EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 6/22/26
PIPELINE NEWS
Roanoke Times: County contradiction halts Mountain Valley Pipeline compressor station permit
Alaska Beacon: Alaska House rejects Senate’s LNG gas line bill, lawmakers say negotiations will continue
Inside Climate News: Greenpeace’s Dutch Anti-SLAPP Case Against Oil Pipeline Giant Advances
New York Post: Gut punch for Sable Offshore as California court rules in favor of Coastal Commission on oil pipeline
The Cool Down: ‘Another dirty, expensive pipeline’: New York residents protest Enbridge’s ‘Project Beacon’
CBS News: 3 companies cited for violations following East Los Angeles oil spill
The Astorian: Oil spill: $2.5 million to Port of Astoria
UC Now: Enbridge Pipeline Project Reaches Seventy Percent Completion
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Summit Midstream extends open season on Double E
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Alaska Beacon: Federal government appeals decision that blocked oil drilling in Alaska caribou protection area
E&E News: US data centers’ electricity use could double by 2030, DOE lab says
Axios: Conservatives plan nationwide protest against AI data centers
E&E News: US pushes World Bank climate target to the brink
E&E News: NSF retreats on ocean monitoring cuts after Capitol Hill revolt
Inside Climate News: Trump Administration’s Coal Investments Breathe New Life Into Plants With Repeated Violations
STATE UPDATES
Press release: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Calls for a Pause on New Data Center Development in Virginia
WTOV: Proposed Tri-State Energy Hub gas plant, carbon capture plan draws concern in Saline Towns
E+E Leader: DOE Awards $18.5M for WV Coal and Carbon Capture Campus
E&E News: Texas regulators urged to revise oil wastewater plan
Pine Barrens Tribune: Southampton Residents Call Newspaper with Complaints of Oil Spill, Which They Claim Was Being Kept ‘Hush-Hush’
Spectrum News: Ocean Month: Offshore oil drilling debate continues [VIDEO]
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: Final decision on Bay du Nord set for early 2027 as estimated oil reserves grow
Upstream: Northern Lights chief ‘cautiously optimistic’ on CCS outlook
DeSmog: Drilling in the Mouth of the Amazon: How Brazil’s Oil Giant Is Drowning Out Critics
OPINION
The Alpena News: My written comments to EGLE on Line 5
NOLA.com: Anti-carbon capture forces emboldened by Beaver Lake project cancellation
The New Republic: Trump Hit Oil and Gas Harder Than Climate Policy Ever Could
PIPELINE NEWS
Roanoke Times: County contradiction halts Mountain Valley Pipeline compressor station permit
Ethan Hunt, 6/19/26
“The permitting process for Mountain Valley Pipeline’s planned compressor station has ground to a halt because of a discrepancy between a form Montgomery County submitted and a resolution the Board of Supervisors passed last year,” the Roanoke Times reports. “Although county officials maintain they do not have regulatory authority over the 136,900-horsepower facility that would pump gas through MVP’s mainline, their actions have nonetheless halted the project, at least temporarily… “Activists have called the planned Swann Compressor Station in Montgomery County an environmental hazard for vulnerable communities living nearby, while regional business leaders support its construction… “Less than two months later, the county passed a resolution stating that “the Board of Supervisors hereby oppose the Boost Project from being located in the Elliston Community” — directly contradicting the form previously submitted to DEQ. Supervisors passed the resolution after nearby residents and activists petitioned the board, arguing that the only evacuation route for residents closest to the compressor station is frequently blocked by trains and that, should an emergency related to the facility arise, they would be trapped. The resolution also asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the primary authority over the interstate project, to conduct an impartial environmental impact study. It stated that supervisors opposed the project until the study was completed… “A DEQ spokesperson said the discrepancy falls to MVP to resolve and that, if it can do so, the company would have to resubmit its application. “Currently, DEQ does not have sufficient information regarding site suitability to continue to process the permit. If MVP can resolve the discrepancy, they can resubmit their permit application,” the spokesperson told the Times.”
