PIPELINE NEWS
The Independent: Trump hints at bringing Keystone XL oil pipeline project ‘back from the grave’ in AI post
Newsweek: Trump Says Canada Tariffs Paused, Floats Keystone XL Pipeline Revival
Pipeline Fighters Hub: “It’s never being built”: Bold Founder Jane Kleeb Responds to Trump Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline
Reuters: Canada’s oil producers target late 2027 for Pathways carbon capture decision
Bloomberg: Energy Transfer, Sunoco Win Second Chance to Move Pipeline Suit
Grist: US Army Corps approves a pipeline project it knows harms Indigenous lands
Journal of Commerce: Enbridge breaks $4 billion Sunrise looping project into four segments
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US to announce steps to help refiners produce more fuel, energy chief Wright says
E&E News: Gas prices were a staple of GOP ads in 2024. Now it’s Democrats’ turn.
E&E News: Interior to auction thousands of acres in major oil region
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro signs order to limit new data centers
North Dakota Monitor: Electric co-op adds partner to renew pursuit of carbon capture at North Dakota coal plant
EXTRACTION
Inside Climate News: How the World’s Largest Electric Company Fell Quiet on Renewable Energy
E&E News: New Zealand shields polluters from climate lawsuits
CLIMATE FINANCE
Shift: Indigenous rights at risk as government looks to pension funds to invest in “major projects”
OPINION
Empire Report: Constitution Pipeline is a key next common-sense step for New York’s energy future
The Tyee: BC Needs Commitments on Distant Carbon Capture Promises
PIPELINE NEWS
The Independent: Trump hints at bringing Keystone XL oil pipeline project ‘back from the grave’ in AI post
Owen Scott, 8/19/26
“President Trump has hinted at bringing the Keystone XL oil pipeline “back from the grave” in a pair of Truth Social posts,” The Independent reports. “One post included an A.I.-generated image showing Trump wrenching a Keystone XL pipe straight out of a grave, as he stands beside a tombstone reading: “Buried by Biden.” In the background of the image, an American flag can be seen flying while the pipe itself is stamped with a sign reading: “Completely free. Energy. Jobs. America First.” “...Writing on Truth Social, though, Trump lauded the project on Tuesday night. “The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” he teased… “However, the Canadian leader did not mention the Keystone XL project in his statement… “Trump has called for the revival of the project in February 2025, when he said that the company behind the pipeline should “get it built.”
Newsweek: Trump Says Canada Tariffs Paused, Floats Keystone XL Pipeline Revival
Anna Commander and Jenni Fink, 8/19/26
“President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was pausing 50 percent tariffs on Canadian imports for three days, saying the delay was based on a tentative agreement between the U.S. and Canada that still requires final documentation,” Newsweek reports. “...Trump also suggested the agreement could pave the way for a revival of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was canceled under then-President Joe Biden in 2021. In his post, Trump said the pipeline “may be awoken from the grave.” The potential revival would mark another effort by Trump to reverse Biden-era policies on the controversial pipeline, although the project’s future would likely remain subject to regulatory and development hurdles. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also took to social media and confirmed that the two countries had made progress in negotiations but stopped short of declaring a finalized deal, saying officials would continue to finalize the work… “The project received a dramatic revival after Trump took office in 2017. But in 2021, Biden revoked the pipeline’s cross-border permit on his first day in office.”
