EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/4/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• Dakota News Now: North Dakota landowners win property rights in CO2 storage case

• North Dakota Monitor: Carbon storage ruling adds uncertainty, North Dakota energy industry says

• KCCI: Addressing eminent domain for carbon pipelines among top priorities next Iowa legislative session

• KGAN: 2026 legislative preview: Iowa groups gear up for another eminent domain debate

• Press release: TC Energy calls for permitting reforms in new NPC report

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: ‘Predictable Permitting’ Key to U.S. Competitiveness, TC Energy CEO Tells NPC

• Reuters: Canada Rolls Back Climate Rules to Spur Pipeline Investment and Oil Exports

• Reuters: Italy’s Snam wins EU backing for hydrogen pipeline and CO2 storage

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Reuters: White House to propose significant rollback in fuel economy standards, sources say

• E&E News: North Dakota Republicans eye ‘fair’ transmission cost allocation

STATE UPDATES

• KTVX: Over 71,000 acres of Utah public land could be up for oil and gas drilling

• Louisiana Illuminator: Reapproval of Commonwealth LNG project rankles Cameron locals, environmentalists

• Nebraska Public Media: Foreign group wants to build ‘e-methane’ plant in Nebraska

• Albany Times Union: New rules require state’s largest polluters to release emissions data

• Arizona Daily Star: Amazon pulls out of Project Blue data centers, sources say

• Source NM: Project Jupiter’s plan relies on natural gas — its impact on air quality remains unclear

• Engineering News Record: Private Infrastructure Investor Giant Blackstone Funds $1.2B West Virginia Gas Power Plant

• SuperTalk: Opinions differ on how remaining BP oil spill money should be spent in Mississippi

• Inside Climate News: LA Wildfire Survivors Want to Rebuild All-Electric, but a Utility Is Using Customer Funds to Incentivize Gas Appliances

EXTRACTION

• Oil Change International: Big Polluters have captured €17 billion in public subsidies for failed carbon capture technology – because fossil fuel lobbyists are setting the agenda

• The Herald: Backer pulls out of proposed Scottish carbon capture scheme

• Sustainability Magazine: UNEP: Is Methane the ‘Emergency Brake’ for Climate Change?

• E&E News: Rural areas are untapped climate saviors, report finds

• Floodlight: Corn’s clean-energy promise is clashing with its climate footprint

• Houston Public Media: Judge approves sale of Houston-based Citgo to Amber Energy

• Oil Change International: Burned: The Price of Oil

OPINION

• Tampa Bay Times: Why are we even thinking about drilling for oil near Florida’s coast?

• Sierra Club: Trump’s offshore oil drilling push only fuels backlash

• Financial Post: A pipeline that delivers even if it never gets built

• Anchorage Daily News: The pipeline that stole Christmas: Why Alaska can’t afford this costly project
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Dakota News Now: North Dakota landowners win property rights in CO2 storage case
12/3/25

“Landowners in North Dakota won a legal battle when a district court ruled that a state law regarding underground “pore space” for carbon dioxide storage was unconstitutional,” Dakota News Now reports. “This ruling is a critical development in safeguarding the safety and property rights of North Dakotans. The Court affirmed our belief that multi-billion dollar carbon capture corporations should not be allowed to undermine our constitutional rights,” said Emma Schmit, Pipeline Fighters Director for Bold Alliance. The Northwest Landowners Association sued North Dakota and its Industrial Commission over a law allowing CO2 storage beneath properties if 60% of affected landowners agreed to it. Northeast Judicial District Judge Anthony Swain Benson ruled that the law is unconstitutional because it offers no means for landowners to receive “just” compensation when eminent domain is used for development projects. The ruling affects all pore space decisions by the North Dakota Industrial Commission, including the Summit Carbon Solutions multi-state CO2 pipeline project. Additionally, some landowners are challenging the approval of three CO2 storage pore space permits granted to Summit. “We are encouraged by the Court’s ruling, which affirms our position that the current law is unconstitutional and must be overturned,” said Kurt Swenson, North Dakota landowner impacted by Summit’s storage facility permits. “After multiple attempts to change this law through legislation, we regret that we had to turn to the courts. We do not oppose any specific project, but simply the law that unjustly gave the North Dakota Industrial Commission unconstitutional authorities, taking away our property rights.”

