EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/30/26
PIPELINE NEWS
Billings Gazette: DEQ revokes waivers that could have eased Bridger Pipeline expansion process
Carbon Herald: Coalition Warns Weak CO2 Pipeline Bill Leaves Communities At Risk
Press release: WA co-leads coalition opposing federal regulator’s unlawful plan to fast-track gas pipeline projects
Bucks County Courier Times: Upper Makefield residents say little has changed after jet fuel leak
Daily Journal: Mississippi landowners prepare as FERC pipeline decision nears
KMA: Norris updates Montgomery County board on pipeline project
News & Observer: Chatham County landowners are uniting against a proposed natural gas pipeline
WUNC: Enbridge Gas hosts meeting about its planned natural gas pipeline in Chatham County
BG Independent News: Residents along pipeline route for data center worry about safety, property values, and lack of transparency
Financial Post: Cenovus chief says pipeline plans make Canada’s oilpatch ripe for major investment
The Logic: The $20B risk at the heart of Carney and Smith’s grand pipeline bargain
Reuters: TC Energy tops quarterly profit estimates, approves C$700 million in pipeline expansion projects
Reuters: Shell, Phillips 66 weigh sale of stakes in $3.5 billion US pipeline Explorer, sources say
Pipeline & Gas Journal: The $55 Billion Pipeline Bet: How Europe Is Winning the Global Hydrogen Race
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Press release: Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada
Reuters: EPA says power for data centers can sidestep pollution laws
Press release: Whitehouse, Coons, Peters, and Tonko Reintroduce Carbon Dioxide Removal Bill
Heatmap: What a Permitting Reform Deal Could Look Like
Common Dreams: Report Shows How Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda Is ‘Making Everyone’s Lives More Expensive’
E&E News: Refinery makeover: White House hopes to attract private investors for defunct fuel factories
E&E News: Project 2029? Democratic insiders make the case for focusing on climate change.
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Michigan lawmakers move to block state’s climate case against oil companies
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Indiana preparing federal takeover application, regulations for controversial carbon storage wells
WTHI: Indiana moves to take more control over underground carbon storage
The Current: Carbon sequestration may expand in Cameron Parish
New York Times: In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground
NPR: In Iowa, the water is so concerning that it could decide who wins the governor’s race
Canary Media: EPA proposals to keep Indiana coal going would threaten drinking water
KDVR: New oil and gas wells proposed near Commerce City
EXTRACTION
Third Way: What’s in It for Me? What Americans Really Think about Data Centers
Carbon Herald: ExxonMobil Adds Williams To Expanding Carbon Capture Portfolio
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): Headwinds sink Air Products/Yara blue hydrogen project
Rainforest Action Network: LNG Impacts to Biodiversity in the Gulf South
DeSmog: The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms
Newsweek: Our Next Environmental Disaster Is Floating in Plain Sight
OPINION
Fraser Institute: Alberta’s investment problem goes beyond one pipeline
PIPELINE NEWS
Billings Gazette: DEQ revokes waivers that could have eased Bridger Pipeline expansion process
Alex Mitchell, 7/29/26
“An oil pipeline planned to pass through Eastern Montana hit a speed bump last week, after the Montana Department of Environmental Quality revoked waivers that could have fast-tracked the project,” the Billings Gazette reports. “Bridger Pipeline had been seeking to speed up progress on the pipeline expansion by skipping some analysis and economic information that is typically required at the start for such projects. DEQ initially issued waivers that allowed the Wyoming-based company to do so but rescinded them last week. The move followed a challenge to the waivers by two Montana residents and filed by environmental law firm Earthjustice in January. In a July 22 letter, DEQ Director Sonja Nowakowski stated the Wyoming-based company needed to provide the information about planned alternatives for routes and related financial information about the pipeline. In so doing, she signaled that the waivers had been revoked, according to later DEQ emails shared with the Billings Gazette. Nowakowski said the application won’t be sufficient until Bridger provides the information that the agency had previously waived… “DEQ in its letter also noted issues with the initial application… “A completeness review by DEQ’s application on March 26 stated Bridger Pipeline was incomplete in regards to several dozen requirements, including the need for the project. Bridger has not responded to that March review, according to a DEQ spokesperson. DEQ waived cost information requirements at the time, which will now have to be included under the agency’s present determination. Ultimately, the change in needed information could result in delays for a project that previously planned to begin construction around July 2027. The project has already garnered opposition from environmental groups and some Montana residents for transferring tar sands, with the potential to have greater capacity than the cancelled Keystone project.”
Carbon Herald: Coalition Warns Weak CO2 Pipeline Bill Leaves Communities At Risk
Vasil Velev, 7/30/26
“More than 75 national, state and local organizations are urging Congress to reject pending pipeline safety legislation, arguing the current proposal fails to adequately protect communities from the rapid expansion of CO2 pipelines,” the Carbon Herald reports. “In a letter released Tuesday, the coalition called on lawmakers to draft a stronger reauthorization package that includes enforceable safety standards, protections for first responders and safeguards for local decision making before additional carbon dioxide pipeline projects move forward. The organizations contend the legislation under consideration leaves major regulatory gaps despite years of scrutiny following the 2020 carbon dioxide pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi. They also pointed to the U.S. Treasury’s estimate that nearly $70 billion in industry tax credits authorized under last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” could support a significant expansion of carbon dioxide pipeline infrastructure. The coalition said Congress should not approve new pipeline development without establishing minimum federal protections for nearby communities and emergency responders. The advocacy groups are also asking congressional leaders to reconcile House and Senate proposals by incorporating stronger public safety measures rather than advancing what they describe as an industry-friendly framework.”
