EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/25/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• New York Times: U.S. Urges Japan and South Korea to Commit to $44 Billion Alaska Gas Project

• KXNET: North Dakota lawmakers release statements on pipeline protest ruling

• WTHI: Last second changes to the Indiana budget bill will impact Wabash Valley Resource's proposed CO2 pipeline project

• KCHA: Opponents of Carbon Pipeline to Host Info Session Thursday (04.24) Night in North Iowa

• The Reporter: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reissues plan for Upper Makefield pipeline cleanup

• Smile Politely: We still need to talk about the Dakota Access Pipeline

• Property Casualty 360: Latest Keystone Pipeline spill piques broker’s interest

• H2 View: Oman plans nationwide hydrogen and CO2 pipeline network

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Interior plan slashes environmental reviews to 1 month

• Inside EPA: Reversing Course, CEQ Tells Agencies To Retain Binding NEPA Rules

• E&E News: ‘Russian roulette’: Why Trump’s bid to trim NEPA could backfire

• Washington Post: Trump aides look at shrinking at least 6 national monuments for mining, oil

• Cibola Citizen: Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Permanently Protect Chaco Canyon from Oil, Gas, and Mining

• National Wildlife Federation: Interior 'Emergency' Plan Will Reduce Public Input, Make It Harder to Responsibly Transition to Clean Energy

• The Wilderness Society: Trump administration sidelines public to expand drilling and mining on public lands

• NPR: Oil companies expected a big business boom under Trump. Now they’re worried

• Politico: Quest to retake $20B in climate money puts Trump agencies at ‘significant’ risk, attorney warned

• E&E News: CEQ releases staff list

STATE UPDATES

• Florida Politics: Senate approves measure to restrict oil drilling and exploration near sensitive coastlines

• KEYT: Bill to require additional steps to restart oil production statewide clears Senate Natural Resources Committee

• Colorado Sun: Bill requiring climate warning label on gasoline pumps killed by Colorado lawmakers

• Carbon Herald: ExxonMobil To Store 2 Million Tons Of CO2 From Calpine Baytown Plant

• Colorado Sun: Colorado drillers must recycle fracking water starting in 2026 under first-in-the nation rules

EXTRACTION

• Reuters: Baker Hughes forecasts drop in producer spending as tariffs pinch demand

• Press release: OGCI launches updated best practice guide to detect and quantify methane emissions

OPINION

• NOLA.com: Giving locals authority over carbon capture is worth supporting. Here's why.

• Food & Water Watch: 45Q is Congress’s Choice: Corporate Handouts or Community Safety?

• Utility Dive: Carbon capture technology is ready. Permitting needs to catch up.

• Vancouver Sun: The climate conundrum facing political leaders: The public wants to have it both ways

• Houston Chronicle: Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, Big Oil is still making risky offshore drilling bets
  

PIPELINE NEWS

New York Times: U.S. Urges Japan and South Korea to Commit to $44 Billion Alaska Gas Project
River Akira Davis, 4/24/25

“Officials in the United States are urging Japan and South Korea to make a formal commitment within the next few weeks to a $44 billion natural gas project in Alaska,” the New York Times reports. “The effort, known as Alaska L.N.G., is a centerpiece of President Trump’s energy agenda, and aims to ship gas from northern Alaska in a liquefied form to nations in Asia. Its feasibility hinges on securing backing from the region, home to some of the world’s largest purchasers of liquefied natural gas. A group created by Mr. Trump that is advising him on domestic energy production, the National Energy Dominance Council, is seeking to convene officials from the trade ministries of both Japan and South Korea for a summit in Alaska on June 2, three people with knowledge of the confidential outreach who requested anonymity told the Times. The project’s proponents want to be able to announce at the summit that they have received signed letters of intent from Japan and South Korea to invest in Alaska L.N.G. or purchase its gas, the people told the Times. Taiwan formally signed a similar letter of intent to purchase gas from Alaska L.N.G. last month… “The plan is to construct an 800-mile pipeline from fields north of the Arctic Circle to southern Alaska. From there, the gas would be cooled into liquid form and shipped on tankers to Asia. For Asian countries, shipping L.N.G. from Alaska would be cheaper and quicker than importing it from many of their traditional sources, including Australia, the Middle East and the Gulf Coast of the United States. But major Asian buyers of the fuel, including Japan, have long been cautious about the Alaska L.N.G. project because of its substantial costs, and doubts that it would actually be able to get off the ground… “Many remain wary of the economics of such a deal. Letters of intent to participate in the project are likely to include room to withdraw.”

