EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/14/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• Pipeline Fighters Hub: Summit Carbon Sued for Second Time Over Unpaid Pipeline Bills

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Another pipeline parts company accuses Summit of backing out of contract

• Carbon Herald: Summit Carbon Solutions Hit With $6.6M Supplier Lawsuit Amid Pipeline Delays

• WWTV: Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians condemns Army Corps’ Line 5 tunnel permit approval

• Appalachian Voices: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality proposes $179,000 fine for Southeast Supply Enhancement Project violations during pipeline construction

• Mlive.com: DTE files error-riddled application for $88M Northern Michigan gas pipeline

• E&E News: California green-lights oil company acquisition of struggling pipeline system

• Delaware Business Times: Chesapeake Utilities plans $1.2B Florida pipeline project

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Salt Lake Tribune: A mining CEO bought 74,000 shares days before Trump shrank Bears Ears. House Democrats want answers

• E&E News: Top White House oil liaison departs for Sable Offshore

STATE UPDATES

• California Post: Gas giant makes sudden U-turn on mass oil field eco project in California

• KOSU: Federal judge vacates illegal federal approvals for fracking on Pawnee trust land in Oklahoma

• Aspen Daily News: Government advances plans to drill on Roan Plateau in Garfield County

EXTRACTION

• Bloomberg: Most power sought for US data centers will never materialize, analysts say

• Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk, the World’s Most Famous EV Pioneer, Is Now Leaning Into Fossil Fuels

• Brazil Energy Insight: Brazil Advances Low-Carbon Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Regulation

• Associated Press: Oman says the oil spill from a grounded tanker has reached its coastline

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Bloomberg: AI giants are quiet on climate in sign of post-ESG Wall Street

OPINION

• McCook Gazette: Nebraska advocate urges opposition to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed CO2 pipeline, citing safety, landowner and taxpayer concerns.

• Chatham House: Why Carney’s pipeline gamble is a bad bet for Canadian taxpayers

• Common Dreams: Governments Must Act Like Access to Water Is a Human Right, Because It Is
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Pipeline Fighters Hub: Summit Carbon Sued for Second Time Over Unpaid Pipeline Bills
Emma Schmit, 8/13/26

“In a July 27, 2026 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, pipeline material supply company Patton Myhre sued SCS Carbon Transport (an affiliate of Summit Carbon Solutions) for breach of contract, seeking “at least $6.6 million” in damages,” the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “The complaint alleges that Summit contracted with Patton Myhre to supply 251 valves and related control equipment for use in Summit’s proposed carbon pipeline project, but failed to pay. According to Patton Myhre, “Summit simply chose not to pay”. The complaint also alleges that in May 2025, Summit told Patton Myhre it was electing not to pursue the multi-billion dollar, multi-state pipeline project. As such, the company said Summit no longer wanted all the valves, and demanded that Patton Myhre find other buyers for the unwanted valves, as the company said Summit’s “executive leadership had decided to ‘conserve capital’ rather than pay Patton Myhre . . . ” This is the second major lawsuit filed against Summit by a major pipeline industry vendor. In February 2024, Welspun Tubular – one of just a few companies worldwide that produces the steel used to build pipelines – sued Summit for more than $15 million for breach of contract, after Summit tried canceling an order for the manufacturing of steel pipe. Oral arguments in that case were held last month, and a decision is forthcoming .“This lawsuit is seemingly evidence of Summit’s limited financial capacity and its uncertainty about the design and purpose of its proposed CO2 pipeline project. Given that the Midwest Carbon Express is a multibillion dollar project, its unwillingness to pay a $6.6 million claim suggests that Summit is strapped for cash. After retaining a new CEO in 2025, Summit pushed a narrative that it was turning over a new leaf and would treat landowners and partners with the respect they deserve, but once again, Summit’s actions don’t match its words,” said Cynthia Hansen, Shelby County Landowner. “If Summit is willing to treat multi-national business partners with such disregard, why would we expect them to treat Iowans any better? Iowans expect honesty and fair play. Summit is not Iowa nice, not acting in good faith and they can’t be trusted with just a handshake,” said Kathy Carter, landowner in Floyd County.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Another pipeline parts company accuses Summit of backing out of contract
Cami Koons, 8/13/26