Press release: WA co-leads coalition opposing federal regulator’s unlawful plan to fast-track gas pipeline projects
7/27/26
“A proposed rule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to unlawfully fast-track more natural gas pipeline projects would likely raise consumers’ energy bills, increase air pollution, and worsen climate change, Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of attorneys general argued today in comments submitted to the commission. The multistate coalition submitted comments regarding the commission’s proposed rule, issued on May 21, to expand the category of pipeline projects that are automatically authorized under its “blanket certificate.” That change would allow more projects to bypass review required under the Natural Gas Act to ensure that the projects serve the needs and interest of the public… “This illegal rule would leave Washingtonians stuck with higher bills and more pollution,” Brown said. “It’s vital that we push back against the federal government’s attempt to reduce oversight of pipeline projects at the expense of consumers and our environment.” In Washington, the pipeline company Williams is planning multiple expansions for the Northwest Pipeline, which runs along the I-5 corridor and the Columbia River… “The coalition argues that FERC’s proposed rule would violate the Natural Gas Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Brown and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell are co-leading the comment submission. Joining them are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.”
Bucks County Courier Times: Upper Makefield residents say little has changed after jet fuel leak
Ben Shapiro, 7/30/26
“More than 18 months after officials confirmed that a jet fuel pipeline leak in Upper Makefield Township contaminated private wells, some residents said they are still waiting for meaningful change,” the Bucks County Courier Times reports. “As U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks, pushes bipartisan legislation in Congress inspired by the community’s experience, families affected by the leak are reporting that the problems that upended their lives remain unresolved. “Not much has changed for us on the ground,” Kristine Wojnovich, a Washington Crossing resident whose family first noticed the smell of gasoline coming from their kitchen faucet in September 2023, told the Times. “This is an ongoing issue, and it will be for the community. Nothing has really been cleaned up.” “...In November, Fitzpatrick introduced the bipartisan Wojnovich Pipeline Safety Act, legislation he said was shaped by the failures exposed during the Upper Makefield spill… “The legislation would require localized emergency alerts, strengthen inspection requirements for aging and repaired pipelines, improve leak detection and water testing, and require homebuyers to receive information about nearby hazardous liquid pipelines. It would also impose financial penalties on pipeline operators who fail to report, respond to or remediate leaks with urgency… “Some affected families continue to rely on bottled water because they do not trust that their wells are safe, even as cleanup efforts continue. Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit and several individual lawsuits seeking damages have been filed.”
Daily Journal: Mississippi landowners prepare as FERC pipeline decision nears
Alex Rozier, 7/30/26
“A federal government commission is set to release by Friday its decision on a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross the full width of Mississippi,” the Daily Journal reports. “Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. and Southern Natural Gas Co., both a part of the giant Kinder Morgan network, are looking to build the new infrastructure to increase gas capacity in the southeastern United States… “The 206 miles of new pipeline would provide up to 1.5 billion cubic feet a day of added transportation capacity, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The $1.7-billion project would create 750 temporary jobs and 15 permanent positions, according to Kinder Morgan… “In a March letter, environmental groups, including Mississippi Rising Coalition, questioned the project’s impact on the over 2,000 water bodies it would cross and said it would “irreparably harm wildlife habitat.” “...The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, whose reservation in Neshoba County is adjacent to the planned route, also expressed concerns… “In March, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs criticized the companies for not engaging with MBCI, and wrote that the proposed route overlaps with tribal land in Leake County. But both Tennessee Pipeline Gas Co. and FERC disagreed — the latter suggested in its June study that the pipeline wouldn’t impact historic property.”
KMA: Norris updates Montgomery County board on pipeline project
Mike Peterson, 7/28/26
“Though plans for a major pipeline project in KMAland have been changed, one Montgomery County resident is calling for continued vigilance,” KMA reports. “West Township resident Jan Norris updated the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning on continuing developments regarding Summit Carbon Solution’s proposed Midwest Express pipeline project… “Over the last week, Norris says the company has filed withdrawals on so-called exhibit H properties--landowners who refused to sign voluntary easements--in the area where the pipeline is being dropped… “Although there are still legal issues to be worked through, those landowners no longer to be under current threat for eminent domain. Kudos to those phase one who stuck it out, and paid legal fees all this time for five years to protect their land.” Norris, however, says property owners who signed easements for the project may be impacted by another future project… “In January, we need to demand our legislature protects property rights from eminent domain,” said Norris. “And as voters, we should consider what the candidates are willing to do. And, counties need to review and update their ordinances now. While there is no project, surely we have learned a value in being proactive.”
News & Observer: Chatham County landowners are uniting against a proposed natural gas pipeline
Ava Menkes, 7/29/26
“Eileen and James Gunipero opened a letter on April 16 from Enbridge Gas North Carolina. The company planned to survey their 22-acre property for a proposed natural gas pipeline. Soon after, the Guniperos joined hundreds of Chatham County residents opposing the project,” the News & Observer reports. “With different maps being circulated in the community, residents still don’t know, months later, whether the pipeline would cross their property, or whether wetlands, culturally significant land or farms they’ve spent decades caring for would be disturbed. “We’re almost always kept in the dark, and it causes anxiety,” Eileen Gunipero told the News & Observer. Attendees discussed eminent domain laws and the proposed data center that many believe is driving demand for the pipeline. “We’re going to be working together to stop this pipeline,” Emily Sutton, executive director of the Haw River Assembly, told the crowd as she outlined next steps… “The Guniperos told the News & Observer Enbridge has downplayed the long-term restrictions that easements could place on their land… “For 85-year-old Dorasue Christian, the pipeline threatens more than just her property… “I’ve never even had a parking ticket,” she told the News & Observer. “If Enbridge takes this land, they’re going to have to come over my dead body.” “...Crystal Cavalier-Keck of 7 Directions of Service, an Indigenous-led environmental justice organization, told the News & Observer the proposed route also crosses documented Tuscarora village sites.”