KXNET: North Dakota lawmakers release statements on pipeline protest ruling
Edward Segal, 4/24/25

“U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor yesterday ruled in favor of North Dakota in its lawsuit against the federal government, awarding nearly $28 million to the Peace Garden State to help cover emergency response costs accrued during the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests,” KXNET reports. “...Governor Kelly Armstrong and Attorney General Drew Wrigley: “This is a major win for North Dakota taxpayers and the rule of law.” “...Senator John Hoeven: “The federal government, through its negligence, allowed lawlessness to take hold on Army Corps land, resulting in months of disruption to local residents’ lives, threats to their safety and significant costs to the state. We commend Attorney General Drew Wrigley and his team for securing today’s verdict, which recognizes the harm resulting from the Obama administration’s refusal to enforce the law and police illegal activity during the DAPL protests… “Senator Kevin Cramer: “This ruling is a colossal win for the North Dakota taxpayers who were forced to bear the cost of our federal government’s abdication of its duties during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.”

WTHI: Last second changes to the Indiana budget bill will impact Wabash Valley Resource's proposed CO2 pipeline project
Ben Verbanic, 4/24/25

“Indiana republican lawmakers in the senate and house have finalized a 2025 budget that includes language pertaining to carbon sequestration projects, such as the one proposed by Wabash Valley Resources for Vigo and Vermillion counties,” WTHI reports. “...However, Wabash Valley Resources recently has gone through some issues in terms of permitting. An EPA decision recently remanded the necessary Class VI permits, meaning that the current Class VI permit that WVR is in possession of has been "amended". Typically, amended versions of Class VI permits would impose certain restrictions on companies like Wabash Valley Resources. However, the language added to the budget bill late yesterday will allow companies with amended Class VI permits more freedom of movement… “One of the provisions outlined in the budget would allow WVR to work with the state to claim "eminent domain" for storing CO2 below private property. Consumer advocates tell WTHI they strongly oppose this change. "Should this language be adopted, then you are out of luck. The state of Indiana and the Department of Natural Resources can effectively condemn your property on behalf of Wabash Valley Resources to store hyper critical CO2 under your farm, under your house, under your school," Kerwin Olson with the Citizens Action Coalition told WTHI.

KCHA: Opponents of Carbon Pipeline to Host Info Session Thursday (04.24) Night in North Iowa
Mark Pitz, 4/24/25

“Opponents of the underground carbon capture pipeline being proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions are hosting informational sessions in North Iowa,” KCHA reports. “The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, Bold Alliance, Iowa Easement Team, and impacted landowners are sponsoring meetings across the state to educate communities about carbon capture pipelines and prepare affected landowners for Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) proceedings. A “Carbon Pipeline Opposition” meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm Thursday (04.24) night in the Floyd Community Center in Floyd. Local landowners and issue experts will provide an overview of the proposed Summit projects, updates from across the project’s five-state footprint, and action steps to prepare for pending permit proceedings. Another session is scheduled for 6:30 pm Monday, May 5th, at the Manly Town Hall in Manly.”

The Reporter: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reissues plan for Upper Makefield pipeline cleanup
Greg Vellner, 4/25/25

“As cleanup continues of the Sunoco pipeline that leaked jet fuel in an Upper Makefield Township neighborhood, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has reissued its six-point “administrative order” to get clean drinking water to residents as well as hold the pipeline operator “fully accountable,” according to The Reporter. “The DEP order, released as a recovery well installation plan began on Glenwood Drive, also seeks plans like a vapor intrusion investigation progress report, and a public involvement plan. “We are using every resource available to our agency to ensure people impacted by the leak have access to clean drinking water and that Sunoco is held fully accountable for the cleanup,” Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary, told the Reporter… “DEP’s six-point order – first issued March 6 – requires Sunoco to: provide clean water to affected residents; submit an implementation schedule for reporting; submit an interim remedial action plan; submit a public involvement plan; submit a vapor intrusion investigation progress report, and perform remediation in accordance with the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (Act 2 of 1995).”

Smile Politely: We still need to talk about the Dakota Access Pipeline
Linea Johnson, 4/24/25

“...The decisions we make regarding climate justice and energy resources impact our futures and those of future generations,” Smile Politely reports. “One thing we can do to make a difference is simply to learn — learn from the past, learn from our scientists, and learn from activists. While you may recall protests in South Dakota in 2016 and 2017 against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) by Lakota and Dakota activists in the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, Iowa and Illinois were holding vital protests as well… “ In this lecture by the Center for Advanced Study, energy researchers and activists will reflect on lessons learned from the fight and discuss pressing issues in our current energy landscape. Panelists will include: John Albers, Advanced Energy United, Central Region Regulatory Policy Director; Emily Guske, Research Specialist, Climate Jobs Institute (UIUC); Richard Stuckey, Environmental advocate with Save Our Illinois Land, advisor to Citizens Against Heartland Greenway Pipeline, director of Save Our Illinois Land (SOIL); Tabitha Tripp, Director of Public Rail Now campaign and environmental advocate with SAFE: Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing Our Environment.”

