EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/25/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• WWMT: ‘I’m proud’: Michigan Congressional candidate defends conviction after pipeline protest

• E&E News: Appeals court tosses case challenging New York permits for NESE pipeline

• E+E Leader: FERC Reviews $438M Gas Pipeline Expansion for Wisconsin

• Georgia Outdoor News: Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Would Cross Five Georgia Waterways

• Pipeline & Gas Journal: Targa plans 70-mi Permian gas pipeline to expand Waha takeaway capacity

• WFMJ: Study looks at feasibility of Route 11 oil and gas pipeline

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Washington Post: Leaked memo shows how U.S. aims to weaken global limits on plastic production

• Inside Climate News: Boulder, Colorado, and Big Oil Prepare for High-Stakes Clash in Supreme Court

• E&E News: Interior moves to speed historic reviews as bigger rewrite looms

• E&E News: Trump’s offshore drilling revival survives early court challenge

• Bloomberg: Interior Advances Oil Leasing Near Former Bears Ears Monument

• Guardian: US fossil fuel lobbyists also represent hundreds of cities fighting for climate damages

• Gasworld: US CO2 outlook: Recent shifts in CCUS activity

STATE UPDATES

• North Dakota Monitor: Interior’s oil rule changes silence landowners, put land at risk, groups say

• Source NM: NM Supreme Court temporarily halts Project Jupiter air quality permit hearing

• Cowboy State Daily: Wyoming ‘Future-Proofs’ Oil And Gas Industry With Nation’s First Bonding Pool

• Clevaland.com: Ohio governor candidates split sharply on fracking under state parks

EXTRACTION

• Global Energy Monitor: U.S. gas power proposals tied to data centers nearly double in six months

• Bloomberg: China’s Oil Demand ‘Very Likely’ Peaked Last Year, Sinopec Says

• Reuters: Exxon turns to automated drilling in the Permian in push for higher oil output

• Reuters: Exxon, Lyondell among suitors for Shell’s US chemical assets, could fetch $8 billion, FT reports

• CBC: World Heritage Committee assessing environmental health of Wood Buffalo National Park

• Business Green: Government urged to impose ‘carbon storage obligation’ on any new North Sea drilling projects

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Woodside ‘understating’ oil spill risk of proposed Browse gas project, opponents say

OPINION

• Anchorage Daily News: The pipeline victory party came before the pipeline

• Eurobserver: Carbon capture and storage is a costly white elephant – so why is the EU pushing it?
  

PIPELINE NEWS

WWMT: ‘I’m proud’: Michigan Congressional candidate defends conviction after pipeline protest
Remington Hernandez, 8/24/26

“The Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District responding amid renewed criticism of his past criminal conviction,” WWMT reports. “William Lawrence, a progressive challenging one-term Republican Congressman Tom Barrett, was arrested during an Ingham County protest against the Line 5 oil pipeline in 2013. “I stand by the righteousness of that action,” Lawrence told reporters Monday. “I’m proud to have taken that stand.” As part of the protest, Lawrence and others attached themselves to a piece of construction equipment and had to be removed by sheriff’s deputies… “Lawrence said he did so to prevent another spill like one in 2010, which saw oil seep into the Kalamazoo River… “I wouldn’t suggest that anybody else do what I did,” he said. “It was something that was passionate, but maybe not the most wise.” “...Socialist felon William Lawrence is a radical far-left liberal who puts his extreme climate agenda ahead of common sense and the priorities of hardworking Michiganders,” NRCC spokesman Zach Bannon told WWMT. “

E&E News: Appeals court tosses case challenging New York permits for NESE pipeline
Mona Zhang, 8/24/26