WUNC: Enbridge Gas hosts meeting about its planned natural gas pipeline in Chatham County
Celeste Guajardo, 7/29/26
“Enbridge Gas hosted a community meeting Tuesday evening to share information about its planned natural gas pipeline in Chatham County,” WUNC reports. “Enbridge is planning to propose a 12-inch diameter, 28-mile natural gas pipeline running roughly from Siler City to south of Jordan Lake, crossing the Haw River. The utility is currently in the design and survey phase, so the final route hasn’t been determined yet… “If approved by state and federal regulators, this would be the fourth new pipeline in North Carolina… “Several community members made their opposition clear to the dozens of Enbridge employees available at the meeting, expressing anger, frustration, and sadness. “It’s something that will really damage Chatham County,” Evy Taylor, who lives nearby the proposed route, told WUNC… “Community members against the development have organized quickly, setting up a Facebook group and tabling outside the meeting space on Tuesday, handing out free red T-shirts for people to wear to express opposition. There is also concern the gas pipeline may provide power to a 750 megawatt cryptocurrency mining data center… “Enbridge plans to begin construction on this pipeline in the fall of 2027 if it gets the necessary permits.”
BG Independent News: Residents along pipeline route for data center worry about safety, property values, and lack of transparency
Jan Larson McLaughlin, 7/29/26
“Residents feeling blindsided by the Will-Power pipeline plan came to a Plain Township meeting Monday evening with questions. They left with few answers … at least few that they liked,” BG Independent News reports. “Four representatives of the Williams Company, which is installing the natural gas Apollo South Pipeline to the Meta data center in Middleton Township, attended the township meeting to quell concerns… “Many of the 15 residents of Liberty and Plain townships who attended expressed frustration over the late notice about the pipeline route and a hotline for landowner concerns that went unanswered for two months. The Plain Township Trustees shared their own concerns about the rushed nature of the project, with pipeline officials pushing for agreements to be signed involving the roads to be used for hauling heavy construction loads, and specific details about boring under roads and ditches… “The sole user of power from the plant will be Meta… “Questions were raised about the risks of living so close to a high pressure natural gas pipeline. Barbara Miner was disappointed that the only guidance she had received from Williams Company was a safety brochure with little information… “Rossow explained his reservations with approving the pipeline road bore permit since it includes errors like requiring just three feet of cover when it should be six feet… “Rossow warned the pipeline representatives that Plain Township has no intention of approving some of the “haul roads” identified by Williams Company. He also questioned a portion of the agreement that states Williams Company can walk away and leave the township stuck with repairs.”
Financial Post: Cenovus chief says pipeline plans make Canada’s oilpatch ripe for major investment
Nykole King, Reid Southwick, 7/29/26
“Cenovus Energy Inc. chief executive Jon McKenzie says Canada has a major investment opportunity in front of it with proposals for new and expanded pipelines to match the company’s giant production milestone,” the Financial Post reports. “Where we are today and what’s been discussed and agreed on unlocks this business in terms of its investability,” said McKenzie during a second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday… “The uptick in production comes after the federal government, the Alberta government and the Oil Sands Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding that could lead to a new West Coast pipeline exporting barrels to the Asian market. The alliance, which includes Cenovus, Canada Natural Resources Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc., Imperial Oil Ltd. and ConocoPhillips Co., had also agreed as part of the MOU to “work with Canada and Alberta” on adding to production to fill the pipeline… “The agreement represents meaningful progress towards creating a competitive investment environment for Canada’s vast oilsands resource base,” McKenzie said… “Still, the top executive said Wednesday the trilateral agreement has provisions for an “uncompetitive” carbon tax that “uniquely burdens Canadian industry.”
The Logic: The $20B risk at the heart of Carney and Smith’s grand pipeline bargain
Meghan Potkins, 7/30/26
“…Canada’s oil majors and their investors now face a decision about whether to greenlight a new oilsands production boom after prioritizing shareholder returns for the last decade,” The Logic reports. “...The bigger development, however, was that Ottawa and Alberta had reached an agreement in principle with the Oil Sands Alliance (OSA), made up of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Cenovus Energy, ConocoPhillips Canada, Imperial Oil and Suncor Energy, to move forward on the long-delayed Pathways carbon capture project… “Projected to be one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage projects, at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, Pathways will capture carbon dioxide emissions from the oilsands and move them hundreds of kilometres via pipeline to an underground storage hub in northeastern Alberta. The Pathways deal was the culmination of eight months of negotiations that, in the two frantic weeks leading up to the announcement, had accelerated into daily meetings and phone calls between industry and government negotiators, three people familiar with the talks told The Logic… “Roughly another $20 billion or more could be required to build the Pathways project: the industry’s long-awaited answer for containing its substantial CO2 emissions, via a major carbon capture network including a costly 650-kilometre pipeline to ferry emissions to a deep underground storage hub in northeastern Alberta. As recently as June, Cenovus CEO Jon McKenzie had called a brand-new West Coast oil pipeline tied to Pathways “unfinanceable” by the private sector. It appears, however, that industry has come around since then: the memorandum commits the oilsands firms to building a significantly scaled-back version of Pathways, with help from a suite of tax incentives and regulatory concessions… “There are much cheaper opportunities to reduce emissions across the oil and gas sector, Bishnoi told The Logic, warning that a project like Pathways is going after “the most expensive tonnes” of emissions in the industry.”