Pipeline Fighters Hub: “It’s never being built”: Bold Founder Jane Kleeb Responds to Trump Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline
8/18/26
“Jane Kleeb, the founder and executive director of Bold Nebraska, the grassroots organization that organized landowner opposition to defeat the Keystone XL pipeline project, responded on Tuesday to a statement from President Trump announcing a “deal” with Canada that the project “may be awoken from the grave!”, the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “It’s never being built. Americans don’t want a foreign export pipeline using eminent domain on farmers and ranchers. We’ve killed Keystone XL three times. We will do it again. Trump should focus on infrastructure that will actually bring costs down,” said Jane Kleeb, Founder and Executive Director at Bold Alliance. Kleeb also spoke out back in April, when developers South Bow and Bridger jointly announced plans to revive parts of the defunct Keystone XL pipeline route with a new proposal: “You can rename it, rebrand it, repackage it — Keystone XL will never be built. For 13 years, a foreign oil corporation used the power of eminent domain to bully American landowners to take their land, all for Big Oil’s private gain. We refused to back down. We took them to court and fought to return those easements to farmers and ranchers. Keystone XL has no route, no easements, and no support in Nebraska.” An op-ed co-authored by Bold Alliance attorney and energy policy advisor Paul Blackburn, and longtime pipeline fighter and advocate Kenny Bruno published in April further lays out the reasons why this project will never be built: “Keystone XL By Any Other Name Will Be Just As Crudely Sour.”
Reuters: Canada’s oil producers target late 2027 for Pathways carbon capture decision
Amanda Stephenson, 8/18/26
“Canada’s biggest oil producers are targeting late 2027 for a final investment decision on their proposed 6-million-tonne carbon capture and storage project, a key piece of the country’s plan to grow oil production and keep emissions in check, the president of the Oil Sands Alliance industry group told Reuters. Kendall Dilling, who heads the industry group that represents Canadian Natural Resources, Imperial Oil, Suncor Energy, Cenovus Energy and ConocoPhillips Canada, told Reuters that he believes oil sands companies will reach definitive agreements with the Alberta and federal governments on the fiscal terms by mid-November, paving the way for a potential decision to go ahead with the multi-billion-dollar Pathways project. “It depends, obviously, on regulatory approvals and a few things, but I think late 2027 into early 2028 is kind of that window,” Dilling told Reuters… “Environmentalists have excoriated the Oil Sands Alliance for scaling down the project, which had earlier targeted 22 million tonnes of emissions reduction by 2030… “”The (prior proposal) was an incredibly aggressive scale and timeline that would have been, I think, very difficult to manage and to contain costs,” he told Reuters.”
Bloomberg: Energy Transfer, Sunoco Win Second Chance to Move Pipeline Suit
Taylor Mills, 8/18/26
“A federal appeals panel opened the door for Sunoco Pipeline LP and two Energy Transfer units to face a class action lawsuit over the Twin Oaks Pipeline leak in their preferred venue,” Bloomberg reports. “The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit said the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania didn’t analyze the alleged conduct of Energy Transfer’s affiliate, R&M LLC, to apply the local jurisdiction exception to the Class Action Fairness Act. Residents of Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pa. sued the companies for negligence, nuisance, trespass, and strict liability in 2025 over a pipeline leak…”
Grist: US Army Corps approves a pipeline project it knows harms Indigenous lands
Vivian La, 8/19/26
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a key permit for a plan to update an aging segment of the Line 5 pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, the waterways that tribal nations say are central to their ways of life,” Grist reports. “...For Michigan tribes that have fought for years to shut down the pipeline, the federal permit approval was “disrespectful and ludicrous,” Austin Lowes, chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, told Grist. “They’re acutely aware of the impact that this project will have on Indian Country, and they just flat-out ignored it,” Lowes told Grist. “It’s one of the most disgusting things that I’ve ever been confronted with as a tribal leader.” “...The straits are sacred to Anishaabe peoples — the waters feature prominently in their creation story and serve as burial grounds for ancestors. Five tribal nations also hold treaty rights to fish and hunt in these waters, rights that predate Michigan’s statehood and are protected by federal law under the 1836 Treaty of Washington. “Us surrendering and ceding that land came with certain expectations and rights,” Lowes told Grist. “And one of those expectations was that we would be consulted any time decisions were going to be made on the federal level that would impact our way of life, and the tunnel project certainly does that.” “...Last year, seven Michigan tribal nations withdrew from discussion with the Army Corps over the permit, saying that regulators ignored tribal expertise, input, and concerns, and undermined treaty rights. The withdrawal also came after the Army Corps suggested that the review process would likely be fast-tracked under President Trump’s emergency executive order.”
