EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/1/25
PIPELINE NEWS
Detroit Free Press: Line 5 question reaches U.S. Supreme Court, but it won't decide pipelines' future
E&E News: Supreme Court takes up energy company petition, rejects environmental suits
Jefferson Public Radio: Oregon activists sound alarm on pipeline safety rollbacks amid expansion project
Hart Energy: Trump Approves Operations for NGL Pipeline Crossing Canadian Border
White House: Authorizing Junction Pipeline Company, LLC to Construct, Connect, Operate, and Maintain Pipeline Facilities at Toole County, Montana, at the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada
Pipeline & Gas Journal: 275-Mile Texas-to-Oklahoma Gas Pipeline Enters Open Season
Post and Courier: SC gas utility asks why a Texas pipeline rival will serve a new Lowcountry power plant
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Senate megabill, energy tax provisions in limbo
Washington Post: Senate GOP closes in on passing Trump’s tax bill, but holdouts remain
The Hill: House GOP fumes over Senate megabill: ‘How did it get so much f‑‑‑ing worse?’
The Hill: Trump megabill faces GOP holdouts amid marathon vote-a-rama
Aspen Times: Bennet, Neguse call out BLM’s fast-tracked review of oil expansion proposal that would haul more crude through Colorado
E&E News: Agencies roll out plans to pare down NEPA reviews
E&E News: Supreme Court takes aim at nationwide injunctions
E&E News: Enviros sue to block ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: California Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law
KALB: Pastors to host community meeting on carbon capture concerns in Cenla
Nevada Current: Nevada third for federal oil potential in new study, but industry growth still unlikely
WHAM: Oil spill at cryptocurrency mining facility sparks water safety concerns near Seneca Lake
Flatwater Press: A Nebraska crypto company wants to get bigger. Landowners decry NPPD’s use of eminent domain that will help it grow.
EXTRACTION
E&E News: US oil production breaks record as gasoline prices stay low
Bloomberg: Major Canadian Oil Site Vents Most Gas Since 2021 Due to Wildfire
Carbon Herald: Balfour Beatty Wins $1.14B Deal To Build Carbon Capture Power Plant
Deloitte: Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe
RBN Energy: With Ethane as a Bargaining Chip, Energy Becomes a Weapon in Talks With China
The Cool Down: Major oil corporation under fire over decade-old spill that caused humanitarian crisis: 'Tragedy'
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Citing climate, Sierra Club Foundation pulls its money from BlackRock
Press release: Sierra Club Foundation Announces Break from BlackRock/Aperio In Favor of More Financially Responsible Asset Managers
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
DeSmog: Pathways Alliance Sponsored Science Fairs for Canadian Children
OPINION
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We Energies natural gas plants will help power data centers driving job growth
The Conversation: What’s at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
Canadian Energy Centre: Why it’s time to repeal the oil tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast
PIPELINE NEWS
Detroit Free Press: Line 5 question reaches U.S. Supreme Court, but it won't decide pipelines' future
Todd Spangler, 6/30/25
“The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case involving Line 5 — the twin pipelines that move oil and natural gas along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac that environmentalists and the state have actively been trying to shut down for years — though it's more about settling a jurisdictional question than one about Line 5's future,” the Detroit Free Press reports. “...Enbridge went to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Sixth Circuit decision that the district court couldn't rule to set aside the deadline in these sort of circumstances runs contrary to what some other appellate courts have said; Nessel's office says Enbridge has it wrong, that it's using a little cited exception to try to make its case and that there is no reason the issue shouldn't be heard in state court… “The Supreme Court's order on June 30, as the court's term ended and it's not expected back on the bench until October, means it will take legal arguments from both sides and others on the question, though it won't be about international relations or the ongoing claims regarding Line 5.”
E&E News: Supreme Court takes up energy company petition, rejects environmental suits
Niina H. Farah, Lesley Clark, Sean Reilly, Miranda Willson. 6/30/25
“The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to wade into a yearslong dispute over an oil pipeline in Michigan, but rejected Exxon Mobil’s request that it intervene in a decade-old fight over a record pollution fine,” E&E News reports. “The decisions came as the court announced cases it plans to consider next fall, and as it directed lower courts to resolve some pending petitions based on its decisions this term. A number of requests failed to garner the requisite support from four justices on the court, including lawsuits over air and water pollution. The latest addition to the court’s line-up is a fight over which court should resolve whether the energy company Enbridge can continue to operate its Line 5 oil pipeline in Michigan. The case, Enbridge Energy LP. v. Dana Nessel, is part of a dispute over which court should have jurisdiction to decide whether state officials had improperly ordered the Enbridge pipeline to halt its operations. Michigan officials have raised concerns about the risks of oil spills into the Great Lakes from the aging pipeline. Enbridge has defended the 645-mile conduit, which extends from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, as a key energy supplier.”
