EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 6/17/25
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Trump revokes Biden’s guidance on pipeline leaks
Press release: USDOT Rescinds Biden-Era Guidance
The Detroit News: Appeals judges reject Whitmer's request for new hearing on Line 5 litigation
E&E News: Louisiana will likely limit eminent domain for CO2 pipelines
RTO Insider: New Pipelines Unlikely for New England, Experts Say
TAPinto Franklin Township: Public Information Session Scheduled for June 17 on Proposed NESE Pipeline Project
Daily Nexus: Sable pipeline halts production, students voice concerns, hope
Institute for Energy Research: Canada’s Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Has a New Major Buyer—China
Canadian Press: Saskatchewan premier pitches 'port-to-port corridor' for energy and other exports
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Committee limits use of public lands in reconciliation
E&E News: What new Senate megabill text means for clean energy credits
E&E News: Soaring oil prices unlikely to spur US production, analysts say
The New Republic: Trump Is Freeing Up Public Lands for Big Oil. It Doesn’t Want Them
E&E News: Sierra Club chapter leaders seek executive director’s ouster
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: US Supreme Court to hear Chevron, Exxon appeal over Louisiana coastal damage
Pipeline & Gas Journal: California Refinery Shutdowns Could Push Gas Prices Toward $8 Per Gallon
Inside Climate News: Trump Officials Visit Alaska as Interior Department Pushes Proposal Rescinding Biden-era Arctic Protections
Active Norcal: Mount Shasta’s New National Monument Could Be Erased by Federal Government
CBS News: Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse pushes back against plan to sell millions of acres of public land
Bradford Era: Higher bonds floated to help the state’s orphan well problem
Louisiana Illuminator: Trump shutdown of chemical safety watchdog could mean ‘more explosions, more deaths’ in Cancer Alley
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: Big Business Is Abandoning Its Climate Goals
Reuters: Mitsubishi Corp in talks for $8 billion US shale acquisition, source says
Financial Times: Norway launches full-scale industrial carbon capture project with billions in subsidies
Oil Change International: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Norway’s most important climate measure or another Mongstad disaster?
OPINION
The Iowa Standard: Sen. Salmon: Governor Vetoes Property Rights!
The Iowa Standard: Sen. Evans: Gov. Reynolds got it wrong with HF639 veto
Plaquemine Post South: Iberville Parish could see benefit from carbon capture sequestration
Livingston Parish News: Will Louisiana lead or lose in the carbon capture race?
Bloomberg: Carbon Capture Business Case Requires Showing Strategic Value
Calgary Herald: Smith ally Premier Scott Moe says he won't kiss Quebec's butt for a pipeline
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Trump revokes Biden’s guidance on pipeline leaks
Mike Soraghan, 6/17/25
“The Trump administration discarded another element of former President Joe Biden’s climate agenda Monday, revoking the guidance document issued for the previous administration’s crackdown on natural gas leaks from pipelines,” E&E News reports. “Ben Kochman, acting administrator at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said Biden officials exceeded their authority and imposed “significant costs” on pipeline companies in 2021 when they issued guidance on how to follow a new law designed to reduce leaks. “PHMSA’s failure to properly consider the principles of statutory construction produced a fundamentally flawed understanding” of the law, according to the notice Kochman sent to the Federal Register.”
Press release: USDOT Rescinds Biden-Era Guidance
6/17/25
“Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced it has transmitted a notice to the Federal Register that rescinds an Advisory Bulletin issued by the Biden administration concerning the provisions in Section 114 of the “Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020” (2020 PIPES Act). The rescinded bulletin went beyond the scope of what Congress directed the agency to do in the text of Section 114 and imposed new regulatory requirements and significant costs on the pipeline industry to advance environmental objectives. PHMSA is rescinding this Advisory Bulletin to address Federal overreach and reduce an overbearing and burdensome administrative state as directed by President Trump in Executive Order 14219. “Eliminating red tape is at the heart of this administration's plan to maintain energy dominance,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “President Trump’s aggressive deregulatory agenda is bringing down costs for consumers and unleashing a golden age of American energy.” “Section 114 provided clear direction to operators and PHMSA,” said PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman. “That is why I am rescinding the prior administration’s Advisory Bulletin, which imposed new requirements outside the scope of existing regulations and statute. The notice rescinding the Advisory Bulletin directs owners and operators of pipeline facilities to adhere to the text of Section 114 of the 2020 PIPES Act and section 60108(a) of the Pipeline Safety Act in developing their inspection and maintenance plans. PHMSA and State pipeline safety enforcement personnel should do the same in reviewing the adequacy of those plans during future audits and inspections. The rescission is effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register.”
