Friday, November 22, 2024

Congress News

Edison CEO: US utilities want Trump and Republicans to save the inflation act

Pedro Pizarro said that the U.S. Utility Industry wants the incoming Trump Administration and the Republican-led Congress in Congress to maintain clean energy and EV Tax Credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. The 2022 IRA is a law that contains hundreds of billions in subsidies for clean power and was signed by outgoing president Joe Biden to combat climate changes. Donald Trump, the president-elect and climate skeptic who will be taking office, has pledged to repeal it. This would require Congress' support. Pizarro, a former board chair of the industry trade group Edison Electric Institute who was recently replaced…

Mexico will extend $6.7 billion in debt to Pemex to pay for its debts by 2025

A budget proposal released on Friday showed that the Mexican government plans to transfer 136 billion Pesos (6.69 billion dollars) to Pemex, the state-owned oil company. This will help Pemex to pay its debts and repay loans. Pemex's financial liabilities of $97.3 billion include debt payments on bonds of almost $9 billion. Rating agencies have criticized Pemex for its dependence on government assistance to stabilize its finances. Claudia Sheinbaum took office as president in October. She has stated that the government will continue supporting Pemex, and CFE, a state-owned utility, because of their important role.

Devon Energy expects US crude oil to be priced between $60 and $80 per barrel in the near future

The benchmark U.S. WestTex Intermediate (WTI), crude oil, will be $60-$80 a barrel for the foreseeable future. This was what Devon Energy's Chief Executive Officer told attendees of an energy conference held in Dallas on Tuesday. This price forecast falls within the range of U.S. crude oil prices that have been traded throughout the majority of this year. On Wednesday, it settled at $68.43 per barrel. Richard Muncrief, CEO of Devon in Oklahoma City, said that crude demand will grow modestly by 2025, compared with 2024. He was speaking at a conference organized by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas & Kansas City.

US oil industry calls on Trump to abandon Biden's climate policies

The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry on Tuesday called for President-elect Donald Trump's revocation of many policies implemented by President Joe Biden to combat climate change. They said the measures threatened jobs, consumer choices and energy security. The American Petroleum Institute, the nation's largest oil and gas trade association, has urged the incoming Trump administration to remove vehicle emission standards designed to encourage the auto industry to make more electric vehicles. It also urged Trump to lift the pause on liquefied gas export permits and work with Congress on repealing a fee for methane emissions during drilling operations.

US oil industry calls on Trump to abandon Biden's climate policies

The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry on Tuesday called for President-elect Donald Trump's revocation of many policies proposed by President Joe Biden to combat climate change. They said the measures threatened jobs, consumer choices and energy security. The American Petroleum Institute, the nation's largest oil and gas trade association, has urged the incoming Trump administration to remove vehicle emission standards designed to encourage the auto industry to make more electric vehicles. It also urged Trump to lift the pause on export licenses for liquefied gas facilities, and to work with Congress to eliminate a fee on drilling methane emissions.

As Biden's term ends, the US introduces a methane tax on gas and oil emitters.

The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden finalized on Tuesday a fee for large oil and gas companies to reduce emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas. However, the incoming Trump presidency is likely to scrap the fee. The methane tax is one of the last measures taken by the administration to combat the second most common greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide. This gas tends to leak undetected into the atmosphere from drilling sites, gas pipes and other oil and natural gas equipment. The fee will be $900 per metric tonne of methane emissions in 2024. It will increase to $1200 in 2025 and to $1500 in 2026.

The US climate envoy said that work would continue despite Trump’s return

John Podesta, U.S. Climate Envoy, urged governments on Monday to believe in the promise of the United States to combat global climate change. He said Donald Trump could slow down, but not stop the transition away from fossil fuels, when he returns to the White House in January. The annual U.N. Climate Summit began Monday in Baku in Azerbaijan. Many country delegations were concerned that Trump's win in the U.S. Presidential election on November 5 would hamper progress in limiting planetary warming. Trump has pledged to remove the United States from international climate agreements…

Oil drops as US storm threat subsides, China's stimulus disappoints

The oil prices continued to fall on Monday, as investors disappointed by China's stimulus program and the threat of disruptions in supply from a storm in the United States. Oil prices continued to fall on Monday as the threat of a supply disruption from a U.S. storm eased and after China's stimulus plan disappointed investors seeking fuel demand growth in the world's No. Brent crude futures fell 31 cents or 0.4% to $73.56 a bar by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures were down 38 cents or 0.5% at $70 a bar. Last Friday, both benchmarks dropped more than 2%.

European clean energy stocks fall as Trump wins the presidency

After Donald Trump's election as president of the United States on Wednesday, shares in European clean-energy groups plunged. Investors were worried about a possible dismantling by the United States of its support for renewables. Trump pledged to cancel offshore wind projects via an executive order his first day of office, and roll back climate regulations that were implemented by President Joe Biden. This includes withdrawing from the Paris Agreement where countries commit to limit global heating and possibly undoing Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act which provides massive incentives and subsidies to clean energy technologies.

TotalEnergies executive: Trump unlikely to undo Biden’s IRA climate law

TotalEnergies, a French oil company, does not believe Donald Trump will pull the U.S. from the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and undo the Inflation Reduction Act legislation if he becomes president of the United States again. This was stated by the strategy director on Monday. Aurelien Hamelle said this while presenting Total’s energy outlook, which forecasts global demand scenarios up to 2050. The current trends scenario of the company does not also project a lifting by the U.S. government of its current ban on new LNG export facilities.