“The New York State Department of Environmental Protection scored a win in an appeals court Friday when a judge ruled in favor of the agency’s decision to grant water quality permits for a controversial gas pipeline,” E&E News reports. “The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a summary order against environmental advocacy groups, dismissing their lawsuit. The court found the DEC acted reasonably when it awarded Transco water quality permits for its Northeast Supply Enhancement project, even though it had denied permits for the project three times in prior years… “The last thing we need is a gas pipeline that will raise bills and harm our environment.,” Earthjustice Managing Attorney Susan Kraham, who represented environmental groups in the case, said in a statement. “DEC was right to reject the NESE pipeline project three times because it could not comply with the states’ water quality standards. It should have done so again.” “...The project is still facing other active legal challenges, including a similar lawsuit in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s issuance of water quality permits for the project… “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is facing a court challenge in the D.C. Circuit over its decision to revive the pipeline project.”

E+E Leader: FERC Reviews $438M Gas Pipeline Expansion for Wisconsin
8/24/26

“Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America and Horizon Pipeline Company are seeking federal approval for a natural gas infrastructure expansion designed to add firm transportation capacity for Wisconsin Electric Power Company,” E+E Leader reports. “The companies filed a joint application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on August 12 for the North Extension Project, a $438.5 million expansion, according to a Federal Register notice published August 24. The project would provide 185,000 dekatherms per day of incremental firm transportation service to meet growing Wisconsin Electric Power Company demand in southern Wisconsin… “The proposed expansion would include approximately 11.5 miles of new pipeline extending from Lake County, Illinois, to Kenosha County, Wisconsin, along with a new meter station. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America is also proposing several compression additions… “The project will require Clean Water Act Section 401 water-quality certifications from both the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.”

Georgia Outdoor News: Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Would Cross Five Georgia Waterways
8/25/26

“A proposed natural gas pipeline crossing the central portion of the Peach State will go before the Georgia Board of Natural Resources during its Tuesday, Aug. 25 meeting,” Georgia Outdoor News reports. “Southern Natural Gas Company, LLC plans to construct and operate the pipeline from Clarke County, Miss., to Jefferson. According to Georgia DNR documents, the route would not cross state-owned uplands but would pass beneath five navigable waterways in seven Georgia counties. Because the beds of navigable rivers and streams are generally owned by the state of Georgia, Southern is seeking revocable license agreements from the State Properties Commission and permanent easements from the Georgia General Assembly. The requested crossings total approximately 2.972 acres. Georgia DNR staff reviewed the proposal and reported no objection.”

Pipeline & Gas Journal: Targa plans 70-mi Permian gas pipeline to expand Waha takeaway capacity
8/24/26

“Targa Resources plans to build a new 70-mi natural gas pipeline in the Permian Delaware to increase takeaway capacity to the Waha Hub as production growth drives additional infrastructure needs across the basin,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “Targa Resources plans to build a new 70-mi natural gas pipeline in the Permian Delaware to increase takeaway capacity to the Waha Hub as production growth drives additional infrastructure needs across the basin. The Bull Run II pipeline will be added to Targa’s existing Bull Run residue gas system and will transport natural gas from new processing capacity planned in the Delaware basin to Waha. The pipeline will be supported by take-or-pay commitments and is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2028.”

WFMJ: Study looks at feasibility of Route 11 oil and gas pipeline
Mike Gauntner, 8/25/26

“A just-released feasibility study examines the extent to which new oil and gas pipeline infrastructure along the Route 11 corridor could strengthen the region’s ability to compete for long-term industrial development,” WFMJ reports. “The study, by the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and Lake to River Economic Development, was released Monday. The study focused on the technical feasibility of a natural gas pipeline within the existing State Route 11 right-of-way and evaluated whether there would be a regional demand for that kind of infrastructure… “Eastgate, serving as the region’s metropolitan planning organization, led the study with funding provided through the State of Ohio’s most recent capital budget… “Eastgate said that the study demonstrates that a natural gas pipeline can be used as a transformative regional economic development tool for attracting and retaining industrial development… “With the study complete, Lake to River’s next step is to issue a request for information to organizations that may be interested in designing, financing or building the pipeline.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Washington Post: Leaked memo shows how U.S. aims to weaken global limits on plastic production
Conor McGlone, Jake Spring, Emma Bryce and Benard Ogembo, 8/24/26