Property Casualty 360: Latest Keystone Pipeline spill piques broker’s interest
Elana Ashanti Jefferson, 4/24/25

“Lisa Harris is an executive vice president and co-head of Oil & Gas within the Natural Resources Practice at CAC Specialty. For more than two decades, Harris has managed energy-industry clients worldwide, which involves negotiating complex insurance and risk management programs for an array of “midstream” energy companies,” Property Casualty 360 reports. “What about the recent news regarding the Keystone Pipeline got your attention? Harris: I think it was the fact that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is requesting a full, 10-year history on the pipeline. They're trying to determine whether there was anything in inspections that [indicated] a systemic issue. That is not common with most spills. PC360: When a pipeline spill occurs, what are the risk and insurance concerns, both short- and long-term? Harris: Generally speaking, you would expect a midstream company to have adequate site environmental liability coverage and pollution coverage with anywhere from $20 million to $50 million in limits. And then, excess liability coverage would wrap around that for sudden and accidental spills, such as this one. A client could have $50 million to $250 million [in excess liability coverage], if not higher.”

H2 View: Oman plans nationwide hydrogen and CO2 pipeline network
Dominic Ellis, 4/25/25

“Oman is planning hydrogen pipelines spanning 300-400km to serve its green hydrogen industry as well as a CO2 transport network by 2030, according to OQ Gas Networks’ 2024 Annual Report,” H2 View reports. "Funding is expected to be finalised by 2027, according to the natural gas transmission operator’s report.OQGN will follow a phased approach, beginning with regional pipelines that can later be expanded into a nationwide network. The Sultanate’s vast geography and varied topography, with mountains, deserts, valleys and 1,700km of coastline, will present infrastructural challenges, certainly in a relatively short timeframe… “Last week it signed agreements with the Netherlands to develop a liquid hydrogen trade corridor. Under a joint development agreement (JDA), Oman will look to export liquid hydrogen from its Port of Duqm to the Port of Amsterdam for use in the Netherlands and Germany… “The Sultanate, which benefits from abundant solar and wind resources, is actively targeting hydrogen, ammonia and low-carbon development and exports, with more than 50,000 sq km currently allocated to green hydrogen production.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

The Hill: Trump targets major Democratic donor platform ActBlue
Brett Samuels, 4/24/25

“President Trump signed a memo Thursday targeting ActBlue, a major Democratic Party donor platform, as part of an effort to investigate potential illegal campaign donations,” The Hill reports. “The memo directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate allegations of straw donations and contributions made from foreigners, according to a White House official. Donations from foreign nationals are prohibited by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The memo specifically cites ActBlue, which serves as the primary fundraising platform for Democratic candidates. It alleges hundreds of donations were made to the platform over a 30-day period during the 2024 campaign from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards. In a statement, ActBlue said it “strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities.” “...Something stinks about ActBlue,” Elon Musk, a billionaire adviser to the president, posted on his social platform X last month. The move against ActBlue raised alarm among critics who viewed it as a way for Trump to use the power of the government against his political opponents.”

E&E News: Interior plan slashes environmental reviews to 1 month
Hannah Northey, Ian M. Stevenson, 4/24/25

“The Trump administration’s plan Wednesday to tap into emergency authorities to fast-track some energy projects drew a mix of industry praise and warnings of legal fights to come,” E&E News reports. “The move to expedite environmental reviews would only apply to certain projects, such as mining and oil and gas drilling. Wind and solar energy would be excluded, according to the Interior Department. Interior laid out a strategy for truncating the environmental reviews — an ambitious goal that arrives as the Trump administration fires staff across the federal bureaucracy and offers voluntary buyouts and early retirements. While the administration’s plan drew immediate praise from industry, including the mining sector, conservation groups and legal experts blasted the directive as an unnecessary attempt to push through energy projects with rushed reviews… “The department plans to tap into emergency authorities to fast-track the completion of less-intensive environmental assessments, which can take about a year, to just 14 days. Projects requiring a full environmental impact statement — usually a two-year process that can include complex water quality analyses and a close look at the effects extraction could have on endangered species — will be reviewed in less than a month… “But House Natural Resources ranking member Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) shot back that Interior’s strategy of limiting National Environmental Policy Act reviews is unworkable and will only create more uncertainty. “These guys are dreaming,” Huffman said in a statement. “Even if you could do this with federal permits, which you can’t, and even if you could overcome waves of litigation that would ensue, you’re still going to have to navigate state and other permitting. Show me the energy developer that is going to feel confident going forward under this laughable approach.” Pat Parenteau, an emeritus professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, told E&E there’s no legal basis for Trump’s “fictional emergency.” “The nation is in the grip of an outlaw government,” Parenteau told E&E. “The courts are the only thing preventing us from falling into anarchy. And time is running out.”

