POLITICO Energy

On Thursday, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that federal agencies can conduct narrow environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act for projects they are considering permitting. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the details of the decision and how it will impact legal challenges by environmental groups and Donald Trump’s anti-regulatory agenda. Plus, Tesla and Elon Musk h...

Around 100,000 people in the New Orleans area experienced forced power outages this weekend, prompting reliability questions about the regional grid operator while potentially bolstering the Trump administration’s efforts to keep fossil fuel plants running. POLITICO’s Cat Morehouse breaks down what happened in New Orleans and how this impacts the Trump administration’s fossil fuel ambitions. Plus,...

President Donald Trump signed four executive orders recently aimed at boosting America’s nuclear industry. POLITICO’s Cat Morehouse breaks down the details and impact of those orders, along with the challenges ahead for the industry. Plus, EU countries are considering demanding that Brussels revisit the methane emission rules being swept into trade negotiations with the U.S., according to a docume...

POLITICO Energy reporter James Bikales sits down for an extended interview with Gerard Barron, CEO and Chair of The Metals Company, which is widely considered the most advanced deep sea mining company in the world. They discuss the Trump administration’s deep sea mining ambitions, the economic and geopolitical challenges to the industry, the criticisms from Democrats and countries around the world...

House Republicans passed their megabill Thursday, taking a sledgehammer approach to the clean energy portions in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, going further than expected in the final text. POLITICO’s James Bikales and Kelsey Tamborrino break down the energy details of the bill, the reaction on and around the Hill, and what’s next in the reconciliation process. Plus, the Senate voted Thursda...

Republicans are divided over how to confront China's clean energy dominance in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” megabill, complicating negotiations and causing an intra-party rift. POLITICO's Zack Colman breaks down the Republican clean-energy feud and how it’s shaping their reconciliation package. Plus, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said more than $3 billion in...

House Republicans’ reconciliation package could undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to create a domestic supply chain for critical minerals and outcompete China. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down the different ways the package could impact U.S. production of critical minerals. Plus, Senate Republicans will move this week to undo California’s vehicle emission waivers, and the Trump admini...

Dozens of rank-and-file Republicans like Arizona Representative Juan Ciscomani are facing a difficult decision: resist the party’s efforts to gut the Inflation Reduction Act as part of their reconciliation package or incur the wrath of their constituents who are economically benefiting from the law. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down how Ciscomani, a rising star in the GOP who holds one of the m...

President Donald Trump could more closely align the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with his energy agenda by nominating a new agency commissioner to fill an open seat. POLITICO’s Cat Morehouse breaks down who Trump is rumored to be considering for the vacancy and how this new commissioner could make FERC more fossil-fuel oriented. Plus, the Interior Department on Friday asked for public comm...

The National Weather Service is rushing to fill hundreds of positions throughout the country ahead of the looming hurricane season, prompting concerns that the federal government has too few experts to help prepare for weather disasters. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down the staffing challenges at the NWS and how the administration is responding. Plus, the Trump administration is probing more tha...

House Republicans aim to repeal and phase out major energy portions of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ climate law, as part of President Donald Trump’s megabill. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and James Bikales break down what House Republicans are proposing, the potential impacts, reaction from the Senate and green groups, and the timeline for this legislation. Plus, the Trump administration...

One of the largest offshore wind energy projects in the United States could be cancelled in the coming days unless the Trump administration lifts its stop-work order – potentially the first big casualty in President Donald Trump’s war against America’s offshore wind energy industry. Ben Storrow from POLITICO’s E&E News breaks down why the company backing the project, Equinor, is considering cancel...

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was fired recently and replaced by a Trump administration official with no disaster response experience — a leadership change that comes less than a month before hurricane season begins. Thomas Frank from POLITICO’s E&E News breaks down FEMA’s leadership shakeup and what it means for disaster recovery efforts. Plus, it’s a big day for Republicans...

President Donald Trump’s energy ambitions are running into a familiar obstacle: OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down how OPEC’s actions will simultaneously help and hurt the president’s energy agenda and what to expect from his Middle East trip this week. Plus, fifteen attorneys general of Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging President Donald Trump’...

When the House Natural Resources Committee approved its portion of Republicans’ reconciliation package earlier this week, it also pushed through a controversial, last-minute amendment that could threaten party support for the sweeping measure. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and James Bikales break down the behind-the-scenes of what happened and why it could upend Republicans’ reconciliation efforts. Plus,...

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company has been spewing pollution into South Memphis without federal permits for several months, triggering public outcry and questions about the development of AI infrastructure across the country. Ariel Wittenberg from POLITICO’s E&E News breaks down the controversy along with the climate, public health and tech implications. Plus, Energy Secretary Chris Wrig...

A coalition of nearly 20 Democratic states sued the Trump administration this week over its moves to block onshore and offshore wind energy projects. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down the details of the case, the impact on the industry and what’s next in this fight. Plus, the Senate on Tuesday approved a Congressional Review Act measure targeting a recent EPA update to pollution rules for r...

The Trump administration made two moves recently to sharply shrink EPA and potentially decimate some of the nation’s most critical environmental work. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down the administration’s latest efforts targeting EPA and the potential backlash. Plus, a coalition of nearly 20 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration to overturn its executive order blocking fede...

Congressional Republicans are struggling to agree on how deeply they should cut the clean energy tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, and their internal battle is complicating the party’s effort to pass President Donald Trump’s main legislative priority: a mega budget reconciliation bill. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel, Kelsey Tamborrino and James Bikales break down what this internal squabble i...

This week, the House voted to undo three federal waivers that let California set strict vehicle pollution standards, setting up a fight in the Senate that could restrict California’s nation-leading climate authority and the auto industry at large. POLITICO’s Alex Nieves breaks down why Republicans are targeting these waivers, the uncertain outcome in the Senate, and the potential implications on m...

The Trump administration is considering creating a sovereign risk insurance program for energy projects, along with a sovereign wealth fund. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre breaks down the administration’s thinking on the topics, how it compares to other policies around the world, and the potential challenges ahead. Plus, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced the nominations of two no...

The Trump administration has dismissed all of the scientists working on the newest version of the National Climate Assessment, the most important climate science report issued by the federal government. Scott Waldman from POLITICO’s E&E News breaks down why these firings happened, how they might impact the report’s future and the Trump administration’s broader plans. Plus, Interior Department staf...

Republican lawmakers are considering making major changes to the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act as part of their party-line budget reconciliation package. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel, James Bikales and Kelsey Tamborrino break down the three ways Republicans could modify the credits. Plus, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin laid out his plans for addressing the country's sprawling PFA...

Lawyers for the Trump administration knew they faced significant legal risks when they froze $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants, according to internal government emails exclusively obtained by POLITICO. Alex Guillén breaks down how the administration had internal legal qualms about its public push to regain control of the already-distributed funding. Plus, POLITICO scooped that former FERC Co...

Billions of dollars in clean energy investments funded by the private sector have been pulled back under President Donald Trump, according to a new report out this week from a national clean energy business group. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down the takeaways from the report and how the impact is mostly felt in Republican districts and states. Plus, unexpected shutdowns of large data cent...