“The United States has doubled down on its opposition to plastic production limits in global treaty talks, according to a diplomatic memo reviewed by The Washington Post, pushing to create a broad loophole to disregard the treaty on national security grounds. A year after the Trump administration worked with other major oil-producing nations to block strict plastic pollution limits, leading to a failed U.N. conference in Geneva, environmentalists and other observers argue this same group is helping steer negotiations toward a weaker agreement… “The leaked document, which a foreign diplomat confirmed was circulated this summer to governments involved in negotiations, calls for a “pragmatic” treaty that includes a provision allowing for countries to take any measures they consider necessary to protect national security. The memo, which emphasizes the need for waste management and private sector investment, argues any agreement must not undermine national security, critical infrastructure or supply chains. It warns restricting plastics and chemicals could limit access to defense-related products such as weapons materials and protective gear.”

Inside Climate News: Boulder, Colorado, and Big Oil Prepare for High-Stakes Clash in Supreme Court
Dana Drugmand, 8/23/26

“Local and state governments across the United States have turned to state courts over the past nine years, filing lawsuits reminiscent of those against the tobacco industry in the 1990s against major fossil fuel companies, aiming to hold them accountable for climate change damages and alleged deception,” Inside Climate News reports. “The cases are still in preliminary stages and none have yet made it to trial. But now, a significant cloud of uncertainty hangs over them as the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to get involved, at the request of oil company defendants. With the court slated to hear one of the cases at the start of its fall term, the fate of many, if not all, of these climate accountability lawsuits could be on the line, legal experts told ICN… “The case will be the very first the justices hear in their new term—a case that raises significant constitutional questions around federalism and state authority, with potentially enormous stakes… “If the court decides to rule in the broadest terms or endorses the proposition that federal law bars all state law claims pertaining to climate change, it could doom not just the suits against the fossil fuel industry but any climate cases brought under state law, including youth constitutional climate suits filed against state governments… “If the court does side with the oil companies and issues a broad ruling, Parenteau warned it could effectively strip away the authority of state and local governments to protect their residents from widespread damage.”

E&E News: Interior moves to speed historic reviews as bigger rewrite looms
Ian M. Stevenson, 8/24/26

“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued an order last week aimed at speeding up historic preservation reviews often required for energy development and other projects on federal land,” E&E News reports. “The Thursday secretarial order instructs agency officials to be timely in their processing of reviews, to create lists of activities that can be exempted from historic evaluations and use alternative arrangements to accelerate reviews… “The changes at Interior come as the Trump administration is considering major changes to historic reviews, which are required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Those reviews apply to a wide array of federal projects, from oil and gas drilling out West that can disrupt sites considered sacred by Native American tribes to President Donald Trump’s projects to build and renovate across Washington. Congressional Republicans have also pushed for changes, saying the regulations slow down federal permitting of energy and other infrastructure projects. Critics have said the broader proposed changes from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which have not yet been implemented and are currently being considered by the White House, would cut out input from tribes and states while allowing for faster approvals of energy developments.”

E&E News: Trump’s offshore drilling revival survives early court challenge
Niina H. Farah, 8/24/26

“A federal judge in Alaska has blocked environmental groups’ challenge against the Trump administration’s decision to reopen millions of acres of offshore waters in the Arctic and elsewhere to oil and gas development,” E&E News reports. “...The groups failed to show they faced imminent harm from President Donald Trump’s 2025 decision to reverse his predecessors’ orders to permanently close off broad swaths of the outer continental shelf (OCS) from fossil fuel development, she said. Gleason acknowledged it was likely that the Interior Department planned to issue permits for oil exploration and development, but there were still multiple steps to go before the groups challenging the decision would be harmed… “Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had issued orders permanently stopping drilling in parts of the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, citing the risks development posed to the climate, marine life and subsistence lifestyles. When Trump returned to office for a second term, he issued an executive order reversing the withdrawals and directed Interior to advance oil and gas development in those areas.”