North Dakota Monitor: Carbon storage ruling adds uncertainty, North Dakota energy industry says
Jeff Beach and Jacob Orledge, 12/3/25

“A court’s finding that a North Dakota law affecting underground storage of carbon dioxide is unconstitutional creates doubt for the energy industry, representatives said Wednesday,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “…Summit told the Monitor the North Dakota storage area “remains an important long-term asset for the project and our partners, including the State of North Dakota, our ethanol plant customers, and the communities we serve.” “…The district court’s decision creates new uncertainty for carbon capture projects at a time when reliable, affordable electricity is more important than ever,” Jonathan Fortner, president and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council, a leading coal group in North Dakota, told the Monitor. “When projects stall, the impacts are not abstract. They show up in grid reliability, electricity bills, and the loss of high-paying, local careers.” “…The Dakota Resource Council, an environment group, said the ruling strengthens the position of landowners. “We see it as a major win for family farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners who have been standing up to CO2 pipelines and storage projects,” the group said in an email… “Sen. Dale Patten, R-Watford City, is one of the legislative branch’s biggest proponents of carbon sequestration. He’s not sure what the next step will be if the district court ruling isn’t overturned. “If the Supreme Court upholds the decision, what would be the alternative language that we could use?” Patten told the Monitor. “I don’t know.” Troy Coons, chair of the Northwest Landowners Association that challenged the law in court, told the Monitor a company could use good business practices and work with landowners to lease 100% of the pore space in a project area.”

KCCI: Addressing eminent domain for carbon pipelines among top priorities next Iowa legislative session
12/3/25

“Eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines, sparking debate among lawmakers and stakeholders last session, is expected to be back on the table in the next legislative session,” KCCI reports. “Last session, a bill aimed at restricting eminent domain reached the governor’s desk but was vetoed. The Iowa chapter of the Sierra Club and local landowners plan to return to the Capitol next year to advocate for a new version of the bill. “This year we are going to be presenting a clean bill just like South Dakota did,” Jess Mazour from Iowa’s chapter of the Sierra Club told KCCI. She told KCCI the bill would allow companies to build carbon pipelines and prevent them from using eminent domain… “Next legislative session, the IRFA plans to advocate for a bill that provides more protections for landowners while still allowing the construction of pipelines.”

KGAN: 2026 legislative preview: Iowa groups gear up for another eminent domain debate
Skylar Tallal, 12/2/25

“The Iowa legislative session is a little over a month away. The use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines is expected to be one of the bigger issues for lawmakers to work through, following controversy last session,” KGAN reports. “…We are having some really really good conversations,” Jess Mazour, the conservation program coordinator for the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, told KGAN. “I think you know we’ll have a pretty good chance of getting our bill out of the House. The Senate is going to be where, where we will struggle again.” Iowa landowners and members of the Sierra Club told KGAN they’ll be back at the capitol in 2026 fighting for a new version of the bill. “This year, we are going to be presenting a clean bill just like South Dakota did,” Mazour told KGAN. “The bill will ban eminent domain for carbon pipelines, nothing else. It does not stop the pipeline project people can still build a carbon pipeline in Iowa with our legislation they just can’t use eminent domain to do it.” “…Why don’t we come up with a system that enhances property rights,” Monte Shaw the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, told KGAN. “That creates a permitting process with more flexibility so we can actually have much much much less use of the involuntary easements. Lets maximize those voluntary easements.”

Press release: TC Energy calls for permitting reforms in new NPC report
12/4/25

“Meeting America’s rising energy demand requires streamlined permitting, according to a newly released report co-created with TC Energy and other energy infrastructure companies. The National Petroleum Council (NPC) today unveiled Bottleneck to Breakthrough: A Permitting Blueprint to Build at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. François Poirier, President and CEO, TC Energy — and chair of the permitting study committee — said the report delivers one clear message: predictable permitting is critical to competitiveness and energy security. “Predictable permitting is foundational to American competitiveness—fueling the energy systems that enable re-industrialization and economic growth. With sensible reform, costs for families can be lowered, reliability strengthened for communities and investment in infrastructure accelerated across all energy systems while upholding environmental standards. This is the blueprint to build and if implemented, can secure America’s energy future. I thank Secretary Chris Wright for his strong commitment to American energy, NPC Chairman Alan Armstrong for his steadfast guidance and the many industry leaders who contributed their expertise to this report,” said François Poirier, President and CEO, TC Energy.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: ‘Predictable Permitting’ Key to U.S. Competitiveness, TC Energy CEO Tells NPC
12/3/25

