EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/16/25
PIPELINE NEWS
GoErie: Trump, McCormick unveil $90 billion in private investment in Pa. energy, AI projects
Reuters: Blackstone and US utility PPL to build gas power plants in JV partnership
Press release: TC Energy commends President Trump and U.S. Senator McCormick for prioritizing energy infrastructure at Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit
U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce: Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Rescheduled Date for Hearing to Strengthen Pipeline Safety
WPVI: Pa. DEP updates Bucks Co. residents on pipeline leak response
Roane County News: Natural gas pipeline expansion moving forward
RBN Energy: Waterborne Crude Oil Exports from the Trans Mountain Pipeline Decline for Third Consecutive Month
E&E News: Exiled Biden officials release carbon technology wish list
Royal Institution of Naval Architects: ‘Carbon Destroyer 1’ launched as ‘virtual CO2 pipeline’
Financial Afrik: Construction of Trans-African Gas Pipeline to Start at the End of July on the Moroccan Side
Cyprus Mail: Anti-pollution measures put in place after mazut leak detected in Moni
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Heatmap: Here’s How Much Money Biden Actually Spent From the IRA
E&E News: DOE’s loan office considers strict hiring caps
Taxpayers for Common Sense: One Big (Not So) Beautiful Boost for Carbon Capture
Reuters: US delays rule on Gulf of Mexico whale protections by two years
E&E News: House appropriators target Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
E&E News: House Republicans target BLM sage grouse protection plans
E&E News: Court dismisses greens’ appeal on Western oil and gas permits
Inside EPA: Conservatives Channel ‘Abundance’ In Push For Access To Public Lands
E&E News: What the megalaw’s royalty rate cuts mean for oil and gas producers
Bloomberg: US Threatens to Abandon IEA Over Green-Leaning Energy Forecasts
E&E News: A terrorism case is shaping one climate lawsuit
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Louisiana facility taps CO2 emissions to extract oil
Oklahoman: An oil spill 33 years ago has led to a new groundwater restriction in OKC. What happened?
E&E News: ‘Disappointing’: Group slams state plastics policies
EXTRACTION
Reuters: How Canada's oil sands transformed into one of North America's lowest-cost plays
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): The runaway cost of UK carbon capture and storage subsidies
Upstream: CCS a ‘bottomless pit’ for subsidies, says report
NOEMA: ‘Climate Delusion’ Or Vital Solution? Carbon Capture’s Uphill Battle
Carbon Herald: Beijing Launches Global CCUS Innovation Alliance Led By Sinopec
ABC: Chevron's Barrow Island gas leak sparks scrutiny of Western Australia's oil and gas decommissioning
CLIMATE FINANCE
Rolling Stone: How Texas Bullied Big Banks Into Dropping Their Climate Commitments
OPINION
Edmonton Journal: Pipelines or tankers in B.C.? The answer is still no
PIPELINE NEWS
GoErie: Trump, McCormick unveil $90 billion in private investment in Pa. energy, AI projects
Matthew Rink, 7/15/25
“President Donald Trump joined Sen. Dave McCormick's inaugural Energy and Innovation Summit on July 15 in Pittsburgh to unveil 20 projects across the state that are valued at more than $90 billion of private investment,” GoErie reports. “The investments include projects from Google and Blackstone, which will each spend $25 billion on data centers and related infrastructure…. "We're building a future where American workers will forge the steel, produce the energy, build the factories and really run a country like I believe this country has never been run before," Trump said at Carnegie Mellon University, the host of the summit. "I think we have a true golden age for America, and we've been showing it, and it truly is the hottest country anywhere in the world." “...The projects unveiled July 15 come on the heels of Gov. Josh Shapiro's announcement in June that Amazon plans to spend $20 billion to build campuses across the state for high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence innovation… “$1 billion, Enbridge. It will expand their gas pipelines into Pennsylvania with projects to be announced over the next six to 18 months… ”$400 million, TC Energy. Announced plans to invest $400 million to modernize its gas pipeline network in Pennsylvania.”
Reuters: Blackstone and US utility PPL to build gas power plants in JV partnership
Laila Kearney and Sumit Saha, 7/15/25
“Pennsylvania electric and gas utility PPL and Blackstone Infrastructure have formed a joint venture to build natural gas generation stations to power data centers under long-term energy services agreements, the companies said on Tuesday,” Reuters reports. “...The announcement came during the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh, where government, technology, and energy officials announced roughly $90 billion in investments in advancing data centers and other aspects of the artificial intelligence boom… “The joint venture, of which PPL owns 51% and Blackstone Infrastructure owns the remaining 49%, will seek to sign long-term energy service agreements with large data center companies, the companies said… "The joint venture is actively engaged with landowners, natural gas pipeline companies and turbine manufacturers, and has secured multiple land parcels to enable this new generation buildout," according to the statement.