Reuters: TC Energy tops quarterly profit estimates, approves C$700 million in pipeline expansion projects
7/30/26
“TC Energy on Thursday beat second-quarter profit estimates and approved pipeline expansion projects worth about C$700 million ($498.36 million) across North America, including two U.S. projects aimed at meeting the rising demand from power generation,” Reuters reports. “Surging electricity consumption, particularly from AI-driven data centres, has been boosting demand for natural gas-fired power plants, prompting pipeline operators such as TC Energy to invest in capacity expansions. The Canadian pipeline operator plans to invest about $300 million in the Central Virginia project to add up to 0.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfpd) of capacity on the Columbia Gas system. It will invest about $100 million in the Clark project to provide up to 0.3 bcfpd of transportation capacity on the Columbia Gulf system for an existing gas-fired power plant. The company also approved about C$100 million of expansion facilities on its NGTL natural gas pipeline system in Canada.”
Reuters: Shell, Phillips 66 weigh sale of stakes in $3.5 billion US pipeline Explorer, sources say
David French, 7/29/26
“Shell and Phillips 66 are working on a potential sale of their stakes in the company which owns the Explorer refined products pipeline, in a deal that could value the major piece of U.S. energy infrastructure at around $3.5 billion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move reflects how heightened demand for energy infrastructure assets, especially from financial buyers, has boosted valuations and encouraged existing owners to sell and reinvest proceeds in core or higher-growth parts of their businesses. Shell and Phillips 66 currently hold around 61% ownership of the legal entity which holds the pipeline, which transports gasoline, jet fuel and other fuel products from Texas, through the Midwest, to end points including the outskirts of Chicago… “While prospective buyers are initially being sounded out on the Shell and Phillips 66 pieces, the other stakeholders could ultimately contribute their holdings if strong interest is shown in acquiring the whole pipeline, the sources told Reuters.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: The $55 Billion Pipeline Bet: How Europe Is Winning the Global Hydrogen Race
Daniel Onyango, 7/30/26
“Europe is placing a massive wager on hydrogen infrastructure, committing nearly $55 billion to pipeline projects that position the continent as the clear leader in building the backbone for a global clean energy carrier,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “According to Industrial Info Resources data released this week, the region accounts for more than 300 of 346 tracked hydrogen pipeline projects worldwide, representing about 90% of the $61 billion in total planned investment. Asia trails far behind with 34 projects valued at $4.7 billion, while the U.S. has just seven active projects worth $1.6 billion. The disparity underscores Europe’s aggressive push to decarbonize heavy industry, heating and transport through dedicated and repurposed pipelines, even as challenges in scaling green hydrogen production persist. Germany and Finland lead the charge within Europe, each with roughly $11.4 billion in planned investment. Germany boasts 123 projects, many clustered in industrial “hydrogen valleys” and cross-border links. Its flagship Hydrogen Core Network (HCN), backed by transmission system operators and the government, envisions more than 9,000 kilometers of pipelines at a cost of about €19.7 billion ($22.4 billion)... “Yet analysts caution that ambition outpaces reality. Construction remains limited, with only isolated segments operational or underway, primarily in Germany and the Netherlands. Many projects face delays from funding gaps, uncertain offtake agreements and slower-than-expected green hydrogen project investment. Environmental groups have criticized “hydrogen-ready” designs that could initially carry blended or fossil-based gases, potentially locking in fossil infrastructure.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Press release: Appeal Challenges Public Lands Data Center in Nevada
7/27/26
“The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter today filed an administrative appeal challenging federal approval of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada. The 167-megawatt data center, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was approved by the Bureau of Land Management in June through an unorthodox permitting procedure that avoided any environmental review or public participation. It is the first data center ever approved on public lands. “It’s an outrage that the Trump administration is giving away our public lands to hedge funds for data centers,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Public lands are for wildlife and clean water, for recreation and spiritual renewal. They’re not meant for big tech companies to spew air pollution and suck down water for AI and the surveillance state.” Today’s appeal says the BLM unlawfully sidestepped environmental review laws by using a prior authorization for a solar project at the same site to fulfill requirements for authorizing the data center. This meant the public never had an opportunity to review the data center plans or offer input before the BLM approved the project… “Joining the appeal are several residents of Boulder City who would be harmed by the data center if it were constructed.”
Reuters: EPA says power for data centers can sidestep pollution laws
Tim McLaughlin, 7/27/26
“Power sources providing electricity only to data centers and not the public grid may not be subject to federal pollution laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday,” Reuters reports. “The EPA said if the power plants are not supplying electricity to the grid then they would not be subject to the federal Clean Air Act’s Acid Rain Program, which has been key to the dramatic reduction of smog and soot pollution from industrial facilities… “The agency said its interpretation of federal pollution laws would speed the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure while reducing strain on regional electric grids. The EPA said its guidance clarifies that the Acid Rain Program does not apply to so-called “islanded” power generation facilities that operate separately from the broader grid.”
Press release: Whitehouse, Coons, Peters, and Tonko Reintroduce Carbon Dioxide Removal Bill
7/29/26
“U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chris Coons (D-DE), along with Representatives Scott Peters (CA-52) and Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), today reintroduced the Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act to curb climate change by investing in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. “The fight against climate change will not succeed without carbon removal. Our bill would invest in promising carbon removal technologies and help put the planet on a pathway to climate safety,” said Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee… “We must use every tool at our disposal to tackle the climate crisis; that includes removing harmful legacy emissions from our atmosphere,” said Tonko, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Environment. “Our bill takes needed action to address carbon dioxide emissions while also creating good-paying jobs, supporting innovation, and investing in a clean energy economy. I’m proud to join my colleagues in championing this smart, meaningful legislation.” This Carbon Dioxide Leadership Act would leverage federal procurement to create a market for carbon dioxide removal. Specifically, the bill would: Require the Department of Energy (DOE) to remove an increasing amount of carbon dioxide using direct air capture or other durable technology-based removal solutions; Ensure high standards for measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon removals and for robust public engagement; Set a declining per-ton price ceiling to incentivize cost reductions over time and give flexibility for DOE to invest in nascent technologies with high potential; Create a set-side for newer CDR technologies to promote a broad portfolio of technologies; and Prioritize domestic job creation, environmental justice, innovative technologies, and community benefits.”
