EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/22/26
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Committee approves bipartisan pipeline safety bill
E&E News: New Jersey sued over NESE pipeline approval
WorkBoat: Activists sue to block Raritan Bay gas pipeline
E&E News: California challenges Trump admin permit for offshore oil company
Mlive.com: Michigan tribal nations unite to condemn ‘deep betrayal’ of Line 5 approval
KHNL: Red Hill fuel pipeline removal marks key milestone in facility’s closure
PA Environment Daily: DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County
WKOK: Boyd Station Gas Pipeline Project Receives $1.5 Million
The Hub: ‘Very frustrating’: Martha Hall Findlay on Pathways, pipelines, and Liberal unity
Quiver: Lobbying Update: $412,000 of ENBRIDGE (U.S.) INC lobbying was just disclosed
Investigative Journalism Foundation: Carbon capture, CUSMA and construction: Who lobbied for what in June?
Edmonton Journal: TC Energy flips switch on Alberta natural gas pipelines, compressor stations
Canadian Energy Centre: Top five reasons a new West Coast oil pipeline is in Canada’s national interest
WASHINGTON UPDATES
HuffPost: Trump Official Claims Americans Have Saved Billions On Energy Even As Gas Prices Rise
E&E News: House Dems, Trump official clash over permitting
E&E News: Permitting rulemaking imperils Capitol Hill talks
Latitude Media: Why repealing the Public Lands Rule made energy permitting trickier
KSTU: Across Utah, hundreds protest monument boundary reductions
Associated Press: Feds advance fracking plan for 2,800 acres of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest
Politico: A growing political reckoning is coming for data centers, POLITICO Poll shows
Bloomberg: Data Centers on Track to Suck Up a Fifth of US Power Use by 2035
Utility Dive: US data center electricity use could more than double by 2030: report
STATE UPDATES
Earthworks: Victory! Louisiana Residents Defeat Air Products’ Carbon Capture Project
Data Center Dynamics: Plug Power sells Texas site to Stream Data Centers
EXTRACTION
E&E News: EU asks capitals to suspend enforcement of landmark climate rules
Utility Dive: CO2 emissions from US power sector rose 4% last year
E&E News: Data centers face a new environmental concern
Canadian Press: Alberta, Saskatchewan make compelling case for supplying U.S. with oil: Hoekstra
The Narwhal: Canada’s promises to capture carbon span almost 20 years, with little gains
OPINION
Denver Post: I witnessed the ebb and flow of support for public lands. This administration is the worst
Financial Post: Thanks to Ottawa, you’ll pay for Alberta’s new pipeline
PIPELINE NEWS
E&E News: Committee approves bipartisan pipeline safety bill
Andres Picon, 7/22/26
“The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a compromise pipeline safety bill Tuesday — a sign of significant progress in Congress’ yearslong push to revamp the nation’s pipeline regulator,” E&E News reports. “The panel approved the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act, H.R. 9338, from Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) by a 41-8 vote after adopting a bipartisan substitute amendment by voice vote. The amendment made changes to provisions that had previously prompted Democratic opposition — including language to prosecute individuals who disrupt pipeline operations… “The compromise bill would extend safety programs at PHMSA through fiscal 2031. It would also establish some safety and education grant programs and change the funding structure for certain initiatives to gradually increase funding over the next five years… “The legislation would require the Department of Transportation, which houses PHMSA, to issue a final rule within two years to regulate pipelines carrying carbon dioxide. PHMSA would also have to update Congress regularly on its efforts to finalize pending rules required by law.”
E&E News: New Jersey sued over NESE pipeline approval
Mona Zhang, 7/21/26
“Clean Ocean Action is suing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection over a decision by its Tidelands Resource Council to grant a license to the Northeast Supply Enhancement project,” E&E News reports. “The controversial gas pipeline by Williams Transco, which would bring fracked gas from Pennsylvania to New York City and Long Island, was given the go-ahead by New Jersey in May despite vociferous opposition from environmental advocates, local elected officials and residents. Even Jane Fonda weighed in on the matter, penning a letter to Gov. Mikie Sherrill urging her administration to reject the license for NESE. “The decision to approve a Tidelands license for NESE is all harm and no gain for New Jersey,” Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, told E&E. “Why is New Jersey letting New York contaminate and damage our bay with toxins that will violate NJ’s public health, marine ecosystem, and economy, in exchange for cheap natural gas it doesn’t need?”
