EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/17/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• E&E News: Top Dem accuses pipeline agency of catering to industry

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bad River Band sues U.S. Army Corps over permit for Line 5 reroute

• Wisconsin Examiner: Bad River Band sues Army Corps of Engineers over Enbridge pipeline permit approval

• Mlive.com: Coast Guard to test oil spill tracking models in Straits of Mackinac

• Radio Iowa: Iowa Senate’s GOP leader to propose carbon pipeline bill

• KMA: Mills County board to hear CO2 pipeline land inspection presentation next week

• Boston Herald: Gov ‘gaslighting’ on pipelines, critic says

• KTUU: LNG pipeline legislation debate divides Alaska lawmakers after consultant calls it ‘essential’

• Bakersfield Californian: Fuel pipeline proposals could reduce reliance on oil produced in Kern

• OilPrice.com: Phillips 66 Sees Strong Support for Western Gateway Pipeline

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: Gulf South’s 111-Mile Kosciusko Junction Pipeline Enters Federal Review

• National Post: Poilievre says he would build pipeline against First Nations objections

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

• Pipeline Technology Journal: Amsterdam Commits $4.7M to Build Port Hydrogen Pipeline Amid National Network Plan Doubts

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: House leaders overcome opposition to permitting bill

• E&E News: How Republicans saved the ‘SPEED Act’ from oblivion

• Heatmap: The Party of ‘All of the Above’ Is Now ‘Anything But’

• E&E News: Bernie Sanders endorses data center moratorium

• New York Times: Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs

• E&E News: ‘It’s a collapse’ — ex-DOJ official on environmental enforcement under Trump

• New York Times: Commercializing the Arctic

• E&E News: Trump gutted climate rules in 2025. He could make it permanent in 2026

STATE UPDATES

• KALB: Ball Town Council unanimously opposes carbon capture projects

• WRAM: Gibson City Ethanol Plant Eyes Carbon Capture to Cut Emissions

• E&E News: ‘Climate Superfund Act’ emerges for last-minute lame-duck action in New Jersey Senate

• Press release: Report Disputes Blue Marlin Oil Export Project’s Benefit to Texas Communities

• Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis board dismisses appeal of xAI turbines permit at Colossus 1

• WHYY: Delaware City Refinery failed to immediately report accurate butane emissions

EXTRACTION

• Offshore Engineer: Canada’s $4B Floating LNG Scheme Secures 12-Year Export Deal

• OilPrice.com: The Condensate Challenge Facing Canada’s Oil Sands Growth

• Gasworld: CCUS deployment in coal shows limited progress

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• CK News Today: Enbridge employees donate over $234K to United Way’s CK branch

• Sarnia Today: Enbridge provides over 300 CO alarms to Sarnia Fire

OPINION

• The Hill: Why Big Oil is panicking over accountability
  

PIPELINE NEWS

E&E News: Top Dem accuses pipeline agency of catering to industry
Mike Soraghan, 12/17/25

“A top Senate Democrat is blasting the Trump administration’s management of pipeline safety, saying oil and gas industry insiders appointed to key government roles are gutting important regulations and failing to enforce those that are left,” E&E News reports. “Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, sent letters to leaders at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, accusing them of “pursuing a reckless safety rollback agenda.” “I am concerned by recent reporting indicating you personally spearheaded the rollback of several safety initiatives at PHMSA — and that you did so at the behest of your former employer,” the Washington state Democrat wrote in an open letter to PHMSA Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman. Kochman came to the agency after working for nearly four years for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, which represents gas transmission pipeline companies… “The Pipeline Safety Trust watchdog group has reported that PHMSA’s enforcement fines dropped 98 percent below the agency’s average between Trump’s inauguration and Sept. 25.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bad River Band sues U.S. Army Corps over permit for Line 5 reroute
Caitlin Looby, 12/16/25

“The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the permit the federal agency issued for Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project in northern Wisconsin,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “The Army Corps issued its permit for the reroute project in northern Wisconsin on Oct. 29 during the federal government shutdown. No supporting documents were included. In the lawsuit, the Bad River Band argues that the permit does not comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act. The lawsuit adds another layer to existing litigation on the project to move its Line 5 pipeline around the Bad River Band reservation. “For more than a decade, we have had to endure the unlawful trespass of a dangerous oil pipeline on our lands and waters,” Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle said in a press release. “Enbridge’s history is full of accidents and oil spills. If that happens here, our Tribe and other communities in the Northwoods will suffer unacceptable consequences.”

