EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/26/26

PIPELINE NEWS

• McCook Gazette: Commissioners explain moratorium on pipeline project

• N.J. Spotlight: Operator of leaky pipeline blocked inspectors, regulator says

• Edmonton Journal: Canada imposing 50 per cent tariffs on oil and gas pipeline steel from the U.S.

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Truck accident causes gas leak to Enbridge Line 5 in northeast Wisconsin

• KBJR: Pipeline break releases natural gas liquids, prompts evacuations in Iron County

• The Center Square: Green Chile gas pipeline to Project Jupiter delayed to 2027

• North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota approves loans for carbon capture at coal plant

• Interior Journal: Seven years later, Lincoln County remembers deadly pipeline explosion

• WCHS: Family says pipeline work leading to graves being flooded in Mingo Co.

• KCII: MidAmerican Energy to Install New Pipeline South of Riverside on Friday

• Reuters: Enbridge to buy Salt Creek Midstream crude gathering assets for $600 million

• Daily News Egypt: Egypt contains oil spill after pipeline leak off South Sinai coast

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• New York Times: E.P.A. Moves to Curb Public Input on Data Centers

• High Country News: Arctic drilling in Alaska won’t get environmental review in new proposal.

• E&E News: DC Circuit upholds FERC approval of Louisiana LNG terminal

STATE UPDATES

• Bloomberg: Oil Lobby Sues to Block New York’s Emissions Reporting Program

• Inside Climate News: Texas Oil and Gas Regulators Will No Longer Have to Accept Public Comment at Open Meetings

• Canary Media: As Ohio grapples with fake comments on clean energy, some want crackdown

• Louisiana Illuminator: Wildlife groups warn not waive protections to accommodate Louisiana SpaceX site

• StateImpact Oklahoma: Kiowa Tribe receives $1M to find and clean up abandoned oil wells

• KTUU: Cook Inlet oil spill prompts multi-agency response

EXTRACTION

• Wall Street Journal: Europe Chastised Trump’s Climate Rollback. Now It’s Delaying Its Own Green Goals.

• Sustainability Online: Oil and gas companies among the key adopters of CCUS

• Press release: Climeworks Solutions calls for carbon removal in AI buildout

• Carbon Herald: In A New Whitepaper, Climeworks Solutions Calls For CDR Integration In AI Infrastructure

• BBC: Rail companies sued for £5m over oil spill caused by derailment

OPINION

• Stillwater Associates: Pancakes, Politics, and Pipelines: The Political Winds Supporting the Development of Canadian Crude Oil Pipelines
  

PIPELINE NEWS

McCook Gazette: Commissioners explain moratorium on pipeline project
Janet Hepp, 8/25/26

“During the three-hour, discussion-filled meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioner’s meeting Monday, more facts concerning the proposed buried CO2 pipeline project were shared by Brent Neise of Summit Carbon Solutions Company with the Commissioners and general public in attendance,” the McCook Gazette reports. “The construction company was concerned about the proposed moratorium for a year on the project. Commissioner Randy Dean explained that, yes, the moratorium was for a year, but it was also possible to end it earlier. The moratorium will allow West Central time to complete the Comprehensive Planning and Zoning process, as well as allowing commissioners time to add new language to their zoning regulations regarding data centers and pipelines crossing Red Willow County… “Dean McCoy requested the county officials to do their own due diligence on the safety measures in place and possible emergency management procedures. Brad Randel, present at the meeting, also expressed a concern about the possibility of potential interruptions or emergencies with the buried pipeline… “Summit Carbon Solutions will donate to Red Willow County emergency funds, a one-time payment of $50,000, plus an additional $1,000 per mile for 32 miles, equaling a total of $82,000 which would go to the county’s emergency manager, Dalton Downing, to be used at his discretion… “According to Niese, the oil wells only pump out 80% of the available oil, but an injection of CO2 into the well will enable recovery of the last 20%... “In Summit Carbon Solutions’ search for property owners to buy into the buried pipeline project, there have been some refusals, causing the company to restructure its proposed path across northern Red Willow County.”

