Extracted

EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 3/20/25

Mark Hefflinger, Bold Alliance (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/Des Moines Register

By Mark Hefflinger

March 20, 2025

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PIPELINE NEWS

Press release: Jury delivers verdict finding Greenpeace entities liable for more than $660 million in Energy Transfer SLAPP trial
Washington Post: Greenpeace ordered to pay Dakota Access Pipeline operator hundreds of millions in defamation suit
North Dakota Monitor: Jury finds Greenpeace at fault for protest damages, awards pipeline developer more than $660 million
E&E News: How the Greenpeace defamation verdict could stifle public protest
Bloomberg: Top Leaders Flee Pipeline Safety Agency as Trump Pushes to Build
E&E News: 6th Circuit weighs its role in Line 5 dispute
Bloomberg: NY Environmentalists Blast Gov. Hochul After Trump Pipeline Talk
Hudson Independent: Hastings-on-Hudson Officials Reject Pipeline Projects
Chatham Star-Tribune: Opponents ask feds to nix Southgate proposal
E&E News: Bill would create a path to lift California’s carbon pipeline moratorium
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Indiana Landowners Travel to Washington, Urge Repeal of Wasteful 45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Capture & Storage Schemes
NBC Philadelphia: Pipeline gas leak in Bucks Co. continues to worry neighbors [VIDEO]
St. Paul Pioneer Press: Pine Bend Refinery propane pipeline leak shuts down section of U.S. 52 in Rosemount
National Post: Two cross-country pipelines could’ve diverted $38.4 billion from the U.S., new study finds
The Energy Mix: Councillors, Citizens Weigh Severe Fire Safety Risk from Trans Mountain Pipeline Tank Farm
Korea JoonAng Daily: Industry minister to meet Alaska governor next week to discuss gas pipeline project, sources say
Bloomberg: Brookfield Leading Race to Acquire $10 Billion Colonial Pipeline
Reuters: Exxon challenges Colonial Pipeline on proposed changes to fuel shipping terms

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Trump officials look to speed up permits after oil and gas meeting
Center for Biological Diversity: Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Failure to Review Flawed Oil, Gas Industry Air-Pollution Permits in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
Bloomberg: Trump Approves LNG Exports From Venture Global’s CP2 Project
E&E News: GOP claims Biden suppressed LNG study to justify pause
Latitude Media: Trump’s appointee is out at the DOE Loan Programs Office
E&E News: Meet the new boss at 350.org

STATE UPDATES

South Dakota Searchlight: Ethanol leaders see irony in governor’s ‘Open for Opportunity’ visit after eminent domain ban
WCIA: Bill protecting Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration passes House committee
WPTA: Rules for Indiana carbon sequestration projects advance
WITI: Oak Creek We Energies natural gas plant plan sees pushback
Steamboat Pilot: Routt County Commissioners oppose oil and gas lease sale in letter to Bureau of Land Management

EXTRACTION

Climate Change News: Canada’s new leader culls carbon tax seen as burden on voters
Canadian Press: Alberta won’t use public money to clean up abandoned wells: Energy Minister
The Cool Down: Researchers uncover major flaw in technology used by top corporations: ‘[It] should be abandoned’
Press release: Aramco launches Saudi Arabia’s first CO2 Direct Air Capture test unit
Gasworld: Impurities in captured CO2 that pose the greatest risks to pipeline integrity [VIDEO]
Agence France-Presse: Ecuador declares ‘force majeure’ emergency, cuts exports over oil spill
Phys.org: Ecuador battles spreading oil slick, residents without water
Reuters: Petroecuador restarts transport through SOTE pipeline after landslide damage

OPINION

Charlotte Observer: Trump wants to undo offshore drilling protections for NC. We’ll see him in court.
The American Prospect: DOGE Is Going to Kill a Lot of Americans

PIPELINE NEWS

Press release: Jury delivers verdict finding Greenpeace entities liable for more than $660 million in Energy Transfer SLAPP trial
3/19/25

“A Morton County jury of nine reached a verdict in Energy Transfer’s meritless lawsuit against Greenpeace entities in the US (Greenpeace Inc, Greenpeace Fund), and Greenpeace International, finding the entities liable for more than US$660 million, today. Big Oil Bullies around the world will continue to try to silence free speech and peaceful protest, but the fight against Energy Transfer’s meritless SLAPP lawsuit is not over. “This case should alarm everyone, no matter their political inclinations,” said Sushma Raman, Interim Executive Director Greenpeace Inc, Greenpeace Fund. “It’s part of a renewed push by corporations to weaponize our courts to silence dissent. We should all be concerned about the future of the First Amendment, and lawsuits like this aimed at destroying our rights to peaceful protest and free speech. These rights are critical for any work toward ensuring justice – and that’s why we will continue fighting back together, in solidarity. While Big Oil bullies can try to stop a single group, they can’t stop a movement.” “…In this case, Energy Transfer has maintained their entirely false claims that Greenpeace organized the #NoDAPL resistance at Standing Rock, an allegation rooted in racism in its erasure of the Indigenous leadership in North Dakota… “This lawsuit is one of the largest Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) cases ever filed. These are meritless lawsuits meant to silence or bankrupt opponents – which is why most U.S. states and several countries have put legal protections in place to protect advocates. But in North Dakota – and 15 other states – no anti-SLAPP statutes exist. Greenpeace entities will continue fighting back against this case, including by appealing to the North Dakota Supreme Court. In February 2024, Greenpeace International initiated the first test of the European Union’s anti-SLAPP Directive by filing a lawsuit in Dutch court against ET. GPI seeks to recover damages and costs it has suffered as a result of ET’s back-to-back, meritless lawsuits demanding hundreds of millions of dollars against GPI and the Greenpeace organisations in the US.”

