EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/29/26
PIPELINE NEWS
Press release: 75+ Groups Call on Congressional Leaders to Reject Weak CO2 Pipeline Safety Package
Press release: Larsen Demands Answers on Oil Spill Preparedness
Bloomberg: Federal Agency Defends Sable Pipeline Interstate Designation
Edmonton Journal: New report shows building more pipelines not best option for a declining oilsands industry
CT Mirror: DEEP agrees to stricter enforcement for Brookfield pipeline project
Sierra Club: CT DEEP Reopens Permit Application Process for Brookfield Compressor Station
Alaska Beacon: Alaska Legislature opens third gasline special session with no fanfare and even less optimism
KTUU: Southcentral Alaska mayors ask legislators to pass a gas pipeline bill
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama environmental groups join lawsuit over pipeline permitting process
Chatham Journal: Chatham County Commissioners face packed July 27 agenda
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: GOP mulling energy provisions for ‘Reconciliation 4.0’ after ‘3.0’ snub
E&E News: Pallone plots data center crackdown
STATE UPDATES
Gear Junkie: AI Company Sues City for Opposing Data Center Next to National Park
KRWG: Comment period for Chaco Canyon buffer change ends Wednesday - too soon say conservation advocates
Public News Service: Poll: 80% of Nevadans oppose sale of public lands
EXTRACTION
FOX News: Fox News Poll: Cool your servers! Voters reject data centers
Grist: It’s official: Data centers are slowing America’s shift away from coal
Inside Climate News: ExxonMobil Uses Corporate Arbitration System to Challenge Climate Solution It Promotes
The Conversation: Carbon capture explained: how EU member states are funding and rolling out the technology to clean up Europe’s fossil fuel industry
OPINION
Chatham Journal: The deck is stacked: Farm families vs Enbridge
North Dakota Monitor: Data center questions deserve disclosure, discussion
PIPELINE NEWS
Press release: 75+ Groups Call on Congressional Leaders to Reject Weak CO2 Pipeline Safety Package
7/28/26
“As Congressional leaders prepare to negotiate a final pipeline safety reauthorization package, more than 75 national, state and local organizations urged Congressional leaders to reject any legislation that fails to meaningfully protect communities from the rapid expansion of carbon dioxide pipelines. The groups warn that the current proposal leaves in place significant safety gaps unaddressed despite years of warnings following a 2020 pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi. The pipeline buildout is backed by what the U.S. Treasury estimates will be nearly $70 billion in industry tax credits authorized in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that passed last year. While Congress is considering legislation in the name of pipeline safety, the coalition points out the current legislation fails to establish minimum protections for communities and first responders that are necessary before the industry is allowed to build tens of thousands of miles of new carbon dioxide pipelines. The letter also points out that the administration is actively weakening existing pipeline safety oversight and enforcement, making all pipelines less safe. The letter comes as Congressional leaders must reconcile differing pipeline safety bills that passed through House and Senate Committees, and the White House is cutting oversight and enforcement for pipeline safety across the board… “Landowners should not be criminalized for protecting their private property rights,” said Emma Schmit, Bold’s Pipeline Fighters Organizing Director. “Farmers who have been waiting on federal regulations for years now should not be forced to accept potentially deadly CO2 pipelines on their farms through eminent domain. Without any adequate federal rules, the industry is plowing forward seeking state authorizations for dangerously unregulated projects while keeping the public in the dark with regard to the full scope of potential risks.”