Press release: TC Energy commends President Trump and U.S. Senator McCormick for prioritizing energy infrastructure at Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit
7/15/25
“TC Energy commends President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Senator Dave McCormick on a successful inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit today. TC Energy is investing billions of dollars in energy infrastructure, including approximately US$400 million in maintenance and modernization of the company’s 1,600-mile Pennsylvania pipeline network. The investments collectively represent approximately US$8.5 billion worth of previously announced energy infrastructure projects planned over the next five years across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast that will strengthen its backbone of critical energy infrastructure and connect key natural gas supply to meet growing demand. “We're all-in supporting America’s energy resurgence and burgeoning AI sector — it's happening right here in the heart of America," said François Poirier, President & CEO of TC Energy. “We thank President Trump and Senator McCormick for their ongoing efforts to create jobs and new economic opportunity in Pennsylvania and the United States. We look forward to continuing our work to strengthen America's energy security and economic prosperity.” Pennsylvania consumes approximately 25 percent of the natural gas it produces, underscoring the important role of interstate pipelines, including TC Energy’s Columbia Gas Transmission Pipeline System, which spans multiple states… “Over the past decade, TC Energy has invested more than US$5 billion in over 2,000 Pennsylvania-based businesses, fueling economic growth and supporting thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth.”
U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce: Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Rescheduled Date for Hearing to Strengthen Pipeline Safety
7/15/25
“Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Strengthening American Energy: A Review of Pipeline Safety Policy. “Safe and secure pipeline infrastructure is a vital part of ensuring our nation’s energy dominance,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “This hearing will provide us with the opportunity to discuss priorities for pipeline safety reauthorization and examine what steps need to be taken to build and operate pipelines safely and effectively. It’s critical that these pipelines can continue to operate reliably and meet the energy demands of communities across our country." WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy Hearing on pipeline safety policy and examine reauthorization of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety program. NEW DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 TIME: 10:30 AM ET.”
WPVI: Pa. DEP updates Bucks Co. residents on pipeline leak response
Leland Pinder, 7/15/25
“Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection told Upper Makefield Township residents that around 260 gallons of jet fuel had been recovered following a pipeline leak, but they believe much more was released,” WPVI reports. “...In a meeting on Tuesday night coordinated by township officials, the Pa. DEP offered updates to residents on their coordination of corrective actions and enforcement with Energy Transfer over the last few months. Residents pushed the DEP for quicker answers and more accountability from the DEP. "If nobody forces them, nothing will happen," said one resident. "How much fuel spilled and where is it? That answer is unattainable and everyone has had enough," said township board member Tom Cino. Residents are frustrated by the pace of remediation and other solutions. "We agree that it's not happening fast enough and we're using some of the tools available to us to encourage that to happen," said Pa. DEP local government liaison Lisa Strobridge… “The DEP said they're relying on voluntary compliance before triggering more aggressive enforcement against pipeline operators. For now, the pipeline continues to operate but at reduced pressure, and residents are still being provided with bottled water, and wells also continue to be treated.”
Roane County News: Natural gas pipeline expansion moving forward
Damon Lawrence, 7/15/25
“East Tennessee Natural Gas is moving forward with its pipeline expansion. The project will provide natural gas to TVA’s energy complex in Roane County,” Roane County News reports. “We started this project to support TVA’s transitioning from coal to natural gas back in June of 2021,” Enbridge Manager of Stakeholder Engagement Art Haskins told the Roane County Commission on Monday. Enbridge is the owner and operator of East Tennessee Natural Gas. Haskins said they are looking to start construction at the end of October. “We’ll start construction at both ends,” he said… “Roane County Commissioner Junior Hendrickson asked what will happen to the local water supply if the gas line ruptures. “It’s natural gas,” Haskins responded. “It’s not going in a clean water. It would go into the river and it would bubble up and go out of the river.” “...Hendrickson indicated he doesn’t trust Enbridge. “I do not believe all this crap y’all are telling us,” he told Enbridge officials. “Say what you want but I don’t agree with it.”
RBN Energy: Waterborne Crude Oil Exports from the Trans Mountain Pipeline Decline for Third Consecutive Month
Martin King, 7/15/25
“Waterborne crude oil exports from the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMP) averaged 378 Mb/d in June 2025 (rightmost stacked columns in chart below), a decline of 48 Mb/d versus May, an increase of 71 Mb/d from a year ago, and down 120 Mb/d from the peak of 498 Mb/d in March 2025 based on shipping data compiled by Bloomberg,” RBN Energy reports. “June’s exports were the third consecutive month of decline from the March peak. Reasons for the decline are likely severalfold, including oil sands turnarounds during May and June, reducing supplies available for export, refinery maintenance in destination countries, and the greater availability of crude supplies to Asian customers from OPEC+ nations in recent months.”