“TC Energy is calling for sweeping federal permitting reforms to accelerate U.S. pipeline and energy infrastructure development, according to a new National Petroleum Council (NPC) report released on Dec. 3,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The report, Bottleneck to Breakthrough: A Permitting Blueprint to Build, chaired by TC Energy President and CEO François Poirier, outlines specific actions aimed at reducing regulatory delays and improving project predictability across the energy sector… “The blueprint, developed by more than 200 industry and government experts, recommends clarifying the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), curbing excessive litigation, aligning environmental reviews, and expanding fast-track permits for critical infrastructure. The report highlights a widening gap between energy demand and infrastructure growth. U.S. natural gas demand has surged 56% in recent years, while pipeline capacity has increased just 27%, the NPC said. It also notes that electrification driven by AI, data centers, and advanced manufacturing is increasing power demand and natural gas consumption. Meanwhile, global energy shifts — including Europe’s move to cut Russian gas imports from 40% to 18% — are deepening reliance on U.S. LNG and pipeline networks.”

Reuters: Canada Rolls Back Climate Rules to Spur Pipeline Investment and Oil Exports
12/3/25

“Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an agreement with Alberta’s premier on Nov. 27 that rolls back certain climate rules to spur investment in energy production, while encouraging construction of a new oil pipeline to the West Coast,” Reuters reports. “…Under the agreement, the federal government will scrap a planned emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and drop rules on clean electricity, in exchange for a commitment by Canada’s top oil-producing province to strengthen industrial carbon pricing and support a carbon capture-and-storage project. The deal, which was hailed by the country’s oil industry but panned by environmentalists, signaled a shift in Canada’s energy policy in favor of fossil fuel development and is already creating tensions within Carney’s minority government. Steven Guilbeault, who served as environment minister under Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau, said he was quitting the cabinet over concerns that Canada’s climate plan was being dismantled… “In remarks at an industry event in Calgary, Carney said U.S. tariffs and the resulting uncertainty will wipe $50 billion from Canada’s economy, the equivalent of $1,300 for every Canadian, stressing the need to build projects that can spur growth and reduce reliance on the U.S… “In addition, the two agreed to cooperate on building the Pathways Plus project, expected to be the world’s biggest carbon capture project and designed to capture emissions from Canada’s oil sands.”

Reuters: Italy’s Snam wins EU backing for hydrogen pipeline and CO2 storage
Francesca Landini, 12/1/25

“The European Commission on Monday included in its new priority list for cross-border energy projects two initiatives backed by Italian gas grid operator Snam, making them eligible for EU funding,” Reuters reports. “…Snam’s projects, part of an EU list of 235, are a hydrogen pipeline linking Algeria, Italy, Austria and Germany dubbed the SoutH2 Corridor, and offshore carbon dioxide storage sites near Italy’s Ravenna, part of the Callisto project. Since they are among the so-called Projects of Common Interest and Projects of Mutual Interest, they will benefit from fast-track authorisation processes, as well as possible financial backing from the EU.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Reuters: White House to propose significant rollback in fuel economy standards, sources say
David Shepardson, 12/2/25

“The Trump administration is set to propose a significant rollback of fuel economy standards finalized by former President Joe Biden last year, its latest push to make it easier for automakers to sell gas-powered cars, sources told Reuters. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to propose significantly reducing the fuel economy requirements for 2022-2031 model-year vehicles. President Donald Trump is set to announce the plan at a White House event on Wednesday that is expected to include executives from the three largest U.S. automakers, the sources told Reuters.”

E&E News: North Dakota Republicans eye ‘fair’ transmission cost allocation
Nico Portuondo, 12/2/25

“North Dakota Republicans are pushing legislation to prevent red-state ratepayers from subsidizing major transmission projects tied to blue-state climate policies,” E&E News reports. “The “Fair Allocation of Interstate Rates (FAIR) Act,” introduced in both chambers by Rep. Julie Fedorchak and Sen. Kevin Cramer, would bar regional grid operators from charging consumers in states without clean energy policies for multistate transmission lines built — even in part — to satisfy another state’s climate or renewable goals. The bill would significantly reshape how grid planners define the “beneficiaries” of large, multibillion-dollar lines. In effect, states with aggressive clean-energy goals — such as California and New York — would be responsible for the full cost of transmission projects planned to help them meet those mandates. Even if the legislation doesn’t gain traction on its own, it signals how key lawmakers are positioning themselves ahead of negotiations on a potential deal on permitting and bolstering the grid.”

