash over data center development is becoming a potent political force that could shape elections for generations,” Heatmap reports. “… But cracks are beginning to show when it comes to support for the infrastructure necessary to get there. Nearly every week now across the U.S., from arid Tucson, Arizona, to the suburban sprawl of the D.C. area, Americans are protesting, rejecting, restricting, or banning new data center development. It’s also popping up in our elections… “In the run-up to Election Day, polling showed voters were hyperfocused on the risk that data centers could negatively affect their lives. Some candidates in local races campaigned almost entirely on the issue, while others pledged to new bans. “There’s a lot of other things going on too, [but] data centers are much more important than candidates want to admit,” Chris Miller, president of Piedmont Environmental Council, a conservation advocacy group in Virginia that tracks and fights data center development, told Heatmap. “An industry that is used to moving fast and breaking things is moving up against a physical world they’ve never dealt with before.” “…We found that the dislike is incredibly strong — less than half of Americans are willing to support a data center near them. The hostility crosses party lines, with Republicans nearly as likely to express disdain towards these projects as Democrats. The frustrations with these facilities are also poised to increase over generations, as data centers are most underwater with the younger cohorts, aged 18 to 49, who may be more familiar with AI. The polling also showed that people are easily convinced to oppose data center development in their neighborhoods. Rhetoric in favor of data centers — how they contribute to tax revenue, create jobs, help the U.S. compete with China — might win some hearts and minds, but rhetoric decrying data centers consistently polled stronger than any of the supportive arguments we tested. This registered across party lines. And making matters worse for the tech sector, individuals who previously opposed renewable energy projects were more likely to be anti-data centers.”

Associated Press: U.S. presses Europe to cut Russian gas faster, pledges LNG surge to help Ukraine
11/5/25

“Senior U.S. officials urged European allies Thursday to speed up the phasing out of Russian gas by expanding regional pipeline networks and boosting American liquefied natural gas imports across Europe,” the Associated Press reports. “U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum joined over 80 American officials, EU energy ministers and top LNG executives for talks in Greece hosted by the Atlantic Council, the Washington-based think tank. “The United States alone could displace all the Russian gas in Europe with what we’re building,” said Burgum, signaling strong U.S. intent to fill the void left by Russian supply cuts.”

STATE UPDATES

WTVY: Local farmer raises concerns over proposed carbon storage hub in Covington County
Jacklynn Lambert, 11/6/25

“The fight against building a carbon dioxide storage hub in Covington County continues a week after residents voiced their concerns in a county commission meeting,” WTVY reports. “Wesley Laird, whose family has owned land in the area for 75 years, told WTVY he has serious concerns about Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage’s plan to build a carbon dioxide pipeline near his property. “There were several generations of farmers, so the land is very important, and I don’t want to see the fresh water ruined,” Laird told WTVY… “While the pipeline will go several thousand feet below the freshwater aquifers in the area, Laird worries about the possibility of a leak into the natural resource… “They’ve got to make sure they’re sealed good to prevent the stuff from leaking into the aquifer,” Laird told WTVY. “I’m not so convinced that the oil and gas board has accurate records of where those wells were when you go back to pre-computer days.” While the projected economic impact of the site is positive, Laird told WTVY safety is more important. “That aquifer supplies not only our county with fresh water, some perfect fresh water, but it also supplies North Florida. When we talk about pumping 20 million tons into the ground, it can affect generations and generations to come, long after I’m gone,” he told WTVY. Laird has taken to social media to raise awareness about his concerns. The feedback has been overwhelming, with many Covington County residents sharing similar worries.”

Hoodline: Oregon Lawmakers Join Forces Against Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Plans
Eric Ramirez, 11/6/25

“In a collective outcry, Oregon lawmakers took aim at the Trump administration’s plans to kickstart new offshore oil and gas leases, a move seen as a regression in environmental protection efforts,” Hoodline reports. “Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, together with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, Maxine Dexter, and Janelle Bynum, stood with over 100 federal lawmakers to push back against the proposed leasing in U.S. federal waters. The contentious areas include the Arctic Ocean and northern Bering Sea off of Alaska, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and the Eastern Gulf. They emphasize that such actions could potentially wreak havoc on coastal economies and ecosystems already struggling with the impact of natural disasters and recent oil spills. “This is a matter of national consequence for coastal communities across the country, regardless of political affiliation. It puts our economies, national security, and our most vulnerable ecosystems at severe risk,” the lawmakers were quoted to in a statement acquired by Senator Wyden’s official website.”

