The EPA chief wants to recover $20 billion in climate funding
He said that the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to terminate contracts signed by the previous administration for the distribution of $20 billion in grant funds to fund clean energy projects and transportation in disadvantaged areas. In a message on X, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that he would ask the Inspector-General, Congress, and Justice Departments to work together with the agency in order to terminate the contracts with eight regional organizations who were named as financial agents, and rescind the grant money that was awarded under the Biden EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
Pemex CEO: Buyers of Mexican crude oil complain about salt and water content
The CEO of the state energy company Pemex, Victor Rodriguez, said that buyers have complained about the water and salt content in Mexico's crude oil over the last month. When asked by a journalist during her morning press conference if some platforms produced crude oil with higher than usual salt and water contents, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged this but said that it was only temporary. She said, "We do not have problems with Pemex or oil production. Rodriguez, who spoke with Energy Minister Luz E. Gonzalez and the President, said that the company is addressing the problem, adding that "so far, no shipments have rejected".
Reforms to the Mexican oil company Pemex will give it more flexibility in forming partnerships
A bill that was sent to Congress Wednesday will allow Pemex, the state-owned Mexican oil company, to work with private companies. This will ease restrictions imposed by the previous administration. The bill is expected to be passed by a large margin. Pemex can then enter into exploration and extraction contracts with private companies, after these contracts were canceled by the former president Andres Manuel Obrador. In August, just before Lopez Obrador’s successor Claudia Sheinbaum assumed office in October of that year, it was reported that Sheinbaum’s government would seek to restart joint ventures with Pemex to increase its reserves and manage mounting debt.
Clean energy companies pressure US lawmakers to protect subsides
On Wednesday, U.S. clean energy companies will be heading to Capitol Hill to urge Republican legislators not to eliminate lucrative tax credits that are contained in the landmark climate change legislation of former president Joe Biden. Members of Congress of both parties are being met by hundreds of representatives of firms from the solar, wind, and other renewable energy sectors to promote their role in creating employment and investment, as well as lowering electricity prices and meeting the soaring demand for power from data centers. Republican areas have benefitted from the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act since its enactment in 2022…
Senators introduce resolution to repeal Biden methane fees rule
The U.S. Senate Republicans introduced a resolution on Tuesday to overturn Biden's administration's proposed methane emission fee, which was one of the last measures taken by the former Environmental Protection Agency to force oil and gas companies to reduce emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas. The resolution, introduced by Republican Senators John Kennedy from Louisiana and John Hoeven from North Dakota under Congressional Review Act(CRA), allows Congress to overturn new federal rules by a simple majority. It would reverse the escalating charges set by the agency that they have called a "tax".
Senate confirms Chris Wright, a fracking executive, as Trump's Energy Secretary
The U.S. Senate confirmed Chris Wright as President Donald Trump's Energy Secretary on Monday. Wright is a fracking executive. Seven Democrats and an Independent who caucuses alongside Democrats crossed the aisle. Wright, 60 years old, has been the CEO of Liberty Energy, since 2011. He announced that he would step down as soon as the confirmation was received. In a Liberty Energy report published last year, he wrote that he believed climate change caused by humans is real but its dangers are "distant" and "uncertain." He also stated that government policies to combat climate change are doomed to failure. Wright will oversee an agency with a budget of around $50 billion.
Oil industry unlikely rush to Alaska despite Trump’s call for drilling
U.S. companies will not expand their development in Alaska or the Arctic after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that allows them to do so. Industry representatives and company officials said this, pointing out that a future president would be able to reverse Trump's decision. U.S. Oil Production is Already at Record Levels. This is largely due to the increased production of oil in more accessible areas such as Texas and New Mexico. Companies have also limited their spending on new projects, focusing on returning cash to investors. The executive order will reopen vast regions for drilling and mining and speed up permits for projects.
Can Trump reverse Biden's offshore oil drilling ban?
In an executive order issued on Monday, President Donald Trump revoked the ban placed by former Democratic president Joe Biden against new offshore oil-and-gas development along most of America's coasts. Trump will face legal challenges regarding his authority. What did BIDEN and Trump do? Biden used his authority, granted by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1970, to stop oil and gas drilling in federal waters along the East and Western coasts of the United States as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico. He also halted the drilling of portions of the northern Bering sea of Alaska. Biden said that the move was in line with his efforts to fight climate change.
Republican-led states file suit against Biden administration for offshore drilling ban
A group of Republican states filed a suit on Friday to challenge a ban on offshore oil and natural gas development announced earlier this month by the outgoing Democratic U.S. president Joe Biden. According to a court document, the lawsuit is seeking a reversal Biden's prohibition with declaratory and judicial relief. The filing argues that Biden does not have the authority or power to impose a such a restriction and that this authority belongs to the U.S. Congress. Biden's announcement on January 6 was largely symbolic as it won't impact areas where oil-and-gas development is already underway. It will mainly cover zones where drillers don’t have any important prospects.