Wisconsin Examiner: Bad River Band sues Army Corps of Engineers over Enbridge pipeline permit approval
Henry Redman, 12/16/25

“The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, challenging the corps’ decision to grant a permit allowing the oil company Enbridge to reroute its Line 5 pipeline around the tribe’s reservation in northern Wisconsin,” the Wisconsin Examiner reports. “The lawsuit, filed in the Washington D.C. federal circuit court, is another step in the long legal history of the Enbridge pipeline and the company’s effort to move it from its current route through the tribe’s land. The tribe is asking that the permit approval be vacated. In October, the corps approved Enbridge’s permit to reroute the pipeline off the reservation despite significant public opposition… ”The tribe’s lawsuit alleges that the corps violated the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act and the Administrative Procedure Act by not properly conducting required environmental reviews or following the proper procedures. “For hundreds of years, and to this day, the Band’s ancestors and members have lived, hunted, fished, trapped, gathered, and engaged in traditional activities in the wetlands and waters to be crossed by the Project,” the lawsuit states. “The Project would encircle the Reservation on three sides and damage areas the Band highly values for their ecological and cultural significance. The Corps’ failure to properly review and address the Project’s environmental impacts to wetlands and waterways harms the Band’s interest in maintaining its Reservation homeland and resources in the ceded territory.” The lawsuit alleges that the corps violated the NEPA by not giving proper consideration to the “environmental effects of construction, maintenance, and operation of the Project,” including how it will harm the health of resources on and near the reservation… “The lawsuit also states the permit approval does not address how the project construction will affect the tribe’s “ability to exercise treaty-protected rights to hunt, fish, trap, and gather in ceded territory,” “failed to evaluate the risks and impacts of oil spills along the pipeline route” and “failed to evaluate the risks and impacts of blasting as a construction method.”

Mlive.com: Coast Guard to test oil spill tracking models in Straits of Mackinac
Garret Ellison, 12/16/25

“The U.S. Coast Guard is funding a new round of Great Lakes oil spill research that includes validating spill-tracking models in the Straits of Mackinac, a high-risk shipping corridor crossed by the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline,” Mlive.com reports. “The Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise based in Sault Ste. Marie announced eight projects selected for fiscal year 2026 which are aimed at improving oil spill detection, modeling and response… “One project led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory will deploy clusters of surface current drifters in Lake Michigan and the straits to validate NOAA’s oil spill trajectory model “GNOME,” which is widely used by emergency responders to predict where oil will travel… “The Straits of Mackinac is considered one of the most complex and challenging locations in the Great Lakes for spill response planning because of rapidly changing currents which exchange high volumes of water between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron… “The research is funded through the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which is supported by a per-barrel tax on domestic and imported oil… “The latest research comes as Enbridge pursues a utility tunnel beneath the straits to house a replacement segment of Line 5, an aging pipeline which carries crude oil and natural gas liquids across the lakebed.”

Radio Iowa: Iowa Senate’s GOP leader to propose carbon pipeline bill
O. Kay Henderson, 12/16/25

“The top Republican in the Iowa Senate will be sponsoring a bill next year that would give developers like Summit Carbon Solutions more leeway in altering the route of pipelines. It would also apply to other utility infrastructure, like transmission lines,” Radio Iowa reports. “Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh, a Republican from Spillville, told Radio Iowa for the past three months he’s been talking with Senate Republicans about ideas to resolve the debate over the carbon pipeline soon after the 2026 legislature convenes in January. “We want to be respectful of private property rights. We want to minimize and all but eliminate the need to utilize eminent domain to build infrastructure,” Klimesh told Radio Iowa “and that lies in widening the corridor, giving those companies the ability to find willing landowners that want to enter into an easement with them…I think that shows that Senate Republicans want to be respectful of private property rights for folks that don’t want projects, but also allow private property rights to be exercised by folks that want to benefit from those easements.”

KMA: Mills County board to hear CO2 pipeline land inspection presentation next week
Ethan Hewett, 12/16/25

“Mills County officials are expected to learn more about the land inspection process for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline in the northwest corner of the county next week,” KMA reports. “At its regular meeting on Tuesday morning, during general discussion with County Engineer Jacob Ferro, the county’s board of supervisors discussed Tallgrass’ proposal to tie in the SIRE Council Bluffs ethanol plant into the Nebraska-based company’s now-active Trailblazer pipeline. Plans call for constructing a roughly 4.6-mile pipeline section between the plant and the Iowa-Nebraska border, then carrying the product to a sequestration site in Wyoming… “Ferro says the county is responsible for hiring an engineer to handle the land inspection process after the pipeline is built, with Snyder and Associates expected to give a presentation on their services at the board’s regular meeting next week. “The inspection isn’t for the actual installation of the pipeline, it’s for the landowners–so it’s basically making sure that the pre-existing conditions match the post-construction conditions,” Ferro explained. “They have their own inspectors as far as actually putting the pipeline together.” “…However, Tallgrass officials confirmed earlier this year that 100% of their proposed route in Iowa was secured through voluntary easements and that they won’t use eminent domain.”