E&E News: Exiled Biden officials release carbon technology wish list
Corbin Hiar, 7/16/25
“Veterans of the Biden-era Department of Energy have developed a list of policies for advancing technologies to capture carbon dioxide from smokestacks and the atmosphere,” E&E News reports. “The team highlighted more than 30 proposals that would promote carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture and storage, while also shifting the economy away from its reliance on planet-warming oil, gas and coal. The wish list was included in a report published Tuesday by the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. Strengthening EPA’s power plant air pollution regulations is among the suggested policies that are unlikely to advance during the administration of President Donald Trump, who has erroneously claimed that climate change is a “hoax” and dismantled U.S. efforts to address the problem. But other ideas — such as supporting additional CO2 pipelines and storage wells — could win bipartisan support in Washington and state capitals because they “align well with themes of economic development, energy independence, and infrastructure modernization,” Jennifer Wilcox, an energy policy professor at the Kleinman Center and the report’s lead author, told E&E.”
Royal Institution of Naval Architects: ‘Carbon Destroyer 1’ launched as ‘virtual CO2 pipeline’
David Foxwell, 7/15/25
“Dutch shipyard Royal Niestern Sander has launched Carbon Destroyer 1, the first CO2 carrier to be built in Europe,” the Royal Institution of Naval Architects reports. “The vessel is a key part of the Project Greensand carbon capture and storage project in Denmark and was described by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of global petrochemicals company INEOS, as “an important next step for carbon capture and storage in Europe…demonstrating that carbon storage is commercially viable”... “The EasyMax concept is a multipurpose vessel with a cargo capacity of 14,000tonnes, jointly developed by Royal Wagenborg and Royal Niestern Sander. Through Project Greensand, Denmark is positioning itself as a hub for CO2 storage in Europe… “The vessel is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025 or early 2026, when Project Greensand is due to begin permanent commercial scale CO2 storage operations. At the Port of Esbjerg in Denmark, construction is currently underway on a new CO2 terminal, which will serve as the onshore hub for receiving, storing, and loading liquefied CO2 onto the vessel.”
Financial Afrik: Construction of Trans-African Gas Pipeline to Start at the End of July on the Moroccan Side
7/15/25
“Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, announced the official launch at the end of July-beginning of August 2025 of a gas pipeline project between the port of Nador (northern Morocco) and the city of Dakhla (southern Morocco),” Financial Afrik reports. “...The overall project involves 11 African countries and aims to strengthen the continent’s energy integration, with extensions planned to Mauritania and Senegal, while improving connectivity to the European market via the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline… “The Trans-African gas pipeline is expected to be approximately 6,000 kilometers long and built in several phases for a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The project cost exceeds 20 billion dollars.”
Cyprus Mail: Anti-pollution measures put in place after mazut leak detected in Moni
Johanna Pauls, 7/15/25
“The Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) informed the public that an environmental management protocol has been put in place immediately after a mazut oil spill was detected in the port area of Moni,” the Cyprus Mail reports. “According to the CPA, the leak had been identified by the department of fisheries on Saturday, July 12 whose investigations concluded that the oil spill originated from a inactive pipeline in the port area. Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, the CPA confirmed that the leaked oil was mazut, a specific type of low-quality residual fuel oil used in power plants and similar applications. “The company owner of the pipeline, has been asked to take over its responsibilities, including the complete dismantling and removal of the pipeline”, the CPA said.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Heatmap: Here’s How Much Money Biden Actually Spent From the IRA
Emily Pontecorvo, 7/15/25
“The Biden administration left office without ever disclosing how much of the historic climate funding from the Inflation Reduction Act it had spent,” Heatmap reports. “...The administration had announced awards for about 67% of the $145.4 billion in grants created by the IRA, the outlet found, but the amount that had been obligated — meaning legally committed and therefore, at least in theory, protected — remained largely unknown… “According to scores from the Congressional Budget Office, $31.7 billion of the $93.4 billion for those programs, or about 34%, was left. That means the Biden administration spent or contracted out about two-thirds of the funding from these programs. The data puts into focus what the ultimate effects and outcomes of the Inflation Reduction Act will be over the coming decades — or rather, what they could be, if the Trump administration upholds existing contracts. Whether the administration must honor these agreements is the subject of several ongoing lawsuits. But we can see, for example, that the Environmental Protection Agency, which had the largest appropriation from the IRA of any agency, obligated the vast majority of that money to states, tribes, nonprofits, and other beneficiaries… “The data can also be somewhat misleading, as several of the programs provide loans and loan guarantees, while the OBBB only rescinded “credit subsidies,” i.e. money to cover the costs of this lending service. In other words, this doesn’t tell us much about how much Biden’s Loan Programs Office accomplished. But in this case the office’s website helps fill out the picture: It lists 23 active loans that were made after the IRA passed, worth nearly $58 billion. (The IRA appropriated about $11.7 billion in credit subsidies to the Loan Programs Office.)”