Washington Post: Greenpeace ordered to pay Dakota Access Pipeline operator hundreds of millions in defamation suit
Anna Phillips, 3/19/25

“Greenpeace must pay the oil company that operates the Dakota Access Pipeline hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for defaming them, a North Dakota jury decided Wednesday — a massive financial blow to the group that environmentalists say could chill future climate advocacy,” the Washington Post reports. “…Greenpeace, whose spokesperson confirmed the verdict, has said it played little role in the demonstrations. Major environmental groups have described the lawsuit as an intimidation tactic, intended to stifle free speech and their attempts to stop new oil and gas drilling… “Greenpeace has said the lawsuit represents the biggest threat in its history and that a verdict in favor of Energy Transfer would likely mean the end of its 50-year-old affiliate in the United States, Greenpeace USA… “Greenpeace rejected Energy Transfer’s characterization of it as “master manipulators” who used to protests to advance their own agenda and said the statements it was being sued over were not unique to the organization… “Throughout the trial, an outside group of trial monitors made up of environmental lawyers and activists criticized the proceedings as biased against Greenpeace. Scott Wilson Badenoch Jr., a visiting attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, a nonprofit that has filed lawsuits against energy and fossil fuel companies traveled to Mandan to watch the proceedings. He told the Post that during voir dire, when lawyers directly question potential jurors, seven of the 11 jurors chosen either worked in the fossil fuel industry or had family members who did… “Environmental activists say that they are being increasingly targeted by what’s known as a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP. Critics of these cases have traditionally defined them as meritless defamation lawsuits brought by major companies to silence critics and force them into years of expensive litigation. More than 30 states have laws that discourage these lawsuits; North Dakota is not one.”

North Dakota Monitor: Jury finds Greenpeace at fault for protest damages, awards pipeline developer more than $660 million
Mary Steurer, 3/19/25

“A Morton County jury on Wednesday ordered Greenpeace to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, finding that the environmental group incited illegal behavior by anti-pipeline protesters and defamed the company,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “The nine-person jury delivered a verdict in favor of Energy Transfer on most counts, awarding more than $660 million in damages to Energy Transfer and Dakota Access LLC… “These are the facts, not the fake news of the Greenpeace propaganda machine,” Trey Cox, the lead attorney representing Energy Transfer, said in a press conference outside the Morton County Courthouse after the verdict. Energy Transfer representatives believe protesting is an “inherent American right” but that Greenpeace’s actions were “unacceptable,” Cox continued… “During closing arguments on Monday, Cox told jurors that Greenpeace’s actions caused between $265 million and $340 million in damages to the company. He asked the jury to award Energy Transfer that amount plus additional punitive damages… “Some observers of the trial who participated in the anti-pipeline demonstration expressed anger after the verdict was announced Wednesday. “Standing Rock was not heard,” Waniya Locke, a Standing Rock citizen who attended much of the trial, told the Monitor… “Kandi White, a member of the Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation who also observed the trial, told the Monitor she is “ashamed” of the decision. She told the Monitor she found the implication that Greenpeace orchestrated the Dakota Access Pipeline protests insulting to Standing Rock and the other Native nations that were at the center of the movement. “An appeal should be easy for any court,” White told the Monitor.”

E&E News: How the Greenpeace defamation verdict could stifle public protest
Niina H. Farah, Robin Bravender, 3/20/25

“A jury decision holding Greenpeace liable for defamation for its role in protesting the Dakota Access pipeline is raising alarms among legal observers about the potential chilling effect on public protest,” E&E News reports. “…The decision is a loss for Greenpeace, “but more so for the First Amendment right to speak out, and thus for all Americans,” James Wheaton, the founder and senior counsel for the public interest law firm the First Amendment Project, told E&E. “If huge corporations can do this to one they can do it to everyone,” Wheaton told E&E. Greenpeace doesn’t have the money to pay the damages, the group’s interim Executive Director Sushma Raman told E&E. But the case is not about the money, she told E&E, it is meant to silence the company’s critics. “You can’t sue a movement, and you can’t bankrupt a movement,” Raman told E&E. “So irrespective of what happened today with the verdict, we are confident that the work will continue.” “…The law that can come down in this case can affect any demonstration, religious or political. It’s far bigger than the environmental movement,” Marty Garbus, a trial attorney who has represented high-profile clients including Nelson Mandela, Daniel Ellsberg, Cesar Chavez, and Václav Havel, told E&E. He described the North Dakota district court as allowing Energy Transfer to “run roughshod over the rule of law.” Garbus is part of a group of independent trial monitors who has been observing the case since it was filed in state court. They said in a joint statement Wednesday that they had observed “multiple violations of due process” that prevented Greenpeace from getting a fair trial. They alleged that the jury in the case was “patently biased” in Energy Transfer’s favor and said the judge “lacked the requisite experience” to properly rule on the complex First Amendment claims in the case… “Legal experts told E&E Greenpeace has a good case to appeal the decision, which the organization stated it plans to do. Since North Dakota does not have an appellate level court, the appeal would go straight to the state Supreme Court. The case may eventually make it up to the U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds, if Greenpeace loses again before the state Supreme Court.”