Heatmap: What a Permitting Reform Deal Could Look Like
Robinson Meyer, 7/29/26
“There’s really one one good thing that could happen this year in Congress for clean energy: permitting reform,” according to Heatmap. “If lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal on the country’s permitting system, they could make it easier to build solar, wind, and transmission lines — as well as every other kind of infrastructure. But will it happen? What are the obstacles to a deal? What would be in a deal? On this episode of Shift Key, Rob is joined by Daniel Palken, the director of infrastructure for energy and permitting at Arnold Ventures. They discuss the recent history of permitting reform, the policies that would probably make up a deal, and why it might be now or never for reforming the permitting system… “But what I’ve heard is basically, you know, next Congress, it’s unlikely to be as productive for permitting reform as this Congress will be. Of course, something I’ve also heard is that if Democrats want to set themselves up to do big public investments in the energy system, when the next president takes office, whoever that may be in 2029, then you need to get the statutory changes. And now because the implementation will then take long enough that it won’t really start to kick in until 29.”
Common Dreams: Report Shows How Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda Is ‘Making Everyone’s Lives More Expensive’
Stephen Prager, 7/28/26
“As President Donald Trump’s push for artificial intelligence data centers sends demand for natural gas soaring, a report released Tuesday projects that wholesale prices will likely double by the late 2030s if his energy and AI policies continue, driving up household energy bills,” Common Dreams reports. “The report from the climate activist group Oil Change International, which argues for an end to reliance on fossil fuels, found that recent surges in wholesale natural gas prices are being driven by Trump’s so-called “energy dominance” agenda, which has cranked up natural gas exports… “Combined, the researchers predicted that these projects could double US LNG exports by the early 2030s… “The report finds that the demands of the AI data center boom could increase gas consumption by 17% by the early 2030s… “In addition to pumping more planet-heating greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the report finds that this increased demand will likely cause prices to soar for consumers… “Trump’s policies are making everyone’s lives more expensive while Big Tech and the fossil fuel industry cash in. Our research shows that the cost-of-living crisis will only escalate in the coming years if Congress and government agencies don’t intervene,” said Lorne Stockman, research director at Oil Change International. “Our leaders must stand up to Trump, phase out LNG exports, stop the reckless data center build-out, and transition the US economy off of fossil fuels to make energy affordable again.”
E&E News: Refinery makeover: White House hopes to attract private investors for defunct fuel factories
James Bikales, Hannah Northey, Ben Lefebvre, 7/30/26
“Investors know the Trump administration is worried about fuel prices — and they’re offering assistance,” E&E News reports. “The White House has had discussions with a wide range of potential suitors to reopen defunct petroleum refineries from the Virgin Islands to California amid rising anxieties over higher fuel prices, according to three industry executives familiar with the talks. National Energy Dominance Council officials confirmed they have fielded inquiries from potential investors, and the industry sources said the NEDC connected those investors to relevant agencies to discuss how the government could help facilitate investments. The discussions have progressed to the point where council officials have consulted with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory requirements for reopening mothballed facilities — an issue likely to be particularly relevant for the refinery on St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has faced years of environmental problems and legal battles.”
E&E News: Project 2029? Democratic insiders make the case for focusing on climate change.
Zack Colman, 7/30/26
“The jockeying for Democrats’ future blueprint on climate and clean energy has begun,” E&E News reports. “A collection of former Biden administration officials, academics and policy experts on Thursday released what they described as a counterweight to the conservative Project 2025, the policy handbook written by many former — and now current — Trump administration officials. The 19 authors wanted to stake their place as Democrats search for how to articulate climate and clean energy policies. Some of the ideas may appear controversial for a potential Democratic administration to pursue beginning in 2029, said Todd Tucker, director of industrial policy and trade at the liberal think tank the Roosevelt Institute, who edited the 155-page document that was first shared with POLITICO.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Michigan lawmakers move to block state’s climate case against oil companies
Lesley Clark, 7/30/26
“Lawmakers in Michigan have found a new way to target climate lawsuits against the oil and gas industry: cut off funding to the lawyers,” E&E News reports. “A new provision in the state’s 2027 budget prevents the state attorney general from “joining a multistate lawsuit or taking part of a lawsuit against the federal government or an oil or gas entity” without legislative approval. The language appears to have been added during budget negotiations between Democrats who control the Senate and Republicans who control the House. The move comes as Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, in January joined the ranks of cities and states suing the oil and gas industry for allegedly deceiving the public about climate change. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, noted at a press conference earlier this month that both chambers voted for the budget. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, signed the budget into law last week. “Republican and Democrat, we all voted for this,” Hall said. “We don’t want our attorney general filing these lawsuits against oil and gas companies for political reasons.” “...The Attorney General is well within her established authority and historical precedent to initiate litigation like this,” Nessel’s press secretary Danny Wimmer told Michigan Capitol Confidential.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Indiana preparing federal takeover application, regulations for controversial carbon storage wells
Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, 7/28/26
“Indiana is drafting regulations to oversee companies injecting and storing carbon dioxide deep underground, as part of its bid to take over responsibility for the wells from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state’s Department of Natural Resources has confirmed,” the Indiana Capital Chronicle reports. “...“Indiana is actively working with the EPA in drafting our primary rules … and is currently in phase I of the primacy process,” he wrote. How long that step could take is unclear, according to Benson, as the EPA reviews the Hoosier proposal and answers department questions… “The department expects to submit the regulatory package to the Indiana Legislative Services Agency late this year or early 2027, kicking off a public comment process… “Opponents, however, think the state can be too lax — and fear shortened timelines could risk harm to Hoosier communities near proposed projects. One Indiana project has already obtained a Class VI permit from the EPA: Wabash Valley Resources, which plans to produce ammonia fertilizer at a a former coal gasification plant — and pump the emissions underground.”