E&E News: DOE’s loan office considers strict hiring caps
Brian Dabbs, 7/15/25
“The Department of Energy’s loan arm is considering a plan to cap total staff at just above 200 full-time employees over the coming years, marking a significant cut from the Biden administration, according to an internal document viewed by E&E News. “In order to maintain funding through [fiscal 20]28, we should impose an LPO Federal hiring ceiling of 125 to 140, with the reciprocal amount of contractor FTE of 70 to 60,” the document says. That level amounts to about half the staff at the Loan Programs Office last year. The Government Accountability Office recently said 2024 staff totals reached 412 federal and contractor employees, including part-time employees. Just weeks into the Trump administration, funding cuts triggered contractor layoffs at the LPO. The office has also faced a series of leadership departures. The second director for the office under President Donald Trump departed in June. No successor has been named, although Greg Beard, a former cryptocurrency miner, is listed as a senior adviser.”
Taxpayers for Common Sense: One Big (Not So) Beautiful Boost for Carbon Capture
7/15/25
“The FY2025 budget reconciliation bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and signed into law on July 4, put the final nail in the coffin for a suite of energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). But carbon capture and storage (CCS) didn’t just survive the cuts, it walked away with an even sweeter deal thanks, for the most part,to the expansion of the 45Q tax credit,” according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. “...EOR, a technique used for decades to boost oil and gas production by injecting CO2 into depleted wells, is the most common and only commercially viable use of captured carbon. For the first time, the OBBBA increases the credit for EOR and other uses to match the full sequestration rate—up to $180 per ton starting in 2025 for facilities placed in service after the bill’s enactment… “The 45Q credit picked up increasingly generous handouts as the reconciliation process unfolded. The House-passed bill left the credit amount unchanged. The Senate Finance Committee proposal raised the EOR and other use credit to $17 per ton, starting in 2026. The Senate-passed bill—and ultimately the final law—accelerated that increase to begin in 2025, but limited it to facilities placed in service after enactment. The final version, like all previous ones, keeps the current expiration date and adds new “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) restrictions for facilities claiming the credit. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), expanding 45Q under OBBBA—(combined with the effect of FEOC provision)—will cost taxpayers an additional $14.2 billion over FY2025-2034. That’s on top of the $36 billion price tag of the tax credit before the expansion, per Treasury tax expenditure estimates. 45Q was originally introduced to promote CCS as a tool to reduce emissions. But CCS has failed to prove itself at scale. It depends heavily on taxpayer subsidies, raises red flags about private property rightsthrough the threat of eminent domain, and poses long-term public health and safety risks. Now, with OBBBA’s expansion of 45Q, taxpayers are being asked to bankroll even more of a costly and ineffective endeavor—as the deficit grows… “Under OBBBA, CCS facilities that meet 45Q’s minimum capture thresholds and capture at least 50% of total carbon output can now count income from electricity generation (for power plants), storage of electricity, and carbon capture itself as qualifying income for PTP status. There is no construction deadline for eligibility. This provision allows CCS developers and investors to structure projects as PTPs to avoid corporate-level taxation.”
Reuters: US delays rule on Gulf of Mexico whale protections by two years
Nichola Groom, 7/14/25
“U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration will delay by two years a final rule designating protections for the endangered Rice’s whale in the oil and gas drilling region of the Gulf of Mexico, according to an agreement with environmental groups filed in a federal court,” Reuters reports. “The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service agreed with green group Natural Resources Defense Council to finalize by July 15, 2027 the geographic area deemed critical for the Rice’s whale survival. The previous deadline had been Tuesday, July 15, of this year… “NMFS, however, requires additional time to analyze the impact of the Rule and evaluate the science underlying it. As part of that process, NMFS plans to coordinate its efforts with the scientific and academic communities.”
E&E News: House appropriators target Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Jennifer Yachnin, Scott Streater, 7/15/25
“House Republicans are targeting a sprawling national monument in Utah for significant changes — including removing protections for more than 860,000 acres, while leaving the site’s boundaries intact — through the annual appropriations process,” E&E News reports. “Language included in the fiscal 2026 funding legislation for the Interior Department and EPA published by the House Appropriations Committee on Monday would require the Bureau of Land Management to follow a 2020 Trump administration land-use plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The monument in southwestern Utah appeared on a list of a half-dozen monuments that could be targeted for reductions by the second Trump administration.”
