EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/1/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• KIRO: BP restores Olympic Pipeline operations after leak near Everett

• KOMO: Lawmaker plans to introduce several bills in response to Olympic Pipeline oil spill

• Radio Iowa: As governor, Feenstra says he’d work to end festering rift over pipeline

• Bloomberg: Canada, Alberta Ink Deal to Unlock Oil Pipeline, Build Carbon Capture

• CBC: Carbon capture project goes from ‘fatalistic uncertainty’ to key Canada energy plank

• CBC: Danielle Smith’s pipeline clears another hurdle after deal with Mark Carney. Now, who will build it?

• Canadian Press: CIBC analysts cast doubt on private sector taking on new B.C. pipeline any time soon

• Politico: Carney loses Cabinet minister over pipeline push

• Politico: Pipeline deal is not a ‘baked cake,’ Canada’s energy minister says

• Canadian Press: Oil tanker ban just one obstacle to northern B.C. pipeline, experts say

• Canadian Press: First Nations leader says pipeline MOU changes nothing, tanker ban is non-negotiable

• Canadian Press: Premier Eby tells Carney it’s unacceptable B.C. has been cut out of pipeline talks

• Canadian Press: Energy minister to brief B.C. Liberal MPs on expected Alberta pipeline deal

• Canadian Press: Trans Mountain reports $127M Q3 profit as revenue and utilization rise

• Appalachian Voice: Feeling Powerless on Their Own Property

• WDBJ: Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Project faces concerns from residents

• WVTF: First deadline to comment on MVP compressor station in Elliston is Nov. 26

• North Dakota Monitor: Pipeline developer asking North Dakota Supreme Court to weigh in on foreign Greenpeace case

• Alaska Beacon: Alaska publishes draft rules for new program intended to bury carbon dioxide, key to gas pipeline

• Los Angeles Times: California could get its first gasoline pipeline. Would that lower gas prices?

• Wall Street Journal: The Texas Oil Mogul at War With California Over an Offshore Bounty

• Axios: The unintended consequences of pipeline fights

• Denver Gazette: EPA takes joint control of gasoline spill cleanup on Southern Ute land

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: Enbridge Taps Allseas for 320-Mile Deepwater Oil, Gas Export Pipelines in U.S. Gulf

• KCTV: Gas pipeline leak stalls vehicles, homes evacuated

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Heatmap: Trump Is the Biggest Wild Card in Permitting Reform

• E&E News: Energy dominance collides with tribal sovereignty

• USA Today: Extinctions ahead? Species that may get less protection in Trump plan

STATE UPDATES

• Beauregard News: Allen, Beauregard, Vernon residents among those suing over carbon capture land seizures

• Politico: Inside an oil refinery shutdown

• Inside Climate News: A Rare Recusal by Texas Oil and Gas Regulator Up for Re-election

• Associated Press: Alaska Natives have few options, little US help under climate threat

• Heatmap: Canceled data centers shave gigawatts off a utility giant’s project pipeline

• Mountain State Spotlight: Citizen groups challenge secrecy and pollution concerns in Tucker County data center air permit decision

• E&E News: Indiana utility’s data center strategy finds a test case with Amazon

• Heatmap: In California, rising solar generation cuts natural gas demand

• WUFT: Under Pressure

EXTRACTION

• CBC: Are carbon capture promises overshadowing Canada’s climate pledges? [VIDEO]

• Canadian Press: Quebec begins consultations on potential revision of greenhouse gas targets

• Financial Times: Venture Global says Shell waged ‘campaign’ to damage its LNG business

• Reuters: Venture Global, Tokyo Gas sign 20-year LNG supply deal

• Clean Air Task Force: Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025

• Associated Press: Ambitious plan to store CO2 beneath the North Sea set to start operations

• Wall Street Journal: The Carbon Capture Plan Turning Cattle Farms Into Power Plants

• E&E News: Data center boom may need 36% more power than previously thought

• Heated: AI’s water problem is worse than we thought

• CNN: ‘An oil spill in solid form’: Bio-bead disaster devastates beloved English coast

OPINION

• The Detroit News: Stop dawdling, build Line 5 tunnel

• The Advocate: Carbon capture opponents won’t go away, and it’s scrambling conservative politics

• NOLA.com: Don’t squander state’s lead on carbon capture

• Miami Herald: Oil drilling off Florida’s coast? We have a two-word response: Deepwater Horizon

• Vancouver Sun: Why maintaining the North Coast oil tanker moratorium is of utmost importance

• The Tyee: A New Oilsands Pipeline? What Politicians Won’t Admit
  

PIPELINE NEWS

KIRO: BP restores Olympic Pipeline operations after leak near Everett
11/29/25

“The Olympic Pipeline is fully operational after completing repairs to a segment that had been leaking petroleum near Everett,” KIRO reports. “BP confirmed that the 20-inch segment of the pipeline that had been damaged has been repaired… “The oil spill caused severe issues with the fuel supply at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The amount of petroleum that was released during the spill is still being assessed.”

KOMO: Lawmaker plans to introduce several bills in response to Olympic Pipeline oil spill
Natalie Fahmy, 11/26/25

“The Olympic Pipeline, east of Everett, has had service partially restored after being shut down for more than a week due to an oil leak,” KOMO reports. “This is the third leak the pipeline has had in five years: one in 2020, again in 2023, and this most recent one. “I think you can see we have an integrity issue and there’s a trend going in the wrong direction that we need to do something about,” State Sen. Matt Boehnke (R -Kennewick) told KOMO… “Boehnke disagrees and told KOMO he plans to introduce three to six bills in the coming week to address oil spills in the state. “These leaks are now becoming more routine, and they shouldn’t be. We should be able to prevent a lot of these,” Boehnke told KOMO. “And we should expect better for Washingtonians.” Boehnke told KOMO one of the first ways state law can address this is by “being open and transparent about accountability.” “…From where he stands, he thinks that leak detection polices can be updated. Boehnke called it “unacceptable” that a farmer had to find the issue, not the operator of the pipeline, BP… “Boehnke told KOMO he will likely draft the bills to strengthen transparency and leverage new technologies early next week, but he is not confident that they will advance.”

Radio Iowa: As governor, Feenstra says he’d work to end festering rift over pipeline
Woody Gottburg, O. Kay Henderson, 11/26/25

“Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra says if he’s elected governor, he’d lead negotiations to end the simmering conflict over a proposed pipeline that would ship carbon from Iowa ethanol plants to storage in other state,” Radio Iowa reports. “I am adamantly against using eminent domain. We can’t use it for private companies, but we also have to get together as a legislature, as a body and resolve this issue,” Feenstra told Radio Iowa. “We can’t let it fester. We’ve got to get it done.” “…The first thing I would do is call everybody together and say: ‘Let’s get a bill that we can pass.’ And that’s what has to happen, but we always have to remember private property is private,” Feenstra told Radio Iowa. “That means there has to be a negotiation between and the business if they want something to be built.” Earlier this week, GOP competitor Zach Lahn said it isn’t enough to say eminent domain should not be used for the project. Lahn has pledged to stop construction of the pipeline if he’s elected governor.”