STATE UPDATES

KTVX: Over 71,000 acres of Utah public land could be up for oil and gas drilling
MJ Jewkes, Amelia Hobson, 12/2/25

“The Bureau of Land Management issued an environmental assessment and opened a public comment period on Monday for thousands of acres of land in Eastern Utah,” KTVX reports. “The land may be offered for an oil and gas lease sale… “This is now the third time in the past few months that the Bureau of Land Management has proposed to sell oil and gas leases in this region of Utah,” Landon Newell, a staff attorney with SUWA, told KTVX. “You can’t drill these areas of public lands, unless you have an oil and gas lease, so it’s the first step toward development.” Newell added that once the leases are issued, the BLM loses much of its ability to deny a development, so the public comment is “one of the last changes the public has to keep these areas free from development.”

Louisiana Illuminator: Reapproval of Commonwealth LNG project rankles Cameron locals, environmentalists
Elise Plunk, 12/4/25

“Environmentalist groups and some Cameron Parish residents are disgruntled after Louisiana officials recently gave the go-ahead for construction of a liquified natural gas export facility after a state judge suspended the project,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “Judge Penelope Richard of the 38th Judicial District Court, which includes Cameron Parish, suspended Commonwealth LNG’s permit last month in response to a lawsuit from the Sierra Club. She ruled the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy hadn’t considered the effects of climate change, the high density of gas export facilities already in the area and the disproportionate impact of pollution on nearby communities when it approved the permit. The state agency then issued updated reasons Nov. 18 for approving Commonwealth’s permit, allowing the project to move forward. Officials again determined the proposed benefits of the project “outweigh the costs” of its environmental impact on Southwest Louisiana’s coast and communities. “Economic benefit outweighing all of these things is frustrating to me,” John Allaire, a Cameron Parish resident who lives within 30 miles of three existing LNG export facilities and six more planned or under construction, told the Illuminator. “The economic benefits of their facility outweigh flooding me out, outweigh the commercial fishing industry, outweigh the eastern black rail, outweigh protecting our cheniers … I don’t agree with that. How much is enough?” “…The Sierra Club said in a statement through its managing attorney, Eric Huber, that the permit was approved “without any notice to the plaintiffs or the public,” who he said learned about it through the news reports.”

Nebraska Public Media: Foreign group wants to build ‘e-methane’ plant in Nebraska
Matt Olberding, 12/2/25

“A consortium of European and Japanese companies wants to build a large biomethane project in Nebraska,” Nebraska Public Media reports. “French company Total Energies, Belgian firm TES and Japanese companies Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and ITOCHU said Tuesday that they have signed a joint development and operating agreement to build a large-scale facility to produce biomethane, also known as synthetic methane or e-methane. The companies said in a news release that they plan to build a facility capable of producing up to 75,000 tons of e-methane annually. The gas would be exported to Japan. The companies did not say exactly where in the state the project, called Live Oak, will be built. A spokesperson for TES said the group needs formal approval from its local partners before disclosing the location. It’s possible the plant could be located somewhere near the Tallgrass Trailblazer pipeline, a nearly 400-mile-long pipeline running from Beatrice to eastern Wyoming that’s transporting carbon dioxide captured by 11 different ethanol plants, or near one of those ethanol plants… “The companies said they hope to have the project up and running by 2030, subject to a final investment decision that will be made next in 2027.”

Albany Times Union: New rules require state’s largest polluters to release emissions data
Ezra Bitterman, 12/2/25

“New York natural gas plants, metal refineries and landfills will have to report greenhouse gas emissions under regulations finalized by the state Department of Environmental Conservation on Monday,” the Albany Times Union reports. “Many fossil fuel plants already report carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions to the federal government. A thorough state program is needed to fill any ‘gaps in the information’ already provided by facilities, the Department of Environmental Conservation wrote in a report on the program… “Schreibman gave the state until February to issue rules to meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements of the Climate Act. The state Legislature could amend the law when it returns to the Capitol in January, but few Democrats have said they support doing so. The state recently appealed Schreibman’s ruling.”