Inside EPA: Reversing Course, CEQ Tells Agencies To Retain Binding NEPA Rules
4/23/25

“In a reversal, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is dropping its earlier directive requiring EPA and other agencies to update their National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rules with non-binding guidance and is now telling officials that they ‘may’ update their rules in line with a template the council shared earlier this month,” Inside EPA reports. “One NEPA government source tells Inside EPA that CEQ issued its new directive late on April 22, saying ‘agencies that currently have their NEPA procedures in the form of codified regulations may maintain their NEPA procedures in that same format, and should develop their revisions to their NEPA procedures in the form of a revision to their existing regulations. Our team is available to answer any questions regarding this latest directive.’ At issue is CEQ’s directive issued earlier this month telling federal agencies to rescind their binding rules for implementing NEPA and replace them with nonbinding guidance. The directive marked a change from the council’s earlier request that agencies reissue rules consistent with Trump-era 2020 CEQ NEPA rules by next February.”

E&E News: ‘Russian roulette’: Why Trump’s bid to trim NEPA could backfire
Hannah Northey, Michael Doyle, 4/24/25

“President Donald Trump’s move to cut environmental reviews down to a month or less could push his administration into murky legal ground and even hand environmental groups more ammunition to challenge federal approvals of mines and fossil fuel projects in court,” E&E News reports. “...But truncating reviews to such an extent under the National Environmental Policy Act, frequently called the Magna Carta of environmental laws, could actually offer up more fodder for environmental groups and tribes mounting legal challenges, experts told E&E. The Trump administration’s decision to apply emergency procedures nationwide is unprecedented in scope, James Coleman, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, told E&E. And while Interior’s strategy appears to be aimed at flooding the zone to push projects through, plenty of judges interpreting the law signed by President Richard Nixon in 1970 aren’t going to have an appetite for curbing NEPA so drastically, he told E&E. “It’s going to be tested in the courts, and I expect that lots of courts are going to strike down actions just given the unprecedented scope,” Coleman told E&E. “It’s [already] a little bit of a crap shoot, of Russian roulette with the courts, it’s uncertain whether your project will get through.” “...You can speed up all the permitting, you can reduce NEPA all you want, but if you’re leaving … the potential for liabilities because corners have been cut, there are still challenges for the industry,” Joshua Ballard, CEO of USA Rare Earth, a rare earth company, told E&E. “There’s still massive risk there.” Interior’s push to truncate reviews is likely to draw challenges from tribes, environmental groups, states and local communities — with potential plaintiffs likely to take aim at Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency in January.

Washington Post: Trump aides look at shrinking at least 6 national monuments for mining, oil
Jake Spring and Dino Grandoni, 4/24/25

“Trump officials are analyzing whether to remove federal protections for national monuments spanning millions of acres in the West, according to two people familiar with the matter and an internal Interior Department document, in order to spur energy development on public lands,” the Washington Post reports. “Interior Department aides are looking at whether to scale back at least six national monuments, these individuals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because no final decisions had been made, told the Post. The list, they added, includes Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, Ironwood Forest, Chuckwalla, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — national monuments spread across Arizona, California, New Mexico and Utah. Interior Department officials are poring over geological maps to analyze the monuments’ potential for mining and oil production and assess whether to revise their boundaries, one individual told the Post.”

Cibola Citizen: Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Permanently Protect Chaco Canyon from Oil, Gas, and Mining
Diego Lopez, 4/23/25

“A group of New Mexico lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to permanently protect Chaco Canyon and its surrounding region from future oil, gas, and mineral development— a move that comes as national energy policy pivots sharply toward increased domestic extraction,” the Cibola Citizen reports. “The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act, filed last week by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury, and Gabe Vasquez, would prohibit any new federal mineral leasing within a 10mile buffer of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. The bill seeks to enshrine into law the 20-year mineral withdrawal finalized by the Department of the Interior in 2023, which temporarily banned new leases in the area to allow for broader legislative protection. However, with the Trump administration issuing new executive orders encouraging fossil fuel and uranium development on public lands, advocates say the Chaco region is again at risk.”

National Wildlife Federation: Interior 'Emergency' Plan Will Reduce Public Input, Make It Harder to Responsibly Transition to Clean Energy
4/24/25

“The Department of the Interior's "emergency" plan to change permitting processes for mining, oil and gas, and other select minerals and energy sources, including drastically reducing the window for public comment, will make it harder for the United States to responsibly compete on the global stage and exacerbate the challenges facing people and wildlife,” according to the National Wildlife Federation. “This 'emergency' move by the Interior Department will do little to address the immense and interconnected challenges facing people and wildlife. If anything, fast-tracking the development of mines and last century's energy sources will only exacerbate the climate, wildlife, and environmental justice crises of the 21st century and make us less competitive on the global stage," said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. "A good faith effort to improve energy and mine permitting requires a fully funded and staffed Department of Interior that can carefully consider the environmental impacts and ensure enough time for public comment. At a time when we need to responsibly accelerate our transition to job-creating clean energy projects, the Department of the Interior is making it harder to responsibly pursue innovation and the energy transition that we need."