Bloomberg: Canada, Alberta Ink Deal to Unlock Oil Pipeline, Build Carbon Capture
Brian Platt and Robert Tuttle, 11/27/25

“Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a sweeping energy plan with the province of Alberta that paves the way for a new oil pipeline, a massive carbon capture project and the construction of nuclear power for data centers,” Bloomberg reports. “…The document pledges the federal government’s support for one or more new oil pipelines with Indigenous ownership that transport at least 1 million barrels a day of Alberta bitumen “with a route that increases export access to Asian markets as a priority.” “…It also promises to suspend or drop some federal environment regulations in exchange for a higher industrial carbon price and a timeline for building the C$16.5 billion ($11.8 billion) Pathways carbon capture project in Alberta’s oil sands… “Along with the pipeline, the plan commits Alberta and oil sands companies to building the Pathways carbon capture project — the world’s largest such initiative — and requires a separate memorandum of understanding on how to build it by April. It pledges that the first phase of Pathways will be built “in a staged manner between 2027 and 2040 to achieve committed emissions reductions at date-certain intervals.” Kendall Dilling, president of Pathways Alliance, told Bloomberg the consortium of oil-sands producers looks forward to working with the federal and Alberta governments on their “shared goal of Canada becoming an energy superpower.” “…Climate advocacy groups lambasted the agreement, with Greenpeace Canada’s Keith Stewart telling Bloomberg it is “so much worse than we expected, and we expected it to be bad.”

CBC: Carbon capture project goes from ‘fatalistic uncertainty’ to key Canada energy plank
Joel Dryden, 11/28/25

“When Martha Hall Findlay heard Canada’s prime minister and Alberta’s premier speak with enthusiasm Thursday about the necessity of the Pathways carbon capture project to their long-promised “grand bargain,” she felt herself moved,” the CBC reports. “The support wasn’t always there … to have those two in those roles talk about how absolutely critical the Pathways project will be to making all of this happen, I felt like I wanted to cry,” the former Liberal MP and oilsands executive, who played a key role in the development of the Pathways Alliance, told CP… “As a precondition to the approval of a bitumen pipeline, federal officials said Pathways Plus must move ahead… “The categorical commitment to the project is a striking development for those who have studied and evaluated Pathways over the years. Peter Findlay, the director of CCUS and carbon management global with Wood Mackenzie, told CBC his research and consulting firm has done detailed economic valuations of Pathways for about two years now… “Findlay told CBC companies need confidence that future oil economics will justify supporting a new pipeline while also investing in carbon capture. “The government can sweeten that to an extent that it does work for the producers, but there’s a point where the taxpayers don’t want to pay for that either,” he told CBC… “Mark Winfield, a professor of environmental and urban change at York University, told CBC he is worried about the long-term impacts of the memorandum of understanding signed by Alberta and Ottawa on Thursday. He told CBC it sends a signal Canada is deprioritizing climate change action by focusing on the unproven technology of carbon capture and storage, and feels it could have an impact beyond oil and gas — including how it affects provincial clean electricity targets.”

CBC: Danielle Smith’s pipeline clears another hurdle after deal with Mark Carney. Now, who will build it?
Paula Duhatschek, Kyle Bakx, 11/28/25

“Wanted: a private company ready to commit billions of dollars to build a major oil pipeline. The prime minister himself says he is on the lookout and even quipped on Thursday to a Calgary business crowd, “If you know of one in the room, come see us afterwards,” the CBC reports. “…Helping the government is a “technical advisory group” that includes three major pipeline companies — Enbridge, South Bow and Trans Mountain — although those companies would not necessarily be involved if the project were to proceed. That’s the main hurdle facing a new pipeline west: the lack of a private-sector proponent willing to step up and build the thing… “Plus, it bears repeating: even with the support of Ottawa, the desire for a new pipeline isn’t exactly universal… “I don’t think any private sponsor is going to be prepared to just have a blank cheque associated with this project,” Randy Ollenberger, managing director with BMO Capital Markets in Calgary, told CBC. Pipeline companies might even want some sort of financial commitment from either Alberta or Ottawa to backstop any cost overruns outside a company’s control before they agree to put their name on a project, he told CBC… “In order for a new oil pipeline to be built, Ottawa does have some requirements — notably, the Pathways project… “The companies behind the project haven’t yet made a final investment decision, but experts believe the language in the MOU around carbon pricing should be enough to push the project toward the starting line… “But Pathways is its own major project that comes with its own set of hurdles. That could include opposition from Indigenous communities. For years, Chief Kelsey Jacko of Cold Lake First Nations has been raising safety concerns about the project and told CBC this week there are still many questions left unanswered.”

Canadian Press: CIBC analysts cast doubt on private sector taking on new B.C. pipeline any time soon
11/28/25

“Analysts at CIBC Capital Markets say they don’t expect the private sector to take the lead on a new West Coast oilsands pipeline so long as the British Columbia government and First Nations are opposed,” the Canadian Press reports. “They write in a report that companies would have to rely on meeting the ill-defined constitutional duty to consult with Indigenous groups and untested new federal legislation aimed at speeding along infrastructure projects deemed in the national interest… “The CIBC analysts say they expect there to be some financial incentives to shield any project proponent from costs related to “potentially endless legal challenges.” They also aren’t banking on oilsands producers ramping up their output immediately, even though the memorandum of understanding spells out that they will not be subject to a federal emissions cap.”

Politico: Carney loses Cabinet minister over pipeline push
Mickey Djuric, 11/27/25

“A prominent member of Mark Carney’s Cabinet quit Thursday in protest of the Liberal government’s decision to roll back Canada’s environmental policies and clear the way for a new oil pipeline,” Politico reports. “Steven Guilbeault, a Trudeau-era climate minister, resigned in a statement on social media. He said while he is leaving Carney’s team of ministers, he will remain a member of Parliament within the Liberal caucus. On Thursday in Calgary, Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith signed an agreement that paves the way to boost oil production, advance new pipelines and overhaul controversial energy laws that were a hallmark of then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. The deal is the clearest signal yet Carney is steering the Liberal government toward a more industry-friendly energy policy — a shift significant enough to trigger the resignation of a key Cabinet minister from Quebec… “Despite this difficult economic context, I remain one of those for whom environmental issues must remain front and center,” Guilbeault said in his statement. He had most recently served as minister of identity. “That is why I strongly oppose the Memorandum of Understanding between the federal government and the government of Alberta.”

Politico: Pipeline deal is not a ‘baked cake,’ Canada’s energy minister says
Mike Blanchfield, 11/28/25

“One day after a pipeline plan for Alberta sparked backlash and a Cabinet defection, Canada’s energy minister emphasized the project is far from a done deal,” Politico reports. “We’re baking the cake,” Tim Hodgson told Politico on Friday from British Columbia. “We’re just buying the ingredients right now. Let’s not opine on how the cake tastes till it’s a little bit further baked.” The Ottawa-Alberta deal marks a major reset of federal energy and climate policy, opening the door to a privately financed oil sands pipeline while scrapping pillars of the Trudeau-era framework — a shift that’s already triggered political blowback inside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own government. Hodgson is pushing back against critics who question Carney’s commitment to climate change — a group that now includes Steven Guilbeault, who quit Cabinet on Thursday hours after the landmark Ottawa-Alberta energy agreement was signed.”

Canadian Press: Oil tanker ban just one obstacle to northern B.C. pipeline, experts say
Lauren Krugel, 11/26/25

“A new oilsands pipeline to the northern B.C. coast is a non-starter as long as oil tankers are forbidden there, but experts say a removal of the federal ban would only lift one of many obstacles deterring the private sector from such a project,” the Canadian Press reports. “…Richard Masson, executive fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and former head of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Corporation, told CP any new project would have to compete with alternatives. Enbridge and Trans Mountain Corp. each have plans to expand existing networks to the U.S. and Vancouver area, respectively. Together, those could add 650,000 barrels per day of new export capacity by 2030… “When you start to look at that you say, ‘Holy smoke. Can we build something like that with a toll that would be competitive to the alternatives?’” Masson told CP… “Lifting the tanker ban likely “isn’t sufficient on its own to change investment calculus,” Zach Parston, national infrastructure leader at KPMG in Canada, told CP. “Ultimately, these projects need to continue to be derisked. Things like corridor certainty, predictable permitting, support from local communities and Indigenous Nations and competitive investment climate are going to be critical to that decision to invest in pipelines in Canada.”