Boston Herald: Gov ‘gaslighting’ on pipelines, critic says
Tim Dunn, 12/17/25

“Governor Maura Healey is again changing her position on the two natural gas pipelines she stopped as Attorney General as energy costs continue to soar and strengthen its grip on the Bay State,” according to the Boston Herald. “In a one-on-one interview with NBC Boston on Friday, Healey was asked about her stoppage of the two pipelines – to be built and operated by energy infrastructure giants Kinder Morgan and Access Northeast – when she was attorney general. The governor acknowledged that she stopped the pipelines because they were a “lousy deal.” “They were a lousy deal for ratepayers and I’ve got to stand up for people in Massachusetts. I thought it was wrong for ratepayers, people, residents, taxpayers in Massachusetts to foot the bill for those pipelines, instead of the pipeline companies,” Healey told the network. This comes just a month after the governor deflected blame for stopping the gas pipelines. When asked by the Herald if stopping the two pipelines contributed to soaring energy costs in the Bay State, Healey said “Well, first of all, I didn’t do that,” going on to blame President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods for the rising utility costs… “Spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Paul Craney tells the Herald that stopping natural gas infrastructure has been one of Healey’s “top priorities” over the past decade. “Its hard to keep track with her various positions of shutting down two pipelines, but the fact of the matter is that everyone knows her record as attorney general and three years into the governor’s office.”

KTUU: LNG pipeline legislation debate divides Alaska lawmakers after consultant calls it ‘essential’
Wil Courtney, 12/16/25

“Alaska lawmakers are divided over whether new legislation is needed for a liquified natural gas pipeline, with the state’s energy consultant calling it “essential” while some legislators say existing laws are sufficient,” KTUU reports. “A successful project will likely require suitable enabling legislation from the state legislature, among other key prerequisites,” state-contracted energy consulting firm GaffneyCline, hired by the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee for up to $200,000 in April 2024, says in a document made public for the first time Monday. The 62-page document, presented to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee last month, concludes that legislation is essential for the pipeline to be viable but more needs to be done to get the project across the finish line… “The document’s release comes amid optimism from pipeline developers and federal officials but growing skepticism from some state lawmakers… “Rep. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, former House minority leader and co-chair of the Alaska Gasline Caucus, told KTUU she believes legislation for the pipeline is not needed, citing previous legislative involvement. “Legislative involvement risks introducing political uncertainty, delaying timelines, and discouraging investors who prioritize stability and market driven decision-making.” “…Glenfarne is making rapid progress on Alaska LNG and regularly meets with legislators to provide updates and discuss important state and local policy considerations,” Glenfarne communications director Tim Fitzpatrick told KTUU. “We appreciate the legislature’s continued engagement to help make Alaska LNG a success for the state.” “…Despite the optimistic timeline, Alaska has seen multiple LNG pipeline proposals fail over the past two decades due to financing challenges, regulatory delays and market conditions. Environmental groups and some Alaska Native groups have also raised concerns about the pipeline’s potential impact on wildlife and traditional lands.”

Bakersfield Californian: Fuel pipeline proposals could reduce reliance on oil produced in Kern
John Cox, 12/16/25

“California energy supply concerns that arose partly because of local oil-field permitting delays are reviving interest in importing refined fuels from other states,” the Bakersfield Californian reports. “At least three new pipeline networks have been proposed recently that would bring the West gasoline and other refined products from as far away as Missouri and the Gulf Coast… “On a conceptual level, the proposals could reduce California’s demand for oil produced in-state, primarily in Kern County. Strategically, plans to link existing and proposed pipelines could resolve vulnerabilities associated with California’s status as an “energy island” with little capacity for bringing in oil from east of the Rockies. As it stands, all refined fuel coming into the state enters through seaports… “In October, industry giants Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan began soliciting refiner interest in a network of fuel conduits they’re calling the Western Gateway Pipeline… “Separately, refiner and fuel marketer HF Sinclair Corp. announced in October it is evaluating a multi-phase pipeline network proposal that would increase supply from the Rockies and elsewhere to Las Vegas by as much as 150,000 barrels per day of refined products. The initial phase is targeted to open in 2028. A third pipeline proposal called the Sun Belt Connector would link pipelines between El Paso, Texas and Phoenix. Pipeline owner ONEOK began soliciting refiner interest in September and expects to open the 200,000-barrel-per-day network in mid-2029.”

