PIPELINE NEWS
Financial Post: Carney fast-tracks massive West Coast oil pipeline, dubbed Pacific Link
Reuters: Canada to fast track oil pipeline designed to diversify economy away from US
New York Times: Canada’s Proposed Oil Pipeline Offers Carney Relief From Domestic and Global Turmoil
Wall Street Journal: Carney Puts Oil Pipeline at Center of Bid to Keep Alberta in Canada
CBC: Mayors, First Nations chiefs in Alberta’s oilsands region react tentatively to West Coast pipeline designation
Commonwealth Beacon: Healey asks Trump administration to speed up review of planned gas expansion in latest sign of shifting energy politics
Law360: 7th Circ. Won’t Rehear Enbridge’s Wis. Tribal Trespass Fight
Alaska Beacon: Korean officials confirm no deal exists to invest in Alaska natural gas pipeline
Bloomberg: Trump Administration Pushes Pipeline Jurisdiction in Sable Case
CBC: Questions remain over carbon capture facility needed for West Coast pipeline [VIDEO]
DeSmog: ‘People’s Rights Are Being Signed Away,’ Claim Albertans Near Proposed Carbon Capture Project’
WSMV: Their house burned down. Now this Williamsport couple might lose their horse farm business due to pipeline construction.
Gallatin News: Kinder Morgan plans 150-mile pipeline beginning in Sumner County
KPCW: Summit County’s 910 Ranch not in pipeline path, oil company says
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Associated Press: States and cities sue over Trump’s EPA eliminating rule that limits emissions from power plants
New York Times: Trump’s Threat to Ban Diesel Exports Sets Off Global Alarms
Politico: Trump’s energy chief asked Europe to release more than a third of its diesel reserves
Wall Street Journal: Democratic Senators Challenge Trump Officials on Pentagon’s Venezuela Oil Deal
The Center Square: Plan for first U.S. data center on public land faces scrutiny
Front Office Sports: ‘Shortsighted’: Environmental Groups Sound Alarm on MLB Grand Teton Idea
Guardian: Swing-and-a-miss: MLB rescinds idea to host baseball game in national park after backlash
STATE UPDATES
MS NOW: Trump vowed to lower gas prices. His backers in Alaska are not buying it.
Lassen County Times: Newsom signs bill boosting protections against federal offshore oil leasing
Terre Haute Tribune-Star: Facilities, community trust and more discussed at schools forum
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US crude oil output rose in July, while petroleum demand declined, EIA says
Politico: Oil and gas drilling up, but the rate is slowing, Fed survey shows
Wall Street Journal: Why Diesel Prices Are So High and What Would Bring Them Down
Canadian Press: Ksi Lisims LNG signs long-term supply deal with Centrica Energy
OPINION
Harlan Tribune: Elections Have Consequences
Common Dreams: Dear Doug Burgum: The Soul of Our Nation Is Not for Sale
PIPELINE NEWS
Financial Post: Carney fast-tracks massive West Coast oil pipeline, dubbed Pacific Link
James Rose, 10/1/26
“Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision Thursday to designate the proposed $44-billion West Coast oil pipeline, now called Pacific Link, a project of national interest could lead to new oilsands investment much sooner than previously thought, economists and industry executives say,” the Financial Post reports. “Curtis White, a vice president at Calgary-based International Petroleum Corp., told the Post companies considering new projects four years from now could green-light them in 2028, bringing meaningful volumes of oil into the system two years ahead of schedule… “Analysts told the Post the federal decision to fast-track reviews for Pacific Link will encourage more investment toward Canada’s energy sector… “Fast-tracking Pacific Link is yet another positive tail wind,” Tom Pavic, president of Sayer Energy Advisors, told the Post. “And it’s going to definitely lead to more investor interest.” “...For the past decade, Canada’s oil industry has largely stayed in maintenance mode, prioritizing shareholder returns and squeezing more out of existing operations instead of pursuing new growth. “New pipeline capacity changes that calculation,” Parsons told the Post. “It clears the way for oilsands producers to invest in expansions and new greenfield projects.” “...He added that boosting capital investment is tough in the current climate. To Parsons, the oilsands are the only source capable of growth on the scale needed to fill a line as big as Pacific Link… “The proposed project faces significant opposition from environmental groups, which focus on four key concerns: climate emissions, marine risk at Roberts Bank, taxpayer exposure and a fast-tracked process that sidesteps environmental law.”