Canadian Press: First Nations leader says pipeline MOU changes nothing, tanker ban is non-negotiable
Ashley Joannou and Wolfgang Depner, 11/27/25

“The president of the Coastal First Nations in British Columbia says the signing of a memorandum of understanding by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on an proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast “does nothing” to increase the chances it will happen,” the Canadian Press reports. “Marilyn Slett told CP in a statement that a tanker ban on the north coast “is not up for negotiation,” and the First Nations “will never tolerate any exemptions or carveouts, period.” She also told CP the nations have “zero interest” in co-owning or benefiting from a project she says has the potential to destroy their way of life, citing the risk of a catastrophic oil spill. British Columbia’s Energy Minister, Adrian Dix, told CP Canada needs to focus on “real projects” in contrast to “performative politics” after the signing of the deal. Dix told CP a “Team Canada” approach should embrace projects that are creating jobs and unlocking financial opportunities, as opposed to “MOUs on projects that don’t exist.” “…Simon Fraser University political science professor Andy Hira told CP he remains skeptical that a new pipeline would ever go forward despite the MOU, calling it “political theatre” and an attempt by the federal Liberal government to win support in Alberta, a Conservative stronghold… “Hira told CP he was on a group call with several environmental and First Nations officials on Wednesday, and a Coastal First Nations representative made clear that the group “will never support” the pipeline.”

Canadian Press: Premier Eby tells Carney it’s unacceptable B.C. has been cut out of pipeline talks
Wolfgang Depner, 11/24/25

“British Columbia Premier David Eby says he told Prime Minister Mark Carney “how unacceptable” it was for Alberta and Saskatchewan to talk with the federal government about a potential pipeline without input from his province,” the Canadian Press reports. “Eby told CP such treatment would not happen to any other province, adding that he expects Ottawa to include B.C. and Coastal First Nations as full participants in any future talks… “Eby declined to tell CP what steps his government would take to stop such a pipeline, which he previously said could threaten thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in “real projects” that depend on consensus of First Nations. He told CP he is “not threatened by a project that doesn’t actually exist,” because it continues to lack a route and private-sector backer willing to put up money for a pipeline. Eby told CP the proposal from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is a “communication exercise” and he’ll reserve comment on the MOU until he has seen it.”

Canadian Press: Energy minister to brief B.C. Liberal MPs on expected Alberta pipeline deal
Nick Murray, 11/26/25

“Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson is set to brief B.C. Liberal MPs today on the government’s expected energy deal with the province of Alberta,” the Canadian Press reports. “The move comes after B.C. Liberal MPs last week said any deal involving a pipeline to the West Coast would need consent from First Nations and the B.C. government, repeating talking points from the government in recent weeks. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday in the House of Commons that B.C. “has to agree” to any pipeline being built to the Pacific coast. Concerns have been raised from B.C. this week about how the deal is shaping up, with Premier David Eby saying it was “unacceptable” that Ottawa and Alberta were negotiating a potential pipeline through his province without involving his government… “Carney is expected to announce details of a memorandum of understanding with Alberta while in Calgary on Thursday.”

Canadian Press: Trans Mountain reports $127M Q3 profit as revenue and utilization rise
Lauren Krugel, 11/28/25

“Pipeline operator Trans Mountain Corp. says it earned a profit in its latest quarter compared with a loss a year ago as its utilization rate and revenue rose compared with last year,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Crown-owned pipeline company says it earned $127 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of $68 million a year ago… “Trans Mountain says it saw record throughput for the quarter at 777,000 barrels per day, up from 692,000 a year ago. Utilization for the quarter stood at 87 per cent, up from 78 per cent in the third quarter last year.”

Appalachian Voice: Feeling Powerless on Their Own Property
Abby Hassler, 11/26/25

“Amy Sexton’s mother is one of 29 individuals and organizations that went to court over eminent domain proceedings related to the Ridgeline Expansion Project, a 122-mile-long methane gas pipeline in Tennessee,” Appalachian Voice reports. “Enbridge, a multibillion-dollar Canadian fossil fuel company, is contracted to build and own the pipeline, which is intended to deliver gas to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s proposed new Kingston Gas Plant — the same site as the 2008 Kingston coal ash disaster… “The family hasn’t enjoyed dealing with the pipeline over the years. Yet it wasn’t until Enbridge representatives announced they would construct Ridgeline alongside the old pipeline that they began to have problems. “We thought that if they’re going to put another pipeline down, they should have been able to do it within the bounds of the 1949 agreement,” Sexton told AV. “But they wanted more.” “…We had no choice,” Sexton told AV. “They were going to take the land … We just made them aware that we want the land put back exactly as close as it can be to what it was.” Sexton’s mother is one of many landowners, neighbors and community advocates dealing with the repercussions of the massive buildout of methane gas — dubbed “natural gas” by the fossil fuel industry — in Tennessee. This huge increase in gas infrastructure is driven in large part by the TVA… “For Teresa, who has advocated for herself and her neighbors, the disparity between Enbridge’s high profits and the low first offers she and others received, especially for those struggling financially, is troubling. “There are a lot of people hurting right now,” Teresa told AV about neighbors who took low offers or didn’t receive payment at all because they didn’t own their property. “Some of the people’s property that they went through were hurting, and yet they didn’t take care of them.” Ultimately, she wishes she and her neighbors were treated with more respect.”

WDBJ: Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Project faces concerns from residents
Makayla Shelton, 11/24/25

“The Mountain Valley Pipeline is set to expand through Pittsylvania County to North Carolina. Local landowners are worried about what it could mean for the environment,” WDBJ reports. “When you start digging down in there, you compromise the groundwater,” Sherri Garner, Pittsylvania County resident, told WDBJ. “…Although she signed a paid agreement with MVP five years ago, she told WDBJ she was under the impression that her property would be condemned if she didn’t. “I wouldn’t have signed it if we knew what we know now…” “Garner told WDBJ she hopes they take note of the three other natural gas lines by Williams Gas Pipeline that already run through her property. She worries about the possibility of an explosion. “When you blow one of these things up as big as it is, it could hurt a lot of people. There’s going to be a lot of damage. Everything within 600 or 700 feet is in the kill zone,” Garner told WDBJ.”

WVTF: First deadline to comment on MVP compressor station in Elliston is Nov. 26
Roxy Todd, 11/25/25

“The Mountain Valley Pipeline recently submitted an application with the federal government to build a gas compressor station in Montgomery County, called MVP Boost. About 50 residents and community organizers met Monday evening at the Meadowbrook Public Library to discuss the project and how to respond,” WVTF reports. “…December 19 is the deadline to submit an official comment on the FERC scoping period for the project. The federal agency has not hosted any public scoping meetings ahead of this deadline. MVP has also submitted an air pollution permit application with Virginia DEQ for the Swann Compressor Station. The application is not yet available for public comment. MVP is hosting a meeting Tuesday, December 9th at the Meadowbrook library in Shawsville at 5:30 to answer questions from the public… “The Virginia-based organization Protect Our Water Heritage Rights is organizing information about MVP Boost and how to submit responses to federal and state agencies. The group, in collaboration with other conservation groups Appalachian Voices, 7 directions of service, and ARTivism, is also planning additional meetings in the coming months for concerned residents, including a zoom meeting Tuesday evening at 7.”