OilPrice.com: Phillips 66 Sees Strong Support for Western Gateway Pipeline
Tsvetana Paraskova, 12/17/25

“The newly proposed Western Gateway Pipeline, planned to ship fuels from Midwest refineries all the way to California, is gathering growing support from federal, state, and industry circles, according to one of the project’s proponents, refining giant Phillips 66,” OilPrice.com reports. “Phillips 66 and pipeline giant Kinder Morgan unveiled in October plans for the Western Gateway Pipeline, which could become the world’s largest pipeline for transporting refined petroleum products. The project would combine new-build pipeline from Borger, Texas, to Phoenix, Arizona, with a reversal of Kinder Morgan’s existing Santa Fe Pacific Products (SFPP) West Line (which currently flows from Colton, California to Phoenix) to enable east-to-west flows into California. The plans also include the Phillips 66 Gold Pipeline, which currently flows from Borger to St. Louis, to also be reversed to move gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Midcontinent toward Borger and into the Western Gateway system. The binding open season for Western Gateway Pipeline ends on December 19 and has “gone quite well,” Phillips 66 chief executive Mark Lashier told Bloomberg News.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: Gulf South’s 111-Mile Kosciusko Junction Pipeline Enters Federal Review
Mary Holcomb, 12/16/25

“Nearly a year after Boardwalk Pipelines approved the Kosciusko Junction Pipeline project, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has formally initiated its environmental review for the 111-mile natural gas expansion proposed by Boardwalk subsidiaries Gulf South Pipeline Co. and Texas Gas Transmission,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “…The notice outlines pipeline specifications, route data, compressor horsepower, and a proposed review schedule extending through October 2026 — all details appearing for the first time in public filings… “The Kosciusko Junction project now includes approximately 111.5 miles of new 36-inch-diameter pipeline and nearly 93,500 horsepower of additional compression across multiple facilities in Mississippi… “In October 2025, the Kosciusko Junction Pipeline project was granted FAST-41 coverage by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, placing it under the federal program designed to streamline permitting timelines for large, complex infrastructure projects. The designation makes the Kosciusko Junction project eligible for enhanced interagency coordination, increased transparency around permitting schedules, and centralized oversight through the Permitting Council, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission serving as the lead agency. FAST-41 status does not guarantee approval, but it is intended to reduce permitting uncertainty and help keep multi-agency reviews on track.”

National Post: Poilievre says he would build pipeline against First Nations objections
Tristin Hopper, 12/17/25

“In a year-end CBC interview, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed that his strategy to build an oil pipeline differs from the prime minister’s in that he would eventually steamroll opponents who stood in its way,” the National Post reports. “Of course I would consult … but we are going to build a pipeline when I am prime minister,” Poilievre told interviewer Rosemary Barton on Dec. 14. It’s been three weeks since Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a Nov. 27 memorandum of understanding with the Alberta government to build a bitumen pipeline along “a route that increases export access to Asian markets as a priority.” Nevertheless, the document doesn’t lay out what Carney’s government would do about First Nations or provincial governments who stand in opposition. Multiple times in recent months, the Liberal government has said that no pipeline to the Pacific Ocean would be built without the unanimous approval of both Indigenous leaders and the B.C. government. As Carney told reporters in July, “we must have a consensus of all the provinces and the Indigenous people … if a province doesn’t want it, it’s impossible.” “…When it comes to First Nations, meanwhile, the federal government retains a “duty to consult,” but the Supreme Court has ruled that this is not a “veto” over development… “The case Poilievre has been making since the signing of the MOU is that it adds unnecessary steps to a process that doesn’t actually require cooperation.”

The Tyee: A New Oilsands Pipeline? What Politicians Won’t Admit
Andrew Nikiforuk, 12/17/25

“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,” The Tyee reports. “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.” To gain a different, more measured perspective, I called David Hughes. He is one of the country’s foremost energy analysts and a geologist who worked for the Geological Survey of Canada for 32 years… “In any case Hughes doesn’t see any need for another pipeline. 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… “To do its bit against climate change, Alberta would capture, transport and then inject underground its growing carbon emissions using an energy- and water-intensive technology called carbon capture and storage, or CCS… “This concentration of ownership means another pipeline will mainly enrich a small group of foreigners who really don’t give a fig about climate change. Or Canada’s future for that matter.”

Pipeline Technology Journal: Amsterdam Commits $4.7M to Build Port Hydrogen Pipeline Amid National Network Plan Doubts
12/17/25

“The Amsterdam Municipal Executive has committed €4 million (approximately $4.7 million) to develop a 13-kilometre hydrogen pipeline network in its port, forging ahead with local infrastructure despite growing uncertainty over the Netherlands’ national hydrogen strategy,” Pipeline Technology Journal reports. “…According to the project’s details, the pipeline will operate at pressures between 8 and 16 bars and is anticipated to potentially feed into the Dutch national hydrogen network in the future. The H2Avennet project is currently in the design phase, with Firan anticipating a final investment decision in 2026, with the network expected to begin operations in two years later in 2028. Meanwhile, the company has not yet released figures on customer commitments… “The national plan faces hurdles due to lower-than-expected demand and rapidly rising costs. Court of Audit board member Barbara Jozaisse emphasised the need for governmental vigilance due to the massive amounts of public money committed to the project… “This was part of the country’s strategy to lead in the green hydrogen revolution. However, with the latest financial and logistical scrutiny, the fate of the planned national hydrogen network remains unclear, at least for now.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: House leaders overcome opposition to permitting bill
Kelsey Brugger, 12/16/25