WorkBoat: Activists sue to block Raritan Bay gas pipeline
7/21/26
“Environmental activists filed a lawsuit July 20 to appeal a New Jersey permit for a natural gas pipeline through Raritan and Lower New York bays that would convey gas produced in Pennsylvania to New York,” WorkBoat reports. “The group Clean Ocean Action seeks to overturn a state tidelands license for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project, a planned 23.4-mile, 26” diameter pipeline also known as Transco, to be built by gas distributor Williams, Tulsa, Okla… “There can be no compromise that excuses this conduct and allows state-owned tidelands to be used and damaged without any public benefit contrary to the statutes designed to prevent this outcome,” the group’s lawyer Andrew J. Provence told WorkBoat… “Clean Ocean Action activists also cite longstanding speculation over a decade that the NESE pipeline can also be seen as a basis for a future offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the NY/NJ harbor to ship U.S. gas to more lucrative markets overseas.”
E&E News: California challenges Trump admin permit for offshore oil company
Noah Baustin, 7/21/26
“California opened a new legal front Monday in its monthslong effort to stop a Trump administration-backed offshore oil company from sending its oil via pipeline through the state,” E&E News reports. “What happened: California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) and the state fire marshal Monday sued the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The suit, filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges a permit the agency issued to Sable Offshore last month, giving the company permission to transport the oil it pumps off the California coast through an onshore pipeline system to market.”
Mlive.com: Michigan tribal nations unite to condemn ‘deep betrayal’ of Line 5 approval
Skyla Jewell-Hammie, 7/21/26
“Indigenous tribes across the state are standing in solidarity with the Bay Mills Indian Community after two Michigan agencies approved key permits last week for the Enbridge Line 5 tunnel to be built under the Straits of Mackinac,” Mlive.com reports. “Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy both issued permits July 15 for the Great Lakes Tunnel Project. The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi was among the sovereign nations that strongly condemned the decision by Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. NHBP tribal leaders say that despite warnings of the devastating impacts on the sacred waters and cultural resources of the Straits of Mackinac, state regulators ultimately “chose to sideline tribal voices to accommodate a foreign oil corporation.” “...The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians also expressed its disappointment and condemnation of EGLE’s “reckless decision.” Tribal members called for public resistance… “The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians also stated last week in a Facebook post that they stand united with fellow Anishinaabek Nations in opposition to the Line 5 tunnel project.”
KHNL: Red Hill fuel pipeline removal marks key milestone in facility’s closure
7/21/26
“The Navy has begun a two-year project to remove roughly 10 miles of pipeline tied to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility,” KHNL reports. “The underground military fuel storage facility was decommissioned in 2022 following multiple spills contaminating the area’s water supply. “Removal of the pipelines from the Red Hill tunnels marks a significant milestone,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Lester Ortiz, deputy commander for Navy Closure Task Force – Red Hill (NCTF-RH), told KHNL. “Every section of pipe we remove is a tangible step and visible demonstration of our continued commitment to the people of Hawaii to safely and deliberately close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.” “...The next step is to cut the pipeline into approximately 6,000 sections and ship them to the continental United States for recycling… “Pipeline removal operations are anticipated to be completed in 2028.”
PA Environment Daily: DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County
7/22/26
“On July 9, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the WT 4912 8 conventional oil well site in Hampton Township, McKean County in response to a notification by Copperhead Enterprises LLC of a crude oil gathering pipeline rupture on July 8,” PA Environment Daily reports. “The well owner said “the gathering line failed due to valves on the gathering lines at the tank battery unknowingly being closed by a suspected, unknown, third party prior to the lease being pumped on the afternoon of 7/8/26. It is estimated that the wells on the lease were pumping for 2-3 hours before the well tender drove towards this well and noticed the release at approximately 15:00.” DEP found “crude oil had sprayed onto the road bank and lower limbs of nearby trees.” “...After further progress is made with recovering the free crude, Chuck intends to excavate the contaminated soil at the origin of the release and replace the ruptured portion of the gathering line.”