Jefferson Public Radio: Oregon activists sound alarm on pipeline safety rollbacks amid expansion project
Mike Green, Natalie Golay, 7/1/25
“In 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the expansion of the TC Energy Pipeline known as GTN Xpress (Gas Transmission Northwest), which spans over 1,300 miles, from Canada through Washington and the entire state of Oregon and ending in southern Oregon,” Jefferson Public Radio reports. “350 Deschutes is an Oregon organization opposed to the expansion. It believes "the expansion threatens the health, safety, and climate of the Northwest region and imposes a significant financial burden on Cascade Natural Gas customers," according to its website. Joining the Exchange to discuss the details is Diane Hodiak, Executive Director of 350 Deschutes. Her organization claims that TC Energy has a deeply flawed track record on safety. Also joining the conversation is Mark R. Vossler, MD, Board President for Physicians for Social Responsibility. Both guests are part of the Stop Northwest Gas Expansion Coalition.”
Hart Energy: Trump Approves Operations for NGL Pipeline Crossing Canadian Border
6/30/25
“President Donald Trump issued a permit authorizing Steel Reef Infrastructure to operate and maintain an existing NGL pipeline at the border between Canada and Burke County, North Dakota, according to a memorandum released by the White House on June 30,” Hart Energy reports. “Steel Reef Infrastructure is a Canadian company. The site on the U.S. side is operated by its affiliate Steel Reef U.S. Pipelines. The 8.625-inch pipeline delivers NGLs from the U.S. to Canada and is already in the ground, according to the memorandum. The company requested an amendment to its original permit in 2022. Steel Reef has 1,678 miles of pipelines and 17 facilities in the U.S. and Canada.”
White House: Authorizing Junction Pipeline Company, LLC to Construct, Connect, Operate, and Maintain Pipeline Facilities at Toole County, Montana, at the International Boundary Between the United States and Canada
6/30/25
“...Permission is hereby granted to the permittee to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline Border facilities, as described herein, at the international border of the United States and Canada at Toole County, Montana, for the import from Canada into the United States of crude oil and petroleum products of every description, refined or unrefined (inclusive of, but not limited to, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas liquids, jet fuel, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel), but not including natural gas subject to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 717b). This permit does not affect the applicability of any otherwise-relevant laws and regulations. As confirmed in Article 2 of this permit, the Border facilities shall remain subject to all such laws and regulations… “The term “Border facilities” as used in this permit means those parts of the Facilities consisting of a 30-inch diameter pipeline extending from the international border between the United States and Canada at Toole County, Montana, to and including the first mainline shut-off valve or pumping station in the United States located approximately one quarter of a mile from the international border, and any land, structures, installations, or equipment appurtenant thereto.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: 275-Mile Texas-to-Oklahoma Gas Pipeline Enters Open Season
6/30/25
“Producers Midstream II, LLC has launched a binding open season to gauge shipper demand for firm transportation on its proposed Palo Duro (PD) Pipeline, a 275-mile (about 443-km) natural-gas line that will link residue markets at Waha in the Permian Basin with Mid-Continent outlets in the Anadarko Basin,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “The project will repurpose existing 16-inch pipe running from Nolan County, Texas, to Wheeler County, Texas, and lease capacity on the company’s gathering header into western Oklahoma. Because no new pipe construction is planned, the company will seek interstate authority from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, aiming for a first-quarter 2026 in-service date… “The north–south line will interconnect with up to seven interstate systems—Northern Natural Gas, Transwestern, NGPL, ANR, Panhandle Eastern, Enable Gas Transmission and Southern Star—giving shippers multiple downstream options. Producers Midstream said the route is designed to ease Permian takeaway bottlenecks while meeting rising industrial, petrochemical, power-generation and behind-the-meter loads.”