Arizona Daily Star: Amazon pulls out of Project Blue data centers, sources say
Tony Davis, 12/2/25

“Amazon Web Services has pulled out of its long-planned role as future operator of the Project Blue data center complex on the Tucson area’s far southeast side, three sources told the Arizona Daily Star. Amazon has left the embattled project because its operations aren’t compatible with the project’s recently announced plans to use air cooling instead of water cooling of the data centers’ servers, the sources told the Star. Instead, the Project Blue developer, Beale Infrastructure, is negotiating with Meta, the company that operates Facebook, to replace Amazon as the center’s operator, they told the Star. “Amazon is out because they can’t live with air cooling,” one source told the Star. Project Blue switched to plans for an air-cooled operation after the Tucson City Council voted unanimously in August to kill its effort to be annexed into the city and to receive city water supplies for its operations. Project Blue officials had pledged to build a $100 million pipeline to deliver reclaimed water to the data centers but outside critics said the city would be unable to effectively enforce those and other water-related requirements for the project, including a commitment by the company to be “water positive,” or use no more water than it can replace with other, outside sources.”

Source NM: Project Jupiter’s plan relies on natural gas — its impact on air quality remains unclear
Joshua Bowling, 12/2/25

“Nearly three months have passed since Doña Ana County officials approved $165 billion in bonds for Project Jupiter, yet the controversial southern New Mexico data center complex’s potential impact on the area’s air quality remains unknown,” Source NM reports. “For months, critics have protested the billions in government-backed bonds and the plan to tap into one of the state’s most troubled water utilities. Residents and lawmakers in the area are also increasingly voicing concerns that the plans to fuel the project with natural gas generating stations will have serious effects on the region’s air quality.”

Engineering News Record: Private Infrastructure Investor Giant Blackstone Funds $1.2B West Virginia Gas Power Plant
Debra K. Rubin, 12/2/25

“Construction is underway on an estimated $1.2 billion combined-cycle natural gas power plant near Clarksburg, W.Va., the first of that type in the state, which is being financed by private infrastructure investor and asset manager Blackstone through its Blackstone Energy Transition Partners unit,” Engineering News Record reports. “The 625-MW Wolf Summit Energy plant, which will feature GE Vernova gas turbines and includes partners Kindle Energy and Wolf Summit Energy to manage and operate the facility, is fully contracted and financed following its Nov. 13 final investment decision, according to Blackstone. County commissioners in 2024 also authorized Equitrans Midstream to survey Harrison County-owned land for a natural gas pipeline to the site. It is not clear if other partners have any financial stake in the project, which has received state and local incentives, including a 30-year county exemption from paying local property taxes. Plant site preparation, including controlled blasting, is underway, with operations expected to begin by 2027, said Blackstone, adding that it expected to create about 500 jobs during construction.”

SuperTalk: Opinions differ on how remaining BP oil spill money should be spent in Mississippi
J.T. Mitchell, 12/2/25

“It’s been over a decade and a half since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill happened, spewing more than 130 million gallons of BP-owned oil into the Gulf of Mexico across 87 days. What’s considered the largest maritime spill in history resulted, five years after, with Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas being on the receiving end of a $20.8 billion settlement with the oil and gas giant,” SuperTalk reports. “In Mississippi, officials are still working to use what remains of the more than $2 billion the state received as part of the settlement. As it was written, $750 million was for economic damages to be distributed over a running period. As of today, the state has in excess of $250 million left in the coffers for lawmakers to consider dishing out on an annual basis through 2033. And preliminary reviews of how next year’s round of money should be spent differ widely… “Recommendations by the GCRF Advisory Board included everything from airport runway extensions and sewer and gas enhancements to funding for housing at a private university, a downtown redevelopment plan, and a performing arts center. It also included a $7 million revolving loan trust fund to support targeted industry development and recruiting across the six-county coastal region.”

Inside Climate News: LA Wildfire Survivors Want to Rebuild All-Electric, but a Utility Is Using Customer Funds to Incentivize Gas Appliances
Hilary Beaumont, 12/3/25

