Fieldnotes

In Ohio, oil and gas industry is steering new carbon capture bill Newly obtained public records show that the industry has worked hard to ensure the legislation prioritizes their interests over climate change concerns.

Great work by @kmkowalski.bsky.social & @canarymedia.com on this story showing just how much the O&G industry is running the show in Ohio on CCS. They wrote the bill, wined + dined sponsors, lined up witnesses, etc—even by lobbying standards, this one stands out.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/car...

'The New Wild West:' Inside the Oil & Gas Industry’s Plan to Profit… Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

The industry-backed bill stalled in 2024, but the push continues this year with API’s allies reintroducing an updated version in both chambers. See a detailed timeline along with the documents between industry and lawmakers here: fieldnotes.co/investigatio...

This means companies pay into a state trust fund for each ton of CO2 they inject into the ground and then the state assumes liability for the project, using the trust fund to pay for monitoring and remediation. When that money runs out? The state (read:taxpayers*) is left to pay.

What’s worse is this is a raw deal for Ohioans. Most CCS laws, including the one in OH, contain liability provisions which shift the financial liability for CCS projects from private corporations to state governments after a certain number of yrs or if certain conditions are met.

Records show API and OOGA have been in regular contact with the lawmakers they cherrypicked in-person or on Zoom on more than a dozen separate occasions since late 2023, as well as exchanged more than a hundred emails during that time to lobby the passage of this CCS legislation.

Documents obtained through public records requests show:
📜 API and OOGA drafted the legislation themselves
🧑‍⚖️ They chose which lawmakers would introduce it
🎤 They lined up supportive witnesses
📝 They even gave lawmakers talking points and media plans

Their goal? Transfer oversight of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects from the U.S. EPA to state regulators, a move that would likely speed approvals and weaken protections for communities and the environment.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Ohio Oil & Gas Association (OOGA) represent some of the largest oil and gas companies in the US - including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and Energy Transfer.

In Ohio, oil and gas industry is steering new carbon capture bill Newly obtained public records show that the industry has worked hard to ensure the legislation prioritizes their interests over climate change concerns.

A new investigation by @kmkowalski.bsky.social and @canarymedia.com, with documents obtained by Fieldnotes, reveals a coordinated effort by oil lobbyists to write and introduce carbon capture and storage legislation. www.canarymedia.com/articles/car...

Carbon capture is touted as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions driving human-caused climate change. But public records shared by @fieldnotes.co show oil & gas interests are in the driver's seat shaping Ohio's HB 170.
@canarymedia.com @ejtodaynews.bsky.social
www.canarymedia.com/articles/car...

Senate GOP seeks to reward oil drillers amid deep cuts to wind and solar The Senate version of President Donald Trump’s tax-cutting bill slashes green energy tax credits but contains generous subsidies for petroleum companies that use captured carbon dioxide in oil product...

"Changing the AMT for oil producers was a pillar of AXPC’s internal plan for dismantling Biden-era climate policies, which was disclosed by The Washington Post in October."
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Big Oil encouraged Republicans to nuke the filibuster to get this done.

Here’s API’s Mike Sommers telling Sen. Thune, “We would highly encourage you to look at [the California rule] as an option for the CRA. And we believe that you can do it,” in January: youtu.be/sqtLs3YJ1CU?...

The Death of ESG Some have proclaimed ESG investing dead and buried. But if so, who killed it and why?

In the second episode, the @marketplace.org team dives deep into the web of oil industry players and dark money groups who launched a coordinated, well funded effort to turn ESG investing into a toxic boogeyman, featuring years of research from our team.
www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...

The God Box The religious roots of climate-conscious investing.

Our very own @kellyemitchell.bsky.social is on @marketplace.org's podcast #HowWeSurvive with @amyscott.bsky.social to discuss all things ESG - from the rise of investing to the backlash against it. You can find the first episode here: www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...
Check it out!

Public lands, private profits: Inside the Trump plan to offload federal land Critics warn that the Trump administration’s plan to transfer public lands could enrich wealthy developers while eliminating access for everyone else.