WKOK: Boyd Station Gas Pipeline Project Receives $1.5 Million
Mark Lawrence, 7/22/26
“A $1.5 million state grant will extend natural gas service to Boyd Station in Northumberland County,” WKOK reports. “...The project will install about 9,000 feet of natural gas pipeline leading to the Boyd Station facility. The company currently relies on propane to operate the Rush Township location. Officials told WKOK the pipeline project will help Boyd Station create 25 new jobs during the next three years… “The state funding comes through Pennsylvania’s Pipeline Investment Program.”
The Hub: ‘Very frustrating’: Martha Hall Findlay on Pathways, pipelines, and Liberal unity
7/21/26
“One of the original architects of the Pathways carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) proposal says the project has evolved into something very different from what was first envisioned, arguing it now serves primarily as the political compromise needed to unlock a new West Coast oil pipeline,” The Hub reports. “Martha Hall Findlay, director of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and former chief sustainability officer at Suncor Energy, told the Hub the Pathways initiative was conceived in a very different geopolitical environment than exists today, with energy security, national security, and economic resilience now taking precedence over climate policy. “When we came to realize that Canada needed to spend billions of dollars in terms of our economic diversification, in terms of national security—we’re not a huge population, and we just don’t have billions and billions and billions of dollars to spare,” Hall Findlay said in an interview with Alberta Edge. She recently argued the multibillion-dollar CCUS project at the heart of the tripartite agreement between Ottawa, Alberta and the five oilsands companies behind Pathways should be postponed, saying Canada acting largely alone on emissions reductions would have “virtually no effect on global climate change.” “...The first phase of the Pathways network is now expected to reduce net emissions by six million tonnes annually by 2035—well below the project’s earlier ambitions when it was first proposed. Hall Findlay tld the Hub the smaller target reflects political compromise… “She told the Hub the agreement reflects Ottawa’s continued belief that it must earn “social licence” for new oil infrastructure—a concept she rejects. “It is very frustrating that this industry is seen as the bad boy.”
Quiver: Lobbying Update: $412,000 of ENBRIDGE (U.S.) INC lobbying was just disclosed
7/21/26
“$412,000 of ENBRIDGE (U.S.) INC lobbying was just disclosed, from Q2 of 2026, in a new Lobbying Disclosure Act filing,” Quiver reports. “This included lobbying on issues like: “Issues related to methane emissions and permitting of pipeline and midstream infrastructure; implementation of Good Neighbor rule from EPA; legislation to restrict or discourage natural gas production; issues related to 401 permits of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Issues related to National Environmental Policy Act reform; Lobbied generally regarding the role of natural gas infrastructure in achieving climate goals, including bills to promote innovation and investment in hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and CCUS infrastructure; Lobbied generally regarding potential proposals for methane emissions legislation… “Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act Implementation of One Big Beautiful Bill Act provisions and guidance; Implementation of Inflation Reduction Act tax provisions and guidance including Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax Department of Treasury Notice 2023-7; General corporate tax issues and provisions related to energy investments. Issues related to physical, chemical, and cyber security and their impacts on pipeline and midstream infrastructure; Lobbied generally regarding proposals for critical infrastructure cybersecurity incident reporting and oversight legislation.”
Investigative Journalism Foundation: Carbon capture, CUSMA and construction: Who lobbied for what in June?
Carly Penrose, 7/22/26
“Federal officials were lobbied nearly 4,000 times in June, according to registry data. The organization leading the pack for number of reports was the newly renamed Oil Sands Alliance,” according to the Investigative Journalism Foundation. “Formerly Pathways Alliance, the Oil Sands Alliance is made up of major oil and gas companies Canadian Natural, Cenovus, ConocoPhillips Canada, Imperial Oil and Suncor. The group reported 35 lobbying communications last month, mostly focused on its Pathways Project, a proposed carbon capture project, “which will transport and store captured carbon dioxide from multiple oil sands facilities in northeast Alberta,” according to the filings… “Cenovus, a member of the Oil Sands Alliance, also reported 23 meetings with federal officials. Those discussions took place ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announcing they were advancing plans for a West Coast pipeline, approval for which is contingent on the Pathways Project… “But some critics doubt the project’s forecasted reductions will be sufficient to keep up with the emissions that will be caused by increased oil and gas production to supply the new pipeline.”