Post and Courier: SC gas utility asks why a Texas pipeline rival will serve a new Lowcountry power plant
John McDermott, 7/1/25
“A South Carolina pipeline owner is questioning why an out-of-state rival was picked to pump natural gas to a Lowcountry power plant that Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy plan to build, arguing it offers a "superior" and less-intrusive option,” the Post and Courier reports. “Carolina Gas Transmission LLC laid out its concerns in a letter published as a full-page advertisement in The Post and Courier and other newspapers around the state on June 29. It was signed by Wayne Vermullen, the Columbia-based company's general manager.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Senate megabill, energy tax provisions in limbo
Amelia Davidson, Timothy Cama, Nico Portuondo, Garrett Downs, 7/1/25
“The Senate appears close to approving its version of the Republican tax cut, energy and national security megabill early Tuesday morning after more than 20 hours of debate and procedural votes,” E&E News reports. “The bill retains the strict rollback of renewable energy tax credits last modified by the Democrats’ 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. There’s also a new excise tax on wind and solar projects. Republican amendments to modify those provisions did not come up and Democratic ones failed. It’s now unclear whether leaders will make any changes in a broader amendment before final passage… “Beyond the tax credits, the legislation would claw back Inflation Reduction Act grants, mandate more onshore and offshore drilling, zero out penalties for fuel economy standards and delay the fee on methane leaks. The megabill would also accelerate National Environmental Policy Act reviews for companies that pay a fee. Other permitting provisions ended up on the cutting room floor… “Lawmakers also moved to extend incentives for hydrogen production to 2028, and they kept the practice of “transferability,” which allows project sponsors to transfer credits to a third party.”
Washington Post: Senate GOP closes in on passing Trump’s tax bill, but holdouts remain
Jacob Bogage, Theodoric Meyer and Marianna Sotomayor, 6/30/25
“...If the bill makes it through the Senate, the House will need to pass it again before sending it to Trump’s desk — and many House Republicans are unhappy with the Senate’s changes to the measure,” Washington Post reports. “...About a dozen members of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus — almost all of whom voted for the bill last month — are upset that the Senate version would add more to the federal deficit. Other House Republicans have balked at the Senate bill’s Medicaid funding cuts, which are deeper than the House version. They fear the cuts will hurt Medicaid recipients and lead rural hospitals in their districts to close, House Republicans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail private discussions with Republican leadership and their colleagues told the Post… “Republicans who vote for the bill could also face political risk. Elon Musk, the billionaire and former White House adviser who broke with Trump after criticizing the bill, pledged Monday to try to defeat Republicans who vote for the bill who campaigned on cutting government spending.”
The Hill: House GOP fumes over Senate megabill: ‘How did it get so much f‑‑‑ing worse?’
Mychael Schnell, 6/30/25
“...On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,” one moderate House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the private conversations, told The Hill. “There’s a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.” “It’s amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f‑‑‑ing worse?” they added… “At least six moderate House Republicans are planning to vote “no” on the Senate bill in its current form, The Hill has learned, as they air concerns about changes to Medicaid and the rollback of green energy tax credits, among other provisions.”
The Hill: Trump megabill faces GOP holdouts amid marathon vote-a-rama
Alexander Bolton, 6/30/25
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) needs to nail down the support of multiple Republican senators, including at least two moderates and three conservatives, who haven’t yet said they will vote for final passage of President Trump’s megabill after a marathon series of amendment votes,” The Hill reports. “...Three conservatives — Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) — are pressing for the adoption of an amendment that would cut an additional $313 in federal Medicaid spending. And at least two of them, Johnson and Scott, won’t say if they’ll vote for final passage if the amendment doesn’t succeed… “The Senate parliamentarian had not yet signed off on key elements of the legislation as late as 3:30 p.m. Monday and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused the GOP leadership of cutting “side-deals” with GOP senators… “Thune wouldn’t say Monday morning whether Republicans have the votes to pass the bill, and he predicted the marathon vote-a-rama on amendments would drag on late into the day.”
Aspen Times: Bennet, Neguse call out BLM’s fast-tracked review of oil expansion proposal that would haul more crude through Colorado
Robert Tam, 6/27/25
“Colorado U.S Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Joe Neguse are criticizing a Bureau of Land Management decision to expedite the review of a proposal to increase oil transit along the Colorado River,” the Aspen Times reports. “The federal agency has been considering the proposal to expand storage and hauling capacity at the Wildcat Loadout facility in northeastern Utah since at least 2023… “The facility currently has the capacity to haul up to 30,000 barrels of crude oil per day, but the proposal before the Bureau of Land Management by Coal Energy Group 2 LLC would increase transit to 100,000 barrels per day. The agency announced on June 18 that it would be conducting an accelerated 14-day review of the plans to align with President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a “national energy emergency.”