“The company planning to build a carbon sequestration pipeline through Iowa is being sued by a second pipeline parts company, this time for $6.6 million,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “...Patton Myhre Sourcing alleges Summit is in breach of its purchase contract and now owes more than $6.6 million for the valves it agreed to purchase in 2022 for the pipeline that, at the time of the contract, would have transported sequestered carbon dioxide from biorefineries in Iowa and surrounding states to underground storage in North Dakota. Summit’s project has faced a number of delays since, including a ban on the use of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines in South Dakota, and attempts to pass a similar law in Iowa… “In 2025, the petition alleges, Summit said it “was electing not to pursue the project and no longer wanted the valves.” “...Summit’s delinquency caused significant financial strain on Patton Myhre, which had already incurred substantial costs to manufacture and store the valves,” the filed complaint reads… “In 2024, the Arkansas pipe manufacturer Welspun Tubular sued Summit for $15 million after the company canceled its agreement with the pipe maker… “Summit Carbon Solutions did not respond to a request for comment and as of Thursday, it had not filed a response to the petition from Patton Myhre.”

Carbon Herald: Summit Carbon Solutions Hit With $6.6M Supplier Lawsuit Amid Pipeline Delays
Violet George, 8/14/26

“Carbon capture pipeline developer SCS Carbon Transport LLC, an affiliate of Summit Carbon Solutions, is facing a $6.6 million lawsuit from Texas-based equipment supplier Patton Myhre Sourcing over an alleged breach of contract,” the Carbon Herald reports. “Filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the complaint alleges Summit failed to honor a 2022 agreement to purchase 251 specialized valves valued at over $7.3 million… “According to court filings, Summit repeatedly requested payment delays as the project hit regulatory roadblocks, including South Dakota’s ban on using eminent domain for carbon pipelines, before informing the vendor in 2025 that it no longer wanted the valves… “The filing marks the second time a major equipment supplier has taken legal action against Summit for canceled procurement agreements. In 2024, Arkansas-based pipe manufacturer Welspun Tubular sued Summit for $15 million following a canceled supply agreement. That case went to trial in Delaware federal court, where a final decision remains pending.”

WWTV: Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians condemns Army Corps’ Line 5 tunnel permit approval
Adam Bartelmay, 8/13/26

“The chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is joining the growing chorus of fellow Native American leaders opposing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval of Line 5 tunnel proposal,” WWTV reports. “...In a statement released Thursday, Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said: “Yesterday was a dark day for Tribal Nations across the Midwest. It is a dark day for the Great Lakes, the environment, and all those who hold a special place in their hearts for the Straits of Mackinac. Oaths have been broken. Tribal sovereignty ignored. The federal government’s Indian trust responsibility disregarded. The United States Army Corps of Engineers has approved a key permit Enbridge needs to construct a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. A tunnel that threatens to unearth and violate the bodies and spirits of our ancestors who have been at rest since long before colonization… “Thankfully, construction cannot begin at this time. The Michigan Supreme Court recently vacated permits issued by the Michigan Public Service Commission. Enbridge must reapply and go through that permitting process again… “Enbridge also has a long history of broken promises and spilling millions of gallons of oil. Let us not forget the disasters near Kalamazoo, Mich., and Grand Rapids, Minn. Two of the largest inland oil spills in United States history occurred under Enbridge’s supervision, spilling nearly 2 million gallons of oil combined. Is this the fate that awaits Line 5 and the Great Lakes tunnel project?... “For Enbridge, it may be another load of earth moved during construction. For us, it is our ancestors. And when people visit Lake Michigan during the summer if construction is ever underway and hear the constant hum and feel the vibration of industrial equipment for months on end, we will know what lies beneath it. Our ancestors… “We do not trust Enbridge.”

Appalachian Voices: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality proposes $179,000 fine for Southeast Supply Enhancement Project violations during pipeline construction
8/13/26

“On July 16, the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company signed a proposed consent order by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that would levy a $179,068 fine against the company for failure to comply with erosion and sediment control regulations,” according to Appalachian Voices. “DEQ is accepting public comments on the proposed order until Sept. 9. More than 75 violations were discovered by DEQ and third-party compliance inspectors conducting inspections from April 8, 2026, through June 11, 2026, on the Eden Loop of the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. SSEP is a 55-mile, 42-inch diameter high-pressure methane gas pipeline. The Eden Loop is located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and Rockingham County, North Carolina. The fine would amount to the sacrifice of about an hour’s worth of profit for the gas pipeline giant, which reported $384 million in net income for the first quarter of 2026 to the Securities and Exchange Commission. “These types of violations are exactly what communities along the pipeline route have been warning regulators about throughout the permitting process,” said Matt Allenbaugh, Virginia Campaign Coordinator at Appalachian Voices. “The fact that the pipeline company couldn’t manage stormwater and erosion and sediment control during a drought illustrates why this pipeline should not have been permitted in the first place.” “...This pattern of pollute, pay and move on will only stop when community objections to dirty projects are given the attention they deserve and enforcement action removes the incentive to rush construction in the name of profit,” said Russell Chisholm, Managing Director of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights.”