Reuters: Canada to fast track oil pipeline designed to diversify economy away from US
Amanda Stephenson, 10/1/26
“Canada will fast track the approval process for a new proposed crude oil export pipeline to its west coast that could generate over C$20 billion ($14 billion) a year in GDP, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday,” Reuters reports. “...Carney said Ottawa would officially list the Pacific Link pipeline as a project of national interest, which enables it proceed through a single federal regulatory review process. He said Ottawa aimed to complete the process by September 1, 2027. “A pipeline to the west coast is part of our mission to transform our economy, to double our non-U.S. exports over the next decade ... (and) to unlock our full potential as a global energy superpower,” he told reporters in Fort McMurray, hub of Alberta’s oil sands industry… “Filling the pipeline, however, would require new oil sands expansions of the type no company has undertaken in more than a decade… “Previous oil pipeline projects in Canada have faced strong opposition from environmentalists and Indigenous groups, resulting in the cancellation of some projects and leading to cost overruns and construction delays with others. Carney said there will be “extensive” consultations with Indigenous groups on the proposal.”
New York Times: Canada’s Proposed Oil Pipeline Offers Carney Relief From Domestic and Global Turmoil
Ian Austen, 10/1/26
“An oil pipeline advanced by Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada on Thursday could help him weather the economic turmoil caused by President Trump’s trade war and ease a separatist threat to national unity in Alberta,” the New York Times reports. “...It is a demonstration of the power of Canada,” Carney said, standing with Danielle Smith, Alberta’s conservative premier, usually a fierce critic of the federal government. “Canada’s working.” “...Many other Canadians, particularly outside Alberta, are less enthusiastic about the oil pipeline, which by current estimates would cost between 35.2 billion and 43.7 billion Canadian dollars. The federal government will spend another 10 billion to upgrade a Vancouver-area port so it can dock tankers able to carry 2 million barrels of oil. Mr. Carney said the pipeline would be a major step forward toward reducing Canada’s reliance on the U.S. market, which takes about 90 percent of its oil exports… “The oil sands are also Canada’s largest source of carbon pollution, and environmentalists say the pipeline will only worsen that… “On Thursday, Mr. Carney said that the project is linked to an agreement with oil companies to build a network in Alberta to capture their carbon emissions and bury them underground. But that agreement is not binding, and it is unclear who will pay for the system or whether it is technically and economically viable. Environmentalists are also concerned about the risks to marine animals and oil spills from the port expansion and pipeline. On Tuesday, Mr. Carney announced new measures that, he said, would alleviate those worries. Questions also remain about the pipeline’s economic viability.
Wall Street Journal: Carney Puts Oil Pipeline at Center of Bid to Keep Alberta in Canada
Amanda Coletta, 10/1/26
“Weeks before a referendum on Alberta’s future in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday sought to strengthen ties with the province by designating a proposed oil pipeline to the Pacific coast a “project of national interest,” a move that speeds its regulatory approval process,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Separatists in the oil-rich prairie province have pointed to longstanding disaffection with the federal government’s energy and climate policies, which they say have constrained the oil-and-gas industry, as a key reason they champion independence. The province will vote on Oct. 19 on whether to stay in Canada or to start the process of holding a second, binding referendum on leaving.”
