Senate Republicans narrowly passed their version of President Donald Trump’s party-line reconciliation package on Tuesday, bringing the party closer to executing a key part of the president’s domestic agenda and transforming America’s energy policy. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel, James Bikales and Kelsey Tamborrino break down how the Senate finally passed its version of the bill, the impact on the clean energy industry, and what’s next in the reconciliation process. Josh Siegel is an energy reporter fo...
Jul 02, 2025•12 min
A record-breaking heat wave strained the U.S. power grid last week, highlighting the risks of rising electricity demand and extreme weather. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down how the grid held up and the Trump administration’s plans for future heat waves. Plus, the Energy Department and FERC proposed slashing current environmental analysis procedures based off of the current National Environmental Policy Act on Monday and replacing them with new, more limited procedures. Zack Colman covers clim...
Jul 01, 2025•10 min
The Trump administration is giving seven Western states until November to agree on how to share the Colorado River — or face federal intervention. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down the administration’s ultimatum, why the states that share the river haven’t solved this issue, and what’s next in this saga. Plus, the Department of Energy didn't ensure enough staff or risk controls were in place to handle a high-profile $8 billion hydrogen program, the agency's inspector general office said in a n...
Jun 30, 2025•11 min
The Trump administration is proposing steep cuts to the Department of Energy’s network of national research laboratories, which have powered U.S. scientific and technological breakthroughs for decades. POLITICO’s Brian Dabbs breaks down how President Trump wants to reshape the system andwhat it means for the future of U.S. science and energy innovation. Also, the Trump administration has given the seven Western states that share the Colorado River less than five months to reach a deal on how to ...
Jun 27, 2025•11 min
Experts are warning that some of President Donald Trump’s executive actions could undermine his goal of getting wildfires in the United States under control. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down why wildfires are getting worse in the country, Trump’s wildfire prevention strategy, and the pushback. Plus, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee is not backing down from his effort to sell public lands in the GOP megabill, according to new draft text obtained by POLITICO. Zack Colman covers...
Jun 26, 2025•11 min
Hill Republicans are eager to get their reconciliation mega bill to President Donald Trump’s desk by July 4th. But the Senate parliamentarian has deemed large sections of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s portion of the bill in violation of reconciliation budget rules. POLITICO’s James Bikales digs into the measures deemed prohibited, what comes next and what this setback means for the GOP’s “energy dominance” plans. Plus, an EPA staff union has filed a Hatch Act complaint claiming th...
Jun 25, 2025•9 min
The United States’ attack on Iranian nuclear facilities late Saturday caused a global oil price spike — but it hasn’t lasted. Prices have tumbled after Iran’s strikes on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq. POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre explains these price fluctuations and what it all means for President Donald Trump’s low energy cost promises. Plus, New York governor Kathy Hochul is directing the state’s power authority to build a new nuclear power plant stat, giving NY more renewable energy options...
Jun 24, 2025•8 min
The second Trump administration is rejecting the GOP’s long-held “all of the above” energy mantra and going all in on fossil fuels and nuclear power — while opposing renewable energy sources like wind and solar. The person tasked with making that plan reality is Jarrod Agen, executive director of President Donald Trump’s newly created National Energy Dominance Council. POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns joined Agen at the POLITICO Energy Summit to learn how the administration plans to...
Jun 23, 2025•30 min
The Trump administration lost a court battle this week in its attempt to roll back hundreds of millions of dollars in climate funding issued by the Biden administration. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down that ruling, along with the other legal and political fights over Biden-era climate funding. Plus, the Supreme Court came to opposite conclusions in two separate but related cases over the proper venues for legal challenges to EPA actions. Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Nirma...
Jun 20, 2025•9 min
The Senate Finance Committee released its portion of the GOP’s megabill this week, softening House lawmakers’ cuts to the nation’s clean energy tax credits. The proposal likely will spark weeks of debate within the party and could jeopardize the Senate’s self-imposed deadline for passing the bill. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and Kelsey Tamborrino break down what the Senate proposed, how it compares to the House’s version and what’s next in the megabill battle. Plus, President Donald Trump nominated K...
Jun 18, 2025•10 min
Five months into President Donald Trump’s second term, federal workers told POLITICO that a combination of budget cuts, work stoppages and uncertainty have left the government unprepared to respond to disasters and halted key scientific research. POLITICO’s Zack Colman breaks down how energy-related agencies are struggling to function. Plus, President Donald Trump has terminated Commissioner Christopher Hanson from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Zack Colman covers climate change for POLITICO...
Jun 17, 2025•10 min
President Donald Trump recently revoked California's ability to enforce its nation-leading clean-car rules. But how much is California to blame and what recourse does it have? POLITICO’s Debra Kahn breaks down what happened, how a former top California official is responding, and what’s next in this saga. Plus, the Trump administration proposed its first biofuel blending mandates on Friday, increasing volumes over the next two years to record levels, but leaving open questions over exemptions fr...