E&E News: House Republicans target BLM sage grouse protection plans
Scott Streater, 7/14/25
“House Republicans are taking aim at Biden administration plans to protect the greater sage grouse, while also moving to continue a long-standing prohibition on listing the imperiled species under the Endangered Species Act,” E&E News reports. “On Monday, House Republicans included a provision in their fiscal 2026 spending bill for the Interior Department and EPA that would block Interior from using appropriated funding “to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce” proposed sage grouse management plans begun, but not finalized, by the Biden administration. The Bureau of Land Management in January approved management plans for Colorado and Oregon, but it did not finish new plans for eight other states within the bird’s range before President Donald Trump took office for a second term. The provision in the House spending package comes after BLM last week told E&E that officials are “actively working with our state partners to complete the remaining greater sage grouse habitat plans with a goal of completion by the end of the year.” The bill also would not allow the Interior secretary to list the sage grouse for protection under the Endangered Species Act.”
E&E News: Court dismisses greens’ appeal on Western oil and gas permits
Niina H. Farah, 7/16/25
“Conservation groups failed to convince a federal appeals court they had grounds to sue the Interior Department over 4,000 oil and gas drilling permits in Wyoming and New Mexico approved under the Biden administration,” E&E News reports. “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found Tuesday that the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups lacked standing to collectively challenge approved applications for permits to drill, or APDs. The conservation groups challenged every oil and gas drilling permit approved by four Bureau of Land Management field offices in Wyoming and New Mexico between Jan. 21, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2022. They had asked for the approvals to be thrown out and for the court to block any further permitting until the agency complied with federal law. The groups failed to plausibly show how the permits spanning thousands of square miles would affect the groups’ members who alleged they suffered harm from oil and gas drilling, said Judge Cornelia Pillard, penning the opinion for the court.”
Inside EPA: Conservatives Channel ‘Abundance’ In Push For Access To Public Lands
7/14/25
“The conservative Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is channeling the new ‘abundance’ theory, aimed at boosting Democrats’ political fortunes, in a bid to challenge various environmental protections on public lands including by limiting EPA’s Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction and encouraging greater activity such as natural resource development,” Inside EPA reports. “Mark Miller, director of PLF’s new Environment & Natural Resources practice group, says the effort was created in response to President Donald Trump embracing the “abundance agenda,” and says it will focus on “defending Americans” freedom to use our land and natural resources in ways that foster prosperity, innovation and responsible conservation.” The theory is outlined in a March book titled “Abundance,” by journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, which was intended for Democrats. But Miller tells Inside EPA that the authors “get at” PLF’s long-standing-work to reverse 50 years of “restrictions” through well-intended regulations, which have resulted in “unintended consequences that created problems like’ California’s housing shortage.”
E&E News: What the megalaw’s royalty rate cuts mean for oil and gas producers
Ian M. Stevenson, 7/16/25
“After a three-year interval with higher oil and gas royalty rates on federal lands, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have turned back the clock to the same levels as 1920,” E&E News reports. “The megalaw signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 slashes royalty rate hikes enacted under the Biden administration for both onshore and offshore leases. The shift is another example of the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse former President Joe Biden’s policies and boost fossil fuels. While industry groups are celebrating the lower collection rates, critics told E&E they will cut billions of dollars in revenue from federal coffers at a time when the U.S. is a net exporter of fossil fuels and the largest oil producer in history. “It’s difficult to understand why we would be reducing royalty payments and providing this kind of significant subsidy to the oil and gas industry right now,” Chris Winter, executive director of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told E&E.”
Bloomberg: US Threatens to Abandon IEA Over Green-Leaning Energy Forecasts
Ari Natter, 7/15/25
“The US may depart the International Energy Agency without changes to forecasting that Republicans have criticized as unrealistically green, President Donald Trump’s energy chief said,” Bloomberg reports. “We will do one of two things: we will reform the way the IEA operates or we will withdraw,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Bloomberg “My strong preference is to reform it.” The Paris-based IEA, established in response to the 1970s oil crisis to enhance energy security, stirred controversy in recent years as long-term forecasts began to factor in more active government policies to shift away from fossil fuels. The agency has predicted that global oil demand will plateau this decade as electric-vehicle fleets expand and other measures are adopted to reduce emissions and combat climate change. “That’s just total nonsense,” Wright told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He added he’s been in a dialog with the Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director… “Wright’s criticism of the agency that gets millions of dollars in US funding is in line with Trump’s broader pro-fossil fuels thrust, and his skepticism about climate change and some environmental measures adopted under previous administrations.”
