EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/10/25
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: New York pipeline foes allege Trump ‘shakedown’
Staten Island Advance: Staten Islanders expected to pay for new pipeline that won’t bring them gas
E&E News: Energy Transfer escalates pipeline court fight
Pipeline Safety Trust: PHMSA Appears to Violate Transparency Law
National Post: How a new Carney-backed pipeline could spoil Trump's plans for Canada's oil
FOX Business: Canada's new pipeline proposal could 'die a slow death,' former energy secretary warns [VIDEO]
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Chesapeake, AEP to Build $10 Million Ohio Gas Pipeline for Data-Center Power
Pipeline Technology Journal: Japan’s Sumitomo Backs Major UK Carbon Capture Pipeline Project
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: GOP sees chance to revive provisions in new megabill
E&E News: Republicans revive CRA to strike down Biden land use plan
Heatmap: What’s Left of the LPO After the One Big Beautiful Bill?
OK Energy Today: Interior Proposes Updates to Commingling Rules to Boost Energy Production and Efficiency
Washington Post: How conservatives beat back a Republican sell-off of public lands
E&E News: Interior implements Trump’s essay requirement in federal hiring
E&E News: Dem AGs urge court to restore frozen EPA climate money
National Law Review: NEPA in Flux: NEPA’s Regulatory Retreat, the Rise of Agency Discretion, and Expedited NEPA for a Fee
Press release: Failing the “Climate Test”: LNG Projects Awaiting Final Investment Decision Do Not Stand Up to U.S. Government Analysis
STATE UPDATES
AN17: Lawmakers host July 15 town hall meeting on carbon capture project
WKRN: Secretary of Agriculture signals getting involved in potential power plant in Cheatham County
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: BLM announces September 2025 sale of oil and gas leases in Wyoming
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US to produce less oil in 2025 than previously expected amid declining prices, EIA says
Reuters: US natgas output and demand to hit record highs in 2025, before sliding in 2026, EIA says
Reuters: Oil giant Saudi Aramco in talks with Commonwealth LNG for offtake agreement, sources say
Carbon Herald: EU Puts Carbon Capture At The Heart Of Hydrogen’s Future
OPINION
Utility Dive: PHMSA grants work for America. Let’s keep them funded.
Evergreen Action: Here’s How Republicans’ New Federal Budget Affects You
Reuters: Canada maps out widening strait to LNG riches
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis: Carbon capture delusion risks diverting South Australia from green iron and steel
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: New York pipeline foes allege Trump ‘shakedown’
Mike Soraghan, 7/10/25
“Opposition is growing over a revived natural gas pipeline project that would run into New York City, and critics say President Donald Trump’s heavy-handed intervention has made the plan vulnerable to a legal takedown,” E&E News reports. “The line of attack raises the prospect that Trump’s transactional method of operating — and a White House boast — could be used to challenge the Northeast Supply Enhancement project and another gas project Trump wants built: the Constitution pipeline. “In a normal era, this would be a Watergate-level scandal. I’m actually shocked that everyone acknowledges the basic factual timeline, but yet most people just shrug and move on,” Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy and Climate Program, told E&E… “The Natural Resources Defense Council is seeking to slow the project, arguing to FERC that Williams cannot simply resurrect the permit. Instead, NRDC said, the company needs to start over with a new application. “Transco cites zero relevant support for its contention that a dead certificate can be shocked back to life in these circumstances,” the organization said in a protest filed with FERC. And more than 500 people have registered for formal “intervenor” status with FERC, amid encouragement from environmental groups and opposed local governments… “Hochul has not approved either pipeline proposal and told Newsday she made no deal to do so. But Slocum still thinks something about the situation smells rotten. It’s “the product of an unseemly, tawdry political shakedown involving unlawful abuse of powers by the Trump Administration and the State of New York,” Slocum said in his protest filing… “In his protest, Slocum specifically cited the White House boast that Hochul “caved” under pressure from Trump as reason for FERC to reject NESE. “A pipeline project that is the subject of a lurid political shakedown cannot be granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity because its association with such sordid acts violates the public interest,” he wrote.