Press release: Larsen Demands Answers on Oil Spill Preparedness
7/27/26
“Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, to insist that the Coast Guard review and update its oil spill preparedness plans in light of a proposed new Canadian oil pipeline that will increase oil tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. “Section 7407 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 required the Coast Guard to coordinate with other federal agencies to review and update the Canada-United States Joint Maritime Pollution Contingency Plan, no later than 180 days after passage,” wrote Rep. Larsen. “I am concerned that the deadline has passed without Congress receiving an update on the Coast Guard’s efforts.” On July 2, the Government of Alberta announced a proposed new oil pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Ocean that would transport 1 million barrels per day to an export terminal at Roberts Banks in British Columbia. The new pipeline will increase tanker traffic in Haro Strait and Boundary Bay in the Salish Sea, and with it the risk of catastrophic oil spills. The Coast Guard’s Canada-United States Joint Maritime Pollution Contingency Plan outlines and facilitates coordination between the U.S. and Canadian governments to prepare for oil spills that would impact marine ecosystems and environments in both nations.”
Bloomberg: Federal Agency Defends Sable Pipeline Interstate Designation
Taylor Mills, 7/28/26
“A recent Supreme Court decision paves the way for federal regulators to authorize Sable Offshore Corp.’s continued operations in Santa Barbara, Calif., the Trump administration said,” according to Bloomberg. “Onshore segments of the Las Flores pipeline system don’t “break the flow of commerce” between the outer continental shelf crude oil extraction and its transportation, thus making the infrastructure an interstate pipeline under federal jurisdiction, according to a brief filed Monday in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Justice Department pointed to the high court’s May Flowers Foods Inc. v. Brock ruling…”
Edmonton Journal: New report shows building more pipelines not best option for a declining oilsands industry
Itoro Umanah, 7/28/26
“Fort McMurray is among the Canadian communities most vulnerable to workforce disruption as the global shift toward lower-carbon energy, automation and changing oil markets reshape the future of the oil sands, according to a new report,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “The Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) ranks the region among the country’s “most susceptible” communities to economic disruption, citing its heavy reliance on the oil sands industry while warning that governments need to better prepare workers and the community for an uncertain future… “Thanks to an ever-advancing technological landscape, many operational work functions can now be automated, eliminating the need for oilsands companies to prioritize hiring more workers… “A 2020 EY report predicted an estimated 60 percent decrease in employment across the industry by 2040. This includes trades and technicians as well as drilling and equipment operators… “The new pipeline, which is yet to be approved, the IRPP reports could “offer hope that another oilsands investment boom may come to Fort McMurray.” The report does not predict an imminent decline of Alberta’s oil sands, noting existing operations remain economically resilient and continue to attract investment. Instead, it argues Fort McMurray’s greatest challenge will be managing long-term changes driven by automation, evolving global energy demand and climate policies, while investing in workforce training and economic diversification.”
CT Mirror: DEEP agrees to stricter enforcement for Brookfield pipeline project
John Moritz, 7/28/26
“Opponents of a controversial natural gas expansion project in Brookfield celebrated this week after state environmental regulators agreed to reopen the public comment period and impose new enforcement measures to limit potential emissions,” the CT Mirror reports. “On Friday, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection concluded its monthslong review of the project by announcing that it would require the developer, the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, to implement continuous monitoring of certain airborne pollutants as a condition of the project’s approval. At the same time, however, the agency said it would agree to Iroquois’ request to amend its application to allow for greater releases of carbon monoxide, a potent gas which contributes to global climate change. As a result of the later change, DEEP said it would launch a new public comment period, giving critics and supporters 30 days to weigh in on the amended project. That will effectively delay a final decision until later this year, at the earliest, as regulators will again have to take time to review and respond to any comments… “In a post on social media announcing the decision on Friday, Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said that the town will be able to request a new, more robust public hearing in addition to the public comment period — which could add further delays to the project timeline. He also suggested the town would continue pushing for additional revisions, including the use of all-electric compressors that do not release any emissions.”
Sierra Club: CT DEEP Reopens Permit Application Process for Brookfield Compressor Station
7/28/26
“On Friday afternoon, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced it will reopen the permit application process for the proposed expansion of the Brookfield Compressor Station. The decision was issued in response to an amended application submitted by developers Berkshire Hathaway and TC Energy that would increase the amount of carbon monoxide emitted at the site,” the Sierra Club reports. “DEEP first gave tentative approval for the proposed air permit to double the size of the middle school-adjacent gas pipeline compressor station in August 2025. Since the project’s initial proposal, Sierra Club has been working alongside community members, the NO Pipeline Expansion (NOPE) Coalition, and Save the Sound to oppose this expansion… “The reopened permit approval process will allow parties to request an Adjudicatory Hearing, which was denied late last year. It also requires continuous emissions monitoring at the facility.”
