EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/4/26
PIPELINE NEWS
WV News: West Virginia AG leads 18-state coalition seeking to keep Enbridge Line 5 open
Bloomberg: Whitmer Clashes With Trump Over Enbridge Oil Pipeline Dispute
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: League of Women Voters, environmental groups join Ojibwe against pipeline
Bluffton Today: Landowners resist: Hampton woman files class action against pipeline
Durango Herald: Phil Weiser points to Enterprise gas spill as example of state’s ‘culture problem’
Politico: Pipeline projects loom over New York
WTIC: Expansion of a gas pipeline has neighbors saying “not in my backyard”
Reuters: Williams to buy Momentum for $5.5 billion, misses quarterly estimates
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: Trump has been able to keep oil prices low. But that power may not last forever
Reuters: Trump blasts Exxon, Chevron for making ‘too much money,’ demands lower gasoline prices
E&E News: Senate Dems look to force vote on Trump ESA rule
E&E News: Lawsuit seeks to block Trump habitat rule that favors economic interests
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Texas governor puts data center grid approvals on hold
E&E News: Xavier Becerra is wary of California’s climate goals. Trump could save them
KUNM: Indigenous advocates protest at BLM office against proposal to remove Chaco Canyon buffer
E&E News: A Louisiana energy regulator got a DOE gig. He plans to keep both jobs.
Louisiana Illuminator: Meta data center pollution permit doesn’t account for all its emissions, Sierra Club says
Chicago Tribune: An Indiana pastor became an Illinois oilman. Spills and pollution followed.
South Dakota Searchlight: South Dakotans condemn endangered species rule change as state government takes no position
Inside Climate News: More Than Half of Washington State’s Data Centers Are Located in Environmental Justice Areas
EXTRACTION
Carbon Brief: Q&A: Does the world need ‘carbon capture and storage’ to reach net-zero?
The Conversation: Confused about carbon capture? Experts explain why we need different types
Clean Air Task Force: Poland needs carbon capture and storage to decarbonise heavy industry, but CCS will only scale if the full system becomes bankable
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Public pension managers urge SEC against scrapping climate disclosures
OPINION
Pique: There can be no more pipelines on a burning planet
PIPELINE NEWS
WV News: West Virginia AG leads 18-state coalition seeking to keep Enbridge Line 5 open
8/3/26
“West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is leading an 18-state coalition supporting efforts to keep Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline operating through Michigan,” WV News reports. “The coalition filed an amicus brief in Enbridge Energy v. Gretchen Whitmer, asking the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling that rejected Michigan’s attempt to shut down a portion of the pipeline at the Straits of Mackinac… “The states argue that the federal Pipeline Safety Act gives the federal government authority over pipeline safety and prevents individual states from unilaterally closing interstate or international pipelines. The brief also contends that Michigan’s effort conflicts with an international pipeline treaty between the United States and Canada. “Michigan cannot unilaterally shut down a pipeline that fuels homes, businesses, and industries far beyond its own borders. Congress placed pipeline safety squarely in federal hands for exactly this reason — so that one state cannot hold the nation’s energy supply hostage,” McCuskey said.”