WTHI: Indiana moves to take more control over underground carbon storage
Chris Essex, 7/29/26
“Indiana is moving to take greater control over plans to pump carbon dioxide deep underground, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle,” WTHI reports. “The state’s Department of Natural Resources said it is drafting new rules to oversee those wells — a key step toward taking over permitting authority from the U.S. EPA… “One major project — Wabash Valley Resources — is already approved under federal rules. The company plans to produce fertilizer and inject its CO2 emissions underground at a former coal gasification plant in West Terre Haute.”
The Current: Carbon sequestration may expand in Cameron Parish
Natalie McLendon, 7/27/26
“Roughly 40 people gathered at the Hackberry Community Center last week, for a public hearing on a planned carbon dioxide sequestration project in the area,” The Current reports. “If approved, the planned carbon sequestration injection well project would be the third of its kind in the state, and the second in Cameron Parish. The permit would allow Lake Charles-based Gulf Coast Sequestration to inject and sequester up to 19 million metric tons of CO2 into two wells, 8,900 to 10,500 feet below ground level, over a 30-year period. Public comments included two GCS company representatives in support of the permit application, five Southwest Louisiana residents in favor of the project, and nine against it… “But project opponents worried about potential CO2 leaks and water contamination, delayed emergency response times, and proximity to nearby salt domes used for natural gas storage. They also questioned the transparency of the project… “Project documents indicate “CO2 will be sourced from undisclosed strategic partners in the Lake Charles Industrial Corridor,” a finding Cameron Parish Police Jury Vice President Magnus “Sonny” McGee took issue with. “The pipeline route is not clear. It may be out of our jurisdiction, but it will affect people wherever it is,” McGee said, and added that it is not reasonable to grant a permit for a well without knowing where it will source the CO2 to inject, or what percentage of impurities will be in it, or the make up of those impurities… “Gulf Coast Sequestration founder and executive chairman Gray Stream tried to assuage concerns by pointing to his own local ties. “This is our property, it’s our land. We live here. I raised my kids here, they’re born here, me too. And that’s our whole culture,” Stream said. “This isn’t some kind of evil mega corporation from far away.”
New York Times: In Ohio, Toxic Wastewater Is Bubbling Up Out of the Ground
Quinn Glabicki, Maddie McGarvey, 7/29/26
“...And there is something else buried deep beneath Marietta: Hundreds of millions of gallons of radioactive fracking wastewater,” the New York Times reports. “For years, it has arrived in a caravan of tanker trucks that come night and day to deposit the toxic brine in injection wells that pump it thousands of feet underground, where it is supposed to stay forever. But the brine is spurting to the surface, and locals fear it could soon contaminate the drinking water source for 32,000 people. “It would destroy the city,” Susan Vessels, president of the Marietta City Council, told the Times. “Once the damage is done, it cannot be undone.” Residents and local officials were for years “completely unaware” of their place at the heart of an interstate marketplace for toxic waste, Ms. Vessels told the Times. They’ve come to realize, she told the Times, that their corner of Ohio has become a major destination for fracking brine. Ohio has permitted more than 240 injection wells for the disposal of oil and gas waste. By comparison, there are 19 such injection wells in Pennsylvania, and a few dozen in West Virginia, both of which border Ohio… “Ohio became a destination for wastewater because decades ago, long before fracking, it received permission from the federal government to regulate its own injection wells, which were then just a small part of the oil and gas industry. As a result, today it’s easier to drill injection wells in Ohio than in states like Pennsylvania where there’s federal oversight… “But brine has bubbled up from injection wells in Oklahoma, raising concerns about drinking water contamination, and it has gushed from the ground in Texas. Now, it’s coming to the surface in Ohio.”
NPR: In Iowa, the water is so concerning that it could decide who wins the governor’s race
Clay Masters, 7/27/26
“Iowa voters are increasingly raising public health concerns over the state’s water quality as the governor’s race heats up ahead of November,” NPR reports. “The latest annual report from the Iowa Cancer Registry shows the state has the second-highest rate of cancer in the country and is one of only a few states where cancer rates are on the rise. Now, the conversation about how water quality in this state, dominated by the agriculture industry, may contribute to the high cancer rates, and how to respond, is moving from the farm fields to the governor’s race. Both candidates for governor, the Democratic nominee Rob Sand and the Republican nominee Zach Lahn, say more needs to be done… “The Iowa Farm Bureau and Corn Growers, along with other industry groups, submitted an op-ed to several Iowa newspapers last year, writing that nitrate levels “naturally fluctuate seasonally, especially during heavy rainfall, but have remained relatively stable.” A report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources showed Iowa had 36 nitrate-related drinking water violations in 2025, which is more than double the number reported in 2024… “For the past two summers, nitrate readings in the rivers have spiked above that limit, reaching some of their highest levels in over a decade. That led to lawn watering bans in the Des Moines metro area so that drinking water treatment facilities could keep up with removing nitrates.”