E&E News: Agencies roll out plans to pare down NEPA reviews
Kevin Bogardus, 6/30/25
“The Trump administration advanced its deregulatory drive Monday as government agencies announced plans to renege on the country’s linchpin environmental law,” E&E News reports. “At issue is the National Environmental Policy Act, designed to require the federal government to consider environmental impacts for permit applications and management of public lands. The 1970 law has been under threat since President Donald Trump’s return as he has rallied to build pipelines, ports and other energy infrastructure to boost domestic production of fossil fuels without environmental reviews. The Department of Energy issued an interim final rule that rescinded all of its NEPA regulations while releasing guidance or “implementing procedures” in their place. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Trump promised to speed up the permitting process for massive infrastructure projects.”
E&E News: Supreme Court takes aim at nationwide injunctions
Niina H. Farah, Lesley Clark, 6/27/25
“A divided Supreme Court restricted the power of federal judges to issue nationwide orders, delivering a win to the Trump administration, which has found its efforts to remake government repeatedly blocked by the courts,” E&E News reports. “The 6-3 decision in Trump v. CASA came on the final day the Supreme Court issued opinions before its summer recess. Legal experts told E&E the ruling would likely lead to a patchwork of lower court fights over federal agency decisions, including the Trump administration’s plans to roll back environmental and energy rules. The injunctions “likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted to federal courts,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the conservative majority. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito also wrote separate concurrences.”
E&E News: Enviros sue to block ‘Alligator Alcatraz
Miranda Willson, Michael Doyle, 6/27/25
“Environmentalists sued the Trump administration and the state of Florida on Friday for an alleged failure to conduct environmental studies before erecting an immigrant detention facility in the middle of the Everglades,” E&E News reports. “The lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades seeks to stop construction and operation of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ until agencies complete assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act. The conservation groups say the project could irreparably harm the Everglades, the nation’s largest wetland ecosystem, which state and federal governments have spent billions of dollars to restore and protect. “This [project] reflects a series of bad policy decisions that do not respect the deeply held conservation values of most Floridians,” Jason Totoiu, Florida policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told E&E.”
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: California Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law
Laurel Rosenhall, Soumya Karlamangla and Adam Nagourney, 6/30/25
“California leaders on Monday rolled back a landmark law that was a national symbol of environmental protection before it came to be vilified as a primary reason for the state’s severe housing shortage and homelessness crisis,” the New York Times reports. “For more than half a century, the law, the California Environmental Quality Act, has allowed environmentalists to slow suburban growth as well as given neighbors and disaffected parties a powerful tool to stop projects they disliked. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills, which were written by Democrats but had rare bipartisan support in California’s divided State Capitol, that will allow many development projects to avoid rigorous environmental review and, potentially, the delaying and cost-inflating lawsuits that have discouraged construction in the state. Democrats have long been reluctant to weaken the law, known as CEQA, which they considered an environmental bedrock in a state that has prided itself on reducing pollution and protecting waterways. And environmentalists took them to task for the vote. But the majority party also recognized that California’s bureaucratic hurdles had made it almost impossible to build enough housing for nearly 40 million residents, resulting in soaring costs and persistent homelessness. In a collision between environmental values and everyday concerns, Democrats chose the latter on Monday.” “...Environmentalists flooded a legislative hearing room on Monday, saying the sweeping changes could hurt sensitive ecosystems and make it too easy to build manufacturing sites that could cause more pollution.”
KALB: Pastors to host community meeting on carbon capture concerns in Cenla
Jay McCully, 6/30/25
“A group of local pastors is organizing a community meeting to address growing concerns over carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) in Central Louisiana,” KALB reports. “...The meeting aims to educate the public about CCS, a process that captures carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources and stores them underground to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While some see it as a climate solution, others in the region are raising questions about its safety, legality and long-term impact on local communities. Pastor Robert McLane, one of the meeting’s organizers, highlighted that the gathering is not meant to sway opinions but to provide reliable information… “What are some of the implications of that for our community, for our families, for our children, for property owners in the area, for our health and safety—some of those kinds of things that I think are very, very important.” “...Eminent domain is a big issue that comes up with carbon capture,” McLane told KALB. “That’s a concern if people don’t wanna cooperate and they don’t want their land to be used for a pipeline, or a well, or an injection site. It’s written into the law that they can resort to eminent domain in some circumstances. So for people who worked all their lives for their property and their farms and leaving those things to their children, that’s a concern.”
