POLITICO Energy

Each week, hosts Nirmal Mulaikal and Josh Siegel break down the stories and power players shaping energy politics and policy in the United States and around the world by featuring original interviews with key power players, alongside in-depth reporting and analysis from the largest energy policy newsroom in the world.

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976
Producers question effort to boost low-methane ...
FERC is reviewing a proposal that aims to encourage natural gas producers to trade and transport responsibly sourced natural gas. But producers are worried it could create uneven standards and empower an unnecessary gatekeeper. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse explains.
5 min
977
White House exits trouble environmental justice...
President Joe Biden has put environmental justice at the top of his administration’s green agenda. But, after the resignations of two high-profile White House environmental officials who worked on the administration’s environmental justice goals, activists are concerned the president will fail to deliver on his promises. POLITICO’s Zack Colman explains.
7 min
978
Biden’s offshore wind boost
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced several clean energy actions, including its first auction for offshore wind power leases off New York and New Jersey next month and an initiative to speed the construction of electricity transmission lines to enable new renewable energy projects. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino breaks down those moves.
6 min
979
Newsom’s planned climate spending spree
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed spending $22.5 billion over the next six years on climate-related programs across all state agencies, including $2 billion on clean energy initiatives. POLITICO’s Colby Bermel discusses how this funding could impact the state’s climate programs.
6 min
980
Supreme Court’s ethanol gut punch
On Monday, the Supreme Court delivered a blow to the biofuels industry in its long-running fight to allow the year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino explains the justices’ decision and how it will impact refiners and the ethanol industry moving forward.
7 min
981
BBB’s limbo: a torturous wait for geothermal en...
In the Build Back Better bill, there are billions of dollars that would support a key but relatively unused renewable energy source: geothermal energy. The bill could make the energy source a major contributor to President Joe Biden’s ambitious climate goals, according to supporters. But that’s only if the broader debate over the package doesn’t derail it. POLITICO’s Jonathan Custodio explains.
6 min
982
Hochul’s green energy vision for New York
This week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state’s latest commitments to renewable energy, including increasing offshore wind and barring fossil fuels in new building construction by 2027. POLITICO’s Marie French explains.
6 min
983
Why Germany is rejecting the EU’s nuclear push
Over the weekend, the European Commission recently came out with a proposal that labels some gas and nuclear power plants as green investments. Today, POLITICO EU politics reporter Hans von der Burchard explains why Germany is against the proposal and whether that proposal can survive without German support.
7 min
984
Manchin open to ‘realistic’ climate provisions
On Tuesday, Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who has held up his party from passing their Build Back Better bill, told reporters he was largely on board with the legislation’s climate provisions. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino explains what Manchin’s comments mean moving forward.
5 min
985
New year, same BBB fight
Democrats were unable to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.7 trillion social spending package before Christmas. As Congress enters 2022 with midterm elections looming, POLITICO’s Matthew Choi breaks down what Democrats are hoping to do with the package this year.
5 min
986
The Puerto Rican grid experiment
Puerto Rico’s power grid, which has been devastated by natural disasters and mismanagement, could be revamped using emergency funding from the U.S. federal government. But, as POLITICO’s Gloria Gonzalez explains, clean energy advocates and opponents are divided on how to do that.
6 min
987
From the archives: Humanity’s code red
It’s probably too late for 1.5. On Monday, the UN’s top climate panel released a milestone report on the status of climate change, and according to scientists, it’s very unlikely the world will meet the most ambitious target of limiting global climate change rising 1.5 degrees Celsius. But POLITICO’s Zack Colman says things could still get much worse if bold action isn’t taken.
8 min
988
From the archives: Is clean hydrogen an illusion?
Some scientists looking for clean energy solutions have spent years researching the capabilities of hydrogen. Earlier this month, the Senate included funding for clean hydrogen technologies in hopes that it will be part of America’s net-zero emissions future. But is hydrogen actually net zero? Today, POLITICO’s Matthew Choi explains how complicated this question is.