N.J. Spotlight: Operator of leaky pipeline blocked inspectors, regulator says
Benjamin J. Hulac, 8/26/26

“The operator of a pipeline that bisects New Jersey, carrying jet fuel, diesel and gasoline from suburban Philadelphia to a terminal in Newark, last year denied federal safety inspectors access to documents following a leak, a “probable violation” of federal law and regulations,” N.J. Spotlight reports. “An official of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration leveled the accusations at Energy Transfer in an official “warning letter” in September 2025. Officials carried out the inspections following a fuel leak that has polluted wealthy semirural Upper Makefield Township… “Dallas-based Energy Transfer — a $73 billion company that is one of the world’s largest exporters of natural gas liquid — said it and its subsidiaries “intend to vigorously defend these claims,” according to its latest annual report… “The failure of a section of the pipeline in Upper Makefield Township that released petroleum into the groundwater, poisoning local water supplies, should be the red flag that shut down the line so that it could be fully assessed and, if possible, repaired,” the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, an environmental group that tracks the area’s watershed, told Spotlight… “In its own letter, Sunoco said federal pipeline inspection rules give no authority for the pipeline administration “to go on a fishing expedition and obtain any and all documents an inspector desires.”

Edmonton Journal: Canada imposing 50 per cent tariffs on oil and gas pipeline steel from the U.S.
Graison Foster, Steven Wilhelm, 8/26/26

“Canada is not fighting a trade war with the United States by taxing or withholding energy, but it is putting a 50 percent tariff on some of the steel that oil and gas pipelines are built from,” the Edmonton Journal reports. “...Steel and aluminum tariffs double to 50 per cent to match what Washington has already imposed, alongside duties on American dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics… “Canada is not imposing any duties on its oil and gas exports, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford had suggested… “Only two percent comes from the United States, according to Statistics Canada… “Alberta’s pipeline builders now have to choose between American line pipe, now tariffed on the Canadian side, or sourcing farther afield at higher shipping costs… “The tariffs land as Alberta and Ottawa are trying to get more pipeline capacity built, not less, including a proposed West Coast pipeline that Carney and Premier Danielle Smith announced in July. Richard Masson, a long-time oilpatch observer and a former chief executive of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, told the Journal that push predates this week’s escalation and isn’t going away because of it. “It is the whole reason why we’re trying to build it in the first place, which is to diversify our markets, because the U.S. is no longer a reliable partner,” Masson told the Journal.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Truck accident causes gas leak to Enbridge Line 5 in northeast Wisconsin
Caitlin Looby, 8/25/26

“Enbridge’s Line 5, the most controversial pipeline in the Great Lakes region, was damaged and leaked natural gas on Aug. 25 in far northeastern Wisconsin,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “Joe Bates, an environment activist and member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, told the Journal Sentinel he first heard reports of the leak on social media shortly after 10 a.m., and immediately went to the area to capture drone footage. “This morning a parked, unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an open excavation site on a Line 5 valve project in rural northern Iron County, Wisconsin, striking the pipe and releasing Natural Gas Liquids,” Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner told the Journal Sentinel. “No one was injured. As a precaution, nearby rural homes have been evacuated. The section of pipe was immediately isolated, and local emergency response crews are on site.” Earlier in the day, the Iron County Sheriff’s Department declined to confirm which pipeline was involved or provide any public health information to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also would not confirm the source of the leak, but did provide GPS coordinates that – along with federal pipeline mapping – landed on the site of Enbridge’s Lakehead System Line 5.”