Alaska Beacon: Alaska House rejects Senate’s LNG gas line bill, lawmakers say negotiations will continue
Corinne Smith, 6/20/26
“The Alaska House of Representatives on Saturday rejected a Senate-drafted multibillion-dollar tax break for a proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project, as members of the House declined to abandon a different proposal they drafted,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “...At issue is the size and scope of a tax break for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project, known as Alaska LNG… “The Senate revised the bill, reducing the size of the tax break and passed a variety of changes on Friday, with a smaller tax break on the gas tax, known as the alternative volumetric gas tax, and a plan for gradual increases in tax over time. Senators also included a variety of changes to the bill, including a previously contentious provision voted down by the House this spring to levy corporate income taxes on privately-owned oil and gas companies that currently do not pay them. That would apply to Hilcorp and Glenfarne, the company developing the LNG project… “Late Friday night, Gov. Mike Dunleavy voiced objections to the Senate’s version of the bill, saying there were “serious questions about all the amendments.” “...The governor and members of the House were particularly opposed to the corporate income tax provision.” “...If legislators do not adjourn early, the new special session is set to end on July 19.”
Inside Climate News: Greenpeace’s Dutch Anti-SLAPP Case Against Oil Pipeline Giant Advances
Dana Drugmand, 6/21/26
“A lawsuit filed by Greenpeace International against the U.S.-based fossil fuel company Energy Transfer in the Netherlands is moving forward after a Dutch court recently ruled in favor of the environmental organization in rejecting the company’s bid to toss out the case,” Inside Climate News reports. “...The case was filed in Amsterdam District Court claiming that Energy Transfer’s lawsuit against Greenpeace International in North Dakota was baseless and designed to silence and punish its opponents. The case also points to an initial federal racketeering lawsuit that Energy Transfer tried to bring against Greenpeace but was dismissed, arguing that the pipeline company has engaged in harassment and defamation that amount to torts under Dutch law… “There may be an outright conflict between the two courts in the two cases, or there may not. This is uncharted territory,” Patrick Parenteau, emeritus professor of law at Vermont Law and Graduate School, told ICN… “The case in North Dakota, meanwhile, continues to grind on as Greenpeace seeks to get the jury verdict overturned. Greenpeace ally EarthRights International argues in a new report that there is a strong case to be made for overturning it, saying that the suit brought against Greenpeace was a SLAPP and that the trial and resulting verdict were manifestly unfair… “Parenteau noted that Greenpeace likely faces an uphill battle in trying to get the jury verdict nullified in North Dakota or even with the U.S. Supreme Court. “It looks awfully difficult to set the verdict aside completely,” he told ICN… “If there is no new trial and the appeal is unsuccessful, that would then [mean] bankruptcies looming for Greenpeace U.S. entities,” Simons told ICN. “But of course we’re not there yet.”
New York Post: Gut punch for Sable Offshore as California court rules in favor of Coastal Commission on oil pipeline
Daniel Farr, 6/21/26
“A California appeals court has delivered a major setback to efforts to bring more domestic oil production back online, siding with state regulators in a high-stakes fight over a key pipeline network that connects offshore platforms in Santa Barbara County to refineries outside the region,” the New York Post reports. “The California Second District Court of Appeal this week upheld an injunction obtained by the California Coastal Commission against Sable Offshore Corp., ruling the agency acted within its authority when it issued cease-and-desist orders targeting pipeline work along the Gaviota Coast… “The appeals court rejected that claim, finding the lower court “afforded Sable a full and fair opportunity to propound its case.” “...Additional lawsuits tied to Sable’s production restart remain pending, while Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge has warned alleged violations are ongoing and indicated the agency could pursue further enforcement actions, including additional cease-and-desist orders and penalties.”
The Cool Down: ‘Another dirty, expensive pipeline’: New York residents protest Enbridge’s ‘Project Beacon’
James Nanzo, 6/20/26
“Enbridge’s new “Project Beacon” pipeline plan is facing opposition in Peekskill, New York, where residents and local officials say it would revive a project their communities have already rejected, the River Journal reported,” according to The Cool Down. “Speakers at a rally argued that “Project Beacon” is not a fresh proposal but a rebrand of a failed one, as the outlet detailed… “Critics say Enbridge first advanced a similar expansion in 2023 under the name “Project Maple,” and they credit residents and elected leaders with helping defeat it. They contend the new version would boost gas volumes on the Algonquin Gas Transmission line and move more fracked gas into New York and nearby states, as River Journal reported. Opponents mounted a series of attacks on the proposal… “The River Journal reported local advocates are trying to stop the project early, before it moves beyond the solicitation stage. That strategy worked against Project Maple, and opponents hope public pressure can do the same again.”