Staten Island Advance: Staten Islanders expected to pay for new pipeline that won’t bring them gas
Paul Liotta, 7/10/25
“A utility company expects Staten Islanders to help pay for a new pipeline even though it’s not planned to directly improve their energy service, the Staten Island Advance reports. “National Grid estimates that all its customers in the five boroughs and on Long Island will see a 3.5% bill increase to help pay for the $1 billion Northeast Supply Enhancement project, which includes an underwater pipeline running along the south and east shores of Staten Island. Despite the generalized costs, the direct benefits will be localized with the gas being used for energy services in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, according to a July 2 notice from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. National Grid has justified this disparity by claiming the increased energy supply will help reduce electricity costs for all New Yorkers… “When first proposed in 2018, a city environmental activist group led a campaign against the [Northeast Supply Enhancement] project that included public forums on Staten Island. “Our collective position is that [the pipeline] will be horrible for the New York bay. It’s back to being what it once was, as healthy as it’s ever been; the whales are back and this pipeline puts this at risk,” Noelle Picone, a campaign volunteer, said at the time. During the last go-round, a spokesperson for Williams Partners downplayed the project’s impact, but the company did not receive a needed approval from New York state… “President Donald Trump has been engaged in an ongoing push to bring the Northeast Supply Enhancement project back online along with another upstate natural gas pipeline, which is also a Williams Partners project.”
E&E News: Energy Transfer escalates pipeline court fight
Mike Soraghan, 7/10/25
“One of the country’s biggest pipeline companies is expanding its challenge to the way the federal government’s pipeline safety regulations are enforced, saying the current system is unconstitutional,” E&E News reports. “Dallas-based Energy Transfer says the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s in-house enforcement system deprives it of the right to a jury trial when it is accused of violations. The company filed its latest legal challenge Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. “Congress impermissibly delegated legislative power to the Department of Transportation and PHMSA, necessarily rendering any enforcement proceeding arising under the Pipeline Safety Act null and void,” Energy Transfer said in a filing submitted by George Kryder of the Vinson & Elkins law firm. If the company is successful in forcing federal regulators to bring more cases to district court, it could lead to fewer penalties to deter the safety violations that can lead to leaks, explosions and worker fatalities. It is part of a broader conservative push to diminish the regulatory powers of the federal government.”
Pipeline Safety Trust: PHMSA Appears to Violate Transparency Law
7/8/25
“Pipeline Safety Trust has written a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) urging the agency to publish the overdue updates and inform how the regulator plans to ensure future compliance with the statutory requirement moving forward. By ignoring the mandate and obstructing public transparency, PHMSA is undermining public trust. “Transparency in rulemaking is essential to fostering meaningful public engagement and ensuring accountability,” Pipeline Safety Trust Policy & Program Director/Counsel Erin Sutherland said. “We welcome PHMSA’s prompt action to come back into compliance with the law.” “...Current rulemakings under development include a rule focused on updating the carbon dioxide pipeline safety regulations, a gas distribution systems rule mandated after the destructive and fatal pipeline explosions in Merrimack Valley, MA, and the “Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR)” rule which would reduce the number of deadly explosions and fires that can occur from natural gas infrastructure. Some of the rules included in the web chart are long past Congressional due dates. For example, the LDAR rule’s deadline was December 27, 2021, making it 1,288 days overdue. “PHMSA is hindering the public and Congress’ ability to effectively monitor its progress in implementing critical safety reforms,” Sutherland said. “We respectfully urge PHMSA to come back into compliance with the law and to provide a timeline on when it plans to do so. Pipeline Safety Trust believes that transparency is a critical component of pipeline safety, and we hope that the agency responsible for regulating the nation’s 3.3 million miles of pipeline believes so too.”