Bloomberg: Top Leaders Flee Pipeline Safety Agency as Trump Pushes to Build
Jacob Wendler, 3/19/25

“An exodus of senior officials is adding pressure to the already strained agency that oversees millions of miles of US oil and gas pipelines,” Bloomberg reports. “Five senior leaders at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA), including the head of the Office of Pipeline Safety, accepted a buyout offer from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and two other staff members decided to retire, Bloomberg previously reported. The exits, combined with Trump’s federal hiring freeze, will leave more than half of the senior executive roles at the agency empty. Pipeline inspectors are not eligible to take buyouts, but as DOGE and agencies lay off workers across the government, the regulator has dismissed some rank-and-file employees, including administrative assistants at its regional offices… “PHMSA is a notoriously under-funded, under-resourced agency as it is,” Bill Caram, executive director of the watchdog group Pipeline Safety Trust, told Bloomberg. “We have new pipelines being built, we have a whole new class of pipelines being introduced,” he told Bloomberg, referring to the network of CO2 pipelines being built out for carbon capture and storage. “This is a time when we should be building up the agency to take on all these new challenges, and any reduction would definitely be a concern to us.” “…Vacant positions could be particularly challenging to fill at PHMSA, which has historically struggled to compete with the private sector to attract and retain talent, the agency’s former administrator, Cynthia Quarterman, told Bloomberg. And more staff could retire, given that a large share of the federal workforce is eligible. That would be “a huge hit to the agency,” she told Bloomberg. Those employees who stay could end up demoralized, Richard Kuprewicz, a process safety engineer who has advised PHMSA on pipeline safety regulations, told Bloomberg. “I can see PHMSA taking stretched resources and becoming a lot worse,” he told Bloomberg.”

E&E News: 6th Circuit weighs its role in Line 5 dispute
Niina H. Farah, 3/19/25

“A week after asking if they should back out of a fight over Michigan’s Line 5 pipeline, a panel of federal judges seemed likely to maintain their jurisdiction in the case,” E&E News reports. “During oral arguments Tuesday, three judges of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considered whether Michigan could duck Enbridge’s lawsuit over a 2020 state order that revoked an easement for Line 5 to travel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which separate Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. The court had asked parties to file briefs on whether Michigan could claim sovereign immunity to avoid the legal challenge and whether the case is too similar to claims moving through state court. Judge Raymond Kethledge seemed the least convinced that the 6th Circuit should step out of the fight, noting that the case before the court involves Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, while the other lawsuit involves state Attorney General Dana Nessel.”

Bloomberg: NY Environmentalists Blast Gov. Hochul After Trump Pipeline Talk
Zach Williams, 3/20/25

“Environmentalists have a new fight with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul after she suggested she might help President Donald Trump build a 124-mile natural gas pipeline in her state,” Bloomberg reports. “The president raised the topic at a March 14 White House meeting where Hochul sought Trump’s cooperation on several matters, such as maintaining a tolling program in Manhattan. Oklahoma-based Williams Cos Inc. in 2020 abandoned efforts to construct the proposed Constitution Pipeline linking Pennsylvania and upstate New York after failing to secure state authorization.”

Hudson Independent: Hastings-on-Hudson Officials Reject Pipeline Projects
Rick Pezzullo, 3/19/25

“The Village of Hastings-on-Hudson Board of Trustees unanimously voted Tuesday to reject two controversial gas pipeline projects,” the Hudson Independent reports. “With passage of the resolution, Hastings becomes the second municipality to formally oppose Project Maple and the first to oppose Williams Constitution Pipeline since the proposal’s resurfacing from last week’s meeting between President Trump and Governor Hochul at the White House. In opposing both projects, Hastings officials recognized Hochul’s ability to stop the fossil fuel proposals. The resolution specifically calls on Hochul to block the climate-heating fracked gas pipeline projects, citing dangers the proposals present to resident’s air, water and climate. Officials maintained the projects would also lead to significant costs to New York taxpayers, who will be footing the bill from increased pipeline construction and an increased flow of gas coming through New York State. Last year, 70 state and local elected officials publicly came out against Project Maple, and demanded similar action from Hochul.”

Chatham Star-Tribune: Opponents ask feds to nix Southgate proposal
Chuck Vipperman, 3/19/25

“Opponents are asking federal regulators to deny a permit for an extension to the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” the Chatham Star-Tribune reports. “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week wrapped up a 21-day period to get public comments on the proposed Southgate extension. Developers are asking FERC to let them change their original 2018 design, running a new and shorter route while widening pipe diameter and capacity. FERC fielded over 12,500 comments, including petitions from groups like the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices and others. Over 80 percent of the respondents asked FERC to deny MVP’s request. “The people have spoken loud and clear. We do not want the proposed Southgate pipeline,” Caroline Hansley, Sierra Club Campaign Organizing Strategist, told the Star-Tribune. “From Virginia to North Carolina, everyday people have stood together in solidarity against this dangerous and unnecessary project that only serves corporate interests. It’s time FERC listens.” 19 state lawmakers have also voiced opposition during the public comment period… “Southgate should not be resurrected, but if this significantly altered, essentially brand new project moves forward, it should require a new certificate and new scrutiny from FERC,” Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator for Appalachian Voices, told the Star-Tribune. “The amendment for this significantly altered project should be denied.”

E&E News: Bill would create a path to lift California’s carbon pipeline moratorium
Blanca Begert, 3/20/25

“A new California bill would establish state carbon dioxide pipeline safety regulations and allow the state to lift its pipeline moratorium, paving the way to transport carbon dioxide in California instead of waiting on federal regulations to move forward,” E&E News reports. “What happened: Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris amended her spot bill AB 881 on Monday to direct the state fire marshal to develop carbon dioxide pipeline safety regulations and allow the state to lift its pipeline moratorium once they’re in place, according to a fact sheet her office provided to POLITICO… “But projects that would transport carbon dioxide to storage locations outside the project site can’t move forward until the state lifts its pipeline moratorium established as part of a negotiation with environmental justice groups in 2022 under state Sen. Anna Caballero’s SB 905. Under that law, which aims to both accelerate and regulate carbon capture in California, the pipeline moratorium can’t be removed until the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration updates its pipeline safety regulations.”