CBS News: 3 companies cited for violations following East Los Angeles oil spill
Matthew Rodriguez, 6/18/26
“The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued notices of violation to three companies following last month’s oil spill in East Los Angeles,” CBS News reports. “About 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the Los Angeles River on May 22 after construction crews damaged a 16-inch pipeline while drilling for a fiber optic line near Cesar Chavez and Eastern Avenues, according to AQMD… “As a result, inspectors issued the notices requiring the companies to take voluntary actions to reduce emissions. Notices of violation can lead to civil lawsuits if a company fails to remedy the violations. AQMD issued the notices to the following companies: Camarillo Drilling, which performed the drilling operations. Arcadian Infracom, the project management company that oversaw the fiber optic installation HP Communications, the contractor responsible for installing the fiber optic lines.”
The Astorian: Oil spill: $2.5 million to Port of Astoria
Jay Corella, 6/18/26
“Oil spilled out of an abandoned underwater fuel line and into the Columbia River near the Port of Astoria’s Pier 2 on May 29,” The Astorian reports. “As soon as the oil was detected that day and for several more days, lasting over the weekend, clean up efforts moved into high gear, with the help of port workers, the U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality and a contractor, GrayMar Environmental Services. By noon on June 1, the leak had been contained, said Will Isom, the port’s executive director. At Tuesday’s port commission meeting, officials announced the cost for the oil spill containment and cleanup is estimated to be $2.5 million. “For the education of the audience, $2.5 million is a huge setback for the port,” said Commission President Dirk Rohne… “Because getting a $2.5 million surprise like this over pipes (that) haven’t been in use for close to five decades … is just unfortunate.” “...We don’t have a specific fund for this,” said Isom. “Obviously, we have an insurance policy that’s going to cover a portion of the cost, but the sheer number outpaces what the port can handle from an operational standpoint.”
UC Now: Enbridge Pipeline Project Reaches Seventy Percent Completion
Graham Noble, 6/21/26
“Enbridge is nearing the final stages of its 122-mile natural gas pipeline expansion as construction reaches approximately 70 percent completion,” UC Now reports. “...Haskins said the construction process involves multiple phases including clearing, grading, stringing pipe, welding, and ditching. Haskins said crews are currently working in 36 different areas along the route, with pipe already strung and welded in the areas north and east of Cookeville and Algood. “There’s been some tremendous amounts of of rain especially in the eastern portion of of the project and just the challenges of building lateral infrastructure across miles and miles of land,” Haskins said… “Haskins said initial restoration work has already begun on approximately 14 percent of the project area.”
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Summit Midstream extends open season on Double E
Mella McEwen, 6/20/26
“Growing demand to move natural gas and crude oil has prompted Summit Midstream to expand two of its key platforms,” according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “The company has executed two new long-term firm transportation agreements totaling 150 million cubic feet per day of natural gas on its Double E pipeline, which transports natural gas from the Delaware Basin to the Waha Hub… “Summit has extended the open season on Double E to June 30, citing significant inbound interest and advanced discussions with multiple shippers in excess of available expansion capacity. The company also expects to make a final investment decision on Double E compression expansion by the end of summer… “In its other key growth platform, the Williston Basin, Summit has executed a new crude gathering agreement with a producer in Divide County, North Dakota. The agreement includes a 40,000-acre area of dedication contiguous to Summit’s existing Polar and Divide systems. Summit expects to connect 15 four-mile lateral wells associated with the agreement by the end of 2026.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Alaska Beacon: Federal government appeals decision that blocked oil drilling in Alaska caribou protection area
James Brooks, 6/19/26
“The federal government is continuing to push for oil drilling in a North Slope conservation area intended to protect caribou,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “Last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason that blocked oil and gas lease sales in part of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska near Teshekpuk Lake.. “More than 1 million acres near the lake had been protected under a conservation agreement with a Native coalition known as Nuiqsut Trilateral. The Trump administration canceled the agreement in December, ahead of an oil lease sale in March. Parties to the agreement sued, saying the cancellation was illegal, and Gleason preliminarily ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, placing the area off limits to oil and gas leasing while the case goes forward.”