The Wilderness Society: Trump administration sidelines public to expand drilling and mining on public lands
4/24/25

“On Wednesday evening, the Trump administration unveiled emergency permitting procedures to fast-track oil, gas and mining projects on federal public lands – sharply curtailing public participation and environmental review. The changes, issued under a declared “National Energy Emergency,” purport to allow the Department of the Interior to bypass key safeguards under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act,” according to The Wilderness Society. “This directive, based on an emergency that doesn’t exist, silences the public and guts NEPA’s core purpose – informed decision making,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, President of The Wilderness Society. “By skipping over the public, science and impact analysis, the administration skips over threats to our wildlife, water and cultural resources. And while claiming to create certainty for developers, this move guarantees the opposite: more litigation, more delay and less certainty.” A recent report from The Wilderness Society titled Open for Drilling: The Outsized Influence of Oil & Gas on Public Lands underscores the lopsided nature of federal energy policy. As of January 2025, more than 81% of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the West – over 200 million acres – are open to oil and gas leasing. Nearly half of the acreage already leased is not producing, much of it held speculatively by industry… “These policies could have profound consequences for communities across the West. Areas targeted for extraction often overlap with critical wildlife habitat, cultural and historical sites and lands valued for recreation and tourism. By removing meaningful review and public input, the emergency permitting scheme puts those resources and the people who depend on them at risk.”

NPR: Oil companies expected a big business boom under Trump. Now they’re worried
Kirk Siegler, 4/24/25

“The San Juan Basin, in the northwestern part of the state, is one of the oldest federal lands drilling areas in the U.S. It’s a huge swath of barren, brown high desert that first started booming in the 1950s,” NPR reports. “...But this historic and remote drilling region has struggled for the last decade or more. “It used to be an epicenter,” Sean Dugan, the third-generation president of Dugan Production, a family drilling business in the boom-and-bust town of Farmington, told NPR. “When the majors left, they took all their rigs with them.” He’s talking about the major international companies like Chevron and BP that started pulling out of the basin after the 2008 financial crisis, namely when natural gas prices slumped… “Dugan told NPR the cost of doing business out here was already expensive and President Trump's trade war is making it worse… “But lately, that optimism for higher oil company profits appears to have faded amid growing fears of a recession. "You know, drill baby drill and lower oil prices are not simpatico," George Sharpe, investment manager for Merrion Oil and Gas, one of the San Juan Basin's oldest drillers, told NPR. In other words, Sharpe told NPR, if Trump tanks the economy and oil prices hover at or below the cost of production, you can remove all the regulatory barriers you want, but companies will be wary of drilling new wells. "I think the whole tariff thing is going to backfire on Trump," Sharpe told NPR.”

Politico: Quest to retake $20B in climate money puts Trump agencies at ‘significant’ risk, attorney warned
Alex Guillén, 4/23/25

“Trump administration attorneys knew they were on uncertain legal ground as they strategized ways to keep eight nonprofit groups from spending $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants that had already left the federal coffers, according to internal government emails obtained by Politico. The fight to squash the spending could expose the Trump administration to billions of dollars in damages if a court later finds its actions to be unlawful, one Environmental Protection Agency lawyer warned as part of a series of Sunday night emails last month — less than 48 hours before EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin terminated the grants altogether. In the same email chain, government lawyers acknowledged that they did not know whether criminal and civil investigations launched by the Trump administration would uncover evidence of the waste, fraud or conflicts of interest that Zeldin has publicly alleged in his frequent attacks on the climate grants. Their “short-term objective” was to block the money while those probes play out, a senior Justice Department attorney wrote in one email.”

E&E News: CEQ releases staff list
Robin Bravender, 4/23/25

“A small team of political appointees is leading the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality,” E&E News reports. “Key appointees working inside CEQ include chief of staff Katherine Scarlett and General Counsel Justin Schwab, according to a staff list released Wednesday in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The staff list offers a glimpse into the team working behind the scenes on the Trump administration’s push to overhaul the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act.”

STATE UPDATES

Florida Politics: Senate approves measure to restrict oil drilling and exploration near sensitive coastlines
Drew Dixon, 4/23/25

“The Senate has approved a bill (SB 1300) sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, that calls for limiting oil activity in certain environmentally sensitive areas,” Florida Politics reports. “Simon’s original bill called for a 1-mile block on those oil industry activities… “But critics charged that it should match a House bill (HB 1143), already approved on the floor of that chamber, that stipulates that oil activities can’t get closer than 10 miles of a national estuarine research reserve… “The full Senate approved the amendment and then immediately passed the full Senate measure. But because the House bill was tweaked, it must now head back to the House.”