Mlive.com: DTE files error-riddled application for $88M Northern Michigan gas pipeline
Lucas Smolcic Larson, 8/13/26

“One of the state’s largest gas companies hopes to build a nearly 14-mile pipeline through Northern Michigan, but first it will have to get its facts straight,” Mlive.com reports. “DTE Gas Co. began seeking state approval for the $88 million pipeline last week by filing an application filled with contradictory information about basic project details, like how big the pipeline is, how much it will cost and when it could be built. An environmental impact report for the natural gas pipeline proposed near Petoskey, filed Aug. 6, was meant to detail potential effects on groundwater, wetlands and wildlife. Instead, it was stocked with placeholder text and empty tables. DTE said it was a simple mistake. The utility submitted an incomplete version of the application to regulators with the Michigan Public Service Commission and began to correct the errors within hours of MLive inquiring about it… “But the oversight troubled observers in Northern Michigan, where the project has also angered some landowners who could see their land taken with eminent domain for the pipeline if it secures state approval. “It definitely underscores a lack of due diligence and seriousness to this proposal. It also to me signals that there’s an expectation that no matter what they turn in, the MPSC will rubberstamp it,” Ashley Rudzinski, climate and environment program director at the nonprofit Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities in Traverse City, told Mlive… “The new pipeline is proposed to run from an existing gate station just west of Petoskey near the Little Traverse Bay shoreline, south of the city and east through Emmet County. It will connect with the more than 2,000-mile TC Energy Corp. pipeline system running through the Upper Peninsula and into Ontario, as well as connecting the Midwest to gas basins in western Canada… “Some property owners have significant concerns with the route, according to Alan Ackerman, an attorney specializing in eminent domain who has clients in the area. “They’re going to rip into two really nice conservation areas,” he told Mlive. “People donate their land for conservation, not for having their trees taken down by DTE’s gas line…It’s really tough to deal with them. I mean, they’re the 8,000-pound gorilla in this state, the utilities.”

E&E News: California green-lights oil company acquisition of struggling pipeline system
Noah Baustin, 8/14/26

“California’s top oil producer has the green light to acquire a key California oil pipeline system that has been teetering on the brink of financial collapse,” E&E News reports. “The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday voted to approve the California Resources Corporation’s purchase of the San Pablo Bay Pipeline and Crimson California Pipeline companies from CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust. The system, totaling about 2,000 miles of pipeline, includes arteries that connect the Kern County oil fields to refineries in the Bay Area and the Ventura County oil fields to refineries in the Long Beach region. The San Pablo Bay Pipeline has been idle since December, cutting off California oil producers’ access to refineries in the Bay Area and putting strain on the remaining pipelines connecting to the Los Angeles region.”

Delaware Business Times: Chesapeake Utilities plans $1.2B Florida pipeline project
Jennifer Antonik, 8/13/26

“Chesapeake Utilities Corporation has Florida on its mind — a $1.2 billion natural gas infrastructure project that will continue to expand the company’s footprint in the Sunshine State,” the Delaware Business Times reports. “Peninsula Pipeline Company, a Chesapeake Utilities subsidiary, will develop, construct and operate the Florida Energy Pathway, or FEP, as announced in July. The proposed 24-inch intrastate natural gas pipeline would run 97 miles from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade County… “The pipeline is intended to increase natural gas transportation capacity, address regional supply constraints and improve system reliability in Florida. It is already backed by multiple investment-grade shippers with commitments totaling nearly 250,000 dekatherms per day with the company still seeking additional commitments… “Although the company estimates an investment of approximately $1.2 billion, that figure remains subject to final engineering, design, permitting and other development work.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Salt Lake Tribune: A mining CEO bought 74,000 shares days before Trump shrank Bears Ears. House Democrats want answers
Leia Larsen, 8/13/26

“Congressional Democrats have opened an investigation into Energy Fuels after the company’s CEO and chairman bought thousands of shares of stock just days before President Donald Trump downsized the neighboring Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports. “On July 7, 2026, CEO Ross Bhappu bought 74,000 shares of Energy Fuels, the largest insider purchase of stock in the company’s history, according to a news release issued by the House Natural Resources Committee Democrats… “Less than a week later, Trump removed 1.24 million acres from Bears Ears National Monuments — making the land available again for mining… “We understand that monument boundaries were redrawn in a way that could benefit Energy Fuels,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Bhappu… “Bears Ears has long been subject to a political ping-pong match, as administrations have shifted between greater protections and a larger role for tribal nations in managing the lands, and limiting those protections to make more federal land available for mining energy development and other uses.”