E&E News: US data centers’ electricity use could double by 2030, DOE lab says
Christa Marshall, 6/22/26
“Data centers could more than double their share of U.S. power and account for 9.5 to 15 percent of electricity use by decade’s end, according to a new analysis backed by the Department of Energy,” E&E News reports. “...The lab is extending its estimates of data center electricity use by two years from 2028 to 2030, suggesting that the AI facilities could use about 11.8 percent of U.S. electricity overall. The range of 9.5 percent to 15.3 percent considers variations such as the forecast number of installed AI chips and the amount of idle power in AI servers… “Data centers now use roughly 4.5 percent of U.S. electricity, but they are expected to constitute more than 40 percent of demand growth in the next five years, according to Goldman Sachs and other researchers.”
Axios: Conservatives plan nationwide protest against AI data centers
Ashley Gold, 6/18/26
“A conservative group seeking stricter rules on AI is organizing a day of protest against data centers across the country next month, the group told Axios exclusively. “...Humans First, a conservative organization that says it is fighting for an “America First AI policy,” is planning a “Nationwide Day of Protest” against what it describes as the “unchecked expansion of AI data centers” on July 18. The group said rallies are currently set for at least 13 locations across Georgia, California, Texas, Florida and Virginia… “I was one of the earliest leaders of the Tea Party movement in 2009, and I can tell you that the disconnect between the elites and the base that gave rise to the Tea Party movement can be seen today in the battle over AI data centers,” Amy Kremer, chair of Humans First, told Axios… “A website advertising the rallies lists what it sees as the dangers of data centers: secrecy, water use, air pollution, national security, energy, land use and noise.”
E&E News: US pushes World Bank climate target to the brink
Sara Schonhardt, 6/22/26
“The fate of a World Bank climate target is hanging in the balance as the Trump administration pressures the institution to jettison what it calls a “distortionary” and “nonsensical” policy,” E&E News reports. “The bank pledged three years ago to devote 45 percent of its funding to climate-related projects by 2025. It exceeded that goal by directing $39.2 billion, or 48 percent of its financing last year, to projects with climate benefits. It came as the Trump administration has called on the institution to abandon the target and increase the number of natural gas projects in its portfolio. Now, the bank is confronted with difficult choices as it races toward the climate target’s expiration on June 30, with management leaving the issue in the hands of the bank’s board of directors, three people who were granted anonymity to talk about internal discussions told E&E… “The U.S. holds sway over the bank’s decisions as its largest shareholder, making it vulnerable to the Trump administration’s wide-ranging efforts to dismantle climate programs. In April, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent maligned the bank’s focus on climate finance initiatives, which he argued had weakened its efforts to reduce poverty and boost economic growth.”
E&E News: NSF retreats on ocean monitoring cuts after Capitol Hill revolt
Jennifer Yachnin, 6/18/26
“The Trump administration announced Thursday it would reverse course on plans to dismantle a major ocean observation program, bowing to pressure from congressional lawmakers,” E&E News reports. “The National Science Foundation issued an unsigned statement indicating it will terminate its plan to disband 80 percent of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, and will reinstall equipment already removed from waters in the Pacific Northwest… “Effective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance,” the statement said, pointing to “concerns raised by the range of stakeholders.” “...Both Senate and House lawmakers inked separate letters Monday directing NSF to terminate its plans and maintain its $368 million array of instruments in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.”
Inside Climate News: Trump Administration’s Coal Investments Breathe New Life Into Plants With Repeated Violations
Ajani Stella, 6/18/26
“In 2023, after years of pollution, equipment failures and health concerns, the Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee was slated to close within the decade,” Inside Climate News reports. “The coal-fired plant had been part of a multibillion-dollar settlement in 2011 after its operator, the Tennessee Valley Authority, failed to install pollution control technology a decade earlier. Regulators cited the plant for more air-pollution violations in 2017 and 2023. TVA said it would shutter Cumberland’s units in 2026 and 2028. Then the Trump administration replaced four of TVA’s board members, and the agency reneged on its retirement plan in February. Now, TVA has a federal pledge for $46 million to extend Cumberland’s lifespan—part of a nationwide push by President Donald Trump to keep older coal plants running. Cumberland is one of at least three of the 12 plants receiving the Department of Energy grants that have been repeatedly cited for violating the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or both, an Inside Climate News review found… For Angie Mummaw, a local organizer who lives eight miles from the Cumberland plant, the decision to keep it open was a “slap in the face” and the grant wasn’t welcome news, either. “I feel like it’s a step backwards when we should be investing in clean energy, in new technology, and moving away from the fossil fuel industry,” Mummaw, who is the Middle Tennessee organizer for Appalachian Voices, an environmental group, told ICN.”