Journal of Commerce: Enbridge breaks $4 billion Sunrise looping project into four segments
Jean Sorensen, 8/19/26
“Enbridge’s $4 billion B.C. Sunrise expansion of the Westcoast natural gas pipeline is being broken into four segments to complete the work by 2028 with Alberta’s OJB Energy Solutions as the mainline contractor overseeing the 139 kilometres of new line added,” the Journal of Commerce reports. “The project, which started construction in July, will add 11 pipeline loops using 42-inch 80-foot-long pipe supplied by the Interpro Pipe and Steel facility in Regina as well as new compressor units and powerlines to increase Westcoast Energy Inc.’s capacity by adding 300 million cubic feet per day capacity… “Enbridge’s Sunrise expansion on Westcoat’s line (known as T-South) will support domestic heating, regional industrial growth, the U.S. market and export facilities such as Woodfibre LNG, which is expected to come on stream in 2027.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: US to announce steps to help refiners produce more fuel, energy chief Wright says
Sheila Dang, 8/17/26
“U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday that Washington will announce steps within days to help refiners boost fuel output, as President Donald Trump seeks to rein in stubbornly high gasoline prices that spiked during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran,” Reuters reports. “...The United States refineries are running at record high, but we have refineries in the Middle East that are turned down,” Wright told reporters at an oil rig site operated by ExxonMobil. He met with refiners on Monday “about what we can do in the government to help them further ramp up their throughput,” Wright said in Midland, Texas, in the Permian Basin, the heart of the U.S. oil industry. Increasing refinery output in the U.S. and elsewhere was the key to lowering gasoline prices, he said.”
E&E News: Gas prices were a staple of GOP ads in 2024. Now it’s Democrats’ turn.
Jessica Piper, 8/19/26
“Republicans hammered Democrats on gas prices in 2024. Now, those prices are soaring again — and this time, the roles are reversed,” E&E News reports. “In the 2024 election cycle, 87 percent of ads mentioning gas or gas prices in House and Senate races were run by Republicans, according to a POLITICO analysis of transcripts from AdImpact, the ad tracking firm. This year, roughly two-thirds of ads mentioning gas prices have come from Democratic candidates or groups. The same Republicans who ran ads on the issue two years ago have now gone quiet amid voter backlash to high prices and President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. They’re mentioning gas prices far less in emails and on social media, too… “Gas prices, a highly visible cost incurred regularly by many Americans, were a major political challenge for Democrats when former President Joe Biden was in office. But prices are now even higher than they were going into the last election, and Democrats are confident they can squarely blame Trump and his GOP allies for backing the conflict in Iran that has driven up those prices.”
E&E News: Interior to auction thousands of acres in major oil region
James Bikales, 8/19/26
“The Interior Department is set to auction off more than 20,000 acres across one of the U.S.’s most prolific crude-producing regions Wednesday, months after a lease sale there shattered the record as the highest-grossing onshore sale ever,” E&E News reports. “Oil and gas producers will bid Wednesday on 26 parcels in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, which are being offered with lower royalty rates and loosened regulations set by Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The total acreage is smaller than the May auction that raised more than $4 billion, but it includes untapped parts of the Permian Basin coveted by oil companies. An oil industry official told E&E companies are anticipating another strong result, even if it doesn’t eclipse the eye-popping numbers from May. “We have very low-risk geology. We know where the resources are — we know what we’re going to go get,” the official told E&E, adding that it could supplement declines in other parts of the basin. While leasing is not a direct indicator of production, the official told E&E high oil prices and the Trump administration’s expedited permitting processes could mean the acres leased Wednesday are producing crude within 18 months to two years.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro signs order to limit new data centers
Adam Aton, Christa Marshall, 8/18/26
“Data centers will need local approval before Pennsylvania grants them state permits, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday,” E&E News reports. “The potential White House contender signed an executive order that ties data center permits to a regulatory framework he previewed earlier this year — as well as some new, tougher provisions, including a prohibition on nondisclosure agreements and no eligibility for fast-track permits. Shapiro stopped short of a statewide data center moratorium, which has been implemented in neighboring New York and has been called for by his Republican gubernatorial opponent, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. But his order will effectively halt any new development that faces opposition from local officials… “Before state agencies begin permit reviews, Shapiro’s directive requires data centers with a peak load of at least 25 megawatts to sign a consent order outlining key details about their power demand, development plans and investment commitments… “The Data Center Coalition, the industry’s main trade group, released a statement saying it shares Shapiro’s goals to ensure the state benefits economically from data centers while protecting residents.”