KBJR: Pipeline break releases natural gas liquids, prompts evacuations in Iron County
Marisa Ornat, 8/25/26

“Multiple homes were evacuated Tuesday afternoon in Iron County after a break in Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline,” KBJR reports. “According to officials at Enbridge, a parked, unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an open excavation site on a Line 5 valve project in rural northern Iron County, Wisconsin, striking a pipe and releasing natural gas liquids, or NGLs… “Nearby homes have been evacuated as a precaution, though it is unclear at this time how many homes were evacuated… “A temporary no-fly zone has also been established in the area. Due to safety concerns, power in the affected area has been shut down, and arrangements are being made to assist those affected by the outage. The public is asked to avoid the area and follow emergency personnel’s instructions.”

The Center Square: Green Chile gas pipeline to Project Jupiter delayed to 2027
Alton Wallace, 8/25/26

“A proposed pipeline that would supply natural gas to a data center now under construction for Oracle and OpenAI in southern New Mexico has been delayed until at least early next year, according to a recent federal regulatory filing,” The Center Square reports. “In a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulatory filing on Friday, Dallas-based midstream giant Energy Transfer revised the 17.7-mile-long Green Chile pipeline’s targeted in-service date from August 2026 to early 2027. The Green Chile Pipeline would cross federal, private, and state trust lands in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, to provide gas to a new power plant for “Project Jupiter,” a 2.5-Gigawatt data center that would be located just south of Las Cruces. The proposed pipeline project lost its expedited federal status last month following challenges by the Sierra Club and other environmental advocacy groups. Energy Transfer had initially sought an approval for the pipeline under a federal “blanket certificate” program. This fast-tracked regulatory process allows pipeline developers to bypass case-by-case review for minor infrastructure projects without the extensive public comment windows or multi-year environmental impact reviews required of major interstate pipelines. The formal challenges by environmental watchdogs forced the commission to remove the Green Chile project’s fast-track status, triggering a longer, more detailed federal review process.”

North Dakota Monitor: North Dakota approves loans for carbon capture at coal plant
Jeff Beach, 8/25/26

“The North Dakota Industrial Commission on Tuesday approved $205 million in loans for a project that aims to capture carbon emissions from a coal-fired power plant,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “Minnkota Power Cooperative recently partnered with Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage to operate the carbon capture and CO2 delivery system. The companies will split the loans, $45 million for Minnkota and $160 million for Reliant, which will be issued through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota… “The science has gotten better, the technology has gotten better,” since early versions of the project, Gov. Kelly Armstrong, who chairs the three-member Industrial Commission, told the Monitor… “The project also puts more emphasis on the potential for using CO2 in North Dakota’s oil fields, pumping the gas underground to make oil wells more productive… “Project Tundra aims to capture about 5 million tons of carbon per year, worth $425 million in tax credits annually. The loan application letter from the companies says they are engaged with partnership discussions with oil companies that would use the CO2. The application says any pipeline needed to get CO2 to an oil field site would be funded separately.”

Interior Journal: Seven years later, Lincoln County remembers deadly pipeline explosion
Casey Roberts, 8/25/26

“Seven years ago this month, a natural gas pipeline ruptured in the darkness of an August morning, killing one Lincoln County woman, injuring six people and leaving a neighborhood devastated,” the Interior Journal reports. “...Lisa Denise Derringer, 58, of Stanford, was killed. Six others were hospitalized. More than 75 people were evacuated. Five residences were destroyed and 14 others sustained damage… “The section of Line 15 involved in the accident was made of carbon steel manufactured in 1957 and installed in 1958… “Investigators determined that the rupture began at what is known as a hard spot, a manufacturing defect in the steel that had existed since the pipe was produced. The NTSB concluded that the combination of the pre-existing manufacturing defect, degraded protective coating and ineffective corrosion protection following a 2014 gas flow reversal project led to hydrogen-induced cracking on the pipeline’s outer surface. The cracking eventually caused the pipeline to fail. Investigators also concluded that the 2014 project, which allowed gas to flow in the opposite direction through the system, contributed to increased external corrosion and hydrogen production… “A year after the explosion, Derringer’s family and friends returned to the location where her home once stood. They gathered in her memory and released white and pink balloons, colors her daughter, Candy Ellis, said her mother often favored.”