STATE UPDATES
Press release: Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Calls for a Pause on New Data Center Development in Virginia
6/18/26
“Last week the Virginia House of Delegates, and more recently the State Senate, released budget proposals that fail to meet the moment—and fail the Virginians demanding action on unchecked data center development. The House’s plan to hand the issue to a commission for further study is a non-starter at a time when red and blue states across the country are already moving. And the Senate’s alternative, a tax on dirty generators, ignores the litany of other energy and environmental harms data centers bring. Today, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter joins groups across the Commonwealth in support of a temporary pause on the issuance of all data center-related state permits and local approvals of data centers in Virginia. Connor Kish, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter said, “Until the legislature takes its role seriously and implements standards that, at a minimum, place clean energy requirements on Big Tech companies, eliminate the use of on-site diesel backup power, ban the use of on-site fossil fuel generation, and configure a cost and tax structure that doesn’t hurt Virginians wallets to the tune of billions of dollars, there is no reason for the continued approval of any additional projects.”
WTOV: Proposed Tri-State Energy Hub gas plant, carbon capture plan draws concern in Saline Towns
Hannah Hayes, 6/19/26
“A proposed natural gas power plant paired with a carbon capture and storage project is drawing both interest and concern in Saline Township, where Tenaska officials outlined plans for what the company is now calling the Tri-State Energy Hub,” WTOV reports. “...Tenaska company officials said they have been in talks with Jefferson County commissioners and studying the area for a carbon capture project since 2022. Since the beginning of this year, they have also been considering adding a gas power plant at the site… “Some nearby residents have raised questions about potential noise, water usage and the long-term impact of the facility on the community. John Sciance, a resident who lives on County Road 68 about two miles from the potential plant, said he sees potential benefits but remains concerned. “It’d be nice to have jobs in this area for the young people, really would,” Sciance said. “I just don’t want it to be bad for the environment, you know, that’s my concern.” Tenaska said the proposed injection wells would operate for about 30 years, followed by 50 years of post-injection monitoring.”
E+E Leader: DOE Awards $18.5M for WV Coal and Carbon Capture Campus
6/18/26
“The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected the TerraSpark Energy Campus for up to $18.5 million in federal funding to support front-end engineering and design (FEED), permitting, and early technical studies for a proposed 1.6-gigawatt (GW) coal-fired power facility integrated with next-generation carbon capture technology,” E+E Leader reports. “...Mantel’s molten borate carbon capture system is designed, according to the company, to capture up to 98% of CO2 emissions while reducing the energy required for capture by more than 97% compared to current technologies, at less than half the cost per tonne of today’s leading approaches. These performance claims are based on company projections and have not yet been independently verified at commercial scale… “At full buildout, TerraSpark says the campus would support nearly 500 permanent jobs and hundreds of additional construction positions.”
E&E News: Texas regulators urged to revise oil wastewater plan
Mike Lee, 6/22/26
“Oil and environmental groups are asking Texas regulators to revamp a regulation intended to help the oil and gas sector dispose of its massive wastewater flow,” E&E News reports. “The state Legislature passed a law last year giving the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality more authority over the oil industry’s stream of salty, chemical-laden waste known as produced water. The law deals specifically with using the waste on land after it has been cleaned up, including for crop irrigation. TCEQ’s regulation could be finalized in October, as officials seek to open up new paths to address growing concerns about how to handle waste from the oil patch. The commission’s plan calls for treated produced water from an oil field to be regulated under the same rules that apply to domestic wastewater, such as the treated water discharged from sewage plants. At a hearing last week, speakers said the commission should create rules specifically for oil and gas waste.”