Bloomberg: Whitmer Clashes With Trump Over Enbridge Oil Pipeline Dispute
Shayna Greene, 8/3/26
“The United States, Canada, and a coalition of states led by West Virginia urged a federal court to keep a controversial Enbridge Energy LP oil and gas pipeline open despite opposing efforts from Michigan and tribal groups,” Bloomberg reports. “The states argued in their July 31 brief that shuttering a key chokepoint in the Line 5 pipeline—which traverses from Canada to Michigan—would harm their own energy needs. The United States argued in its own brief that the issue is preempted because pipeline safety is covered by the federal Pipeline Safety Act. The Justice Department additionally called the pipeline “critical”...”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: League of Women Voters, environmental groups join Ojibwe against pipeline
Frank Vaisvilas, 8/4/26
“The League of Women Voters and the environmental groups Clean Wisconsin and 350 Wisconsin recently joined the Bad River Ojibwe Band in its efforts against an oil pipeline in far northern Wisconsin,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “The groups filed a lawsuit in Ashland County Circuit Court against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, arguing the state agency cannot lawfully approve pipeline work at four water crossings near the Bad River Reservation… “The Bad River Ojibwe (represented by Earthjustice), the League of Women Voters (represented by Midwest Environmental Associates) and the environmental groups argue Enbridge sought a workaround the legal finding by acquiring property at three of the four crossings while apparently granting the original landowners options to repurchase their properties. The lawsuit alleges the property transactions amount to short-term leases of riparian, or water use, rights, which is not allowed under Wisconsin law… “Midwest Environmental Associates spokesperson Peg Sheaffer told the Journal Sentinel Enbridge has continued to run afoul of Wisconsin law in its repeated attempts to overcome legal barriers to the project. “Until they demonstrate that they have met all the requirements of Wisconsin law, construction at the four stream crossings must not be allowed to proceed,”
Bluffton Today: Landowners resist: Hampton woman files class action against pipeline
Michael M. DeWitt, Jr., 8/4/26
“In the wake of nearly 100 lawsuits filed by a major energy infrastructure company against landowners in Hampton and Colleton counties, the energy companies are doubling down and filing more suits, but now the local landowners are fighting back in court,” Bluffton Today reports. “Beginning in May, Elba Express Company, LLC, a Kinder Morgan company contracted to build a $431 million, 70-plus mile underground natural gas pipeline across lower South Carolina, filed more than 90 “Petition For Ex Parte Order To Enter Onto Real Property” filings against property owners in the two S.C. Lowcountry counties… “In response, local landowners have filed motions to dismiss these claims, and one Hampton County property owner has filed a class action lawsuit counterclaim… “While we are not directly involved in these lawsuits, it’s not surprising that South Carolina landowners are standing up against a Texas pipeline company to protect their homes, farms, and forests--especially in this special part of our state,” Robby Maynor, Southern Environmental Law Center Policy Advocate, told BT… “ In her filings, Stratos contends that Elba Express does not yet have the legal authority to ask the court for forced entry on to her properties and makes claims that cite both federal and state law and center on whether or not Elba Express actually has eminent domain authority… “Stratos’s class action claim seeks to help represent the more than 90 fellow landowners who have all been sued by the same petitioner, Elba, and all have the same state and federal legal questions or arguments, including whether or not Elba Express is a valid entity empowered to do business in S.C., whether it has the power to condemn properties or invoke eminent domain, whether a FERC certificate under the Natural Gas Act is required for this stage of the project; and whether Elba Express may obtain entry onto private property under S.C.’s eminent domain laws or natural gas energy infrastructure laws.”
Durango Herald: Phil Weiser points to Enterprise gas spill as example of state’s ‘culture problem’
Jessie Bowman, 8/2/26
“The Colorado governorship is just within Phil Weiser’s grasp,” the Durango Herald reports. When he gets there, the state should expect a “culture change,” he told the Herald… “As one example of what he called a cultural failure, he pointed to the state’s response to the 2024 Enterprise Products gasoline spill, which resulted from an undetected rupture in a pipeline crossing La Plata County within the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. “We as a state have not been vigilant and have not done all we need to do to hold Enterprise accountable,” he told the Herald. He credited the Southern Ute Indian Tribe with pushing for greater oversight. Enterprise initially estimated that about 23,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into the environment. That estimate has steadily increased over the past year and a half after an independent investigation commissioned by the tribe… “This company needs to take responsibility for what has happened,” he told the Herald. “They need to fully remediate the situation, and there are legal options available to us, whether the company complies voluntarily or whether we have to take enforcement action.”
Politico: Pipeline projects loom over New York
Marie J. French, 8/3/26
“Enbridge’s open season for a major pipeline expansion in the Northeast “significantly exceeded” the company’s initial expectations, Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel said Friday,” Politico reports. “The company gauged interest for the proposal — known as Project Beacon — between mid-May and the beginning of July… “The project has yet to be sanctioned, however, and hurdles remain, Matthew Akman, executive vice president at Enbridge, told Politico… “The biggest permitting risk for gas infrastructure developers seeking to supply New England states with more fuel remains New York… “The floodgates for new gas projects under the Trump administration appear to be wide open, with Democratic governors in the region signaling interest in bolstering supply to address cost concerns and meet burgeoning demand driven in part by data centers. Another proposed pipeline project could also get a boost from the interest in Project Beacon, DT Midstream president and CEO David Slater told analysts on a quarterly earnings call last week. DT Midstream has been discussing an expansion of the Millennium pipeline system dubbed “Millennium PRO” since 2025. That would bring more gas from Pennsylvania into New York… “Of course, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration is already opposing an effort by Williams Co. to skip a New York approval for another major pipeline, the Constitution. That project doesn’t yet have any customers.”
