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Politico
4 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Trump keeps finding new ways to batter green power
The Trump administration is rapidly escalating its war against renewable energy on a battlefield where its power is immense: public lands. Wind and solar developers are still readjusting their survival strategies after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last month, slashing renewable tax credits and chilling green investment. Trump's Interior Department is now unleashing a fusillade of policies aimed at restricting wind and solar projects on public lands and ocean floors. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum inked one of his latest salvos Friday, directing his department to vet solar and wind projects according to how much power they generate relative to how much space they take up, my colleagues Ian Stevenson and Scott Streater write. That metric is a strikingly unfavorable one for renewable energy, according to numbers the department included in an appendix. Contending that renewables 'hold America back' from achieving 'energy dominance,' Burgum's order panned wind and solar as 'highly inefficient uses of Federal lands.' It's unclear how land managers will apply the new order, Ian and Scott write. But Burgum's quest to end 'preferential treatment' for renewable projects underscores the industry's worsening outlook. Burgum — whose home state of North Dakota gets roughly 40 percent of its power from renewables — has also halted new offshore wind leasing. Interior said Monday that it's killing a five-year schedule for offshore wind leasing, further darkening the industry's future in U.S. oceans. Collapsing investmentThe anti-renewables push by the Trump administration is a considerable setback for solar, wind and long-distance transmission projects in Western states and Alaska. But the impacts are most severe for offshore wind, which relies almost exclusively on federal real estate and permitting. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has dropped its forecast for new offshore wind in the U.S. from 27.8 gigawatts by 2035 to just over 6 GW. 'That's about $113 billion in missed investment,' said Atin Jain, BNEF senior associate for wind, in an email. 'Crucially, stalled projects also halt the additional billions that would have flowed into U.S. ports, vessels and supply chains to support this buildout.' Burgum has described his renewables overhaul as an effort to right the ship after the Biden administration boosted renewables. Biden also made mining and drilling more challenging on public lands. It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Heather Richards. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to hrichards@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Phelim Kine breaks down Trump's tariffs on India over its Russian oil purchases. Power Centers Trump's power bill problemHigh electricity bills are creating difficult choices for people across Arizona, and the Republicans' sprawling tax and policy law is unlikely to help, Jason Plautz writes. Arizona and other states with rising populations and tech industry demand for more electricity are bracing for higher costs. The law signed by Trump in early July slashed incentives for wind and solar power and boosted natural gas. As a result, forecasters say electricity bills are going up. 'The question is who pays for all that growth and whether it's possible to build that much generation in such a short period of time,' Amanda Ormond, a former director of the Arizona Energy Office, told Jason. Grassley's last standRepublican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John Curtis of Utah have placed holds on three of Trump's nominees to the Treasury Department over its implementation of energy tax policy in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Kelsey Tamborrino and Josh Siegel report. The actions follow a so-far unsuccessful effort by a handful of Senate Republicans to meet with the Trump administration to discuss forthcoming Treasury guidance that will establish rules of the road for the phase-out of tax credits for wind and solar power projects. Grassley placed holds on three Treasury nominees: Brian Morrissey to be general counsel, Francis Brooke to be assistant Treasury secretary and Jonathan McKernan to be an undersecretary. Occidental's carbon capture gainsOf all the major U.S. oil companies, Occidental Petroleum may be best positioned to benefit from the megabill, Corbin Hiar writes. Occidental is an industry leader in using carbon dioxide to coax oil from older wells. And the so-called megabill increased incentives for the use of carbon capture technology. 'Since they are the pacesetter, they are the ones best positioned to take advantage of an enhanced tax credit,' Skip York, an energy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, told Corbin. Wildfires across southern EuropeWildfires are raging in Portugal, Spain, the south of France, Sardinia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia and Turkey, Louise Guillot and Nektaria Stamouli report. More than twice the area has already burned this year compared with the same period last year, which was a record-breaking fire season, according to the EU's Joint Research Center. Climate change is only making the situation worse. In Other News Hefty deductions: North Dakota landowners say oil companies are withholding 20 percent or more of the money they are paid for the sale of minerals on their property. Stocked up: Tesla's board approved a stock package for Elon Musk worth $23.7 billion that he can claim in two years as long as he remains an executive at the company. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) went from attacking oil companies to working with them after a pair of oil refineries in the state announced they'd close. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is pushing for passage of a bill that would allow the state to purchase 100 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2035. Conservation groups are asking a federal judge to impose a temporary restraining order on Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center, which critics say has spoiled a remote stretch of the Everglades. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Politico
