POLITICO Energy

In the 21st century, technological developments have allowed America to develop its fossil fuel market and become a major player as a natural gas exporter, while market forces are pushing coal into extinction. And now, climate change is forcing many developed economies to transition into green energy. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre talked to Pulitzer prize-winning author Dan Yergin about the future of th...

Despite resistance from the energy sector, the Waxman-Markey bill’s cap and trade bill made it to the Senate 11 years ago. But the bill, which proposed a market-based approach to climate change policy, ultimately died on the Senate floor. Today, POLITICO’s Zack Colman explains why the chiefs of some of the energy companies that opposed cap and trade now want the government to go down a similar rou...

After years of paying to recover from massive natural disasters, cities and states want to send the bill to who they see  as the main culprits of climate change: big oil companies. POLITICO’s Alex Guillen, on why lawsuits against fossil fuel giants are racking up nationwide, and which court may take up these cases. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Ale...

The 2020 election is proving to be extremely competitive up and down the ballot. In Iowa, the president is holding a narrow lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden, while GOP senator Joni Ernst is also in a tight race to hold a seat that could determine which party controls the Senate. And yesterday, the EPA announced it would side with corn producers in the battle for biofuel exemptions, a move th...

As Energy secretary, Rick Perry spent much of his time trying to open the Ukrainian energy market to American natural gas exports. But new reporting says he was also trying to help out some friends in the energy sector. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre explains. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Ben Lefebvre    is an energy reporter for POLITICO.Carlos Prieto i...

In the span of 9 months, some of America’s biggest threats have all converged at once: a pandemic that’s killed nearly 200,000 people, a crumbling economy, and natural disasters boosted by climate change that are ravaging every corner of the country. And in searching for solutions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a host of progressive organizations believe the only way to fix these proble...

Earlier this week, another federal government agency released a clear warning on the risks of climate change. In a massive bipartisan report, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission warned the climate crisis could fundamentally shake the American financial system. POLITICO’s Zack Colman got its hands on the report before anyone else, and he explains how it could reshape financial regulators’ resp...

Since winning the presidency, Donald Trump and his top officials have promised oil companies they would deliver on rolling back limits on offshore drilling. But yesterday, the president seemed to change his tune, signing a memorandum limiting drilling off the coast of some states that have become essential for his re-election campaign. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre, on why the president reversed course,...

Monstrous robots to sort through recycling, school buses that double as gigantic batteries… states around the country are leading the way with ambitious projects to reach climate goals. But what do these green projects look like? POLITICO’s Lorraine Woellert, Nancy Vu, Sam Maldonado, and Debra Kahn explain these innovative solutions. Carlos Prieto is a podcast producer at POLITICO. Lorraine Woelle...

For years, US foreign policy has relied heavily on sanctioning countries to get the Trump administration’s desired outcome. But can America’s inflexibility end up breaking decades-long ties with important allies? And how might the poisoning of a Russian opposition figure shake up the fight? POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre, on how the aggressive push to keep Nord Stream 2 from happening could end up hurtin...

A big company allegedly bribes some politicians in order to get a massive bailout for two nuclear power plants. Nope, it’s not the plot of the next Mission Impossible, it’s what the FBI says happened in Ohio in a scheme that involves the state’s largest energy company. POLITICO’s Eric Wolff, with the rest of the plot, and the fallout from the charges against former state House Speaker, Larry House...

For decades, the US Chamber of Commerce has primarily fought to get Republicans in power to keep a business-friendly government. But in 2020, the lobbying group is looking to hedge their bets and back some Democratic candidates, even if it means breaking with some in the oil industry. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and Zack Colman, on how the Chamber is picking their endorsements, and how they are rattli...

Joe Kennedy was born in 1980, a month before Ed Markey won his third Congressional race. Today, Massachusetts Democrats will choose which of them will represent the party in the Senate race this November. POLITICO’s Zack Colman, on how environmentalists are playing a major role this primary battle. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Zack Colman is an en...

The Trump administration has so far notched a mixed record on the environment. Federal agencies, including the EPA and the Interior Department, have moved swiftly on deregulation, but have struggled in the courts, where California has led the charge against most of the federal government’s actions. POLITICO’s Alex Guillen looks at the greater picture, and how the state has fared in its dozens of e...

This month, the White House pulled William Perry Pendley’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Yet, despite knowing he wouldn’t be confirmed in the Senate, Pendley is still running the agency. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and Kelsey Tamborrino [CUE THIS COMMA], on how Senate approval could not just threaten Pendley’s impacts at the agency, but set a dangerous precedent across the federal...

As if a pandemic wasn’t enough, 2020 has already been filled with historic natural disasters: massive wildfires in California, hurricanes on the gulf coast, and huge storms in the Midwest. POLITICO’s Zack Colman, on what we know, and what we don’t, about how climate change relates with these catastrophes. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Zack Colman i...

Mortgage lenders and big banks can find out if a house is at risk of flooding, and they can hide that info from buyers. But now, a new tool from Realtor.com is letting millions of people find out whether their dream home is at risk of flooding. Bye bye, Hawaiian beach house? POLITICO’s Zack Colman, on the challenges that Realtor.com’s latest update will pose for the housing market. Anthony Adragna...

Louisiana and Texas are preparing for a week of potential devastation, with a storm about to make landfall and another gaining strength as it heads toward the coast. But, up to this point, unlike previous years, big storms are not yet translating in higher oil and gasoline prices. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre explains what the unusual one-two storm punch may mean for the oil industry. Anthony Adragna i...

For decades, environmentalists and conservatives have been on opposite sides of most issues, especially when it comes to exploiting natural resources. But it seems like the Alaskan salmon can forge even the most unlikely of alliances, and the complaints of influential Republicans may have convinced the Trump administration to consider shutting the door on Pebble Mine. POLITICO’s Zack Colman and Al...

For more than a week, an intense heatwave has been deepening California’s already flaming summer. The dangerously high temperatures not only have forced many of the state’s power companies to set rolling blackouts, but have also sparked wildfires in nearly every corner of the state. Photographer Stuart Palley paints the picture from the line of fire, and POLITICO’s Colby Bermel explains what is ha...

While the Democratic National Convention takes on TV screens for just a couple of evening hours this week, behind the scenes, delegates are working around the clock to set the party’s platform. But when drafting the platform on climate, someone within the party removed language calling for the end of subsidies for fossil fuels. What’s going on with that fight and who’s most angry about it? POLITIC...

Since taking office, President Trump has struggled to strike a balance with two key Republican groups: corn farmers and oil refiners. They're at odds over how much ethanol should be blended into the fuel. And less than three months before the election with farmers critical to the GOP base, the importance of striking a balance is ever more important, especially after Iowa, a state huge in corn and...

For 60 years, Alaska’s wildlife has had thousands of miles to roam away from any human contact at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But once oil was found under the refuge, a fight started to allow for some drilling and production. And yesterday, oil producers scored a big win when the Interior Department officially opened parts of the refuge for business. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre explains. Anth...

The Bureau of Land Management is in charge of the federally-owned public lands, including America’s national parks and protected outdoors. But that’s a mission that the agency’s top official has openly advocated against, and ultimately his long, long record on this was a bridge too far for his Senate nomination to be successful. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre and Anthony Adragna, on the fallout of the Wh...

In recent years, the Arctic and the North Pole have gotten increasing attention due to Russia and China’s ambitious moves in the region. Now, the U.S. Energy Department is opening an office in Alaska to further research on the impacts of climate change and energy production. POLITICO’s Sarah Cammarata explains. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO.Carlos Prieto is a Politico podcast...