National Post: How a new Carney-backed pipeline could spoil Trump's plans for Canada's oil
Tracy Moran, 7/10/25
“Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to transform Canada into an “energy superpower.” His build-baby rallying cry for a construction boom even echoes U.S. President Donald Trump’s drill-baby slogan for increased oil and gas. But when it comes to a new pipeline for Canada, their two visions could clash,” the National Post reports. “...The prime minister said this month that it’s “highly, highly likely” that a new oil pipeline to the Pacific Coast will be proposed as a nation-building project and fast-tracked under new federal legislation aimed at accelerating projects of “national interest.” Boosters of the pipeline plan see Canada maximizing its oil export revenues and diversifying its customer base after decades of being captive to U.S. buyers, perhaps reshaping North American energy flows. Trump, meanwhile, has said he wants to resuscitate the Keystone XL pipeline, the long-contested project that was supposed to carry nearly a million barrels of Alberta oil a day to the U.S. Midwest… “Any new pipeline will face political and regulatory hurdles on both sides of the border, and in March Trump hit Canadian oil imports with a 10 per cent tariff… “If building the pipeline is all about supplying demand in new markets without disrupting the flow to the U.S., then “that’s not really threatening to the United States in any way,” Dan Stein, a former senior advisor at the Bureau of Energy Resources for the U.S. State Department, told the Post. But if the idea is to divert supplies away from the U.S., “then it’s a different story.” “...But Trump’s push for Keystone XL also fits with a broader strategy to create a bargaining chip in U.S.-Canada trade relations. By signalling support for the pipeline, Trump is offering Carney a potential win — with expanded access to the U.S. market — in exchange for concessions… “But Canada agreeing to go back to Keystone XL is “sort of like going back to an abusive partner,” Fellows told the Post, given the political football it was made into by Democratic and Republican presidents.”
FOX Business: Canada's new pipeline proposal could 'die a slow death,' former energy secretary warns [VIDEO]
7/9/25
“Former Energy Secretary under Trump Dan Brouillette discusses Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's pipeline proposal, OPEC's production increase and refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” FOX Business reports.
Pipeline & Gas Journal: Chesapeake, AEP to Build $10 Million Ohio Gas Pipeline for Data-Center Power
7/9/25
“Chesapeake Utilities Corp. says its Ohio subsidiary, Aspire Energy Express LLC, has signed an agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) to construct and operate an intrastate natural-gas pipeline in central Ohio,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The line will feed a new fuel-cell facility that will generate on-site electricity for an unnamed data center. Chesapeake puts the capital cost at about $10 million and expects the pipeline to be in service in the first half of 2027. Aspire will handle both construction and long-term operations.”
Pipeline Technology Journal: Japan’s Sumitomo Backs Major UK Carbon Capture Pipeline Project
7/10/25
“Sumitomo Corporation, a major Japanese trading company, is injecting new capital into the development of a crucial carbon dioxide transport pipeline in the United Kingdom, a move designed to support the ambitious Peak Cluster Carbon Capture project,” Pipeline Technology Journal reports. “Announced on Tuesday, July 8, the investment, made through Sumitomo's wholly-owned UK subsidiary, Summit Energy Evolution Limited (SEEL), aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the UK's vital cement and lime industries… “Combined, the pipeline project anticipates receiving a total investment of £59.6 million (approximately $75.5 million), with a final investment decision targeted as early as 2028… “Once operational, the new onshore pipeline will transport an estimated 3 million tons of CO2 annually from industrial sites to the East Irish Sea, where it will be permanently stored deep under the seabed as part of the Morecambe Net Zero project.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: GOP sees chance to revive provisions in new megabill
Mia McCarthy, 7/9/25
“House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington says Republicans shouldn’t give up on advancing certain priorities that were cut out of their ‘big, beautiful bill’ for not complying with Senate rules, telling reporters Tuesday that lawmakers will try again in follow-up budget reconciliation packages,” E&E News reports. “There may be a longer list of things that were kicked out by the Senate parliamentarian as noncompliant with the Byrd rule — I think we should make another run at that and look for ways to structure the provisions so that it’s more fundamentally budgetary in impact and policy,’”the Texas Republican said during the press call Tuesday afternoon… “On energy and the environment, the parliamentarian ruled against provisions related to natural gas export permits and National Environmental Policy Act litigation limits, among other proposals.”
E&E News: Republicans revive CRA to strike down Biden land use plan
Kelsey Brugger, 7/10/25
“Republicans want to use a rule-killing law to undo a Biden-era land use plan, and an agency paperwork issue is giving them the chance,” E&E News reports. “On Thursday, North Dakota lawmakers plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that would strike down a resource management plan finalized in January. That plan from the Bureau of Land Management restricted certain energy development and elevated conservation. The state filed a lawsuit in February to overturn it. The lawmakers argue the plan would prohibit leasing on more than 4 million acres for coal and more than 200,000 acres for oil and gas.”
Heatmap: What’s Left of the LPO After the One Big Beautiful Bill?