Pine Barrens Tribune: Southampton Residents Call Newspaper with Complaints of Oil Spill, Which They Claim Was Being Kept ‘Hush-Hush’
Douglas D. Melegari, 6/18/26
“A number of complaints have been made to this newspaper that local officials were allegedly keeping it “hush-hush” that there was an oil spill recently on a township road that has reportedly required frequent, random closures of the road for extended periods of time to conduct remediation efforts,” the Pine Barrens Tribune reports. “...Another provided this newspaper with a picture they took of the overturned oil tanker, apparently belonging to Allen’s Oil and Propane. Prior to the residents contacting this newspaper, no press releases were provided by any agencies to this newspaper detailing that any sort of oil spill had happened… “In response, County Spokesman David Levinsky informed this newspaper, “A team from the Burlington County Health Department responded to a report of an overturned tanker carrying home heater oil on May 5, 2026. Upon arrival, they confirmed the truck had leaked approximately 300 gallons of oil. Immediate abatement actions were taken to contain and clean up the spill.” One resident claimed to this newspaper last week, however, that the oil was untouched for more than a week since the spill first happened, and that when he inquired about its status with the township, he was told that the delay in remediation was because a permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) was needed and there was a wait for one.”
Spectrum News: Ocean Month: Offshore oil drilling debate continues [VIDEO]
Maryssa Rillo, 6/19/26
“On the 11th anniversary of the Refugio Oil Spill, dozens of people paddled out into the ocean to protest offshore oil drilling. While they argue offshore oil drilling threatens the ocean and coastal communities, the Trump administration says the risks of another spill are low,” Spectrum News reports.
EXTRACTION
Canadian Press: Final decision on Bay du Nord set for early 2027 as estimated oil reserves grow
Sarah Smellie, 6/18/26
“Equinor has told investors it will decide in early 2027 whether it will proceed with its proposed Bay du Nord oil project off the east coast of Newfoundland,” the Canadian Press reports. “Geir Tungesvik, an executive vice-president with the Norwegian energy company, described Bay du Nord as a “basin opener” with a reserve of 550 million barrels of recoverable oil. That’s up from recent estimates of 430 million barrels, and nearly double initial estimates of 300 million barrels… “Bay du Nord would be the first deepwater oil development in Canada, and it would be about 500 kilometres from shore — farther from land than any other oil project on the globe.”
Upstream: Northern Lights chief ‘cautiously optimistic’ on CCS outlook
Davide Ghilotti, 6/22/26
“The boss of northern Europe’s main operating carbon capture and storage project said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the sector’s prospects,” Upstream reports. “Norway project shows carbon management full value chain in operation, said Tim Heijn.”
DeSmog: Drilling in the Mouth of the Amazon: How Brazil’s Oil Giant Is Drowning Out Critics
TJ Jordan and Maria Clara Parente, 6/17/26
“...When one of our buoys breaks loose up there in the north, the Geral wind brings the buoy to the shore. It could bring the oil here, in the event of a spill.” Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. “He’s speaking the truth,” nodded one woman to her neighbour,” DeSmog reports. “...Petrobras employees, economist Bruna Simão, and oceanographer Nãnashaira Medeiros Siqueira had just given a presentation on the company’s plans to explore for oil in the Foz do Amazonas — part of a wider campaign to reassure coastal communities in northeastern Brazil that the industry will do them no harm. By the time Bastos had shared his concerns that the project could disrupt traditional fishing practices and cause a potentially catastrophic oil spill, the audience’s whispers had turned into roars of support. It was a rare win for local drilling opponents against Petrobras’ PR juggernaut. From hiring Gen-Z influencers, film stars, and pop icons, to splashing its green, white, and yellow logo on projects to conserve mangroves and humpback whales, Petrobras has rapidly scaled up its PR activity since it began to acquire sole ownership rights to oil blocks in Foz do Amazonas in 2020, an investigation published today by DeSmog in partnership with Brazilian magazine piauí shows. Corporate documents and data, obtained via freedom of information (FOI) requests and public transparency disclosures, combined with dozens of on-the-ground interviews, give the first comprehensive account of the company’s’ strategy to counter growing opposition from coastal communities and environmental advocates to its drilling plans.”