Nevada Current: Nevada third for federal oil potential in new study, but industry growth still unlikely
Jeniffer Solis, 6/27/25
“The federal government raised its estimate this week for how much oil and gas could be extracted from public lands in Nevada, placing the state third for oil potential,” the Nevada Current reports. “Nevada holds 1.4 billion barrels of “undiscovered” oil beneath its public lands – only falling behind Alaska and New Mexico – and 1.2 billion cubic feet of gas, according to the newly compiled figures released by the U.S. Geological Survey last week… “Nevada lease sales have long drawn little interest from industry. It’s not uncommon for large swaths of nominated land to never get a bid… “We recognize that interest in Nevada is lower than other states in the West where development is more economical, such as New Mexico and Wyoming. The scale of this auction, for instance, was small relative to others,” Aaron Johnson, the vice president of public and legislative affairs for the Western Energy Alliance trade group,” told the Current… “Once leased, public lands are locked up from being managed for multiple uses such as outdoor recreation and conservation for the life of the lease, which could be 10, 20 or even 30 years. “That’s really where the issue is, once land is identified as an oil and gas lease, it’s essentially put in that folder and forgotten about by the Bureau of Land Management,” Kuhlman told the Current.
WHAM: Oil spill at cryptocurrency mining facility sparks water safety concerns near Seneca Lake
Daniel Finkelstein, 6/29/25
“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reports an oil spill occurred June 17 at Greenridge's bitcoin mining operation in Yates County,” WHAM reports. “My concern level is very high because I'm a few hundred yards away from the power plant," John Lanni, who lives on the shore of Seneca Lake, told WHAM. "The plant," referred to by Lanni, is Greenridge Generation, a former coal power plant just outside the village of Dresden that now operates as a bitcoin mining facility. Some neighbors are concerned about the impact on their drinking water… “The DEC said a mixture of oil and water spilled from a turbine at the former power plant, and drained into a nearby marsh through a state-permitted drainage system. The agency said first responders prevented the spill from reaching the lake. "There are some people who saw odd foam on the lake," McIntee told WHAM. "We were associating it possibly with the spill. We don't know for sure if it was associated with the spill, but let us know. We draw our water from here."
Flatwater Press: A Nebraska crypto company wants to get bigger. Landowners decry NPPD’s use of eminent domain that will help it grow.
Jeremy Turley, 6/27/25
“...Then the Nebraska Public Power District announced its intention to run a high-voltage transmission line through the view from his dream doorstep. The Kennedys objected. The utility responded by filing a petition to use eminent domain on six acres of the land,” the Flatwater Press reports. “It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is being taken away from me,” Kennedy told the Press. NPPD, which says it uses eminent domain only as a last resort to complete essential projects, recently used the tactic to condemn slivers of land owned by the Kennedys and three other families along the planned transmission line route it’s pairing with electrical substation upgrades. The $20 million project, mostly paid for by Nebraska ratepayers, will feed one giant customer’s growing appetite for electricity: a bitcoin mining company called Jigowatt. Jigowatt already demands by far the most electricity of any customer in the county. But the company’s long-standing request for additional power would allow it to triple the amount of energy it can use. NPPD leaders argue the project is important because the new 7.5-mile line will make local power more reliable to all local customers — not just Jigowatt — and more resilient to bad weather. The utility treats landowners fairly, said NPPD General Counsel John McClure. More than two-thirds of landowners voluntarily signed easements for this project, allowing them to keep ownership of their property while NPPD runs the line through it… “But some landowners decried NPPD’s approach to land acquisition as predatory and questioned their use of eminent domain for the project. “If it’s for one private company, I think eminent domain should be absolutely off the table,” Kennedy told the Press.”