Pipeline Fighters Hub: Indiana Landowners Travel to Washington, Urge Repeal of Wasteful 45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Capture & Storage Schemes
3/19/25

“Indiana landowners Susan Strole-Kos, Janet Cianteo, Rosemarie Scott, and Judy Mendoza last week traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak with their representatives in Congress about their concerns with the wasteful 45Q federal tax credits that underpin dangerous carbon, capture and storage (CCS) projects. 45Q is a direct pay tax credit available to corporations that utilize or sequester carbon dioxide emissions,” the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “The group from Indiana joined landowners and advocates from eight states last week during last week’s Congressional “fly-in” to urge that 45Q be eliminated. While in Washington, the Indiana landowners met with Indiana Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks, and Representative Mark Messmer to urge them to eliminate the 45Q tax credit and end the billions in tax breaks for these dangerous CCS projects. The landowners are part of a new state-based legal co-op, the Indiana Action Team, created to pool the resources of landowners who oppose eminent domain and have concerns ranging from safety and leaks – like the recent leak from ADM’s CCS facility in Illinois – to the wasteful 45Q tax credits that are the financial lynchpin for projects such as Wabash Valley Resources in Indiana, which is dependent on a $1.5 billion loan guarantee made by the Dept. of Energy during the Biden administration. In conjunction with the fly-in effort, Bold Alliance launched an online letter-writing campaign urging supporters to write to their Congressional representatives and ask them to support the bipartisan bill from Reps. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to repeal 45Q (HR 1946). Susan Strole-Kos, a Vigo County landowner who traveled to D.C. last week, said, “As a Hoosier, and a sixth-generation farmer, I believe our community is more important than a CCS company’s private profits. I believe the state of Indiana and the Midwest should not be a dumping ground for industry’s waste. Policymakers need to wake up and listen to their constituents. Public safety should always be the first priority, and civil liberties should never be trampled on. Eliminate the 45Q tax credit. Profits should never come before people, and eminent domain should never be used for private gain.” Emma Schmit, Bold Alliance’s Pipeline Fighters Director, stated, “Across the country, people are recognizing carbon capture projects for what they are– money grabbing schemes that put the risk on our communities while wealthy investors make off with the profit. Congress needs to put an end to this money grubbing, landgrabbing scam. Our rights, our safety, and our futures are on the line.”

NBC Philadelphia: Pipeline gas leak in Bucks Co. continues to worry neighbors [VIDEO]
3/19/25

“Residents in Upper Makefield Township are still concerned to drink their water after a gas pipeline leaked for possibly one year. Now, NBC Philadelphia’s Miguel Martinez-Valle reports as new worries include air quality.”

St. Paul Pioneer Press: Pine Bend Refinery propane pipeline leak shuts down section of U.S. 52 in Rosemount
Frederick Melo, 3/19/25

“Emergency responders from the city of Rosemount shut down a section of U.S. 52 in both directions on Wednesday afternoon and evacuated two families from their homes after discovering a leaking propane pipeline owned by Flint Hills Resources and its Pine Bend Refinery,” the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. “…Rosemount Police and Fire Departments, in coordination with the Dakota Special Operations Team and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Pipeline Safety, identified the source of the leak as a propane pipeline owned by Flint Hills Resources, according to a written statement from the city. On Wednesday evening, the state Office of Pipeline Safety determined the leak had been contained. Dakota County authorities deployed a tethered drone and an air monitoring system to keep further tabs on the situation. Flints Hills Resources is assisting with the temporary relocation of two families while cleanup efforts are underway.”

National Post: Two cross-country pipelines could’ve diverted $38.4 billion from the U.S., new study finds
Antoine Trépanier, 3/18/25

“The tariff war with the United States could have been very different if Canada had decided to build the Energy East and LNG Quebec pipelines over the past decade, according to a new study by the Montreal Economic Institute,” the National Post reports. “Both pipelines could have redirected $38.4 billion worth of energy products per year to markets other than the United States and the institute argues that the construction of pipelines between Eastern and Western Canada “would have helped diversify Canadian export markets” significantly… “Energy East, a 4,500 km pipeline from Alberta to the Irving refinery in New Brunswick, was proposed in 2013 by TransCanada (TC Energy) and abandoned in 2017 due to regulatory hurdles in Canada and strong opposition from environmental groups… “Another project, GNL Québec, was blocked by the Quebec government due to environmental concerns in 2021… “However, the costs of building such infrastructures have risen considerably. “The cost to build the infrastructure is what drives the competitiveness of the product in each market. Going west is a quarter the distance of going east, therefore going west will always be more cost competitive than going east,” TC Energy’s CEO François Poirier told the Post.”

The Energy Mix: Councillors, Citizens Weigh Severe Fire Safety Risk from Trans Mountain Pipeline Tank Farm
Tova Gaster, 3/19/25

“City councillors and their constituents in Burnaby, British Columbia are speaking out about severe health and safety risks after an animation released last September showed what could happen if a fire engulfed the tank farm at the terminus of the Trans Mountain pipeline,” The Energy Mix reports. “The animation, produced by the City of Burnaby, was part of the community’s contingency planning, now that the contentious pipeline expansion is sending considerably higher volumes of oil to an expanded tank farm on Burnaby Mountain. In one scenario, which Crown-owned Trans Mountain Corporation (TMC) describes as “unlikely,” an earthquake shakes loose a crude oil tank roof. With friction and oxygen, sparks fly and catch. Within an hour, much of the mountain, including a nearby elementary school and a campus of Simon Fraser University (SFU), could be engulfed in flames and toxic fumes… “While TMC claims the risk is low, Takaro told the town hall a fire would be disastrous. If the tanks breached, fire scientist Sophie Wilkinson described the potential blaze as “nuclear,” especially under “new normal” forest conditions of extreme heat and dryness… “One month after Burnaby released the risk animation, the city and Trans Mountain signed a controversial community contribution agreement that included a ban on city staff publicly criticizing the company… “In exchange, Trans Mountain will contribute $20.1 million towards disaster preparedness upgrades. Town hall participants described the deal as a “gag order” and “concerning for transparency.”

