There’s a tell in Louisiana politics you can’t ignore: when the people who’ve spent years trying to shut down oil and gas start nodding along with you, it’s time to ask why. That’s where John Fleming finds himself on carbon capture and it’s not a good place to be.

This isn’t some abstract policy fight. Carbon capture is quickly becoming one of the largest economic opportunities Louisiana has – tens of billions in investment, thousands of jobs, and a way to keep the backbone of our economy competitive in a world that isn’t backing off energy demands. It’s the kind of thing a serious pro-Louisiana, pro-energy conservative would fight to lead on.

Fleming used to understand that. Now he’s flipped, and the company he’s keeping tells you everything.

The loudest opposition to carbon capture in Louisiana hasn’t come from conservative energy advocates. It’s come from the same network of environmental activists and NGOs that have spent years fighting pipelines, suing to block industrial projects, and pushing policies designed to phase out fossil fuels altogether. These are not neutral actors. They are openly hostile to the industry that built this state. Which makes it more than a little strange that Fleming’s rhetoric now lines up so neatly with theirs.

Take Renee Savant, one of the more visible voices in that orbit. She’s been clear about her disdain for President Trump and his supporters – hardly the profile of someone aligned with the voters Fleming claims to represent. And yet, on carbon capture, they’re effectively pulling in the same direction. That’s not coincidence. It’s convergence and should raise a red flag.

Because when you strip away the misinformation, the stakes here are pretty simple. If Louisiana embraces carbon capture, we secure our place as a global energy leader for decades to come. If we don’t, those projects – and the jobs, tax base, and growth that come with them – don’t just vanish. They go somewhere else. Texas would be happy to take them and overseas competitors are building out their own capacity as fast as they can. Capital doesn’t wait around for political indecision. It moves.