EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/22/26
PIPELINE NEWS
Inside Climate News: Transco Pipeline Project Faces Legal Challenge
Southern Environmental Law Center: Report casts doubt on alleged need for controversial gas pipeline projects
CT Mirror: CT governor hears concerns on controversial gas pipeline project. Critics fear more air pollution
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Cheniere Pushes FERC to Clear Louisiana Pipeline Project by June
The Deep Dive: Ottawa Favors Southern B.C. Pipeline Route Over Alberta’s Northern Plan for Asian Oil Exports
Canadian Press: Oilsands have strong growth potential, but pipeline constraints loom: Enverus
Canadian Press: Alberta, South Korea reach deal to eliminate three per cent tariff on crude exports
Mexico News Daily: Oil spill due to pipeline leak near Progreso has been contained, governor says
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Gasoline prices are still high. The midterm clock is ticking.
E&E News: Data center moratorium a fault line in Dem primaries
New York Times: Environmental Groups Sue to Block BP’s Plan to Drill in Deep Gulf Waters
Louisiana Illuminator: Trump administration sued for approving first BP project in Gulf since Deepwater Horizon disaster
E&E News: EPA: No update to oil and gas pollution rules
E&E News: What ‘God Squad’ exemption? ESA confusion reigns in Gulf drilling.
E&E News: Endangerment finding takes effect, spotlight shifts to courts
Press release: The Ponca Nation Becomes the First Tribe to Endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty in The United States, Ahead of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels
STATE UPDATES
Daily Montanan: Groups say Public Service Commission is stalling on climate petition
Colorado Sun: Drilling site near Aurora Reservoir approved despite opposition from residents
E&E News: Colorado regulators approve drilling project in test for fracking law
Verite News: Was Louisiana’s “energy boom” a jobs bust? A new data analysis says yes.
Pelican Post News: Pelican Poll: Do you support carbon capture?
WWL: 16 years after the BP oil spill, policy shifts raise new questions about offshore drilling
EXTRACTION
Reuters: War in Iran is causing biggest energy crisis in history, IEA says
Reuters: US crude and fuel exports surge to record highs, but it’s not enough: Russell
Houston Public Media: ‘Difficult to see’: Texas oil producers remain hesitant to increase output amidst volatile prices
Science Direct: Machine learning reveals insufficient carbon capture storage deployment to meet climate goals
Heatmap: Leading Climate Standards Group Fraught With Secrecy and Bias, Whistleblowers Say
Heatmap: Exclusive: Data Centers Are Now More Controversial Than Wind Farms
Bloomberg: BMO, Teck, TC Energy CEOs to Advise Carney on US Strategy on New Panel
CNN: Oil spills from the Iran war are visible from space
OPINION
Magnolia Tribune: Mississippi is leading the way in pipeline emergency preparedness
Ascension Business Report: Ascension Parish is leading Louisiana’s industrial future
PIPELINE NEWS
Inside Climate News: Transco Pipeline Project Faces Legal Challenge
Lisa Sorg, 4/21/26
“Five environmental groups are petitioning a federal appeals court to invalidate a water quality permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a controversial Transco pipeline,” Inside Climate News reports. “The $1.5 billion Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) would run through five states, including North Carolina, where it would extend for 28 miles in Rockingham, Guilford, Forsyth and Davidson counties. The SSEP is one of the largest pipeline capacity expansions in the Southeast in decades, and necessary, Transco says, to meet regional demand for natural gas. It involves adding pipelines alongside existing ones to carry more gas between the Gulf and the Southeast… “However, releases still occur, the study says, often when the diversion materials are being installed. Excess sediment can suffocate aquatic life, and bury their food sources and eggs. It can also carry other pollutants, which burden treatment plants if the river is a drinking water supply. “Rivers have the right to flow and thrive. Our communities and all species have the right to a healthy environment. We continue to raise our voices against SSEP, and the dangerous policies that put corporate profit over community wellbeing,” Crystal Cavalier-Keck, executive director of 7 Directions of Service, a North Carolina environmental nonprofit led by indigenous people, told ICN. The Southern Environmental Law Center and the Appalachian Mountain Project are representing the plaintiffs before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals: Wild Virginia, 7 Directions of Service, Haw River Assembly, Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices.”