“Republican leaders on Tuesday managed to flip a group of hard-line conservatives and offshore wind antagonists who were threatening to block a big GOP permitting bill from reaching the floor,” E&E News reports. ”In the end, just two holdouts — Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) — voted against taking up the “SPEED Act,” H.R. 4776 from House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.). At one point, six Republicans had voted “no,” enough for the bill to stall. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) told E&E lawmakers struck an agreement on how the legislation would treat existing offshore wind projects. The details of the agreement remain murky… “Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) — who also flipped his vote from ‘no’ to ‘yes’ — told E&E the fix would involve “that very important language so that we can go back and show that these wind projects were rushed through. That the permitting wasn’t proper. That they didn’t take into account the fishing industry, the tourism industry, the environment and the ratepayer — all that they can go through that process and look at that project.”

E&E News: How Republicans saved the ‘SPEED Act’ from oblivion
Kelsey Brugger, 12/17/25

“A group of conservatives and offshore wind critics were fulfilling their vow to block permitting reform legislation from their own party Tuesday afternoon. But after roughly 30 minutes of animated discussion on the House floor, most of them backed down,” E&E News reports. “The move by Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and others to allow the House to debate the “SPEED Act” will preserve the chamber’s leverage in permitting negotiations with the Senate next year. But the rebels didn’t walk away empty-handed.In exchange for voting ‘yes’ on the rule for debate on the legislation, which would overhaul the National Environmental Policy Act review process, House leaders and Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) agreed to tweak the proposal… “The new text would specifically exempt an agency decision made since Jan. 20 until the law’s enactment to reopen permits.”

Heatmap: The Party of ‘All of the Above’ Is Now ‘Anything But’
Jael Holzman, 12/16/25

“The fate of a House GOP permitting deal stands on a knife’s edge. During a dramatic vote on the House floor Tuesday, far-right Republicans and opponents of the offshore wind industry joined with Democrats in a nearly-successful attempt to defeat a procedural vote on the SPEED Act, a bill to streamline implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act,” Heatmap reports. “Speaking with reporters off the House floor, GOP lawmakers said that the bill — which has the backing of both the oil and gas sector and some large trade groups that represent renewables companies — faced opposition from a handful of Republicans over language that would block the federal government from rescinding previously-issued permits for energy projects. The tactic is one Trump has used repeatedly to stymie offshore wind projects. Republican hardliners feared that a future version of the deal would take that language further, restricting the president’s power to stall solar and wind permit applications through extralegal bureaucratic delays. Though the bill is alive for now, the outcome casts a pall over the prospects for any permitting deal this Congress because, as Heatmap’s reporting has made clear, there is little shot of a grand deal on NEPA reform without exactly the sort of executive power restrictions Republican objectors feared. That the bill nearly came up short also illustrates a shift in the GOP’s thinking on energy policy that has gone largely unnoticed. Vestiges of the party remain committed to the philosophy of “all of the above,” but the new generation of lawmakers is more likely to be anti-renewables at all costs. Combined with today’s hyper-partisan environment and narrow majorities in both chambers, that tension makes legislating on energy almost impossible… “Another attorney, who requested anonymity because they did not have permission from their firm, confirmed that the bill would stop the Trump administration from exploiting NEPA in the future, but told Heatmap that nothing in the legislation requires agencies to move forward on energy projects.”

E&E News: Bernie Sanders endorses data center moratorium
Amelia Davidson, 12/17/25

“Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed a national moratorium on data center construction Tuesday, likely becoming the first member of Congress to do so,” E&E News reports. “ Sanders, a progressive who caucuses with Democrats, cited concerns about the unregulated growth of artificial intelligence and its impacts on employment and children’s development. Data centers are the prime infrastructure required to train and expand AI. “This moratorium will give democracy a chance to catch up, and ensure that the benefits of these technologies work for all of us, not just the wealthiest people on Earth,” Sanders said in a video on social media.”

