EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 3/12/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• North Dakota Monitor: Former Greenpeace employee tells jury he emphasized nonviolence at Dakota Access Pipeline protests

• The Center Square: Pipeline attorneys call out discrepancies between Greenpeace witness testimony, report

• KMTV: ‘They value landowner rights’: South Dakota law could slow progress of CO2 pipelines in Iowa

• KIWA: Spokesman For Carbon Pipeline Project Says New South Dakota Law Will Not Stop Them From Moving Forward

• Harlan Newspapers: Pipeline representatives answer questions at Shelby County Supervisors meeting

• KMA: KMAland activists, lawmakers, react to latest pipeline developments

• Carbon Herald: Rep. Scott Perry Proposes Legislation To Eliminate 45Q Tax Credit

• Alaska Beacon: Anchorage judge dismisses lawsuit challenging trans-Alaska gas pipeline on climate grounds

• Law360: 6th Circ. Asks If It Should Duck Enbridge Pipeline Fight

• WPVI: Bucks County residents say important questions remain unanswered following pipeline leak

• WCAU: Pipeline leak leads to community meeting in Bucks Co. [VIDEO]

• Barron’s: CEO Balks at Trump’s Northeast Gas Pipeline Plan

• City Limits: New York Approved a Major Gas Pipeline Expansion. What Does it Mean for its Climate Goals?

• Business North Carolina: Senate leader Berger spars with Transco pipeline opponent

• Reuters: TC Energy expects North American gas demand to grow 40 bcfd over 10 years

• Bloomberg: TC Energy CEO Sees Ramp-Up for Sur de Texas-Tuxpan Pipeline

• Bloomberg: Enbridge CEO on Tariffs Impact on Steel & Pipeline Costs [VIDEO]

• Washington Post: How one controversial pipeline reveals the state of the global fight over oil

• Heatmap: How Utility Customers Wind Up Paying to Serve Data Centers

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: House approves spending stopgap with environmental cuts

• Bloomberg: Trump Reconsiders Tariff Hike After Ontario Halts Energy Charge

• E&E News: Trump trade war has Canada rethinking its energy future

• Politico: DOE’s Wright: Climate change is just a side effect of modern life

• CNBC: Energy Secretary Chris Wright vows to reverse Biden climate policies, says renewables can’t replace natural gas

• Guardian: What the world needs now is more fossil fuels, says Trump’s energy secretary

• Washington Post: Oil and gas executives roll back green energy pledges as they celebrate Trump

• Daily Energy Insider: S&P Global report: Build more pipelines, export more U.S. natural gas

• Marcellus Drilling News: Trump Admin Considers Strategies to Overturn DRBC Fracking Ban

• E&E News: Interior suspends Biden-era legal opinions

• Reuters: US should restart shuttered coal units, Interior Secretary tells Bloomberg

• Washington Post: Trump just weakened one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws

• New York Times: E.P.A. Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices

• Washington Examiner: DOGE cuts National Park staff as visitation rate peaks

STATE UPDATES

• Missoula Current: Missoulians rally in support of public lands

• South Dakota Searchlight: Former Yellowstone, Rushmore, Badlands superintendents say DOGE wiped out a generation of leaders

• KSLA: East Texas oil, gas waste disposal sites raise some concerns

• WTOV: Ohio congressman introduces Farm to Fly Act to boost sustainable aviation fuel

• WRAL: NC lawmakers gave Duke Energy new climate goals 4 years ago. Now they want to undo them

• E&E News: New Mexico legislators balk at 2050 emissions target

• KTUL: Osage County oil industry faces uncertainty as BIA office slated for closure

• Capital and Main: Colorado Residents Now Have a Way to ‘See’ the Toxic Emissions They Live With

EXTRACTION

• Reuters: More chance of Elvis speaking than energy transition plans succeeding, Aramco CEO says

• Reuters: IEA chief sees need for investments in existing oil, gas fields

• Reuters: Baker Hughes says oil producers unlikely to increase spending this year

• Reuters: Global oil supply growth is outstripping demand, Gunvor CEO says

• BBC: Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

• gCaptain: Update: Tanker Collision Off UK Coast Sparks Fire, Oil Spill Concerns; One Missing

• ExxonKnews: Study: News outlets can’t run ‘native’ Exxon ads without misleading the public

• Reuters: ARC Resources to supply Exxon Mobil with LNG

OPINION

• Bismarck Tribune: Tribune editorial: Summit needs new approach with pipeline

• Redfield Press: Protecting property rights key reason for signing carbon pipeline bill

• Mitchell Republic: Nolz: HB1052 is a prime example of how government should work

• Salt Lake Tribune: The Trump administration poses a significant threat to Utah’s national monuments and America’s natural heritage
  

PIPELINE NEWS

North Dakota Monitor: Former Greenpeace employee tells jury he emphasized nonviolence at Dakota Access Pipeline protests
Mary Steurer,3/11/25

“A former Greenpeace employee who trained demonstrators during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests told jurors Tuesday that he never engaged in underhanded efforts to undermine the pipeline,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “…Greenpeace hijacked what was otherwise a peaceful and locally led movement, the company claims. Attorneys for Energy Transfer say Greenpeace paid thousands to send Cy Wagoner and others affiliated with the Native activist group Indigenous Peoples Power Project to teach protesters to use tactics including vandalism, trespassing and intimidation to stop the pipeline. Wagoner on Tuesday said none of this is true. He said that he and his fellow trainers were committed to nonviolence, and that their training sessions reflected this. Wagoner said during the trainings, he told attendees to follow the leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and to conduct themselves respectfully at all times. The training included admonitions against using violence, as well as instruction about deescalation tactics, he said. He also said the trainings he and others provided were not Greenpeace’s idea… “Wagoner said that if Greenpeace hadn’t agreed to provide that grant, he and the other trainers would have found other funding.”

The Center Square: Pipeline attorneys call out discrepancies between Greenpeace witness testimony, report
Morgan Sweeney, 3/12/25

“Attorneys for the builders of a 1,200 mile pipeline in North Dakota on Tuesday questioned the validity of the testimony of a witness called to the stand by Greenpeace in defense of the environmental protest group’s contributions to delays in finishing the pipeline project on time,” The Center Square reports. “Greenpeace hired Neil Miltonberger to perform a forensic analysis of the pipeline’s installation, which was supposed to help identify the root causes of the delays. Miltonberger said his analysis led him to conclude that the main reason for the project’s delay was a permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers didn’t grant for six months longer than anticipated… “The plaintiffs allege a five-month delay,” and an expert witness for Energy Transfer, David Leathers, “was directed to assume the delay was caused by Greenpeace,” Miltonberger said. Instead, the delay “directly corresponds” to the time the joint statement was issued to when the Army Corps granted access to the easement, according to Miltonberger.”