KEYT: Bill to require additional steps to restart oil production statewide clears Senate Natural Resources Committee
Andrew Gillies, 4/23/25

“A bill to add additional requirements before restarting oil pipelines that have not been used for five or more years cleared the California Senate's Natural Resources Committee Tuesday,” KEYT reports. “Senate Bill 542 would require operators of facilities where an oil spill could impact state waters to get a certificate of financial responsibility from an administrator with the state's Office of Spill Prevention and Response, make sure an unspecified public process would need to be conducted before that certificate is issued, and prohibit existing pipelines that have not been used for five years to be restarted without first performing a hydro test. The bill was introduced State Senator Monique Limón who represents Santa Barbara County where Houston-based Sable Offshore has been attempting to restart oil production after purchasing pipelines, offshore platforms, and the Las Flores Canyon production facility from ExxonMobil, collectively called the Santa Ynez Unit.”

Colorado Sun: Bill requiring climate warning label on gasoline pumps killed by Colorado lawmakers
Michael Booth, 4/24/25

“A Colorado Senate committee Wednesday killed a bill that would have required health and climate change warning labels on gasoline pumps in the state,” the Colorado Sun reports. “The measure had the backing of dozens of environmental groups but faced fierce opposition from industry and the governor’s office. House Bill 1277 would have required retailers to warn consumers that burning fossil fuels “releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases, known by the state of Colorado to be linked to significant health impacts and global heating.” “...Gov. Jared Polis’ office had said the governor was “skeptical” of a warning label’s potential, and environmental groups said Polis’ representatives had warned them he would veto it… “The bill was unanimously rejected by the panel at the request of Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat and one of the bill’s main sponsors. She didn’t explain her decision, but Capitol politics were clearly the reason. Environmental groups squarely blamed the governor. “Groups were counting on Gov. Polis to stand up against the assault on truth coming from the new federal administration, but this trust was misplaced,” Leathwood told the Sun. “The governor denied this opportunity to inform the public about the health and climate impacts of burning fossil fuels. Instead, disinformation and political influence of the oil and gas industry achieved an all-too-common result — delayed action, refusal to stand for the truth, and corporate interests above public health.”

Carbon Herald: ExxonMobil To Store 2 Million Tons Of CO2 From Calpine Baytown Plant
Violet George, 4/25/25

“ExxonMobil has signed a deal with Calpine Corporation to transport and permanently store up to 2 million metric tons of CO2 annually from Calpine’s Baytown Energy Center near Houston,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The emissions will be captured as part of Calpine’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and sent through ExxonMobil’s Gulf Coast CO2 pipeline network—the largest of its kind globally. This is ExxonMobil’s sixth CCS partnership, bringing its total contracted carbon storage volume to around 16 million metric tons per year… “The project is currently in the development phase, with permitting and engineering underway, and is expected to generate both construction and long-term jobs.”

Colorado Sun: Colorado drillers must recycle fracking water starting in 2026 under first-in-the nation rules
Mark Jaffe, 4/24/25

“When a driller “fracks” a well on the Front Range up to 400,000 barrels of fresh water can be pumped down the hole under pressure to fracture rock and release oil and gas — enough water to supply 1,400 families for a year,” the Colorado Sun reports. “To reduce the need for fresh fracking water, the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, on April 8 issued first-in-the-nation regulations requiring 4% of the water from oil and gas production to be recycled starting in 2026 and rising to as much as 35% by 2038… “There are, however, concerns about the regulations from industry and environmental groups. The water that comes back out of a well, known as produced water, is a mixture of the water that went down and water that was in the rock formation — often saltwater from prehistoric seas. It is also mixed with oil, mud and sand. Industry executives told the Sun one challenge is the scale of infrastructure that will be needed to cope with recycling produced water… “Environmental groups who participated in the rulemaking told the Sun they are frustrated by the long lead times to raise recycling targets and because there are no set penalties for failing to meet recycling goals.”

EXTRACTION

Reuters: Baker Hughes forecasts drop in producer spending as tariffs pinch demand
Arathy Somasekhar and Mrinalika Roy, 4/23/25

“U.S. oilfield service provider Baker Hughes on Wednesday forecast steeper drops in spending by global oil producers as tariffs dent demand expectations and push down prices for crude,” Reuters reports. “Baker Hughes echoed rival Halliburton’s concerns on Tuesday, that weak oil prices could push down oilfield activity in North America. Houston-based Baker Hughes, which reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit on Tuesday, now expects global upstream spending to be down by high-single digits in 2025. Oil and gas producer spending in North America, excluding Mexico, is set to decline in the low-double digits, Baker Hughes said, compared with a previous expectation for a drop in the mid-single digit range… “In North America, discretionary spending delays are extending into the second quarter, driven by ongoing uncertainty. Additionally, recent oil price volatility presents potential downside to second half activity, particularly in U.S. land,” said Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli. The prospect of an oversupplied oil market, rising tariffs, uncertainty in Mexico and activity weakness in Saudi Arabia are collectively constraining international upstream spending levels, Simonelli said, adding that some of the weakness would be offset by strength in markets like Brazil and several countries in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The company also warned of cost impacts from tariffs on U.S. imports from China, Germany, Britain and Italy, as well as a modest impact from steel and aluminum tariffs. Baker Hughes also sources some oilfield components and chemicals from Canada and Mexico, it said.”