Jun 16, 2025•9 min
The Trump administration’s proposed rule effectively frees power plants from climate regulation of any kind and will almost certainly invite legal challenges. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down how EPA is justifying this rule, the pushback from critics, and how an eventual legal fight could help determine whether the federal government can regulate climate pollution from any sector. Plus, President Donald Trump on Thursday moved to eliminate California’s nation-leading vehicle emissions standar...
Jun 13, 2025•13 min
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday it would repeal a historic regulation that places federal limits on climate pollution from power plants, effectively killing the Biden administration’s most ambitious regulatory effort aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the repeal and how it will impact efforts to fight climate change. Plus, EPA also announced it was repealing a separate regulation to curb mercury pollution, and the Transportatio...
Jun 12, 2025•10 min
POLITICO Energy host Josh Siegel sits down for an interview at the POLITICO Energy summit with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. They discuss why Heinrich thinks the Republicans’ party-line reconciliation package could cost the GOP politically in the next election, how Democrats can change the party’s narrative on oil and gas, permitting reform, FERC’s future, Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s performance and more. Plus, here...
Jun 11, 2025•20 min
As the Trump administration and congressional Republicans try to pull back federal support for climate technologies, carbon capture has mostly avoided the GOP onslaught. POLITICO’s Debra Kahn breaks down how carbon capture has largely dodged GOP attacks and why the technology hits close to home for House Speaker Mike Johnson in her latest Currents column. Plus, a top Interior Department official said he expects the seven states that share the Colorado River to strike an agreement on a new long-t...
Jun 10, 2025•10 min
Elon Musk’s public squabble with President Donald Trump comes as Republicans debate their mega reconciliation bill, which would almost certainly hurt Tesla’s lesser-known solar and battery division. POLITICO’s Matt Daily breaks down how that Tesla division could get caught in Republicans’ crosshairs. Plus, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rule stating it will not consider electric vehicles when writing fuel economy regulations. This episode has been updated to correct ...
Jun 09, 2025•10 min
The auto industry’s powerful trade group is publicly silent about Republicans’ megabill because of internal divisions, even as the Senate considers major rollbacks to a number of tax credits benefiting the industry that have prompted billions of dollars in investments. POLITICO’s James Bikales breaks down why the lobbying group hasn’t taken a public position and where the Senate stands on those credits. Plus, Americans' support for expanding renewable energy is dropping under the second Trump ad...
Jun 06, 2025•11 min
The White House and the Government Accountability Office are at odds over the Trump administration’s decision to pause funding for the national electric vehicle charging program, which puts $5 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law toward building EV chargers across the country. POLITICO’s Matt Daily breaks down the fight and how the pause is impacting states that were receiving funds from the program. Plus, the Congressional Budget Office forecasted the tax and spending package House Re...
Jun 05, 2025•9 min
After House Republicans passed their version of President Donald Trump’s "big beautiful” reconciliation bill last month, an important energy question has emerged: How far will the Senate go to save the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act? POLITICO’s Josh Siegel and Kelsey Tamborrino break down where the Senate stands on the IRA clean energy credits and the timeline for the reconciliation process. Plus, the Trump administration quietly sent the nomination of energy attorney La...
Jun 04, 2025•10 min
President Donald Trump announced the nitty-gritty details of his budget proposal to Congress on Friday, which included slashing EPA’s budget by 55 percent. POLITICO’s Alex Guillén breaks down the proposed cuts, the timeline of the budget process, and why there may be disagreements within the Republican party. Plus, the Trump administration is also seeking to slash funding for the Energy Department and the Department of Interior. Josh Siegel is the host of POLITICO Energy and a congressional ener...
Jun 03, 2025•11 min
Today, POLITICO Energy host Cat Morehouse sits down for an extended interview with Matt Christiansen, the former general counsel to multiple chairs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. During his tenure, Christiansen was deeply involved in hundreds of FERC proceedings over the years, including the creation of landmark - and often controversial - rules. They discuss FERC’s biggest successes and challenges along with what’s ahead for the agency under the second Trump administration. Nirmal...
Jun 02, 2025•27 min
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 have criticized the Republican megabill for gutting the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Red...
May 30, 2025•11 min
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 has appointed Emily Domenech as executive director of the Federal Permitting...
May 29, 2025•9 min
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 document seen by POLITICO. Catherine Morehouse is an energy reporter and author of Morning Energy for POLI...
May 28, 2025•9 min
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 and why Barron thinks deep sea mining is important to America's energy future. James Bikales is a r...
May 27, 2025•23 min
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 Thursday to nix California’s phase-out of gasoline-fueled cars and trucks, handing a major victory to Presi...
May 23, 2025•12 min
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 funding for Biden EPA climate grants has flowed to nonprofits despite his agency's attempt to recou...
May 22, 2025•10 min
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 administration announced it would allow Equinor’s Empire Wind project to resume construction. James Bikale...
May 21, 2025•10 min
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 most competitive House seats in the nation, is wrestling with this dilemma. Plus on Monday, a panel o...
May 20, 2025•10 min