Katie Brigham, 7/9/25
“With a stroke of President Trump’s Sharpie, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is now law, stripping the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office of much of its lending power,” Heatmap reports. “The law rescinds unobligated credit subsidies for a number of the office’s key programs, including portions of the $3.6 billion allocated to the Loan Guarantee Program, $5 billion for the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program, $3 billion for the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program, and $75 million for the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program… “Credit subsidies represent the expected cost to the government of providing a loan or a loan guarantee — including the possibility of a default — and thus how much money Congress must set aside to cover these potential losses. So by axing these subsidies, Congress is effectively limiting the amount of lending that the LPO can undertake, given that many third-party lenders would be reluctant to finance riskier, more novel, or larger projects in the absence of federal credit support. “The LPO is statutorily allowed to take loans on its books to finance these projects in these categories, but it has no credit subsidy by which to take the risk required to do so,” Advait Arun, senior associate of energy finance at the Center for Public Enterprise and a Heatmap contributor, told Heatmap… “Carbon capture in particular stands to suffer from this reprogramming, Arun toid Heatmap, explaining that while the Biden LPO saw potential in adding carbon capture to natural gas and coal plants, its current incarnation will no longer allocate funding in any meaningful amount “because reducing emissions is no longer part of the LPO’s mandate.”
OK Energy Today: Interior Proposes Updates to Commingling Rules to Boost Energy Production and Efficiency
7/8/25
“The Department of the Interior is proposing critical updates to Bureau of Land Management oil and gas regulations that would make it easier for operators to combine production from multiple leases—a practice known as commingling,” OK Energy Today reports. “This will implement the One Big Beautiful Bill’s directive to the Secretary of the Interior to approve onshore commingling applications. This approach allows oil and gas to be produced from different reservoirs using the same well pad, which reduces environmental impacts, lowers operating costs and increases overall efficiency. Current Bureau of Land Management regulations restrict commingling to leases that have identical mineral ownership, royalty rates and revenue distribution.”
Washington Post: How conservatives beat back a Republican sell-off of public lands
Karin Brulliard, 7/9/25
“...When Lee scaled back his amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill in late June, he said he had listened to hunters; when he fully withdrew it days later, he said he had been unable to guarantee the land would go to American families, “not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests,” the Washington Post reports. “Its end was met with celebration across the political landscape by Americans who treasure public parks, forests and open spaces. Yet, as even some liberal advocates acknowledge, the victory was one carried over the finish line by MAGA Republicans and others on the right. They embraced big government when it came to public lands in the West, where the federal government owns nearly half the terrain. Steven Rinella, a Montana hunting influencer who runs the MeatEater media company, told the post Lee was surprised by the “primary combatants” who proved pivotal: “It was like, “Oh, all these people that might otherwise agree with me on a broad spectrum of political questions and considerations are really pissed about this.”
E&E News: Interior implements Trump’s essay requirement in federal hiring
Heather Richards, 7/8/25
“The Interior Department will ask job applicants to answer several essay questions inked by the Trump administration that have been criticized as a litmus test for loyalty to the president’s agenda, according to a memo sent out last week from the department’s human capital office,” E&E News reports. “The essay questions, which include asking applicants to state which of the president’s executive orders are most significant to them, originated in a plan to revamp federal hiring by the president’s Office of Personnel Management. Dubbed the “Merit Hiring Plan,” the changes included several long-standing and bipartisan proposals to improve federal job reviews, such as implementing skills-based hiring and shortening the notoriously lengthy federal resume, alongside new initiatives from the Trump administration. In addition to the four essay questions quizzing applicants on Trump’s priorities and their loyalty to the Constitution, the OPM changes mandate that agencies stop collecting information about the race, sex and religion of the workforce.”
E&E News: Dem AGs urge court to restore frozen EPA climate money
Lesley Clark, 7/8/25
“Twenty Democratic attorneys general are urging a federal court to order the Trump administration to lift a block on a $3 billion EPA program for environmental and climate justice grants,” E&E News reports. “ In a friend of the court brief filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the coalition argues that EPA’s “untimely and unlawful” decision to scrap the grants is already causing widespread harm across their states. “Each of our states has experienced the termination of the EPA environmental justice grant programs in unique and harmful ways,” the brief states, noting that in some states grantees have been forced to freeze hiring and reduce staff hours and will need to conduct layoffs if funding is not restored.”