6 min
989
From the archives: Inside Exxon’s lobbying play...
Earlier this year, Britain’s Channel 4 released an explosive story where a lobbyist for Exxon disclosed what he called the company’s lobbying playbook. According to the lobbyist, the company’s public climate campaign is the opposite of what it pushes senators behind closed doors, and that’s just the beginning. Today, POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre discusses the company’s strategy, and how this revelation could shift the ongoing climate discussions.
6 min
990
From the archives: The alarming Western megadro...
Earlier this summer, about a quarter of the states in the US have been suffering from droughts. Along the west, the dry conditions are creating water shortages and water access crises for cities, agriculture and fishing. And with the planet warming more and more, these droughts are set to get worse. Today, POLITICO’s Annie Snider, on the effects of this year’s droughts for millions in the US now and into the future.
7 min
991
Biden’s plan to tackle lead pipes
On Thursday, the Biden administration unveiled a new mandate to remove all lead pipes from the nation’s drinking water systems. The move also comes as the EPA faced a Thursday deadline for deciding how to approach a 2020 drinking water rule put forward by the Trump administration. POLITICO’s Annie Snider explains.
7 min
992
Will New England’s power luck run out?
While New England has avoided a Texas-style power grid disaster in the past, the region’s grid operator recently said it’s vulnerable to potential fuel constraints this winter. POLITICO’s Catherine Morehouse explains why the region’s power system could be in trouble and the solutions officials are examining.
6 min
993
Why rural communities, inner cities may struggl...
The Biden administration has secured billions of dollars in new federal funding to follow through on its climate and environmental justice promises, but some small and financially strapped communities may struggling to navigate the bureaucracy to get access to that funding. POLITICO’s Zack Colman explains those challenges and how the White House is responding.
7 min
994
EPA’s 2022 To-Do List
Last week, the Biden administration released its energy and conservation priorities for next year under its Unified Agenda. POLITICO’S Alex Guillén explains what the EPA plans for climate regulations in 2022. Annie Snider covers water issues for POLITICO Pro and is the host of POLITICO Energy. Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO Pro. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the interim executive producer of POLITICO’s audio department.
6 min
995
New York’s lofty climate plans
New York's Climate Action Council released an initial draft that outlines how the state can achieve its ambitious emissions reduction mandates through the electrification of buildings, transportation and other sectors. But it leaves major questions unanswered. POLITICO’s Marie French explains.
5 min
996
Dems’ climate plans under the microscope
This week was big for Senate Democrats as move toward to passing their $1.7 trillion dollar social spending plan, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in climate provisions. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino gives an update about Senate Democrats’ meetings with the Senate Parliamentarian and what climate provisions might change as negotiations continue.
6 min
997
Mixed reviews for Biden’s biofuels plan
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency released its long-awaited biofuel blending proposals under the Renewable Fuel Standard. While the Biden administration tried to balance the powerful oil and corn industries, the plan received mixed reactions. POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino explains.
6 min
998
EV tax credit fight, and Tesla under fire
The European Union is lining up against the measure in the Build Back Better reconciliation bill that has drawn criticism from some its automakers, and urging the Senate to scrap the portion of an electric vehicle tax credit that would only benefit union-made EVs. Meanwhile, the SEC is now investigating Tesla for its solar panels. POLITICO’s Tanya Snyder reports.
6 min
999
The secret French LNG connection
Last year, a French energy trader walked away from a U.S. natural gas deal under pressure from the French government, which was concerned about the U.S. gas industry’s environmental record. This year, that same company secretly completed an LNG deal with a Texas company. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre explains why this deal was so hush-hush.
6 min
1000
Defining eco-terrorism
After Andreas Malm spoke on a podcast episode produced by The New Yorker Radio Hour back in October, U.S. law enforcement officials homed in on Malm – a fringe environmental activist who has called for the sabotage of energy pipeline infrastructure. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down Malm’s story, explores the concept of eco-terrorism, and explains how the Biden administration is responding to those threats.
6 min