VC Reporter: Democratic Lawmakers Oppose Oil Drilling: Carbajal, Padilla detail concerns over offshore oil drilling in letter sent to Washington D.C.
Alex Wilson, 11/6/25

“Any efforts by President Donald Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to permit increased offshore oil drilling off the California coastline will be strongly opposed by Ventura County Congressmember Salud Carbajal and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla,” according to the VC Reporter. “The Democrats joined in signing a bicameral Oct. 30 letter addressed to The Honorable Donald J. Trump at the White House and Burgum at the Department of the Interior in Washington D.C. “We write to express our strongest opposition to any effort to open new offshore oil and gas leasing in federal waters,” the letter to the Republican leaders began. “This is a matter of national consequence for coastal communities across the country, regardless of political affiliation.” The letter said new leases would reverse long-standing protections under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, putting vulnerable ecosystems at risk.”

Marcellus Drilling News: OH Judge Tosses Big Green Case Attacking State Park Fracking Law
11/6/25

“In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine,” Marcellus Drilling News reports. “The law allows shale drilling under (but not on top of) Ohio state-owned land, including state parks. Predictably, the enviro-left attacked the bill. Four left-wing ‘environmental’ groups—Ohio Environmental Council, Ohio Valley Allies, Buckeye Environmental Network, and Sierra Club—filed a lawsuit in April 2023, hoping to overturn the new law. After more than two years, a judge ruled on the case, dismissing it.”

The Frontier: Like a ‘buried body.’ Small Oklahoma town overwhelmed by fumes from oil waste disposal
Kayla Branch, 11/6/25

“For weeks, Renae Haymaker was talking to neighbors about the smell drifting from the open pits filled with oil and gas waste a few miles away,” The Frontier reports. “Haymaker, the elementary principal at Hillsdale Christian School outside of Enid, told the Frontierit smelled like a “buried body.” The smell would fill cars as families drove their kids to school down the main road, making noses burn, according to over 40 complaints sent to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission earlier this year. “We didn’t know what it was or if it would harm anyone,” Haymaker told the Frontier. The pits belong to Nemaha Environmental Services, a local oilfield waste disposal company. The company treats mud, wastewater and other debris from oil and gas production. One woman wrote to the state that she was vomiting and suffering from headaches. A local doctor wrote that he worried about the health of people living in the area… “The caustic wash was primarily sodium hydroxide, a common chemical but one that can pose serious health hazards like eye damage and skin burns, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company told state inspectors that the substance was being used in a way that would exempt it from federal rules regulating hazardous waste. State regulators initially weren’t sure who had jurisdiction to handle the “improperly disposed of” materials, records show… “Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, made phone calls to state officials in an effort to push for enforcement. Pederson told the Frontier residents in his district have had concerns about Nemaha for years. At one point, a local resident sent state regulators photos of animals that the resident said had wandered onto his land, covered in oil. But the smell from the out-of-state waste was “above and beyond anything that was imaginable,” he told the Frontier. “It’s unfortunate the people in that area had to deal with that,” Pederson told the Frontier.”

Bloomberg: ConocoPhillips lifts Willow project cost to $9 billion, delays start to 2029
David Wethe, 11/6/25

“ConocoPhillips raised its total spending plans for the Willow oil and natural gas project in Alaska to as much as $9 billion, citing inflation and other rising costs,” Bloomberg reports. “The Houston oil giant, which initially estimated that its spending on the North Slope project was in the range of $7 billion to $7.5 billion, now expects oil production there to begin in early 2029, according to a statement Thursday. General inflationary costs of about $700 million are the biggest driver of the higher range of $8.5 billion to $9 billion.”

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Environmentalists urge Shapiro, lawmakers not to compromise on climate to end budget impasse
Peter Hall, 11/6/25

“A compromise that sacrifices Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to end the commonwealth’s four-month budget stalemate would be shortsighted and harmful, environmental and clean energy advocates say,” the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports. “…But Republicans, who control the state Senate and have rejected Democratic budget proposals, have staunchly opposed the carbon reduction program. Now, environmentalists claim, Senate Republicans are refusing to act on a budget as schools and social programs desperately wait for state funding until Shapiro and Democratic lawmakers agree to repeal the regulations entering Pennsylvania into RGGI. “As the governor himself has often said, this is a false choice between a healthy environment and our economy, and now our environmental champions in Harrisburg, many of whom are standing behind me today, must resist,” Molly Parzens, executive director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, said at a news conference Thursday… “RGGI aims to reduce climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by requiring the companies that own them to invest in clean energy projects. The multi-state program has been in place in about a dozen mid-Atlantic and northeastern states for more than a decade. It has cut carbon emissions from power plants in half by placing an enforceable declining cap on the amount of climate pollution that fossil fuel power plants are allowed to emit. Participating states have seen more than $9 billion in investments and it’s projected that consumers will save $20 billion in energy costs as a result.”