National Law Review: NEPA in Flux: NEPA’s Regulatory Retreat, the Rise of Agency Discretion, and Expedited NEPA for a Fee
Rachael L. Lipinski, Molly A. Lawrence, Jonathan D. Simon, James Garlant of Van Ness Feldman LLP, 7/8/25
“In the wake of President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order 14154 and the Council on Environmental Quality’s (‘CEQ’) subsequent rescission of the government-wide National Environmental Policy Act (‘NEPA’) regulations, federal agencies were given a year to revise their NEPA procedures,” the National Law Review reports. “Last week, many departments and agencies acted early, issuing a barrage of interim final rules and new or revised NEPA guidance documents. Although this new NEPA landscape provides some potential efficiency benefits, it also creates unpredictability and the potential for inconsistent NEPA implementation across agencies. Additionally, reflecting the broader push for more efficient NEPA reviews, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will allow applicants to pay a fee for an expedited NEPA review process.”
Press release: Failing the “Climate Test”: LNG Projects Awaiting Final Investment Decision Do Not Stand Up to U.S. Government Analysis
7/9/25
“As the Trump administration barrels forward with its pro-fossil fuel agenda, and European and Asian governments and financial institutions debate whether to increase investments in U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) projects, a report published by Greenpeace USA, Earthworks, and Oil Change International highlights the climate threats and financial risks posed by five major new liquefied gas export projects proposed for the US Gulf Coast, most of them still awaiting a final investment decision. “What we found was crystal clear – any further investment in LNG is not compatible with a livable climate,” says Andres Chang, Senior Research Specialist at Greenpeace USA and lead author of the report.” The report analyzes the five LNG projects using models from DOE’s 2024 LNG Export public interest studies and finds that each would fail a “climate test” implied by the agency. Contrary to industry claims, the report finds that decreasing methane venting and leaking during gas drilling, transportation, and liquefaction is not enough to make these projects “climate neutral.” Applying the DOE’s methodology to five planned LNG projects—Venture Global CP2, Cameron LNG Phase II, Sabine Pass Stage V, Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG Midscale 8-9, and Freeport LNG Expansion—indicates that each of them would result in a net increase in global GHG emissions regardless of the climate policy, energy demand, and technology assumptions underlying the calculation. In practical terms, all five LNG projects appear to fail a climate test that the DOE put forward to ensure approvals are consistent with the public interest.”
STATE UPDATES
AN17: Lawmakers host July 15 town hall meeting on carbon capture project
7/9/25
“A town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Club in Ponchatoula (750 E Pine Street) to discuss the proposed carbon capture project beneath Lake Maurepas and its potential environmental impact,” AN17 reports. “Hosted by Senator Bill Wheat, as well as Representatives Nicholas Muscarello, Shane Mack, and Kim Coates, the meeting aims to inform the public about Air Products’ permit application, which includes construction of an ammonia and hydrogen facility, pipelines, and CO₂ injection wells—activities that could permanently destroy over 149 acres of wetlands and further stress the already vulnerable lake. Organizers are urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold a public hearing before approving any permits and are calling for an extension of the July 30 public comment deadline.”
WKRN: Secretary of Agriculture signals getting involved in potential power plant in Cheatham County
Kendall Ashman, 7/8/25
“People trying to stop a controversial power plant in Middle Tennessee got a glimmer of hope this week. The Trump administration signaled it might get involved after a plea from one of his allies, who happens to call Cheatham County home,” WKRN reports. “It’s a message from singer-songwriter, John Rich, who called on President Trump and Washington to intervene on TVA’s proposed natural gas plant that would be built across 286 acres of land in Cheatham County… “On Monday, John Rich posted a map on social media sharing how much farmland surrounds the proposed development. He wrote in part, “this CANNOT happen,” and tagged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Rollins responded, saying, “ON IT. Standby.” Cheatham County residents WKRN spoke with said their biggest concern is their livelihood and safety surrounding the plant… “However, neighbors have asked TVA to consider building elsewhere, and now they feel like the Trump administration may have their back.”