CBC: Mayors, First Nations chiefs in Alberta’s oilsands region react tentatively to West Coast pipeline designation
Vincent McDermott, 10/2/26
“Political leaders in Alberta’s oilsands region say they hope the potential one million barrels of oil per day that could flow through a new West Coast oil pipeline will also bring jobs and economic spinoffs,” the CBC reports. “...Carney said Indigenous communities will also be offered a minimum 10 per cent ownership stake. Chief Raymond Powder of the Fort McKay First Nation, which is roughly 60 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, told CBC he is interested in a potential partnership… “Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Melody Lepine told CBC she is not ready to endorse the pipeline… “If this pipeline is the opportunity to address a number of these concerns, then we’re going to take advantage of that,” Lepine told CBC… “The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), which is also based in the Fort Chipewyan area, issued a statement Thursday evening that said economic opportunities “do not diminish our responsibility” to address the First Nation’s ongoing health and environmental concerns stemming from industrial development in the oilsands… “Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Sandy Bowman told CBC he doubts the pipeline’s construction will signal a return to the lucrative days of the last oilsands boom, a period that saw record population growth and tax revenues rise across the oilsands region.”
Commonwealth Beacon: Healey asks Trump administration to speed up review of planned gas expansion in latest sign of shifting energy politics
Jordan Wolman, 10/1/26
“Here’s something you probably didn’t have on your bingo card: The Democratic governor of Massachusetts asking President Trump’s administration to move faster in approving a gas expansion project,” the Commonwealth Beacon reports. “That’s exactly what Gov. Maura Healey did on Thursday, imploring Energy Secretary Chris Wright in a letter to move with a “sense of urgency” in issuing required permits for the project to quickly move forward… “What’s more, Healey said that she and Wright have “on several occasions” discussed their “mutual desire” to bring more gas into New England. “I ask that you work across the Administration to ensure that the federal reviews and permits needed for RARE move without delay; that agencies establish clear schedules and coordinate their work wherever legally permissible; and that sufficient staff and resources are dedicated to completing the required reviews in time to preserve the project’s planned 2028 in-service date,” Healey wrote to Wright… “Caitlin Peale Sloan, vice president for climate and energy at Conservation Law Foundation, told the Beacon that “this letter unwittingly adopts the false narrative that expansion of gas infrastructure will lower heating costs.” “...Healey’s letter didn’t stop at advocating for RARE. She cracked open the door to a much larger and potentially more controversial pipeline expansion that Enbridge is actively considering known as Project Beacon… “Getting RARE quickly approved, Healey said, could be the start of a new paradigm — and a sign that “all of the above” really could mean much more additional gas. “There may be,” she wrote to Wright, “more opportunities ahead.”
Law360: 7th Circ. Won’t Rehear Enbridge’s Wis. Tribal Trespass Fight
Joyce Hanson, 10/1/26
“The Seventh Circuit has refused to rehear Enbridge Energy’s petition seeking to overturn a decision that its Line 5 pipeline is trespassing on Wisconsin tribal lands, but also sent back to a lower court a $5.2 million restitution order for a portion of the pipeline’s removal,” Law360 reports.
Alaska Beacon: Korean officials confirm no deal exists to invest in Alaska natural gas pipeline
James Brooks, 10/1/26
“Korea has not agreed to invest $54 billion in the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline — and has not even agreed to invest at all, its national industry minister, Kim Jung-kwan, told reporters in Seoul on Thursday,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “His remarks came hours after President Donald Trump held a news conference in the White House to incorrectly proclaim that officials from the Asian nation had agreed to spend $54 billion from a $200 billion investment pledge on the pipeline project. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, standing next to Trump during the announcement, had said that Korea would invest more than $50 billion in the project, which is intended to carry natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to a to-be-constructed export terminal south of Anchorage… “In a post on social media, Korean President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged “difficulties” in negotiations with the United States and said, “the Alaska LNG project will proceed to working level under the preconditions that 1) its commercial viability is confirmed and 2) it complies with the legal procedures of the Republic of Korea.”