North Dakota Monitor: Pipeline developer asking North Dakota Supreme Court to weigh in on foreign Greenpeace case
Mary Steurer, 12/1/25

“The developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline is appealing a North Dakota’s judge’s decision not to interfere in a free speech lawsuit Greenpeace filed against the company overseas,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “…Greenpeace International’s counter-suit in the Netherlands alleges that Energy Transfer’s legal challenge is a ploy to waste its time and money. The Dutch case also claims Energy Transfer is liable for making defamatory statements about the environmental group. Greenpeace International has asked the court to order Energy Transfer to award it monetary damages. Energy Transfer this summer asked Southwest District Court Judge James Gion to suspend the overseas lawsuit until the North Dakota case plays out — a request he rejected in September… ”Now Energy Transfer wants the North Dakota Supreme Court to step in and order Gion to pause the Dutch lawsuit. The high court is set to hear arguments on the appeal on Dec. 18. In its petition to the Supreme Court, Energy Transfer claims the Dutch case “collaterally attacks the jury verdict” and is an attempt to sidestep North Dakota’s legal system.”

Alaska Beacon: Alaska publishes draft rules for new program intended to bury carbon dioxide, key to gas pipeline
James Brooks, 11/28/25

“The state of Alaska is close to finalizing rules for a program that would allow companies to bury carbon dioxide deep underground, a process known as sequestration,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “While sequestration can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by heavy industry, it also would be a boon to the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. Many sources of natural gas on the North Slope are mixed with large amounts of carbon dioxide, and that carbon must be separated from the natural gas before shipment… “On Tuesday, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission announced that it had completed draft regulations for the state’s “carbon storage and underground injection” program, which will involve the state taking over regulation of carbon dioxide wells from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Alaska Legislature passed — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed — a law in 2023 that allows the takeover… “One important change: A carbon dioxide well wouldn’t be permitted if it needed to pass through a drinking water aquifer. The state allows exemptions for other types of wells, including some that could later be converted to carbon dioxide wells. The proposed regulations include clauses that require insurance or bonds to cover the costs of accidents and a requirement that carbon dioxide wells be firmly capped when abandoned. The AOGCC has scheduled a public hearing on the draft rules for 10 a.m. Jan. 13 at its office in Anchorage.”

Los Angeles Times: California could get its first gasoline pipeline. Would that lower gas prices?
Hayley Smith, 11/26/25

“California has long been a “fuel island” — a state whose gasoline and diesel markets are isolated from the rest of the country — but that could soon end under a proposed plan to build the first-ever pipeline to bring refined products directly to the West Coast,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “Known as the Western Gateway Pipeline, the project from oil major Phillips 66 and global pipeline giant Kinder Morgan would deliver gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to Arizona and California from as far east as Missouri by 2029. The companies are currently scoping out demand and seeking commitments from customers in what is known as an “open season.” “…Experts told the Times the pipeline proposal signals that energy companies expect California to remain dependent on gasoline for years, even as the state pursues clean transportation and other ambitious climate goals. “It’s a huge capital investment, and it’s an investment that is a bet that the prices in the West will stay high enough that they can recover the cost,” Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, told the Times.” “…The Western Gateway Pipeline would combine new and existing infrastructure. From Borger, Texas, to Phoenix, Ariz., the line would be new. An existing line that connects Phoenix to Colton, Calif., would see its flow reversed to enable east-to-west flow. There would be an optional connection from Colton to Las Vegas. A pipeline between St. Louis and Texas would also be reversed to move barrels from the Midwest into the new system.”

Wall Street Journal: The Texas Oil Mogul at War With California Over an Offshore Bounty
Benoît Morenne, 11/27/25

“In the high-stakes world of energy production, a bold Texas oil executive is squaring off against California’s entrenched environmental policies in a bid to tap into a lucrative offshore oil reserve. James Flores, the Houston-based CEO of Sable Offshore, is pushing to revive dormant oil platforms off the Santa Barbara coast—assets acquired from Exxon Mobil that have sat idle since a notorious pipeline spill in 2015,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “This move pits Flores against state regulators and Governor Gavin Newsom, whose administration has long prioritized curbing fossil fuel production. As California grapples with soaring energy imports and potential new federal drilling opportunities under a Trump administration, the clash highlights the tension between energy security and climate goals… “But California’s regulatory landscape is a minefield. The state has imposed stringent environmental reviews, and opposition from local communities and environmental groups could delay or derail the project. Flores’ team argues that reviving domestic production would reduce reliance on foreign oil, but critics see it as a step backward in the fight against climate change. As of late 2025, the platforms remain dormant, with Sable navigating a web of permits and legal hurdles.”

Axios: The unintended consequences of pipeline fights
Amy Harder, 11/25/25

“When activists protest oil pipelines with the slogan “keep it in the ground,” they don’t end up keeping most oil in the ground — and their efforts may even have side effects, like increasing air pollution when the oil is transported in other ways,” Axios reports. “These unintended consequences show just how hard it is to curb oil and gas by targeting supply alone… “University of Chicago professor Ryan Kellogg wanted to find out what would have happened if the pipeline hadn’t been built. Eighty percent of the oil would have gone out via trains instead, while 20% would have stayed in the ground, Kellogg told Axios, citing his research… “Friction point: We put this dilemma to Jade Begay, a climate justice advocate and policy expert: Even if a fossil fuel project is stopped, the fuel would move by other, possibly more dangerous ways. “Why transport the oil at all?” Begay told Axiox. “Why are we not investing in the kind of energy we know to be safer?”

Denver Gazette: EPA takes joint control of gasoline spill cleanup on Southern Ute land
Scott Weiser, 11/24/25

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assumed joint oversight of the cleanup from a 97,000-gallon gasoline pipeline rupture on Southern Ute lands, the tribe announced on Friday,” the Denver Gazette reports. “The move, nearly a year after the Dec. 5, 2024 leak, comes after the agency issued Enterprise Products LLC a formal notice of non-compliance for improper handling of hazardous waste generated during remediation… “A corroded weld from the pipeline’s original construction decades ago, joining two sections of the 10-inch Texas Western pipeline, broke, spewing more than 3,700 gallons per minute, roughly the volume of a standard backyard swimming pool escaping every 65 seconds, according to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in its post-incident investigation… “More than 20,000 gallons have been recovered, yet a benzene-rich plume continues to migrate downhill. Detections have reached springs, one-third of a mile from the Animas River — the same river that turned bright orange for days when EPA contractors released 3 million gallons of heavy-metal-laden mine waste from the Gold King Mine near Silverton on Aug. 5, 2015.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: Enbridge Taps Allseas for 320-Mile Deepwater Oil, Gas Export Pipelines in U.S. Gulf
11/29/25

“Allseas has secured a contract from Enbridge Offshore Facilities, LLC to install four deepwater crude oil and natural gas export pipelines in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, expanding Enbridge’s subsea transport capacity and bolstering regional energy infrastructure,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The project includes more than 515 kilometers (320 miles) of new pipelines connecting deepwater fields in the Keathley Canyon area to existing offshore hubs for delivery to market.”

KCTV: Gas pipeline leak stalls vehicles, homes evacuated
Gabe Swartz, Jazlyn Summers and Ale Espinosa, 11/28/25

“A gas pipeline leak in Leavenworth County on Thursday, Nov. 27, led to home evacuations, highway closures and stalled vehicles,” KCTV reports. According to the Jefferson County Emergency Management & LEPC, a pipeline operated by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. had a leak near K-16 Highway, approximately 1.5 miles east of McLouth, Kansas. Several drivers found themselves stranded on rural roads after officials reported a pressure drop in their 8-inch pipeline. “My truck started to act funny. We rolled down the window and realized it was some kind of gas, and my truck stalled out,” Kristi Bowser, who was driving home after Thanksgiving, told KCTV… “County officials told KCTV a strong odor was found in the area, indicating a large-scale gas spill that forced residents in nearby homes to evacuate. “Due to the presence of the propane gas in the area, several homes were evacuated, and the K-16 Highway was closed to traffic from the east side of the City of McLouth to the intersection of K-16 Highway also known as McLouth Road and Donahoo Road,” Jefferson County officials told KCTV… “The cause of the leak will be investigated and repaired, but it could take two to three days before the gas is completely burned off and the pipeline can be repaired, officials told KCTV.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Heatmap: Trump Is the Biggest Wild Card in Permitting Reform
Jael Holzman, 11/25/25