Southern Environmental Law Center: Report casts doubt on alleged need for controversial gas pipeline projects
4/21/26
“A new report by London Economics International LLC (LEI) casts serious doubt on the alleged need for two massive methane gas pipeline projects in the Southeast—Southern Natural Gas’s South System Expansion 4 (SSE4) and Kinder Morgan’s Mississippi Crossing (MSX). The proposed projects would bring nearly 500 miles of new pipe and many expanded or new polluting compressor stations across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The project’s developers estimate that construction will cost a breathtaking $ 5.2 billion, and that does not include decades of operational costs. The LEI report, commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), found that most of the gas capacity that these projects would bring to the South is unnecessary. Major utilities, including Southern Company affiliates Georgia Power, Alabama Power, Mississippi Power, Southern Power, and Atlanta Gas Light, do not need any of the gas they’ve contracted to use from the pipelines. The analysis concludes that the public record does not support the scale of the demand being claimed to justify the ‘need’ for the projects. “This report casts serious doubt on whether these projects are needed at all, much less at the incredible scale being proposed,” said Megan Gibson, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. “When you look closely at the utilities’ own plans and the public record, the evidence simply does not support forcing communities and businesses throughout the South to pay for unnecessary pipeline capacity with their pocketbooks and their health. FERC should not approve such costly new gas infrastructure where the claimed need is between and among corporate affiliates, highly speculative, and could be met through other available options.” The report finds that the data shows significant uncertainty around large load growth (including data centers) that is being used to justify much of the alleged demand for this gas capacity. LEI also found that existing or alternative capacity options had not been fully acknowledged or considered. LEI conservatively reviewed the utilities’ own planning documents, public load (or demand) forecasts, and some potential other alternative sources of capacity for this analysis. If these projects move forward, the harms would not stop at higher bills… “On behalf of Alabama Rivers Alliance, Blackbelt Women Rising, Energy Alabama, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, Mississippi Rising Coalition, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and a local landowner, SELC intervened at the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) to oppose these projects, including a recent submission highlighting the gross deficiencies of FERC’s draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed projects.”
CT Mirror: CT governor hears concerns on controversial gas pipeline project. Critics fear more air pollution
John Moritz, 4/22/26
“Gov. Ned Lamont met with the first selectman of Brookfield on Monday to discuss a controversial natural gas expansion project that has stirred deep opposition in the town at the edge of Fairfield County,” CT Mirror reports. “First Selectman Steve Dunn, a Democrat, is part of a group of local officials leading the campaign against the “Enhancement by Compression” project, which would add a pair of gas-fired compressors to an existing station in Brookfield capable of pumping an additional 125 million cubic feet of gas through the Iroquois pipeline each day. Critics of the project say the new compressors would spew air-polluting emissions in a region that has notoriously struggled to meet federal air quality standards. And environmental groups say it represents a doubling down on fossil fuels that many leaders, including Lamont, have pledged to wean the state off of. Iroquois’ owners are currently awaiting a final decision from the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protect on the project’s air quality permits… “As he left the meeting, he told the Mirror that he’d been encouraged by the conversation, in which he said the governor expressed support for an alternative Dunn favors — using electric compressors rather than gas-powered turbines to pump the additional gas… “He’s come up with an alternative and I hope, you know, DEEP considers it,” Lamont told the Mirror. “But I’m not supposed to weigh in, so I won’t.” “...Iroquois officials have opposed calls to use electric turbines, which they argue would add between $45 million and $50 million to the project’s $272 million cost.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Cheniere Pushes FERC to Clear Louisiana Pipeline Project by June
4/21/26
“Cheniere Energy’s Creole Trail Pipeline is seeking federal approval to move ahead with construction of its Gillis Header Project in Louisiana, as the company works to avoid delays tied to the regulatory review process,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “In an April 21 filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Cheniere requested that the agency issue an order authorizing construction of the project by June 30, citing impacts to its development schedule… “Cheniere initially filed for authorization under FERC’s prior notice process in December 2025. While no formal protests or interventions were submitted, comments from a local group raised concerns about cumulative impacts from LNG-related infrastructure in the region. According to the filing, those comments have effectively delayed automatic authorization under the pipeline’s blanket certificate, preventing the company from beginning construction or staging equipment at the site. Cheniere has asked FERC to clarify the status of the comments and move forward with a formal order to allow the project to proceed.”
The Deep Dive: Ottawa Favors Southern B.C. Pipeline Route Over Alberta’s Northern Plan for Asian Oil Exports
Johnathan Wall, 4/21/26
“Ottawa is leaning toward a southern British Columbia pipeline route to Vancouver for a new oil conduit that could carry an additional one million barrels per day to Asian markets, bypassing Alberta’s preferred northern path to Prince Rupert, according to two federal sources,” The Deep Dive reports. “The southern route, potentially running alongside the existing Trans Mountain pipeline or on a separate path, is seen as facing fewer environmental and Indigenous opposition hurdles compared to the northern option. A new terminal for tanker loading would be required in Vancouver, where the port authority is already planning to dredge the Second Narrows waterway at Burrard Inlet to accommodate fully loaded Aframax-class oil tankers at the Westridge Marine Terminal. However, constructing beside an operational pipeline poses significant engineering and safety challenges, an Alberta source noted… “Progress on related MOU provisions shows mixed results. Agreements on streamlining environmental assessments and cutting methane emissions by 75% from 2014 levels by 2035 are secured, but carbon pricing—moving from $20 to $130 per tonne—and the Pathways carbon storage project in the oil sands remain unresolved despite near-daily negotiations.”