Bloomberg: Interior Advances Oil Leasing Near Former Bears Ears Monument
Bobby Magill, 8/24/26

“Oil and gas leasing near the former boundaries of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument is moving forward under a Bureau of Land Management plan published Friday,” Bloomberg reports. “The BLM published an environmental assessment for Utah’s fourth quarter 2026 federal oil and gas lease sale for 74,550 acres of public land in the state. The bureau found that the lease sale will have no significant environmental impact. The sale documents, scheduled for December, are open to public comment through Sept. 21. The lease sale will be the first in southeastern Utah since President Donald Trump eliminated 90% of Bears Ears National Monument…”

Guardian: US fossil fuel lobbyists also represent hundreds of cities fighting for climate damages
Sara Sneath, 2/25/26

“Congressional lobbyists working for fossil fuel firms that are exacerbating the climate crisis are simultaneously representing more than 300 local governments raising funding to recover from climate damage, according to a new analysis,” the Guardian reports. “The research by F Minus and Make Polluters Pay reviewed congressional lobbying disclosures for the first quarter of 2026, finding that another 568 local governments hired fossil fuel lobbyists to work on non-climate related issues during that time, some of which included climate adjacent issues, like healthcare and home insurance. Dozens of lobbying firms were identified by researchers as working on both sides of climate action. James Browning, the founder and executive director of F Minus, told the Guardian local governments who hire these firms to lobby for climate mitigation, disaster relief, and wildlife conservation likely don’t know that the same firms are working for clients like ExxonMobil and the American Petroleum Institute (API), which critics say are pushing to further dependence on fossil fuels.”

Gasworld: US CO2 outlook: Recent shifts in CCUS activity
Bruce Woerner, 8/25/26

“When I was asked earlier this year how I see carbon capture projects impacting the merchant carbon dioxide (CO₂) market, I explained that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has slowed dramatically with the change in administrations,” Gasworld reports. “Sequestration was a threat to close many CO2 sources, so de-emphasising CCS certainly benefits the gas industry…”

STATE UPDATES

North Dakota Monitor: Interior’s oil rule changes silence landowners, put land at risk, groups say
Jeff Beach, 8/24/26

“A North Dakota landowner is among those protesting oil and gas rule changes proposed by the federal government,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “The changes affect people such as Donald Nelson of Keene in northwest North Dakota. Nelson is a farmer and rancher who owns surface land but the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management owns the mineral rights. That ownership situation is known as a split estate. The changes would reduce bonds from $500,000 down to $25,000 for all wells a company drills in a state. The money is expected to cover the costs of plugging a well when it is done producing and returning the land to its original state. “The bonds would not even cover the plugging,” Nelson told the Monitor. The rule changes would eliminate the requirement that the BLM notify split-estate landowners when the agency offers oil and gas leases under their property. The changes would also reduce the amount of time for comment on potential oil and gas development on a split estate from 90 days down to 10. “No notice, no voice, no future,” said Don Schreiber, a New Mexico landowner who joined Nelson and others Monday on a video press conference about the changes. The press conference was organized by the Western Organization of Resource Councils, which includes North Dakota-based Dakota Resource Council… “They just want the landowners out of the way,” Schreiber said.”