Penn State University: Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane, metals into water
Mariah Lucas, 11/6/25

“In the dense forests of northwestern Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of retired oil and gas wells — some dating back to the mid-1800s, long before modern construction standards — dot the landscape, according to geochemists in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who recently led a study in the region. Left uncapped and exposed to air and erosion, they break down, leaching harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and, the researchers reported, into the groundwater,” according to Penn State University. “Led by Susan L. Brantley, Atherton Professor of Geosciences and Evan Pugh University Professor Emerita in the Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, the researchers surveyed 18 abandoned wells in and near the Allegheny National Forest and found that they leak methane not only into the atmosphere but also into the adjoining groundwater. Some of the sites’ groundwater also exhibited high concentrations of dissolved iron and arsenic. Using a geochemical computer model, the team found that methane — a powerful greenhouse gas that traps more heat than carbon dioxide — interacted with the rock near wellbores to release metals into groundwater… “As a greater portion of oil and gas wells worldwide are abandoned and their structural integrity declines, the issue of water quality will grow in importance,” Brantley said. “This is because as gas pipes rust and break down, gases infiltrate nearby underground aquifers and can dissolve toxic elements like arsenic into the water.”

EXTRACTION

New York Times: The U.S. Is Skipping This Year’s Climate Summit. For Many, That’s OK.
Lisa Friedman, 11/6/25

“For the first time since countries began gathering 30 years ago to wrestle with global warming, the United States will not send any top government officials to the annual United Nations climate summit, which kicks off on Thursday in Belém, Brazil,” the New York Times reports. “And that is just fine with those who see the Trump administration’s hostility toward anything related to climate change as a menace to international cooperation on global warming. “I normally subscribe to the idea that we should always be at the table,” Senator Brian Schatz, Democrat of Hawaii, told the Times. “But if we’re going to be at the table and turn it over, then I think it’s best if we don’t show up.” Not only has the Trump administration abandoned America’s promises to the rest of the world that it would control the greenhouse gas pollution that is dangerously heating the planet, it has been pressuring other countries to similarly back away from efforts to fight climate change. The administration has teamed up with other oil-producing nations to oppose a global plastics treaty and to compel Europe to abandon a climate law. It has also torpedoed the first-ever global fee on carbon pollution in the shipping industry. President Trump lectured world leaders at the United Nations in September, telling them if they did not “get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail.” Laurence Tubiana, who has served as France’s climate negotiator and now runs the European Climate Foundation, a research organization, told the Times she has been shocked by the “level of aggressiveness” with which Mr. Trump and his cabinet secretaries have opposed Europe’s climate goals. That has prompted some to say discussions could go more smoothly in Brazil without the United States, even though U.S. delegates have played a central role in designing climate agreements over three decades and the country arguably bears special responsibility as the world’s biggest polluter in historical terms.”

E&E News: Trump’s fossil fuel crusade confronts the climate faithful
Zack Colman, Karl Mathiesen, 11/6/25

“President Donald Trump is no longer content to stand aloof from the global alliance trying to combat climate change. His new goal is to demolish it — and replace it with a new coalition reliant on U.S. fossil fuels,” E&E News reports. “Trump’s increasingly assertive energy diplomacy is one of the biggest challenges awaiting the world leaders, diplomats and business luminaries gathering for a United Nations summit in Brazil to try to advance the fight against global warming. The U.S. president will not be there — unlike the leaders of countries including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, who will speak before delegates from nearly 200 nations on Thursday and Friday. But his efforts to undermine the Paris climate agreement already loom over the talks, as does his initial success in drawing support from other countries. “It’s not enough to just withdraw from” the 2015 pact and the broader U.N. climate framework that governs the annual talks, Richard Goldberg, who worked as a top staffer on Trump’s White House National Energy Dominance Council and is now senior adviser to the think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told E&E. “You have to degrade it. You have to deter it. You have to potentially destroy it.”