WCHS: Family says pipeline work leading to graves being flooded in Mingo Co.
Joseph Cadotte, 8/25/26

“A community below a graveyard in Baisden say they’re on edge, worried and even scared about what could happen to several homes and their family graveyard the next time it rains hard there,” WCHS reports. “The New graveyard is above several homes in Baisden where the family of the people buried there say they have worries about the situation after they said a company working on gas lines on the mountain above the area have diverted the earth so that when water runs off the mountain, it floods directly into the graveyard… “The graveyard was flooded twice earlier in August… “The first time it happened it worried us and it scared us,” Tyler New told WCHS. “...They came up here and fixed it, well, cleaned it, I’m not going to say fixed it. TC Energy came up here and talked about what we could do to try and help fix this.” “...Thompson told WCHS they had to bury a loved one outside the graveyard a week and a half ago because of the situation… “WCHS reached out to both the companies that New said were working in the area. Neither company gave us a statement as of late Tuesday night.”

KCII: MidAmerican Energy to Install New Pipeline South of Riverside on Friday
Jennifer Wilkerson, 8/26/26

“Installation of a pipeline will impact travel on 175th street between Underwood Avenue and Highway 218 beginning Friday,” KCII reports. “The work is happening approximately 7.5 miles south of Riverside. Starting at 7 a.m. this Friday, August 28th, MidAmerican Energy Company will have a contractor, Michels Pipeline, Inc, begin work to install a new pipeline.”

Reuters: Enbridge to buy Salt Creek Midstream crude gathering assets for $600 million
Varun Sahay, 8/26/26

“Pipeline operator Enbridge said on Wednesday it would acquire Salt Creek Midstream’s crude oil gathering business ​for $600 million in cash, expanding its presence in ‌the crude-rich Permian Basin,” Reuters reports. “The Permian Basin, the largest oil-producing region in the United States, continues to attract investment in gathering ​systems and pipeline networks as companies work ​to transport crude volumes through export terminals on ⁠the U.S. Gulf Coast. Enbridge said ​the acquisition will provide a direct link between Permian ​crude production and its Ingleside Energy Center, North America’s largest crude export terminal. The deal includes full ownership of the Orla and Wink North ​gathering systems and a 50% stake in the Delaware Crossing ​system, adding about 500 miles of crude oil gathering infrastructure in ‌the ⁠heart of the Delaware Basin.”

Daily News Egypt: Egypt contains oil spill after pipeline leak off South Sinai coast
Manal Awad, 8/26/26

“Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development and Environment said it had contained an oil spill that stretched for around three kilometres off Ras Badran near Abu Redis in South Sinai and reached parts of the public beach, after authorities identified the source as a crude oil production pipeline and repaired the leak,” Daily News Egypt reports. “Local Development and Environment Minister Manal Awad said pollution-control teams and divers were continuing clean-up operations and collecting contaminated materials, while environmental monitoring remained underway to assess the impact and ensure that no new traces of oil appeared.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

New York Times: E.P.A. Moves to Curb Public Input on Data Centers
Maxine Joselow, 8/25/26

“The Trump administration is moving to make it harder for communities to weigh in on proposed data centers, even as a backlash against the behemoth projects grows across the country,” the New York Times reports. “The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate a federal requirement that states publicize and solicit public input on applications for air pollution permits for a range of industrial facilities, including new data centers and the power plants needed to run them. The move could prevent residents from raising concerns about — or even learning about — data centers before permits are approved and construction starts. Nearly 200 advocacy groups and more than a dozen states have voiced opposition to the change, making it the latest flashpoint in the national debate over the data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom. “People need to have a chance to have a say before they see bulldozers,” Keri Powell, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, told the Times… “Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, told the Times that the proposal would “provide the state and local agencies most familiar with local issues the discretion to determine whether, when, and for how long to provide opportunities for public participation.” Ms. Holran told the Times the move was intended to “responsibly speed up permitting, supporting American economic development and energy dominance. Our proposal does not alter emission standards or weaken environmental protections.”