Bloomberg: Trump Administration Pushes Pipeline Jurisdiction in Sable Case
Taylor Mills, 10/2/26
“One of California’s primary defenses against the Trump administration’s push to reopen offshore oil in the Pacific will face scrutiny from a federal appeals panel next week when the court weighs whether a Sable Offshore Corp. pipeline is under federal jurisdiction,” Bloomberg reports. “Environmental groups and the state are fighting to keep the onshore segment of the Las Flores pipeline under California control after a federal judge scrapped a federal consent decree governing the infrastructure’s restart… “The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration offered a new method for determining a lawful takeover of the pipeline system — one that could preempt more infrastructure connected to offshore drillers from state oversight, according to litigators. The agency argues an onshore processing facility doesn’t technically break the flow of oil from the outer continental shelf, leaving hundreds of miles of buried pipeline under its purview as an “interstate asset” under the Pipeline Safety Act. “The jurisdictional question is the only one that matters in terms of going forward,” Joe Hainline, a partner at Van Ness Feldman, told Bloomberg. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will determine if the Trump administration lawfully interpreted the law’s interstate definition… “To evade California scrutiny on a more permanent basis, Sable needs PHMSA to win its takeover case.”
CBC: Questions remain over carbon capture facility needed for West Coast pipeline [VIDEO]
10/1/26
“[Canadian Prime Minister Mark] Carney has officially listed the West Coast pipeline, known as Pacific Link, as a project of national interest but questions still remain as to who will pay to build and operate a massive carbon capture facility that is a pre-requisite to the expansion,” the CBC reports.
DeSmog: ‘People’s Rights Are Being Signed Away,’ Claim Albertans Near Proposed Carbon Capture Project
Taylor Noakes, 10/1/26
“With only two months until a binding agreement on a major $20 billion carbon capture project is to be finalized, Albertans living in communities that could be directly impacted by the project say they still have not been consulted,” DeSmog reports. “Industry and government have had two years to answer our questions, and they still haven’t,” Amil Shapka of No CO2 Pipelines Alberta, a grassroots organization opposing the project, said in a statement to DeSmog… “The project aims to develop a 650-kilometre long carbon dioxide pipeline network in Northeastern Alberta, with a carbon sequestration site near the community of Cold Lake… “Despite the MOU, community members living near the proposed pipeline route say they still haven’t been properly consulted on the project… “No CO2 Pipelines Alberta has been organizing town hall events to inform communities along the pipeline route of the proposed plan and the potential harms associated with the project. Rural landowners and Indigenous members from the No CO2 Pipelines coalition told DeSmog that they have received little information about the project, and have not been given any updates since the MOU announcement in July. Jesse Cardinal, Executive Director for the Indigenous organization Keepers of the Water, told DeSmog that her organization had to reach out to the federal government to schedule a meeting. “We have had no response… “Residents along the proposed carbon capture pipeline corridor have major health and environmental concerns, notably related to a potential for the pipeline to leak, or rupture and explode… “The No CO2 Pipelines coalition is also concerned that the Pathways project lacks plans for cleanup and has not undergone an environmental assessment.”
WSMV: Their house burned down. Now this Williamsport couple might lose their horse farm business due to pipeline construction.
Braden Ross, 10/1/26
“The owners of Innisfree Farm in Williamsport say they’re at risk of losing their business due to construction of a water pipeline on their property,” WSMV reports. “Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS) told the couple they plan to build a water pipeline through their property, which would allow the utility to increase the amount of water they take from the Duck River to keep up with the growing customer base… “But Heather and Adam told WSMV the project, which would last months, would prevent them from continuing to run their business during construction… “The bottom line is for the safety of our staff and our lesson students and our riders, we basically get to the point where we can’t operate,” Adam told WSMV. “And so what our farm operation is worth today versus what it would be worth the day after they finished construction, there’s a massive, massive gap between those things, and the compensation that we’ve been offered doesn’t fairly address any of those issues.” “...Heather and Adam told WSMV they plan to continue to fight against the project. They’ve started a GoFundMe to help support their legal fees and losses if it does go through.”