KMTV: ‘They value landowner rights’: South Dakota law could slow progress of CO2 pipelines in Iowa
Katrina Markel, 3/11/25

“…Last week, the South Dakota governor signed a bill into law banning the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. The law doesn’t necessarily stop pipeline construction, but it does complicate it,” KMTV reports. “Summit carbon solutions released a statement after the law was signed that read, in part: “It’s very unfortunate that, despite our approvals in Iowa, North Dakota, and Minnesota, South Dakota changed the rules in the middle of the game.” “I look at it a different way,” Montgomery County landowner Jan Norris told KMTV. “The rules are not being changed mid-game. The corporations just wanted to take advantage of no CO2 rules yet.” “…At the end of the day, Norris told KMTV, it’s about eminent domain and property rights. “Constitution means something in South Dakota. They value landowner rights more than corporate profits,” she told KMTV. The Iowa House judiciary committee recently advanced a bill that would block CO2 pipelines from using eminent domain in Iowa.”

KIWA: Spokesman For Carbon Pipeline Project Says New South Dakota Law Will Not Stop Them From Moving Forward
3/11/25

“A spokesman for Summit Carbon Solutions says a bill in South Dakota being signed into law by that state’s Governor banning the use of eminent domain for their project isn’t stopping them from moving forward,” KIWA reports. “Scott O’Konek, Project Manager for Summit Carbon Solutions, read a statement to that effect while giving an update at today’s (Tues.) Dickinson County Board of Supervisors meeting. A number of people at today’s (Tues.) meeting again expressed opposition to the pipeline, which would pass through eastern Dickinson County… “O’Konek says to his knowledge, Summit Carbon Solutions still plans to start construction next year.”

Harlan Newspapers: Pipeline representatives answer questions at Shelby County Supervisors meeting
3/11/25

“Representatives from Summit Carbon Solutions were in attendance at the Shelby County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, March 4, to update the Board and take questions on the proposed carbon capture pipeline project,” Harlan Newspapers reports. “Kylie Lange, Iowa Pipeline Manager for Summit was accompanied by company spokesman Riley Gibson. Lange said more than half of the landowners on the proposed pipeline route have signed voluntary easement agreements. Lange reported the Iowa Utility Commission approved the proposed construction permit in June, and construction in Iowa is contingent to the approval of the permit in South Dakota. “There’s a lot hinging on South Dakota,” Lange said… “More than 40 were in attendance, and in expectation of a larger crowd, the meeting was moved to the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan. Former Board of Supervisor Chairman and current CO2 pipeline liaison for the Shelby County Supervisors asked, “If we have a pipeline running through our county, and we have no ethanol plant here, can you explain how this benefits us?” “It’s going to create a larger market, which then increases the value of the corn,” said Lange… “Shelby County landowners affected by the pipeline route don’t agree. “There’s no way somebody is going to put a house on land that has a pipeline in it,” said Sherri Webb… “Other Shelby County landowners questioned the company officials on the use of eminent domain, safety issues, insurance liability and water usage.”

KMA: KMAland activists, lawmakers, react to latest pipeline developments
Mike Peterson, 3/11/25

“Recent developments regarding Summit Carbon Solution’s proposed Midwest Express pipeline have KMAland residents’ attention,” KMA reports. “Late last week, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed a bill banning the use of eminent domain for construction of CO2 pipelines. Montgomery County resident Jan Norris is one of the proposed project’s most vocal critics. Norris applauded Rhoden’s decision during the public comment period at Tuesday’s Montgomery County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. “On Thursday, Governor Rhoden signed it into law, stating this does not kill the proposed pipeline, but offers an opportunity for Summit to build trust without the threat of eminent domain,” said Norris. “Rhoden said, quote, ‘freedom ends when it infringes on the freedom of another.'” “…State Senator Mark Costello believes other proposals are still in play on his site of the chamber–including one championed by the Iowa Farm Bureau. “The farm bureau (proposal) has a requirement of 90%,” Costello told KMA. “Before they can do eminent domain, they have to have 90% signed up. I’ve signed on to that idea.”

Carbon Herald: Rep. Scott Perry Proposes Legislation To Eliminate 45Q Tax Credit
Violet George, 3/12/25

“On March 6, Representative Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced the 45Q Repeal Act, a new bill aimed at abolishing the Section 45Q tax credit, which supports carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The proposed legislation, known as HR 1946, has garnered support from Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California, who is serving as a co-sponsor… “The credit’s value fluctuates based on the type of project, with amounts ranging from $60 to $180 per metric ton of CO2. The highest credit is available for CO2 captured using direct air capture technology and securely stored in deep saline or other geological formations. The lowest credit applies to CO2 captured from industrial or power plants and used in the creation of useful products like fuels and chemicals, or for enhanced oil and gas recovery… “In his announcement of the 45Q Repeal Act on March 10, Perry argued that the bill would cut down on excessive regulation and combat fraud. He further stated that it would end a “wasteful tax credit,” enabling lawmakers to push for more meaningful tax reforms in the upcoming reconciliation process.”

Alaska Beacon: Anchorage judge dismisses lawsuit challenging trans-Alaska gas pipeline on climate grounds
James Brooks, 3/11/25

“An Anchorage Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline as incompatible with the state constitution,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “ The suit, filed last year, alleges that the founding laws of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. are incompatible with the Alaska Constitution’s guarantee of equal access to natural resources because the liquefied natural gas pipeline would result in so much climate change that it would destroy access to fish and wildlife… “In a written statement, the law firm Our Children’s Trust — which has been representing the plaintiffs — said it would appeal Crosby’s decision to the Alaska Supreme Court. When the lawsuit was filed, the eight plaintiffs ranged in age from 11 to 22. “Today’s ruling is a clear miscarriage of justice with enormous implications. Alaska’s Constitution expressly guarantees equal access to and sustainable yield of the critical natural resources Alaska’s youth need to sustain their lives, health, and cultures,” wrote attorney Andrew Welle for the plaintiffs. “Today’s decision eviscerates these protections by placing not only the Alaska LNG Project but all natural resource management decisions beyond review by Alaska’s Courts, upending decades of precedent.”

Law360: 6th Circ. Asks If It Should Duck Enbridge Pipeline Fight
Carolyn Muyskens, 3/11/25

“A Sixth Circuit panel has asked if it should pause or reject altogether Enbridge Energy LP’s lawsuit challenging Michigan’s efforts to shutter a pipeline because of a pending state court case, requesting briefs ahead of oral arguments next week,” Law360 reports.