EXTRACTION
E&E News: US oil production breaks record as gasoline prices stay low
Mike Soraghan, 7/1/25
“Oil production in the United States crept upward slightly in April, setting another record despite frequent warnings that it is headed for a fall,” E&E News reports. “Production grew to 13.47 million barrels a day in April, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report Monday, about 0.1 percent higher than the month before. The production figure, which includes condensate, is about 1.7 percent above the same month a year earlier… “The White House issued a news release Monday titled “Lower Gas Prices Just in Time for Summer Holiday Travel” that linked to numerous mainstream news outlets’ stories about low fuel costs.”
Bloomberg: Major Canadian Oil Site Vents Most Gas Since 2021 Due to Wildfire
Robert Tuttle, 6/30/25
“Cenovus Energy Inc.’s Christina Lake oil-sands site vented the most natural gas in more than four years into the atmosphere when a wildfire forced an emergency shutdown of the facility in May,” Bloomberg reports. “Christina Lake released the equivalent of 151,511 cubic feet a day of climate-warming gas in May, up from less than 5,000 cubic feet a day in April, Alberta Energy Regulator data show. The amount vented was the most for any month since January 2021… “Most of the venting in May was directly related to the safe shutdown of the Christina Lake facility at the end of the month due to the wildfire in the area,” the company said in an email. “In an emergency shutdown, we can’t burn or use that gas for operations, which leaves venting as the only option.”
Carbon Herald: Balfour Beatty Wins $1.14B Deal To Build Carbon Capture Power Plant
Violet George, 7/1/25
“Balfour Beatty has been awarded a $1.14 billion contract to lead construction of the world’s first gas-fired power station with integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The facility, known as Net Zero Teesside Power, will mark a major step forward in redefining how fossil fuel-based energy can align with net-zero goals… “The facility will include advanced post-combustion carbon capture systems, which are expected to remove and store as much as two million metric tons of CO2 per year. Captured emissions will be compressed and transported via offshore pipelines for permanent sequestration beneath the North Sea. The power station is a joint initiative between bp and Equinor, while the CO2 transport and storage infrastructure will be managed by the Northern Endurance Partnership, a consortium involving bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies.”
Deloitte: Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe
7/1/25
“Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) faces significant challenges, including high costs and value chain barriers,” according to Deloitte. “The priority now is to push major next-generation projects by providing enhanced and tailored support, which will then accelerate progress along the cost curve. Explore key insights for unlocking at-scale deployment of CCS in Europe… “Costs across the CCS value chain in Europe remain high, resulting in an average value gap of ca. €150/t CO2 compared to prevailing EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) price levels. The cost of transporting CO2, ETS prices, and purity of CO2 are three key variables that add uncertainty to the already high costs, which in turn is negatively impacting investor confidence. The high costs and uncertainties mean that CCS subsidy intensity is typically higher compared to that of other decarbonisation technologies. Due to high cost-levels, there is a need to prioritise low-hanging fruits to scale-up the ecosystem (i.e., high purity CO2 streams with lower levelized CCS cost). To derisk projects, governments should adopt a hub-based approach for CO2 transport, put CO2 price hedging mechanisms in place, and promote dissemination of knowledge from the initial wave of large-scale projects (e.g., impact of CO2 purity on storage capacity)... “So far, all leading CCS projects in the EU have relied on extensive government support, a trend which will continue in the short to medium term. While there exists a structural gap between the available storage capacity and the increasing need for carbon capture, market uncertainty creates a climate of hesitation among emitters for long-term contracts with fixed dates. Governments should consider financial support for essential first-stage infrastructure projects to reduce risks and enable future scale-up. Early adopters should get extra incentives… “There is a need to demonstrate flexibility in funding and regulations to swiftly operationalise major projects and recalibrate the level of support as the market matures.”
RBN Energy: With Ethane as a Bargaining Chip, Energy Becomes a Weapon in Talks With China
Kristen Holmquist, 6/30/25
“...In today’s RBN blog, we review the impact of the BIS license requirement, the still-pending imposition of fees on vessels owned or operated by China, and the risk that comes with using the energy industry as a bargaining chip in trade talks,” RBN Energy reports. “...The Trump administration has increasingly used U.S. energy — especially commitments to purchase U.S.-sourced LNG — as an element in trade negotiations (see Road to Alaska), and it appears to have used the withholding of ethane as a cudgel during talks with China in a way that it hasn’t before (more on that in a bit). The impact of the license requirement can be clearly seen in the export data… “Without these exports, prices for energy products in the U.S. would fall, causing the economics of energy production to decline, leading to decreased drilling and oil production — the exact opposite of the “drill-baby-drill” expectations set out during President Trump’s campaign. There is also the matter of trust in the U.S. brand. If the leaders of the U.S. can turn the energy trade on and off at will, what incentive do other countries outside of China have to establish exclusive deals with the U.S., especially like those for the ethane market, where there are no alternative suppliers? The only thing that anyone outside of the administration can do is wait and see, but the consequences of this small part of the trade war could be far reaching.”