The Detroit News: Appeals judges reject Whitmer's request for new hearing on Line 5 litigation
Beth LeBlanc, 6/1625
“A federal appellate panel on Monday rejected efforts by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to rehear the administration's arguments on why it should be immune from litigation brought by Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy,” The Detroit News reports. “In a brief order Monday, Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judges Raymond Kethledge, Karen Nelson Moore and Rachel Bloomekatz denied Whitmer's request for an "en banc" hearing, or a hearing with all of the Sixth Circuit judges… “The panel concluded "the issues raised in the petition were fully considered upon the original submission and decision of the case," the Monday order said. With the denial of an en banc hearing, Whitmer's next option appears to be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Her office did not immediately respond Monday when asked whether the Democratic governor is contemplating filing for leave to appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Sixth Circuit panel in April rejected arguments that the Whitmer administration was shielded from litigation related to the Line 5 oil pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac because it had sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment. The panel said Enbridge's lawsuit, which seeks the continued operation of Line 5, fell within an exception to sovereign immunity that allows a suit to continue if it alleges a violation of federal law or the U.S. Constitution… “Aside from the three lawsuits filed in relation to the pipeline, Canada in 2021 invoked a never before used 1977 treaty that prevents either country from taking actions in relation to a pipeline that may harm the energy supply in either country. Those negotiations are ongoing.”
E&E News: Louisiana will likely limit eminent domain for CO2 pipelines
Adam Aton, 6/17/25
“Louisiana lawmakers last week approved new limits on carbon capture projects seizing private property, defying the oil sector in a long-simmering fight that has divided Republicans historically aligned with the oil and gas industry,” E&E News reports. “Under S.B. 244 — an omnibus of natural resources policies that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to sign — builders of pipelines to carry carbon dioxide for storage could use eminent domain powers only if their project is registered as a “common carrier” serving the public. In most circumstances, the restriction would bar the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines serving only a single company. The bill would remove language in Louisiana law that recognizes greenhouse gas sequestration as a public benefit, another move aimed at limiting developers’ power to build across private lands over owners’ objections. Bill supporters say it would leave the question of public benefits to judges presiding over expropriation cases. The bill also would make it more difficult to seize land for underground carbon storage. Under current state law, a developer must obtain the rights to lease 75 percent of a storage project’s acreage before it can force the use of the rest. The bill would raise the threshold to 85 percent.”
RTO Insider: New Pipelines Unlikely for New England, Experts Say
Jon Lamson, 6/16/25
“Despite interest from the Trump administration, new gas pipelines into New England remain unlikely due to a lack of counterparties willing to pay for the new lines, energy industry experts said,” RTO Insider reports.
TAPinto Franklin Township: Public Information Session Scheduled for June 17 on Proposed NESE Pipeline Project
Malik A. Lyons, 6/16/25
“Residents interested in learning more about the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project and how to participate in the federal review process are encouraged to attend an information session on Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.,” TAPinto Franklin Township reports. “The session is intended to help members of the public understand how to submit formal comments and register as “intervenors” with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)... “The NESE project, proposed by Williams/Transco, includes the construction of a 32,000-horsepower natural gas compressor station in Franklin Township—referred to as Compressor Station 206—as well as new pipeline segments in Old Bridge and under Raritan Bay. The project aims to provide an additional 400,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas capacity to the New York City area… “The project has drawn opposition from Franklin Township officials and some residents, who have raised concerns about potential air pollution, environmental impacts, and safety risks associated with the compressor station. On June 12, the Franklin Township Council passed a resolution opposing the NESE project and urging FERC to deny the certificate reissuance. The resolution cited previous permit denials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which identified concerns about water quality, habitat disruption, and public health.”
Daily Nexus: Sable pipeline halts production, students voice concerns, hope
Michelle Cisneros, 6/16/25
“Recent legal actions have hindered oil and gas company Sable Offshore’s plan to restart the Las Flores Pipeline and begin oil sales in July,” the Daily Nexus reports. “A campus environmental coalition, UCSB Stop Sable, has continued to oppose the pipeline and urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to stop the plan from restarting… “Members of UCSB Stop Sable observed whether the injunction had been upheld on May 29 at the Gaviota State Park Campground. Sable had been conducting repair work in the Gaviota State Park prior to that day. The group observed from the publicly accessible Las Cruces Trail that pipeline work had in fact ceased… “The group also highlighted that Governor Newsom has not spoken about the pipeline. In December of last year, 120 environmental organizations, such as the Environmental Defense Center and the Associated Students Environmental Affairs Board, co-signed a letter to Newsom urging him to ensure that state agencies comply with environmental laws and deny permission to restart the pipeline… “Student advocates were joined by members of the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, a local climate action group. Group members Irene Cooke and Michal Lynch recalled the 2015 Refugio Oil spill, which shut down the pipeline.”