New York Times: Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs
Ivan Penn and Karen Weise, 12/1/6/25

“Three Democratic senators said on Tuesday that they are investigating whether and how the operations of technology companies are driving up residential electricity bills,” the New York Times reports. “In letters sent on Monday to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and three other companies, the lawmakers said the energy needs of data centers used for artificial intelligence were forcing utilities to spend billions of dollars to upgrade the power grid. Energy companies typically recoup the money they invest in equipment through the rates they charge all users of electricity. The senators — Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — said they were concerned that customers other than the tech companies would be stuck footing the bill, especially if the A.I. boom ended. “We write in light of alarming reports that tech companies are passing on the costs of building and operating their data centers to ordinary Americans as A.I. data centers’ energy usage has caused residential electricity bills to skyrocket in nearby communities,” the senators said… “The biggest tech companies have consistently said they want to pay their fair share of energy costs and in some states have brokered deals with utilities to try to do so. But there is little consensus about exactly how much they should pay.”

E&E News: ‘It’s a collapse’ — ex-DOJ official on environmental enforcement under Trump
Pamela King, Hannah Northey, 12/16/25

“Environmental enforcement cases under President Donald Trump’s second term have dropped to record lows — falling far below the Justice Department’s efforts during the president’s first four years in office, according to a new analysis of court records,” E&E News reports. “In the 11 months since Trump took office, DOJ’s Environmental Enforcement Section has filed just 20 cases and imposed only $15.1 million in civil penalties against polluters, down from $590 million in fines issued in the 19 days of 2025 before the president’s second inauguration, Laura Thoms, director of enforcement at Earthjustice told E&E… “If the administration truly wants ‘the cleanest air and water in the world,’ as it claims, it must fully fund and embrace the enforcement needed to achieve it,” Thoms wrote. “Until then, Earthjustice will step in, ramping up our own enforcement work to protect communities and ensure that environmental laws are worth more than the paper they’re written on.”

New York Times: Commercializing the Arctic
David Gelles, 12/16/25

“…But this year, there are also near-term policy upheavals that are reshaping the Arctic. The Trump administration is working to commercialize Alaska, opening up previously protected waters to oil and gas drilling, and allowing preparations for a road that would reach a proposed copper and zinc mine,” the New York Times reports. “…Last month the Trump administration “announced a plan to allow new oil and gas drilling across nearly 1.3 billion acres of U.S. coastal waters, including a remote region off Alaska in the northern Arctic where drilling has never before taken place,” Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman report. A month before that, Trump signed an executive order “directing the government to approve a 211-mile industrial road that would cut through pristine Alaskan wilderness to reach a proposed copper and zinc mine,” they wrote… “Even if projects begin moving forward, they are likely to be met with lawsuits. This month, environmentalists sued to stop ConocoPhillips from drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, a vast expanse on Alaska’s North Slope.”

E&E News: Trump gutted climate rules in 2025. He could make it permanent in 2026
Jean Chemnick, 12/17/25

“President Donald Trump spent 2025 dismantling EPA’s regulatory architecture in an effort to prevent future administrations from reining in greenhouse gas pollution. Next year will begin to show if it’s a winning strategy,” E&E News reports. “The president carried his view that climate change is a make-believe issue of the left into his second term by directing EPA to weaken or erase a slate of rules aimed at reducing warming pollution from cars, power plants and oil fields… “Last month, the agency suspended compliance requirements under a Biden-era methane rule for oil and gas development… “What they came in with wasn’t a road map, it was a wrecking ball,” Miles Keogh, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, told E&E. “They got a lot done, but what they got done was taking stuff down, breaking stuff. You can do a lot of that fast…I think it’s possible we’ll start seeing more proactive steps taken to expand the market share for fossil fuel resources.”

STATE UPDATES

KALB: Ball Town Council unanimously opposes carbon capture projects
Jay McCully, 12/16/25

“The Ball Town Council voted unanimously on December 16 to pass a resolution opposing carbon capture and sequestration projects within town limits,” KALB reports. “…The vote comes as other municipalities across Central Louisiana have passed similar resolutions, including Woodworth and the Grant Parish Police Jury… “It’s a show of force, if you will, to the next level of government that the citizens do not want this in or near the Town of Ball. We’ve seen an incredible amount of people come out against carbon capture and sequestration. I mean, a lot. It’s not a Republican-Democrat thing. It’s a safety and health thing,” said Alderman Marc Mercer.”

WRAM: Gibson City Ethanol Plant Eyes Carbon Capture to Cut Emissions
12/16/25

“A Gibson City ethanol company is moving forward with plans to capture and store carbon dioxide, a process known as carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS,” WRAM reports. “…Steve Kelly, CEO of One Earth Energy, says progress on the pipeline has been paused due to a state moratorium set to expire July 1, 2026. “We situated the well site about six miles west of Gibson City, here in McLean County, because all of our research and development showed that it was the best, most favorable, and safest spot to inject into the sandstone,” Kelly said. “We anticipate that once the new rules and regulations are developed under the Safe CCS Act, we will follow those rules and reapply for the opportunity to build that pipeline. We just need six miles of pipeline between our plant here in Gibson City and our proposed well site just across the county border.”