High Country News: Arctic drilling in Alaska won’t get environmental review in new proposal.
Adam Federman, 8/26/26

“On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order singling out the state of Alaska and its abundant stores of oil, gas and minerals. “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” called for expanding oil and gas development across Alaska’s North Slope, including some of the largest tracts of public land in North America,” High Country News reports. “Now, according to two sources familiar with the process and documents reviewed by High Country News and Public Domain, Trump and his team are following through on their promise to fast-track drilling in the NPRA by allowing new winter exploration and drilling to move forward without any kind of environmental review. The Department of the Interior is set to publish a ‘categorical exclusion’ to the National Environmental Policy Act that would make it easier for the oil and gas industry to conduct seismic surveys, obtain rights of way and drill new exploration wells in the NPRA, an area that has become increasingly attractive to industry.”

E&E News: DC Circuit upholds FERC approval of Louisiana LNG terminal
Niina H. Farah, 8/25/26

“A federal appeals court has roundly rejected environmental groups’ challenge to the federal government’s approval of a massive liquefied natural gas export terminal and pipeline in Louisiana,” E&E News reports. “On Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission complied with federal law when it authorized construction of Venture Global’s CP2 LNG terminal and its associated 91-mile CP Express pipeline in 2025… “Environmental groups and local fishermen, led by For a Better Bayou, have been fighting for years to stop the proliferation of LNG facilities in Louisiana’s Calcasieu Ship Channel, citing concerns about the cumulative effects of the facilities on air quality, the climate and local fisheries. Commercial fishermen asked the court last year to halt construction of the CP2 project, claiming sediment was smothering shrimp, oysters and fish. The challengers also claimed in their consolidated suit that FERC failed to properly consider the harms of the project before finding the terminal was in the public interest… “Ginsburg noted that the Natural Gas Act sets a high bar for FERC to find that LNG terminals are not in the public interest… “The court also found that a recent Supreme Court ruling limiting the scope of NEPA reviews prevented the court from considering other factors the challengers raised.”

STATE UPDATES

Bloomberg: Oil Lobby Sues to Block New York’s Emissions Reporting Program
Allison Prang, 8/24/26

“Two oil and gas trade associations sued New York Monday over its greenhouse gas reporting program claiming it’s unconstitutional in part because it impacts activities outside of New York,” Bloomberg reports. “The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and American Petroleum Institute filed their complaint against New York Attorney General Letitia James and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton to block the program, which New York implemented as part of its climate law. The groups allege that the program violates the Dormant Commerce Clause, the Constitution’s prohibition on regulating activity outside of one’s bounds, the Supremacy Clause, and the First and Fourth …”

Inside Climate News: Texas Oil and Gas Regulators Will No Longer Have to Accept Public Comment at Open Meetings
Martha Pskowski, 8/21/26

“...People often travel hundreds of miles from South Texas, the Permian Basin and the Gulf Coast for the opportunity to speak directly to the officials who have the final say in oil and gas regulation in Texas,” Inside Climate News reports. “...The new policy will remove the public comment agenda item at monthly meetings. Going forward, commissioners can individually request a public comment agenda item. If no commissioner makes a request, there will be no guaranteed public comment… “Commissioner Christi Craddick voted against the new policy, saying she thought people should have the opportunity to speak at open meetings. The motion carried with votes from Commissioners Christian and Jim Wright. Virginia Palacios, executive director of the nonprofit watchdog Commission Shift, has provided public comment at almost every open meeting since 2021. Palacios registered to give comment on the proposed policy, but the commissioners did not call on her… “You just approved an agenda item on public participation without allowing public participation,” Palacios said… “The new policy expands opportunities for public participation by providing listening sessions at least once a month,” Commissioner Christian told Inside Climate News. “These sessions provide a more meaningful forum where Texans can ask questions, raise concerns, and engage directly with agency staff who can help get them answers or elevate issues when appropriate, rather than being constrained by the legal and procedural limitations of a formal open meeting.”