Alaska Beacon: Alaska Legislature opens third gasline special session with no fanfare and even less optimism
James Brooks and Corinne Smith, 7/27/26
“The Alaska Legislature opened its third special session of 2026 with no bill, few lawmakers and little hope,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “A handful of legislators gathered Monday in the state Capitol at Juneau to begin a 30-day session called by Gov. Mike Dunleavy after the failure of a compromise bill that would have provided a tax break to the developer of the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline. Dunleavy and the state House opposed the addition of a corporate income tax on a handful of privately owned oil and gas companies that don’t currently pay one. That provision was intended to get support for the bill in the Senate. But on Monday, the governor had no new alternative bill ready for legislators as the special session began… “The pipeline’s lead developer, Glenfarne, has said that a reduction in the state’s petroleum property tax is necessary for it to obtain the financing needed to build the pipeline… “Edgmon told the Beacon that until the governor introduces a substantive bill, legislators will mostly stay away from the Capitol… “Dunleavy cannot run for another term in office, and January will see a new governor and a new Legislature. If a bill doesn’t pass before then, Johnson told the Beacon, “general fatigue” about the idea of a gas pipeline is part of the reason why.”
KTUU: Southcentral Alaska mayors ask legislators to pass a gas pipeline bill
Lauren Maxwell, 7/28/26
“Residents of Southcentral Alaska are being told to brace for higher energy costs and the possibility of rolling blackouts this winter, especially if lower temperatures prevail,” according to KTUU. “...On Tuesday, Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries joined Sims and Matanuska Electric CEO Tony Izzo to urge legislators to pass a bill that would pave the way for a natural gas pipeline. DeVries was particularly passionate in her plea… “Legislators have tried and failed several times to pass a version of an LNG pipeline bill… “But even if the pipeline was approved, it would still take several years to come on-line. Sims told KTUU ENSTAR is looking at every option to fill the gap, including importing expensive natural gas from abroad. Sims told KTUU if that happens, customers could expect to see rate increases of up to 50% and even 100% beyond 2030, adding the soonest LNG imports that could happen would be 2029.”
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama environmental groups join lawsuit over pipeline permitting process
Mary Claire Wooten, 7/28/26
“The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, Black Warrior Riverkeeper and a coalition of Southern environmental groups suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a federal permitting process they say allows major natural gas pipeline projects to avoid detailed environmental reviews and adequate public input,” according to the Alabama Political Reporter. “The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenges the Corps’ use of Nationwide Permit 12, a federal authorization used for utility-line construction across waterways… “Two proposed natural gas pipeline projects, South System Expansion 4 and Mississippi Crossing, are moving through the federal approval process… “The hundreds of Alabamians that live in the communities across the 10-county route of this pipeline deserve an opportunity to comment on the permitting of a project that stands to impact their health, their waterways and sensitive ecosystems,” Cindy Lowry, executive director of Alabama Rivers Alliance, told APR. “Allowing this pipeline to fall under NWP 12 robs them of that opportunity.” “...The projects’ developers plan to use NWP 12 for construction through waterways, according to the environmental groups. The organizations argue that the Corps should instead require project-specific environmental reviews, allowing regulators and the public to evaluate the impacts of individual pipeline crossings… “The legal challenge also seeks to force a closer examination of the Corps’ approach to nationwide permitting for oil and gas pipelines.”
