POLITICO Energy

Barack Obama left the White House as one of the presidents with the best standing with tribal nations. In 2020, Native voters around the country turned out in record numbers for Joe Biden. Now the President-elect wants to further Obama’s legacy, a mission that starts by making a team at the Interior Department that is prepared to work alongside indigenous communities nationwide. POLITICO’s Kelsey...

The General Services Administration finally sent the letter authorizing the start of the transition yesterday evening. But Biden’s team wasn’t just patiently waiting: even before the official letter went out, the transition team announced that it was creating a new special envoy position for climate change, and appointing long-time climate ally John Kerry to it. POLITICO’s Zack Colman on what Kerr...

It’s not just Tesla: from up-and-coming Chinese vehicle giants to transitioning the UK’s car fleet, the global shift to electric vehicles is gaining speed. But to see a massive transition, you still need to see a lot more charging stations on the roads, as well as federal incentives to switch oil-powered cars. Today, POLITICO’s Gavin Bade – on what Joe Biden wants to do to bolster electric cars, a...

The technologies that protect us, move us and power our daily lives require mining minerals and metals in distant places. But access to these essential materials is increasingly under threat. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk with experts who are sounding the alarm. In this chapter, hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath connect the dots and speak with experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Tom Dues...

When Obama ran for president, he knew he would be facing challenges both at home and overseas. But few could  imagine his first term would include a massive offshore oil spill and chasing  diplomats around Copenhagen. POLITICO’s Alex Guillen reports on how the 44th president looks back at the climate and environmental challenges during this period in his recent memoir. Anthony Adragna is an energy...

There’s a lot we don’t know about Joe Biden’s presidency yet, but there are some things he made clear throughout his campaign: he wants a cabinet that “looks like America,” and he wants it to focus on climate change. But environmental and climate issues vary widely depending on the community you’re looking at. Today, POLITICO’s Sustainability reporter Catherine Boudreau, with how a diverse adminis...

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’ve probably heard of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Commonly known as FERC, the agency is the federal body in charge of regulating energy interstate markets, and it is going to play a major role if Biden wants to make meaningful energy transition policy. But as Trump slowly makes his way out the door, the White House has thrown FERC in disarray b...

In the push to make the incoming Biden administration active on climate, environmental groups are moving forth with an ambitious agenda. And among their goals is appointing a Treasury secretary that will think of a different kind of green than its predecessors. POLITICO’s Zack Colman, on what the incoming Treasury Secretary could achieve in the fight against climate change. Anthony Adragna is an e...

For more than 50 years, an oil pipeline has been carrying Canadian fossil fuels to the US through a pipeline that runs right between 2 of the great lakes. But after years of environmental flags, and particularly one very close call, the governor of Michigan decided to remove a state easement that allowed the Line 5 to operate. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre, on the significance of this removal, and how t...

The summer of 2020 was a season of racial reckoning across the country. And the Audubon Society, one of America's biggest bird conservation groups, was no exception. But when the society's CEO heard allegations of a toxic culture that hundreds of his employees faced, the reaction was not exactly what they would have expected. POLITICO's Zack Colman, with an investigation into the culture at the Au...

President-elect Joe Biden is bringing dozens of familiar faces to help him set up the leadership teams in his upcoming administration. POLITICO’s Annie Snider, Alex Guillen, and Eric Wolff, on all the former Obama administration officials now advising Biden. Plus, POLITICO Energy editor Matt Daily, on how Trump’s refusal to cooperate threatens to obstruct Biden’s ability to govern after his inaugu...

Since 2015, Michael Kuperberg has led the government’s team in charge of reporting the impact of climate change. But last week, before the final results on the presidential election were announced, he was removed from his position. POLITICO’s Zack Colman, on how Kuperberg’s removal could impact the climate report. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Zack...

From the Senate majority leader to the president himself, top Republicans continue to struggle to accept Joe Biden’s victory last week. But while court filings and state contests move along, leaders of federal agencies are preparing to make the most of the last two months of power. Today, POLITICO’s Alex Guillen summons 1990s nostalgia to discuss what the EPA could still get through before handing...

Only a day after being announced winner of the 2020 election, president-elect Joe Biden released a full transition website, detailing his administration’s plans and goals. But notably, one word is used in the climate change page more than “climate change” itself: jobs. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre, who predicted this could be the case last week, has more. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLIT...

The pandemic and the rise of China are prompting Republicans and Democrats to turn to government power to grow industries important to America’s security and place in the world. “Industrial policy” is an idea long reviled among Washington policymakers. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to the people trying to make industrial policy cool again. Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations"...

With multiple states still counting their votes, it looks increasingly likely that Democrats could take over the White House but fail to flip the Senate. And while Biden could take action on climate change, a split government would almost certainly neutralize his $2 trillion climate plan. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre, Zack Colman, and Anthony Adragna explore what Democrats could achieve on the climate...

While the eyes of virtually everyone in America were fixated on the election, a longtime Trump promise finally materialized: the US left the Paris Climate Agreement. American diplomats will now be onlookers in the climate negotiations that their predecessors helped establish in the first place, and POLITICO’s Zack Colman reports that getting respect even if the U.S. comes back to the table is goin...

Election night 2020 went exactly the way an election in 2020 would go: by the end of the night, neither candidate had a clear path towards victory, and key states, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, said they will need more time to finish counting. But while we may not know who will be in the White House come January 21, we do know how each presidency would shape the energy and environmental wo...

Months of campaigns, promises, rallies, and debates all lead up to here: millions of Americans are headed to the polls to join their voices to those of nearly a hundred million people who have cast their ballot to elect the next President of the United States. And while the pandemic has taken center stage during the campaign season, 2020 is also the year where climate change, energy, and the envir...

2020 has been a dark year for the oil industry across the world. In the US, smaller oil producers all across the country have packed up and left their wells, as crude prices have sank to unprofitable territories. So far, Exxon and Chevron, have so far been able to survive the worst of the pandemic, but last week, the two companies reported drastic actions aimed at helping them survive the economic...

Once there is a working vaccine, manufacturers across the globe will need to scale up production to produce billions of doses — this means billions of pharmaceutical-grade glass vials, rubber stoppers, packaging and storage and refrigeration. Plus: ensuring the vaccine is available to people the world over. Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath question experts on how different countries are handling ...

Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina. No, it’s not just the states Trump needs to win if he wants to get re-elected, but the states where EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler has been spending quite some time in the last weeks. And according to POLITICO’s Alex Guillen, Wheeler’s disproportionate presence in swing state, and the relevance of some of the announcements, is raising flags from so...

Joe Biden has an aggressive climate agenda. And he also has strong polling both on the national level and in battleground states. And while good polling doesn’t necessarily mean a win, many of the country’s most powerful lobbying firms are preparing to deal with a White House and Congress that would act swiftly on climate, energy, and environmental policy. POLITICO’s Zack Colman and Catherine Boud...

In the final week before the presidential election, the Trump campaign is focusing on Joe Biden's comments about fracking in an attempt to boost support in states like Pennsylvania. Will that strategy pay off? POLITICO’s Zack Colman explains.   Zack Colman is an energy reporter for POLITICO.  Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter and author of Morning Energy. Nirmal Mulaikal is an audio intern for...

In 2016, Donald Trump ran on the promise of loosening environmental regulations that had impacted the American oil industry. But after 4 years of deregulation and scrambled policy making, the oil industry doesn’t think Trump was all that great for business. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre reports. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Ben Lefebvre    is an energy...