Institute for Energy Research: Canada’s Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Has a New Major Buyer—China
6/16/25
“China has overtaken the United States as the top oil purchaser from the Trans Mountain pipeline, displacing it in its quest to diversify supplies amid the trade war and U.S. sanctions on oil from Russia and Venezuela,” according to the Institute for Energy Research. “...The pipeline expansion was completed after President Biden withdrew the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline upon taking office… “China upped its shipments via the Trans Mountain pipeline to an average of 207,000 barrels per day since June of last year — a huge increase from an average of 7,000 barrels per day in the decade to 2023… “In 2024, Trans Mountain was about 77% full — below the company’s forecast of 83% — partly due to the high tolls the operator has charged to make up for the cost of construction overruns. The pipeline is expected to be 84% full this year and 92% full in 2027… “Biden may have pleased environmentalists in the United States, but his efforts did not otherwise succeed as Canadian oil is still being produced in Alberta and shipped via the Trans Mountain pipeline. China has become the top buyer of Canadian oil via the Trans Mountain pipeline, pushing the United States into the second position, as China looks to diversify its oil imports due to the trade war and U.S. sanctions on Russian and Venezuelan oil… “The story of Trans Mountain and the cancelled Keystone XL offers insight into the importance of transportation routes for energy and their significance for economic, national, and energy security.”
Canadian Press: Saskatchewan premier pitches 'port-to-port corridor' for energy and other exports
Lauren Krugel, 6/16/25
“Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is pitching the idea of a "port-to-port corridor" that would connect energy and other goods to Canada's northern Pacific and Arctic coasts,” the Canadian Press reports. “Moe made his remarks Monday alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at an event focused on both provinces' ambitions to double oil and gas production. "I know we are not going to be entirely reliant on the U.S for that marketplace," Moe said. "We are going to have access to the world." “...Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has introduced legislation that would fast track certain infrastructure projects deemed in the "national interest" as U.S. President Donald Trump upends what until recently has been a reliable cross-border trading relationship… “Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants a bitumen pipeline to be the "anchor tenant" of a corridor to the Port of Prince Rupert, B.C., enabling exports to Asia above and beyond what the operating Trans Mountain pipeline can ship from the Vancouver area. She has said that project should be built in tandem with another one she'd like to see considered in the national interest: the Pathways proposal to capture and sequester carbon emissions from Alberta's biggest oilsands producers. Smith and Moe also voiced support for a pipeline to the Port of Churchill, Man., which would enable exports to Europe via Hudson Bay. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has been keen on the idea, too… “Despite being encouraged by the new tone in Ottawa, Smith and Moe said they both want the repeal of numerous federal environmental policies that they say have stymied resource investment.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Committee limits use of public lands in reconciliation
Garrett Downs, 6/17/25
“The sale of public lands in the Republican-led megabill has ignited controversy on both sides of the aisle, but new changes to the bill would seem to narrow how those lands could be used,” E&E News reports. “Text released last week by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee would have mandated sales to be used “solely” for housing but also to “address associated community needs.” Such language would seemingly open the lands to a wide range of uses. But in a new draft obtained by E&E, which could undergo more changes, lands owned by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service would now be used only for “the development of housing or to address associated infrastructure to support local housing needs.” Whether narrowing the use of millions of acres of land would be enough to convince Republican critics remains to be seen. Montana Republicans say they oppose the sales but have not threatened to tank the final bill if such sales are included.”
E&E News: What new Senate megabill text means for clean energy credits
Kelsey Brugger, Andres Picon, 6/17/25
“The Senate Finance Committee’s portion of the Republican megabill, released Monday evening, is not the language renewable energy advocates were looking for,” E&E News reports. “...But even though the new text is friendly to geothermal, nuclear and hydropower, it doesn’t do much to protect incentives for wind, solar and hydrogen… “The Senate resurrected a policy favored by companies, called transferability, which allows energy project sponsors to transfer their credits to a third party… “Notably, the Senate product would not revive the House’s strict phase-down of the hydrogen production credit, known as 45V, which would be gone by the end of the year… “The new text would amend the federal 45Q tax credit, a top carbon capture incentive, by proposing “parity” between different possible uses of CO2 — something that made Cramer happy. “My biggest interest is the carbon capture pieces, and there’s some pretty good news,” he told E&E. “You never get everything you want, but I feel pretty good about it.” Another provision being pushed by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), which was not in the House bill, offers midsize oil and gas producers deductions for intangible drilling costs.