“A big bipartisan permitting reform deal may be in the offing in Washington. But getting it done will require taking away one of Donald Trump’s favorite toys: The power to mess with solar and wind permits,” Heatmap reports. “Last week the House Natural Resources Committee advanced the SPEED Act, a bill introduced by Republican committee chair Bruce Westerman, that would put the full weight of Congress behind the federal permitting process. There’s a lot in this bill for energy developers of all stripes to like — and a lot for environmental activists to loathe, including a 150-day statute of limitations on litigation, language enforcing shorter deadlines for reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (also known as NEPA), and a requirement that final approvals be released within 30 days of said review’s completion… “Without requiring the government to process any project regardless of whether it’s a renewable energy project or a new coal plant, Trump officials could easily produce endless delays and remain inside the letter of the law. This is why Representative Jared Golden, a retiring moderate Democrat from Maine, pushed to add language to the SPEED Act that blocks any president from rescinding a permit after its approval. In theory, this would insulate offshore wind projects from losing even more permits (see: SouthCoast Wind, Atlantic Shores). The bill — including the restriction on executive power — passed the House Natural Resources Committee on a bipartisan 25 to 18 vote, though only two Democrats voted in favor. For lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, energy bill inflation and data center drama have created serious momentum for getting bipartisan permitting legislation done ahead of the 2026 midterm elections… “We’re going to need language in any bill that would provide certainty that all these projects permitted would be allowed to proceed, that permits will be honored, that in the future more permits will be granted. And I do not trust this administration to honor that without concrete language in the bill,” Levin told Heatmap.”

E&E News: Energy dominance collides with tribal sovereignty
Jason Plautz, 11/26/25

“Native American tribes are working to ensure that the Trump administration’s energy dominance agenda doesn’t come at the expense of their sovereignty,” E&E News reports. “Last month, Energy Secretary Chris Wright requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission open a rulemaking to reverse a policy allowing tribes to veto hydropower projects in their land. That consultation policy — in place since 2024 — was not compatible with a grid that needs to grow as quickly as possible, Wright wrote. “For America to continue dominating global energy markets, we must remove unnecessary burdens to the development of critical infrastructure, including hydropower projects,” the letter stated. But in comments to FERC this month, several Native American tribes said Wright’s proposal would trample on their rights and may not do much to encourage new hydropower development. Amy Trainer, the director of environmental policy for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington state, wrote in a comment that removing tribal veto authority would “invite speculative filings” and would “undermine the government’s credibility as a trustee and partner to Tribal Nations.” “Far from expediting hydropower development, such a rule would create unnecessary delays and uncertainty, diverting attention from projects that could advance with Tribal support,” Trainer wrote. It comes amid a broader tension between the need to grow the nation’s grid to surging electricity demand and the environmental and procedural reviews that can sometimes slow projects down — a dynamic that includes clean power.”

USA Today: Extinctions ahead? Species that may get less protection in Trump plan
Kinsey Crowley, 11/25/25

“The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Nov. 19 four proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act as President Donald Trump tries to reduce what he calls burdensome federal regulations for businesses,” USA Today reports. “One proposed rule would eliminate the ‘blanket rule,’ which automatically applies endangered species protections to threatened species. Another would change the considerations for designating critical habitats for a species’ survival… “America’s imperiled wildlife remains at an uncertain crossroads, with one road pointing toward extinction and the other toward recovery,” Andrew Bowman, president and CEO at Defenders of Wildlife, told USA Today. “The Trump administration’s proposals announced today seek to undermine critical portions of the Endangered Species Act and will make recovery for many of those species that much more difficult.” “…Two of the proposed rules specifically mention allowing economic factors to be a part of the considerations for critical habitats.”

STATE UPDATES

Beauregard News: Allen, Beauregard, Vernon residents among those suing over carbon capture land seizures
Ashlyn Little, 11/25/25

“A lawsuit filed Thursday by residents of central Louisiana challenges whether the state can legally take private property for private carbon capture and sequestration projects,” the Beauregard News reports. “The lawsuit, filed in the 19th Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish, claims laws passed since 2020 violate the state constitution by allowing companies engaged in carbon capture and storage to use eminent domain for private gain. The plaintiffs include the nonprofit group Save My Louisiana, composed of several property owners in Rapides, Vernon, Allen and Beauregard parishes. They want the laws declared unconstitutional and state officials ordered to halt all permitting and regulatory actions related to Class VI injection wells and pipelines across the state… “The plaintiffs argue Louisiana’s carbon capture and sequestration laws violate private property rights, allow improper use of eminent domain for private gain and fail to protect public health and safety… “In mid-October, after police juries in Vernon, Allen and other parishes in west central Louisiana opposed the projects, Landry issued an executive order directing the state’s Department of Energy and Conservation to suspend review of new applications to construct Class VI wells. The governor ordered the department to spend the next 45 days evaluating 33 pending permit applications.”

Politico: Inside an oil refinery shutdown
Noah Baustin, 11/25/25

“Dozens of workers at Phillips 66’s Los Angeles refinery will soon collect their final paychecks,” Politico reports. “The oil giant intends to lay off 36 staffers on Dec. 1 and 54 more on Dec. 15, according to United Steelworkers Local 675 Field Director David Campbell, who said the company notified him of the impending cut. The cuts at the refinery, which produces gasoline and other transportation fuels, are part of an on-going thinning of ranks that began after Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it would shutter the facility by the end of 2025. To keep the refinery running with fewer hands, the firm put workers onto 13-days-on, one-day-off rotations of their 12-hour shifts, Campbell and two refinery workers told Politico. “People look exhausted,” Laurie Wallace, a process technician operator who’s worked at the refinery for 17 years, told Politico. Amid the grueling schedule, quarterly bonuses tied to attendance haven’t been enough to prevent people from missing shifts, exacerbating the short staffing, according to Wallace. Phillips 66 has taken steps to manage attrition and to maintain safety standards and production during the idling process, according to company spokesperson Al Ortiz, who declined to comment on employee schedules, incentives or layoffs… “But the union had little leverage. Its most potent weapon, the threat of a strike, is far less effective against an already-closing facility.”

Inside Climate News: A Rare Recusal by Texas Oil and Gas Regulator Up for Re-election
Martha Pskowski, 11/24/25

“Jim Wright stepped out of the room last week while his fellow Railroad Commissioners voted to renew the permit for Eagleford Recycling LLC, an oilfield waste company to which he has financial ties. It was an unusually public recognition of his ongoing financial stakes in companies that are regulated by the Railroad Commission,” Inside Climate News reports. “The agency, which regulates oil and gas extraction and disposal, is led by three elected commissioners. Wright, a Republican elected in 2020, touts his experience in the oilfield waste industry as an asset to his work as a commissioner. He continues to serve as president of one oilfield waste company and holds stock in several others, according to financial disclosure statements. Advocates have called for stricter conflict of interest protocols at the Railroad Commission and urged commissioners to recuse themselves from matters in which they have a financial interest.”

Associated Press: Alaska Natives have few options, little US help under climate threat
Becky Bohrer, Gabriela Aoun Angueira, 11/22/25

“Storms that battered Alaska’s western coast this fall have brought renewed attention to low-lying Indigenous villages left increasingly vulnerable by climate change — and revived questions about their sustainability in a region being reshaped by frequent flooding, thawing permafrost and landscape-devouring erosion,” the Associated Press reports. “…Alaska is warming faster than the global average. A report released last year by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium found 144 Native communities face threats from erosion, flooding, thawing permafrost or a combination… “The needs are enormous — $4.3 billion over 50 years to protect infrastructure in Native communities from climate threats, according to the health consortium report, though that estimate dates to 2020. A lack of resources and coordination has impeded progress, the report found… “Sustained federal support is uncertain as the Trump administration cuts programs related to climate change and disaster resilience.”