WTIC: Expansion of a gas pipeline has neighbors saying “not in my backyard”
Kaye Paddyfote, 8/3/26
“A proposed natural gas pipeline project that could reshape energy infrastructure across parts of New England is facing growing pushback in Cromwell,” WTIC reports. “Supporters of this project say the expansion will strengthen the region’s energy supply, but opponents say it’s not worth the risk. Those competing viewpoints were front and center Monday night as people in Cromwell gathered to discuss a proposed expansion of pipelines. The proposed pipeline enhancement project from Enbridge’s Algonquin Gas Transmission or AGT, would upgrade existing infrastructure to increase natural gas capacity and improve energy reliability across the northeast. “There’s a compressor station located in Cromwell that’s on that pipeline,” Sena Wazer, volunteer and outreach coordinator with Sierra Club, an environmental non-profit said. “It’s releasing methane gas and other toxic chemicals that are polluting the air and harming people’s health. We wanted to make sure people know that that’s there and there are multiple proposed expansions.” “...Mayor James Demetriades says the expansion could have environmental impacts. In a social media post Sunday, the mayor said he and the deputy mayor raised concerns last year about potential pipeline leaks and the risks they could pose.”
Reuters: Williams to buy Momentum for $5.5 billion, misses quarterly estimates
Khusbu Jena, 8/3/26
“Pipeline company Williams said on Monday it would buy Momentum Midstream, as it bets on growing demand from LNG export facilities, power generation and industrial users along the U.S. Gulf Coast,” Reuters reports. “The deal, which includes about $3.5 billion in cash and assumed debt and roughly $2 billion in Williams stock, will expand Williams’ footprint in the Haynesville shale basin, a key supplier of natural gas to Gulf Coast LNG terminals… “The deal will add more than 4,000 miles of pipelines, over 1 million dedicated acres and gathering, processing and transportation assets with a combined capacity of about 6 billion cubic feet of gas per day, Williams said. Williams also announced the $1.5-billion Delta Access pipeline, a 2.25-bcfd project slated for early 2029, and the 750-mmcfd Shelby Trough Connector that is expected to come online in mid-2028.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: Trump has been able to keep oil prices low. But that power may not last forever
Scott Waldman, 8/3/26
“...Even as the war stretches past the six-month mark and the midterms creep closer, Trump has been able to keep retail prices lower than experts say they should be through the sheer power of promises – which have yet to come through – of a swift end to the conflict,” Politico reports. “On Monday, he took that a step further, chastising the major oil companies for “making too much money” off global oil shortages as a result of the war… “But Trump’s ability to jawbone the markets may be diminishing at a critical time, three months before the midterm elections when control of Congress is hanging in the balance and his approval is sinking to new lows amid voter anger over cost of living concerns. It comes as global crude oil supplies are running low, the war threatens more energy flows, refiners are running out of spare capacity and the administration has few tools to keep gas prices low. “Labor Day is the point where gas prices are baked into the election,” Republican pollster Frank Luntz told Politico. “That last summer trip determines how voters evaluate their cost of living.” “...His credibility has been a little bit shot,” a former Trump adviser close to the White House, granted anonymity to avoid reprisal, told Politico. “The markets aren’t paying attention to him, they’re paying attention to what’s happening and, with respect to oil prices, it is a huge liability for the Republicans.”