OPINION
The Alpena News: My written comments to EGLE on Line 5
Greg Awtry, 6/20/26
“The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes Energy (EGLE) has a once in a lifetime decision to make, a decision that could affect all Michiganders who appreciate our Great Lakes, a decision that will have dire consequences for those involved in Great Lakes from commercial shipping and fishing, to tourism, recreation and preservation in the Great Lakes State of Michigan,” Greg Awtry writes for The Alpena News. “Yes, EGLE has only one chance to get it right, and that decision that is irreversible, but should be a simple one and could be made in five minutes if they live up to their very reason they were created in the first place… “Enbridge brags about how it has done all the work to build a safe tunnel, but they haven’t... “Again, the decision to put a risky oil pipeline under the Straits goes against everything EGLE was created to do. Why are they stalling? And has EGLE even taken time to look at Enbridge’s environmental record? Well, I have. According to Violations Tracker, since 2000 Enbridge has had 109 environmental violations. That averages out to one every three months for the last 25 years. They have been fined nearly $300 million dollars for those violations. So aside from all the other reasons EGLE should deny the permit, one look at their record shows EGLE should never allow a corporation with that record anywhere near the Great Lakes. I will toss in one final reason the permit should be denied. Who owns the Straits of Mackinac and the bottom lands under the water? We do, the people of Michigan… “Deny the permit. You only get one chance to get this right. Enbridge can move a pipeline. We cannot move the Great Lakes.”
NOLA.com: Anti-carbon capture forces emboldened by Beaver Lake project cancellation
Faimon Roberts, 6/19/26
“Has Louisiana’s anti-carbon capture insurgency notched its first win? That depends on who you ask,” Faimon Roberts writes for NOLA.com. “On June 12, SunGas Renewables, a Houston-based energy company that was converting an abandoned paper mill in Pineville into a $2.4 billion plant to produce wood-based clean fuels, announced it would halt work on the site… “The project included a carbon capture and sequestration component. In a statement, company brass said the decision to walk away was based on several factors, including demand for the maritime fuels the company produces, financing, regulatory concerns and “uncertainty regarding the carbon capture and storage pathway.” “...The passing reference to “uncertainty” was enough for CCS opponents, an ideology-bending alliance of left-leaning environmentalists and property-rights conservatives. Those folks, many of whom live in Central Louisiana, have packed public meetings and kept up a steady online cadence against CCS for much of the past two years… “Politically, the potential fallout could prove much more interesting. CCS opponents, who have never been shy about making their feelings heard, will now be further emboldened. With one victory, real or imagined, in hand, they will certainly go look for another. Their biggest hurdle, though, is in Baton Rouge. Apart from a few legislators from the region, few lawmakers have been willing to come out against CCS… “Regardless of how the topic plays out in this Senate race, the issue and the furor around it are not going away, even if there are many in state government who would like to see it buried deep underground.”
The New Republic: Trump Hit Oil and Gas Harder Than Climate Policy Ever Could
Kate Aronoff, 6/18/26
“...One clear takeaway from all this is that oil markets can put up with a lot more disruption than even top oil executives claimed,” Kate Aronoff writes for The New Republic. “...Ironically, it took one of the world’s biggest coal, oil, and gas enthusiasts—Donald Trump—to trigger “the largest fossil fuel capital annihilation event in history,” as French philosopher Pierre Charbonnier called it in the first month of the Iran war. Comparing Trump’s actions with the visions of climate advocates is grimly instructive. No climate law or treaty promised to knock out even a fraction of the supplies that were taken offline during the Iran war. Drillers nevertheless persisted in warning that the sky would fall if climate policymakers got their way, explaining that they had a moral duty to satisfy surging fossil fuel demand in fast-growing Asian countries… “If there is a silver lining to be found in the last few months, it’s that middle- and low-income countries are increasingly seeing the fossil fueled development that Exxon and Aramco have tied their futures to as a bad bet for energy security. If the Strait of Hormuz does reopen—and supplies gradually come back online in the coming months and years—the International Energy Agency predicts that newly accessible supplies of oil will overwhelm demand. For a Trump administration more committed than ever to drill, baby, drill, that could spell disaster for its favorite industry, tanking margins for smaller and midsize producers who need higher global prices in order to break even on pricier, unconventional drilling… “He has pushed countries long considered new sources of fossil fuel demand to embrace electrification instead. He has imposed tariffs that make production more expensive. And he has needlessly exhausted the reserves that have helped oil producers stave off a consumer revolt. Fossil fuel executives in the United States aren’t complaining about Trump because they are right-wing, and because he says lots of nice things about them. Windfall war profits won’t change the fact that he’s done more enduring damage to their industry than Biden’s most enterprising climate hawks.”