Korea JoonAng Daily: Industry minister to meet Alaska governor next week to discuss gas pipeline project, sources say
3/18/25

“Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun is set to meet with the governor of Alaska next week in Seoul and discuss Seoul’s possible participation in the gas pipeline project in the U.S. state, diplomatic sources said Tuesday,” Korea JoonAng Daily reports. “Ahn plans to hold a face-to-face meeting with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, scheduled to visit Seoul for two days from Monday, according to sources familiar with the matter. In the planned meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss Seoul’s potential investment in the Donald Trump administration’s Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, aimed at building a nearly 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) gas pipeline from Alaska’s vast North Slope to its southern port in Nikiski. Korea has been considering taking part in the project as part of apparent efforts to negotiate on new U.S. tariffs… “But since the project could be a burden on Korean companies, the government has said it will closely assess the economic feasibility and the risks of the project before making a decision.”

Bloomberg: Brookfield Leading Race to Acquire $10 Billion Colonial Pipeline
David Carnevali, Dinesh Nair, and Ryan Gould, 3/19/25

“Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. is emerging as the front-runner to acquire Colonial Pipeline Co., people familiar with the matter said,” Bloomberg reports. “The investment firm is seen as the strongest contender after final offers were submitted last week, advancing past rival infrastructure funds and potential strategic buyers, according to the people. A deal could value Colonial Pipeline at $10 billion or more including debt, they told Bloomberg. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Colonial operates the largest US fuel pipeline system with a network covering more than 5,500 miles from Houston to New Jersey. The company is owned by subsidiaries of private equity firm KKR & Co., Canadian pension fund Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, oil major Shell Plc, infrastructure owner IFM Investors Pty and industrial conglomerate Koch Inc… “When Colonial’s network was constructed in the 1960s, it took 18 months to permit, build and start operations “and today we can’t get a permit in 18 months,” Chief Executive Officer Melanie Little said during the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference this month. “You could not replicate the Colonial pipeline system today.”

Reuters: Exxon challenges Colonial Pipeline on proposed changes to fuel shipping terms
Nicole Jao and Shariq Khan, 3/19/25

“ExxonMobil filed a protest notice on Wednesday asking regulators to block Colonial Pipeline’s proposed changes in fuel shipping terms, citing potential harm to shippers and consumers, a filing showed,” Reuters reports. “The Colonial Pipeline is a key artery for shipping fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the East Coast, where refining capacity has shrunk and pipeline shipments are the most cost-effective way to meet regional demand. Earlier this month, Colonial sought approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stop shipping different gasoline grades at the same time, and to eliminate shipments of so-called Grade 5 gasoline… “Colonial’s proposed tariff changes will severely disrupt the efficiency of the gasoline supply chain,” Exxon said in the protest notice.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Trump officials look to speed up permits after oil and gas meeting
Carlos Anchondo, 3/20/25

“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum emerged from a meeting with oil and gas executives Wednesday to denounce an “onslaught” of regulation, saying the United States needs to permit critical infrastructure faster as the race to power artificial intelligence heats up,” E&E News reports. ““Right now, we’re in an AI arms race with China,” Burgum told reporters gathered outside the White House after he joined President Donald Trump to talk with industry leaders. “China is building enormous amounts of electricity — we’ve been shutting down baseload electricity in our country while they’ve been adding it,” he added. “And this is a real existential threat to our country.” The meeting between Trump and leaders of some of the nation’s largest oil and gas companies showed the importance of fossil fuels to an administration that has said it wants the industry to “drill, baby, drill.” Burgum on Wednesday said there’s also a need to “build, baby, build.” But corporate leaders have raised concerns in recent weeks about the potential impact of both U.S. tariffs on foreign goods and the administration’s interest in lower oil prices.”

Center for Biological Diversity: Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Failure to Review Flawed Oil, Gas Industry Air-Pollution Permits in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
3/18/25

“The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency today over its delay in responding to challenges to air-pollution permits for oil and gas processing facilities in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The lawsuit aims to compel the administration to review permits that fail to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for cleaning up their polluting air emissions. “The Clean Air Act is clear that our health and environment come first,” said Jeremy Nichols, a senior advocate at the Center. “This lawsuit is about defending clean air and confronting the Trump administration’s attempt to give the oil and gas industry a free pass to pollute.” “…The EPA was required under the Clean Air Act to grant or deny the petitions within 60 days, but the Trump administration has yet to respond… “Today’s lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This latest legal challenge follows a similar suit by the Center challenging the Trump administration’s failure to respond to a challenge of an air-pollution permit for a heavy metals mine in southern Arizona.”

Bloomberg: Trump Approves LNG Exports From Venture Global’s CP2 Project
Ari Natter, Ruth Liao, and Jennifer A Dlouhy, 3/18/25

“The Trump administration is prepared to give Venture Global LNG Inc. conditional approval to export natural gas from a planned facility in Louisiana that had stalled under former President Joe Biden,” Bloomberg reports. “The Energy Department is set to authorize widespread exports from the company’s CP2 project as soon as Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the plan isn’t public told Bloomberg… “Venture Global has yet to make a final investment decision on the project, which would be one of the largest LNG plants of its kind… “But CP2’s authorization would be by far Trump’s biggest move on LNG yet. The project’s scale made it a target for climate activists who pressured the Biden administration to block the venture. Environmental groups argue the plant would prolong the transition to emissions-free energy and produce greenhouse gases equivalent to putting 1.8 million new gasoline-fueled cars on the road.”