WPVI: Bucks County residents say important questions remain unanswered following pipeline leak
Leland Pinder, 3/11/25

“Upper Makefield Township residents continue to seek answers from Sunoco and Energy Transfer concerning their pipeline leaking jet fuel into their water supply,” WPVI reports. “Every day they don’t shut that pipeline down they’re violating the civil rights of the people,” said Priscilla Linden of Washington Crossing… “On Tuesday, Energy Transfer said it would no longer take questions publicly due to indications of legal action by residents. Instead, they’ll communicate more directly and one-on-one with residents and officials and give public presentations… “As a result of an order by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Energy Transfer says they’re providing clean water to residents, evaluating soil and installing filtration systems in homes… “This wasn’t done because Sunoco was trying to do the right thing or protect us. It was in response to our constant demands,” said Natalia Miranda, a Washington Crossing resident and member of a community task force created in response to the leak. Residents say their questions still aren’t being answered. “We haven’t been told the size of the leak, how much product was lost,” said Naomi Robinson… “On Tuesday night, Bucks County First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka said the district attorney’s office has contacted the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes unit to investigate the situation.”

WCAU: Pipeline leak leads to community meeting in Bucks Co. [VIDEO]
Shaira Arias, 3/11/25

“Upper Makefield community members have been raising concerns for months after learning of a pipeline leak that may have contaminated their water supply,” WCAU reports.

Barron’s: CEO Balks at Trump’s Northeast Gas Pipeline Plan
Avi Salzman, Laura Sanicola, 3/11/25

“President Donald Trump plans to greenlight construction of the controversial Constitution natural gas pipeline into New York, claiming it can reduce electricity costs for New Yorkers and New Englanders by up to 70%. But the CEO of the principal company behind the pipeline said on Tuesday that he isn’t willing to undertake the project even with the president’s blessing, as long as the region’s governors oppose it,” Barron’s reports. “We’re not gonna go putting our neck out until they invite us with the red carpet rolled out,” Alan Armstrong, CEO of pipeline giant Williams Cos., told Barron’s in an interview on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston. Armstrong told Barron’s that Williams lost hundreds of millions of dollars trying to build two failed pipelines into the Northeast over the past decade… “Armstrong told Barron’s he doesn’t want to deal with that regulatory environment again. “We’re not going to until the governors up there, collectively, including [New York Gov. Kathy] Hochul, say they’re going to come right out and be supportive of getting the infrastructure built,” Armstrong told Barron’s. “That they’re going to eliminate natural gas bans in their markets. Until that stuff happens we’re not going to put capital at risk into those markets.”

City Limits: New York Approved a Major Gas Pipeline Expansion. What Does it Mean for its Climate Goals?
Mariana Simões, 3/12/25

“…On Feb. 7, the state greenlit an enhancement project by Iroquois Pipeline Company, which will boost the capacity of four facilities that compress gas to push more of it into the city,” City Limits reports. “The approval of Iroquois’ project, which utility companies argue is needed to heat New Yorkers’ homes in the coldest months, amps up planet-warming pollution—and signals that the state’s commitment to reaching its climate goals is faltering, critics say. The Iroquois project alone could generate $3.78 billion in climate damages through 2050 and add the equivalent of 186,000 passenger cars to the road in planet-warming gasses… “The venture, known as the ExC Project, aims to push an extra 125 million cubic feet per day of gas into New York City. To make it happen, 48,000 horsepower of new compression will be added to the four compressor stations along Iroquois’ pipeline, which starts in Canada and stretches all the way to the Big Apple. Until ExC got New York’s seal of approval, the Empire State had denied all post-CLCPA requests from fossil fuel suppliers to secure permits for expansion. The move signals that the state’s commitment to phasing out fossil fuels is waning, environmentalists told City Limits… “[New York’s administration] is leaning into the wave of conservative policy. It just feels really tone deaf to what most New Yorkers actually care about and want,” Emily Skydel, New York Hudson Valley senior organizer at Food & Water Watch, told City Limits.”

Business North Carolina: Senate leader Berger spars with Transco pipeline opponent
Chris Burritt, 3/11/25

“N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger took time last week to speak to the Oak Ridge Town Council, discussing a variety of subjects. As he was leaving, a local resident engaged him in the debate over Transco’s proposed addition of a pressurized gas line crossing the Piedmont, including the small Greensboro suburb,” Business North Carolina reports. “Berger expressed support for the new pipeline, in his unplanned encounter with Oak Ridge homeowner Joe Cimbala… “A retired Pittsburgh steelworker who moved to Oak Ridge about 20 years ago, Cimbala expressed his opposition to plans by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Cos. to expand its Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line system… “The existing pipeline has “been there for over 70 years,” Cimbala told Berger. “It’s way past its useful life. Everybody knows that it’s very vulnerable, and it’s going to fail. It’s just a matter of time.’’ “No, I don’t know that,’’ Berger said…“I understand that there are some folks that are concerned about safety. I’m concerned about safety,’’ Berger said. Edging toward the door to end the conversation, he told Cimbala “you and I are just not going to agree on whether or not this is a good thing. We’re just not going to agree.’’

Reuters: TC Energy expects North American gas demand to grow 40 bcfd over 10 years
3/11/25

“TC Energy CEO Francois Poirier said on Tuesday at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston he expects North American natural gas demand to grow by 40 billion cubic feet per day over the next 10 years,” Reuters reports.

Bloomberg: TC Energy CEO Sees Ramp-Up for Sur de Texas-Tuxpan Pipeline
Lucia Kassai, 3/11/25

“TC Energy’s Sur de Texas-Tuxpan pipeline that transports natural gas from Texas to Mexico is expected to ramp up in coming months as the Southeast Gateway conduit starts service on May 1, Chief Executive Officer Francois Poirier said in an interview,” Bloomberg reports. “Southeast Gateway will deliver gas from the Sur de Texas-Tuxpan line to points in southeast Mexico, including Paraiso in Tabasco state, home to Pemex’s massive Dos Bocas oil refinery. The much-needed gas should feed into the cogeneration plants that supply power to the refinery.”

Bloomberg: Enbridge CEO on Tariffs Impact on Steel & Pipeline Costs [VIDEO]
3/11/25

“Greg Ebel, Enbridge CEO talks about impact of tariffs on imported Steel and pipeline costs with Bloomberg’s Alix Steel at CERAWeek in Houston,” Bloomberg reports.

Washington Post: How one controversial pipeline reveals the state of the global fight over oil
Chico Harlan, 3/11/25

“For its first 88 completed miles, the world’s most controversial oil pipeline system runs in a bulldozed path through the Ugandan countryside,” the Washington Post reports. “The pipeline runs past elementary schools lacking electricity. It cuts through the banana groves of a farmer skipping meals to survive the dry season. It knifes past a Pentecostal church whose pastor hopes his children will one day have oil jobs. Then, not long after it passes through this village, it gives way to something unplanned: hundreds of unfinished miles, in a project that is behind schedule and that Western banks have shunned. Uganda was hoping by now to be on the verge of oil production. Instead, it is at the center of a global fight — involving governments, climate activists, energy companies and multinational banks — over the future of fossil fuels. Uganda remains adamant that it will find a way to complete the project. But while both supporters and opponents of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) wield arguments about fairness and morality, they have radically different visions of what is most important: protecting the planet or maximizing economic opportunity. Uganda, NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the Johannesburg-based African Energy Chamber told the Post, is “ground zero for climate politics in the world.” “…More than 200 environmental and civil society groups — both African and global — have banded together in a coalition called StopEACOP.”