Canary Media: EPA proposals to keep Indiana coal going would threaten drinking water
Kari Lydersen, 7/29/26
“...But the state government’s eager embrace of data centers and the Trump administration’s deregulation efforts might be shifting the needle back toward coal,” Canary Media reports. “Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders to keep two Indiana coal plants open, despite the grid operator saying it had an adequate supply of power. And now, two rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency could make it easier for aging coal plants to keep running. On April 9, the EPA proposed a major rollback of regulations governing coal ash, which can contain heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. The change would affect dozens of sites at more than 20 plants in Indiana, including areas where coal ash was dumped or scattered in decades past, as well as landfills and ponds holding ash. Then on May 14, the EPA moved to gut Clean Water Act regulations requiring toxins to be removed from wastewater seeping out of coal ash repositories… “More than 100 environmental and consumer groups weighed in to vigorously oppose the proposals during public comment periods this spring and summer… “This EPA is eradicating environmental and health protections and will make Americans sicker [and] poorer, and destroy irreplaceable water resources,” Lisa Evans, senior attorney for the environmental law firm Earthjustice, said in a news release. “And Trump’s EPA is doing this because the coal industry asked them to.” “...Under the proposed rule change, only water that is intentionally pumped out of coal ash repositories would need to be treated; fluid that leaches out would go unaddressed.”
KDVR: New oil and gas wells proposed near Commerce City
Vicente Arenas, Shaul Turner, 7/28/26
“Adams County said that Chevron has started the pre-application process by participating in a meeting to discuss a new oil and gas well site near East 136th Avenue and U.S. Highway 85,” KDVR reports. “Victor Zavala, who lives near the intersection, expressed his concerns over what it could to to farming in the area. “Well, I believe in progress, but then why ruin the farmers, the water and everything?” Zavala told KDVR… “Linda Kooren also lives near the area, and also expressed concerns, telling KDVR that she understands the economic factors, but that it’s a sad scenario. “It makes me sad because I understand that the economy is bad and people need jobs,” Kooren told KDVR. “But when you get done tearing up the ground, smelling up the air and replenishing the water, then what do we have left?” “...However, Colorado Rising told KDVR that there are too many wells in the area. “I think it’s that it’s another drilling project that’s happening in a disproportionately impacted community,” Creative Director Christiaan van Woudenberg told KDVR. “They’re already overburdened for a number of reasons, and they don’t have the time in their day to fight for their health and safety. They’re busy putting food on their table.”
EXTRACTION
Third Way: What’s in It for Me? What Americans Really Think about Data Centers
Mary Sagatelova & Emily Becker, 7/23/36
“Americans see data centers as inevitable but undesirable.They worry that data centers will drive up their energy bills, deplete their water supplies, and damage the environment. And they’re skeptical that data centers will create meaningful jobs or revenue for their communities,” according to Third Way. “...They do not trust that tech companies, government, and other key stakeholders will protect their interests. These groups must work to rebuild trust with impacted communities if they hope to win support–or even tolerance–for data centers moving forward… “We’ve seen a handful of lawmakers float the idea of a national moratorium on new construction, and communities across the country are pushing back against projects they fear will raise their electricity bills, strain local water supplies, and transform their communities in ways they aren’t comfortable with. Those concerns are legitimate, and they should not be simply dismissed in the name of innovation… “Only a handful of participants expressed unequivocal support. Most “supporters” framed data centers as a “necessary evil.” “...Carlson questions whether creating 2,000 permanent jobs in Utah justifies the impact of AI on other American workers. Respondents, including many who self-identified as Democrats or Liberals, overwhelmingly agreed with Carlson… “Participants were similarly skeptical of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s testimony before Congress on the benefits of AI and data centers–including both those who did and did not know who he was… “Communities need some evidence or assurance that developers will make good on their promises and greater transparency around plans for data center buildout. Until then, Americans will likely remain skeptical and suspicious of data center buildout.”
Carbon Herald: ExxonMobil Adds Williams To Expanding Carbon Capture Portfolio
Vasil Velev, 7/29/26
“Energy infrastructure corporation Williams has selected ExxonMobil to provide carbon dioxide transportation and permanent storage services for its proposed Louisiana Energy Gateway (LEG), extending ExxonMobil’s growing portfolio of industrial CCS customers,” the Carbon Herald reports. “The agreement will see ExxonMobil transport and permanently store up to 1 MTA of CO2 per year captured from the natural gas-fired power facility, which is designed to supply lower-emissions electricity to large industrial customers… “The companies said the project remains subject to a final investment decision, permitting and other customary approvals… “Earlier this year, the company surrendered roughly 850,000 acres of federal offshore carbon storage leases in the Gulf of Mexico after determining those sites no longer aligned with its commercial strategy, choosing instead to focus on locations with stronger customer demand and infrastructure advantages… “Taken together, the announcements point to a more selective approach rather than a slowdown.”
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): Headwinds sink Air Products/Yara blue hydrogen project
Anika Juhn, 7/29/26
“In late June, Air Products cancelled its massive blue hydrogen / blue ammonia Louisiana Clean Energy Complex planned for Ascension Parish, Louisiana, highlighting the uncertain financial prospects of many U.S. CCS projects,” according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA. “The hype around blue hydrogen exploded in 2022, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the allocation of $7 billion in funding to regional Hydrogen Hubs. By 2025, cheap natural gas and generous production subsidies were no longer enough to get a project to move ahead. Guaranteed offtake stability was a new hurdle to be crossed. Reliance on the 45Q subsidy is the biggest risk for CCS-dependent projects in the U.S—without 45Q, these projects would not be able to move forward because blue hydrogen and ammonia are simply too expensive to produce… “The decision is a huge win for taxpayers, who could have been on the hook for billions of dollars in subsidies, as well as Louisiana communities, which would have borne the environmental cost of such a facility. The cancellation highlights the uncertain financial prospects of many announced U.S. projects that rely on carbon capture and storage (CCS)... “Financial considerations for these massive projects are forcing proponents to rethink their approaches. What seemed an easy one-two punch in 2022, with a pathway to billions of dollars in 45Q credits, is now a complicated collection of subsidies to offset a lack of demand for expensive reduced-carbon product. Even large, well-financed players like Air Products and Yara couldn’t make it work. In the U.S., reliance on 45Q subsidies risks putting project plans in jeopardy.”