Gallatin News: Kinder Morgan plans 150-mile pipeline beginning in Sumner County
Shauna Reynolds, 10/1/26
“Southern Natural Gas Company, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, has announced plans for a 150-mile pipeline spanning the state from north to south, including a 20-mile stretch through Sumner County,” Gallatin News reports. “The pipeline, called the Southeast Connector Project, will require the purchase of easements from Sumner landowners, with an initial draft route showing the line starting near Mitchellville and running east, while passing just north of Portland and Westmoreland… “We have done as much as we can do for a preliminary analysis of the route without being on property,” Kinder Morgan Vice President Allen Fore told GN. “Desktop, flying over it, getting near it. But we need now to talk to landowners about the specifics of their property.” He expects the project to impact about 127 landowners in Sumner County. They will receive a letter of introduction in the next few weeks, and be paid a $500 fee for the initial right to survey their property… “Construction is expected to start by the end of 2028, and the company hopes to have gas running through the pipeline before the end of 2030.”
KPCW: Summit County’s 910 Ranch not in pipeline path, oil company says
Connor Thomas, 10/1/26
“Dallas-based HF Sinclair confirmed Thursday that the 910 Ranch isn’t part of any proposed routes for Project Westline Connect,” KPCW reports. “That’s the oil and gas company’s effort to expand capacity on the existing Pioneer Pipeline, which carries refined oil between Wyoming and Salt Lake City… “The company says it’s communicating with local governments to work around sensitive areas and conservation easements… “HF Sinclair has said it’s “in the evaluation stage,” and it hasn’t published a map of potential routes. But company representatives say they want to use existing pipe easements wherever possible… “The company wants the entire pipe, which it co-owns with Phillips 66, to be 12 inches. That would expand capacity from 60,000 barrels of oil per day to about 95,000.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Associated Press: States and cities sue over Trump’s EPA eliminating rule that limits emissions from power plants
Matthew Daly, Jennifer McDermott, 10/1/26
“States and cities sued the Trump administration Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas,” the Associated Press reports. “Twenty-one states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant rule. The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania’s governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver. They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis… “New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment, and future generations will pay the price… “Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” James said in a statement Thursday… “The coalition is petitioning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA’s decision and strike down the repeal. It says the EPA unlawfully abandoned the pollution limits without properly considering reasonable alternatives or the enormous health and climate costs of allowing more pollution into the atmosphere. The coalition also told the EPA it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to regulate pollution from many gas-fired power plants.”
New York Times: Trump’s Threat to Ban Diesel Exports Sets Off Global Alarms
Lisa Friedman and River Akira Davis, 10/1/26
“The Iran war has sent diesel prices soaring around the world, straining national budgets, adding costs to businesses and snarling supply chains from farms to ports,” the New York Times reports. “Now President Trump is threatening to ban or restrict the export of diesel from the United States, which is the top supplier to more than a dozen countries including Mexico, Canada and much of Europe. Oil executives and world leaders are issuing increasingly dire warnings that the result could be global price spikes on everything from groceries to jet fuel. “I think it would have a whole bunch of consequences that need to be considered,” Meg O’Neill, the chief executive of the British oil giant BP, told the Times… “In some places, diesel shortages and high fuel costs are leaving irrigation pumps empty, damaging rice harvests. Analysts are warning, nearly uniformly, that if the United States held back its diesel from the global market, the result would briefly lower prices for Americans, but rapidly hurt the rest of the world. Even in the United States, many warn, a ban would soon be self-defeating… “Capital Economics, a research firm based in London, warned that a U.S. diesel export ban could cause a shock comparable to the natural gas crisis in Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which caused gas prices to surge more than 180 percent, according to the European Central Bank.”
Politico: Trump’s energy chief asked Europe to release more than a third of its diesel reserves
Joana Lehner, Josh Groeneveld, Ben Munster, 10/1/26
“The Trump administration has circulated a proposal to European governments asking them to release a large portion of the EU’s strategic diesel reserves to ease soaring fuel costs, four officials in European and U.S. governments told Politico. The plan, put forward by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, was pitched as an alternative to President Donald Trump’s threat of a blanket ban on diesel exports from the U.S. Under the proposal, EU governments would release 120 million barrels of diesel from their national strategic reserves over 180 days, a government official from a European country told Politico… “That would account for well over a third of the approximately 315 million barrels of diesel EU countries held in reserve as of June this year, according to Eurostat figures.”