Heatmap: How Utility Customers Wind Up Paying to Serve Data Centers
Matthew Zeitlin, 3/6/25

“Aging gas mains are a problem that cannot simply be ignored. As old metal pipes are exposed to the elements, they rust, crack, and leak, creating possible safety hazards and releasing climate-heating methane into the air. Utilities have made it a priority to replace them. And they say they have little choice,” Heatmap reports. “Under state law, utilities have an ‘obligation to serve’ gas safely and reliably to every customer who wants it. If the old pipes are no longer up to the task, they need to be either repaired or replaced, as long as customers still want gas. But critics argue that instead of simply replacing the pipes, utilities could be doing more to steer customers toward greener alternatives. The Public Service Commission, New York’s utility regulator, has sought to promote ‘non-pipe alternatives,’ like home electrification, to avoid the costly infrastructure investments that utilities tend to favor. And utilities say they’re on board.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: House approves spending stopgap with environmental cuts
Andres Picon, 3/12/25

“Republicans muscled their government funding stopgap through the House on Tuesday before leaving Washington for more than a week, forcing the Senate to take up a bill Democrats say would jeopardize energy and environment projects,” E&E News reports. “The House voted 217-213, mostly along party lines, to advance a seven-month funding extension that would drop nondefense spending more than $13 billion below current levels and give the administration more leeway to allocate funds at its discretion. Democratic leaders and environmental groups are still pushing for Congress to consider a separate, short-term continuing resolution instead, which would give lawmakers until April 11 to finalize and pass fiscal 2025 spending bills. Republican leaders, however, say they will plow ahead with their yearlong stopgap. Senate Democrats can either help pass it or risk a shutdown.”

Bloomberg: Trump Reconsiders Tariff Hike After Ontario Halts Energy Charge
Jordan Fabian, Josh Wingrove, and Jennifer A Dlouhy, 3/11/25

“President Donald Trump said he was reevaluating plans to double steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada to 50% after Ontario announced it would suspend a 25% surcharge on electricity sent to the US,” Bloomberg reports. “I’m looking at that, but probably so,” Trump told reporters Tuesday when asked if the deescalation would lead him to back down on his tariff threat. “I’ll let you know about it.” “…The president spoke minutes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that they would meet Thursday in Washington and that the province would suspend its plans to slap a surcharge on electricity exports to the US… “The announcement came hours after Trump posted to social media that he was doubling metal tariffs set to take effect shortly after midnight, and also said he would “substantially increase” levies on Canadian automobile parts on April 2 if Ottawa does not drop tariffs on dairy products and other US goods. The move would “essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada,” Trump said. The president reiterated his belief that Canada should become a part of the US, saying it would “make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear.”

E&E News: Trump trade war has Canada rethinking its energy future
Jason Plautz, Shelby Webb, 3/12/25

“Canadian officials were caught in the middle of trade war whiplash at one of the world’s top energy conferences Tuesday, causing them to reexamine their country’s relationship with the United States,” E&E News reports. “At CERAWeek by S&P Global, regional energy ministers from across Canada expressed frustration with President Donald Trump’s morning announcement that he would increase tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50 percent. Trump had already placed a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, except for a lower 10 percent tariff on energy resources… “And where do we stop? Are we going to have 100 percent, 200 percent, 300 percent tariffs? Are we going to block the border?” Brian Jean, minister of energy and minerals for the Canadian province of Alberta, told E&E. “Why would you do this to your best friend?” “…Incoming Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that his country will keep its tariffs in place “until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade,” according to the Associated Press… “In a statement to POLITICO’s E&E News, White House spokesperson Kush Desai, said the reversal in the Canadian electricity tariffs was a sign that Trump’s strategy was working. “President Trump has once again used the leverage of the American economy, which is the best and biggest in the world, to deliver a win for the American people,” Desai told E&E. “Pursuant to his previous executive orders, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum with no exceptions or exemptions will go into effect for Canada and all of our other trading partners at midnight, March 12th.” “…Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of trade missions move beyond North America,” Stephen Lecce, minister of energy and electrification for the Canadian province of Ontario, told E&E. That includes sending more crude to the Tidewater Canada facility — a major transporter of the country’s refined petroleum products via Canada’s West Coast — and building more pipelines to send petroleum products across the country. Lecce said the reevaluation of trade relationships could break down interprovincial trade barriers and help the country stand more firmly as a “strong economic unit.”

Politico: DOE’s Wright: Climate change is just a side effect of modern life
Ben Lefebvre, 3/10/25

“Energy Secretary Chris Wright dismissed climate change on Monday as a ‘side effect’ of consuming the energy sources needed to support modern societies — which could be at risk if aggressive policies to combat climate change are enacted,” Politico reports. “The comments from Wright, who previously headed the oilfield services company Liberty Energy, come as the Trump administration has shunned international efforts to slow the emissions that are warming the planet and has gutted the Biden administration’s policies to speed the transition to renewable energy sources. Speaking at the CERAWeek energy conference, Wright mocked the Biden administration’s efforts to grow renewable energy and batteries. He promoted fossil fuel development and said “wind and solar, the darling of the last administration and so much of the world today”’ would not be able to scale up enough to replace natural gas as an energy source… “The Trump administration will treat climate change for what it is: a global physical phenomenon that is a side effect of building the modern world.”

CNBC: Energy Secretary Chris Wright vows to reverse Biden climate policies, says renewables can’t replace natural gas
Spencer Kimball, 3/10/25

“Energy Secretary Chris Wright slammed the Biden administration’s climate policies on Monday, vowing to support natural gas production,” CNBC reports. “…Natural gas is responsible for 43% of U.S. electricity production. There “is simply no physical way that wind, solar and batteries could replace the myriad uses of natural gas,” Wright said… “Wright has previously said there is no climate crisis and carbon dioxide emissions are not a pollutant… “It’s incredibly high prices, incredibly huge investment and a large footprint on the local communities, so it’s been very unpopular for people that live near offshore wind turbines,” Wright said at a press conference Monday morning. The energy secretary said the Trump administration supports anything that adds to “affordable, reliable, secure energy.” He indicated that the administration supports the rapidly growing role of solar and is in favor of moving forward on battery storage. “Wind has been singled out because it’s had a singularly poor record of driving up prices,” Wright said.