Edmonton Journal: TC Energy flips switch on Alberta natural gas pipelines, compressor stations
Jackie Carmichael, 7/21/26
“The switch has been flipped on the Valhalla North and Berland River pipeline and power projects,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “TC Energy’s announcement was dwarfed by this week’s news of the looming Yellowhead pipeline. Still, it’s a boost to Alberta’s energy infrastructure. Together, the projects represent a $500 million investment in the company’s NGTL System and natural gas production from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Located northwest of Grande Prairie and Edson, the projects add 33 kilometres of new pipeline and a 30-megawatt electric-powered compressor station, delivering about 400 MMcf/d of “incremental capacity” while enhancing system reliability.”
Canadian Energy Centre: Top five reasons a new West Coast oil pipeline is in Canada’s national interest
7/20/26
“...Here are the top five reasons why building a new oil pipeline to the coast of British Columbia is in the interest of all Canadians,” according to the Canadian Energy Centre. “1. Strengthening Canada’s independence… A new pipeline to the West Coast would reduce this reliance by significantly expanding access to global markets, especially in Asia, where demand is projected to keep growing for decades… “2. A big boost to the national economy, jobs and government revenues… “3. Growing Indigenous partnerships… These investments create long-term income while supporting Indigenous communities in building experience as owners, investors and project partners… “4. Strong foundations for safety and successful project delivery… On average, 99.999 per cent of oil transported through federally regulated pipelines safely reaches its destination. There have been no major spills in nearly a decade, and even small incidents are uncommon… “5. Supporting emissions reduction: Per the federal-provincial agreement, finalized in July, the new pipeline would boost Canada’s oil exports to international markets while reducing oil sands emissions through the Pathways CCS project and other technologies. This would accelerate the sector’s success reducing emissions per barrel, which declined by 28 per cent between 2012 and 2024, even as production increased.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
HuffPost: Trump Official Claims Americans Have Saved Billions On Energy Even As Gas Prices Rise
Anthony Orrico, 7/20/26
“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum made some wild claims about energy savings during a Fox Business appearance on Monday as nationwide gas prices again hit $4 per gallon amid renewed fighting with Iran,” HuffPost reports. “We’re already saving Americans billions of dollars because we’ve got business leaders like President Trump driving our energy policy,” Burgum said. He also noted that oil and gas prices will begin to decline today because of Trump’s energy policies, citing potential ways to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, but offered few details on how that would happen… “Despite Burgum’s assurances, the nationwide average for a gallon of gas continues to rise, hitting $4.003 on Monday, according to AAA. Brent crude oil, the benchmark for global oil prices, also ticked higher, rising to $88 per barrel as of Monday evening as the U.S. continued to launch strikes against Iran.”
E&E News: House Dems, Trump official clash over permitting
Hannah Northey, 7/22/26
“House Democrats blasted a top Trump administration official tasked with streamlining reviews of energy projects and said steep cuts at federal agencies and politics are slowing that work,” E&E News reports. “Emily Domenech, executive director of the Permitting Council, voiced support on Capitol Hill on Tuesday for bipartisan legislation, H.R. 8003, from Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Jeff Crank (R-Colo.). The council helps projects worth $200 million or more navigate an array of federal agencies, and the bill would lower that threshold to $50 million… “But Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the full committee’s top Democrat, expressed concern that the Trump administration would continue to withhold that streamlined treatment for solar and wind projects… “Republicans at the hearing touted the permitting council as an independent, nonregulatory agency that reports directly to President Donald Trump. They applauded the council’s success in cutting down the time it takes to conduct environmental reviews.”
E&E News: Permitting rulemaking imperils Capitol Hill talks
Josh Siegel, 7/22/26
“Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich on Tuesday blasted pending Trump administration rulemaking that — if finalized —could weaken implementation of a landmark law designed to protect Native American cultural treasures and other historic sites,” E&E News reports. “The New Mexico Democrat told E&E the issue could hurt bipartisan permitting reform talks on Capitol Hill, just like the administration’s moves against renewable energy projects. While Heinrich has indicated he is open discussing reforms to the National Historic Preservation Act, he told E&E the Trump administration pursuing more aggressive executive actions is “not helpful in negotiations.” “It would have been good for them just not to have done this, and certainly not at this time,” Heinrich told E&E. “This is just another slap in the face that says we don’t actually need to consult with tribes, because the way the rules are structured doesn’t create anything meaningful.”