Canadian Press: Oilsands have strong growth potential, but pipeline constraints loom: Enverus
Lauren Krugel, 4/21/26
“Western Canadian oil production can grow by about one million barrels per day over the next seven years, driven mainly by expansions to existing steam-driven oilsands projects, says a new report from Enverus Intelligence Research,” the Canadian Press reports. “But it can take years to plan and build such projects, so producers have a limited ability to take advantage of the surge in global crude oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East, said the report released Tuesday… “Enverus says the oilsands have 50 years worth of drilling opportunities that break even below a US$50-per-barrel WTI price… “But Enverus also said at projected growth rates, available pipeline space to move Western Canadian crude to market will be filled up by the early 2030s. That includes recently announced expansions to existing pipeline networks. “I don’t think you’re going to see people commit to growth without a concrete plan and a proponent for a pipeline,” Rix told CP… “Rix told CP he’s more optimistic about a plan to revive part of the defunct Keystone XL pipeline — pursued by South Bow Corp. alongside Bridger Pipeline LLC — and send more oilsands crude south of the border. “Politically, there’s a lot of hurdles to cross” with a West Coast route, he told CP.”
Canadian Press: Alberta, South Korea reach deal to eliminate three per cent tariff on crude exports
4/20/26
“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has signed a joint statement with South Korea to waive a three per cent tariff on crude exports from the oil-rich province,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Alberta government says the agreement will open up more market access for energy producers shipping bitumen from Canada. It says Alberta exported almost $400 million in crude oil to South Korea last year, but with tariffs removed, that number could grow to between $400 million and $1 billion annually… “Expanded pipeline access to the B.C. coast meant crude shipments to South Korea went up more than 500 per cent year over year, according to the province.”
Mexico News Daily: Oil spill due to pipeline leak near Progreso has been contained, governor says
4/21/26
“A new hydrocarbon leak off the coast of Progreso, Yucatán, was quickly contained and is unrelated to the massive Pemex oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that fouled over 600 kilometers of shoreline in recent weeks, state and federal officials said Monday.” Mexico News Daily reports. “During a live broadcast, Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena said authorities traced the latest slicks near the iconic arch pier in Puerto Progreso to “a leak … in a disused underwater pipeline.” He said the problem was handled by the Mexican navy (Semar), Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and local authorities. “Specialized divers worked to contain the situation and permanently seal this leak,” he said. “The pipeline has been completely sealed, the area is now under control, and there is no risk to the population or port activities.” Fishermen had reported diesel-like stains near the 6.5-kilometer pier, one of the world’s longest, over the past week — warning about environmental damage, threats to fishing and risks for swimmers.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Gasoline prices are still high. The midterm clock is ticking.
James Bikales, 4/22/26
“The White House is using everything in its toolkit to try to bring down energy prices — but GOP campaign veterans say time is running out if the party is going to avoid a disaster at the ballot box in November,” E&E News reports. “The warning comes as President Donald Trump and his administration continue to send mixed messages on its war against Iran and the resultant spike in U.S. gasoline prices… “I would say gas prices need to come down substantially before Memorial Day weekend,” Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist who is co-founder of public affairs firm ROKK Solution, told E&E.. “That is a political catastrophe waiting to happen.” The American public is souring on the war against Iran — largely because Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz… “The Trump administration, meanwhile, seems to be arguing with itself on when prices will fall. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said over the weekend that gas prices may not fall below $3 a gallon until 2027 — a statement the president himself refuted on Monday. “No, I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” Trump told The Hill… “A 2016 study found that a 10-cent increase at the pump has historically correlated to a 0.6 percentage point drop in presidential approval… “At a political level, if oil prices remain exorbitantly high, voters are going to blame the party in power, and there’s not much you can do from a comms perspective on that,” Alex Conant, a partner at Washington-based strategic communications firm Firehouse Strategies and former communications director for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, told E&E.”
E&E News: Data center moratorium a fault line in Dem primaries
Nico Portuondo, 4/22/26
“...Democratic candidates in battleground districts across the country are embracing a left-wing proposal to halt the development of data centers nationwide, pushing incumbents to weigh more aggressive postures than trying to limit the energy-hungry facilities’ impact on electric grids and utility bills,” E&E News reports. “The moratorium idea is gaining traction beyond insurgent campaigns. In Tennessee, state Rep. Justin Pearson is mounting a serious primary challenge to Rep. Steve Cohen (D) in the state’s 9th District and told E&E a federal moratorium on data centers is not only sound policy but also a potential political winner across party lines. “We fight for the solidarity dividend all across the country, in small towns, big cities: It’s us against the [artificial intelligence] billionaires taking our electricity and water,” Pearson told E&E. “This is our bridge issue, but you have to have leadership that realizes it.” Pearson has a clear political reason for embracing a moratorium. The solidly blue 9th District, which covers most of Memphis and the surrounding area, has become a flash point over data centers powering Elon Musk’s xAI operations. Across the country, similar fights are emerging. In one small Missouri town, voters recently ousted all incumbent city council members after they approved a $6 billion data center deal. Other communities in data center hubs like Ohio and Maryland are considering local moratoriums on the energy-intensive projects… “Rep. Cohen is not taking this issue seriously enough, and he’s not listening to the working-class people in his district,” Pearson told E&E. “The AI industry is moving at speed to do things we never imagined, and we need to put a hold on it.” “...I think a moratorium would send the message to other nations, ‘Hey, the U.S. is giving up leadership in this space,’ and I don’t want to send that message,’” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), told E&E.” “...And former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard (R), now running for governor, is calling for a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction.”