Reuters: Oil producers need to step up drilling to sustain output, EIA says
Arathy Somasekhar, 11/5/25

“Oil and gas producers will need to step up drilling to sustain or increase output due to rapid declines in production from existing wells, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “…However, weak oil prices and rising costs have pushed energy companies to cut billions in spending and moderate drilling, slowing production growth. Meanwhile, OPEC+, the world’s largest grouping of oil-producing nations and its allies, has been rolling back production cuts to claw back market share. Producers are drilling more horizontal wells, which allow them to recover more oil and gas quickly after initial production compared to vertical wells. In December 2024, horizontal wells accounted for 94% of oil and 92% of natural gas produced onshore. However, horizontal wells have a high initial production rate, with a steep decline period that follows relative to vertical wells. Improvements in efficiency and technology mean producers are squeezing more oil out of fewer wells. However those gains are now slowing.”

Reuters: US LNG producers ink near record contract volumes, even as fees climb
Curtis Williams, 11/6/25

“U.S. liquefied natural gas developers are on track this year to ink the second-highest annual number of binding sales contracts, despite industry concerns about increasing capacity and rising costs,” Reuters reports. “In the first 10 months of 2025, U.S. LNG producers signed sales and purchase agreements (SPAs) for 29.5 million metric tonnes of LNG per year, more than four times the 7 mtpa signed in all of 2024, data from consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group shows. The SPAs are used by project developers to raise financing by demonstrating that planned projects can generate positive cash flow with customers locked into contracts for as long as 20 years. The only time more binding agreements were signed by U.S. exporters was in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, according to Rapidan Energy. Many buyers seeking to diversify away from Russian energy are willing to pay higher liquefaction fees that American LNG developers charge to convert natural gas into a liquid that can be easily transported around the world in specialized ships.”

E&E News: UN launches carbon market in bid to accelerate climate action
Anne C. Mulkern, 11/7/25

“The United Nations has opened a global carbon market that could steer billions of dollars to projects aimed at reducing or capturing greenhouse gas emissions and spur a new era in addressing climate change,” E&E News reports. “The U.N. carbon market lets nations pay for climate-related projects outside their borders and receive credit toward meeting their own emissions goals under the Paris climate agreement aimed at limiting global emissions… “The carbon market is open to the 195 parties to the Paris agreement, which include 194 nations and the European Union. The U.S. will be excluded from the market when President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement takes effect in January… “The new market effectively replaces an earlier U.N. carbon market that expired in 2020 after years of deterioration driven by skepticism about its effectiveness… “Project developers now can submit proposals for methane-capture or abatement efforts. Once approved by the U.N., the developers can raise money from countries in exchange for carbon credits, which countries can apply to their climate plans written under the Paris Agreement… “The global voluntary carbon market in comparison has faced growing skepticism in recent years after reports showed that some market-funded projects provide little or no boost to climate projects. The European Union said Wednesday it would use the U.N. carbon credits to help achieve its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 to 90 percent below the level in 1990. The credits can account for up to 5 percent of the EU emissions reduction.”

Clean Technica: Canada’s New Budget Has Billions in Fossil Subsidies Disguised As Climate Action
Michael Barnard, 11/6/25

“Mark Carney’s first federal budget arrived with the promise of discipline and credibility, but also a signal that Canada would stay in the clean economy race,” Clean Technica reports. “…The biggest changes came in carbon capture and hydrogen, where the government chose continuity and timeline over reinvention… “The Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit was extended at full value through 2035, with half-rates from 2036 to 2040. That means capture equipment still receives a 50% credit, while transport, storage, and utilization equipment receive 37.5%. The Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit remains at 15–40% depending on carbon intensity, with methane pyrolysis now eligible for the same tiers as electrolysis and blue hydrogen. Clean Electricity credits were adjusted so that the Canada Growth Fund can co-invest without reducing the creditable base. The extension is worth billions in deferred revenue. Using the announced and expected projects as a baseline, the total potential value of the credits is about $1 billion per year, with the largest single project—the Pathways oil sands hub—accounting for about 80% of that. Following the money shows that the majority of near-term benefits go to fossil-linked projects. The Pathways Alliance hub in Alberta represents roughly $800 million in annualized support potential if the project reaches a final investment decision and completes construction before 2036. Shell’s Polaris project at the Scotford refinery would receive around $50 million per year in equivalent value, and Entropy’s Glacier capture unit about $6 million.”