SLB's Russia business aligns itself with US sanctions as revenues drop
SLB, an oilfield services provider, said on Friday that its current business in Russia aligns with the U.S. sanctioned this month but revenue is declining in Russia. After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, one of only a few Western companies that will remain in Russia is the world's largest oilfield services company. SLB faces pressure to leave Russia following the U.S. Treasury Department's new sanctions on Jan. 10. These included an executive order that cut off Russia’s access to U.S. Services related to the production and extraction of crude oil, and other petroleum products. According to the sanctions, companies have until February 27 to cease operations.
Trump's nominee for Interior supports drilling on federal land
Doug Burgum, the nominee for Secretary of Interior by Donald Trump, will tell Congress during his nomination hearing Thursday that he is committed to maximizing energy production on America's public land and waters. He will call this a key element of national security. The comments are a sign of a policy shift that is about to occur. President Joe Biden tried for years to limit oil and gas drilling in federal waters by reducing federal auctions and prohibiting future development. This was part of his strategy to combat climate change. "Today…
Trump's Energy Department pick calls for increased LNG and nuclear energy
Chris Wright, the nominee of Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Energy Department told U.S. Senators during his confirmation hearing that his top priority was expanding domestic energy production, including liquefied gas and nuclear power. Wright, 60 believes that fossil fuels will end world poverty and is a bigger problem than the "distant threat" of climate change, according to an article he wrote in his capacity as CEO of Liberty Energy, a company providing oilfield services. Protesters interrupted the hearing several times, with one protester…
New York City dismisses climate change lawsuit against Exxon BP Shell
A judge dismissed New York City’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil and BP for misrepresenting their products and commitment to renewable energy, as well as their fight against climate change. Anar Patel, a state Supreme Court justice, ruled on Tuesday that the city cannot claim to have climate-conscious citizens, but then let them down by oil companies who fail to disclose the contribution of their fossil fuels to climate change. Patel found that there was no evidence the oil companies or defendant American Petroleum Institute engaged in "greenwashing", including statements about alternative energy and clean energy, to increase sales of fossil fuels products in the city.
Trump's Energy Department pick calls for more LNG and Nuclear Power
Chris Wright, the nominee of Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Energy Department will tell U.S. Senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that his top priority is increasing domestic energy production, including liquefied gas and nuclear energy. Wright, 59 years old, believes that fossil fuels will end world poverty. This is a bigger problem than the "distant threat" of climate change, according to an article he wrote in his capacity as CEO of Liberty Energy, an oilfield services firm. Wright is in favor of some fossil fuel alternatives. These include small nuclear reactors that are not yet available commercially, as well as geothermal energy.
Brazil president signs law authorizing offshore wind development
A statement released late Friday said that Brazilian President Luiz inacio Lula da Silveira had signed into law the bill authorizing offshore wind farms. The move was made to improve the energy security of the country and spur a wave investment. In a statement, it was stated that the new law provides incentives for the development offshore energy projects within Brazilian territorial waters. The wind speed offshore is usually faster and more stable than the wind speed on land. This could be an advantage over wind farms constructed on a continent.
US issue partial guidance on clean-fuel subsidies, which chastises ethanol producers
The U.S. Government released on Friday short-term guidelines on how companies could secure clean fuel tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, it did not finalize the key details of the program. The biofuels industry is eager to get clarity about the tax credits that are available for fuels which combat climate change. They hope this will allow corn-based fuel ethanol to be used as a feedstock in sustainable aviation fuel. The U.S. Treasury Department released the guidance. It said it provided new details on the criteria fuels must meet to qualify for the subsidy.
Alaska sues Biden Administration over ANWR Leases
The U.S. state of Alaska has sued the Biden administration for what it calls violations of a Congressional directive to allow oil and gas development in a portion of the federal Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).Monday's lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Alaska challenges the federal government's December 2024 decision to offer oil and gas drilling leases in an area known as the coastal plain with restrictions.The lawsuit said curbs on surface use and occupancy make it "impossible or impracticable to develop" 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land the U.S.
Biden Team wraps up expanded Clean Energy Credit Guidance
The Biden Administration released Tuesday guidance to assist companies in securing clean energy tax credits as part of the 2022 Inflation reduction Act. This program finalized a program that extends subsidies previously available for solar and wind to other low-carbon sources. This move is a part of the actions taken by outgoing president Joe Biden to support his administration's efforts to combat climate change. The move could be vulnerable when President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in the coming weeks on a platform that emphasizes cutting spending and maximising fossil fuel production.
Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling before Trump's term
The U.S. president Joe Biden has announced that he will ban all new offshore oil and natural gas development along the majority of U.S. coasts. This is a decision which President-elect Donald Trump who has pledged to increase domestic energy production may find hard to reverse. Biden, according to the White House on Monday, will exercise his authority under 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act in order to protect federal waters along the East and Western coasts of the United States as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico. He will also use this authority to protect portions of Alaska's northern Bering sea.
Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling before Trump's term
The U.S. president Joe Biden has announced that he will ban all new offshore oil and natural gas development along the majority of U.S. coasts. This is a decision which President-elect Donald Trump who has pledged to increase domestic energy production may find hard to reverse. Biden, according to the White House on Monday, will exercise his authority under 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act in order to protect federal waters along the East and Western coasts of the United States as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico. He will also use this authority to protect portions of Alaska's northern Bering sea.