Reuters: Trump blasts Exxon, Chevron for making ‘too much money,’ demands lower gasoline prices
Jarrett Renshaw and Sheila Dang, 8/3/26
“U.S. President Donald Trump accused ExxonMobil and Chevron on Monday of making “too much money” off higher fuel prices and said the oil giants should “give some of that back to the public,” a notable break from his usual alliance with the industry,” Reuters reports. “...Trump has made expanding U.S. energy production a centerpiece of his agenda, encouraging more drilling and calling for increased oil and gas output. The industry has broadly welcomed those policies, but Trump has also repeatedly pressed producers to keep fuel prices low, creating tension between his push to maximize domestic production and his demands that companies limit profits when prices rise.”
E&E News: Senate Dems look to force vote on Trump ESA rule
Ian M. Stevenson, 8/3/26
“Senate Democrats will push to overrule a Trump administration move to lessen protections for imperiled species, likely forcing a vote on the matter on Capitol Hill,” E&E News reports. “Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution Monday against the rule finalized last month. The change from the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries removes the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, which the agencies have used for decades to offer endangered and threatened species habitat protections. The rule undoes those protections, giving industries leeway to destroy or modify the habitat of imperiled species so long as it doesn’t directly affect individual wildlife. “The Trump administration has given its industry buddies a free pass to end endangered species protections that have been on the books for over 40 years and permanently destroy habitats to make money,” Whitehouse said in a statement. “This rule is nonsensical, and endangers the species this law set out to protect. We’re prepared to fight it.”
E&E News: Lawsuit seeks to block Trump habitat rule that favors economic interests
Kinnia Cheuk, 7/31/26
“Conservation groups are suing the Trump administration over a rule that would give economic interests a greater say in determining wildlife protections,” E&E News reports. “The rule, finalized last Friday by the Interior Department, requires regulators to consider excluding areas from critical habitat designations when presented with ‘credible information’ of meaningful financial impacts that would result from setting aside areas for the benefit of vulnerable wildlife. This federal action is part of the Trump administration’s broader overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to ease barriers to industrial development. Environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, representing groups like the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife, alleged in the lawsuit that the rule provides industry interests with “an effective veto over important agency decisions” to protect habitats for imperiled species.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Texas governor puts data center grid approvals on hold
Shelby Webb, 8/3/26
“New data centers in Texas have been put on hold in a striking reversal by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is up for reelection in November,” E&E News reports. “Abbott on Monday directed the state’s power regulators and main grid managers to audit data centers seeking to connect to the Texas grid, saying no more additional data centers can be approved or move forward until that process is over… “Abbott’s letter called for an audit that would require data centers to report to ERCOT and the PUC information about their proposed water use, tax breaks they receive, what cooling technologies they’re using and who owns the projects. The pause throws a wrench in ERCOT’s plans to bring data centers online in the state’s main power grid, which is largely isolated from the rest of the country. It also represents a major shift from last year, when Abbott called Texas the “epicenter” of artificial intelligence development as he courted megaprojects. He also called for more oversight back in June. Abbott has seen support erode over concerns about data centers and extra-high-voltage transmission lines being built in rural areas… “ERCOT officials said Monday they were “postponing” the Batch Zero study process due to Abbott’s letter and were working with the PUC to implement Abbott’s directive.”
E&E News: Xavier Becerra is wary of California’s climate goals. Trump could save them
Alex Nieves, 8/3/26
“California’s most ambitious climate goals could be up for negotiation under a Becerra administration — and the Democratic front-runner is being pulled in two different directions,” E&E News reports. “If he coasts to victory in November, as expected, Xavier Becerra will face competing pressures: delivering on the affordability message that propelled him through the primary while fending off President Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on California’s climate agenda… “The former Health secretary wouldn’t commit to California’s plan of banning sales of new gas and hybrid vehicles starting in 2035 and signaled openness to adjusting the state’s 2045 carbon-neutrality target — now enshrined in state law — telling POLITICO that he isn’t willing to “hang up our economy and families” cost of living if we find that we’re not able to meet that goal.” “...He has responded to criticism of his environmental policy positions by highlighting his record of battling the Trump administration. As California attorney general during Trump’s first term, he sued over rollbacks to environmental rules, including clean car standards and endangered species protections. He also established a Bureau of Environmental Justice to enforce environmental quality and public health laws.”