Latitude Media: Why repealing the Public Lands Rule made energy permitting trickier
Maeve Allsup, 7/20/26
“When the Bureau of Land Management finalized its repeal of the Public Lands Rule earlier this year, the largely outraged public response focused on both the blow to wildlife habitat preservation, and the benefits for oil and gas leasing. But the rule, established in 2024, was also poised to reshape how energy infrastructure developers — including of transmission, solar, and geothermal projects — navigate the federal permitting bottleneck, via the creation of a new tool: mitigation leases,” Latitude Media reports. “That mechanism would have allowed developers to offset the impact of a project by supporting restoration or mitigation efforts elsewhere on BLM property, which spans 245 million acres of land and 700 million acres of subsurface… “Now, however, developers won’t have that option. In effect, BLM just repealed a pathway that would have made it easier to build — right at a moment when the grid needs all the new capacity it can get. According to Clean Air Task Force senior associate Kelsey Landau, this repeal has gotten less attention than orders to stop work entirely on certain offshore wind farms, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued in late 2025 — but it’s still a major step backward for permitting major energy infrastructure… “Frank Sturges, a senior attorney at CATF, warned that by rescinding the rule, the Interior Department has consigned the industry to status quo mitigation requirements that could slow or complicate new energy projects of all kinds, not just wind and solar.”
KSTU: Across Utah, hundreds protest monument boundary reductions
Ben Winslow, 7/20/26
“Hundreds protested in locations all over the state against President Trump’s decision to once again reduce the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments,” KSTU reports. “Outside the Governor’s Mansion in Salt Lake City, a large crowd gathered and waved signs while chanting “vote them out” as cars drove by honking horns. “The idea that they could just hum along through some presidential whim to steal lands that are protected already,” said Terry Palmer. Cody Chamblain said he opposed any changes to the monument boundaries. “People need to know the true value of this land,” he told KSTU. “It’s not to be just extracted or sold up or chopped up or roads running every which way. It needs to be the way it is and protected for future generations.” Similar demonstrations occurred in Ogden, Provo, Moab and St. George. Protesters were angry not only with President Trump, but Utah’s Republican political leaders who flanked him as he signed the executive orders to once again shrink the monuments.”
Associated Press: Feds advance fracking plan for 2,800 acres of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest
7/21/26
“The federal government took a major step forward Friday toward opening more than 2,800 acres of Ohio’s only national forest to oil and gas development,” the Associated Press reports. “The Bureau of Land Management announced a lease sale scheduled for Sept. 15 of 41 parcels of land in the Wayne National Forest totaling 2,840 acres. Although some bureaucratic hurdles remain, a lease sale brings fracking in the forest for the first time — the subject of political effort since at least 2016 — far closer to fruition, giving specific companies legal rights to the land and minerals beneath it.”
Politico: A growing political reckoning is coming for data centers, POLITICO Poll shows
Katherine Long and Jessie Blaeser, 7/21/26
“Americans’ attitudes toward data centers have grown increasingly sour and politically polarized in the past six months, a trend that signals trouble for the artificial intelligence industry and leaders of both parties, according to new results from The POLITICO Poll,” Politico reports. “While growing opposition to the sprawling, server-packed data hubs is coming from both sides of the political aisle, it’s especially evident among Democrats, whose opposition to the projects has grown much faster than antagonism from Republicans, according to the July survey conducted by the independent polling organization Public First… “The poll also found that more people now oppose nearby data centers than support them — a reversal from the findings of an earlier POLITICO Poll in January. The new poll found that 41 percent of Americans would oppose a data center being built within three miles of where they live, up from 28 percent in the January survey. The number supporting those projects dropped during the same period, from 37 percent to 24 percent… “Dan Diorio, executive vice president of state policy and government affairs at the Data Center Coalition, an industry group that represents Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon’s AWS, defended the infrastructure as a job creator and economic driver. “Recent polling data reinforces our view of the importance of continued efforts to better explain the role of the industry to the public through community engagement and stakeholder education, including factual information about the industry’s responsible usage of water and our commitment to paying for the energy we use,” Diorio told Politico.”