New York Times: Environmental Groups Sue to Block BP’s Plan to Drill in Deep Gulf Waters
Lisa Friedman, 4/20/26
“Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday to stop the British oil giant BP, which operated the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that exploded in 2010, from starting a new $5 billion drilling project in ultra-deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico,” the New York Times reports. “Last month, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the project, which is known as Kaskida, about 250 miles off the coast of Louisiana at a depth of nearly 6,000 feet. BP projects it will produce 80,000 barrels of oil per day from six wells starting in 2029 in a section of the seafloor that is estimated to hold 10 billion barrels of crude. Opponents told the Times the new project poses greater risks than the Deepwater Horizon rig did. A blowout and explosion on that platform exactly 16 years ago killed 11 crew members and spilled 3.2 million barrels into the Gulf, which President Trump calls the Gulf of America, the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. In a worst-case scenario, they told the Times, the Kaskida project could result in an oil spill of up to 4 million barrels, endangering Gulf communities as well as the marine ecosystem and industries like fishing and tourism. “The Trump administration has teed up the entire Gulf region for a Deepwater Horizon sequel with its approval of BP’s extremely risky ultra-deepwater drilling project,” Brettny Hardy, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, the environmental nonprofit law firm that is leading the challenge, told the Times. Five other groups joined the filing, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to review the Interior Department’s approval of the project.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Trump administration sued for approving first BP project in Gulf since Deepwater Horizon disaster
Elise Plunk, 4/22/26
“Environmental groups are suing the Trump administration over its approval of the first British Petroleum drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon disaster 16 years ago this week,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “The Habitat Recovery Project, Healthy Gulf, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity are plaintiffs in the case against BP. The environmental law group Earthjustice filed a lawsuit on their behalf Monday in the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta… “The suit alleges that BP failed to prove it has the capacity to drill safely within the Kaskida project’s location, which the plaintiffs say will be in riskier waters and drill deeper underground than the Deepwater Horizon. BP’s development proposal underestimated the worst-case scenario of an oil spill at Kaskida by at least half a million barrels of oil as well, and the company failed to prove it has the capacity to contain a blown-out well, according to the court complaint. “The greenlighting of BP’s project sets a dangerously low bar for oil-and-gas companies that want to drill in our public waters,” Earthjustice senior attorney Brettny Hardy told the Illuminator. The lawsuit comes 16 years to the day after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible offshore drilling rig killed 11 people… “Marine wildlife and communities along the Gulf coast were devastated by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill 16 years ago,” Joanie Steinhaus, ocean program director for Turtle Island Restoration Network, told the Illuminator. “BP has not adequately demonstrated the capacity to operate and handle an oil spill in the high-pressure, high temperature conditions of this project.”
E&E News: EPA: No update to oil and gas pollution rules
Alex Guillén, 4/21/26
“EPA will not strengthen hazardous pollutant limits for oil and gas producers and natural gas transmission and storage, the agency said Tuesday,” E&E News reports. “The agency issued its proposal after environmentalists sued during the Biden administration over a hazardous air pollution regulation last updated in 2012. But EPA said it won’t make any substantive updates to the pollution standards. “We have not identified cost-effective developments that, considering all relevant factors, render it ‘necessary’ to propose revisions to the existing standards within these categories,” the agency said in a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published Wednesday. However, EPA did propose several smaller tweaks. That includes changing how emissions from certain equipment is aggregated to define whether it is a major source or an “area” source, which is less stringently regulated. The change would allow glycol dehydrators and storage vessels to count as “associated equipment” for wells and thus not have their emissions counted toward a well’s classification, making it easier for wells to fall into the area source category. EPA said the change will have industry cost savings but that it “lacks the information needed to make a quantitative assessment at this time.”
E&E News: What ‘God Squad’ exemption? ESA confusion reigns in Gulf drilling.
Ian M. Stevenson, 4/22/26
“NOAA Fisheries insisted last week that imperiled species in the Gulf of Mexico would still be protected by federal regulations despite the Trump administration’s sweeping Endangered Species Act exemption for offshore oil and gas production,” E&E News reports. “Nearly three weeks after the Trump administration granted a never-before-invoked exemption from ESA requirements on national security grounds, some environmentalists told E&E they remain unsure about what specific protections are still in place for species like the Rice’s whale, of which only a few dozen individuals remain… “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested the exemption, saying that national security was threatened by environmental litigation that he maintained had already constrained oil and gas development in the Gulf. “I do not need to wait to see whether the ESA will be used to block all oil and gas development and production in the Gulf before acting to protect national security,” Hegseth wrote to the Interior Department.”