E&E News: Top White House oil liaison departs for Sable Offshore
James Bikales, 8/13/26

“Brittany Kelm, one of the White House’s top liaisons with the oil and gas industry, is leaving the administration for a position at Sable Offshore Corp., the oil producer that the White House aided in restarting a set of controversial oil platforms off California’s Central Coast earlier this year,” E&E News reports. “Kelm, who started at the Interior Department before moving to the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council as senior policy adviser for oil and gas last May, will depart the administration Friday, according to the White House. The Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act earlier this year to help Sable restart a pipeline system shut down after a spill in 2015 over the objections of state and local authorities. The company has also pushed the administration to establish a West Coast strategic petroleum reserve.”

STATE UPDATES

California Post: Gas giant makes sudden U-turn on mass oil field eco project in California
Sheetal Banchariya, 8/13/26

“Chevron has suddenly pulled out of a massive climate project in California’s Kern County, which was aimed at pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and burying it underground,” the California Post reports. “The gas giant has backed down from a 2023 federal partnership with the US Department of Energy for the Western Regional Direct Air Capture Hub project –– the only local “DAC” project approved to receive multimillion-dollar subsidies under the Biden administration. Chevron’s spokeswoman Chanel Jolly told the Post the company had decided to withdraw from the project in July 2025 after having extensive discussions with the Department of Energy… “Chevron’s agreement to a consensus termination of this award should not be construed as a reflection of the viability of the project, the performance or contributions of any participating subrecipient organization, Chevron’s position on other partnerships with DOE or DOE’s efforts to support CCS,” Jolly wrote in an email, reports The Bakersfield Californian… “According to the project documents accessed by The California Post, the energy corporation was to develop infrastructure to capture carbon dioxide from an oilfield power plant in Kern County and permanently trap it deep underground rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide produced by the Eastridge Cogeneration Plant would then be transported through a new pipeline directly to a storage site within the Kern River Oilfield… “The gas giant had also received a $3 million Department of Energy grant in August 2023 to study the feasibility of the project, according to the Kern County.”

KOSU: Federal judge vacates illegal federal approvals for fracking on Pawnee trust land in Oklahoma
Graycen Wheeler, 8/13/26

“A federal judge has voided oil and gas drilling permits on Pawnee Nation trust land, concluding a decade-old court case,” KOSU reports. “The U.S. Department of the Interior did not follow all necessary U.S. or Pawnee laws in leasing the land or issuing the drilling permits, the judge found… “Ultimately, the court concluded in early August that the case was not moot. The judge ordered the permits vacated, saying the agencies did not adequately notify and consult with the Pawnee Nation before issuing them. The judge also cited earthquake risks associated with fracking that were not considered when the drilling permits were issued.” “...The Bureau of Land Management approved the drilling permits without getting consent from — or even informing — the tribe or individual landowners. “The only way the Pawnee learned of this was that one of the members, Walter Echo-Hawk, noticed that a Crown Energy work crew was starting to do work on the edge of his property one day,” Attorney Michael Freeman with non-profit legal group Earthjustice told KOSU. “He went out to find out what was going on and learned that the federal government had approved drilling on his land.”

Aspen Daily News: Government advances plans to drill on Roan Plateau in Garfield County
Drew Shaw, 8/13/26

“The federal government is moving forward with plans to lease about 5,000 acres of public land for oil and gas drilling on Garfield County’s Roan Plateau in December,” the Aspen Daily News reports. “The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday released an environmental assessment of potential drilling on the plateau, which towers roughly 4,000 feet over the surrounding Colorado River Valley. The BLM dismissed alternatives that would have deferred drilling on the plateau — an option strongly advocated for by environmental groups who have spent decades trying to get the Roan’s pristine landscapes and diverse wildlife permanently protected… “The top of the Roan is intact today … because conservationists, energy companies and the federal government have worked together on solutions that protect this iconic landscape,” Mike Freeman, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, a national nonprofit that led the 2008 lawsuit, told the News. “BLM’s proposed leasing would abandon years of cooperation and put the unique natural resources of the Roan in harm’s way.”