31-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Fusion emerges, boosted by Big Tech
Is it finally fusion power's moment? Helion Energy, a startup partnering with Microsoft, has started construction on a fusion power reactor, joining the race to complete the country's first. It's planning to deliver energy to Microsoft data centers within three years. That timeline may be ambitious for a long-hyped technology, but a breakthrough would be significant, write Peter Behr and Christa Marshall. Fusion mimics the energy generation of stars and could produce massive amounts of power on demand without greenhouse gas emissions. It's the latest sign of how Big Tech's deep pockets are reshaping energy technology. Microsoft is working with Constellation Energy to reopen Three Mile Island, the nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania (that's fission, not fusion). Amazon has said it plans to deploy 5 gigawatts of small modular reactors by 2040, while Meta, Oracle, OpenAI, Google and Amazon have also made investments in advanced nuclear. Support from Google has helped geothermal startup Fervo bring commercial pilot projects online. Google has also committed to purchasing power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems' planned commercial fusion plant in Virginia. At an energy conference in March, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) talked up the announcement, saying fusion 'changes the whole game' in the race to unleash more power. Reality Check Helion's planned project in Malaga, Washington, is expected to produce at least 50 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 17,000 homes. Here's the grain of salt (really a heaping spoonful): Fusion energy has been hyped for decades but scientists have not reliably been able to generate more energy than it takes to create the initial reaction. Scientists reached by Peter and Christa are skeptical of Helion's timeline, with one saying they are still 'decades away' from competing with a conventional nuclear or natural gas plant. But the money is there. The Fusion Industry Association says Helion is one of three developers with at least $1 billion in investments, with global investments topping $9.7 billion. In part, that's because of the tech industry's unique needs. In the U.S. alone, the electricity needs from data centers could triple between 2023 and 2028, according to a 2024 federal study. An analysis this week from S&P Global found that the tech and web services sector accounts for a whopping 68 percent of the corporate clean energy market because of its 'unmatched combination of aggressive clean energy goals and unrivaled energy demand growth.' Whether that boom continues after the Republican megalaw — which phases out many clean energy tax incentives — remains to be seen. And Trump's cuts may even be coming for fusion: the administration's budget proposal would reduce federal research into the technology, despite recent breakthroughs at federal labs that could bring the energy to reality. It's Thursday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Jason Plautz. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to jplautz@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Ben Lefebvre breaks down the EU's massive energy deal that was part of its trade agreement with the U.S. Power Centers EPA axes researchThe Environmental Protection Agency's piecemeal dismemberment of its science initiatives is gathering steam, stoking fears over scientific independence, writes Sean Reilly. EPA has already axed many grant-funded projects midstream, on the grounds that they no longer mesh with administration priorities. Now it plans to dissolve the Office of Research and Development, which supporters and former officials describe as an irreplaceable engine of innovation in fields like chemical safety and the risks posed by pollution exposure. 'It is heartbreaking to see what's being proposed and the actions that are being taken,' said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who served as a top ORD career staffer before retiring in 2021. 'It's really putting American lives at risk.' The Trump threat to American gasThere are fears in Europe that the continent's energy alliance with the U.S. could be shattered if Trump offers concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, write Karl Mathiesen, Zack Colman, Gabriel Gavin, Ben Lefebvre and Hanne Cokelaere. U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas to Europe allowed countries to swap out Russian gas after the war started. They're committing to buy more of it now as part of trade deals with the U.S. to avoid tariffs. But it would be difficult to ignore cheaper Russian gas if it were to flow again because of any deals to end the war. 'The one thing that would derail the spectacular growth of the U.S. [LNG] industry is the reopening of flows from Russia. There's no question about that,' said Geoffrey Pyatt, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and energy official for former President Joe Biden. Wright's climate contrariansThe Department of Energy is reframing long-established climate science as a debate, with the help of five researchers who have spent years questioning climate change, Scott Waldman and Benjamin Storrow write. The agency released a climate report Tuesday to support the Trump administration's push to roll back greenhouse gas regulations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News that the report was meant to push back on the 'cancel culture Orwellian squelching of science.' Some of the report's assertions have been debunked for years, however, and multiple scientists said their work was misrepresented. In Other News New fear unlocked: DOE has reported the discovery of a radioactive wasp nest at a facility once involved in the production of parts for nuclear weapons. How it happened: China has become the leading seller of electric vehicles, solar panels and lithium-ion batteries — all invented in the U.S. — thanks to government policies and incentives. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Renewable energy is set to overtake coal at the top source of electricity globally by the end of next year, according to the International Energy Agency. Trump nominated Ho Nieh, the vice president of regulatory affairs at Southern Nuclear, to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A Trump administration official tasked with overhauling the Interior Department's budget and staffing is getting ready to leave the agency, raising questions about who will take over the reorganization. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Politico