North Dakota Monitor: Electric co-op adds partner to renew pursuit of carbon capture at North Dakota coal plant
Jeff Beach, 8/19/26
“Minnkota Power Cooperative is hoping to revive its stalled carbon capture project by adding a business partner and the possibility of using CO2 to produce more oil in North Dakota,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “...Minnkota now plans to have Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage to operate the carbon capture and CO2 delivery system. North Dakota’s Clean Sustainable Energy Authority on Tuesday recommended approval of $205 million in loans for the partnership — $45 million for Minnkota and $160 million for Reliant, which will build and own the carbon capture facility. The state Industrial Commission would have to provide final approval. In a presentation to the authority Tuesday, company officials said the new Project Tundra plan reduces financial risk for Minnkota and the co-op’s members and brings in new technical expertise with Reliant that uses methods and equipment already deployed in the energy industry. The new partnership should shorten the construction schedule from five years down to about two, which helps reduce construction costs… “Officials said that ideally, the CO2 captured from the Milton R. Young Station in Oliver County could be delivered to the Bakken oil fields. The oil industry, with help from government-supported research, is working on ways to inject CO2 deep underground to make oil wells more productive, a process called enhanced oil recovery.”
EXTRACTION
Inside Climate News: How the World’s Largest Electric Company Fell Quiet on Renewable Energy
Ajani Stella, 8/15/26
“NextEra Energy, the world’s largest publicly traded electricity company, has systematically erased or downplayed its clean energy messaging since President Donald Trump returned to office, a potent example of the industry’s retreat from environmental positioning during his second term,” Inside Climate News reports. “NextEra used to bill itself as a global leader in renewable energy production and the energy transition. Now, the company has adopted Trump’s “American energy dominance” language and emphasizes its “diverse” array of electricity sources—prominently, gas—as the president favors fossil fuels and castigates clean energy, Inside Climate News found in a review of NextEra’s securities filings, press releases, financial statements and website archives. NextEra stopped describing itself as a renewable energy company to regulators last year, and its power development subsidiary overhauled its home page and environmental stewardship page to deemphasize clean energy.”