E&E News: Soaring oil prices unlikely to spur US production, analysts say
Shelby Webb, 6/16/25
“The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has already driven up oil prices, as investors worry about disrupted oil supplies and a potentially wider regional war in the Middle East. But experts don’t expect the higher prices — if they stick — to affect U.S. oil production, which has largely plateaued since reaching record highs in 2024,” E&E News reports. “Producers aren’t necessarily going to jump in and make big investments based on the last twenty four hours,” Patrick De Haan, a gasoline market analyst with the fuel-price tracking website GasBuddy, told E&E. “They’ll probably be a little bit more calculated because they’re watching the situation, but I don’t think this event is going to be a catalyst for a major shift in U.S. oil production.”
The New Republic: Trump Is Freeing Up Public Lands for Big Oil. It Doesn’t Want Them
Kate Aronoff, 6/16/25
“Earlier this week, the Department of Justice issued a legal opinion stating that Donald Trump can abolish two national monuments in California established by the Biden administration,” The New Republic reports. “In theory, doing so would allow those areas—the windswept Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California, and the verdant Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, near Oregon—to be opened up for oil and gas drilling… “Environmentalists and Indigenous nations have fiercely criticized the administration’s attacks on public lands, and have fought to protect the areas, which house rare species and encompass the ancestral homelands of the Pit River Tribe and the Modoc Peoples, from development. Curiously, what primarily stands to prevent drilling there now is the drillers themselves, who have soured on a president who doesn’t understand the first thing about their business… “The majority of U.S. oil is produced using costly extraction methods such as fracking, and drillers need relatively high oil prices to break even. This is a toxic combination: As oil has been getting cheaper, costs for essential inputs like steel have gone up. Broader uncertainty about the direction of the economy, partly fueled by tariffs, has made it difficult for companies to make longer-term planning decisions and court investors. Trump’s performative abolishment of protections for national monuments won’t fix any of these problems.”
E&E News: Sierra Club chapter leaders seek executive director’s ouster
Robin Bravender, 6/16/25
“Internal criticism of the Sierra Club’s boss is flaring up again after the environmental organization announced its latest round of staff layoffs this month,” E&E News reports. “The leadership committee that oversees a Sierra Club state chapter is seeking a vote of “no confidence” in Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous. The criticism comes as employees in the organization say there’s widespread desire for Jealous to step down following repeated rounds of layoffs, budget shortfalls and complaints about Jealous’ management. The executive committee of Sierra Club’s Oregon chapter voted 9-0 on Friday to advance a resolution asking the green group’s board to take a vote of “no confidence” in Jealous. “Ben Jealous’s mismanagement of our organization has had significant impacts to the reputation and efficacy of the Sierra Club,” says the Oregon chapter’s resolution. “In his short tenure, he has overseen multiple rounds of layoffs, undermined volunteer leadership, and lost the confidence of staff and volunteers.”
STATE UPDATES
Reuters: US Supreme Court to hear Chevron, Exxon appeal over Louisiana coastal damage
Nate Raymond, 6/16/25
“The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a bid by Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other oil and gas companies to have lawsuits brought by two Louisiana localities accusing them of harming the state's coast over a period of decades moved out of state court and into federal court,” Reuters reports. “The justices took up an appeal by the companies of a lower court's ruling rejecting their claims that the lawsuits belong in federal court because the parishes of Plaquemines and Cameron were suing over oil production activities undertaken to fulfill U.S. government refinery contracts during World War Two. Federal court is considered a friendlier venue for businesses in such litigation… “Paul Clement, a lawyer for Chevron, welcomed the court's decision to hear the dispute. "Chevron is pleased that the Supreme Court has decided to grant review in these cases, and we look forward to presenting our arguments to the court," Clement said.. .”The companies have long argued those cases have no business being in state court, a venue considered more favorable to plaintiffs… “But the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld decisions by lower courts remanding the cases back to state court, saying the exploration and production activities at issue were unrelated to the companies' contracted refining operations.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: California Refinery Shutdowns Could Push Gas Prices Toward $8 Per Gallon
6/16/25
“Two major California refineries are on track to shut down within the next year, raising alarms over potential fuel shortages and sharp price hikes, according to KRON4 News,” Pipeline & Gas Journa reports. “The Valero facility in Benicia is expected to close by spring 2026, and the Phillips 66 plant in Southern California may also halt operations soon… “With fewer in-state refineries, the state would likely need to rely more on imported gasoline — a move that could add costs at the pump. Lawmakers are expressing concern over affordability, with some warning that aggressive climate policies could unintentionally lead to extreme fuel prices. One estimate suggests gas prices could climb by 75%, potentially exceeding $8 per gallon.”