Chatham Journal: Chatham County Commissioners face packed July 27 agenda
7/26/26
“The Chatham County Board of Commissioners has an unusually substantive agenda for Monday, July 27, 2026,” according to the Chatham Journal. “...Commissioners will announce and establish speaker rules for a special public-comment meeting concerning Enbridge Gas’ proposed 28-mile natural-gas system expansion project. That special meeting is scheduled for: Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, 6 p.m., Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center. The meeting is intended specifically to give Chatham County residents an opportunity to comment on the pipeline proposal… “The July 27 agenda item does not call for commissioners to approve or reject the pipeline. Rather, they will announce the Aug. 5 meeting and establish procedures governing speaker time and participation.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: GOP mulling energy provisions for ‘Reconciliation 4.0’ after ‘3.0’ snub
Andres Picon, 7/29/26
“Congressional Republicans hoping to clinch new energy wins before the end of the year have so far struck out with the party-line budget bill leaders are currently working to advance,” E&E News reports. “The next one, “Reconciliation 4.0,” could be their last hope — if the GOP is able to get to it. A fourth filibuster-skirting bill is an ambitious target for some leaders as they work through intraparty divisions and a short legislative calendar during an election year. Their current push to pass a third reconciliation bill this Congress is only just beginning. But if they can get a fourth bill done after the midterms, it could give Republicans one more chance to boost fossil fuel production and dismantle Biden-era climate initiatives before potentially losing full control of government next year.”
E&E News: Pallone plots data center crackdown
Josh Siegel, 7/29/26
“The top Democrat on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee is threatening a nationwide data center moratorium if his party regains the House next year, a cudgel he says he’ll wield to achieve an aggressive reining in of the power-guzzling tech infrastructure,” E&E News reports. “...He told E&E he wants to go much further on regulating data centers than Republicans and some Democrats are currently willing. Pallone plans to first pursue “federal guardrails” on data center development through pollution rules, siting standards and ratepayer protections should he once again become chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee next year. “Fixing this data center crisis is a top priority of mine,” Pallone told E&E. “What we’re really trying to say is that there needs to be guardrails, and that if we can’t achieve that, then the possibility of a moratorium out there is certainly real.” “...Pallone told E&E he came to his decision to call for a nationwide data center moratorium in response to community-level opposition in his central New Jersey district, where he said a half dozen towns have recently either imposed moratoriums or rejected major data center projects… “When we talk to our own communities they feel that they’re not being consulted,” Pallone told E&E. “A lot of these facilities are just being built without any real input from the community.”
STATE UPDATES
Gear Junkie: AI Company Sues City for Opposing Data Center Next to National Park
Andrew McLemore, 7/28/26
“...That’s why the small Kentucky town of Cape City temporarily banned AI data centers. In May, city council members issued a 12-month moratorium to research the construction plans for a data center near the entrance to Mammoth Cave National Park,” Gear Junkie reports. …“But the AI company looking to build the data center, known as Kentucky Industrial Alliance, LLC, is fighting against that waiting period. The company has filed a lawsuit to overturn the council’s moratorium — despite the objections of local leaders… “Opponents aren’t only worried that the $4.8 billion data center — tentatively named Cave Point Commerce Center — would be built near Mammoth Cave National Park. The park is also the epicenter of the world’s largest known cave system, which stretches far beyond the park’s boundaries… “The rapid and unchecked pursuit of new technologies must not come at the expense of our national parks,” Kyle Hart, senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, told GJ. “We’ve seen what can happen when this industry grows unchecked, and we cannot allow it to continue.”
KRWG: Comment period for Chaco Canyon buffer change ends Wednesday - too soon say conservation advocates
KC Counts, 7/28/26
“KC Counts speaks with Marissa Naranjo, deputy director of Sovereign Energy and member of Santa Clara Pueblo, who says the U.S. government has not met requirements for public comment period,” KRWG reports. “...I think it’s also important to mention that, you know, BLM has again really fallen short in their obligations to outreach to communities. They should be holding accessible public meetings in affected communities, providing that virtual participation, language interpretation for our Dene and Pueblo people… “Right. We have a Dine Pueblo Solidarity Coalition that has done an initial analysis of the draft environmental assessment for the revocation of the buffer, and we are very concerned that according to BLM’s own figures, the revocation would allow about 129 existing mining claims to move forward without first having to prove that they were valid before the withdrawal.”