Wall Street Journal: Democratic Senators Challenge Trump Officials on Pentagon’s Venezuela Oil Deal
Collin Eaton, 10/1/26
“The Pentagon’s deal for a position in North American Blue Energy Partners—Venezuela’s second-largest oil producer—stands on shaky legal ground and undermines the Latin American country’s pursuit of a democratic transition, four high-ranking Senate Democrats said in a letter sent to President Trump’s top lieutenants,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The U.S. unveiled plans in early September for the Pentagon to take a passive 35% stake in NABEP, which is set to receive control of 17 oil blocks said to contain some 65 billion barrels of oil. Venezuela says it has 300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, more than any other country. As part of the arrangement, the State Department would get preferential rights to buy 20% of the production at cost… “ The Democrats said the statute that created that Pentagon office doesn’t give it the ability to take equity stakes in private oil companies, and the deal is inconsistent with its authority to provide loans and guarantees designed to support U.S. national-security interests.”
The Center Square: Plan for first U.S. data center on public land faces scrutiny
Liam Hibbert, 10/1/26
“The nation’s first data center on public land was approved for development, but the Nevada site has now been put on hold for further review following public backlash,” The Center Square reports. “The Townsite Data Center, proposed for development on federal Bureau of Land Management property outside of Boulder City, Nevada, used plans for a solar farm to skip the environmental review process. After the public and environmental groups pushed back, the BLM asked to rescind its approval… “Regarding environmental review, a data center and a solar project can have very different types of impacts,” BLM spokesperson Don Manuszewski told The Center Square… “The change comes after two environmental organizations, the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, appealed the BLM’s project approval and successfully requested a stay on construction while the appeal was under consideration by the Interior Board of Land Appeals… “What happens here could set a precedent for how we manage public lands across the country, how we evaluate potential harms, and how projects like this get approved in the first place,” Megan Ortiz, staff attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity’s Great Basin Program, told TCS.”
Front Office Sports: ‘Shortsighted’: Environmental Groups Sound Alarm on MLB Grand Teton Idea
Eric Fisher, 9/30/26
“MLB’s special-event games, one of the most beloved parts of the league’s operations, are hitting an unusual level of turbulence with a potential plan to play at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming,” Front Office Sports reports. “League sources told FOS MLB has approached the Trump Administration about the viability of staging a game at a national park, with Grand Teton among the sites discussed. No final decisions have been made, nor have any permits been granted by the National Park Service, and several other unrelated ideas are also under consideration… “Americans want to see protections for our national parks and public lands strengthened. Bulldozing these lands for a baseball stadium does the opposite, destroying the magnificent landscapes that millions of people come to experience,” said Sierra Club Wyoming chapter director Chris Kassar. “It is irresponsible and shortsighted. We can’t pretend that a baseball stadium in Grand Teton is in the best interest of Wyomingites.” “...Even temporary infrastructure can create lasting impacts through habitat fragmentation, noise and light disturbances, increased human presence in wildlife areas, and strain on park resources,’ read a joint letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum from leaders of Jackson, Wyoming, the Teton County Commissioners, and the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. ‘The proposal also risks setting a precedent that major commercial entertainment should occur within protected boundaries.”
Guardian: Swing-and-a-miss: MLB rescinds idea to host baseball game in national park after backlash
Abené Clayton, 10/1/26
“Major League Baseball (MLB) leadership is no longer considering holding a game inside a national park, according to a letter the commissioner, Robert Manfred, sent to officials in Teton county, Wyoming, on Thursday in what could be the league’s biggest swing-and-a-miss off the diamond,” the Guardian reports. “...News of MLB’s outreach to the federal government quickly sparked concern about the impact that erecting a field and the infrastructure to hold spectators could have on the natural landscape and habitat of scores of wildlife that call the 310,000-acre (125,500-hectare) park home… “Since the story was reported, it has become clear that the local community does not want us to continue Grand Teton national park as a potential site,” Manfred wrote… “A Teton county commissioner, Luther Propst, who described the potential game as an “incomprehensible and deeply unwelcome notion”, celebrated the MLB’s decision in a post on Facebook.”