"Fieldnotes found she had systematically concealed public records during her previous time at the Interior, concealing information about her extensive interactions with oil and gas executives." grist.org/accountabili... @loisparshley.bsky.social @gristnews.bsky.social

Nice find by our friends over at documented.net!

cc: @ashleyrparker.bsky.social + @michaelscherer.bsky.social @theatlantic.com

“Doug the Diva” Burgum used a U.S. Park Police helicopter to avoid a 30-40 min drive to Air Force One.

Interior said the helo was necessary bc Burgum “was slated to staff POTUS for a trip over the Gulf of America.”

That trip over the “Gulf of America”? It was to the Super Bowl.

MacGregor at her confirmation hearing this morning: “Sunshine is always important for this committee, and also for the American people to understand how their government is working.”

Last time MacGregor was at Interior she hid public records re: Harold Hamm and other oil heavyweights. 🤔

WEA Thank You for Interior Energy Decisions

Following that, WEA’s then-president and now Trump’s pick to lead BLM, Kathleen Sgamma, sent a note thanking Zinke for suspending the rule. “We wish to specifically recognize the efforts of Kate MacGregor regarding executing on the energy dominance agenda.” www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...

While most records were lost, some notes from a meeting with Hamm were captured in a memo for then-Interior Secretary Zinke. The memo includes grievances the oil industry had with the venting and flaring rule. MacGregor went on to kill the rule and replaced it with a much weaker one.

We put in a FOIA back in *checks watch* 2017 after that meeting b/w MacGregor and domestic oil producers. But after SEVEN YEARS the request could only be partially completed because Docs created could not be accessed and record holders did not comply.

In 2017, MacGregor met with Harold Hamm to discuss the BLM’s venting and flaring rule. Hamm, a major political and financial backer of Trump and chairman of Continental Resources, has fracking interests on public lands and was burning a huge amount of gas… the exact problem targeted by the BLM rule.

MacGregor’s meeting records like notes, briefings and other materials were often stored in Google Docs that were never preserved as federal records, making them unrecoverable by public records officials and therefore preventing the public from ever seeing them.

Dirty Energy Dominates Interior Department Meetings 12-to-1 The best way to get on the Trump administration’s radar is to be an oil, gas or a mining company looking for favors.

As former Hill staff, MacGregor was particularly effective with, shall we say, the *art* of concealing meeting records with oil companies during the first Trump admin. An analysis of her calendar shows she met with fossil fuel interests 12x more than non. www.citizen.org/article/corp...

Utah Governor's Office & Trump Transition Team Comms (Nov. 1 - Dec. 24, 2024)

Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) also recommended MacGregor to the Trump transition team in November 2024 for the top job at Interior because she has proved herself, “very effective at bending the bureaucracy to the administration’s will.” www.documentcloud.org/documents/25...

Recording Reveals Oil Industry Execs Laughing at Trump Access The tape of a private meeting was made shortly after the lawyer for an influential industry group was tapped for a high-level post at the Department of the Interior.

Rising quickly through the ranks in Trump's first term, MacGregor was known to be the go-to for all of the oil & gas industry's needs. In a 2017 closed-door meeting, execs said they knew her “very well” and if there were problems, “We’ll call Kate.” www.politico.com/magazine/sto...

The Oil Industry’s Inside Woman Hid Public Records at Trump’s Interior Fieldnotes is a watchdog group that investigates the oil and gas industry.

Trump's pick for the No. 2 spot at Interior, Kate MacGregor, has her confirmation hearing this morning. Records from our team reveal she *concealed information* regarding oil & gas magnate Harold Hamm and other influential fossil fuel execs. fieldnotes.co/reporting/th...

If states don’t reform their regs, we’ll remain stuck on a treadmill where oil & gas corporations make money from wells as long as they’re profitable—and then stick taxpayers with the bill for cleaning up their mess once they’re not.

One of Interior's grant programs offered funding to states if they made changes to improve their dysfunctional regulatory programs. Now, the Dept. says it’s ending the program in accordance with Trump’s recent executive orders.