Public News Service: Poll: 80% of Nevadans oppose sale of public lands
Suzanne Potter, 7/28/26
“Among respondents to a new poll commissioned by The Nature Conservancy, 80% of Nevada voters oppose the sale of federal public lands to private interests,” Public News Service reports. “...Jaina Moan, Nevada external affairs director for the Nature Conservancy, told PNS the response level is overwhelming in a state where 86% of the land belongs to the federal government… “Last summer, Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., tucked an amendment into the reconciliation bill which would have authorized the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in the Silver State to private interests, saying it was his only chance to get movement on land transfer issues… “ Nevada’s Democratic leaders in Washington opposed the plan because it would have sent the proceeds to the federal treasury. They support bills pairing conservation with the sale of some public lands to make room for affordable housing, with the proceeds staying in Nevada.”
EXTRACTION
FOX News: Fox News Poll: Cool your servers! Voters reject data centers
Victoria Balara, 7/27/26
“While U.S. tech companies race for AI dominance, the latest Fox News nationwide survey finds voters hitting the brakes on data centers, as more prefer taking time to address local concerns than rushing expansion to maintain a competitive global edge,” FOX News reports. “By a 40-point margin, voters oppose building data centers in their area to support artificial intelligence (30% favor, 70% oppose). MAGA supporters (46% favor) and Republican men (45%) are the groups most likely to favor data centers, while White women with a college degree (84% oppose) and liberal voters (80%) are the most opposed. Among those favoring data centers, 60% cite economic benefits, including jobs, economic growth, community investment, and tax revenue as the reason for their support. Another 21% point to technological benefits, saying the centers are useful, necessary, or important for future progress. Just 2% say staying ahead of competitors is the primary reason for their support. Those opposing data centers emphasize a different set of considerations. Half (50%) say environmental issues are their main concern, including energy and water use, pollution, noise, and overall environmental impact, while far fewer mention quality-of-life concerns (14%), economic effects (11%), or simply having a negative view of AI (11%).”
Grist: It’s official: Data centers are slowing America’s shift away from coal
Jake Bittle, 7/29/26
“...We now have a clearer picture about at least one consequence of the data center boom, and it isn’t encouraging. A report released last week from the Energy Information Administration found that carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector rose by 4 percent last year — larger than the increase in the economy overall, where emissions only ticked up 2 percent,” Grist reports. “The agency attributes this rise to a 13 percent increase in coal power generation, partially driven by the proliferation of large-scale data centers… “Instead, the increase is happening across the country. Outside of the Western U.S., nearly every state generated more coal power in 2025 than it did in 2024. One of the biggest jumps came in Virginia, home to the world’s largest AI cluster, where utilities almost doubled their coal power generation to serve the state’s growing clusters of data centers. Nearby coal states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia also stepped up their generation to match data center demand.”
Inside Climate News: ExxonMobil Uses Corporate Arbitration System to Challenge Climate Solution It Promotes
Katie Surma, Nicholas Kusnetz, 7/28/26
“ExxonMobil is striking back against a European Union climate rule built around carbon capture and storage, a technology the oil giant has promoted as a way to address global warming,” Inside Climate News reports. “The company’s affiliates filed a notice of dispute under the Energy Charter Treaty, according to the arbitration industry publication Investment Arbitration Reporter… “At the center of Exxon’s challenge is the European Union’s 2024 Net-Zero Industry Act, which sets a goal for injecting carbon dioxide deep underground to prevent it from warming the climate. Exxon affiliates are among the companies required to help the bloc be able to sequester 50 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2030. Exxon did not respond to Inside Climate News’ requests for comment but told IAReporter that the carbon capture rule is an example of the European Commission legislating “based on ideology instead of logic” and that the rule would disadvantage businesses. “This dispute is as much about saving Europe from itself as it is about the oil and gas industry fighting yet another irrational law from Brussels,” the company’s statement said… “Under the Energy Charter Treaty, a notice of dispute triggers a three-month period during which the parties are encouraged to settle. If not, the company can take its claim to arbitration.”