E&E News: New Zealand shields polluters from climate lawsuits
Lesley Clark, 8/18/26
“New Zealand is on the verge of becoming the first country to change its laws to bar private citizens and organizations from suing polluters for contributing to climate change,” E&E News reports. “Parliament gave final consent to the legislation Tuesday, and it will become law following formal approval from the head of the state, which is expected within a week. New Zealand’s move comes as U.S. Republicans push to shield oil and gas companies from being held financially responsible for the burning of their products. Lawmakers introduced federal legislation this spring, and several GOP-led states have passed laws to bar climate lawsuits. The U.S. Supreme Court will open its fall term in October by hearing a case that could wipe out the litigation. New Zealand’s law aims to short-circuit Smith v. Fonterra, a 2020 lawsuit that alleges emissions from six companies in the agriculture and energy sectors have worsened climate change. The country’s High Court is scheduled to hear the case brought by Mãori climate activist Mike Smith in 2027.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Shift: Indigenous rights at risk as government looks to pension funds to invest in “major projects”
8/18/26
“New analysis finds none of Canada’s large pension managers have publicly disclosed investment policies ensuring alignment with Indigenous rights, leaving pension beneficiaries’ retirement savings exposed to financial, legal and reputational risks,” according to Shift. “Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health’s (Shift) August 2026 report, Indigenous Rights and Canadian Pension Funds, finds none of Canada’s large pension managers have publicly disclosed investment policies aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and its core principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). Such policies would provide required guardrails as pension funds navigate investment risks and opportunities, particularly as the federal government pressures them to invest in so-called “major projects” while it simultaneously undercuts the chances that such projects will meet the standard of FPIC. Further, the report identifies at least four pension managers that have highlighted Indigenous economic benefits or opportunities related to investments in fossil fuel infrastructure, but have omitted mention of the climate-related financial risks and impacts that such investments create for pension beneficiaries and Indigenous communities.”
OPINION
Empire Report: Constitution Pipeline is a key next common-sense step for New York’s energy future
Robert Duffy and Ruben Diaz Jr. are co-chairs of Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future, 8/19/26
“New Yorkers have already seen what focused leadership can accomplish. In this year’s state budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature delivered important reforms to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that put affordability at the center of New York’s energy future while keeping the state on a path toward lower emissions,” Robert Duffy and Ruben Diaz Jr., write for the Empire Report. “...This “all-of-the-above” approach should also include advancing the Constitution Pipeline, which is another practical, common-sense way to build on our progress. It will help make energy more affordable, strengthen reliability, support continued economic growth and complement the state’s long-term clean energy goals… “Meeting those challenges requires an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy — one that continues investing in renewable energy while ensuring New Yorkers have access to affordable, reliable fuel when they need it most. That has been Gov. Hochul’s approach, and it is the right one. Constitution Pipeline fits squarely within that strategy… “The conversation about energy should never be framed as a choice between affordability and sustainability. New Yorkers deserve both… “It is a practical investment that will help lower costs, strengthen reliability and keep New York moving forward with the balanced, all-of-the-above energy strategy our economy and our communities need.”
The Tyee: BC Needs Commitments on Distant Carbon Capture Promises
Adam Olsen is a former BC Green Party MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and a member of Tsartlip First Nation, 8/18/26
“On July 2, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a memorandum of understanding that provided the framework by which a new oil pipeline to the West Coast will be built,” Adam Olsen writes for The Tyee. “...But approval for the West Coast oil pipeline at the centre of the deal between Canada and B.C. is not unconditional. Three separate agreements share a key premise: the pipeline cannot proceed without a carbon capture and storage project. What is not shared is a timeline. British Columbia accepts the pipeline risks now. Alberta and the oil industry are committed only to work toward carbon capture on a schedule stretching to 2045… “Premier David Eby has promised that British Columbians will provide certainty for a new million-barrel oil pipeline to the south coast. Doing so accepts the immediate and indefinite risks of a pipeline to our fragile coastline long before Alberta has proven it can deliver on the reversible half of the bargain — namely the Pathways Project, which isn’t slated to be fully operational for nearly two decades… “The asymmetry is obvious. Under the dark cloud of Alberta’s threat to leave Canada, British Columbians are forced to accept another taxpayer-funded pipeline proposal by this October. Meanwhile, Alberta doesn’t have to prove the prerequisite carbon capture and sequestration project is viable until long after the construction starts on the pipeline and damage in British Columbia is already done... “But if the pipeline is truly contingent on a successful carbon capture and sequestration project, then the two timelines need to align. British Columbia must insist that Alberta and the Oil Sands Alliance have a construction timeline, not a promise. They must put their money where their mouth is and have industry’s contribution in the bank.”