Guardian: What the world needs now is more fossil fuels, says Trump’s energy secretary
Dharna Noor, 3/10/25

“The world needs more planet-heating fossil fuel, not less, Donald Trump’s newly appointed energy secretary, Chris Wright, told oil and gas bigwigs on Monday,” the Guardian reports. “We are unabashedly pursuing a policy of more American energy production and infrastructure, not less,” he said in the opening plenary talk of CERAWeek, a swanky annual conference in Houston, Texas, led by the financial firm S&P Global. Wright, a former fracking executive who was picked by Trump to the crucial cabinet position, also attacked the Joe Biden administration for focusing “myopically on climate change”. “The Trump administration will end the Biden administration’s irrational, quasi-religious policies on climate change that imposed endless sacrifices on our citizens,” he said at the conference, for which tickets cost upward of $10,000. “The cure was far more destructive than the disease.”

Washington Post: Oil and gas executives roll back green energy pledges as they celebrate Trump
Evan Halper and Jake Spring, 3/10/25

“Oil and gas executives, in a celebratory mood Monday as they kicked off an annual energy summit, showed just how quickly they are rolling back their support for a rapid transition from carbon fuels to cleaner power,” the Washington Post reports. “With President Donald Trump in the White House, they cheered a reset they say is overdue after living through a years-long regulatory and corporate push toward green energy. “We can all feel the winds of history in the sails of our businesses again,” Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national oil company, told the Post of the vibe at this year’s S&P Global CERAWeek conference. The push for a rapid energy transition to clean power, he told the Post, “was doomed to fail.” “…And they promoted plans to build a lot more fossil-fuel infrastructure, arguing that the quest for cleaner energy that Joe Biden made a central element of his presidency needs to be supplanted by a recognition that petro fuels are essential to satisfy the United States’ surging demand for power.”

Daily Energy Insider: S&P Global report: Build more pipelines, export more U.S. natural gas
Kim Riley, 3/10/25

“There are significant economic and environmental benefits of exporting U.S. liquid natural gas (LNG), and massive benefits around building more natural gas pipelines to serve Northeast states, according to a study released March 6 by the energy analytics team at S&P Global,” Daily Energy Insider reports. “The report, Major New U.S. Industry at a Crossroads: A U.S. LNG Impact Study – Phase 2, is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is the second phase of a comprehensive modeling study that provided an independent, objective view of the impact of U.S. LNG exports to the American economy. “This report should end any debate: U.S. LNG exports are indisputably in America’s public interest,” said Marty Durbin, president of the U.S. Chamber’s Global Energy Institute. “As the Trump administration resumes review of export license applications, S&P Global’s modeling provides a more comprehensive and accurate picture than the flawed assumptions used by the previous Administration to justify its halt on export approvals.”

Marcellus Drilling News: Trump Admin Considers Strategies to Overturn DRBC Fracking Ban
3/10/25

“On Sunday, March 2, MDN friend Tom Shepstone participated in a meeting with new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Congressman Rob Bresnahan, several state elected officials, as well as labor and others regarding energy and other critical issues in Northeast Pennsylvania,” according to Marcellus Drilling News. “While the meeting discussed what is needed from the Trump administration to get critical pipelines built, a primary focus was to discuss how to overturn the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) ban on fracking.”

E&E News: Interior suspends Biden-era legal opinions
Michael Doyle, 3/10/25

“The Interior Department’s acting chief lawyer has suspended every legal opinion issued by his Biden administration predecessor, in a move that strengthens the Trump administration’s grip on key policy decisions,” E&E News reports. “Citing the need for a ’thorough review,’ Interior senior adviser Gregory Zerzan put on ice all 20 of the ’M-Opinions’ issued during Biden’s term by former Interior Solicitor Robert Anderson. The suspended opinions imposed binding interpretations of law on issues ranging from migratory bird protection to the ownership of mineral rights beneath a reservoir in Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s home state of North Dakota… “Zerzan added that during the review period, no Interior agency should rely on a suspended M-Opinion as authoritative and binding without first consulting with the Office of the Solicitor for guidance.”

Reuters: US should restart shuttered coal units, Interior Secretary tells Bloomberg
3/10/25

“The United States should restart shuttered coal-fired power plants under President Donald Trump’s national energy emergency declaration, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a video interview with Bloomberg News on Monday,” Reuters reports. “Doing so would help the U.S. to meet rising electricity demand that is being fueled by a boom in artificial intelligence, Burgum, who chairs Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, told Bloomberg in the interview on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. “I think as part of the national energy emergency which President Trump has declared we’ve got to keep every plant open. And if there have been units at a coal plant that have been shut down, we need to bring those back on,” he told Bloomberg.”

Washington Post: Trump just weakened one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws
Dino Grandoni and Maxine Joselow, 3/10/25

“The Interior Department has suspended a legal opinion that held companies liable for accidentally killing ducks, cranes, pelicans, owls and hundreds of other bird species,” the Washington Post reports. “In a memorandum dated Feb. 28 but posted online in recent days, Interior’s acting chief lawyer suspended every legal opinion issued by the Biden administration, including one that subjected companies to penalties for accidentally killing birds through activities such as oil and gas drilling, wind energy production, mining, or construction. The move delivers a win to the oil and gas industry, which has argued that the government has unfairly punished companies that never intended to harm birds. But it has sparked alarm from conservationists who warn that bird populations are already plunging because of climate change and human encroachment into their habitats. “This is going to affect a significant number of migratory birds, and we’re already seeing plummeting populations of certain species,” Tara Zuardo, a lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, told the Post. “This is big.”

New York Times: E.P.A. Plans to Close All Environmental Justice Offices
Lisa Friedman, 3/11/25

“The Trump administration intends to eliminate Environmental Protection Agency offices responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities, according to a memo from Lee Zeldin, the agency administrator,” the New York Times reports. “In the internal memo, viewed by The New York Times, Mr. Zeldin informed agency leaders that he was directing “the reorganization and elimination” of the offices of environmental justice at all 10 E.P.A. regional offices as well as the one in Washington. Mr. Zeldin’s move effectively ends three decades of work at the E.P.A. to try to ease the pollution that burdens poor and minority communities, which are frequently located near highways, power plants, industrial plants and other polluting facilities. Studies have shown that people who live in those communities have higher rates of asthma, heart disease and other health problems, compared with the national average. “If anybody needed a clearer sign that this administration gives not a single damn for the people of the United States, this is it,” Matthew Tejada, a former E.P.A. official who is now a senior vice president for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization, told the Times… “In a statement, Mr. Zeldin suggested that environmental justice — which the agency defined in 2013 as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income” with respect to environmental laws — was tantamount to discrimination. “President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American people,” Mr. Zeldin told the Times. “Part of this mandate includes the elimination of forced discrimination programs.”

Washington Examiner: DOGE cuts National Park staff as visitation rate peaks
Jack Birle, 3/10/25

“The Department of Government Efficiency cuts have affected most parts of the federal government, and cuts to the National Park Service‘s workforce come as visitation at the parks reaches new highs,” the Washington Examiner reports. “The NPS announced last week it had 331.9 million recreational visits to its various sites across the country in 2024, surpassing the record of 330.97 million visits in 2016. DOGE cuts have been responsible for at least 755 firings at the NPS, according to a report from Axios citing a tally conducted by park rangers. The NPS said it has a workforce of roughly 20,000 people and had more than 138,000 volunteers in fiscal 2024.”