Canadian Press: Budget signals tone shift on oil and gas, but key details still unclear: expert
Ian Bickis, 11/5/25

“A major projects expert says the federal budget is more of a tone shift on the oil and gas sector than firm changes in policy,” the Canadian Press reports. “Zach Parston, KPMG in Canada’s leader in national infrastructure, capital projects, and sustainability, told CP the budget acknowledges oil and gas as a strategic industry that has a longer-term horizon than the government may have acknowledged in the past. He told CP the budget makes clear that the federal government is willing to support the industry and invest in it, including through measures like widening the mandate of the Canada Infrastructure Bank to allow funding of pipelines and other energy needs. It also shows the government is willing to abandon the sector’s emissions cap if certain conditions are met, but Parston told CP there are still many details about those conditions that remain unclear. The budget sets out a plan to strengthen industrial carbon pricing, finalize methane regulations and extended tax credits on carbon capture that it says could make the emissions cap no longer required.”

Carbon Pulse: Canada’s carbon capture investments face major risks, auditor warns
Hailey Clarke, 11/7/25

“Federal investments in carbon capture projects risk locking in fossil fuel dependence and shifting financial burdens from polluters to taxpayers, a government minister said in a report to Parliament on Thursday,” Carbon Pulse reports.

Axios: Shell backs plan to scale direct air capture project
Ben Geman, 11/6/25

“Carbon removal startup Avnos has landed $17 million in project finance from Shell and Mitsubishi Corp. to build a “commercial demonstration” plant, the company first told Axios. Why it matters: Avnos says its approach pulling CO2 and water from the atmosphere requires far less energy than other direct air capture methods, and produces lots of usable water.” Avnos says its approach pulling CO2 and water from the atmosphere requires far less energy than other direct air capture methods, and produces lots of usable water… “Avnos is going ahead with Project Cedar, a plant that it estimates can remove 3,000 tons of CO2 and produce 6,000 tons of clean water annually. It has not disclosed a site but intends to have it online by the end of 2026… “Avnos CEO Will Kain tells Axios the new project “puts us on our pathway” to far more scale — plants in the 50,000-100,000 tons per year range — with removal costs under $250/ton. “Then, we’ve got really good line of sight to getting to that less than $100 per ton of CO2 target,” he told Axios.”

E&E News: Shell funds carbon removal plant that makes water
Corbin Hiar, 11/7/25

“Corporate giants Shell and Mitsubishi have agreed to provide up to $17 million to a startup that plans to build a pilot plant capable of pulling carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere,” E&E News reports. “The funding announced Thursday would cover the cost of building Project Cedar, which the direct air capture startup Avnos says could remove 3,000 metric tons of CO2 from the sky annually as well as 6,000 tons of clean water… “The influx of funding comes as the Trump administration is canceling grants for direct air capture projects, including a potential California hub that was supposed to include Avnos… “Shell’s support for Avnos is the latest sign of the oil industry’s interest in direct air capture — a technology that some conservative backers have described as a “clean version” of oil production. Direct air capture plants use electricity, fans, carbon-absorbing materials and piping to filter CO2 from the air and store it underground… “But some environmentalists fear that the oil industry could use DAC as an excuse to continue pumping crude. That’s a potential outcome that some oil executives have openly acknowledged.”

Guardian: Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI
Robert Booth, 11/4/25

“Google is hatching plans to put artificial intelligence datacentres into space, with its first trial equipment sent into orbit in early 2027,” the Guardian reports. “Its scientists and engineers believe tightly packed constellations of about 80 solar-powered satellites could be arranged in orbit about 400 miles above the Earth’s surface equipped with the powerful processors required to meet rising demand for AI. Prices of space launches are falling so quickly that by the middle of the 2030s the running costs of a space-based datacentre could be comparable to one on Earth, according to Google research released on Tuesday. Using satellites could also minimise the impact on the land and water resources needed to cool existing datacentres. Once in orbit, the datacentres would be powered by solar panels that can be up to eight times more productive than those on Earth. However, launching a single rocket into space emits hundreds of tonnes of CO2. Objections could be raised by astronomers concerned that rising numbers of satellites in low orbit are “like bugs on a windshield” when they are trying to peer into the universe… “Elon Musk, who runs the Starlink satellite internet provider and the SpaceX rocket programme, last week said his companies would start scaling up to create datacentres in space.”