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: BLM announces September 2025 sale of oil and gas leases in Wyoming
7/8/25
“The Bureau of Land Management's Wyoming State Office on Tuesday announced an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for Sept. 16 to offer 37 oil and gas parcels totaling 45,178 acres in Wyoming,” the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. “The BLM completed scoping on these parcels in March and held a public comment period that closed in May on the parcels and the related environmental analysis. A 30-day public protest period to receive additional public input opened Tuesday and will close Aug. 7.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: US to produce less oil in 2025 than previously expected amid declining prices, EIA says
Stephanie Kelly, 7/8/25
“The U.S. will produce less oil in 2025 than previously expected as declining oil prices have prompted U.S. producers to slow activity this year, the Energy Information Administration forecast on Tuesday in a monthly report,” according to Reuters. “The world’s largest oil producer is projected to produce 13.37 million barrels per day of oil in 2025, versus last month’s forecast of 13.42 million bpd, the EIA said in its short-term energy outlook report. In 2026, the U.S. will produce 13.37 million bpd, in line with the previous forecast. Though still a record high, the lower 2025 forecast comes as U.S. producers have had to navigate President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs that have sparked economic uncertainty, rising supply quotas from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, and conflict between Iran and Israel… “The EIA raised its Brent crude futures price forecast to an average of $68.89 per barrel this year from $65.97 per barrel.”
Reuters: US natgas output and demand to hit record highs in 2025, before sliding in 2026, EIA says
Scott DiSavino, 7/8/25
“U.S. natural gas output and demand will both rise to record highs in 2025 before sliding in 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “EIA projected dry gas production will rise from 103.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2024 to 105.9 bcfd in 2025 before sliding to 105.4 bcfd in 2026. That compares with a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023. The agency also projected domestic gas consumption would rise from a record 90.5 bcfd in 2024 to 91.4 bcfd in 2025 before easing back to 91.1 bcfd in 2026… “The agency forecast average U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports would reach 14.6 bcfd in 2025 and 16.0 bcfd in 2026, up from a record 11.9 bcfd in 2024… “EIA projected carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels would rise from a four-year low of 4.777 billion metric tons in 2024 to 4.836 billion metric tons in 2025 as oil, coal and gas use increases, before easing to 4.775 billion metric tons in 2026 as oil, coal and gas use declines.”
Reuters: Oil giant Saudi Aramco in talks with Commonwealth LNG for offtake agreement, sources say
Marwa Rashad and Curtis Williams, 7/9/25
“Oil giant Saudi Aramco is in talks with Commonwealth LNG to buy liquefied natural gas from the U.S. company's facility in Cameron, Louisiana, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the superchilled fuel market, four people told Reuters on Wednesday… “Aramco is looking to expand its fast-growing portfolio of LNG, which is set to grow globally by 50% by 2030, especially in the United States, where LNG capacity is set to almost double over the next four years.”
Carbon Herald: EU Puts Carbon Capture At The Heart Of Hydrogen’s Future
Vasil Velev, 7/10/25
“In a major push for greener energy, the European Commission has unveiled a key set of rules aimed at speeding up the production of low-carbon hydrogen—fuel that could play a vital role in Europe’s net-zero ambitions,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The new methodology clarifies how hydrogen and other fuels can qualify as “low carbon” under EU rules, unlocking much-needed investment and giving energy companies a clear framework for scaling up production. To meet the standard, fuels must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70% compared to traditional fossil fuels. Crucially, the updated rules embrace carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a central part of hydrogen’s future. That means hydrogen produced using natural gas can still qualify—if carbon emissions from the process are captured and stored. Hydrogen made using low-carbon electricity, such as nuclear or hydropower, also gets the green light… “This new clarity—especially around carbon capture—strengthens Europe’s bid to lead the global hydrogen race, while reinforcing its broader goal of climate neutrality by 2050.”
OPINION
Utility Dive: PHMSA grants work for America. Let’s keep them funded.