Inside Climate News: Trump Officials Visit Alaska as Interior Department Pushes Proposal Rescinding Biden-era Arctic Protections
Kate Furby, 6/14/25
“The Department of the Interior announced a proposal last week to cancel its protections of 13 million acres of Alaskan land inside a previously created reserve,” Inside Climate News reports. “More than 40 Indigenous communities rely on the acreage in question for clean water and critical subsistence resources like caribou, fish and other wildlife. Indigenous people have occupied the lands inside the reserve for millennia. Protected public lands have grown increasingly important at a time when changing climate conditions have destabilized life in the Arctic. The announcement came last week as the state’s Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, headed up the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage. He was joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The federal officials spent days touring Alaska, including visiting the North Slope, where much of Alaska’s drilling and mining is focused. While some communities appreciated the cabinet members’ visit to the Arctic and the economic opportunities that increased resource extraction may bring, others worry about the negative effects it could have on their lives and livelihoods.”
Active Norcal: Mount Shasta’s New National Monument Could Be Erased by Federal Government
6/13/25
“The federal government is taking steps to abolish the newly established Sáttítla Highlands National Monument—an ecologically and culturally significant stretch of land northeast of Mount Shasta,” Active Norcal reports. “The 224,000-acre monument, designated in January by former President Joe Biden, was created to protect a rugged volcanic landscape known for its lava beds, caves, and sacred sites belonging to the Pit River Tribe. It was also seen as a safeguard against geothermal development in the area. But a new legal memo from the U.S. Department of Justice indicates the Trump administration believes it has the authority to revoke the monument’s protected status—despite decades of precedent under the Antiquities Act, which grants presidents the power to create national monuments, but says nothing about eliminating them… “Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, are preparing to challenge the repeal in court, calling the legal argument flawed and dangerous for public lands across the country.”
CBS News: Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse pushes back against plan to sell millions of acres of public land
Shaun Boyd, 6/13/25
“Republicans in the U.S. Senate have introduced a proposal to sell millions of acres of federal land in 11 Western states, including Colorado,” CBS News reports. “The proposal is part of President Trump’s budget bill and would require the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to auction off 2.2 - 3.3 million acres of land. Colorado has more than 24 million acres of federal land, which is about 36% of the state’s total area. The BLM manages 8.3 million acres, and the Forest Service manages 16 million acres. Under the proposal, the two federal agencies would publish a list of parcels for sale every 60 days. They would give priority to land identified by state or local governments that is near existing development and infrastructure. National parks, monuments and recreation or wilderness areas would be excluded, and the land could only be used to develop housing. Rep. Joe Neguse, the U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader and a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, managed to kill a similar proposal in the House. The Senate version is far more expansive, and he told CBS it should concern anyone who cares about public lands.”
Bradford Era: Higher bonds floated to help the state’s orphan well problem
6/13/25
“Pennsylvania has seen 1,154 oil and gas wells abandoned since 2020. In the past two and a half years, on the other hand, only 308 have been plugged,” the Bradford Era reports. “The dangerous and high polluting wells have plagued the state, created and abandoned by private companies who leave the state, or whoever cares, to foot the bill to fix them. The 1,154 abandoned in that time represent just a fraction of the total unplugged wells across the state. Reports from the Department of Environmental Protection estimate there are up to 560,000 of the wells statewide. The average cost to plug a well, per the DEP, was about $110,000 in 2024. In September of last year, the state secured more than $76 million from the federal government toward plugging wells. DEP funded efforts can also serve to unlock additional matching funds through the federal government.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Trump shutdown of chemical safety watchdog could mean ‘more explosions, more deaths’ in Cancer Alley
Tristan Baurick, Verite, 6/14/25
“On a summer night in 2023, an explosion at one of Louisiana’s biggest petrochemical complexes sent a plume of fire into the sky. More explosions followed as poison gas spewed from damaged tanks at the Dow chemical plant, triggering a shelter-in-place order for anyone within a half mile of the facility, which sprawls across more than 830 acres near Baton Rouge,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “For more than a year, a little-known government agency has been investigating the incident. But the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board will likely shut down before completing its probes of the Dow explosion and other such incidents across the country. President Donald Trump’s administration has quietly proposed shutting down the board, an independent federal agency charged with uncovering the causes of large-scale chemical accidents… “Eliminating the CSB will come at a cost to the safety of plant workers and neighboring communities, especially along the Gulf Coast, where the bulk of the U.S. petrochemical industry is concentrated, former CSB officials and environmental groups told the Illuminator. “Closing the CSB will mean more accidents at chemical plants, more explosions and more deaths,” Beth Rosenberg, a public health expert who served on the CSB board from 2013 to 2014, told the Illuminator. “This shows that the Trump administration does not care about frontline communities already burdened with this industry,” Roishetta Ozane, founder of the Vessel Project, an environmental justice group in Lake Charles, told the Illuminator. “We’re the ones who have to shelter in place or evacuate whenever there’s an explosion or (chemical) release, and now there will be less oversight when these things happen.”