OPINION

NOLA.com: More than moratorium needed to stop what’s coming with carbon capture
KD Minor is community solutions manager of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, 11/6/25

“On Oct. 14, Gov. Jeff Landry announced a pause on new applications for permits to inject CO2 into deep storage wells. The seemingly overnight pivot from his historic “drilling = jobs” hard stance was quickly called a “sly” and “tone-deaf response” by a growing contingent of landowners and residents from Vernon to Calcasieu to Ascension parishes, all of whom are organizing against carbon capture technologies and CO2 injection. It’s not hard to reach the same conclusion when every “whereas” in the moratorium indicates support for drilling and carbon capture,” KD Minor writes for NOLA.com. “The part that made the executive order truly toothless is that it does nothing to slow the work underway by the state to approve the more than one hundred permit applications for CCS wells that have already been submitted. In fact, the order directs the Department of Conservation and Energy to prioritize certain permits with a goal to move them forward more quickly, not pausing them to address local concerns. This order is clearly intended to urge CCS developers to beef up their public relations efforts to calm the widespread outcry from communities across the state and to convince those folks to welcome waste injection and dangerous pipelines into their parishes. The elephant in the room is Louisiana’s long history of allowing neglect and abandonment of pipelines, wells and other infrastructure required for both oil and gas and CCS. Further eroding confidence, a community in Sulphur has already experienced the first reported CO2 leak in the state, and the response was grossly mismanaged… “While communities in different parishes have different reasons for opposing CCS, the thing that knits them together is a desire for clean air and protected water resources, and a fundamental lack of trust in industry and government promises to protect them, all while the governor issues orders that give with one hand and take with the other… “While many industry representatives like to claim that Louisiana’s geology is well-suited to CCS, the fact of the matter is that our “perfect geology” is riddled with holes from past oil and gas wells — some of which are orphaned or abandoned and totally unaccounted for. There is a real risk that what is injected underground in one place does not stay there, and those are risks that Louisiana’s state agencies have not proven themselves to be adept at managing or ameliorating.”

NOLA.com: Moratorium undermines Louisiana’s energy leadership
Gifford Briggs is a native of Louisiana and the executive director for the Gulf Coast region at the American Petroleum Institute, 11/6/25

“Energy security is vital to our country’s national security,” Gifford Briggs writes for NOLA.com. “…The Pelican State is also a leader in providing the fuel that powers the world in a safe, environmentally responsible way, and carbon capture and sequestration will play an important role in maintaining this leadership. Unfortunately, Louisiana’s momentum is now at risk under the recent executive order by Gov. Jeff Landry to place a moratorium on new carbon capture and sequestration projects… “This moratorium — combined with Texas securing primacy — effectively places a big red stop sign at Louisiana’s border for new CCS projects… “In short, CCS allows us to safely store CO2 underground while simultaneously meeting global demand for energy products. CCS also strengthens our existing oil, gas and manufacturing sectors. The current moratorium on new CCS project applications could impact existing CCS projects as well, creating regulatory uncertainty as companies navigate the already complex permitting process… “In closing, Landry could tackle permitting reform, streamlining and prioritization, as outlined in his executive order, without imposing a harmful, anti-business moratorium. The American Petroleum Institute strongly shares the governor’s goal of addressing the backlog of CCS project applications and supports his efforts to streamline the permitting process around energy exploration and production. But an indefinite moratorium on CCS undermines Louisiana’s economic status as an energy leader and sets a dangerous precedent of uncertainty that could kill innovation and job creation.”

Pagosa Daily Post: One Month Into Shutdown, White House Has Approved More Than 600 Drilling Permits
Aaron Weiss is Media Director for the Center for Western Priorities, 11/5/25

“As the government shutdown enters its second month, the Interior department continues to issue oil and gas drilling permits at a rapid clip, even as tens of thousands of Interior employees remain furloughed and unpaid,” Aaron Weiss writes for the Pagosa Daily Post. “As of Tuesday, November 4, the Bureau of Land Management had issued more than 600 new permits to drill (APDs) on public lands since the shutdown began. While the government was shut down in October, BLM issued more than 19 permits per day. That’s more than 3 approvals for every workday hour in the month. The overall pace of APD approvals rose in October to the highest level since May 2025. The Interior department has also issued 37 new public land leases to oil and gas companies during the shutdown. The Center for Western Priorities is updating oil and gas permit and lease activity daily on our Oil and Gas Government Shutdown Tracker. The tracker breaks down permits and leases by state and company. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum sent a Halloween message to Interior employees last Friday, hours before he boarded a plane for the United Arab Emirates, telling them ‘your absence is felt—not just in operations, but in spirit.’ Burgum’s email did not acknowledge his attempt to fire thousands of Interior department employees during the shutdown, which has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.”