KUNM: Indigenous advocates protest at BLM office against proposal to remove Chaco Canyon buffer
Jeanette DeDios, 7/31/26
“Protestors gathered outside the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Santa Fe on Wednesday on the last day for public comment on the federal agency’s proposal to remove or shrink a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon for oil and gas drilling,” KUNM reports. “On a sweltering hot afternoon, over 100 advocates stood outside the BLM office to voice their disapproval of a recently released environmental assessment that suggests eliminating the buffer around Chaco Culture National Historical Park… “Cheyenne Antonio is a Diné organizer and said at the protest that Navajo leaders did not consult with any of the Chapter Houses near the Chaco cultural sites and have not given tribal members enough time to comment. “Especially given that many community members face barriers in providing input from difficulty accessing internet, travel, and language translation without meaningful consultation with impacted Navajo chapters, pueblos, and tribes and allotment shareholders. BLM should not move forward with revoking Public Land Order 7923,” she said… “Juarez urged the public to file comments. “Join Pueblo people, join Diné people in this moment of solidarity, not just with each other, but with everyone in the country, to show that we are not going to stand idly by as these sacred sites are threatened,” he said.
E&E News: A Louisiana energy regulator got a DOE gig. He plans to keep both jobs.
Jeffrey Tomich, 8/4/26
“A Trump administration official will help decide later this year whether Louisiana’s largest utility can build seven new natural gas plants to serve Meta’s $50 billion Hyperion data center,” E&E News reports. “Eric Skrmetta is the chair of the Louisiana Public Service Commission — and, as of a few months ago, the principal deputy under secretary at the Department of Energy, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. He told the publication that he plans to keep both positions until the end of his PSC term in December. The unusual dual role is prompting pushback from the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana consumer and environmental advocacy group that is challenging the natural gas buildout. “His two roles in many ways may be in conflict with one another,” Executive Director Logan Burke told E&E.”
Louisiana Illuminator: Meta data center pollution permit doesn’t account for all its emissions, Sierra Club says
Elise Plunk, 8/4/26
“An environmental group argues Louisiana officials did not account for all of the harmful emissions Meta’s data center in Richland Parish will produce when it approved the facility’s Clean Air Act permit revisions in June,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “In comments submitted Thursday to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Sierra Club argues that changes to Meta’s Hyperion facility air pollution permit should require it to have a more stringent permit rather than one it obtained. The state agency issued a minor source permit for the data center when the Sierra Club maintains it should have applied for a more restrictive major source permit. “This massive project clearly crosses the threshold of what a ‘minor source’ permit would allow,” Margie Vicknair-Pray, Sierra Club Delta chapter projects coordinator, said in a news release… “Asked about the Sierra Club’s comments, a spokesperson from Meta told the Illuminator it “works closely with regulatory authorities to comply with federal, state, and local air quality and permitting requirements.” LDEQ approved the Meta facility’s initial permit in July 2025, applied for under the name Laidley LLC, the real estate entity with a 20% share of the data center.”
Chicago Tribune: An Indiana pastor became an Illinois oilman. Spills and pollution followed.
Jonathan Bullington, 8/2/26
“Tens of thousands of gallons of fluid spilled from the open pit, urged on by heavy spring rains and unencumbered by an emergency pump disabled by a power failure,” the Chicago Tribune reports. “...An Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation police officer spotted the unmistakable sheen of oil on the Ambraw that morning in March 2024 and alerted local emergency management officials and the state agency. Some 150 miles southwest at the far southern tip of the state, utility company Illinois American Water was told to be ready to operate an emergency intake on the Ohio River, downstream of the Wabash, as a last resort to prevent the contaminants from polluting the Mississippi River and, ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico. Over the next few days, a network of at least 30 divisions within local, state, tribal and national agencies would be warned about the spill, which, when it was finally halted a little over a mile from the Wabash, totaled 10,500 gallons of oil and another 42,000 gallons of brine… “The March spill, which prompted an ongoing civil lawsuit from the Illinois attorney general’s office, was one of at least 11 linked to the Indiana-based company’s roughly 1,400 oil wells and attached flow lines that year, according to hundreds of pages of previously unreleased state records reviewed by the Tribune. Additionally, court records show, [Indian Liberty] racked up more than 1,200 violations from the Illinois DNR since it acquired its wells in 2021 — a number equal to two violations every three days. “These people have no business with an oil field,” Aaron Gray, a longtime farmer whose land in Lawrence County was damaged by the company’s spills, told the Tribune… “As of June, there were roughly 3,900 orphan wells scattered throughout the southern half of the state, the Illinois DNR reported. The agency calculates the cost to plug them all, at $40,000 apiece, is around $155 million.”