EXTRACTION

Bloomberg: Most power sought for US data centers will never materialize, analysts say
Gabriel Levin and Emily Forgash, 8/12/26

“More than two-thirds of the electricity sought for the artificial intelligence boom in the US isn’t likely to materialize due to “phantom” projects and long-shot pitches,” Bloomberg reports. “That’s based on new projections from Wood Mackenzie, which sees U.S. grid operators and utilities likely committing to about 28 percent of the 1,066 gigawatts requested for data center projects… “Developers have been taking a shotgun approach to pitching projects to utilities, seeking to get ahead in the AI build-out. That’s overwhelming U.S. grids and creating even more data center bottlenecks. The explosion of requests is stretching approval timelines, forcing more applications to be vetted than ever before, and threatening to undermine U.S. efforts to compete in the global AI race.”

Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk, the World’s Most Famous EV Pioneer, Is Now Leaning Into Fossil Fuels
Becky Peterson, Jennifer Hiller, 8/13/26

“Elon Musk’s vision for taking electric vehicles mainstream at Tesla helped make him the world’s richest man. Now he’s pulling up to the gas pump,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Last week, SpaceX disclosed plans to build a natural gas power plant in Grimes County, Texas, where the company is developing a huge new chip manufacturing facility. At other campuses in Tennessee and Mississippi, Musk is relying on dozens of gas turbines to power datacentres he says are necessary to train the artificial intelligence…”

Brazil Energy Insight: Brazil Advances Low-Carbon Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Regulation
8/13/26

“The government also signed significant decrees for the energy industry. The first regulates the implementation of the National Low-Carbon Hydrogen Policy,” Brazil Energy Insight reports. “...According to projections by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Brazil has the technical potential to produce up to 1.8 gigatonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually. More than US$ 290 billion in private investments have already been announced for projects across 18 Brazilian states… “The government signed a decree establishing the conditions for carbon dioxide capture, pipeline transport, and geological storage activities (CCS/CCUS) in Brazil… “Furthermore, the decree mandates that the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), supported by the Energy Research Office (EPE), develop a national infrastructure plan to guide the implementation of carbon capture, transport, and geological storage sites, with updates required every two years… “The decree also acknowledges various technological pathways for carbon capture and storage and establishes that operations may only be terminated after the stability of the stored carbon has been verified, following a minimum monitoring period of 20 years.”

Associated Press: Oman says the oil spill from a grounded tanker has reached its coastline
8/12/26

“Oil leaking from a tanker grounded off the coast of Oman is not only endangering a nearby island but has now also reached beaches on the Gulf Arab country’s mainland, to the north of the island, Oman’s environment authority said Wednesday,” the Associated Press reports. “Crude oil has been leaking from the tanker Caroline Bezengi — a sanctioned tanker believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” — that was carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil when it reported an explosion in June… “Environmental experts told AP an oil spill has been spreading quickly in recent weeks from the partially submerged tanker off the shores of Qabiliyah Island, endangering a marine protected area there. Oman’s Environment Authority said it has been monitoring the leak and found that contamination has also reached the beaches of Ras Madrakah on mainland Oman, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) to the north of Qabiliyah Island. The authorities also warned that the southern coasts of Masirah Island, over 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of the submerged tanker’s location, may also be affected in the coming hours.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Bloomberg: AI giants are quiet on climate in sign of post-ESG Wall Street
Olivia Raimonde and Summer Maxwell, 8/12/26

“In a few short years, U.S. artificial intelligence startups have grown into some of the most powerful and influential businesses in the world, reaching near-trillion-dollar valuations. As two of them, Anthropic and OpenAI, prepare for initial public offerings, there’s a notable absence: The companies haven’t disclosed their greenhouse gas emissions, made net-zero pledges or published sustainability reports,” Bloomberg reports. “Not too long ago, investors would have cried foul. Even fossil-fuel stalwarts like ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. have been voluntarily producing sustainability reports for years. The Big Tech companies scaling up AI infrastructure — Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. — have net-zero goals and report their emissions, which are now spiking due to the data-center boom. But in an era of climate backlash, many investors have fallen quiet on the issue and US regulators have retreated. So the public is left guessing about how much climate pollution is tied to the large language models of OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX’s SpaceXAI, and whether the companies plan to curb it. Although precise numbers are lacking, it’s clear that the sector’s emissions are enormous. New gas plants for data centers in the US alone could soon generate as much climate pollution as the entire country of Australia, according to research by the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project.”