Bloomberg: Data Centers on Track to Suck Up a Fifth of US Power Use by 2035
Emily Forgash, 7/21/26
“Data centers in the US will account for about 20% of the nation’s electricity consumption in 2035, up from 5.9% today, according to BloombergNEF,” Bloomberg reports. “That compares with an estimated 12% in 2030, it said in a report Tuesday. In states such as Virginia and Texas where data centers are concentrated, their share of electricity use will be even higher. Given the speed at which soaring demand from artificial intelligence is increasing, BNEF projects data center power needs to reach 194 gigawatts in the country by 2035. That’s a jump of 83% from its December forecast… “At the same time, developers face obstacles such as permitting freezes imposed by local governments and political opposition over the projects’ growing energy needs and environmental impacts. “Every coal plant, every gas plant, every solar farm in the US — one unit of energy out of five generated by them is going to data centers,” Lloyd Arnold, an analyst at BNEF and one of the authors of the report, told Bloomberg. “So that’s the same energy that’s going to be going into powering electric vehicles, powering cities, et cetera.”
Utility Dive: US data center electricity use could more than double by 2030: report
Robert Walton, 7/21/26
“Data centers for AI and other digital use cases are consuming increasing amounts of energy and water, complicating the jobs of policymakers and community planners looking to protect residents’ health and safety, according to a new report from the Kansas Health Institute,” Utility Dive reports. “U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 183 TWh of electricity in 2024, according to the report, amounting to more than 4% of the country’s total electricity use. That demand is projected to grow 133% by 2030, to 426 TWh, KHI said, citing data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Water use is also a growing concern: U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water directly in 2023, KHI said, and “that use could double or quadruple by 2028,” based on a range of scenarios modeled by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Just five years ago, 20% of U.S. data centers were already located in areas of the country experiencing water stress, the report said… “Currently, electricity generated to run data centers comes 56% from fossil fuels, 22% from renewables and 21% from nuclear, the report states. Data center growth is “delaying coal plant closures, slowing or preventing national, state and local priorities to transition to clean energy,” the report found. “Renewable sources are insufficient to meet both hyperscale data centers and existing users’ needs.”
STATE UPDATES
Earthworks: Victory! Louisiana Residents Defeat Air Products’ Carbon Capture Project
Logan Wolf, Rebekah Staub, 7/21/26
“Residents of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” have defeated plans for what could have been the largest carbon sequestration and storage project in the world, adding to a long list of carbon dioxide facilities and pipelines across the state that communities have fought and defeated,” according to Earthworks. “Hundreds of residents packed public hearings to share their opinions about the Air Products carbon capture pipeline. On July 30, Air Products announced they abandoned their so-called Louisiana “Clean” Energy Project, citing “expected financial returns not meeting stringent return criteria.” But we know the truth. Ever since the multi-billion-dollar project was announced more than four years ago, River Parish residents have demonstrated strong opposition to the project because of the considerable risks it would bring to communities, including: Building an ammonia plant and carbon dioxide pipeline right next door to a primary school, putting children and teachers at risk of pollution and leaks; Industrializing Lake Maurepas, turning a beloved lake and important ecosystem into a toxic wasteland; Being built on the site of the former Orange Grove sugar plantation, where local communities raised the alarm regarding the presence of unmarked graves of people who had been enslaved on the property; Using an unproven technology to bury carbon dioxide deep underground, turning communities and environment into testing grounds for something not guaranteed to work… “Q: Why should people care about blue hydrogen and carbon capture? A: I think that the reason why I’m so just committed to helping people understand why they should care about this particular technology is because it’s something that doesn’t work. It’s something that is kind of taking the focus off of something that could work and essentially put a place like Louisiana in a position to be able to address the climate crisis as we are seeing more aggressive hurricanes every single year, we’re seeing higher temperatures, more extreme weather. We used to not get tornado watches nearly as much as uh as much as we do now, and that’s something that’s extremely alarming and we need to be sounding the alarm — for lack of a better term — and helping industry understand that they play a major role in these climate crisis pieces and if we want to kinda make any type of change in this particular arena, then we’re definitely gonna have to work together to try and solve it instead of constantly coming up with fake solutions or false solutions.”