“After January wildfires destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in Los Angeles, a growing movement of residents who lost their homes want to rebuild all-electric, recognizing that burning gas in household appliances contributes to the climate-driven increase in the destructiveness of wildfires. An attribution study found that climate change made the January fires 35 percent more likely. But the country’s largest gas utility, SoCalGas, is using funds from its customers to incentivize wildfire survivors to rebuild with fossil gas instead of going electric,” Inside Climate News reports. “The monopoly gas provider in Southern California is offering thousands of dollars worth of rebates to wildfire survivors who rebuild with gas appliances. The rebates are paid for by California utility ratepayers through a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) energy efficiency program… “Some of the rebates offered, and subsidized by ratepayers, include $600 for a gas patio heater, $750 for a gas fireplace insert, and $2,250 for a gas tankless water heater… “Matt Vespa, senior attorney at Earthjustice, told ICN SoCalGas is taking advantage of the CPUC’s outdated rules to put its thumb on the scale of wildfire rebuilding. “The rules are definitely broken,” he told ICN. “This should not be allowed…This jeopardizes public health, safety, and our climate goals. Rebuilding is this really great opportunity to build back better and all-electric. And the commission is actively undermining that.”

EXTRACTION

Oil Change International: Big Polluters have captured €17 billion in public subsidies for failed carbon capture technology – because fossil fuel lobbyists are setting the agenda
12/4/25

“On 8-9 December, the European Commission and its oil company co-host HEREMA will hold the fifth Industrial Carbon Management (ICM) Forum in Athens. As the EU gears up for its annual meeting on carbon capture, new research shows that carbon capture and storage (CCS) has received €17.3 billion in public subsidies from the EU, its member states, and Norway. Carbon capture seeks to capture CO2 emissions from sites of pollution and either store them underground or repurpose them. However, CCS has a decades-long history of overpromising and under-delivering, at great expense. The ICM Forum has been dominated and steered by the fossil fuel industry, and has shaped EU policy and directed public money towards CCS as a way to lock-in fossil fuels.4 This year’s co-host HEREMA aims to expand oil and gas production, and is facing local resistance over its controversial Prinos CCS site… “Major fossil fuel companies active in the ICM Forum benefit from public subsidies to CCS. Equinor, which co-chairs one forum working group, is involved in projects that have received €2.7 billion in public funds, while Shell, co-editor of the same working group’s recent report, is involved in projects that have received about €5 billion. Myriam Douo, senior campaigner at Oil Change International, said: “CCS is risky, costly and has failed to deliver for decades. It primarily serves to enable polluting industries to continue business as usual while pocketing subsidies. That’s why fossil fuel lobbyists are pushing for CCS – and the European Commission is recklessly embracing it. But it’s not too late, the EU can still change course and prioritise real solutions to climate change, like energy efficiency and renewables, as part of a just transition away from fossil fuels.”

The Herald: Backer pulls out of proposed Scottish carbon capture scheme
Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, 12/3/25

“The future of Scotland’s largest carbon capture and storage scheme is in jeopardy after a primary backer announced plans to sell its stake in the project,” The Herald reports. “On Thursday morning, carbon removal firm Storegga confirmed they would be pulling out of the scheme, following a ‘strategic review’. A statement by the company read: “Storegga recently completed a strategic review of its business, capital requirements and future structure. “As part of this, we are progressing a structured sales process for our portfolio of assets, including the sale of our interest in the Acorn CCS project.” “…In June, Energy Minister Ed Miliband visited the region, pledging that the government would contribute £200m to the project. The Storegga statement added: “With Acorn approaching a more capital-intensive phase, and with both the UK and Scottish Governments signalling the importance of its timely delivery, we have concluded that a new long-term owner would be better placed to take the project forward.”

Sustainability Magazine: UNEP: Is Methane the ‘Emergency Brake’ for Climate Change?
Jasmin Jessen, 12/3/25

“Methane is responsible for nearly a third of current global warming according to the Global Methane Status Report 2025,” Sustainability Magazine reports. “Produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the report assesses progress in cutting methane emissions so far. The Global Methane Pledge is a partnership launched by the US and EU at COP26 to collectively reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels… “Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, says: “Reducing methane emissions is one of the most immediate and effective steps we can take to slow the climate crisis while protecting human health. “Reducing methane also reduces crop losses, essential for both agriculture productivity and food security… “Meeting the goals of the Global Methane Pledge will deliver benefits that exceed US$330bn in value annually, the report says.”