Heatmap: Canceled data centers shave gigawatts off a utility giant’s project pipeline
Alexander C. Kaufman, 11/25/25

“In just the last three months, Georgia Power has removed 6 gigawatts of projected demand from its 2030s forecasts — enough to serve every household in the Atlanta metropolitan area more than three times over, according to a filing Friday with the Georgia Public Service Commission,” Heatmap reports. “The cause: canceled or postponed data center developments. Projects totaling nearly 6 gigawatts of projected demand by the mid 2030s fell off the books. Of the 28 large power user projects the Southern Company-owned utility disclosed in its report to regulators, 18 have broken ground and 10 are pending constructions. That indicates that the developers are pushing to make sure they advance, and suggests the dip in the last quarter may not extend. In the report, Utility Dive noted, Georgia Power said the “majority of new generation” the company wanted approval for was “not backed by” contracts with large power users. The adjustment comes as Georgia Power pushes regulators to approve a large new buildout of power plants that could raise monthly bills by $20, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.”

Mountain State Spotlight: Citizen groups challenge secrecy and pollution concerns in Tucker County data center air permit decision
Sarah Elbeshbishi, 11/25/25

“Braving an early, frigid morning, Peyton Levi and Kyra Wilson joined a cluster of citizens protesting outside the state Department of Environmental Protection headquarters,” Mountain State Spotlight reports. “The two Marshall University seniors joined the group of nearly 30, holding up signs opposing the data center complex proposed between the towns of Thomas and Davis. The project has garnered backlash from communities across West Virginia. “I’m tired of seeing West Virginia as an extraction state,” Wilson, a creative writing major from Wayne County, told Spotlight. Inside the agency’s headquarters, a seven-member board was preparing to hear initial legal motions in a case brought by three citizen groups trying to block the Tucker County project. When it applied for a state air pollution permit for a natural gas plant to power its data center, Fundamental Data, LLC, asked the WVDEP to keep several lengthy sections of its application secret. Citizen groups objected, saying the information kept confidential included material they needed to determine how the company calculated the expected air emissions.”

E&E News: Indiana utility’s data center strategy finds a test case with Amazon
Jeffrey Tomich, 11/26/25

“An Indiana utility believes it has the perfect solution to a quandary vexing the power industry: How to satisfy data centers’ voracious appetite for power without burdening other customers with additional cost and risk,” E&E News reports. “For Merrillville, Indiana-based Nipsco, which supplies power in the state’s northern third, the first-of-a-kind approach for the utility industry involves creating a separate company, Nipsco Generation LLC (GenCo), to build and own the power plants to meet demand from so-called “megaload customers.” The strategy was born to meet the need of AI data centers for quick access to vast amounts of power and to insulate existing customers from shouldering extra costs.”

Heatmap: In California, rising solar generation cuts natural gas demand
Alexander C. Kaufman, 11/25/25

“Over the last three years, California generated steadily more electricity from utility-scale solar farms while generation from natural gas-fired plants dropped,” Heatmap reports. “Gas still dominates the state’s power generation, but industrial solar generation more than doubled in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2020, new analysis from the federal Energy Information Administration found. Between January and August of this year, natural gas supplied 18% less power than during the same months five years ago.”

WUFT: Under Pressure
Kylie Williams, 11/24/25

“Fifteen years after Deepwater Horizon, some scientists and environmentalists worry the industry’s new technology could bring risks to Florida’s coast,” WUFT reports. “…After a multi-billion dollar settlement from BP and regulatory reform, the nationwide outcry over industry recklessness quieted to a murmur. The white-sand beaches, now cleaned up, draw millions of tourists once again. But oil companies keep drilling — deeper than ever before—and they are also looking east… “As wells in the shallower parts of the Gulf run dry, oil companies have shifted to a new trend: “20K technology,” which involves drilling at higher pressures in water miles deep. While the industry has been drilling in ultra-deepwater for years, 20K allows access to wells previously deemed too risky. Industry executives say the new technology is safe, cutting edge and secures America’s future as a global energy giant. But some experts told WUFT the risks of ultra-deepwater drilling are too great, and that the fallout of another large-scale spill could be catastrophic for the environment and coastal economies — especially if it’s near Florida.”

EXTRACTION

CBC: Are carbon capture promises overshadowing Canada’s climate pledges? [VIDEO]
11/28/25

“Mark Winfield, a professor of environmental and urban change at York University, says he is worried about the long-term impacts of the memorandum of understanding signed by Alberta and Ottawa on Thursday. He says it sends a signal Canada is deprioritizing climate change action by focusing on the unproven technology of carbon capture and storage, and feels it could have an impact beyond oil and gas — including how it affects provincial clean electricity targets,” the CBC reports.

Canadian Press: Quebec begins consultations on potential revision of greenhouse gas targets
11/25/25

“Quebec is beginning consultations at the provincial legislature on whether to revise its greenhouse gas emission reduction target,” the Canadian Press reports. “The province committed to reducing its annual emissions by 37.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030 in the wake of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.Environment Minister Bernard Drainville told the consultation the province is about halfway to the target, with a 19 per cent reduction over 1990 levels. But he says achieving the other half in five years presents a considerable challenge, adding that the province needs a target that considers the needs of both the environment and the economy.”

Financial Times: Venture Global says Shell waged ‘campaign’ to damage its LNG business
Jamie Smyth, 11/25/25

“Venture Global has accused Shell of waging a “three-year campaign” to damage its liquefied natural gas business, as a boardroom battle to dominate the market for the super-chilled fuel heats up,” the Financial Times reports. “In an note to staff obtained by the Financial Times, the US company’s co-founders Michael Sabel and Robert Pender blasted Shell’s “misguided decision” to appeal a recent arbitration loss to Venture Global, labelling it the actions of an “upset” industry incumbent. “[Shell’s] action relies on completely baseless claims and is an unfortunate continuation of their three-year campaign to damage Venture Global. This behaviour should be very concerning to Shell’s employees, board of directors and shareholders,” read the email, which was sent as a Thanksgiving message to the LNG company’s 2,000 employees… “Venture Global denies it violated the contracts, arguing it was not obliged to ship the gas because its export plant on the US Gulf coast had not started commercial operations. The company had declared force majeure on its contractual commitments because its facility’s power supply needed repair.”

Reuters: Venture Global, Tokyo Gas sign 20-year LNG supply deal
Pranav Mathur and Curtis Williams, 11/25/25

“Venture Global said on Tuesday it has signed a 20-year sales and purchase agreement, or SPA, with Japan’s capital city gas supplier, Tokyo Gas, to supply it with 1 million metric tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas, starting in 2030,” Reuters reports. “The agreement marks Venture Global’s fourth long-term contract with a Japanese company and the U.S. LNG exporter has in the last six months signed SPAs for 7.75 million tonnes per annum of the superchilled gas, the company said in a statement. Venture Global is the U.S.’ second-largest LNG exporter and last month was responsible for 30% of the U.S. total LNG output, according to data compiled by LSEG.”