South Dakota Searchlight: South Dakotans condemn endangered species rule change as state government takes no position
Joshua Haiar, 8/3/26
“The state of South Dakota did not submit official comments on a major change to the federal Endangered Species Act that will roll back protections for forests, wetlands, deserts and other habitats where endangered species live,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “The new rule will open some landscapes to development, logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling, due to a more limited definition of “harm” as actions that directly injure or kill endangered species. A previous definition included harm to habitats where endangered species live. Some South Dakotans blasted the rule change, which was finalized July 10. Their comments were among more than 350,000 submitted during the public comment period. The South Dakota Ornithologists’ Union submitted comments saying the rule change will “wantonly put us on a path to massive loss of species.” Lester Flake, a distinguished professor emeritus of wildlife at South Dakota State University, described the new rule as “a crazy move by President Trump that must be stopped.” “...John Weidler, a biologist for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, submitted personal comments calling the move “incredibly harmful to wildlife.” He criticized the new rule’s more limited definition of “harm” as actions that directly injure or kill endangered species… “North Dakota’s Game and Fish Department submitted comments against the change, saying “there is clear consensus that habitat loss, destruction, and fragmentation are significant contributors to species declines” and “there can be no doubt that the loss of habitat-focused programs and strategies for species recovery would ultimately lead to further declines.”
Inside Climate News: More Than Half of Washington State’s Data Centers Are Located in Environmental Justice Areas
Claire Barber, 7/31/26
“In central and eastern Washington, cheap electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration and its network of dams has long been attractive to the companies behind data centers, like Microsoft and Amazon, both headquartered in the state. But now, as hyperscale data centers spread across the country, concerns are growing about the impact that these operations—sometimes consuming as much power as an entire city—are having on communities of color,” Inside Climate News reports. “In Washington state, new research finds that data centers are disproportionately located in census tracts with high proportions of people of color. The study, published on Wednesday by the nonprofit Front and Centered, is the first of its kind to comprehensively examine the relationship between data centers and nearby communities in Washington. In addition to policy recommendations, the report suggests a moratorium on hyperscale data center development in the state. “Under the current circumstances, this is not a responsible way to develop anything, let alone data centers,” Jamie Hearn, policy counsel with Front and Centered, told ICN. Data centers can bring with them a myriad of environmental risks, including air pollution from backup diesel generators, soil pollution from electronic waste and high levels of water and electricity usage, which Front and Centered fears are straining communities burdened by existing stressors.”
EXTRACTION
Carbon Brief: Q&A: Does the world need ‘carbon capture and storage’ to reach net-zero?
Josh Gabbatiss, 8/3/26
“...Influential organisations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), describe CCS as “critical” for cutting emissions from key sectors – and for helping to avoid dangerous global warming,” according to Carbon Brief. “In particular, capturing CO2 is seen as one of the only viable options for decarbonising some of the world’s highest-emitting industries, such as cement production… “Yet, in the UK and elsewhere, there has been a backlash against plans for CCS. Citing high costs, ties to the fossil-fuel industry and a “history of poor performance”, critics describe CCS as a “dangerous distraction” or a “false climate solution”. Time and again, the outlook for the roll-out of CCS has been scaled back, as the technology has failed to deliver as quickly as expected – and as policy support has wavered. Furthermore, critics state that the technology remains “unproven” on the scale required to make a meaningful impact on global emissions… “There is also a line of argument referred to – sometimes pejoratively – as “techno-optimism”, which often stresses CCS as a core climate solution… “This diverges from the IPCC’s conclusion that, while CCS will likely have a role in achieving net-zero emissions, its contribution will be dwarfed by that of renewables… “Enrique Cornejo, head of energy policy at fossil-fuel trade body Offshore Energies UK, tells Carbon Brief that the UK needs to maintain momentum and deploy CCS in order to “achieve economies of scale” and to reduce the cost of the technology more broadly.”