E&E News: Rural areas are untapped climate saviors, report finds
Marc Heller, 12/2/25

“The fight against climate change is overlooking rural America as both a source and solution to rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report,” E&E News reports. “Rural areas contribute a disproportionate share of emissions tied to climate change — but also can play a bigger role in tackling the problem than their big-city neighbors, said the report from a funding collaborative called the Rural Climate Partnership… “According to the report, about 38 percent of U.S. carbon emissions come from rural areas, where just 19 percent of the population lives. And while transportation is the biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions, rural areas play an outsize role in emissions tied to sources like energy production and industry as well as farming, the report said… “The report urged greater adoption of renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal, which are already overwhelmingly located in rural areas… “Federal policy — which now leans heavily against renewable energy — and local siting restrictions are holding back expansions, the report said. The vast majority of siting restrictions are in counties that are fully or partially rural, according to the report.”

Floodlight: Corn’s clean-energy promise is clashing with its climate footprint
Ames Alexander, 12/3/25

“For decades, corn has reigned over American agriculture. It sprawls across 90 million acres — about the size of Montana — and goes into everything from livestock feed and processed foods to the ethanol blended into most of the nation’s gasoline. But a growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water,” Floodlight reports. “Corn is essential to the rural economy and to the world’s food supply, and researchers say the problem isn’t the corn itself. It’s how we grow it. Corn farmers rely on heavy fertilizer use to sustain today’s high yields. And when that nitrogen breaks down in the soil, it releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Producing nitrogen fertilizer also emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, adding to its climate footprint. Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and corn uses more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer nationwide — making it the leading driver of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions, studies show. The corn and ethanol industries insist that rapid growth in ethanol — which now consumes more than 40% of the U.S. corn crop — is a net environmental benefit, and they strongly dispute research suggesting otherwise. Since 2000, U.S. corn production has surged almost 50%, further adding to the crop’s climate impact… “Much of the dynamic traces back to federal policy — and to the powerful corn and ethanol lobby that helped shape it… “Many plant corn year after year on the same land. The practice, called “continuous corn,” demands massive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer and drives especially high nitrous oxide emissions. At the same time, federal subsidies make it more lucrative to grow corn than to diversify. Taxpayers have covered more than $50 billion in corn insurance premiums over the past 30 years, according to federal data compiled by the Environmental Working Group. Researchers say proven conservation steps — such as planting rows of trees, shrubs and grasses in corn fields — could sharply reduce these emissions. But the Trump administration has eliminated many of the incentives that helped farmers try such practices.”

Houston Public Media: Judge approves sale of Houston-based Citgo to Amber Energy
Natalie Weber, 12/2/25

“Amber Energy, an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management L.P., will acquire Citgo for nearly $5.9 billion. A judge has approved the sale of Citgo, a Houston-based petroleum company, to Amber Energy following a years-long legal saga,” Houston Public Media reports. “A court previously found that Citgo’s shares could be auctioned to pay off the debts that its state-owned parent company – Petroleos de Venezuela – owed to a Canadian mining company… “Citgo employs 3,300 people, operating refineries in Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Lemont, Illinois… “Amber Energy plans to maintain Citgo’s refineries, rather than immediately selling them, once the acquisition is complete, according to Reuters. Venezuela’s Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez said the country rejects Citgo’s sale and filed an appeal in the court case, the news outlet reported.”

Oil Change International: Burned: The Price of Oil
12/3/25

“In this limited podcast series from Oil Change International, host Shady Khalil pulls back the curtain on the true cost of fossil fuels and the villains blocking climate action. Through candid conversations with global climate leaders, the podcast explores the damage caused by fossil fuels, the obstacles in our path, and how people-powered movements are forging the path towards a just and equitable transition that leaves no one behind. From the frontlines of the climate crisis to the global halls of power, we look at the political, economic, and people-powered battles shaping our future. This is not just a fight about climate and carbon, it’s a fight for people and justice. Together we can create the livable future we deserve.”

OPINION

Tampa Bay Times: Why are we even thinking about drilling for oil near Florida’s coast?
Joe Murphy, Brooksville, 12/2/25

“The eastern Gulf is facing new and profound threats from proposals to allow oil drilling significantly closer to Florida. Two potential leases are proposed for just over 100 miles from Florida’s shores. The gates of Eden are about to be breached,” Joe Murphy writes for the Tampa Bay Times. “The threats to our tourist economy, the threats to our recreational and commercial fishing industry, and the added ecological damage caused to ecosystems already threatened by pollution and climate change are all excellent examples of why this is so dangerous. It is simply and profoundly unacceptable. Few ideas are as powerfully wrong. The damage from oil spills and routine pollution also poses a direct and chilling threat to what it means to be a Floridian. We are defined by our connection to the ocean.”