Clean Air Task Force: Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025
11/26/25

“In 2025, Europe began deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) at commercial scale,” according to the Clean Air Task Force. “In Norway, Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik cement plant became the first industrial facility to capture CO₂ at scale and store it permanently through the Northern Lights project – a milestone that demonstrates Europe’s first fully operational CCS value chain. Several other projects reached final investment decision (FID) in late 2024 and throughout 2025, representing ten projects in total, with about 4 million tons (Mt) CO₂ per year of capture capacity and around 14 Mt CO₂ per year of storage capacity (Table 1). This reflects a steady, if uneven, transition from planning to implementation. In parallel, the EU advanced relevant policy. The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), adopted in 2024, set a binding target of 50 Mt CO₂ per year of injection capacity by 2030 and introduced obligations for 44 oil and gas producers to help develop shared storage infrastructure. Member States submitted this year their first Article 21 reports, providing an initial overview of national plans for capture, transport, and storage. The Clean Industrial Deal, launched in February 2025, positioned industrial decarbonisation as a pillar of Europe’s competitiveness. It outlined new instruments to accelerate investment, including the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act (expected in late 2025) and a proposed Industrial Decarbonisation Bank (planned for 2026). Despite these steps forward, progress toward FIDs remains slow, limited by permitting delays, slow infrastructure development, and inadequate regulatory or funding drivers to support project investment. To reach the recommended 90% net emissions reduction by 2040 and climate neutrality by 2050, the EU will need to be ready to capture around 280 Mt CO₂ per year by 2040 and 450 Mt CO₂ per year by 2050. Current deployment remains far behind that trajectory.”

Associated Press: Ambitious plan to store CO2 beneath the North Sea set to start operations
James Brooks, 11/26/25

“Appearing first as a dot on the horizon, the remote Nini oil field on Europe’s rugged North Sea slowly comes into view from a helicopter. Used to extract fossil fuels, the field is now getting a second lease on life as a means of permanently storing planet-warming carbon dioxide beneath the seabed,” the Associated Press reports. “In a process that almost reverses oil extraction, chemical giant INEOS plans to inject liquefied CO2 deep down into depleted oil reservoirs, 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) beneath the seabed… “When the project begins commercial operations next year, Greensand is expected to become the European Union’s first fully-operational offshore CO2 storage site. Environmentalists say carbon capture and storage, also known as CCS, has a role to play in dealing with climate change but should not be used as an excuse by industries to avoid cutting emissions… “But while there are many carbon capture facilities around the world, the technology is far from scale, sometimes uses fossil fuel energy in its operations and captures just a tiny fraction of worldwide emissions… “Environmental campaigners told AP CCS has been used as an excuse by industries to delay cutting emissions. “We could have CCS on those very few sectors where emissions are truly difficult or impossible to abate,” Helene Hagel, head of climate and environmental policy at Greenpeace Denmark, told AP. “But when you have all sectors in society almost saying, we need to just catch the emissions and store them instead of reducing emissions — that is the problem.”

Wall Street Journal: The Carbon Capture Plan Turning Cattle Farms Into Power Plants
Yusuf Khan, 11/25/25

“Looking out across a dairy farm in Germany, you might see cows, verdant pastures and a grazing shed or two for the herd. But for Google, McKinsey and other companies that are part of the Frontier coalition focused on carbon removal, they see such cattle farms as a way to green the planet—with the help of shipping-container-size power plants,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The Frontier coalition of carbon removal buyers is backing German startup Reverion, paying it $41 million to remove 96,000 tons of carbon dioxide between 2027 and 2030. The startup uses biogas to produce green electricity and CO₂, which eventually will be captured and then permanently stored. It is being seen as a way to help lower the emissions from cattle farming and make the electricity grid greener at the same time… “In many cattle farms and even sewage plants today, waste from plants or animals is placed in anaerobic digesters to break it down and produce manure and biogas—a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane. Both of those gases are toxic for the environment when released, in particular methane, which has a very high global warming impact. But biogas is also a very useful fuel source. Reverion uses the biogas to produce clean electricity. It pumps the biogas through a solid oxide fuel cell, which on the other side produces electricity and carbon dioxide. Frontier’s investment will mean Reverion will capture and liquefy the CO2 so it can be permanently stored, earning carbon removal credits.”

E&E News: Data center boom may need 36% more power than previously thought
Christa Marshall, 12/1/25

“Electricity demand from U.S. data centers is projected to be 36 percent higher over the next decade than forecast a few months ago, signaling how quickly the industry is changing amid the artificial intelligence boom, according to a new report,” E&E News reports. “The findings from BloombergNEF on Monday are notable partly because the research firm tends to have more conservative estimates of data center growth than the federal government and other analysts. According to the report, AI power demand is slated to surge by 106 gigawatts by 2035, up from 78 GW estimated in April. “Data centers are rapidly scaling in size to meet compute intensity,” the report says. “Grid tipping points are already emerging.” The updated numbers reflect more than 140 newly announced projects over the past few months and indicate that the nation’s largest grid operator, PJM, is facing a power squeeze by the end of the decade.”

Heated: AI’s water problem is worse than we thought
Emily Atkin, 11/25/25

“Everyone knows data centers use a lot of water. What’s less known is how they can poison the drinking water that remains. It’s already happening in eastern Oregon, according to a new bombshell investigation from Rolling Stone and the Food and Environment Reporting Network,” Heated reports. “…At its data centers in Morrow County, Amazon is using water that’s already contaminated with industrial agriculture fertilizer runoff to cool down its ultra-hot servers. When that contaminated water hits Amazon’s sizzling equipment, it partially evaporates—but all the nitrate pollution stays behind. That means the water leaving Amazon’s data centers is even more concentrated with pollutants than what went in. After that extra-contaminated water leaves Amazon’s data center, it then gets dumped and sprayed across local farmland in Oregon. From there, the contaminated water soaks straight into the aquifer that 45,000 people drink from. The result is that people in Morrow County are now drinking from taps loaded with nitrates, with some testing at 40, 50, even 70 parts per million… “It’s a remarkable piece of public service journalism that gives a preview of what could happen as data centers multiply across rural America to fuel the artificial intelligence boom, often in places with scarce water, weak oversight, and political systems easily overpowered by Big Tech money.”

CNN: ‘An oil spill in solid form’: Bio-bead disaster devastates beloved English coast
Kara Fox, 11/29/25

“…For the last 20 years, [Andy] Dinsdale has witnessed the transformation of Camber Sands, a 2-mile stretch of golden sand and dunes, from one of Britain’s most cherished stretches of coast into a front line of an escalating environmental crisis,” CNN reports. “But he wasn’t prepared for what he saw in early November. As Dinsdale and citizen scientist group Strandliners scoured the beach for a pollution survey, they discovered something peculiar: An astonishing number of black plastic pellets were littering the sand. Millions of bio-beads — peppercorn-sized plastic pellets used in some wastewater plants to grow bacteria that help break down pollutants during the final step of the cleaning process — had washed into the English Channel after a mechanical failure days earlier at a water treatment plant more than 35 miles up the coast. An estimated 10 tons — or up to 650 million beads — had escaped into the sea, mingling into sand, slipping into creeks, and infiltrating the salt marshes of the adjacent Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, one of Britain’s most ecologically significant coastal wetlands. The spill represents one of the UK’s worst environmental disasters in years… “News of the spill sparked a mass volunteer effort, with up to a hundred people a day out on the beach, working with kitchen sieves, colanders and buckets in the initial days of the cleanup.”

OPINION

The Detroit News: Stop dawdling, build Line 5 tunnel
Editorial, 11/29/25

“Finally, environmentalists and petroleum interests are in agreement when it comes to getting oil-based products from the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula. Neither group wants to bring them across the Straits of Mackinac through a 42-inch, horizontally drilled borehole,” The Detroit News Editorial Board writes. “The Army Corps of Engineers mentioned that idea as an alternative to the long-planned 21-foot concrete tunnel that would encase the Line 5 petroleum and natural gas pipelines for the full four-mile crossing. Running 100 feet below the lakebed, the tunnel would be safe from anchor strikes. The Corps is holding public hearings on the borehole alternative on Wednesday. Environmentalists condemned that option, accusing pipeline owner Enbridge Inc. of seeking a faster, cheaper alternative to the $500 million tunnel to which it had committed. Of course, the environmental groups don’t like the tunnel either, though it’s expected to be nearly 100% leakproof. Their real objection is not to the means of transport, but to the fact that petroleum and natural gas are moving at all. They see Enbridge’s pipeline as enabling the nation’s continued reliance on fossil fuels… “The tunnel is the surest way to protect the Great Lakes. And that should be the driving mission behind decision-making on the project. State and federal regulators should finish the permitting process and allow construction to proceed. Delaying the tunnel further increases the risk of the sort of devastating spill into the lakes the tunnel is designed to prevent.”