Canary Media: As Ohio grapples with fake comments on clean energy, some want crackdown
Kathiann M. Kowalski, 8/25/26

“A troubling trend has shown up in some communities around the U.S.: Public officials are being inundated with seemingly fake public feedback that aims to block renewable energy and promote fossil fuels,” Canary Media reports. “In Ohio, one of the states grappling with this issue, regulators have done little to crack down on the problem, sparking concern among advocates for clean energy and good government that agencies will continue to get public comments from people who didn’t authorize them or simply don’t exist. “If we don’t address it, we’re definitely not going to fix it,” Catherine Turcer, executive director for Common Cause Ohio, which works to strengthen public participation in U.S. democracy and hold officials accountable to citizens, told Canary. Fabricated comments corrupt public decision-making by diluting the impact of genuine people who take the time to share their views, Turcer explained. That’s especially true if officials focus on the numbers of pro and con comments versus their substance… “Even though the solar farm met all other legal requirements and the regulators acknowledged concerns about fake comments, they nonetheless concluded that ​“the project fails to serve the public interest” because of ​“consistent and substantial opposition” from local governments and nearby residents. The board did not ask the Ohio attorney general to investigate who was behind the fishy comments.”

Louisiana Illuminator: Wildlife groups warn not waive protections to accommodate Louisiana SpaceX site
Greg LaRose, 8/25/26

“SpaceX’s plans to launch thousands of rockets a year from coastal Southwest Louisiana will put habitat and hurricane protection at risk, according to three wildlife groups that oppose waivers to federal regulations aimed at expediting the development,” the Louisiana Illuminator reports. “The Louisiana Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation and Pontchartrain Conservancy filed comments on proposed rule updates with the Federal Aviation Administration, just ahead of Gov. Jeff Landry announcing the $100 billion project Tuesday in Vermilion Parish… “The groups’ particular concerns center on potential threats to species, some of them endangered, that live in or migrate to the coastal wetlands as well as the loss of their habitat. The FAA posted its proposed changes to its commercial space licensing regulations July 30, with the stated intent to “streamline the licensing process and reduce regulatory burden for applicants.” “This is precisely the setting in which project-level environmental review matters most,” the groups’ letter states.”

StateImpact Oklahoma: Kiowa Tribe receives $1M to find and clean up abandoned oil wells
Chloe Bennett-Steele, 8/25/26

“In western Oklahoma, the Kiowa Tribe is preparing to plug potentially dozens of abandoned oil and gas wells and remediate the surrounding sites. The tribe recently received $1 million in federal funds to help identify and assess the wells,” StateImpact Oklahoma reports. “...State regulators earlier this year said Oklahoma could have more than 61,000 undocumented wells. In 2025, researchers with Los Alamos National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy and McGill University published a study estimating Oklahoma could have about 309,462 undocumented orphaned wells… “The U.S. Department of the Interior awarded the tribe the second round of funding through a program allocated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The first round of funding was given in 2023 for plugging… “Kelley told StateImpact he views orphaned well remediation as an opportunity to continue the tribe’s work as an environmental steward and, potentially, repurpose some of the sites.”

KTUU: Cook Inlet oil spill prompts multi-agency response
Augusta McDonnell, 8/24/26

“A multi-agency response is underway in the Cook Inlet after a pilot spotted an oil spill Monday afternoon,” KTUU reports. “...He told state environmental officials that he flies the route daily and that the spill was not visible less than 24 hours prior. He told Alaska’s News Source that he estimates the spill to be about five miles long… “Spokespersons for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation told KTUU the spill is located on the west side of the inlet, roughly 45 to 50 miles southwest of Anchorage. ADEC officials are investigating several potential sources for the spill, including marine vessels. Hilcorp, which owns the primary oil-producing assets in the area, has proactively responded to the reports.”