Press release: OGCI launches updated best practice guide to detect and quantify methane emissions
4/23/25

“The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), together with Ipieca, IOGP and the Energy Institute have updated its recommended practices guide to help oil and gas operators select and deploy methane detection and quantification technologies. Updates to the guide, that was first published in 2023, include advances in methane detection technologies and relevant data sheets and decision trees which operators would use to deploy these technologies. This includes six new technologies and updates to 14 others. OGCI’s core strategic ambition is to work proactively with and encourage the entire oil and gas industry to aim for net zero methane emissions by 2030. Eliminating methane emissions from the upstream oil and gas industry represents one of the best short-term opportunities for contributing to climate change mitigation and advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

OPINION

NOLA.com: Giving locals authority over carbon capture is worth supporting. Here's why.
Sharon C. Lavigne is the founder of RISE St. James. Roland Hollins is an Allen Parish police juror, 4/25/25

“Representatives of two distinctly different Louisiana nonprofit environmental groups, from very different parts of the state and with seemingly different bases and interests, have collaborated as private citizens to inform politicians that the carbon capture and sequestration issue is out of control,” Sharon C. Lavigne and Roland Hollins write for NOLA.com. “A few politicos and fat cats in Baton Rouge want to risk everything for little benefit to the people. Members of RISE St. James and the Louisiana CO2 Alliance have joined together to inform the public about the importance of House Bill 4, which authorizes a parish governing authority to determine whether carbon dioxide injection wells may be permitted within its jurisdiction… “The Louisiana CO2 Alliance is now working with activists throughout the state to stop Baton Rouge from imposing wasteful, taxpayer-funded carbon capture and sequestration schemes on communities that don’t want them and won’t benefit from them… “These projects threaten the state’s most valuable drinking water aquifers and natural resources, livelihoods and way of life… “There are significant concerns about groundwater contamination. No containment is perfect… “Finally, there is the taking of our rights. Eminent domain, the legal process that allows lands to be obtained in the public benefit, is being perverted to allow the taking of private land for industrial benefit. Let’s be real. Most of us will see no benefit -- not in our schools, universities or public services. This is plain bad, no matter whether you’re a Republican, Democrat or any other party affiliation. This is beyond politics. It’s about healthy living, which is the greatest form of wealth and one that most Louisianans understand and value.”

Food & Water Watch: 45Q is Congress’s Choice: Corporate Handouts or Community Safety?
Jim Walsh, 4/24/25

“Congress must decide: continue wasteful 45Q subsidies for carbon capture or protect taxpayers and communities from costly, risky projects,” Jim Walsh writes for Food & Water Watch. “The idea of pulling carbon out of the air might sound promising at first. But once you unpack the details, it’s clear that carbon capture is an expensive boondoggle dreamed up by billionaires to exploit our tax dollars. Worse, they’ll do so with little to no regard for the safety of communities. With a budget reconciliation bill on the horizon, Congress must decide whether to keep funneling billions into the 45Q program, a tax credit for carbon capture projects, or protect communities and taxpayers by putting a stop to this wasteful handout. While official projections peg the cost of 45Q at just over $3 billion over ten years, independent experts warn the actual burden could soar into the tens of billions annually. These huge amounts of taxpayer dollars would be better spent elsewhere. Communities across the country are raising red flags about the dangers and false promises of carbon capture. A broad coalition of advocacy groups recently urged Congress to repeal 45Q and similar subsidies. They warn that these subsidies pour billions into risky projects that jeopardize safety and stall climate progress. Some in Congress are acting on these concerns, including Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), who recently introduced legislation to repeal 45Q… “Nationwide, people are standing up against carbon capture projects — for good reason. Here are five main ones: 1. It’s an Expensive Failure; 2. It Poses Real Safety and Property Risks; 3. It’s Incredibly Energy-Intensive; 4. It Benefits Corporations, Not People; 5. It Undermines Real Solutions… “The upcoming reconciliation bill is a moment of truth. Lawmakers must choose: Will they double down on a costly, polluter-backed distraction? Or will they reject the 45Q tax credit and instead stand with families, communities, and a cleaner future?”