STATE UPDATES

Missoula Current: Missoulians rally in support of public lands
Laura Lundquist, 3/9/25

“Supporting public lands and federal employees can be a walk in the park. But on Sunday, it was a long walk with hundreds of other people chanting “Keep our lands, keep our roots, we need stewards, not just suits,” the Missoula Current reports. “The line of cars entering McCormick Park on Sunday morning was a preview of the line of marchers who would later fill the river trail headed to Beartracks Bridge. Speakers for the Missoula public lands rally were scheduled to start around 11 a.m. at McCormick Park, but more and more attendees kept arriving. After another 15 minutes, Macayla, one of the event coordinators, called the sign-toting crowd of around 800 over to a small platform to officially start the rally.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Former Yellowstone, Rushmore, Badlands superintendents say DOGE wiped out a generation of leaders
Seth Tupper, 3/10/25

“If Dan Wenk had been fired during his first year in a permanent job with the National Park Service, the agency would’ve lost his many later accomplishments,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “He would not have gone on to help lead a public-private partnership that raised $75 million to redevelop visitor facilities at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, or a $300 million negotiation to improve amenities at Yellowstone National Park with private funds, or the acquisition of the United Flight 93 crash site in Pennsylvania for a national memorial… “Now he wonders how many potentially decades-long careers were extinguished on Feb. 14. That’s when the Trump administration fired 1,000 park service employees — about 5% of the agency’s workforce — who had yet to complete the probationary period for new hires. Another 700 employees reportedly accepted buyouts that were offered before the firings. “The feeder groups are being devastated in terms of future leaders of an organization,” Wenk told Searchlight. Wenk and fellow former park service superintendents Cheryl Schreier and Mike Pflaum recently visited South Dakota Searchlight to express their concerns about the Trump administration’s mass firings and spending cuts, carried out largely by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. The actions have affected many federal agencies and programs, resulting in a reported 75,000 employee buyouts, 30,000 firings, and trillions of dollars in frozen or canceled federal grants, loans and foreign aid.”

KSLA: East Texas oil, gas waste disposal sites raise some concerns
Tristan Lundy, 3/10/25

“Some oil and natural gas waste disposal sites under construction in East Texas have many people speaking out against them,” KSLA reports. “…Debrah Linn, who lives in Elysian Fields, told KSLA she’s very worried about such sites being built, not only for the environment but also for her kids who battle with asthma. “She really struggles with that. And so, you know, I just wonder is she even going to be able to remain here, is she going to be able to live here? Worried about her asthma, you know, whenever these trucks travel up and down, the dust from the road, because the roads can’t be maintained quickly enough, comes in,” Linn told KSLA. “I’ve already had my air conditioning, last year, I had it serviced three times.” People in Paxton, Texas, also are becoming frustrated about such a waste disposal site being built in their area, leaving behind a nasty smell. Terry Allen, of Paxton, told KSLA he is quite worried about the possibility of his water becoming contaminated.”

WTOV: Ohio congressman introduces Farm to Fly Act to boost sustainable aviation fuel
Jaime Ely, 3/10/25

“A bill introduced by an Ohio congressman aims to bring sustainable biofuels to air travel,” WTOV reports. “It’s called the Farm to Fly Act. Introduced by Congressman Max Miller in late February, the bipartisan act would aim to boost the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. To begin with, 50% ethanol from a variety of feed stocks, such as corn and soybean oil, would be mixed in with petroleum-based jet fuel to create what is known as a “biofuel.” “…What it’s doing is really writing the rules,” Tadd Nicholson, executive director of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association, told WTOV. “This is a market that’s probably going to be developing over the next decade or so, but the rules have to be written right now.” Similar to the use of e15 in cars, Nicholson told WTOV mixing ethanol into the jet fuel will bring a big boost for Ohio’s farmers.”

WRAL: NC lawmakers gave Duke Energy new climate goals 4 years ago. Now they want to undo them
Liz McLaughlin, Will Doran, 3/10/25

“Duke Energy would no longer have to comply with a carbon reduction goal the legislature instituted just four years ago, under a new bill filed Monday,” WRAL reports. “The proposal, Senate Bill 261, is sponsored by top-ranking Republican Senate leaders — including Sen. Paul Newton, a former president of Duke Energy’s North Carolina operations — and is being fast-tracked at the GOP-controlled legislature… “The bill would also let Duke and other utilities start charging customers for new natural gas or nuclear plants while they’re still under construction, through a financing mechanism known as Construction Work in Progress. That means customers could be footing the bill for projects that are delayed or never completed — a system that has led to multibillion-dollar losses for ratepayers in other states when projects failed… “Matt Abele, the executive director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, told WRAL the bill guts the state’s landmark climate plan and could lead to more expensive technologies, delaying North Carolina’s shift to cleaner energy sources… “Energy resources like solar and battery storage continue to be the lowest cost home-grown options available in North Carolina,” he told WRAL. “The bill introduced today would hinder connecting more affordable resources to the grid in favor of technologies that pose a greater financial risk to ratepayers.”

E&E News: New Mexico legislators balk at 2050 emissions target
Adam Aton, 3/7/25

“New Mexico lawmakers are trying to steer hundreds of millions of dollars to climate funding after an effort to codify the state’s emissions targets ran into Democratic opposition,” E&E News reports. “The Clear Horizons Act — which sought to enshrine into law Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, along with intermediary emissions targets — has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee after two Democrats joined with Republicans to table the bill before it could reach the floor. “It’s a little too rapid for me,” Democratic Sen. George Muñoz said last week during a hearing on the bill. Muñoz chairs the Finance Committee. Sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, the legislation already had cleared a different committee on natural resources.”

KTUL: Osage County oil industry faces uncertainty as BIA office slated for closure
Rian Stockett, 3/11/25

“On the list to be cut by the Department of Government Efficiency is the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office in Pawhuska,” KTUL reports. “This office, otherwise known as the Osage Indian agency is one of four BIA offices in Oklahoma set to be terminated and one of 20 across the country, but as NewsChannel 8 is told, cutting this particular office could have a significant impact on the oil and gas industry in Osage County… “The Osage Indian agency manages oil and gas production in Osage Nation. Terminating this office would not only affect the jobs of those working there but could also create a hurdle for Osage Nation and individual oil producers in Osage County… “Melinda Carter, the president of the Osage Producers Association told KTUL terminating the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency in Pawhuska would halt the work of independent oil producers in Osage County and would make it difficult for them to be productive.”