The Advocate: Carbon capture opponents won’t go away, and it’s scrambling conservative politics
Faimon A. Roberts, 11/30/25

“Last week, a group called Save My Louisiana filed a lawsuit in Baton Rouge, arguing that the process amounts to a “egregious and overt trampling” of property rights. And on Nov. 17, the Vernon Parish Police Jury reversed an earlier decision and passed a resolution opposing the practice. These latest salvos are an indication of how carbon capture has scrambled conservative and Republican Party politics in this state, because much of the opposition to the process comes not from left-wing environmental justice types (though many of them oppose it, too), but from rock-ribbed conservatives in some of the reddest regions of Louisiana,” Faimon A. Roberts writes for The Advocate. “…But the opponents, including many landowners, aren’t buying it. They worry about the potential for pipeline failures, or that the carbon could find its way into local aquifers. Some conservatives say carbon capture is unneeded because climate change is overblown. Many of those who oppose it are clustered in the central part of the state, where there are a number of proposed carbon storage areas… “But the opposition wouldn’t go away. Last month, in response, Gov. Jeff Landry issued a moratorium on new carbon capture permits… “On the one hand, you have business, industry and economic development types who see the potential for growth. On the other, citizens and officials in many of Louisiana’s reddest parishes who, in a notable development, echo many of the concerns that environmentalists have uttered for years — and also assert traditional conservative values like property rights and local control. It’s too early to see how it will all play out. But if this oil and gas state ever turns on its biggest and most powerful industry, analysts may point to carbon capture as the spark that ignited the flame.”

NOLA.com: Don’t squander state’s lead on carbon capture
Tommy Faucheux, president, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, 11/27/25

“In 2023, as Louisiana celebrated securing Class VI primacy, I told the newspaper that Louisiana was “on the verge of a new golden age” of energy. With carbon capture and sequestration poised to take American energy dominance to new heights, we were years ahead of any other state,” Tommy Faucheux writes for NOLA.com. “As the Trump administration repealed many of the Biden-era tax credits, it doubled down on support for CCS in the One Big Beautiful Bill because the technology is viable and has clear market demand… “But as we’ve had the opportunity to supercharge Louisiana’s economy past other Southern states, we spent two legislative sessions debating whether to kneecap the biggest economic advantage Louisiana has had in our lifetime. Now, almost two years since gaining Class VI primacy, Louisiana has permitted only one project, and Texas is on the verge of surpassing us… “My counterpart at the Texas Oil and Gas Association Todd Staples is saying, “Texas is now poised to lead the world in CCS, which means more investment and more jobs for Texans.” “…We still have the potential to take back the leadership position that is attracting so much opportunity to our state. We just need to grasp it.”

Miami Herald: Oil drilling off Florida’s coast? We have a two-word response: Deepwater Horizon
The Miami Herald Editorial Board, 11/25/25

“If there’s any upside to the Trump administration’s newly unveiled plan to allow oil drilling off the West Coast of Florida for the first time in decades, it’s this: The pushback against this bad idea is united, bipartisan — and especially fierce from Republicans,” The Miami Herald Editorial Board writes. “Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody co-sponsored a bill last week to maintain the moratorium on Florida offshore drilling that President Donald Trump signed in his first term. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office urged the Department of Interior “to reconsider and to conform to the 2020 Trump Administration policy,” noting that Florida’s constitution was amended in 2018 to prohibit offshore oil and gas drilling in state waters. DeSantis added Friday that drilling would “weaken protections that we worked very hard to establish offshore” and said he hopes the feds “double down” on the 2020 policy protecting the shore. Is this a “historic step” to open up natural resources, as the American Petroleum Institute said after the Trump administration’s announcement? Or is it far too much of a risk for places like Florida? Here’s the answer: Deepwater Horizon… “Under the new Trump administration plan, drilling would be allowed 100 miles or more off Florida’s entire West Coast. That’s an enormous area and an enormous risk. There’s still a 60-day comment period starting Nov. 24 to allow local governments, citizens and others to speak out. Florida, including its elected officials, must continue to say in one loud voice: No drilling off our coast.”

Vancouver Sun: Why maintaining the North Coast oil tanker moratorium is of utmost importance
Bruce Reid is a registered professional biologist (RPBio, retired) who worked for DFO in B.C. for 37 years, including as regional manager of the Oceans Program for the Pacific region, 11/27/25

“As a biologist and former regional manager of the Oceans Program for the Pacific region with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), I would like to provide some context as to why retaining the oil tanker moratorium on B.C.’s North Coast is of the utmost importance, despite current political pressures to weaken or rescind it,” Bruce Reid writes for the Vancouver Sun. “…As a result of my extensive knowledge of the region, I’m acutely aware of the issues that led to the rejection of the original Northern Gateway Pipeline, as well as the necessity of the oil tanker ban in the environmentally sensitive and turbulent North Coast waters… “It’s my understanding that the former proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline route would have crossed up to an estimated 1,000 watercourses, putting a wealth of spawning and fish-bearing habitats at further risk in the event of pipeline construction impacts, pipeline leaks or oil spills. The Skeena River is the second largest salmon-bearing river in Canada and a major economic driver in the region. Just one oil spill in the area would be catastrophic for spawning adults and juveniles… “A further critical consideration is that the waters of Hecate Strait can be extremely volatile and treacherous, with a rocky and heavily articulated coastline… “For these reasons, the Pacific North Coast is absolutely the wrong place to be running bitumen pipelines and shipping it in tankers, given the extremely serious and consequential environmental risks involved. This northern pipeline proposal was rejected several years ago for sound and thoroughly researched reasons. These continue to be just as relevant today.”

The Tyee: A New Oilsands Pipeline? What Politicians Won’t Admit
Andrew Nikiforuk, 12/1/25

“Lo and behold, Prime Minister Mark Carney, a global banker, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, a petro-populist à la Donald Trump, have big energy plans for Canadians. The two now support an undefined bitumen pipeline project from Alberta to British Columbia’s northwest coast, claiming it will bring economic glory and growth for a troubled nation,” Andrew Nikiforuk writes for The Tyee. “In response to the news, Robbie Picard, an oilsands booster, has proposed that the resurrected project be called the Spirit Bear Pipeline. According to Picard, who is not Indigenous, the Spirit Bear symbolizes “resilience, harmony, and the sacred balance of nature and industry.” “…Twenty years ago, Hughes and lots of others in Canada concluded that the Northern Gateway project was a bad idea. That abandoned project proposed to move half a million barrels of bitumen a day to the coast across a thousand gleaming waterways and through some of the most mountainous and avalanche-prone terrain in Canada… “Environment Canada lists Hecate as the most dangerous body of water on the entire Canadian coast. Others call it the fourth most dangerous ocean body in the world. Hence the justification for a 50-year-old tanker ban… “The inconvenient tanker ban would be adjusted… “But politicians including Carney and Smith dismiss the accelerating chaos as a temporary “affordability crisis” and call for more growth. To Hughes that’s like a cancer patient ordering more cancer as a treatment… “Hughes suspects that building a pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat might cost between $30 billion and $40 billion. Or even more given inflation, climate change and the rising cost of materials. “I think that sticker price makes it unlikely it will ever be built.”