EXTRACTION
Bloomberg: Big Business Is Abandoning Its Climate Goals
Ben Elgin, 6/13/25
“For years, many of the world’s largest companies have made bold-sounding commitments to help stave off the most devastating impacts of a rapidly overheating planet. In many cases, though, boardroom rhetoric far outpaced actual investments and actions. Now a reckoning is here,” Bloomberg reports. “With rampant backsliding on climate pledges, dozens of major companies have recently begun abandoning or weakening their targets. The consequences could be dire for a planet hurtling toward ecological disaster. Here’s a snapshot: Exxon Mobil - March 2018: The oil giant said it would achieve the “technical ability” to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuels per day by 2025. “Someday you might be calling me an energy farmer,” declared an Exxon scientist in one of many ads touting the pledge. February 2023 - The company quietly backed out of that goal after yanking funding for several algae research and development projects. “Algae still needs some more work,” said Vijay Swarup, senior director of climate strategy and technology.” BP - August 2020: The company said it would cut production of fossil fuels by 40% by 2030 while transitioning rapidly to renewables. “The world’s carbon budget is finite and running out fast,” then-Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney said. February 2025 - BP scaled back the goal in 2023 before ditching it altogether this year, with new CEO Murray Auchincloss saying the company had gone “too far, too fast.” The oil producer now plans to ramp up spending on oil and gas while investing far less in clean energy.” “...Shell - February 2021: The oil company vowed to cut the carbon intensity of the energy it sells by 45% by 2035. March 2024 - Shell canceled that target, blaming “uncertainty in the pace of change in the energy transition.”
Reuters: Mitsubishi Corp in talks for $8 billion US shale acquisition, source says
David French, 6/16/25
“Mitsubishi Corp is in talks to acquire the U.S. shale production and pipeline assets of Aethon Energy Management for roughly $8 billion, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday,” Reuters reports. “A deal would give the Japanese conglomerate a substantial natural gas operation adjacent to the U.S. Gulf coast and the energy export facilities being developed along it… “While the assets are owned and operated by U.S. energy-focused investment firm Aethon, fellow money managers RedBird Capital Partners and Canada's Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan also hold sizable stakes… “Mitsubishi is a major player in the global LNG sector, engaging across the full value chain - from upstream production to trading, marketing, and logistics. It holds equity in multiple LNG projects worldwide, including stakes in Malaysia, Oman, Australia, Russia, the U.S., and Canada, with total equity LNG production of about 13 million metric tons per year. The upstream assets of Aethon, which primarily focus on the Haynesville shale formation in Louisiana and East Texas, constitute one of the largest privately held U.S. gas producers.”
Financial Times: Norway launches full-scale industrial carbon capture project with billions in subsidies
Richard Milne, 6/17/25
“Norway has launched the world’s largest full-scale operation of industrial carbon capture and storage, ploughing billions of dollars of subsidies into the venture to trap the emissions of highly polluting products such as cement,” the Financial Times reports. “The first shipment of carbon dioxide left Heidelberg Materials’ plant in Brevik in southern Norway this month by ship, and will be injected in reservoirs under the North Sea in August by the Northern Lights consortium of oil groups: Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies. The cost of the Longship project for the first 10 years is estimated at NKr34bn ($3.4bn), of which the oil and gas rich Norwegian state is subsidising NKr22bn. It is set to store 5mn tonnes of carbon dioxide under the sea, a small fraction of the more than 2.5bn tonnes of emissions produced annually by the cement industry…”But critics contend that it is a costly process, difficult to scale and dependent on massive subsidies… “Norway is hoping that companies such as Equinor will help develop a series of pipelines across Europe to lower the cost of transporting carbon dioxide from emitting factories on the continent to the North Sea. Albert Rösti, Switzerland’s energy minister, told FT on Tuesday that CCS was “too expensive” for his landlocked country and that it would be the “last step” to meeting climate targets after easier measures such as cutting transport emissions.”
Oil Change International: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Norway’s most important climate measure or another Mongstad disaster?