The Conversation: Carbon capture explained: how EU member states are funding and rolling out the technology to clean up Europe’s fossil fuel industry
Marzia Sesini, Research Team Leader - Molecules&Materials, European University Institute, 7/28/26
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) underpins the European Union’s (EU) strategy to decarbonise industries such as cement, steel, and chemicals,” according to The Conversation. “...Under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act, at least 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 injection capacity must be in place by 2030. The European Commission estimates that the EU will need to store around 250 million tonnes of CO₂ each year by 2040. Meeting these targets requires capture facilities, transport pipelines, and storage sites to be developed in unison. For pipeline investment, large upfront costs need to be incurred before future CO2 volumes and revenues are certain. Yet industrial emitters hesitate to invest in carbon capture without reliable transport and storage, while pipeline operators need commitments from industrial facility users before construction can begin. Transport pipelines, shipping terminals, and storage sites may also be underused during the market’s early years. Delays in building any part of the chain can prevent the others from becoming operational. These interdependencies explain why CCS is not only a financial challenge, but also a question of policy design: which costs should governments cover at different stages of market development? Who finances shared infrastructure and how are risks going to be allocated between public entities and CCS agents (capture plants, transport operators, and storage providers)?... “Ultimately, achieving Europe’s CCS goals depends not just on the amount of public funding alone, but also on how governments allocate risks and responsibilities across the value chain, while remaining consistent with climate objectives.”
OPINION
Chatham Journal: The deck is stacked: Farm families vs Enbridge
John Alderman, 7/29/26
“...We had to settle out of court with Enbridge. Enbridge has virtually unlimited funds. We are limited. Enbridge can hire numerous lawyers. We could not,” John Alderman writes for the Chatham Journal. “Enbridge can write off all expenses, including legal costs. We can’t. Enbridge could afford to appeal if they lost. We can’t. We smelled a stacked deck, so we folded . . . for this hand. We’re out thousands of dollars, but it could have been much, much worse! To help us, other farm families, and numerous families owning property affected by the Enbridge pipeline project, please attend the Ag Board public meeting from 6-8 pm at the new Ag Center on July 30… “Finally, just look at all the documents Enbridge has sent us associated with their lawsuit against us (picture attached)... “Folks, this is what farm families are up against. We need to collectively fight them, or ultimately we will have to run.”
North Dakota Monitor: Data center questions deserve disclosure, discussion
Jack Zaleski, 7/29/26
“A reasonable dialogue about the startling proliferation of huge data centers in North Dakota (and elsewhere) has been effectively nullified by special interests that don’t want elected officials, regulators or members of the public scrutinizing their multi-million-dollar installations,” Jack Zaleski writes for the North Dakota Monitor. “They have skillfully managed and manipulated the debate by pitting neighbor against neighbor, community against community, and red politics against blue politics. They have turned a few print pundits and conservative talk show hosts into shills, some willingly, some not yet grasping how cleverly they have been used. All of this sophisticated sophistry has been masterfully crafted in order to discredit and marginalize North Dakotans who dare to ask legitimate questions about what data centers mean in the here and now, and how they will affect the future of the towns that have been finagled into hosting them. When questions have been asked by concerned citizens, responses have been couched in terms that posit scenarios, probabilities and variables that guarantee no definitive answers… “The fourth one, however, – the NDA stratagem – should be the most troubling for North Dakotans who value open and responsive government, especially local government… “Thus far, regulators, legislators and local governments have failed their due diligence responsibilities, in part because the industry has outpaced current law and regulation, and in part because data center companies have brilliantly undermined normal and necessary safeguards with schemes like NDAs… “Maybe it’s time for North Dakota to call a pause.”