Data Center Dynamics: Plug Power sells Texas site to Stream Data Centers
Dan Swinhoe, 7/16/26
“Hydrogen firm Plug Power is selling more land to US data center firm Stream,” Data Center Dynamics reports. “...The site, to the west of Graham, was previously set to host Limestone, Plug’s green hydrogen production project and would have been the company’s largest hydrogen plant. Originally set to open in 2025, before merely hoping to start construction that year, the company has officially dropped the plans earlier this year amid a change in company strategy… “The New York site, located in the STAMP industrial park in Alabama, Genesee County, was originally set to host a hydrogen plant but was sold to Stream in March… “Stream and Plug Power said the pair are now also “actively exploring” other opportunities for Plug to deploy its products into the data center industry.”
EXTRACTION
E&E News: EU asks capitals to suspend enforcement of landmark climate rules
Ben Munster, 7/21/26
“The European Commission has told governments to suspend enforcement of landmark EU rules governing methane emissions for three years, according to new guidance approved Monday, following a sustained campaign by member countries and industry to delay them,” E&E News reports. “The guidance recommends that national authorities ignore any breaches of new rules coming into effect in January that will require companies to monitor, verify and trace emissions of methane — one of the world’s most potent greenhouse gases. Industry, backed by the U.S. and a large group of member countries, has warned that key criteria for verifying and certifying cargoes are still missing, meaning the rules will be impossible to comply with in time, disrupting EU energy supplies. They have called on the commission to reopen negotiations on the rules and delay them by up to three years.”
Utility Dive: CO2 emissions from US power sector rose 4% last year
Meris Lutz, 7/21/26
“Carbon dioxide emissions from the United States’ electric power sector rose by 4%, or 58 million metric tons, in 2025, due to growth in electricity generation and coal use, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report Tuesday,” Utility Dive reports. “Total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions increased by 2%, or about 115 million metric tons, over the same period, compared with 2024… “Coal-fired electricity generation increased by 13%, raising coal-related CO2 emissions by 78 MMmt, it said. Natural gas-fired generation decreased by 4%, lowering emissions by 23 MMmt, while wind and solar generation rose by 3% and 34%, respectively, which helped to curb the increases from power generation.”
E&E News: Data centers face a new environmental concern
Miranda Willson, 7/20/26
“Data centers sprouting up across the U.S. are facing an emerging environmental challenge: What happens to the wastewater they generate, and what kind of contaminants are in it?,” E&E News reports. “Recently, a data center under construction in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was found to have contaminated the sewer system with a rare bacterium. The water utility took swift action. The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities fined the project developer, revoked its wastewater permit and announced that it would not accept certain types of wastewater from data centers citywide… “But the incident highlights what engineers view as an emerging challenge for the data center industry that is already under scrutiny over its environmental footprint. As new projects crop up nationwide, experts told E&E it’s not clear whether small utilities have the infrastructure and regulations to ensure the wastewater is properly managed. “It’s almost like overnight, we have a new industry. Normally when it comes to industrial discharges, the information is public and also well documented,” Jonathan Brant, an engineering professor at the University of Wyoming, told E&E. With data centers, there is “scant actual hard data out there on what these waters look like or how these waters are going to be managed.”
Canadian Press: Alberta, Saskatchewan make compelling case for supplying U.S. with oil: Hoekstra
Jack Farrell, 7/20/26
“The U.S. ambassador to Canada says Alberta and Saskatchewan could make the “most compelling” case to meet the oil needs of the United States,” the Canadian Press reports. “Pete Hoekstra says the U.S. needs to find three to four million more barrels of oil per day over the next decade and that Canada is one of the best places to get it. He says members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet were eager to sign a deal last year for more Canadian oil but that the president wanted negotiations to continue because the U.S. has other options.”