What are the differences between Trump and Harris' energy policies?

Both Donald Trump, a Republican, and Kamala Harrias are Democrats. They both want to increase production while keeping prices low for consumers. The main difference is that Harris wants to favor clean energy technologies that are crucial in fighting climate change. Trump, on the other hand, would roll back green regulations which hinder oil and coal drilling. Next Tuesday, voters in the United States will have to face the same contrast as they head to the polls to elect their next president. Scientists say that global climate efforts are failing to address the speed and magnitude of global warming.

US lawmakers question the SLB of oil service companies' exemption from Russian sanctions

Dozens U.S. Both political parties sent representatives to urge the Biden administration on strengthening sanctions against Russian oil shipments. They also questioned the exception granted to SLB, the largest oilfield service company in the world to operate within the country. The U.S., Europe and other countries have been trying to reduce Moscow's revenue from energy for the fight against the war since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This led several oilfield services companies to leave Russia, but SLB remained in the country and helped keep Russian oil flowing.

Mexican officials reassure investors at bilateral business summit

Mexican officials called for safety and stability of private investment after a summit held with business leaders on Tuesday. Fears about constitutional reforms were the main topic. According to Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Amazon, Mexico Pacific and Woodside Energy will make significant investments into the country over the next 12 months. The summit, which is held every year but was of particular significance this year as it coincided with the first few weeks of the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum, attracted close to 250 senior executives. Ebrard stated, "The messages of President Sheinbaum were assurance and certainty." "Investments in Mexico will be safe.

Colombian electoral authority asks for investigation into Petro campaign funding

In a press release, the National Electoral Council of Colombia (CNE), said that it had requested an investigation of the election campaign for 2022 of President Gustavo Petro due to alleged violations of funding limits. The majority of nine magistrates approved an investigation of Petro and Ricardo Roa who is the current chief executive officer of Colombia's largest state-owned energy firm, Ecopetrol. The decision to conduct an investigation comes after Petro, Colombia’s first leftist President, warned about a alleged plot against him, or to remove him from office through the courts.

Biden Administration spending climate cash quickly as Trump threatens cancel it

If Donald Trump wins the Nov. 5 presidential election, he has promised to cancel all funds that have not been spent from President Joe Biden’s climate law. Biden administration officials say that the majority of the grants will have been spent by January when a new President takes office. Targeting what is left would be a huge legal challenge. Biden Administration officials say that the administration has so far awarded $90 billion to climate, clean-energy, and other projects under the 2022 inflation reduction act. This is 70% of the roughly $120 billion of climate grant money available and more than 80% of the amount made available by the law before 2025.

How Trump will try to undo Biden's environmental legacy

© assetseller / Adobe Stock

Donald Trump, the presidential hopeful, has outlined an energy policy that focuses on maximizing U.S. power and fuel output. This includes dismantling Biden's main efforts to combat climate change. The Republican campaign for the former president has stated that President Joe Biden's efforts in supporting the adoption of electric cars while reducing the use of gas and coal poses a threat to the country's power grid during a time when energy demand is soaring. They have promised changes to ease permits for new power stations and remove barriers to fossil fuel production. Ironically, during Biden's term the United States became the top oil and gas producer in the world.

US mineral projects close down government loans in fear of Trump

U.S. battery and miner recyclers have been rushing to close billions-dollar government loans before January, out of fear that the former president Donald Trump, if elected, would block funding necessary to boost American production of vital minerals for energy transition. The falling prices of lithium, nickel, and other minerals this year, along with lower than expected EV sales have scared private financiers. This has put the conservative mining industry into an unusual position, where it needs Washington's help to grow, and counter what is perceived by the West as China's manipulation of the market.

US Court of appeals overturns Biden's tip wage rule

A U.S. court of appeals on Friday overturned a rule that President Joe Biden’s administration had adopted to increase the pay of tipped employees. The court cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision which curtailed federal agencies’ ability to issue regulations. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, located in New Orleans, is composed of a three-judge panel. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with two restaurant industry groups unanimously in finding that the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2021 rule violated federal labor laws. No immediate comment was made by the Labor Department.

The policy uncertainty highlighted by the rise in US executives' election talk

U.S. executives are more concerned about the presidential election this year than they were four years ago. A wider policy divide between Donald Trump and Kamalah Harris raises concerns over taxes, tariffs, and pricing power. According to a LSEG Workspace screen on S&P 500 companies, mentions of the "election" and "White House" in earnings calls were 34% more than they would have been for the corresponding period of 2020. According to a separate FactSet analysis, tariffs, trade, and the Inflation Reduction Act were the top policy topics discussed by companies that cited "elections".

Offshore Energy Production & the World Economy

Copyright NickEyes/AdobeStock

As the price of gas continues to seemingly hold steady at around three dollars a gallon, the pocketbooks of Americans continue to suffer. Regretfully, due to global conflict and the outbreak of wars across Europe and the Middle East, oil prices are continuing to climb upwards, troubled by geopolitical conflict and fears of a potential shutdown of international oil and gas fields.Thankfully, the United States has long been blessed with tremendous sources of domestic energy that, if properly utilized, can protect us from suffering a similar energy-reliance disaster as experienced in Europe.