Dave Schryver is president and CEO of the American Public Gas Association, 7/9/25
“...Yet, every day, public gas utilities across the country are investing in modern energy infrastructure to enhance safety, improve efficiency and keep energy costs low for consumers. A federal grant program that has recently helped accelerate these upgrades is in jeopardy of not being renewed,” Dave Schryver writes for Utility Dive. “Created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program invests $200 million annually, totaling $1 billion over five years in funding for municipal and community-owned utilities seeking to repair or replace natural gas pipeline systems. These grants are at risk of losing funding beyond 2026, despite their instrumental role in strengthening communities, creating well-paying jobs, lowering energy costs and reducing emissions. Hundreds of communities across 29 states have already seen firsthand the value of PHMSA grants… “From small towns to major cities, these projects are putting people to work, modernizing infrastructure and delivering long-term value — with nearly 2,900 jobs supported by projects initiated in 2024 alone… “Without continued funding, natural gas infrastructure modernization will be forced to slow down to avoid placing significant, undue cost burdens on energy customers. Now is the time for our senators and representatives to prioritize communities and support the continued funding of the NGDISM program — a common-sense solution that protects reliable, affordable energy while creating jobs and strengthening local economies.”
Evergreen Action: Here’s How Republicans’ New Federal Budget Affects You
Medhini Kumar, 7/8/25
“If the federal budget is our nation’s guiding document of what and who we care about, then Congressional Republicans just decided working Americans are somewhere between an afterthought and expendable,” Medhini Kumar writes for Evergreen Action. “Under the plastic veneer of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” this recently passed budget bill is big and bad for blue states and even worse for red ones, which rely much more on federal assistance… “The GOP budget rapidly phases out tax credits for wind and solar, which will make the grid less reliable by cutting back 50 percent of new clean energy capacity over the next decade… “Instead, the GOP budget is projected to: Increase wholesale electricity prices by 25 percent by 2030 and 74 percent by 2035; Cause electricity rates for customers to increase between 9-18 percent by 2035; Increase overall household energy costs by $170 annually by 2035; Eliminate 760,000 jobs by 2030… “Projections suggest that: The lowest-earning Americans, those earning less than $16,999, would lose about $820 a year—or a 5.7 percent reduction in median income; The richest 0.1 percent, earning more than $4.3 million, would gain a whopping $390,000, or the equivalent of five median household incomes combined. Despite cutting essential funds from healthcare, clean energy, and food assistance, the deficit is expected to balloon to an eye-popping $3.3 trillion within a decade, thanks to all the giveaways to the ultra-wealthy.”
Reuters: Canada maps out widening strait to LNG riches
Pranav Kiran, 7/8/25
“Canada is ready to ride the energy-security wave. U.S. attacks on Iran and sabotaged pipelines in the Baltic Sea have intensified fears about the fragility of sea routes and supply chains. Financial and logistical edges open a potentially lucrative strait from the Great White North,” Pranav Kiran writes for Reuters. “LNG Canada, a $32 billion joint venture among Shell, Malaysia’s Petronas and others, set sail into the murky liquified natural gas waters with its first shipment last week. Combined with other projects, the country is on track to represent nearly a fifth of LNG production capacity being constructed worldwide, according to the International Gas Union trade group. The Alberta government estimated it could become a top-five producer and exporter over the next decade… “Transitioning to renewable energy sources depends on affordable gas as a bridge. Electricity-guzzling artificial intelligence also will keep companies and utilities actively hunting for all types of fuel. The world’s pain is Canada’s gain.”
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis: Carbon capture delusion risks diverting South Australia from green iron and steel
Simon Nicholas, 7/10/25
“South Australia’s ambition to become a world-leading green iron and steel producer could be jeopardised by shackling itself to deeply flawed carbon capture technology at the behest of the gas industry,” Simon Nicholas writes for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “The SA government is considering a carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant to offset emissions at the embattled Whyalla steelworks as it transitions to green iron and steel production. A report for Infrastructure SA recommending CCS for Whyalla as part of a larger network in the state ignores the fundamental flaws and challenges of the technology. It also grossly overstates the potential of gas combined with CCS to rival green hydrogen-based steel production. With its high-grade iron ore, SA has a world-leading opportunity to use direct-reduced iron (DRI) technology to process its reserves into iron for export and for further processing into steel at Whyalla. However, while both gas and green hydrogen can be used in direct-reduced iron (DRI) production, SA risks becoming locked into using gas and CCS, and with it the high costs, technical issues and failures that have plagued CCS projects worldwide. CCS’s long track record of low capture rates means it cannot achieve the ~95% emissions reductions of green hydrogen-based steelmaking. The technology has a long history of failure and underperformance across all sectors where it has been applied. For iron and steel, the track record of CCUS is poor, and the outlook is very unconvincing.” Adopting CCS in a bid to make iron and steel appear “green” will only make SA less competitive.”