Nick has reported on the oil and gas industry for nearly a decade, with his coverage ranging from global economic and geopolitical impacts, to the long list of environmental and societal ills stemming from fracking, to the corrupt political and corporate influence campaigns associated with the industry. He has reported from Washington DC, Appalachia, the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest, and Argentina.
In 2021, Nick received an Honorable Mention for “Outstanding Beat Reporting” (small market) from The Society of Environmental Journalists for his coverage of “Fossil Fuel Resistance in the Pacific Northwest,” a multipart series that explored oil and gas industry efforts to build pipelines, petrochemical facilities, and export projects on the Pacific Coast, and the grassroots and often Indigenous-led resistance movements against them.
Nick is currently a correspondent for Gas Outlook, covering the gas industry and the energy transition in North America. Previously, he was a reporter for DeSmog. His work has also appeared in Oregon Business, Sierra, NACLA, Yale E360, and The Real News Network.
Below is a sample of some of his publications:
2023
“Texas LNG buildout rests on unproven CCS claims,” (February, 20, 2023). Gas Outlook
“Coastal residents fear South Texas LNG buildout,” (February 14, 2023). Gas Outlook
““Cancer Alley”: Louisiana petchems target Black communities,” (February 7, 2023). Gas Outlook
“Louisiana LNG terminals spread pollution on local districts,” (January 31, 2023). Gas Outlook
2022
“Alleging ‘Failures’ to Protect Drinking Water, Coalition Urges EPA to Take Over Ohio Fracking Waste Wells,” (November 18, 2022). DeSmog
“Canada Steps Up Surveillance of Indigenous Peoples To Push Fossil Fuel Pipelines Forward,” (June 17, 2022). DeSmog
“The Most Worrisome Threat to Global Climate Action You’ve Likely Never Heard Of,” (June 13, 2022). Sierra
“Gas Utility Sends Kid-Friendly Activity Books to Oregon Schools,” (May 25, 2022). DeSmog
“Oregon Gas Utility Wants to Bill Customers Millions for Executive Bonuses and ‘Misleading’ Advertising,” (May 9, 2022). DeSmog
“Protests Erupt in Argentina Over Plan for Offshore Oil Drilling,” (February 1, 2022). DeSmog
2021
“EPA Warns of Mountain Valley Pipeline Impact on Streams, Says Project Should Not Receive Water Permit,” (July 14, 2021). DeSmog
“‘Massive’ Methane Leaks Found Coming From Oil and Gas Sites in Europe,” (June 24, 2021). DeSmog
“The Salmon and the Snake,” (May 25, 2021). Oregon Business
“Oregon Utility Using Greenwashing and ‘Renewable Natural Gas’ To Push Back on Potential Gas Bans,” (May 6, 2021). DeSmog
“Argentina’s Illegal Oil and Gas Waste Dumps Show ‘Dark Side’ of Vaca Muerta Drilling, Says Criminal Complaint,” (March 15, 2021). DeSmog
“Exclusive: Whistleblower Accuses Exxon of ‘Fraudulent’ Behavior for Overvaluing Fracking Assets For Years,” (February 2, 2021). DeSmog
“Evidence Shows Oil Industry Flaring in Texas Being Done Without Permits,” (January 29, 2021). DeSmog
“The Stimulus Bill’s Climate Wins Are Significant But Just a Start,” (January 14, 2021). Sierra
“Washington State Considers Climate Impact of Major Petrochemical Plant With ‘Pattern of Influence Peddling,'” (January 12, 2021). DeSmog
2020
“Filling the Void,” (December 15, 2020). Oregon Business
“When Can Pipelines Take Private Land? Jordan Cove LNG Project a Test for Eminent Domain,” (November 24, 2020). DeSmog
“Digging Out,” (November 2, 2020). Oregon Business
“Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline Inches Forward, But Opposition Intensifies,” (August 14, 2020). DeSmog
“Asian LNG Prices Are Way Too Low For U.S. Exporters,” (August 2, 2020). Oilprice.com
“Global Push for LNG Creates ‘Gas Bubble’ That Could Bust,” (July 13, 2020). DeSmog
“With Prospects Souring for Oregon Gas Terminal, an Obscure Group Raises Pressure for State Approval,” (June 18, 2020). DeSmog
“Why Big Oil May Not Recover From the Pandemic,” (May 5, 2020). Sierra
“Argentina’s Failing Fracking Experiment,” (April 29, 2020). NACLA
“Public Ownership of Fossil Fuels a Potential Solution to Multiple Crises, Says New Report,” (April 17, 2020). DeSmog
“Industry Infighting as Oil and Gas Seek Government Help,” (April 1, 2020). DeSmog
“Oil Refineries Face Shutdowns as Demand Collapses,” (March 30, 2020). DeSmog
“Opening Doors,” (February 27, 2020). Oregon Business
“Surviving the Onslaught of Fracking in Argentina,” (February 26, 2020). The Real News Network
2019
“While Talking up Climate Action, Oil Majors Eye Argentina’s Shale Reserves,” (December 19, 2019). DeSmog
“Oil Rush,” (December 17, 2019). Oregon Business
“Argentina Wants a Fracking Boom. The US Offers a Cautionary Tale,” (December 12, 2019). DeSmog
“U.S. Oil Production Slows As Problems Mount For Shale Industry,” (October 2, 2019). The Fuse
“Argentina’s Shale Boom In Jeopardy,” (September 5, 2019). Oilprice.com
“Has US Shale Gas Production Peaked?” (July 30, 2019). Oilprice.com
“Venezuela Faces More Outages As Trump Admin Mulls Escalation,” (July 10, 2019). The Fuse
“Gloomy Investor Sentiment Darkens Outlook For Oil & Gas,” (July 3, 2019). Oilprice.com
“Is This A Turning Point In Libya’s Civil War?” (July 3, 2019). Oilprice.com
“Macri’s Failed Fracking Dreams,” (June 12, 2019). NACLA.org
Nicholas Cunningham (2019). “Fuel Feuds in Mexico,” NACLA Report on the Americas, 51:2, 119-122, DOI: 10.1080/10714839.2019.1617466
“Shale Drillers Keep On Falling Into The Same Trap,” (May 29, 2019). Oilprice.com
“A Fracking-Driven Industrial Boom Renews Pollution Concerns in Pittsburgh,” (March 21, 2019). Yale Environment 360
“Eastern Med Gas: A Source Of Excitement, And Tension,” (February 1, 2019). The Fuse
2018
“López Obrador Pivots on NAFTA,” (October 25, 2018). NACLA.org
“Trump Can’t Put ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Tehran and Keep Gas Prices Low,” (October 23, 2018). Foreign Policy
“U.S. Shale Has A Glaring Problem,” (October 21, 2018). Oilprice.com
“Saudi Arabia Attempts Balancing Act As Oil Market Tightens,” (September 30, 2018). The Fuse
“Is Trump Eyeing A Coup In Venezuela?” (September 27, 2018). Oilprice.com
“Iran Sanctions Are Damaging The Dollar,” (September 18, 2018). Oilprice.com
“Turkey’s Crisis And The Threat To The Oil Market,” (August 16, 2018). The Fuse
“Fueling Elections in Mexico and Brazil,” (April 20, 2018). NACLA.org
“Venezuela’s Oil Meltdown Defies Belief,” (June 6, 2018). Oilprice.com
Nick Cunningham 