The Cool Down: Major oil corporation under fire over decade-old spill that caused humanitarian crisis: 'Tragedy'
Laurelle Stelle, 6/30/25
“In 2015, an oil spill into the River Thange in Kenya began a humanitarian crisis affecting 242 households in the area,” The Cool Down reports. “Despite 10 years of unexplained illnesses and deaths, it has taken until now for Kenya's senate to act, calling on the Kenya Pipeline Company, National Environment Management Authority, and Makueni County Government to clean up the spill affecting the area's soil and water, The Sunday Standard reported… “As the leadership of Makueni County, we are tired of using a lot of money on funeral expenses and in supporting medication of the victims of the Thange River spillage. It is clear that the area residents are affected and they should be compensated adequately," said Makueni Gov. Mutula Kilonzo, per the Standard… "The residents of Makueni have suffered for the last 10 years since tragedy struck. Unfortunately, Kenya Pipeline Company does not seem to give this matter the seriousness it deserves; that is why we want all stakeholders to address this matter," he said, per the Standard. The new Senate action calls for partial decommissioning of the pipeline and monitoring of the soil and water.
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Citing climate, Sierra Club Foundation pulls its money from BlackRock
Corbin Hiar, 6/27/25
“The Sierra Club's charitable arm this week moved to drop BlackRock as its asset manager, accusing the firm of failing to factor climate change into its investment and corporate engagement decisions,” E&E News reports. “The Sierra Club Foundation is moving its $10.5 million of reserves instead to the women-led sustainable investment firm Nia Impact Capital and Xponance, a Black-owned investment company with an environmental focus. The decision is significant more for its symbolic value than its financial impact: The charity of the nation's oldest environmental group is no longer willing to do business with the world's largest asset management firm, which handles around $11.6 trillion on behalf of other clients. "BlackRock has refused to fulfill its fiduciary duty to long-term investors and support real-world decarbonization through stronger stewardship practices, which is why it is no longer a responsible manager for the Sierra Club Foundation's assets," said Paul Rissman, an emeritus board member of the Sierra Club Foundation, in a Wednesday announcement.”
Press release: Sierra Club Foundation Announces Break from BlackRock/Aperio In Favor of More Financially Responsible Asset Managers
6/25/25
“Today, in an effort to safeguard its assets, the Sierra Club Foundation announced it is leaving BlackRock/Aperio as an asset manager and moving funds to Nia Impact Capital and Xponance. This follows over three years of active engagement with BlackRock by the Sierra Club Foundation, after sending the firm a letter in May 2022 placing it “on watch” for not meeting the expectations of the Foundation as a client. Nia Impact Capital is a women-led impact investing firm, with a unique active ownership approach that lends to responsible sustainable investing. In particular, they offer voting choices in alignment with climate and decarbonization, tailored options for proxy voting, and impact investing opportunities to invest in public companies pushing forward climate solutions. Nia's portfolios have also been fossil fuel free since their inception. Xponance, a Black-founded and Black-majority-owned multi-strategy investment firm, similarly, boasts a focus on sustainable and client-first investing. The decision to switch asset managers follows refusal by BlackRock to address the systemic financial implications of the climate crisis in its investment and stewardship decisions. BlackRock continues to promote a dangerous all-of-the-above energy strategy that is accelerating the climate crisis and putting its clients’ investments at risk… “By moving funds to more responsible asset managers that are proactively addressing the profound financial risks of the climate crisis, the Sierra Club Foundation is leading by example, and taking steps to ensure its investments are managed responsibly and sustainably to support the mission of the organization for the long term,” said Ben Cushing, Director of the Sierra Club's Sustainable Finance campaign.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
DeSmog: Pathways Alliance Sponsored Science Fairs for Canadian Children
Taylor Noakes, 6/30/25
“Tar sands advocacy group Pathways Alliance has been sponsoring school science fairs, DeSmog has learned. Environmentalists are questioning the ethics of an oil industry lobby group participating in science fairs for children, particularly given their disregard for the scientific consensus concerning the relationship between fossil fuel use and climate change. Pathways Alliance, which represents six Canadian fossil fuel producers, is listed as a platinum sponsor of the Calgary Youth Science Fair, which is also sponsored by oil majors Canadian Natural Resources, CNOOC International, and ConocoPhillips Canada, among others… “The oil and gas sector’s involvement in children’s education in Canada caught the attention of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), which earlier this year issued a report documenting the fossil fuel sector’s “extensive influence on climate education for elementary and secondary school students.” “...The fossil fuel sector’s influence includes creating curricula, developing films marketed as educational resources (including one titled “The Amazing Athabaskan Oil Sands”), and sponsoring field trips and conferences. “Corporations and lobby groups like the Pathways Alliance use sponsorships for greenwashing and as a strategy to gain social license — where they do positive activities in communities in order to gain favourable public opinion and legitimacy, despite the negative impacts of their business,” Emilia Belliveau, program manager, energy transition, with Environmental Defence, told DeSmog. “Supporting science fairs is nice, but it’s no substitute for solving environmental problems,” Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist with Greenpeace Canada, told DeSmog.”