Sierra Club: Trump’s offshore oil drilling push only fuels backlash
Jonathan Ullman, Sierra Club Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter Director, 12/1/25

“…Almost as HUGE this week was the bipartisan repudiation of Trump’s offshore oil drilling leases,” Jonathan Ullman writes for the Sierra Club. “We found Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom singing from the same hymnbook. We marvel at US Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in total alignment. We witness U.S. Representatives Jimmy Patronis (R-Panama City, FL), Matt Gaetz’s successor and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara, CA) with zero daylight between them. What unites these strange bedfellows is the trauma, fear and vulnerability when oil is blasting furiously out of a hole in the ocean with no end in sight. It doesn’t matter if an R or D is in charge when the ocean turns to hell. The Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 is still the third largest oil spill in U.S. history. President Nixon toured the damage on the beach. Soon after a nationwide environmental movement fueled by the spill led to the passage of foundational environmental laws during his term. Four decades later, the 2010 BP Deep Water Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico became the worst marine oil disaster in history. It jettisoned almost 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf over 87 days, up to 419 Olympic-sized swimming pools… “While many may shudder at the shock of Trump’s new push to open up California, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico near Florida to more offshore drilling, the silver lining is that it is producing a bipartisan, united front. Trump may think he is DOMINATING American energy with his announcement, but the only real power he’s producing is the bipartisan backlash against him.”

Financial Post: A pipeline that delivers even if it never gets built
David Goldie, a former oil and gas industry executive, recently completed a term as board chair of the Alberta Energy Regulator, 12/4/25

“…But what if the pipeline battle doesn’t really matter except as a diversion for those who oppose further growth of the oilsands? The other parts of the MOU give Alberta and its energy industry political licence to expand production under reasonable terms — though likely using other pipelines for export,” David Goldie writes for the Financial Post. “A new northern B.C. pipeline was always going to be a stretch, given costs in the tens of billions of dollars and now a paired requirement for a costly carbon capture project under the Pathways Alliance. Why build new when several lower-cost options under consideration are much less risky? Enbridge has recently approved an expansion of its mainline system into the U.S. of 250,000 barrels per day, with another 250,000 being considered. The Trans Mountain pipeline is evaluating optimizations that could expand capacity by 300,000-400,000 barrels per day… “Adding it all up, we’ve got the possibility of two million barrels per day of pipeline opportunities that could be developed at a reasonable cost and with minimal opposition compared to a greenfield B.C. pipeline. The just-signed MOU has already made these opportunities more real by removing the oilsands emissions cap, which is effectively a production cap. It’s true that a new globally competitive industrial carbon pricing agreement still has to be negotiated, but it may not be as bad as some fear: carbon taxes are rapidly falling out of favour globally and the Carney government gives every indication it’s friendly to economic growth… “For Carney, accommodation of Alberta helps him with national unity, economic growth and political support in the Prairies. His political exposure in B.C. from an actual pipeline will be far off in the future, if it occurs at all.”

Anchorage Daily News: The pipeline that stole Christmas: Why Alaska can’t afford this costly project
Larry Persily, 12/3/25

“Too many residents, business owners and politicians of Southcentral Alaska — we’re talking the state’s population center of Anchorage, the Mat-Su and Kenai Peninsula — are all agog in anticipation that a multibillion-dollar North Slope natural gas pipeline will save them from unaffordable heating and electric bills,” Larry Persilly writes for the Anchorage Daily News. “It’s the time of year for holiday dreams — a warm tradition like Hallmark movies, grandma’s cookies and the Budweiser Clydesdales. But the wintry cold truth about this dream is that there will be no pipeline under the tree — just bits of tinsel left over from premature and misleading celebrations. The megaproject is too costly and too risky in a world that has plenty of easier and cheaper gas to sell. It has uncertain construction costs, with public estimates ranging from roughly $40 to $44 billion; no binding long-term customer contracts to provide collateral for loans; no binding financial commitments from investors; and actually no gas under firm contract to sell. Other than that, it’s a great holiday package, with the lead promoter publicly talking of delivering a construction decision before the holiday season is over… “Building an entirely new facility for a small customer base is as wasteful as spending more public money on an unaffordable gas pipeline. Any bad spending decisions by the utilities could fall on ratepayers to cover, or the state to bail out. Alaska has made a lot of poor decisions about energy over the years. We don’t need one more.”