Rainforest Action Network: LNG Impacts to Biodiversity in the Gulf South
7/23/26
“Methane/LNG expansion is a growing threat to biodiversity on the US Gulf Coast and around the world. Financial institutions backing methane expansion are failing to address the significant biodiversity risks stemming from these projects, exacerbating the global biodiversity crisis,” according to Rainforest Action Network. “Banks and insurers should adopt and strengthen policies to exclude financing and underwriting of methane expansion in critical biodiversity areas, while adopting time bound plans to phase out all support for fossil fuel expansion. Currently, there are 36 liquefied natural gas terminals and expansion projects proposed, under construction or actively operating in the United States, with 28 concentrated in the Gulf Coast… “Moreover, there are early signs that the crisis in Iran and the Middle East is sparking a new push to expand US gas production even further… “The Gulf South is a region of great ecological importance,14 containing some of the most biologically diverse and productive habitats in the US15 with over 15,000 documented species,16 130 of which are federally protected… “LNG export facilities disrupt the intricate and interdependent web of the Gulf ecosystem. From construction to regular operations to transport, LNG terminals in the Gulf Coast destroy critical wetlands and underwater habitats, release toxic pollution into the air and water, emit disorientingly high levels of light and noise, and smother marine nurseries in dredged sediment. Taken in whole, LNG export activities create both a human and ecological sacrifice zone, imperiling up to 100 special status species,”
DeSmog: The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms
Rebecca John, 7/29/26
“What seems to be important,” wrote the visionary British scientist, James Lovelock, in June 1966, is “the almost certain fact that the climate is worsening and the probability that the combustion of fuel is responsible.” Commissioned by Shell, the memo was the first in a series of secret reports by Lovelock for the UK oil giant exploring the “large scale atmospheric effects” of burning fossil fuels,” DeSmog reports. “Sixty years later, evidence of Shell’s early knowledge of the climate impacts of its activities is being thrown into the spotlight by a first-of-its kind civil lawsuit, filed last December at the Royal Court of Justice in London. Lawyers are due to make a further filing against Shell, known as “the particulars” of the case, on Friday. The lawsuit is being brought by UK law firm Hausfeld on behalf of the victims of Typhoon Rai, a 2021 Category 5 cyclone that devastated parts of the Philippines, killing over 400 people and causing more than $900 million in damages. It alleges that Shell helped to make the typhoon more destructive through the company’s contribution to historic greenhouse gas emissions and funding of climate denial — despite knowing since at least the mid 1960s that the burning of fossil fuels was the primary cause of climate change. “By proving in court that Shell was at fault for this climate-change driven extreme weather event and the suffering it caused, the case highlights the far-reaching and direct impacts on vulnerable communities worldwide of oil and gas company activities,” said Greg Lascelles, the Hausfeld partner leading the legal team, in a 2025 statement at the time the case was filed. The case draws on recent advances in attribution science that enable scientists to assess the degree to which climate change has contributed to an extreme weather event, such as a typhoon.”
Newsweek: Our Next Environmental Disaster Is Floating in Plain Sight
David Averre, 7/29/26
“...It is far quieter and less visually arresting than wildfires, but its potential to wreak environmental and economic havoc on countries the world over cannot be understated. Take a look at the Khuriya Muriya Islands about 25 miles off the south coast of Oman, and you’ll find an example,” Newsweek reports. “The Caroline Bezengi, a Suezmax oil tanker almost the size of three football fields, currently under sanctions for operating as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” appears to have run aground. And it’s leaking. Right now, the leak is minor, according to analyses of satellite imagery by maritime intelligence firm SynMax. But a tanker of this size could be carrying up to a million barrels of oil—enough to utterly devastate Oman’s coastline and the Arabian Sea. Russia and Iran both operate hundreds of uninsured, poorly maintained vessels like this, shipping oil around the world to prop up their economies. Due to sanctions, the ships can’t be sold off for scrap or undergo repairs, so the prospect of a catastrophic oil spill grows more likely by the day. What the U.S., Europe and international partners have unintentionally created via their sanctions, then, is a global network of seaborne dirty bombs—and every country with a coastline is liable to pay if one goes off… “If the vessel in question is uninsured or falsely flagged, the full weight of responsibility for cleaning up and paying for the spill will lie on the affected coastal state, because the ship and its owner are not covered,” Erausquin told Newsweek.”
OPINION
Fraser Institute: Alberta’s investment problem goes beyond one pipeline
Tegan Hill and Taylor Oliver, 7/30/26
“A new pipeline proposal has seemingly renewed optimism about Alberta’s energy future. Yet private investment remains on the sidelines,” Tegan Hill and Taylor Oliver write for the Fraser Institute. “...The project will cost between $35 billion and $44 billion, according to the proposal’s estimates, paid for primarily by taxpayers. As Charles St-Arnaud, chief economist at Servus Credit Union, recently noted, industry shareholders currently lack the “appetite to commit that type of capital.” “...Canadian projects face persistent delays, rising project costs, increasing carbon taxes (the United States has no national carbon tax), costly methane emissions reduction requirements and continued regulatory uncertainty… “Because when business investment declines, workers suffer… “More than a decade of weak business investment, including a sharp decline in investment in Alberta oil and gas, suggests Canada’s complicated and uncompetitive policy framework is making it harder, not easier, to attract private capital in Alberta… “But political support is no substitute for private investment—taxpayers shouldn’t have to fund major energy projects.”