E&E News: ‘Climate Superfund Act’ emerges for last-minute lame-duck action in New Jersey Senate
Daniel Han, 12/16/25

“A potentially landmark environmental bill is expected to move forward in the state Senate just before the end of the session, a key lawmaker said on Monday,” E&E News reports. “The Climate Superfund Act, NJ S3545 (24R), will be posted for a January hearing in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, Chair Paul Sarlo told E&E. Sarlo told E&E that it was done “at the request” of Senate President Nick Scutari and state Sen. John McKeon, who is the bill’s top backer. “That bill will be posted on January 8 here.”

Press release: Report Disputes Blue Marlin Oil Export Project’s Benefit to Texas Communities
12/15/25

“A report published today by Port Arthur Community Action Network (PACAN) and Earthworks finds that Jefferson County, Orange County, and Cameron Parish would receive little economic benefit from the Blue Marlin Offshore Port, a proposed offshore oil export project. The report comes as the Maritime Administration completes the final environmental impact statement for the project, which will initiate a public comment period. The report, “Would the Blue Marlin Offshore Port Deliver on the Local Benefits it Promises?”, reviewed the Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard’s draft environmental impact statement of the project and other sources and found: The project would only create 39 jobs over the project’s 25-year period, with no guarantee to hire these workers from local communities. The potential for oil leaks and spills from the project could result in economic damages to the communities. Blue Marlin could cause communities to lose tax revenue that could be used to support public services, if they apply for tax abatements. The harm from the production of crude oil to be exported by the Blue Marlin terminal is estimated at a social cost between roughly $998 million to $2.37 billion. The end use, or combustion, of this exported crude oil would incur a social cost ranging from $11 billion to $37.5 billion. “Why would you support a project when there’s no direct benefit you’re going to see from it?” said John Beard Jr., Port Arthur resident, founder and CEO of PACAN. “This project has received endorsements, yet projects like these are why people in our communities are being displaced.”

Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis board dismisses appeal of xAI turbines permit at Colossus 1
Neil Strebig, 12/15/25

“After a nearly 7-hour meeting, the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board voted 6-1 to dismiss an appeal of xAI’s air permit for its 3231 Paul R. Lowry site on the grounds of mootness,” the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. “…Hundreds showed up at the University Center on the University of Memphis campus for the Dec. 15 hearing. “We’re a citizen board and this could be a federal case, could even go up to the Supreme Court of the United States,” board chair Randy Womack said… “On July 16, the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of the NAACP and Young, Gifted & Green, filed an appeal with the Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board regarding the health department’s decision to approve the permit. xAI’s use of gas turbines has drawn criticism from environmental advocacy groups and community stakeholders for more than a year. During an April 25 public hearing hosted by the Shelby County Health Department, dozens of residents voiced concerns and called for the health department to deny the air permit… “In the appeal, both the Southern Environmental Law Center and NAACP disputed the 364-day exemption rule. The organizations allege that the permit does not implement proper emission control limits or enforcement due to the health department’s decisions to classify the xAI turbines as “new construction” and under a “nonroad engine” exemption.”

WHYY: Delaware City Refinery failed to immediately report accurate butane emissions
Zoë Read, 12/16/25

“The Delaware City Refinery must install fenceline air quality sensors after it failed to accurately report recent emissions of a hazardous chemical,” WHYY reports. “The refinery released unpermitted levels of butane, a flammable gas, following a mechanical failure last month. The Delaware City Refinery originally reported that the incident lasted fewer than two hours during the afternoon of Nov. 27. However, the company later informed environmental regulators that the butane release lasted for about 19 hours, beginning the night of Nov. 26. The refinery, owned by PBF Energy, has received more than 50 violations in the past 10 years. In May, a mechanical failure led to the release of sulphur dioxide for almost three weeks, prompting residents to call on the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to take stronger action against the company. In March, the refinery discharged high levels of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide into the air for 10 hours… “DNREC has ordered the refinery to operate a real-time fenceline air sensor system that would measure emissions at the facility’s property line, and send alerts to DNREC and to the public… “New Castle County Councilman Kevin Caneco has also urged DNREC to investigate the refinery’s pollution control equipment and operation procedures.”

EXTRACTION

Offshore Engineer: Canada’s $4B Floating LNG Scheme Secures 12-Year Export Deal
12/17/25

“Cedar LNG, the partnership between Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corporation, has secured a 12-year agreement with Ovintiv for its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, being developed on Canada’s West Coast.” Offshore Engineer reports. “The agreement, signed by Ovintiv and a subsidiary of Pembina Pipeline Corporation, enables the export of 0.5 mtpa of LNG, under which Pembina will provide transportation and liquefaction capacity to Ovintiv over a 12-year term. The deal is set to start with the commercial operations at Cedar LNG, anticipated in late 2028.”