E&E News: A terrorism case is shaping one climate lawsuit
Lesley Clark, 7/15/25
“A Supreme Court decision that recently allowed Americans who were injured by acts of terror to sue Palestinian groups is being invoked in a climate lawsuit against the oil and gas industry,” E&E News reports. “The seemingly unconnected ruling could hinder the Puerto Rico climate case if the judge is persuaded that she lacks jurisdiction over the foreign companies named in the lawsuit. The high court’s ruling centered on a legal technicality called personal jurisdiction — which is used to determine whether a court has the power to make a decision about the parties being sued and if it can enforce the ruling. Lawyers for the island’s cities and towns that filed the climate suit are urging the judge to adopt a broad standard — like that used in the Supreme Court decision. But the energy companies argue that the terrorism-related decision does not apply to the case against them, saying plaintiffs have failed to show that a strong connection exists between the companies and the island — such as fossil fuel facilities being located on Puerto Rico. It’s unclear if the high court decision would influence dozens of other climate cases around the country, because most of them reside in state court and face different jurisdictional standards.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Louisiana facility taps CO2 emissions to extract oil
Carlos Anchondo, 7/15/25
“CF Industries has begun operating a carbon dehydration and compression unit at a sprawling complex in southeast Louisiana — part of the ammonia producer’s efforts to curb emissions and take advantage of a top carbon capture incentive,” E&E News reports. “In an announcement Monday, the Illinois-based company said carbon dioxide trapped at its Donaldsonville complex in Louisiana will be stored via enhanced oil recovery on an “interim basis.” The process uses the gas to help extract more oil…”The eventual plan is to sequester the carbon underground through dedicated geologic storage, CF Industries said in a news release. That will start at Exxon’s planned CO2 storage project in East Texas, CF Industries said in its release. This month, EPA issued draft permits for CO2 injection wells to Exxon’s proposal, which is called the Rose Carbon Capture and Storage project. The comment period closes Aug. 4.”
Oklahoman: An oil spill 33 years ago has led to a new groundwater restriction in OKC. What happened?
Richard Mize, 7/15/25
“Crude oil spills — and gasoline, diesel and motor oil spills — can have a long shelf life, 33 years in this case. In 1992, a hydrocarbon spill occurred at the Phillips 66 Oklahoma City Products Terminal at 4700 NE 10, at the north edge of the Del City limits. The pollution recently bubbled to the surface of the public record, although the extent of the spill, and the kind of petroleum product it was, could not be determined,” the Oklahoman reports. ”Oklahoma County commissioners, at Phillips 66's request, approved a deed restriction on the use of groundwater from a strip of land the county owns adjacent to the legally required right-of-way… “Proactive steps are being taken to ensure the long-term safety of the community. As such, we have asked for a permanent deed restriction to ensure that no drinking water wells are allowed on the adjacent property in the future,” Erin M. Liberton, corporate public affairs spokesman, in Ponca City, told the Oklahoman.”
E&E News: ‘Disappointing’: Group slams state plastics policies
Ellie Borst, 7/15/25
“The Ocean Conservancy is pushing states to step up actions against plastic pollution while the Trump administration works to reverse remaining progressive policies,” E&E News reports. “The environmental advocacy group released a report Tuesday rating how states stack up against one another on six benchmarks: single-use plastics, microplastics, reduce and reuse, producer accountability, recycling accesses, and recycling rates. “Overall, the results are disappointing,” Anja Brandon, the Ocean Conservancy’s director of plastics policy, told E&E, “Four in five Americans consider plastic pollution to be the most pressing issue facing our ocean, yet only six states ranked as ‘good’ or above in our study.” California was the only state to get at least four stars, in part due to its guardrails around contentious “chemical” or “advanced” recycling technologies and tiny plastic pellet disposal. Mississippi took last place at half a star, due to the state’s ban on plastic bag bans and lack of single-use plastics prohibitions.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: How Canada's oil sands transformed into one of North America's lowest-cost plays
Amanda Stephenson, 7/16/25
“Giant shovels, driverless trucks and a dog-like robot have all helped Canada's oil sands companies including Imperial Oil and Suncor become some of North America's lowest-cost oil producers, driving down overheads even as the worst inflation in a generation pushed U.S. shale costs up,” according to Reuters. “As the global oil industry enters a downturn due to economic uncertainty related to U.S. tariffs policy and OPEC+ pumping more barrels, Canada's oil sands industry finds itself in a position of strength. In the years following the oil price crash of 2014-15, international oil majors including BP, Chevron and Total sold their interests in Canadian oil sands. At the time, they classified the Canadian operations as among their more expensive, and therefore less profitable, projects worldwide. They directed their capital to cheaper oil production, and favored U.S. shale for its quicker drilling time and returns. Since then, new technology and cost-cutting efforts have driven meaningful improvement in the industry's competitiveness that make oil sands among the cheapest producers, according to a dozen industry insiders and a Reuters analysis of the latest U.S. and Canadian company earnings. While U.S. shale companies are responding to this year's oil price downturn by dropping rigs, slashing capital spending and laying off workers, the oil sands' position of strength means Canadian companies have made virtually no changes to their previously announced production or spending plans. Some Canadian politicians are now calling for a new crude pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific coast, as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country's economy in the face of U.S. tariff threats.”