E&E News: Endangerment finding takes effect, spotlight shifts to courts
Jean Chemnick, 4/21/26
“EPA’s repeal of its so-called endangerment finding, which once demanded the agency regulate climate pollution, formally took effect Monday as opponents of the move pushed for legal intervention,” E&E News reports. “It’s now up to the courts to decide whether the Trump administration’s bid to stop regulating greenhouse gases by overturning the 16-year-old scientific finding will survive. States, advocates for public health and the environment, and industry groups filed petitions ahead of Monday night’s deadline urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to send EPA back to the drawing board on the endangerment finding repeal and rescission of all motor vehicle climate standards. The agency released both as a package Feb. 12. Hours before the deadline, the environmental petitioners — including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund and Sierra Club — asked the court to defer calling for briefing proposals for 90 days to allow EPA time to reconsider. They have argued that EPA’s final rule relied on modeling, analysis and arguments that the public was never given an opportunity to consider, because they weren’t in the proposal.”
Press release: The Ponca Nation Becomes the First Tribe to Endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty in The United States, Ahead of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels
4/21/26
“Ahead of the historic First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma has announced its endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, a bold international proposal calling for an equitable and just phaseout of fossil fuels. Oklahoma is the sixth largest producer of natural gas and crude oil in the United States. The Ponca Nation sits at the epicenter of fossil fuel fracking and extraction in the state, leading to decades of water, soil and air pollution. Fossil fuel production in the region has contributed to rising rates of sexual and physical violence, exacerbating the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) within the Ponca Nation. The Ponca Tribe is a leader in progressive legislation to stop fossil fuel extraction. The Tribe banned fracking in their territory and became the first Tribe in the United States to pass a resolution recognizing the Rights of Nature and holding corporations liable for crimes against nature. The Ponca Tribe joins 37 Indigenous nations & communities and 18 countries working towards concretizing a Treaty. “Endorsing the Fossil Fuel Treaty is a critical step in stopping the environmental degradation that decades of fracking and oil extraction have brought to our community. It is our sovereign right to steward and care for our territories for future generations. We are honored to be the first Tribe in the United States to sign the Treaty and join Indigenous nations from Asia, Africa, and the Amazon in defending our sacred Mother Earth.” Earl Howe III, Chairman of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. “Our community is experiencing an environmental genocide at the hands of the fossil fuel industry. Cancers threaten the lives of children and families, soil and water pollution means we can’t grow our traditional foods, and climate disasters continue to wreak havoc on our communities. We know what must be done, Mother Earth is calling for us to keep the sacred oil in the ground. Supporting the Fossil Fuel Treaty is a next step in our ongoing efforts to end fossil fuel production in Ponca Territory and to protect our one Mother, the Earth.” Casey Camp-Horinek, Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador “We are at a historic junction— a time when the world has an opportunity to meet the intersecting climate, economic, and social crises with the urgency this moment demands by equitably phasing out fossil fuels. Indigenous communities have been on the frontlines of fossil fuel extraction, and continue to be steadfast leaders in resisting fossil fuel expansion and building a just transition. The Fossil Fuel Treaty is a critical mechanism for implementing a global phaseout of fossil fuels, and Indigenous nations are central to any framework toward this end. We celebrate the Ponca Nation’s endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, and stand in solidarity with their leadership .” Osprey Orielle Lake, Steering Committee Member of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, Executive Director of the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).”
STATE UPDATES
Daily Montanan: Groups say Public Service Commission is stalling on climate petition
Keila Szpaller, 4/21/26
“The Montana Public Service Commission needs to take up a stalled petition that calls on regulators to account for climate change, said a group of more than 40 organizations and businesses,” the Daily Montanan reports. “In a recent letter, the groups said they are still waiting for the Public Service Commission to take up their motion to reconsider its Sept. 2, 2025, decision against declaring the state Constitution requires it to consider the adverse impacts of climate change in its work. The groups include Families for a Livable Climate, the Montana Environmental Information Center, Big Sky Resort, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, and others. They are represented by Earthjustice and Western Environmental Law Center… “Tuesday, PSC spokesperson Jamey Petersen told the Montanan staff estimate July as “the general timeframe” for taking up the reconsideration request from the climate petitioners… “In its original order rejecting the proposals from the groups, the Public Service Commission said declaring it must consider climate change would exceed its authority as “an administrative agency.” “...At the time, the Montana Environmental Information Center said the Public Service Commission was avoiding its legal obligation to consider climate change, especially in light of the Montana Supreme Court decision in Held v. Montana.”
Colorado Sun: Drilling site near Aurora Reservoir approved despite opposition from residents
Mark Jaffe, 4/22/26
“After an eight-month battle by residents around the Aurora Reservoir to get a proposed oil and gas drill site to move farther away from homes, industry regulators Tuesday approved the operator’s plan, saying it met all the state requirements,” the Colorado Sun reports. “The oil and gas site was opposed by area residents through a grassroots group — Save the Aurora Reservoir, or STAR — which hired an attorney and expert witnesses to appear before the ECMC. The oil and gas development plan was the subject of seven hearings — some over several days. Commissioners said it was one the largest shows of community opposition in memory. On Tuesday, 1,000 people tuned into the hearing on Zoom, maxing out the ECMC’s capacity on the meeting service. The majority of commissioners, however, said they were faced with applying the commission’s rules measuring oil and gas development against protection of public health, safety, environment and wildlife… “STAR told the Sun it “could not be more disappointed with the ECMC’s decision.” “Our committed volunteers have toiled for three years to protect the health of our air, water and community — it wasn’t just that the site is unpopular, though that should carry weight,” Randy Willard, a STAR spokesperson, said in a statement. STAR had raised $100,000 for legal and expert fees and organized nearly 2,500 active members, Willard told the Sun.”