OilPrice.com: The Condensate Challenge Facing Canada’s Oil Sands Growth
Rystad Energy, 12/16/25

“A Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and Alberta, alongside brownfield pipeline expansion plans, is set to significantly increase crude oil export capacity from Western Canada, potentially adding up to 2 million barrels per day of egress,” OilPrice.com reports. “The growth of heavy oil production relies heavily on an adequate supply of condensate for blending, and while domestic production is growing, major expansion scenarios, such as a new AB-BC pipeline, would create a significant condensate shortfall. Associated natural gas production from the liquids-rich Montney and Duvernay plays, which are the main source of domestic condensate, is expected to put downward pressure on local natural gas prices in the Alberta Energy Company (AECO) market.”

Gasworld: CCUS deployment in coal shows limited progress
Dominic Ellis, 12/17/25

“Global carbon dioxide capture capacity at coal-using facilities stands at approximately 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), representing just 0.06% of total coal-related emissions, according to a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report,” Gasworld reports. “The volumes underline the challenges in transiting to clean energy and cutting emissions. Last year coal production contributed to 135 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions (CO2e) and global coal demand is on course to rise by 0.5% in 2025, reaching a record 8.85 billion tonnes, according to the IEA. North America continues to lead in total installed capture capacity, accounting for more than half of the global total. The region hosts three of the four largest operating projects: the Great Plains synfuel project, with a capacity of 3 Mt CO2 per year; the Petra Nova coal power project, which resumed operations in 2023 and captures 1.4 Mt CO2 annually; and in Canada the Boundary Dam coal power project captures 1 Mt CO2 per year… “Without significant CCUS deployment, coal’s role in a low-carbon future will be severely constrained,” the report states. The adoption of hydrogen-based and other innovative steelmaking processes is expected to remain limited because of cost barriers and scrap availability, meaning coke, and coking coal, will continue to play a dominant role, it adds.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

CK News Today: Enbridge employees donate over $234K to United Way’s CK branch
Tamara Thornton, 12/16/25

“Some of Chatham-Kent’s more vulnerable residents can look forward to a bit of a boost because of a charitable donation from Enbridge Gas,” CK News Today reports. “The United Way Centeraide Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent received $234,195 from the utility company following its workplace campaign. Lorraine Goddard, CEO of the United Way Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent, said they’re thrilled with the support from not only Enbridge, but other businesses and groups as well.”

Sarnia Today: Enbridge provides over 300 CO alarms to Sarnia Fire
Josh Boyce, 12/17/25

“Sarnia Fire Rescue Services is working with Enbridge Gas to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero,” Sarnia Today reports. “On Tuesday, the company gave the fire department 312 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be dispersed throughout the city… “This year, Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 into the initiative and over the past 17 years, the program has provided more than 115,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.”

OPINION

The Hill: Why Big Oil is panicking over accountability
David Bookbinder is a longtime environmental attorney and climate policy expert. He is writing here in his personal capacity, 12/13/25

“American consumers shouldn’t have to pay twice for the damage done by multinational oil and gas companies — once through the harm their products cause to our health and our planet, and again when those same companies use lawsuits filed by local communities as an excuse to hike prices at the pump. That’s how these billion-dollar companies work — and the industry’s fake outrage over it says everything,” David Bookbinder writes for The Hill. “Recently, The Hill published an opinion piece from an industry-backed front group calling itself the “Consumer Choice Center,” claiming I support imposing a back-door “carbon tax” through climate liability lawsuits. That is not true. What I said is that the multinational oil companies, not the public, should be the ones to pay for the damage their products cause. Another publication had to run a correction because they ran an op-ed from an energy industry advocate that falsely claimed I am currently representing Boulder County in their climate lawsuit against Suncor and ExxonMobil. They also implied that the Environmental Integrity Project is involved in climate liability litigation, which is not true. But the pattern is clear: industry-backed pundits have been misrepresenting my words, and their spin machine has gone into overdrive. But let’s be honest about what’s really driving their outrage: discomfort. The oil and gas industry doesn’t like anyone saying plainly that their product causes harm — that they have built a business model on avoiding accountability. When someone points out that elephant in the room, they panic, because the public might start asking why they have gotten away with it for so long. Big Oil’s executives have known for decades that their products are damaging the climate and public health. They have spent tons of money to deny it, delay action, and deflect blame. And whenever someone tries to hold them accountable — including cities and counties hurt by wildfires, flooding, and other climate-related damage, as has happened in recent years — they are likely to pass those costs on to consumers at the pump, claiming that lawsuits “hurt consumers.” But it is their greed and the pollution from their products that hurt consumers.”