E&E News: GOP claims Biden suppressed LNG study to justify pause
Nico Portuondo, Timothy Cama, 3/19/25

“House Oversight Republicans have gotten their hands on a 2023 Department of Energy study on liquefied natural gas exports, which they claim the Biden administration hid to justify additional scrutiny,” E&E News reports. “DOE last year, under then-President Joe Biden, paused national interest determinations for new LNG exports pending a review of the price and climate impacts. Officials, including then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, said such a study had not been done in years. But House Republicans said the department had a 2023 study already on the shelf. On Wednesday, Oversight and Government Reform Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told E&E new Energy Secretary Chris Wright had turned it over. “Biden Administration officials, who religiously claimed to ‘follow the science,’ abandoned it to undermine American-made energy production, appease climate activists, and achieve their predetermined outcomes,” Comer told E&E.”

Latitude Media: Trump’s appointee is out at the DOE Loan Programs Office
Maeve Allsup, 3/18/25

“John Sneed, who returned to run the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office under the second Trump administration in January, is stepping aside on Friday,” Latitude Media reports. “Sneed, who served as executive director of the office under the first Trump administration, was reappointed in a transitional capacity in January… “LPO didn’t immediately announce who will replace Sneed to run the loan office, which has been responsible for deploying roughly $400 billion in government funds, but said it plans to do so in the coming weeks. It is unclear whether it was DOE that chose not to extend Sneed’s contract or make it a permanent position, or Sneed that chose to depart… “In the waning weeks of the Biden administration, applicants ramped up their timelines, attempting to get final approval before the second Trump administration came into office. Within hours of taking office, Trump signed an executive order pausing the disbursement of funds from the IRA and BIL — including LPO funds.”

E&E News: Meet the new boss at 350.org
Robin Bravender, 3/19/25

“Anne Jellema has a track record of taking on advocacy gigs when times are tough,” E&E News reports. “A few years back, she took the helm of the international development organization, Hivos, which is known for its work on LGBTQ rights. Shortly after she took the job as that group’s CEO, the “worldwide backlash against queer rights started happening,” she told E&E. Last October, the global climate activism group 350.org announced Jellema would be succeeding May Boeve as its executive director starting in January. Then Donald Trump won the presidential race in November, prompting a tectonic shift in global climate policy. “It feels like I doom whatever cause I get associated with,” Jellema joked during a recent Zoom interview from South Africa, where she’s lived for more than two decades.”

STATE UPDATES

South Dakota Searchlight: Ethanol leaders see irony in governor’s ‘Open for Opportunity’ visit after eminent domain ban
Joshua Haiar, 3/19/25

“Some ethanol leaders think it’s ironic that Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden brought his “Open for Opportunity” tour to an ethanol plant this week, after he signed a bill that negatively impacted a proposed multi-billion-dollar project for the industry,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “The whole industry is very disappointed with how things went in South Dakota,” Walt Wendland, president of the Ringneck Energy ethanol plant in Onida, told South Dakota Searchlight… “Wendland wants to connect the Onida plant to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed $9 billion, five-state pipeline that would capture carbon dioxide from more than 50 ethanol plants and transport it to an underground storage site in North Dakota… “Rhoden signed legislation March 6 barring carbon pipeline companies from using eminent domain… “Summit has voluntary access agreements, called easements, with some landowners on the route. Other landowners have refused to sign the agreements, citing concerns about private property rights and potential leaks of toxic carbon dioxide plumes. They’ve also alleged unethical behavior by some land agents for Summit. Without eminent domain, gaining access to the remaining land needed for the project in South Dakota could be difficult or impossible. Wendland told Searchlight Summit spent millions on easements, “and suddenly, the state pulls the rug out from you, and tells you to go home.” “…Wendland told Searchlight his Tuesday conversation with Rhoden was productive, and he believes the governor tried to find a compromise before signing the eminent domain ban. That proved impossible after several years of political strife caused by the project, including a voter-rejected compromise bill last year and the primary election losses of more than a dozen incumbent Republican legislators after the passage of that bill. “He said the issue was taking up too much time for everybody, and by signing the bill, that all went away,” Wendland told Searchlight. “But at our expense, at agriculture’s expense.”

WCIA: Bill protecting Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration passes House committee
Danny Connolly, 3/19/25

“A bipartisan group of state lawmakers approved a bill that would prevent carbon capture and sequestration projects over the Mahomet Aquifer,” WCIA reports. “The bill passed the House Energy and Environmental Committee Tuesday night 23-3. The aquifer provides water to more than 1,000,000 people, many of whom are in Central Illinois. “We cannot afford to gamble with corporate interests when clean water for over a million Illinoisans is on the line,” Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said in a statement. “Carbon sequestration is damaging to communities with limited water sources, and it’s big business who’s taking home the extra cash. If we don’t put protections in place for carbon sequestration, counties will have no economic alternative for safe drinking water.” Environmentalists told WCIA contaminating the water could put lives in jeopardy. “As the acidity changes in the Mahomet Aquifer, as we release carbon into it, you could suddenly release contaminants that are not leaching or not active in the Mahomet [Aquifer] can suddenly become active,” Andrew Rehn, the Climate Policy Director for Prairie Rivers Network, told WCIA. “Our clean drinking water source could become a unclean drinking water source.” “…A similar version will also be heard in a Senate committee later this week.”