OPINION

McCook Gazette: Nebraska advocate urges opposition to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed CO2 pipeline, citing safety, landowner and taxpayer concerns.
Shelli Meyer, Nebraska Director, Bold Alliance and Education Fund, 8/13/26

“Fellow Nebraskans: are you aware of the carbon dioxide pipeline targeting our communities in our southern counties? An out-of-state corporation, Summit Carbon Solutions, is proposing to route a highly pressurized pipeline transporting CO2, a known asphyxiant, through Southern Nebraska. Why? Because the federal government is offering billions of our tax dollars to them for injecting the toxic, CO2 waste underground,” Shelli Meyer writes for the McCook Gazette. “Not only is this a bad deal for taxpayers, it’s a bad deal for the landowners and communities who have to absorb the risks for the company’s private reward. From the potential of a pipeline rupture like the one in Satartia, MS that sent nearly 50 people to the hospital and required the evacuation of hundreds more, to declining yields and property values, and the threat of eminent domain, this proposed pipeline seems to offer everyda Nebraskans nothing but grief. This land feeds and fuels America, let’s not destroy it for the profit of Summit and its billionaire investors.”

Chatham House: Why Carney’s pipeline gamble is a bad bet for Canadian taxpayers
Chris Aylett, Research Fellow, Environment and Society Centre; Phesheya Nxumalo, Research Associate, Sustainability Accelerator, Environment and Society Centre, 8/14/26

“Since taking office in January 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney has steered Canada’s energy policy away from reducing emissions towards increasing fossil fuel exports,” Chris Aylett and Phesheya Nxumalo write for Chatham House. “Some would argue that he had little choice. The Canadian economy is under pressure amidst the trade war launched by the administration of President Donald Trump… “But Carney’s pivot may backfire, for one simple reason. The new markets Canada is relying upon for export growth will not buy imported oil and gas forever. And they may reduce their consumption sooner than anticipated. Pouring taxpayer money into export infrastructure, largely to the benefit of foreign companies, doesn’t de-risk Canada’s economy. It risks swapping dependence on the US for other uncertain foreign markets… “In July, Alberta and Ottawa agreed a new east-to-west oil pipeline, projected to carry 1 million barrels a day (b/d) of crude, following the route of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline… “Significant public spending has been dedicated to the task, on the grounds that what is spent will be returned to the public purse many times over in royalties, tax receipts, and economic growth. The new oil pipeline is expected to cost between 35 to 44 billion Canadian dollars (C$), of which most is set to be borne by the public, as was the case with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion… “The government calls these projects ‘nation-building’. But foreign companies and investors will be among the primary beneficiaries… “There would be a clear economic, political and geopolitical logic to Carney’s strategy – if taxpayers could be assured of robust, long-term demand for Canada’s oil and gas in new markets. But that looks uncertain… “The federal balance sheet should be used not to underwrite new pipelines, but to ‘smooth’ these predictable electrification costs.”

Common Dreams: Governments Must Act Like Access to Water Is a Human Right, Because It Is
Carolyn Raffensperger, MA, JD, is the executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, 8/14/26

“Increasingly, communities are facing threats to clean water from large industrial projects such as data centers and carbon capture and storage, or CCS, facilities that are being proposed and constructed in communities across the United States. The question is how should decisions about these facilities be made? Should government officials privilege capital and financial investments? Should they balance investment with other considerations such as noise, water, and energy costs?,” Carolyn Raffensperger writes for Common Dreams. “Of all the issues raised by these large projects, water is one of the most crucial for the simple reason that we cannot live without water. Given this necessity, access to clean water must be treated as a human right with governments charged with the ethical responsibility to serve as the trustees of water to protect it for present and future generations. This responsibility to protect access to clean water as a human right must guide their decisions on data centers and CCS facilities and other large industrial projects… “One step in implementing the precautionary principle to protect water requires special focus: the public’s right to give free, prior, and informed consent to projects that will impact water quantity and quality. The consent of the governed is fundamental to democracy as expressed in documents dating back to the Declaration of Independence. Current projects being rushed through city councils or county boards, cloaked in non-disclosure agreements and granted tax credits, deny the public the right to full information about the project and undermine the ability of governments to fulfill its public trust duties. By protecting local water supplies that may be threatened by these new, energy- and water- intensive uses, communities can help ensure that our most important natural resource remains clean and abundant for generations yet to come.”