6/17/25
“Longship, Norway’s flagship investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS), will be formally launched on 17th and 18th June 2025,” Oil Change International reports. “...The technology is immature and uncertain, requires huge (and increasing) subsidies and results in very modest emission reductions; CCS involves major risks for society and nature; and There are more effective solutions that Norway must focus on in order to fulfil its fair share of the Paris Agreement. Very unrealistic targets are being set for how much CCS can contribute to fulfilling Norway’s climate commitments. In reality, CCS plays a central role as greenwashing for the oil and gas industry and an excuse for the lack of climate change action. Instead of hoping for a technological miracle, the government should focus more on a real, just transition, which involves phasing out oil and gas, and other structural reforms, especially reduced consumption. Rising costs: The costs of Longship have already increased from 25.1 billion to 30 billion Norwegian kroner. The state is subsidising around two-thirds of these costs (up from 16.8 billion to 20 billion kroner), which could increase further, as they did at the failed CCS project at Mongstad, once described by then-prime minister as Norway’s “moonlanding,” over 10 years ago. Reduced emissions reductions: As part of measures to prevent further budget shortfalls, the expected capture rate at Klemetsrud has been reduced from 0.4 to 0.35 million tonnes of CO2 per year (Mt CO2 pa). Even these modest expectations are very optimistic. No CCS plant in the world has managed to capture more than 78% of the emissions of the facility to which the technology is connected and most projects capture far less. Immature technology: A new report from Cicero and WWF shows that several of the most important measures that Norway depends on to meet its climate goals are based on immature technologies, including CCS… “That is why the IEA has downgraded its CCS expectations by 40% in the net zero emissions scenario. According to research from Oxford, future climate scenarios with high levels of CCS will cost $30 trillion more than less CCS-dependent roadmaps. In a future with high levels of CCS, annual costs from continued emissions, air pollution, and increased energy needs could be $60-80 trillion globally… “CCS at the cement factory in Brevik will at best only capture half of the emissions. Therefore, additional measures are needed even if Norway invests in (very expensive) CCS technology.”
OPINION
The Iowa Standard: Sen. Salmon: Governor Vetoes Property Rights!
Sandy Salmon, 6/16/25
“Landowners and farmers in Iowa received a gut-punch on Wednesday when Governor Reynolds vetoed the private property rights legislation, HF 639, we fought so hard to get passed this last session! So very disappointing!,” Sandy Salmon writes for The Iowa Standard. “I thought we had a reasonably good chance she would sign it since it actually did get through the legislature and with a great amount of difficulty at that. So I was trying to be optimistic about it. But No, she vetoed it anyway. The U.S. Constitution and the Iowa Constitution both require a project be public use and this one is clearly not! This couldn’t be more wrong!!... “In my view the governor has chosen economic interests over the Constitution. That should never be! She has chosen the more powerful economic interests against the smaller economic interests. That is exactly what the 5th Amendment was designed to prevent. That’s why it is required a project be a public use, not a private use as this CO2 pipeline is… “Even if we had all the senators that voted for HF 639, which was 27, we would still need 7 more senators to get to the 34 needed to agree to call a special session to override her veto. Those 7 senators would have to come from the 22 senators that voted against HF 639. I can tell you with great certainty that they will not change their minds. They are dug in on this issue. Does this mean that Summit Carbon can go forward now and build the pipeline? No, they can’t… “In other words, in South Dakota, all sign-ups for easements by landowners must be voluntary. And they have not achieved that. Summit Carbon cannot get through South Dakota without using eminent domain and now it is against their law to do so… “We will definitely come back next legislative session to address the private property rights issue again… “In another lawsuit by Summit Carbon against 2 Iowa counties (Shelby and Story) with Summit saying the counties didn’t have authority to set safety or routing standards for the carbon pipeline, a 3-judge panel of the federal 8th Circuit has ruled 2-1 against Iowa counties and in favor of Summit. The counties are asking for an en banc review, which means all the judges of the 8th Circuit must weigh in with an opinion, not just three… “We are at a true watershed moment where we need to stand up and fight for our private property rights or risk losing them. The fight is taking place on all fronts: the state legislature, Congress, the courts, and public opinion! Just the size of this fight alone tells us this is a high-stakes fight: it’s economic interest, power, and influence versus long-held, God-given constitutional rights! And it’s far from over! We need all hands on deck to get informed and stand up for those rights!”