The Conversation: Confused about carbon capture? Experts explain why we need different types
Ben Kolosz, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Renewable Energy and Carbon Removal, University of Hull; Jon Gluyas, Professor of Geoenergy, Carbon Capture and Storage, Durham University, 8/3/26
“The production of steel, concrete, fuel and agriculture chemicals is energy intensive,” according to The Conversation. “...Fossil resources are also locked into these industries, with supply chains relying on the chemistry of fossil fuels… “So what can be done? CO₂ emissions can be captured before they escape into the atmosphere. If that CO₂ is captured, some can be used to make additional products, such as the fizz in beer, sustainable concrete or sustainable fuels for aircraft… “As for the rest of the CO₂, it needs to be stored securely. There is simply too much of it to use and letting even more greenhouse gas emissions escape into the atmosphere contributes to climate change… “Unfortunately, CCUS alone is not enough. There are currently around 77 facilities operating worldwide which capture and store or “geostore” CO₂ in rocks underground and in former oil and gas fields. This only accounts for about 0.01% of humanity’s emissions… “This is known as carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and includes direct air capture which strips the CO₂ from the atmosphere… “Time is short. Global temperatures continue to rise. Industrial and domestic decarbonisation needs to progress in parallel with the remedial processes of carbon capture, its use, and removal.”
Clean Air Task Force: Poland needs carbon capture and storage to decarbonise heavy industry, but CCS will only scale if the full system becomes bankable
8/3/26
“Poland has the industrial need, geological storage potential, and early-stage projects for carbon capture and storage (CCS) – but not yet the conditions to make it scale,” according to the Clean Air Task Force. “...But CCS will not scale in Poland through isolated projects alone. By applying the systemic bankability framework to Poland’s CCS sector, the report lays out how the country can create the conditions that allow an entire technology ecosystem, not just one project, to attract private capital repeatedly and at scale… “The report identifies regulatory certainty and revenue adequacy as the two most immediate barriers to CCS investment in Poland. It calls for a national CCS strategy, a clear legal framework for CO₂ transport and storage, revenue-stabilising instruments such as carbon contracts for difference, and stronger administrative capacity to coordinate and permit projects… “For Poland, the report finds, this could play an important role in cutting emissions while helping energy-intensive industries remain competitive.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Public pension managers urge SEC against scrapping climate disclosures
Jean Chemnick, 8/4/26
“Officials managing the portfolios for public pension funds in Democrat-led states and cities are urging the Securities and Exchange Commission not to repeal a Biden-era rule requiring publicly traded companies to inform investors about climate emissions and risks, saying retirement systems need that information to be readily available,” E&E News reports. “Nina Chen, who serves as senior climate finance officer under New York City comptroller Mark Levine, said in an interview with POLITICO that SEC disclosures would give investors information about climate risks that might affect investment returns — and any plans to manage those risks… “There’s nobody that can fill the role of the SEC,” Chen, who served in the Biden administration as the chief climate risk officer at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates the nationally chartered banks, told E&E. “That’s why we need the SEC. We need the federal financial regulator to do their job.”
OPINION
Pique: There can be no more pipelines on a burning planet
Erich Baumann, Pemberton, 8/3/26
“I live in Pemberton. Last week as the wildfire was creeping over the crest of Signal Hill my wife and I were loading our car with the essentials to be able to evacuate at a moment’s notice. We had our passports, water, blankets and a little food for us and our two dogs ready to go. Now that the immediate danger is over we ask ourselves the bigger questions, beyond who lit the match or whatever caused this fire to ignite,” Erich Baumann writes for Pique. “The science is clear. The more fossil fuels we extract and burn, the hotter and drier the planet will get, including the forests in our neighbourhood. These devastating climate impacts are a product of our dependence on fossil fuels. How do our governments respond? By pouring fuel on the flames with new oil and gas projects. Instead of expanding oil and gas infrastructure we need nation-building projects like an east-west-north electricity grid that delivers affordable renewable energy to all… “There can be no more pipelines on a burning planet!”