STATE UPDATES
MS NOW: Trump vowed to lower gas prices. His backers in Alaska are not buying it.
Alex Tabet, Cameron Brock, 10/2/26
“Americans have had it with fuel prices. Just ask Trump voters in Alaska,” MS NOW reports. “The average cost of a gallon of gas is more than $5 statewide… “Those economic conditions are leaving some Trump voters in the state fed up and giving rise to an optimism among Democrats that former congresswoman Mary Peltola could unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in November… “I can’t go see my daughter out of state, and we’re not buying as many groceries, and we’re not really doing anything fun or entertainment unless it’s free,” Gayle Michaelson, 48, a paralegal and three-time Trump voter, told MS NOW. “I would tell him what he initially told the voters is BS — that these prices weren’t supposed to be so high — and look what’s happened.” “...We need to get out of that war and fix all the prices. You know, we’re hurting really bad,” Maria Tagalu a trucker and three-time Trump voter, told MS NOW, putting the blame squarely at Trump’s feet. “Everybody that voted for him” is starting to turn their backs on him, Tagalu told MS NOW.”
Lassen County Times: Newsom signs bill boosting protections against federal offshore oil leasing
9/30/26
“Yesterday, Governor Newsom signed AB 1448 into law, strengthening the state’s protections against new oil and gas drilling, and safeguarding coastal businesses from the increased risk of oil spills and its damaging effect on the economy,” the Lassen County Times reports. “The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast and the business group E2 (Economy+Environment) applauds the California Legislature and Governor Newsom for their leadership in safeguarding the Californian coastal economy… “The federal government’s proposed 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program still targets California, threatening the coastal businesses that depend on a clean and healthy ocean.. .”Following is a statement from Grant Bixby, founding member, Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast: “I’ve personally lived through two large oil spills in Orange County. The 2021 Huntington Beach spill closed our beaches and harbors for weeks, and fisheries for months…The passing of AB1448 is another layer of protection for our coastal business community, but the fight remains.”
Terre Haute Tribune-Star: Facilities, community trust and more discussed at schools forum
Sue Loughlin, 9/30/26
“Candidates for Vigo County School Board addressed the proposed Option 6.2 facilities plan, community trust and their priorities if elected during Tuesday’s forum conducted by the League of Women Voters of Vigo County,” the Terre Haute Tribune-Star reports. “...Another question related to school emergency response in the event of an incident related to the Wabash Valley Resources carbon sequestration project. Candidates were asked whether the school district should commit to working with local government entities on developing an emergency response and evacuation plan. Fayette Elementary, in particular, is located close to the planned carbon sequestration project. All five candidates agreed that safety should be addressed. LaBella said she supports emergency plans. “As a parent, it’s terrifying to think about,” she said. “I would want to see what are best practices and procedures to get kids and families to safety.” “...Holman said the district needs to be proactive instead of reactive. “Safety is the number one priority, always,” he said. Nattkemper said “absolutely” an emergency response/evacuation plan should be a priority. “It was such a bad decision to bring it here in the first place,” he said. Burger said safety is a top priority… “Scott described carbon capture as “a nightmare ... We should never have had this in our community.” She added, “It’s not being significantly talked about with the schools,” she said.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US crude oil output rose in July, while petroleum demand declined, EIA says
Scott DiSavino, 9/30/26
“US crude oil output rose in July, while demand for crude oil and petroleum products declined, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Petroleum Supply Monthly (PSM) report on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “Crude output climbed to 13.95 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, up from 13.84 million bpd in June. The monthly record high was 14.00 million bpd in October 2025. US demand for crude oil and petroleum products fell to 20.61 million bpd in July, down from 20.74 million bpd in June. That compares with a monthly record high of 21.67 million bpd in August 2005, EIA said. Meanwhile, US gross natural gas production rose to a monthly record high of 137.0 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in July, up from 135.5 bcfd in June, the EIA said in its Natural Gas Monthly report. That topped the prior all-time monthly high of 136.0 bcfd in December 2025.”