Source NM: NM Supreme Court temporarily halts Project Jupiter air quality permit hearing
Joshua Bowling, 8/24/26

“The New Mexico Supreme Court late Sunday unanimously granted two requests to pause proceedings related to Project Jupiter, the Oracle and OpenAI data center campus under construction in Doña Ana County,” Source NM reports. “In two brief orders, Supreme Court justices temporarily halted a scheduled air quality permit hearing for Project Jupiter’s proposed natural gas-powered fuel cell system and ordered the Office of the State Engineer to pause its practice of allowing water from a specific well to be used for the data center’s construction… “The Supreme Court’s other Sunday night order focused on a request from national conservation group the Center for Biological Diversity. In a petition to the court, its environmental lawyers argued that water use on Project Jupiter’s construction site could violate state law.”

Cowboy State Daily: Wyoming ‘Future-Proofs’ Oil And Gas Industry With Nation’s First Bonding Pool
Renée Jean, 8/21/26

“When the Biden administration proposed raising federal oil and gas bonding requirements nearly twentyfold, many of Wyoming’s independent producers wondered how they would survive. Wyoming’s answer is the nation’s first state-backed oil and gas bonding pool, which has just launched,” the Cowboy State Daily reports. “Funded with $45 million in existing industry fees, the pool is designed to help operators meet federal and state bonding rules without tying up the capital they need to keep drilling. State and industry leaders also see it as a way to “future-proof” Wyoming’s oil and gas sector against unpredictable swings in federal policy from less friendly administrations. Bonding — the financial assurance required to ensure oil and gas wells are properly plugged and reclaimed — is a big challenge for Wyoming’s small, independent operators… “In June 2024, the Biden administration boosted bonding requirements from $25,000 to $500,000 — a 1,900% increase. “The bonding requirements proposed by the Biden administration could have easily put many of (Wyoming’s) small operators out of business,” Wyoming Petroleum Association’s Ryan McConaughey told Cowboy State Daily. “The financial risks from the bonding would have been too high.”

Clevaland.com: Ohio governor candidates split sharply on fracking under state parks
Jeremy Pelzer, 8/24/26

“As Ohio voters prepare to choose their next governor, few issues present a clearer contrast among the candidates than whether oil and gas companies should be allowed to frack beneath state-owned lands,” Clevaland.com reports. “Democrat Amy Acton would seek to ban fracking beneath Ohio state parks and wildlife areas, as well as review existing leases on public lands. Libertarian Don Kissick, meanwhile, would seek a moratorium on new leases while the state reviews the environmental, financial and long-term impacts of existing drilling. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign declined to answer questions about his stance on oil and gas drilling under state lands. However, he has been a vocal proponent of it, arguing that it lowers gas and electricity prices and generates money to improve state parks. Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial campaign comes as the state has opened more than 26,000 acres of state-owned land in Eastern Ohio to oil and gas drilling over the past three years, including under Salt Fork State Park, several state wildlife areas, and even some state prison land… “Opponents, meanwhile, say that drilling is incompatible with the purpose of state parks and wildlife areas, threatens the local environment and nearby communities, and improperly ties funding for state parks and conservation efforts to fossil-fuel extraction.”

EXTRACTION

Global Energy Monitor: U.S. gas power proposals tied to data centers nearly double in six months
Jenny Martos, 8/24/26

“In the first half of the year, the United States nearly doubled the gas-fired capacity it is developing to directly power data centers, but uncertainty persists about how and when this capacity gets built, according to a new analysis from Global Energy Monitor. “...Since GEM’s January data release, gas power capacity in development in the U.S. has increased 50% (+127 GW), growing from 252 to 378 GW, now accounting for one-third of the global total. If all these plants are built, the U.S.’ existing gas fleet would grow by roughly two-thirds, at an estimated cost of over US$647 billion in capital costs³. Texas accounts for nearly one-third of the U.S. project pipeline with 122 GW of gas-fired power capacity in development, a 51 per cent (41.4 GW) increase in the last six months and more than any other country in the world. Nearly two-thirds of the in development capacity in Texas (77 GW), is planned to directly power data centers.”