E&E News: Colorado regulators approve drilling project in test for fracking law
Jason Plautz, 4/22/26
“Colorado regulators approved a plan Tuesday to drill new oil and gas wells in the state’s third-largest city, in a decision that served as a test case for the state’s first-in-the-nation fracking law,” E&E News reports. “The Energy and Carbon Management Commission, which oversees oil and gas production, approved a proposal by oil company SM Energy to drill in Aurora… “The five-member commission voted 3-2 to approve the project, with many saying that the project complied with the regulations written in the aftermath of SB-181, including those that mandate that wells be a certain distance from homes and other public places. Commissioners also noted that the proposal had been approved by county regulators and other state bodies that monitor public lands and wildlife.”
Verite News: Was Louisiana’s “energy boom” a jobs bust? A new data analysis says yes.
Halle Parker, 4/22/26
“In the early 2010s, an explosion in natural gas development, combined with relatively high fuel prices, kicked off a new boom in massive, multibillion-dollar investments in new Louisiana petrochemical and energy developments. A 2014 report by The Data Center, a New Orleans-based nonpartisan nonprofit that analyzes economic and demographic trends, projected that the “transformative” development would lead to a “tidal wave” of jobs,” Verite News reports. “But more than a decade later, a new Data Center analysis found that the number of jobs in Louisiana has instead flatlined, despite $90 billion in capital investment across the energy and manufacturing sectors. The number of jobs grew by .18% from 2015 to 2025, compared to a 10% average growth rate nationally. The state also experienced 30% more toxic spills in the same timeframe, and state residents suffered poor health outcomes — high rates of heart attacks, lung disease, strokes and serious pregnancy complications — likely related, in part, to pollution… “As state officials approve large incentives to usher in another $100 billion wave of capital investment — through new liquefied natural gas export facilities, data centers and chemical manufacturing plants — Plyer told Verite the Data Center report calls into question whether these investments will improve the quality of life for residents and stop them from leaving the state. “Leaders need to think twice about incentivizing large corporations that are not held accountable for actually producing jobs,” Plyer told Verite.”
Pelican Post News: Pelican Poll: Do you support carbon capture?
4/22/26
“The Louisiana Freedom Caucus today issued a strong condemnation of threats of physical violence on social media directed at members of the Legislature following the recent House Natural Resources Committee hearing on HB7,” Pelican Post News reports. “House Bill 7 would repeal current law which authorizes the use of expropriation by pipeline companies that transport carbon dioxide for geologic storage. The bill was killed in the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment earlier this week as committee members on either side of the issue accusing the others of violation of the Ten Commandments… “Where do you land on the controversial issue of carbon capture?”
WWL: 16 years after the BP oil spill, policy shifts raise new questions about offshore drilling
Stephen Melancon, 4/20/26
“16 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the legacy of the disaster is colliding with a renewed push to expand offshore drilling under the administration of President Donald Trump, reigniting debates over safety, environmental risk and the future of energy production in the Gulf,” WWL reports. “...Those post spill reforms have since been reshaped, first during Trump’s initial term and again in his current administration… “The updated rule loosened requirements on drilling safety systems, including standards for well design, real time monitoring and equipment testing, all factors tied directly to the 2010 blowout. At the same time, Trump signed executive orders aimed at expanding offshore energy production, directing federal agencies to encourage drilling across the Outer Continental Shelf as part of an America first energy strategy… “More recently, the administration has taken steps that directly affect environmental safeguards in the Gulf… “The move allows certain operations to proceed with fewer species-specific protections, including for whales and sea turtles, with officials citing energy needs and national security… “After the BP spill, oversight responsibilities were split to avoid conflicts between leasing and safety enforcement. New proposals would consolidate some of those functions, raising concerns among environmental advocates about whether oversight could be weakened.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: War in Iran is causing biggest energy crisis in history, IEA says
Sudip Kar-Gupta, 4/21/26
“The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast on Tuesday. “The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia,” he added… “Birol had said earlier this month that he viewed the current situation in global energy markets as worse than previous crises in 1973, 1979 and 2022 combined.”
Reuters: US crude and fuel exports surge to record highs, but it’s not enough: Russell
Clyde Russell, 4/21/26
“An armada of crude oil and refined products tankers is heading to Asia from the United States, but even record-high exports from the world’s top producer cannot come close to making up the losses from the war against Iran,” Reuters reports. “...While U.S. exports to Asia in May are likely to be about 2.18 million bpd more than what they were in January, this is nowhere near enough to offset the loss of the Middle East cargoes… “This means the loss of about 10 million bpd in exports to Asia this month from pre-war levels, a drop that cannot be offset for long by using up inventories. It’s also not the case that the United States can meaningfully ease refined product shortages in Asia, even though, similar to crude, its exports are hitting record highs… “This means that an additional 254,000 bpd of refined products from the United States are heading to Asia in April compared with what was shipped in January. While this is welcome to fuel-starved importers in the region, it can hardly offset the loss of more than 1.5 million bpd of product exports through the Strait of Hormuz… “The sharp rise in U.S. crude and product exports will obviously be beneficial to U.S. energy producers, but probably not so much for U.S. energy consumers, as domestic consumers effectively have to compete with overseas buyers for U.S. supplies. It also raises the question as to how long can the United States sustain exports at the levels being seen in April and May.”