Utility Dive: Carbon capture technology is ready. Permitting needs to catch up.
Anna Littlefield is the program manager for low carbon energy technologies for the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, 4/24/25

“It’s no secret that carbon capture is gaining momentum — and the United States is leading the pack. U.S. capacity alone for carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS, is expected to increase sevenfold by 2035,” Anna Littlefield writes for Utility Dive. “In the U.S., there are already 14 operational commercial-scale facilities that can capture and store roughly 21.4 million metric tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 5 million passenger vehicles. And new projects continue to be announced. Since 2018 when Congress enhanced the 45Q tax credit, which supports CCUS, there have been more than 120 CCUS projects announced in the states…”Despite all this investment and decades of proven operations, critics continue to insist the technology doesn’t work — apparently because it hasn’t scaled fast enough... “This narrative allows other critics to suggest any federal support for the technology is misallocated. Two U.S. lawmakers recently introduced the 45Q Repeal Act, a bill aimed at repealing the 45Q tax credit. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., one of the sponsors of the bill, called CCUS an “inefficient and market-distorting technology.” Opponents of CCUS cheered the legislation. What these critics overlook is that the primary challenge facing CCUS is the regulatory uncertainty created by current federal policies… “With that goal in mind, eliminating the backlog of Class VI permit applications — which would unleash investment in America, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and strengthening America’s global competitiveness — should be a no-brainer.”

Vancouver Sun: The climate conundrum facing political leaders: The public wants to have it both ways
David Tindall is a professor in the Department of Sociology and a sustainability education fellow at the University of British Columbia; Mark Stoddart is a professor in the department of sociology at Memorial University; Philippe Le Billon is a professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC, 4/24/25

“Human-induced climate change continues to worsen, and its impacts have been felt across the country,” David Tindall, Mark C.J. Stoddart and Philippe Le Billon write for the Vancouver Sun. “...Despite worsening climate change and lacklustre federal climate action, the issue has been on the back burner in current election debates. This is largely because of cost-of-living concerns, as well as fears of annexation by the U.S. Further, the governing Liberals have scrapped the consumer carbon tax. In the face of threats south of the border there is also renewed political talk about building new oil and gas pipelines. In this tumultuous context we surveyed a demographically representative sample of 3,003 Canadians across the country about their opinion on climate-related issues… “Most people believe that climate change is real. Only 21.2 per cent of Canadians completely or mostly agreed with the idea that “human caused climate change is a myth — there is no compelling scientific evidence for it.” “...A substantial portion of the general public — 50.6 per cent — completely or mostly agree that “in light of current political tensions with the United States, Canada should build new oil and gas pipelines (e.g., resurrecting previously abandoned projects such as the Northern Gateway Pipeline and/or the Energy East Pipeline)... “These survey results highlight the conundrum facing political leaders because the public wants to have it both ways. Overall, the public believes climate change is real, that we need to shift to alternative energy, and we can meet our climate commitments. But they also oppose carbon pricing, think we can continue to develop the oilsands, and that we should consider building new pipelines in response to the geopolitical landscape… “The next government must revitalize climate policy not only to cut emissions, but to uphold sovereignty and build a more just, resilient economy for all.”

Houston Chronicle: Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, Big Oil is still making risky offshore drilling bets
Captain Louis Skrmetta is a tour-boat operator in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, based in the Mississippi Sound. His family company, Ship Island Excursions, has been in the passenger ferry service for 99 years, 4/23/25

“...But 15 years ago, one crisis left an indelible mark on our business: Deepwater Horizon, the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry,” Louis Skrmetta writes for the Houston Chronicle. “...Over the 87 straight days BP’s damaged pipeline spewed oil into the sea, I wondered whether this would mean the end of my family’s business. We lost the entire season that year and saw a significant drop in ridership in the years following. This single oil spill would eliminate 25,000 jobs in the Gulf region, including from businesses like mine that rely on the pristine Gulf for tourism, fishing and other ventures. It would be like shaving off 10 percent of the jobs that were just added to the U.S. in March. Ultimately, Deepwater Horizon cost $17.2 billion in damage (by comparison, the federal government collected $10 billion less in offshore oil and gas revenue in 2024). Beyond the thousands of jobs that were wiped away, countless fish, birds, sea turtles, whales and other marine life perished in the toxic, suffocating sludge… “Fifteen years later, while the more blatant effects are less visible, the wound is still alive, as is the memory — and fear for the next one. In fact, BP is pursuing a new massive offshore drilling operation called Kaskida, which it wants to begin in 2029. Kaskida would operate at even greater depths, which would be significantly riskier… “Unless the government puts an end to leasing riskier waters to oil companies, I fear my son and his generation will experience the pain and hardship of another oil spill that will ruin what’s left of our precious marine resources, and the livelihoods of many.”