WPTA: Rules for Indiana carbon sequestration projects advance
3/18/25

“Rules for carbon sequestration projects in Indiana are advancing, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources,” WPTA reports. “The Indiana General Assembly passed legislation in 2022 that allowed for projects involving carbon sequestration, the task of capturing and storing carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2023, legislation was passed directing the DNR to adopt rules for implementation. Rules under consideration include: Creating application requirements for carbon sequestration project permits and carbon dioxide transmission pipeline certificates of authority; Defining timelines for review, approval, modification, and transfer of permits; Giving clarity on pore space ownership agreements; Ensuring fair participation of landowners in sequestration projects; Outlining safety, monitoring, and compliance responsibilities for storage… “Decisions on the location of carbon pipelines and injection will be overseen through local zoning. Public comment on the proposed rules will open in April with a second comment period expected to be scheduled at a later date.”

WITI: Oak Creek We Energies natural gas plant plan sees pushback
Darronté Matthews, 3/18/25

“We Energies is proposing a new megawatt natural gas plant for its Oak Creek facility that would cost a little more than $1 billion. The company wants to shift out its current coal plants by the end of 2032,” WITI reports. “Healthy Climate Wisconsin said solar and wind would be more reliable power sources if they had more investment.”

Steamboat Pilot: Routt County Commissioners oppose oil and gas lease sale in letter to Bureau of Land Management
Julia Coccaro, 3/18/25

“Routt County Commissioners have reaffirmed their strong opposition to oil and gas development on public lands within the county as outlined in a recent letter sent to Doug Vilsack, Colorado’s state director of the Bureau of Land Management,” the Steamboat Pilot reports. “The March 17 letter reiterates the county’s previous stance that “oil and gas development is not the highest and best use” of Routt County public lands. This is the third letter the county has sent to the BLM regarding oil and gas development since October 2023… “The latest letter — to be ratified next week, according to Routt County Commissioner Sonja Macys — focuses on the proposed Q4 2025 oil and gas lease sale, which includes parcels in Routt County that overlap with High Priority Habitats identified by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. High Priority Habitats support critical species such as greater-sage grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, Bears Ears’ elk and mule deer. The commissioners emphasize in the letter that these species and their habitats are under stress due to “cumulative, direct and indirect impacts such as climate change, development, industry and increased recreation.” “…The letter concluded with the commissioners’ firm opposition to the lease sale of approximately 6,700 acres north of Slater Creek and the request that the BLM defer these parcels.”

EXTRACTION

Climate Change News: Canada’s new leader culls carbon tax seen as burden on voters
Chris Arsenault, 3/19/25

“He may be dubbed “Carbon Tax Carney” by his political rivals, but upon becoming Canada’s prime minister last Friday, Mark Carney cancelled the unpopular carbon levy on consumers,” Climate Change News reports. “The former governor of the central banks of England and Canada, who has never before held elected office, will lead the world’s second-largest country amid a punishing trade war with Washington and threats from US President Donald Trump to annex Canada. His first order of business? With the cameras clicking, Carney slashed the carbon tax rate to zero for consumers, effectively ending what had been the governing Liberal Party’s signature climate change policy since its national launch in 2019. “This will make a difference to hard-pressed Canadians, but it is part of a much bigger set of measures that this government is taking to ensure that we fight against climate change, that our companies are competitive, and the country moves forward,” Carney, 60, said on his first day in office after replacing Justin Trudeau… “Analysts said Carney’s backpedalling on the carbon tax highlights the success of political attacks by the opposition Conservatives. But, they added, it does not undermine a broader strategy of asking large polluters to pay for their climate-damaging behaviour.”

Canadian Press: Alberta won’t use public money to clean up abandoned wells: Energy Minister
3/19/25

“Alberta’s energy minister says the government will never use public tax dollars to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells,” the Canadian Press reports. “Brian Jean says it will never be an option, despite a newly leaked government-funded report listing recommendations for how Alberta should reclaim its nearly 80,000 inactive wells. The recommendations include creating companies backstopped by taxpayers that would acquire abandoned wells and use revenues from them to fund the cleanup. It also recommends setting up an insurance fund financed by industry that is ultimately backstopped by the province… “The province has long debated how to deal with abandoned wells mounting across Alberta, despite existing laws that require companies to clean up their own assets.”

The Cool Down: Researchers uncover major flaw in technology used by top corporations: ‘[It] should be abandoned’
Rick Kazmer, 3/20/25

“Eliminating air pollution is a better plan for slowing Earth’s overheating than mitigating the planet-warming gases after they are made, according to research from Stanford,” The Cool Down reports. “The experts analyzed the energy costs, emissions, and health impacts of so-called carbon capture technology, concluding that a widespread switch to renewables would be the best scenario. “If you spend $1 on carbon capture instead of on wind, water, and solar, you are increasing CO2, air pollution, energy requirements, energy costs, pipelines, and total social costs,” professor Mark Jacobson, the study’s lead author, said in the Stanford report… “But Stanford’s findings could be a reality check for the long-term viability of the tech, adding to likely tepid government support under President Donald Trump… “You can have the most efficient way of removing CO2 from the air, but that does not change the efficiency of combustion. You’re keeping that inefficient energy infrastructure the same,” Jacobson said in the Stanford summary. “It’s much cheaper and more efficient just to replace the fossil source with electricity or heat provided by a renewable source.”

Press release: Aramco launches Saudi Arabia’s first CO2 Direct Air Capture test unit
3/20/25

“Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has launched the Kingdom’s first CO2 Direct Air Capture (DAC) test unit, capable of removing 12 tons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere. The pilot plant, developed in collaboration with Siemens Energy, represents a significant step in the company’s efforts to expand on its DAC capabilities. Aramco intends to use the facility as a testing platform for next-generation CO2 capture materials in Saudi Arabia’s distinct climate. It will also seek to achieve cost reductions that could help accelerate the deployment of DAC technologies in the region. Aramco and Siemens Energy intend to continue working closely together with the aim of scaling up the technology, potentially laying the foundations for large-scale DAC facilities in the future.”