EXTRACTION

Wall Street Journal: Europe Chastised Trump’s Climate Rollback. Now It’s Delaying Its Own Green Goals.
Benoît Morenne, Matthew Dalton, 8/23/26

“When President Trump shredded U.S. climate policies last year, much of the Western world chastised him for ignoring climate change. Now, Europe, the U.K. and Canada are walking back their own environmental regulations,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The European Union has proposed to relax its landmark carbon-pricing system, and allow automakers to sell gasoline-burning cars for longer. The U.K. appears poised to allow new oil production in the North Sea—after banning exploratory drilling last year—and is reviewing targets for sales of electric vehicles. Canada dismantled an unpopular carbon tax and is backing new oil-and-gas infrastructure.”

Sustainability Online: Oil and gas companies among the key adopters of CCUS
8/26/26

“Oil and gas firms continue to see carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) as a key decarbonisation pathway, along with businesses in other hard-to-abate sectors such as cement and steel, a new report by GlobalData has found,” Sustainability Online reports. “According to GlobalData’s Strategic Intelligence report, Carbon Capture and Storage, as of June 2026, more than 70% of operational and upcoming carbon capture facilities by number were associated with energy assets, with oil and gas companies among the ‘key participants’. Oil and gas firms are prioritising CCUS where it supports core assets, including LNG, refining, hydrogen production and upstream operations, the report noted… “As of June 2026, the operational carbon capture base remained modest, with more than 140 projects globally across multiple industries and a cumulative capacity of 62 million tonnes per annum (mtpa),” commented Ravindra Puranik, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData. “The energy sector accounted for the bulk of this capacity. However, most future capture capacity remains concentrated in the feasibility and FEED [front-end engineering and design] stages of project development.” At the same time, despite a strong project pipeline, CCUS projects continue to face commercial, regulatory and infrastructure barriers, with many projects exposed to financing risk, cost inflation, regulatory uncertainty, and delays.”

Press release: Climeworks Solutions calls for carbon removal in AI buildout
8/26/26

“The infrastructure that underpins the growth of AI is being planned, financed and built today. A new whitepaper from Climeworks Solutions is calling for a broader approach to sustainable AI buildout – one that incorporates carbon removal into key infrastructure development, financing and procurement decisions, helping ensure that AI expansion is aligned with long-term climate goals… “Data center developers, hyperscalers, utilities, investors, contractors, hardware providers and tenants all influence the infrastructure’s emissions trajectory at different stages. The whitepaper argues that uncertainty around emissions accounting should not delay action. Companies across the AI value chain have an opportunity to start integrating carbon removal today, while industry standards continue to develop. The whitepaper, Responsible AI Infrastructure Should Include Carbon Removal, proposes four practical approaches through which companies can begin addressing these emissions: Regional Impact Portfolios, which support carbon removal projects selected for their potential climate, environmental, economic or community benefits in relevant regions. Ecosystem Co-Procurement, through which hyperscalers, developers, utilities, contractors, hardware providers and tenants aggregate demand and establish shared responsibility for connected emissions. Natural Gas Transition Guardrails, combining carbon capture, durable carbon removal and a clearly defined phase-out pathway where lower-carbon energy options have been exhausted and natural gas is temporarily used. Build-Stage Neutralization, which integrates carbon removal procurement into project planning to address embodied emissions from construction, materials and computing hardware… “During Climate Week NYC 2026, Climeworks Solutions will convene representatives from across the AI infrastructure value chain to explore how the whitepaper’s proposals can be put into practice and what role different stakeholders can play in their implementation.”