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): The runaway cost of UK carbon capture and storage subsidies
Andrew Reid, 7/16/25
“In the Seventh Carbon Budget, the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) reduced the country’s 2050 annual carbon capture and storage (CCS) target by 30% to 73 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2). CCS nonetheless remains a core pillar of the UK’s net-zero pathway. The unproven and expensive technology is expected to support a 17% reduction of the UK’s 2023 emissions by 2050,” according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). “The CCC forecasts that CCS will be used more for engineered removals – including biomass energy with CCS and direct air CCS – than any other sector. Engineered removals is expected to account for 45% of the UK’s emissions capture and storage target by 2050, despite it being technically unproven and the highest-cost CCS solution. Potentially £408 billion will be required over the next 25 years to install and operate CCS infrastructure within the UK. An average of £5 billion will be needed annually by 2030 to reach the CCC’s 13 MtCO2 CCS target for that year. This increases to an average of £19 billion per year between 2031 and 2050. Enormous government subsidies will be required to support projects. There is little economic incentive for polluters to install CCS facilities as carbon prices in the Emissions Trading Scheme are too low. Over £50 billion of subsidies has been earmarked to support projects that together only account for 8% of the 2050 CCS target. UK CCS subsidies will be paid for by consumers. Environmental levies that support Renewables Obligation and Contracts for Difference payments for CCS operators will be 75% financed through additional electricity bill charges. This is at a time when UK households and businesses are already struggling with high electricity prices. Meanwhile, polluters are being let off the hook.”
Upstream: CCS a ‘bottomless pit’ for subsidies, says report
Rebecca Conan, 7/16/25
“Development of the UK’s carbon capture and storage market is a “bottomless pit” for subsidies, according to a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA),” Upstream reports. “The government has allocated more than £50 billion ($67 billion) in subsidies to support CCS projects that so far only account for 8% of the UK’s CCS target, the report said. “Given the technical immaturity of CCS and its track record of cost overruns, this £50 billion subsidy amount is likely the tip of the iceberg,” said Andrew Reid, an IEEFA energy finance analyst.”
NOEMA: ‘Climate Delusion’ Or Vital Solution? Carbon Capture’s Uphill Battle
Christopher J. Preston, 7/15/25
“...But Lili Fuhr, director of the Fossil Economy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law, argues that [Direct Air Capture] DAC is “a dangerous distraction” and a fig leaf for more fossil fuel production,” NOEMA reports… “DAC stands little chance of gaining the social license it needs to operate if sizeable portions of the environmental community oppose it. Investment is already faltering as governments and businesses pull back from their net-zero targets… “The International Energy Agency says that EOR reduces oil’s carbon emissions by 37%, thanks to the fact that a portion of the CO2 injected to extract the oil remains trapped in the sedimentary formations after the oil has been pushed out. That is good. But burning hydrocarbons still creates new emissions. Unless an oil company compensates for this with additional sequestration, it is still a net harm for the climate… “This is a deal-breaker for those who want to see the fossil fuel industry disappear as quickly as possible. “I think it’s really important to take note of how the industry sells the technology,” Fuhr told NOEMA. They are saying, “This is going to allow us to keep drilling for decades to come.” “...Unfortunately, DAC is also plagued by a whole other set of doubts. The industry promises to be massive. Are people going to want all that noise and infrastructure when these new industrial-scale facilities set up shop in their neighborhood?... “David Keith, a professor of geophysical sciences who designed the technology bought by Occidental, thinks that despite environmentalists’ skepticism, there is reason to welcome the oil and gas industry’s entry into DAC. It is evidence that climate concerns are being taken more seriously by the industry, and it could also be helpful to political progress on climate change overall… “Environmentalists are right to be on alert for greenwashing, Keith told NOEMA. But in the meantime, he thinks the oil and gas industry’s skillset with large industrial and chemical processes is a boon for the fledgling industry.”
Carbon Herald: Beijing Launches Global CCUS Innovation Alliance Led By Sinopec
Violet George, 7/16/25
“A new international organization aimed at accelerating carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology was officially launched in Beijing on July 11, bringing together over 50 global entities committed to advancing climate action,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The International CCUS Technology Innovation & Cooperation Organization (ICTO) was formed under the leadership of Sinopec, with support from the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)... “Representatives from 12 countries across four continents participated in the event… “Sinopec has played a pioneering role in China’s CCUS sector, launching the country’s first project at Shengli Oilfield in 2012 and integrating CO2 resource management across its operations by 2015. In recent years, the company has continued to lead with milestones such as China’s first commercial megaton-scale CCUS project (2022) and the construction of its first long-distance CO2 pipeline (2023).”