Gasworld: Impurities in captured CO2 that pose the greatest risks to pipeline integrity [VIDEO]
Thomas Dee, 3/20/25

“Trevor Tilmann, Applications Engineer at Thermo Fisher Scientific, discusses impurities in captured CO2 and the risk they pose on pipeline integrity on gasworld’s CCUS: Turning Carbon into Opportunity webinar,” Gasworld reports.

Agence France-Presse: Ecuador declares ‘force majeure’ emergency, cuts exports over oil spill
3/19/25

“Ecuador’s state-owned oil company declared an emergency over a damaged pipeline and cut crude exports on Tuesday following a spill that polluted several rivers, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without drinking water, authorities said,” Agence France-Presse reports. “State-owned Petroecuador, which manages the damaged pipeline, is using tanker trucks to recover as much as possible of the spilled crude from areas where many people make a subsistence living from fishing. The spill in Ecuador’s northwest on Thursday was believed to have been caused when a landslide ruptured a major pipeline, releasing tens of thousands of barrels of oil. The crude has since spread to at least five waterways, including the Esmeraldas River that flows into the Pacific Ocean. State-owned Petroecuador, which manages the damaged pipeline, announced Tuesday it was suspending exports of the Oriente crude — one of two varieties that the South American country produces — due to the force majeure clause… “In Rocafuerte, a fishing village in Esmeraldas, AFP saw several boats and their nets covered in black oil. “If it continues like this, we won’t be able to fish anymore,” resident Luis Cabezas told AFP.”

Phys.org: Ecuador battles spreading oil slick, residents without water
3/18/25

“State-owned Petroecuador, which manages the damaged pipeline, is using tanker trucks to recover as much as possible of the spilled crude from areas where many people make a subsistence living from fishing,” Phys.org reports. “…The crude has since spread from the Esmeraldas River, where it started, to at least four other waterways. About half-a-million people have been affected in one way or another, many cut off from potable water in a region heavily reliant on rivers for this commodity, Esmeraldas Mayor Vicko Villacis told the Teleamazonas network Tuesday. The government has declared an environmental emergency in the province, home to a wildlife refuge with more than 250 animal species.”

Reuters: Petroecuador restarts transport through SOTE pipeline after landslide damage
3/19/25

“Ecuador’s state oil company Petroecuador said on Wednesday that it had restarted crude transport via the SOTE pipeline after repairing damage caused by a landslide,” Reuters reports. “The firm had suspended use of the pipeline last Thursday after the landslide caused an oil spill. The landslide buried the pipleline in some 225,000 cubic meters of soil, which the company had to remove before repairing the line, Petroecuador said in a statement.”

OPINION

Charlotte Observer: Trump wants to undo offshore drilling protections for NC. We’ll see him in court.
Drew Ball is the Southeast campaign director with Natural Resources Defense Council, 3/18/25

“Politics has washed up on North Carolina’s coastline as President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for reversal of permanent protections of a broad swatch of area, including the southeast Atlantic coast, and opening it to offshore drilling to make good on his promise to ‘drill, baby, drill’ for oil and gas,” Drew Bell writes for the Charlotte Observer. “Offshore drilling prospects have long been a non-starter for North Carolinians. We know that offshore drilling is dirty, dangerous and a serious threat to coastal communities and businesses that rely on tourism and commercial fishing. Protecting our coasts isn’t a partisan issue; more than 60 coastal cities and towns in the state passed resolutions opposing offshore drilling when the Barack Obama administration proposed opening the south Atlantic to oil and gas development… “In 2017, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit to stop the first Trump administration’s attempt to allow offshore oil and gas leasing in permanently protected waters. We won that case, and today we’re prepared to again defend our coast from bad actors. Last month, NRDC partnered with Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental groups to again challenge president Trump’s illegal order, filing two actions in the Alaska U.S. District Court to reinstate safeguards established by presidents Obama and Biden under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Trump’s executive order is an unlawful giveaway to the fossil fuel industry CEOs that padded his campaign coffers. While he may be trying to make good on his campaign promises to “drill, baby, drill,” no one is above the law.”

The American Prospect: DOGE Is Going to Kill a Lot of Americans
Kenny Stancil, 3/19/25

“The humanitarian aid cuts illegally imposed by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency have been devastating across the globe,” Kenny Stancil writes for The American Prospect. “The Prospect’s Ryan Cooper has described how DOGE’s withdrawal of funding for nutritional support, tuberculosis treatment, malaria prevention, and PEPFAR—the HIV prevention program that was perhaps the only good thing George W. Bush did—amounts to a “disease holocaust” likely to kill millions of the world’s most vulnerable people. If it hasn’t already, DOGE’s onslaught against the federal workforce—composed of millions of workers in every state—will soon be responsible for the premature deaths of people throughout the United States, too. The problem with this, as in politics more broadly, is that someone must tell the public who’s responsible; they won’t always figure it out on their own… “What’s indisputable is that Trump and Musk’s ongoing assault on scientific knowledge and already understaffed federal agencies will exacerbate death and destruction in the future… “These agencies, like others, are being unlawfully defunded in a bid to justify privatization. Before Musk and other rentiers seize public assets, they’re deliberately breaking them to “prove” the right-wing myth of public-sector ineptitude. That’s the kind of thing a fighting Democratic Party could politicize. By politicize, I mean communicating to the public how DOGE’s frenzied “cost-cutting” is not only anti-democratic, but jeopardizes public health and safety. In other words, Democrats need to explain how DOGE is generating an escalation in entirely preventable suffering… “Sitting and waiting for Trump and Musk’s malevolent actions to provoke a backlash is a dead end. If Democrats have any hope of reversing their precipitous decline in popularity, they need to passionately get across to voters how Trump and Musk’s war on the public good is endangering their material well-being.”