Carbon Herald: In A New Whitepaper, Climeworks Solutions Calls For CDR Integration In AI Infrastructure
Sasha Ranevska, 8/26/26

“In a new whitepaper, Climeworks Solutions calls for the integration of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in AI infrastructure development, laying out practical approaches for combining these two innovations,” the Carbon Herald reports. “ …In it, Climeworks Solutions signals that the entire AI value chain has the chance to start integrating CDR today to address the residual emissions of this sector, complementing action that is already being taken on efficiency improvements, clean energy, and low-carbon materials. The implementation of CDR would apply to a range of different entities participating in the AI build-out, including data center developers, hyperscalers, utilities, investors, contractors, hardware providers, and tenants… “Climeworks Solutions also mentions establishing guardrails for the natural gas transition, combining carbon capture, durable CDR and a clearly defined phase-out pathway in which lower-CO2 energy options have been exhausted and natural gas is used temporarily.”

BBC: Rail companies sued for £5m over oil spill caused by derailment
Oscar Edwards, 8/24/26

“Network Rail is suing two rail companies for more than £5m after a fuel spill caused by a train derailment threatened an “environmental disaster” at a designated site for protection,” the BBC reports. “The body filed a legal claim earlier this month against DB Cargo UK and Touax Rail over the derailment near Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, in August 2020. The incident saw 10 wagons of the 25-wagon train derail, causing 446,000 litres of fuel to spill, and about 300 people had to leave the area due to the blaze. In High Court documents, Network Rail claimed that the derailment occurred because the wagon had “not been maintained with reasonable care” and is seeking damages for negligence. No one was injured, but 116,000 litres of fuel ignited while 330,000 litres drained into surrounding wetlands, which form part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) concluded in January 2022 that the derailment was caused by a set of wheels on one of the wagons locking, likely the result of a brake defect after “inadequate maintenance practices” were found in the investigation.”

OPINION

Stillwater Associates: Pancakes, Politics, and Pipelines: The Political Winds Supporting the Development of Canadian Crude Oil Pipelines
Rick Penfield, 8/25/26

“...These two announcements of all-Canada pipelines came on the heels of two cross-border pipeline projects that would increase pipeline capacity into the U.S.,” Rick Penfield writes for Stillwater Associates. “The first, proposed by Bridger Pipeline, would run between the Canada-Montana border and Guernsey, Wyoming. This proposed Bridger Pipeline received a presidential permit from U.S. President Donald Trump on April 30, 2026. In May, South Bow announced that it had received 20-year throughput commitments for their proposed Prairie Connector, a partial revival of Keystone XL that would connect Alberta and Wyoming and would decide on progressing the project in 2027… “Completing construction before President Trump leaves office on January 20, 2029, could also be critical to avoid the fate of Keystone XL, whose presidential permit was canceled by President Joe Biden on his first day in office. The politics currently favor the Bridger Pipeline, especially if the pipeline can be completed by 2028; it also appears that the pipeline has gained commercial favor as well… “The combined Bridger and South Bow pipeline option is industry-led and appears to be supported by potential shippers. The West Coast Pipeline and Northern Shield Energy Corridor projects differ, however, because they are led by governments rather than industry, and industry support has primarily come in the form of words rather than commitments. Will the political inertia behind these pipelines be sufficient for them to be successfully constructed?... “Securing sufficient shipper commitments will be key to the success of the West Coast Pipeline, and so far these commitments have not been forthcoming… “Outside of the escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada, the all-in Canada route makes little sense, and this option would struggle to secure commitments. Barring a credible export option, even with the recent escalation, the commercial success of the Northern Shield Energy Corridor is highly uncertain… “The market solution to increasing pipeline capacity out of Alberta appears to be the Bridger and South Bow project… “Bottom Line: Like the Stampede itself, this year’s flurry of pipeline announcements delivered plenty of showmanship, but when the dust settles and the midway lights come down, only the projects with genuine commercial support will still be standing.”