Bloomberg: China’s Oil Demand ‘Very Likely’ Peaked Last Year, Sinopec Says
Rong Wei Neo, 8/24/26

“China’s oil demand probably peaked last year, earlier than previous estimates, according to the head of the nation’s top refiner,” Bloomberg reports. “Clean energy development, electrification and low-carbon goals mean that the country’s oil demand has probably already crested, Sinopec Chairman Hou Qijun said Monday at an earnings briefing in Hong Kong. The company had previously forecast usage to top out in 2027, while the government is targeting oil and coal consumption to reach their limits during the current five-year plan period, which runs through 2030… “An earlier start to reducing consumption would help rein in its world-leading emissions while raising questions for the world’s top crude drillers… “Sinopec, known officially as China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., said in its earnings report on Sunday that road fuel demand plummeted in the first half as consumers shied away from higher prices and shifted to electric vehicles.”

Reuters: Exxon turns to automated drilling in the Permian in push for higher oil output
Sheila Dang, 8/24/26

“In rural west Texas where oil rigs and pump jacks dot the sparse flat landscape, an ExxonMobil contractor sits in a small office on a drilling rig, using controls on a screen to operate robotic machinery and move tall steel pipes weighing roughly 2,000 pounds,” Reuters reports. “This work would usually require human overseers standing on the rig floor, the most common location for accidents on a rig. Exxon, the largest oil producer by volume in the U.S., operates more than 30 drilling rigs in the Permian Basin, two of which are automated rigs with robotic equipment. By 2028, the company aims to transition half of its fleet to automated rigs to reduce the need for workers to perform potentially dangerous work and increase efficiency to drill wells faster, an executive told Reuters… “When we take people off the rig floor, those same individuals are now able to think ahead and plan for the next operation and that combination gives us efficiency,” he told Reuters. “This is the productivity play.”

Reuters: Exxon, Lyondell among suitors for Shell’s US chemical assets, could fetch $8 billion, FT reports
Ananya Palyekar, 8/23/26

“Oil major Shell has drawn interest from potential bidders, including ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell, for its U.S. chemical assets that could fetch up to $8 billion, the Financial Times reported on Monday,” Reuters reports. “Private equity firm Apollo Global Management and the chemicals arm of state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation have also expressed interest in the assets, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter, as Shell seeks to divest underperforming underperforming chemical plants. Shell, ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, Apollo, and Kuwait Petroleum did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours. Shell’s U.S. chemicals business includes plants at four sites in Louisiana, Texas and Pennsylvania that produce chemicals used in plastics, detergents and pharmaceuticals, the FT added.”

CBC: World Heritage Committee assessing environmental health of Wood Buffalo National Park
Jamie Malbeuf, 8/24/26

“The World Heritage Committee is assessing Wood Buffalo National Park after a local First Nation, once again, raised concerns about the health of the park’s ecosystem,” the CBC reports. “ Chief Melody Lepine of the Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) told CBC News she is concerned about environmental impacts that industrial developments are having on the park, which she fears could lose it’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lepine is especially concerned with the amount of water approved to be used by oilsands projects and the Alberta government’s proposed plan to release treated tailings into the Athabasca River. She warns the site could lose its designation as a World Heritage site… “MCFN first petitioned UNESCO to assess Wood Buffalo National Park in 2014… “UNESCO agreed those concerns were valid in a 2016 response. In 2019, the federal government released an action plan for protecting the park which included the creation of a monitoring program, working with Indigenous partners to create a field station and the investigation of water control structures.”