ABC: Chevron's Barrow Island gas leak sparks scrutiny of Western Australia's oil and gas decommissioning
Charlie McLean, 7/14/25
“Two environmental incidents in quick succession linked to aging oil and gas infrastructure in Western Australia's north have prompted questions over the industry's commitment to decommissioning and clean-up work,” ABC reports. “Oil and gas giant Chevron ended oil production on Barrow Island, 50 kilometres north west of Karratha on WA's Pilbara coast in mid-May, and is preparing to decommission the site. It has now confirmed that at the time, it detected an unknown amount of gas leaking into the island's groundwater and surface from underground… “The gas leak came in the same month an oil spill near the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef occurred while Woodside was decommissioning the offshore Griffin oil and gas field… “Greens MLC Sophie McNeill told ABC the incident was "deeply concerning". "Used offshore oil and gas structures can rupture, they can leak and decay, and that causes chemical and heavy metals to spread into the environment.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Rolling Stone: How Texas Bullied Big Banks Into Dropping Their Climate Commitments
Lauren Windsor, 7/15/25
“Speaking to a private gathering of conservative operatives and fossil fuel advocates in January, a top deputy to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton gave “the inside story” about how his office bullied Wells Fargo, one of America’s biggest banks, into dropping out of a global initiative to reduce carbon emissions,” Rolling Stone reports. “...Rolling Stone has exclusively obtained audio and documents from the event. Brent Webster, the First Assistant Attorney General of Texas, recalled how his office moved to cut off lucrative bond business to Wells Fargo. Webster then shared how he, in a private dinner at the governor’s mansion with Gov. Greg Abbott, Paxton, and the bank’s execs, told the bank Texas could “reinstate the bond market” if it left the Net Zero Banking Alliance. When the Wells Fargo team got flustered, Webster said he threatened an antitrust lawsuit against them, telling the bank’s executives they were this close “to being sued right now.” After the Texas attorney general launched an antitrust lawsuit against BlackRock and other large asset management firms, Webster said he called up his contact at Wells Fargo and warned, “you guys might be next.” It worked: “They left a week later,” he said. “They left the Net Zero Banking Alliance, and then all the banks followed.” “...Consumers’ Research, a one-time watchdog group that now works to limit consumer protections, has led the fight against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, with support from Supreme Court puppetmaster and billion-dollar money man Leonard Leo. The organization and Leo have worked in coalition with Republican attorneys general, state financial officers, legislators, and national Republican groups to pressure businesses to drop public commitments to ensuring the future habitability of our planet… “According to The Wall Street Journal, Leo’s Marble Freedom Trust and his consulting firm CRC Advisors have pumped millions into anti-ESG efforts, with much of it going through Consumers’ Research.”
OPINION
Edmonton Journal: Pipelines or tankers in B.C.? The answer is still no
Nikki Skuce is the director of the Northern Confluence Initiative based in Smithers, B.C., 7/15/25
“It’s hard to believe that an oil pipeline to cross through British Columbia’s northwest is once again being pushed by the premier of Alberta and considered by the prime minister of Canada,” Nikki Skuce writes for the Edmonton Journal. “Unlike when Enbridge Northern Gateway first proposed an oilsands pipeline that would introduce oil supertankers to B.C.’s north coast for the first time nearly two decades ago, today such a pipeline would depart from the rebuilt community of Fort McMurray, past the scorched iconic town of Jasper, passing north of the decimated town of Lytton, and crossing hundreds of salmon creeks and rivers facing drought. While much has changed, much remains the same — many of us residents are still here, and we still say no. Enbridge’s proposal produced one of the greatest public outcries in northern B.C. It united a broad cross-section of the region: First Nations and municipalities, loggers and tree huggers, conservative and progressive voters… “In March 2010, Coastal First Nations announced a ban on crude oil tankers in the Pacific North Coast under their Indigenous laws. Following this was the Save the Fraser Declaration in December 2010, that banned oil pipelines and oilsands projects from crossing the Fraser watershed. Well over 100 First Nations ultimately signed this declaration. Between 2012 and 2013, the National Energy Board heard from more than 1,400 northwestern B.C. residents who registered to express their views on the risky project, with only two voicing their support. Several municipalities, unions, and businesses opposed Enbridge’s proposal in defence of the economies, cultures and ecosystems we rely on. In 2019, the federal government enacted Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which prohibits oil tankers larger than 12,500 tonnes carrying crude or persistent oil from B.C.’s north coast — the same coast that is home to the Great Bear Rainforest, newly created and planned Marine Protected Areas, and coastal communities reliant on seafood and tourism… “Many of us who fought for this legislation to prevent future proposals are still here, and remain rooted in our love of the land and waters that sustain us. The answer to any oil pipeline or tankers through here is still no.”