Houston Public Media: ‘Difficult to see’: Texas oil producers remain hesitant to increase output amidst volatile prices
Natalie Weber, 4/21/26
“Addressing Texas oil and gas leaders at a committee hearing Tuesday, State Representative Eddie Morales Jr. raised one of his final questions for the panel,” Houston Public Media reports. “Are we entering a cycle of prolonged volatility?” Morales, a West Texas Democrat, asked… “Representatives from the the Texas Oil and Gas Association, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and Freeport LNG all agreed: it’s a difficult question to answer. Amidst the backdrop of that uncertainty, many of the state’s oil companies are hesitant to ramp up production, unsure of whether prices will remain high enough to turn a profit. “I think as long as this uncertainty persists, you’re going to continue to see the Permian Basin operators and Texas operators do what they need to do to keep this country running and keep replacing the barrels that have been lost,” Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association said during the hearing. “But I think as far as increasing any production dramatically, very quickly, I think that’s going to be difficult to see.” Jesse Thompson, a senior business economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said it takes time to increase oil production – and supply disruptions, caused by war and other geopolitical factors, are often resolved before then. “If markets become more confident that global supply will remain significantly impacted for an extended period of time, then a stronger U.S. supply response becomes more probable,” he said.”
Science Direct: Machine learning reveals insufficient carbon capture storage deployment to meet climate goals
Xiyu Li, Yixin Sun, Yun Tang, Houcheng Peng, Hongbo Duan, 4/21/26
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is widely expected to play a critical role in long-term climate mitigation. However, its capacity for delivering the expected contributions to climate goals remains uncertain,” according to Science Direct. “Here, we combine a machine learning model trained on 44 historical technology datasets from 1900 to 2024 with an IAM framework to evaluate the adequacy of CCS capacity in meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals. Our findings show that global CCS capacity may reach 12.3 GtCO2·yr−1 by 2100, whereas meeting the 2 °C target would require sustained annual reductions of 1 GtCO2 over four decades, which implies the insufficiency of current CCS deployment pace for mild mitigation. Compared to capacity expansion, deploying CCS early enables significantly greater energy use with lower output losses by mid-century. Advancing deployment by five years increases energy consumption by 2.9% from 2020 to 2050, exceeding the 2.8% increase achieved under a 30% capacity expansion. This implies that in the near term, prioritizing investments to scale CCS capacity in sectors where the technology is relatively mature, such as chemicals and ammonia, may deliver greater benefits than directing funds to emerging options such as direct air capture.”
Heatmap: Leading Climate Standards Group Fraught With Secrecy and Bias, Whistleblowers Say
Emily Pontecorvo, 4/2/26
“It is something of a miracle that tens of thousands of companies around the world voluntarily report their greenhouse gas emissions each year,” Heatmap reports. “In 2025, more than 22,100 businesses, together worth more than half the global stock market, disclosed this data. Unfortunately, it’s an open secret that many of their calculations are far off the mark. This is not exactly their fault. To aid in the tedious process of tallying up carbon and to encourage a basic level of uniformity in how it’s done, companies rely on standards created by a nonprofit called the Greenhouse Gas Protocol… “Critics have long faulted the Protocol for allowing companies to look far better on paper than they do to the atmosphere. In 2022, the group began in earnest to try and fix this, starting with an overhaul of its governance… “But what started as a laudable effort to improve transparency and accountability has turned rancid, some of the participants told Heatmap. Scientists are being pitted against industry representatives. Proposals, voting records, and other key documents are being kept from the public eye. Decisions made behind closed doors are going undocumented and undisclosed, kept secret even from the working group members who have devoted significant unpaid time to the cause of developing stronger standards… “The major criticism of this approach is that it’s easy to game and leads to unintuitive results, where forest product companies come out looking like they are removing far more carbon than they are releasing.”
Heatmap: Exclusive: Data Centers Are Now More Controversial Than Wind Farms
Jael Holzman, 4/21/26
“More than 270 data centers have faced opposition across the country compared to 258 onshore and offshore wind projects, according to a review of data collected by Heatmap Pro. Data center battles only recently overtook wind turbines, driven by the sudden spike in backlash to data center development over the past year. It’s indicative of how the intensity of the angst over big tech infrastructure is surging past current and historic malaise against wind. Battles over solar projects have still occurred far more often than fights over data centers — nearly twice as many times, per the data. But in terms of megawatts, the sheer amount of data center demand that has been opposed nearly equals that of solar: more than 51 gigawatts. Taken together, these numbers describe the tremendous power involved in the data center wars, which is now comparable to the entire national fight over renewable energy. One side of the brawl is demand, the other supply. If this trend continues at this pace, it’s possible the scale of tension over data centers could one day usurp what we’ve been tracking for both solar and wind combined.”