The Iowa Standard: Sen. Evans: Gov. Reynolds got it wrong with HF639 veto
Lynn Evans, 6/16/25
“One of the issues that I have heard about most often and most consistently throughout the past three years concerns the carbon capture pipelines and the potential use of eminent domain to complete the projects,” Lynn Evans writes for The Iowa Standard. “...If signed into law, this bill would have taken a step forward in protecting landowner property rights, an issue supported by nearly 80% of Iowans based on a recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll… “Unfortunately, this industry, and our corn producers, have been backed into a corner by unelected globalists and our own federal government… “The issue is fairly simple. It is not about the questionable science behind the climate change debate or whether a pipeline should be built. It’s not the sustainability of the ethanol industry and the short-term financial gains that come with tax credits involved. It’s not even about whether it makes sense to pump a potentially marketable product underground. The question is, “Should eminent domain be used to take property rights away from an individual to be given to another private party for economic development?”... “The pipelines are private, for profit projects. They do not serve a defined public purpose, as do utilities, public parks, or highways. As such, they should not be granted the use of eminent domain. These are NOT public projects. The June 11th veto was extremely disappointing. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Governor Reynolds and the work she has done for the state of Iowa. This one she got wrong.”
Plaquemine Post South: Iberville Parish could see benefit from carbon capture sequestration
John Ory Dupont, 6/17/25
“House Bill 548, sponsored by state Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, R-Fordoche, would allow for the dedication of revenue from carbon dioxide sequestration on state lands and water bottoms — a project that potentially could pump millions of dollars to Iberville Parish and other parishes,” John Ory Dupont writes for Plaquemine Post South. “The bill would mandate local governments receive 30 percent of the revenue when a carbon capture plant is built on state-owned land. Some of the projected revenue could go as high as $80 million to split between the four parish over the lifetime of the well.”
Livingston Parish News: Will Louisiana lead or lose in the carbon capture race?
Meghan Thacker, Consumer Energy Alliance, 6/17/25
“In the race to build a more competitive energy economy, carbon capture and storage is no longer a theory — it’s a race. And in that race, Texas is gaining fast on Louisiana,” Meghan Thacker writes for the Livingston Parish News.
Bloomberg: Carbon Capture Business Case Requires Showing Strategic Value
Charles McConnell, a former Assistant Secretary of Energy, serves as the executive director of the Center for Carbon Management in Energy at the University of Houston, 6/17/25
“The US Department of Energy recently canceled $3.7 billion in previously announced awards for low-carbon projects that the department declared were “not economically viable,” many of which involved carbon capture technologies. The narrative that immediately followed suggests major new headwinds for carbon capture. That simply isn’t the case,” Charles McConnell writes for Bloomberg. “It’s fashionable in Washington, D.C., to overreact to such announcements. And although this one may be a setback for some projects, it confirms that projects must deliver a strong business case and be commercially viable. We often hear carbon capture described as “carbon capture and storage,” or CCS. But for more than half a century, the business case for capturing CO2 has primarily been in the oilfield. Captured CO2 is injected into depleted oil wells to enhance the flow and bring more energy to the surface, a process known as enhanced oil recovery, or EOR. This is often described as “utilization” of CO2, which expands the acronym to CCUS. To commercially scale carbon capture, it must be CCUS. Why? Because in addition to greater oil production, each barrel produced through EOR has a 37% lower carbon intensity. That means producing more of the fuel that is foundational to a modern economy—and doing it right here in the US, with less pollution… “Thanks to the 45Q incentive, these projects have strategic value to investors and are supported by paying customers… “As the recent award cancellations from DOE indicate, however, the days of the federal government simply handing out money are over. This isn’t to say all the projects impacted by the cancellations lacked viability. But moving forward, applicants for federal dollars need to better separate themselves from projects that are built solely around such grants. With EOR, the differentiated story is obvious: the additional value creation of producing more US energy while also ensuring CO2 is captured and stored instead of emitted… “We must challenge ourselves to build projects that have strategic value for investors and customers who desire what CCUS can deliver. Government handouts aren’t a business case.”
Calgary Herald: Smith ally Premier Scott Moe says he won't kiss Quebec's butt for a pipeline
Rick Bell, 6/17/25
“...Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are on stage. After a lot of oil and gas chatter, Smith tells us most Canadians now back oil and gas pipelines, including in Quebec. There is acceptance for pipelines, even in Quebec,” Rick Bell writes for the Calgary Herald. “...Enter Premier Moe, who sings from a similar songsheet to Smith, most of the time. He sees a somewhat different opportunity… “I’m in violent disagreement with Danielle when it comes to lobbying Quebec for a pipeline.” “...The crowd laughs some more and Moe singles out Quebec and the need to build pipelines. “Let’s get this other one built. If they want one they can come get in line and we’ll build them one when we get to it,” says Moe. “I’m done with that conversation.” “Let’s get one to the west coast. Let’s get one to the south.” To hell with Quebec. There has been far too much talk about Quebec and will they or won’t they accept an east-west pipeline going through their province.”