Capital and Main: Colorado Residents Now Have a Way to ‘See’ the Toxic Emissions They Live With
Jennifer Oldham, 3/10/25

“A tour of oil and gas sites encroaching on Denver’s eastern suburbs fell on a fitting day, with air so polluted that state health officials warned the elderly and children to stay inside. Participants were eager to see where these toxic gases come from,” Capital and Main reports. “The group stood on the shoulder of a noisy frontage road with a panoramic view of operations that encompass the fossil fuel production lifecycle — the oil storage tanks, a compressor station and a drilling rig spread out on arid grasslands and emitting pollutants including nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds… “Public health graduate student Natalie Hawley is among dozens of people who have joined Andrew Klooster, a thermographer at Earthworks, and organizers with 350 Colorado — both environmental nonprofits — on emissions tours at fossil fuel sites since early 2023. Earthworks purchased what’s known as an OGI camera a decade ago with the intent of partnering with residents to watchdog the expanding extraction activities in Colorado. Earthworks and 350 Colorado teamed up to offer the field trips to alert and educate communities about the health and environmental impacts of oil and gas operations, which continue to grow in the state. The number of active wells in the nation’s fourth-largest oil producing state grew to 46,591 as of Feb. 24, a 25% hike since 2009.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: More chance of Elvis speaking than energy transition plans succeeding, Aramco CEO says
Arathy Somasekhar and Maha El Dahan, 3/10/25

“Policymakers and energy executives need to rethink energy transition plans and stop doubling down on elements of the transition that have failed, the CEO of state oil giant Saudi Aramco said on Monday, stressing the need for investment in fossil fuels to meet global demand,” Reuters reports. “…We can all feel the winds of history in our industry’s sails again,” Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told executives from the world’s biggest energy companies at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. “In fact, there is more chance of Elvis speaking next than the current plan working,” he said. New energy sources can complement fossil fuels but not replace them, he said. Investment in all sources of energy was needed to meet global energy demand, he added… “In his address to the conference last year, Nasser also called on the industry to “abandon the fantasy of phasing out fossil fuels.”

Reuters: IEA chief sees need for investments in existing oil, gas fields
Timothy Gardner, 3/10/25

“Fatih Birol, the director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, said on Monday there is a need for investment in oil and gas fields to support global energy security,” Reuters reports. “The comment puts the energy watchdog for industrialized nations more in line with President Donald Trump’s pro-drilling agenda, after it came under pressure from fossil fuel advocates years ago for proposing an end to new oil and gas projects. “I want to make it clear… there would be a need for investment, especially to address the decline in the existing fields,” he said at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. “There is a need for oil and gas upstream investments, full stop,” he said. Birol has been under pressure from Trump’s administration and from the president’s fellow Republicans in Congress for the IEA’s shift in recent years toward a focus on clean energy policy… “The IEA’s former oil industry and market chief in January criticized the agency’s focus on the global energy transition and said the agency should concentrate on oil and gas supplies.”

Reuters: Baker Hughes says oil producers unlikely to increase spending this year
Arathy Somasekhar, 3/10/25

“U.S. oil and gas producers are unlikely to increase spending this year and output increases will primarily come from improved efficiencies rather than new drilling, Baker Hughes Chief Executive Lorenzo Simonelli said on Monday,” Reuters reports. “…Capital spending by oil and gas companies will be limited by the wave of consolidation that swept the industry in recent years, Simonelli told Reuters on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference by S&P Global in Houston… “Baker Hughes does not expect to restructure or reduce its workforce currently, Simonelli told Reuters. Large producers have not yet indicated any changes to their capital spending plans despite easing oil prices, Simonelli told Reuters… “The company also expects any impact from Trump’s tariff proposals to be manageable and mitigated, Simonelli told Reuters.”

Reuters: Global oil supply growth is outstripping demand, Gunvor CEO says
Arathy Somasekhar, 3/10/25

“Global oil supply growth is outstripping demand, the CEO of one of the world’s largest oil traders, Gunvor, said on Monday,” Reuters reports. “…We still see demand growth in the world, but it’s not that big,” Gunvor CEO Torbjorn Tornqvist said in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of an energy industry conference in Houston. “That’s the problem.” Demand for gasoline and diesel has reached a plateau in China, the world’s second largest consumer, Tornqvist told Reuters… “Global benchmark Brent crude was trading under $70 a barrel on Monday, after hitting its lowest level since December 2021 last week at $68.33. If crude prices fall another $5 to $6, it is unlikely that U.S. shale oil producers would further grow output, Gunvor’s CEO told Reuters. Uncertainty over tariffs and sanctions and their impact on the economy and the energy industry were contributing to volatility, he told Reuters… “With regards to tariffs on Canadian oil, which have been paused for a month, Tornqvist suggested about two-thirds of the added costs would be paid by U.S. refiners and consumers, and the rest by producers.”

BBC: Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC
3/11/25

“The man arrested by Humberside police is the captain of the Solong cargo ship, the vessel’s owner tells the BBC. Earlier, the police force said that a 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, following the North Sea collision. Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig says flames are still visible on the Solong, with salvage plans in place for both vessels. One crew member of the Portuguese cargo ship is “assumed deceased”, a UK minister says, as the transport secretary says both Solong and US oil tanker Stena Immaculate are expected to stay afloat… “I understand that all 23 crew on board the Stena Immaculate are Americans. They are all currently in Grimsby and are likely to be repatriated in due course. The owners of the ship, Florida-based Crowley, still have to decide what will happen to the ship, whether it will be repaired and if so where… “The US military has confirmed that the ship was on a short-term charter to Military Sealift Command on behalf of the US Defense Logistics Agency, Energy. This is a branch of the military responsible for making sure that the right equipment is in the right place.”

gCaptain: Update: Tanker Collision Off UK Coast Sparks Fire, Oil Spill Concerns; One Missing
Mike Schuler, 3/10/25

“The US-flagged Stena Immaculate, carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel, had at least one of its cargo tanks ruptured after it was struck by a containership off the UK coast on Monday,” gCaptain reports. “A collision between the US military-chartered tanker Stena Immaculate and container ship Solong off England’s East Yorkshire coast has resulted in fires aboard both vessels and a potential fuel spill, according to HM Coastguard officials… “The US-flagged Stena Immaculate, operated by US-based Crowley, is a 183-meter tanker carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. The ship suffered at least one ruptured tank in the collision, according to an update from Crowley. At this stage, it is unclear what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident.”