Business Green: Government urged to impose ‘carbon storage obligation’ on any new North Sea drilling projects
James Murray, 8/25/26

“Group of over 100 leading climate scientists, legal experts, and environmental campaigners argue Rosebank and Jackdaw developers should be required to fund the capture and storage of any emissions they cause,” Business Green reports. “The government is today facing fresh calls to place an obligation on the fossil fuel industry to fund the carbon capture and removal capacity, which is likely to be required to make any new drilling projects…”

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Woodside ‘understating’ oil spill risk of proposed Browse gas project, opponents say
Alistair Bates, 8/24/26

“A coalition of experts, fishers and conservationists has launched a fresh offensive against Woodside’s proposed $30 billion Browse gas project, accusing the company of “dramatically understating” the risks of an oil spill off the pristine Kimberley coast,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. “...The company amended its proposal last year after it was handed a preliminary rejection, relocating a drill centre away from critical turtle nesting grounds and decreasing its overall project footprint. Key to the adjustments was minimising the chance of a spill, the fallout of which threatened to be “catastrophic”, according to Woodside’s initial report to the EPA. Simulations by the company showed a Browse well blowout could disperse nearly 900,000 barrels of condensate over 77 days, roughly 30 times bigger than the 2009 Montara spill, considered one of the worst oil disasters in Australian waters. Woodside described the worst-case scenario as having “severe and potentially irreversible” impacts, reaching as far as Indonesia and Timor-Leste, and killing coral and marine animals including whales.”

OPINION

Anchorage Daily News: The pipeline victory party came before the pipeline
Andrew Halcro is a past executive director of the Anchorage Community Development Authority, and a former state representative and past president of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, 8/24/26

“For roughly the last 12 months, Alaskans witnessed one hell of a sales pitch. The Alaska LNG pipeline was no longer presented as a dream. This time, it was real,” Andrew Halcro writes for the Anchorage Daily News. “...And perhaps the most reassuring part of the entire pitch was this: The Legislature didn’t need to do anything. In fact, lawmakers were warned that getting involved might actually hurt the project… “And then something extraordinary happened. The project that needed nothing from the Legislature suddenly needed something very important from the Legislature: a massive, decadeslong reduction in property taxes. Suddenly, the tax concession was no longer optional. It became an existential requirement. Without it, Alaska might lose its historic opportunity. Quite a transition. We went from “Please stay out of the way” to “Oh my God, get to Juneau immediately.” Naturally, lawmakers gave an answer that met their fiduciary responsibilities: Show us the math… “That clear justification never really arrived… “But never underestimate the power of a good sales campaign. Out came the signs. BUILD THE LINE… ”But this was always Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s politically inspired fool’s errand. Now Alaskans are left standing in an empty ballroom after the band has gone home, looking at the Build the Line placards and the confetti scattered across the floor.”

Eurobserver: Carbon capture and storage is a costly white elephant – so why is the EU pushing it?
Rachel Kennerley, Sheffield, 8/25/26

“Europe’s plans to deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) at scale are faltering,” Rachel Kennerley writes for Eurobserver. “In response, the European Commission is expected this autumn to propose legislation to accelerate and expand the bloc’s carbon dioxide (CO2) transport infrastructure. The emerging approach risks imposing substantial costs on taxpayers while weakening safeguards for people and nature… “The EU has set a target of at least 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 injection capacity by 2030. The associated transport network needed could span 19,000km by 2050, carrying risky, highly-pressurised CO2 across the continent… “European CCS project announcements hit their peak in 2021 and have declined since, with the amount of carbon capacity cancelled in 2025 exceeding that reaching final investment decisions. Signs of industry retreat are mounting: selling stakes in flagship projects, cutting budgets, and even legally disputing EU CCS requirements… “The law is expected to expand subsidies for polluting industries and establish a regulatory framework that limits scrutiny and risks reducing industry accountability for CO2 leaks. It is also expected to include measures to loosen permitting requirements through new exemptions and could use ‘industrial acceleration areas’ that may override protections for natural areas. Slashing permitting safeguards for nature and communities for CCS infrastructure is hugely concerning, given that CCS at scale poses major technical challenges and real safety risks… “Instead of fast-tracking costly, risky, and ineffective carbon capture infrastructure, the EU should prioritise cutting emissions at source, phasing out fossil fuels, and accelerating renewable energy.”