Bloomberg: BMO, Teck, TC Energy CEOs to Advise Carney on US Strategy on New Panel
Laura Dhillon Kane, 4/21/26
“Prime Minister Mark Carney is turning to some of Canada’s most prominent business executives, including Bank of Montreal’s Darryl White, to give him advice on how to handle Canada’s economic relationship with the US,” Bloomberg reports. “Also joining Carney’s new advisory committee are TC Energy Corp. Chief Executive Officer François Poirier, Teck Resources Ltd.’s Jonathan Price and Canadian National Railway Co.’s Tracy Robinson, along with former Conservative members of Parliament. Carney’s office said the group will offer expertise and strategy on dealing with the US… “Canada’s economy has been badly bruised by US tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber, and trade uncertainty has dampened business investment. LeBlanc has begun talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, as USMCA is set to undergo a formal review this year.
CNN: Oil spills from the Iran war are visible from space
Antoinette Radford, Billy Stockwell, Farida Elsebai, 4/21/26
“Multiple oil spills are visible from space after Iranian and US-Israeli strikes hit oil facilities and ships in the region, with experts warning of an impending environmental catastrophe,” CNN reports. “Satellite images are giving an insight into destruction in the region, including to the fragile biodiversity of the Persian Gulf. Oil spilt there has the potential to affect the lives and livelihoods of people along the Gulf coastlines, as well as the region’s rich marine life. One image, taken on April 7, shows a spill spanning more than five miles in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran’s Qeshm Island. An Iranian vessel, the Shahid Bagheri, was leaked oil in the same area after US forces hit the vessel on February 28, Greenpeace Germany spokesperson Nina Noelle told CNN. Another image shows oil around Lavan Island after what Iranian state media called a hit “by enemies” on an oil facility near the island’s coast on April 7. Video shared on social media and geolocated by CNN also shows a large fire erupting from the Iranian oil refinery. The hit on Lavan is a “major environmental emergency,” Wim Zwijnenburg, a project leader at Dutch peace organization PAX, who tracks the consequences of strikes around the Gulf, told CNN… “They are very hard to clean, she told CNN, due to “structural complexity, limited accessibility and challenging working conditions,” adding that the ongoing conflict makes the prospects of gaining access to the Gulf to clean it up all but impossible.”
OPINION
Magnolia Tribune: Mississippi is leading the way in pipeline emergency preparedness
Mike Chaney is Mississippi’s 11th Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal. He is currently serving his fifth term in office, 4/21/26
“...In Mississippi, we take that responsibility seriously, which is why we continue to lead on emergency preparedness,” Mike Chaney writes for the Magnolia Tribune. “...One of the clearest examples of that investment came last year when ExxonMobil provided a $50,000 grant to the Mississippi Fire Academy to equip the school with a new CO2 pipeline training prop that enables hands-on, immersive, scenario-based training. This specialized program is designed to prepare firefighters and emergency personnel for incidents involving CO2 pipelines, infrastructure that is becoming increasingly important as energy and manufacturing investments continue to expand across our state. While these pipelines operate safely every day, preparing for the unexpected remains essential. Investing in programs like these helps reduce risk and limit costly damage should incidents occur. It equips emergency responders to meet any challenge, easing pressure on insurance costs and, most importantly, helping save lives. Because pipeline incidents require new training and tools, it’s critical for firefighters to have the opportunity to train in a realistic environment… “In late March, the program surpassed an important milestone, with more than 100 first responders completing the training… “By building on the success of the MSFA’s CO2 pipeline training program, I look forward to supporting the current and next generation of first responders through expanded training beyond the CO2 pipeline program – ensuring we are ready to respond in any scenario.”
Ascension Business Report: Ascension Parish is leading Louisiana’s industrial future
Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Donnie Miller is a guest columnist, 4/21/26
“As one of the fastest-growing parishes in Louisiana, Ascension Parish is well-positioned to compete for the next generation of industrial investment,” Donnie Miller writes for Ascension Business Report. “...Increasingly, companies are also being measured by their ability to reduce emissions and meet global market expectations. That is where carbon capture and storage (CCS) enters the conversation. The Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce supports the safe, transparent, and responsible development of CCS as a driver of economic opportunity. Done correctly, CCS represents significant near-term investment, quality job creation, and a pathway to long-term competitiveness for the industries that anchor our local economy. At the same time, we recognize that this is not just an economic discussion. For many in our community, questions around safety, health, and long-term impacts are real and deserve to be addressed directly. Ignoring those concerns does not move projects forward, it creates more uncertainty… “Global markets are driving demand for lower-emissions products, and Louisiana’s energy and manufacturing sectors are adapting to remain competitive. The choice for many companies is not whether to change, but where to make those investments… “That means providing a regulatory environment that is predictable and fair. It also means ensuring that community members have access to clear, fact-based information and meaningful opportunities to engage.”