Energy & Environment
The latest updates on energy and environment news, analysis and opinion covering energy policy and its impact on resources and climate.
Trump seeks to waive Endangered Species Act restrictions for oil and gas drilling
The Trump administration is citing “national security concerns” to justify an exemption from the Endangered Species Act for expanded oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of America, as the war in Iran raises the cost of gas.
Trump says he may suspend gas tax amid soaring oil, gas prices
President Trump said he could suspend the federal gas tax to help lower rising oil and gas prices.
California sues Trump to keep shut oil pipeline on Santa Barbara coast
California sued the Trump administration to block what it says is an unprecedented power grab: using emergency authority to force the restart of an offshore oil operation shut down more than a decade ago.
D.C.’s cherry trees sprout puffy white blossoms on way to peak bloom
The cherry trees along the Tidal Basin started showing white blossoms on Monday and are just one stage away from reaching peak bloom.
Nuclear recycling campuses slash need for buried radioactive dumps
The federal government is pushing for the development of “nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses” across the U.S. that will reuse much of the spent fuel from nuclear reactors to generate additional energy and eliminate the need for a single, massive underground storage site for radioactive waste.
Shark attacks surfer at California state park, bites both his legs
A surfer suffered injuries to his legs after a shark bit him at Mendocino Headlands State Park, about 156 miles northwest of San Francisco.
Gulf states turn on Iran as war hits energy infrastructure across region
Iran hit oil production facilities across the Middle East for a second day, lashing out at Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite President Trump’s attempts to de-escalate the spiraling conflict.
Iran war underscores risks of Trump’s relentless focus on oil
When President Trump returned to office last year, he launched a crusade to shift the country away from renewable energy, drastically undoing the climate-friendly policies of his Democratic predecessor to focus instead on oil and other fossil fuels as the answer to his goal of American energy dominance.
Israel strikes Iran’s massive natural gas facility
The Israeli air force struck Iran’s South Pars natural gas processing facility, the largest in the world, Wednesday in the first attack of its kind since the war began.
Iran war pushes countries into energy triage as they conserve power and curb soaring prices
The escalating war with Iran is pushing parts of the world into energy triage, forcing governments to choose where to cut demand or absorb costs, while prioritizing dwindling supplies.
Trump vents frustration as allies balk at securing strait
President Trump said Monday he is keeping a close watch on which countries help the U.S. break Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the critical passage to oil traffic.
Trump administration completes land exchange for copper mine, over Apache tribe’s objections
The Trump administration officially completed a land exchange with a copper mining firm, brushing aside objections from the Western Apache that the mining would destroy a sacred site in Arizona.
EPA to handle Potomac River water testing after sewer pipe burst
The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it is taking over water quality testing in the Potomac River after a major sewer pipeline ruptured and sent roughly 250 million gallons of human waste into the waterway.
Apache tribe members urge Supreme Court to protect sacred land from U.S. mine deal
Members of the Western Apache tribe rushed to the Supreme Court on Monday seeking an emergency order to block a proposed land transfer to a mining company, saying it would destroy a sacred tribal place in Arizona.
Trump calls for allies to send warships to police Hormuz as Iran increases attacks on Gulf states
Tehran lashed out across the Middle East again Sunday, launching four ballistic missiles and six drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates and striking Israel, Iraq and other U.S. allies as the Trump administration reiterated the president’s call for global powers to join the fight to secure the critical Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. temporarily halts sanctions on Russian oil as White House looks to bring down oil prices
Washington has temporarily waived sanctions on some Russian oil and petroleum shipments, the U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday, removing a tool previously used to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine economically.
Trump touts American oil profits as energy crisis rattles markets
President Trump on Thursday said the U.S. could profit from high oil prices but that stopping the “evil” Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon was far more important to him.
Justice Dept. sues California over zero-emission vehicle targets
The Trump administration is ramping up pressure against California’s electric vehicle policies by filing a lawsuit to stop the state from imposing an electric vehicle mandate through state-specific zero-emission vehicle targets for car manufacturers.
Trump says U.S. will ‘make a lot of money’ from higher oil prices
President Trump said Thursday there is an upside to rising oil prices as a result of the war against Iran — the U.S. will make money as a major producer.
Middle East conflict is the largest oil disruption ever, IEA says
The International Energy Agency on Thursday said the war in the Middle East is “creating the largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets” as crude prices spiked again and tankers came under fire in the Gulf region.
Iran’s unrelenting attacks on Mideast shipping and energy infrastructure send oil prices soaring
Unrelenting Iranian attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure pushed oil above $100 a barrel Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight.
April groundbreaking set for first new U.S. oil refinery in nearly 50 years
President Trump, seeking to reverse the longtime decline in U.S.-based oil refining, is taking credit for a new oil refinery set to open in Brownsville, Texas.
Green buds appear on D.C. cherry trees, kicking off road to peak bloom
The National Park Service said Wednesday that green buds have appeared on the Tidal Basin’s cherry trees, the first of the six steps toward peak bloom.
Global energy coalition to release 400M barrels of oil to deal with shocks from Hormuz blockade
The International Energy Agency said Wednesday that member countries will release 400 million barrels of oil to alleviate price pressures from the war in Iran.
Green groups now fighting to stop technology that cuts CO2 emissions
Environmental groups are scheming to block carbon-capture projects despite the technology’s ability to combat climate change.
Iran targets commercial ships, Dubai airport and oil facilities as concerns grow over global energy
Iran attacked commercial ships on Wednesday across the Persian Gulf and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oil-rich region as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes pounded the Islamic republic.
White House predicts gas prices will come down rapidly following the Iran war
The White House said Tuesday that gas prices will drop swiftly once President Trump achieves his war aims in Iran.
Virginia boat owner joins class-action suit against DC Water over Potomac Interceptor sewage spill
A Great Falls, Virginia, boat owner is suing DC Water, accusing it of failing to put in proper preventative measures prior to the Potomac River sewage spill.
National Park Service issues quicksand warning at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
The National Park Service has issued a warning for visitors to beware of quicksand at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at the Utah-Arizona border, multiple news outlets report.