ExxonKnews: Study: News outlets can’t run ‘native’ Exxon ads without misleading the public
Emily Sanders, 3/10/25

“By researching existing life forms like algae and bacteria, ExxonMobil hopes one day to realize new sources for cleaner fuels at scale and, in the process, to make the future of energy literally green,” claims an article-length advertisement on the New York Times website,” ExxonKnews reports. “Exxon’s “Future of Energy” ad, which began running on the New York Times website in 2018 and is still live today, describes company researchers toiling to farm and geoengineer algae biofuels in order to decrease the oil giant’s carbon footprint. It does not mention that compared to its plans for fossil fuel production, Exxon’s investments in algae research and production goals for the biofuels were a negligible fraction before they ended completely in 2023. The ad is a classic example of a “native advertisement,” or a paid ad placed in news media publications and designed in-house to give it the appearance of journalistic reporting. And it’s part of an evolving — and often successful — effort by fossil fuel companies to “manipulate mass public opinion” about their role in the climate crisis using “misleading” advertising, according to new research published last week in the journal npj Climate Action by researchers at Boston University and the University of Cambridge. The authors found that by exposing readers to “inoculation” messages warning about online climate disinformation prior to the advertisement, or by including a “disclosure” message stating who paid for the ad, news outlets can “reduce climate misperceptions caused by exposure to native advertising from the fossil fuel industry on readers.” But they emphasized that there is no way for outlets to run native ads for oil and gas companies without helping the industry deceive the public. “Even a single exposure to misleading climate claims can shape beliefs,” the study concluded. The new research could be used to bolster consumer fraud lawsuits against oil and gas companies, many of which cite ads like this one as evidence that the companies are still intentionally deceiving the public about the effect of their business on the climate.”

Reuters: ARC Resources to supply Exxon Mobil with LNG
3/11/25

“ARC Resources said on Tuesday it had entered into a long-term liquefied natural gas supply agreement with a unit of Exxon Mobil,” Reuters reports. “…ExxonMobil LNG Asia Pacific will purchase all of ARC’s LNG offtake from the Cedar LNG project, representing about 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), at international LNG pricing, ARC said. The Cedar LNG project, a partnership between the Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline located on Canada’s West Coast, is expected to commence commercial operations later in 2028 and will have a capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).”

OPINION

Bismarck Tribune: Tribune editorial: Summit needs new approach with pipeline
3/12/25

“A new law in South Dakota isn’t necessarily the end of the Summit Carbons Solution pipeline, but it certainly creates future difficulties for the company,” the Bismarck Tribune Editorial Board writes. “Gov. Larry Rhoden recently signed into law a bill that bans the use of eminent domain to acquire right-of-way for a carbon oxide pipeline… “The Tribune Editorial Board hasn’t opposed the pipeline but has argued against the use of eminent domain. This is a private venture, and safety advocates say regulations are not where they should be. Landowners shouldn’t be forced to participate… “But there’s been opposition in each state that Summit wants to run the pipeline through. The company for a long time dodged the question of whether it would use eminent domain to complete the pipeline. This created uncertainty for those opposed to the project. There were efforts by county commissions to prevent the use of eminent domain for the pipeline, along with efforts in state legislatures to prevent its use or put limitations on the project. So Summit was well aware of the opposition… “It is obvious from the objections in the states that Summit plans to go through that some landowners oppose being forced to grant use of their land. And now there’s a shift in the political climate, at least in South Dakota. Summit should adjust if it wants to continue the project… “It appears Summit’s success — at least in that state — will depend on either changing the route or persuading reluctant landowners without the threat of eminent domain. That’s the way it should be.”

Redfield Press: Protecting property rights key reason for signing carbon pipeline bill
Larry Rhoden, South Dakota governor, 3/11/25

“This column was first written as a letter to the legislature and to the people of South Dakota outlining the governor’s thought process for signing HB 1052,” the Redfield Press reports. “I am no stranger to discussions about eminent domain and property rights. I’ve fought for private property rights in this Capitol for over 20 years. When I was a legislator, I was the prime sponsor of legislation that reformed eminent domain to protect property rights. I don’t just care about landowners — I am a landowner. I also want to ensure that we keep South Dakota open for opportunity. That includes the opportunity for every family, every business owner, and every farmer or rancher to pursue their own American Dream. But those dreams should not be pursued at the expense of others. Freedom ends when it infringes on the freedom of another. And when those situations arise, “governments are instituted among men” to protect the rights of the people… “I made my decision to sign House Bill 1052 based on my own consideration of the facts, the policy arguments, legislative history, my own opinions and experience, and my judgment about what is best for South Dakota. South Dakota landowners feel strongly that the threat of involuntary easements for the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline infringes on their freedoms and their property rights. I have said many times that Summit needs to earn back trust from South Dakota landowners. Unfortunately, once trust is lost, it is a difficult thing to regain. One perspective in this debate is that we should not change the rules in the middle of the game, and I agree. However, the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline is still just that — a proposed project. Summit has not yet received their permit from the Public Utilities Commission. HB 1052 does not kill the proposed project. Rather than viewing this legislation as an obstacle, I encourage Summit and others to view it as an opportunity for a needed reset…”

Mitchell Republic: Nolz: HB1052 is a prime example of how government should work
Kaley Nolz, District 20 representative, 3/10/25

“In the eighth week of the 100th legislative session, South Dakotans’ private property rights were upheld. The action centered around HB1052, which I have been a supporter of since the start of the session. This bill was brought by Speaker Pro Tem Karla Lems from District 16 and Senator Lakpa from District 23. HB1052 is an Act to prohibit the exercise of eminent domain for a pipeline that carries carbon dioxide,” Kaley Nolz writes for the Mitchell Republic. “…Opponents of HB1052 will tell you that this bill will kill economic development. I would like to clarify for the record this bill is about private property rights. It’s about the right of a citizen to say yes to a project or no thank you. One answer is not more important than the other. A project can still go forwards if it gets voluntary easements… “When I decided to run for public office, I promised to always uphold our Constitution and protect our individual rights and freedom. A yes vote on HB1052 was taking the stance on that… “HB1052 was the peoples’ bill and it was a prime example of how government should work. Elected officials work for the people and they should listen to them.”

Salt Lake Tribune: The Trump administration poses a significant threat to Utah’s national monuments and America’s natural heritage
Steve Bloch is legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, based in Salt Lake City; Aaron Paul is a staff attorney for the Grand Canyon Trust, based in Denver; Heidi McIntosh is managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office, based in Denver, 3/10/25

“Our national monuments belong to the people of this country. They protect our most important cultural and natural resources — many monuments have ultimately become cherished national parks like Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon and Grand Teton,” Steve Bloch, Aaron Paul, and Heidi McIntosh write for the Salt Lake Tribune. “They include sacred cultural landscapes co-managed by tribes and some of our most important historical sites like Hovenweep, Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain), and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon. But the Trump administration is threatening to hand them over to extractive industries to allow wealthy executives and industry lobbyists to get even richer. Now is the time to sound the alarm and urge the administration not to dismantle some of the most important places our country has to offer, including Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments… “The Trump administration poses a significant threat to national monuments and America’s natural heritage. Project 2025 calls for downsizing national monuments and undoing the Antiquities Act, and the Trump administration and their congressional allies have already shown their adherence to this anti-environment and anti-public lands agenda. This is our call to action on the president’s intent to hand over some of our nation’s most significant public lands to industry — all signs point toward these impending cuts. We stand ready to defend our monuments alongside the tribes, conservation organizations and local communities who advocated for their creation.