Politico: Oil and gas drilling up, but the rate is slowing, Fed survey shows
Mike Soraghan, 9/30/26
“Oil drilling and other energy activity continued to grow in the last three months in Texas and surrounding states, but the pace of the expansion has slowed compared to previous months, according to a survey the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas released Wednesday,” Politico reports. “...The Dallas Fed survey found business activity for oil and gas firms in its district of Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Louisiana — the heart of the U.S. energy industry — stayed positive but slipped from 46.1 in the second quarter to 38.8 in the third, pointing to continued but more moderate growth. The rises in fuel prices and other costs have made the oilfield services companies that drill the wells more pessimistic than operators, who are enjoying larger profit margins, the survey shows.”
Wall Street Journal: Why Diesel Prices Are So High and What Would Bring Them Down
Mark R. Long, 10/2/26
“The global market for diesel has never been under so much pressure, with wars in the Middle East and Ukraine blocking shipments from regions that normally supply almost a third of the world’s exports of the fuel,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The crunch has sent prices surging in the U.S. and around the world, squeezing businesses, farmers and households. That has prompted the Trump administration to consider restrictions or an outright ban on exports to curb prices. But U.S. export limits would have a potentially catastrophic impact on global supplies, analysts warn.”
Canadian Press: Ksi Lisims LNG signs long-term supply deal with Centrica Energy
9/30/26
“Ksi Lisims LNG LP has signed a long-term supply deal with Centrica Energy for its proposed liquefied natural gas export facility,” the Canadian Press reports. “Under the agreement, the parent company behind British Gas will buy one million tonnes of LNG per year for 20 years. Ksi Lisims LNG has proposed a floating export facility located on the northwest coast of B.C. with capacity for 12 million tonnes of LNG per year… “First shipments from the project, which is still subject to a final investment decision, are expected in the early 2030s.”
OPINION
Harlan Tribune: Elections Have Consequences
Colleen Tucker, 9/29/26
“We’ve all heard the saying that “elections have consequences.” This November, that will be especially true for Iowa. Iowa has an opportunity to make a change by electing lawmakers who will defend private property rights for ALL landowners in Iowa and pass legislation to stop eminent domain abuse,” Colleen Tucker writes for the Harlan Tribune. “These protections are urgently needed because allowing a private company to use eminent domain sets a dangerous precedent. Even if Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline doesn’t affect your property today, another project could threaten your property tomorrow. Landowners should have the right to say “no thank you,” to a project they don’t want on their land, didn’t ask for, and didn’t volunteer to be part of… “Our newly elected governor will be tasked with appointing two new commissioners to the Iowa Utilities Commission. That responsibility matters deeply because the IUC is the agency that granted Summit Carbon Solutions its permit and authorized the use of eminent domain… “This November, by a PROPERTY RIGHTS VOTER.”
Common Dreams: Dear Doug Burgum: The Soul of Our Nation Is Not for Sale
Brock Butler, 10/1/26
”...Burgum is treating our sacred landscapes like an industrial lot for tech billionaires,” Brock Butler writes for Common Dreams. “He has earned the moniker ‘Secretary AI’ for his huddles with data center heavyweights, spending the last year taking a string of meetings with data center investors just as his agencies start handing over our lands for development. He is actively plotting to hand over more public lands to AI developers. We are witnessing an aggressive push to build data centers on public lands, with the administration considering more proposals than previously known… “But Burgum isn’t just giving away our land; he is deliberately dismantling the infrastructure meant to protect it. After installing right-wing operatives, his Interior Department has blocked tens of millions in national park funds. Meanwhile, his highly touted national park fee scheme has raised only a quarter of what he promised… “We cannot allow our shared natural heritage to be bulldozed, defunded, and sold off by men who look at a majestic forest and only see square footage for server racks. Protecting our public lands is like protecting the soul of the nation—and that is sorely needed at this time.”