OPINION
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: We Energies natural gas plants will help power data centers driving job growth
Mike Karbo is the Midwest region director for the American Petroleum Institute, which represents nearly 600 members that produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, 6/29/25
“Over 80% of Americans use some kind of AI-enabled product weekly. Widespread AI usage is not on the horizon, or somewhere off in the future – it is here, and it is growing,” Mike Karbo writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Data center development here in Wisconsin is also exploding, with investments in Mt. Pleasant, Kenosha, Port Washington, Beaver Dam, and Wisconsin Rapids, as tech companies race to expand their infrastructure and meet surging demand. But the jobs, economic development, and technological progress associated with this growth could be at risk if new baseload electricity generation is not brought online, and soon… “While renewables are continuing to evolve, the future of reliable baseload power in Wisconsin will depend on natural gas… “The Wisconsin Public Service Commission recently gave unanimous approval to two new natural-gas-fired power plants as part of a $1.8 billion project from We Energies… “Wisconsin must not be caught flat-footed, and the future of the state’s economy depends on getting power generation right. That means approving and building new natural gas capacity now, not once power bills skyrocket and the lights start to flicker.”
The Conversation: What’s at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 6/30/25
“The largest tract of public land in the United States is a wild expanse of tundra and wetlands stretching across nearly 23 million acres of northern Alaska. It’s called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, but despite its industrial-sounding name, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, is much more than a fuel depot,” Mariah Meek writes for The Conversation. “Tens of thousands of caribou feed and breed in this area, which is the size of Maine. Migratory birds flock to its lakes in summer, and fish rely on the many rivers that crisscross the region. The area is also vital for the health of the planet. However, its future is at risk. The Trump administration announced a plan on June 17, 2025, to open nearly 82% of this fragile landscape to oil and gas development, including some of its most ecologically sensitive areas. The government is accepting public comments on the plan through July 1.”
Canadian Energy Centre: Why it’s time to repeal the oil tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast
Will Gibson, 6/30/25
“In 2019, Martha Hall Findlay, then-CEO of the Canada West Foundation, penned a strongly worded op-ed in the Globe and Mail calling the federal ban of oil tankers on B.C.’s northern coast “un-Canadian.” Six years later, her opinion hasn’t changed,” Will Gibson writes for the Canadian Energy Centre. “It was bad legislation and the government should get rid of it,” said Hall Findlay, now director of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. The moratorium, known as Bill C-48, banned vessels carrying more than 12,500 tonnes of oil from accessing northern B.C. ports. Targeting products from one sector in one area does little to achieve the goal of overall improved marine transport safety, she said… “She sees an opportunity to remove the tanker moratorium in light of changing attitudes about resource development across Canada and a new federal government that has publicly committed to delivering nation-building energy projects… “The ban on tanker traffic specifically in northern B.C. doesn’t make sense given Canada already has strong marine safety regulations in place, Mullen said… “Indigenous Resource Network executive director John Desjarlais senses there’s an openness to revisiting the issue for Indigenous communities. “Sentiment has changed and evolved in the past six years,” he said… “Hall Findlay is cautiously optimistic that the tanker ban will be replaced by more appropriate legislation.”