The Narwhal: Canada’s promises to capture carbon span almost 20 years, with little gains
Carl Meyer, 7/21/26
“Two decades of records show Canadian politicians making big promises about carbon capture technology. In 2008, one government report claimed Canada could capture as much as 600 million tonnes of carbon a year — and carbon capture technology could be “implemented quickly,” The Narwhal reports. “From 2000 to 2024, a total of just 68.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide was captured across Canada and experts told the Narwhal the technology has yet to be proven at scale… “For close to 20 years, both Liberal and Conservative governments have talked about using carbon capture and storage technology to filter out carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from exhaust streams and store it so it doesn’t get released into the atmosphere, where it traps heat and causes climate change. Yet, while oilsands carbon pollution grew by three and a half times from 2007 to 2024 to 92 million tonnes, the ability of facilities in Canada to capture carbon from industrial sources hasn’t yet grown beyond a few million tonnes of emissions per year… “A 2008 report that came out of Harper’s announcement said Canada could theoretically capture as much as 600 million tonnes a year, and that carbon capture could be “implemented quickly, within a decade, using existing technology.” “...Instead, after tremendous attention and investment, this year Canada will be able to capture “on the order of several [million] tonnes per year,” a Natural Resources Canada spokesperson told The Narwhal… “Carbon capture has never, ever been proven at scale, or price. That’s just a fact,” Catherine McKenna, a former environment minister under the Justin Trudeau government, told the Narwhal. “The oil and gas companies talked to me about carbon capture and storage, and made promises, for like a decade. We have yet to see anything.”
OPINION
Denver Post: I witnessed the ebb and flow of support for public lands. This administration is the worst
Bill Wade spent decades with the National Park Service and is now executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, 7/21/26
“I grew up in Mesa Verde National Park, where my father was the chief ranger, and I followed in his footsteps for decades at locations across the country that included time as superintendent of Shenandoah National Park. During all those years, I learned that these extraordinary parks belong to every American and that the people entrusted to care for them carry a sacred responsibility to protect our country’s breathtaking natural resources and key elements of our nation’s history. But never — not once in decades — have I witnessed such systematic degradation, disrespect and dismantling of the National Park Service as I see today under the thumb of the President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum,” Bill Wade writes for the Denver Post. “...The National Park Service certainly has weathered other difficult times and will endure this chapter as well, but only if Americans recognize what is being lost and demand that their parks — and the public servants who protect them — receive the respect, investment and independence they have earned. As someone who has spent a lifetime serving this extraordinary agency, I cannot remain silent while the work of park service employees and our cherished public lands are being diminished. These parks are our inheritance. We should not allow them to become casualties of shortsighted politics and policies.”
Financial Post: Thanks to Ottawa, you’ll pay for Alberta’s new pipeline
Julio Mejia and Elmira Aliakbari are analysts with the Fraser Institute, 7/22/26
“Earlier this month, the Alberta and federal governments jointly submitted a new oil pipeline proposal to the federal Major Projects Office. Why are two governments building a pipeline, with taxpayers assuming most of the cost and risk? Because under Canada’s current regulatory regime no private company wants to,” Julio Mejia and Elmira Aliakbari write for the Financial Post. “...Then there’s the industrial carbon tax. In May, Ottawa and Alberta agreed to raise it from $95 per tonne of CO2 emissions in 2026 to $140 by 2040. According to a recent study by Jack Mintz, as Alberta’s carbon tax rises to $140 per tonne, the province’s oil production will be heavily disadvantaged relative to U.S. producers… “If it’s approved by the Major Projects Office, the Smith/Carney pipeline will be developed and operated by the Trans Mountain Corporation (which is now owned by the federal government) and the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission (a provincial Crown corporation). Pembina Pipeline, the only private-sector partner so far, would hold a 10 per cent stake during construction. Which means taxpayers will pay almost all project costs because government policies have made it economically unattractive for private investors to do so… “The Carney and Smith governments will use taxpayer dollars (an estimated $35.2 billion to $43.7 billion, so far) to develop the proposal and, if it’s approved, build the pipeline, including any cost overruns or losses… “And from an environmental perspective, oil production — if not maintained here at home — will simply shift to other countries with lower safety standards, resulting in greater damage to the global environment… “If the Carney government wants to restore confidence in Canada’s investment climate, it must remove unnecessary barriers and ensure bad policy no longer prices Canadian projects out of global markets.”