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
DOE questions climate change consensus
President Donald Trump's allies have long floated the idea of a 'red team, blue team' exercise to debate the merits of climate science. On Tuesday, they got their wish. Only the Trump administration left out the blue team. The Department of Energy released a 141-page report on climate science this week to coincide with the administration's plan to repeal the legal backbone of climate rules. Written by five scientists known for denying accepted climate science, the report is rife with disinformation, write Chelsea Harvey and Scott Waldman. It uses misleading and inaccurate statements to argue that climate science has overstated the risks of a warming planet while underestimating the societal benefits of burning fossil fuels. 'It's a red team report without the blue team, and it's explicit about that,' Matt Burgess, an economist who studies environmental policy at the University of Wyoming, told me. Red team, blue team exercises were initially a military concept, where competitors were pitted against each other to test their assumptions. Trump's advisers spent much of his first term contemplating the idea of employing the concept with regards to climate science, but ultimately never acted on it. Climate scientists noted the DOE report's publication comes after the Trump administration pulled the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment down from its official government webpage. That report involved scores of scientists, public comments and peer review from the National Academy of Sciences, said Phil Duffy, a physicist who studies climate change and served at the Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Biden administration. 'If the administration wanted to have a good review of climate science and the impact of climate change on the United States, then they shouldn't have pulled the plug on that assessment,' Duffy said. Burgess is sympathetic to some of DOE's claims. His research on the overcitation of worst-case climate scenarios is referenced in the report, and he thinks assessments like the NCA could do a better job of incorporating feedback from researchers outside of the mainstream. His view: The report raises legitimate concerns about the uncertainty in some climate research, like the economic costs of climate damage. 'There's way more uncertainty in the social cost of carbon and in climate economic damages than sometimes the mainstream narrative gives it credit for,' Burgess said. 'Where I would disagree a little bit with the report is uncertainty cuts both ways. You can't say this is uncertain, and therefore we know there's no problem.' It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Benjamin Storrow. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to bstorrow@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Zack Colman and Alex Guillén break down EPA's proposal to roll back the endangerment finding. Power Centers Green groups reel as Trump goes 'scorched earth'Environmental nonprofits are watching years of work evaporate as the Trump administration slashes spending, torpedoes regulations and dismantles federal agencies, writes Robin Bravender. The assault has left the movement scrambling to regain traction and gear up for several more years of playing defense. Some organizations aren't getting the surge in donations they saw during the first Trump administration — and prominent green groups have laid off staff when they'd like to boost personnel to fight back. 'The reason for bad vibes is obvious: This is the most anti-environmental administration that our country and perhaps the world has ever seen,' said Bill McKibben, a longtime environmentalist and author. 'It is difficult to be hopeful in the face of all that.' Why utilities may not want climate rule rollbackEPA's proposal to roll back the endangerment finding could add uncertainty to a power sector already grappling with a changing energy landscape, Jason Plautz writes. The proposal — released Tuesday — is part of the Trump administration's efforts to ditch federal rules that limit climate pollution, including those for fossil fuel power plants. But it comes as power markets tilt heavily toward renewable energy sources because of their relative cost and speed to dispatch. The loss of federal climate rules could open up utilities to a flurry of lawsuits and more state regulation, while making it difficult to plan future investments. 'This is one in a number of steps the administration is taking to determine what power plants are built, what power plants retire and what kinds of power can continue to operate in this country,' said Catherine Hausman, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. But, she added, 'We have enough cheap wind and solar available that there's no economic reason to prop up inefficient old coal power plants, despite what regulations say.' US, EU unite to fight Chinese exportsUrsula von der Leyen won the European Union a trade deal with the U.S. after playing hardball in Beijing last week, Antonia Zimmermann writes from Brussels. The U.S. and EU agreed to work on fast-tracking materials used for solar panels and batteries — items that China has flooded the global market with. Von der Leyen, the European Commission president, indicated in comments after the trade announcement that Washington and Brussels needed to team up to confront the competitive threat from China. 'On steel and aluminum, the European Union and the U.S. face the common external challenge of global overcapacity,' she said. In Other News Power moves: Tech companies are increasingly turning to the nation's aging nuclear power fleet for electricity, even as the plants have struggled to compete with cheaper renewables and gas. Get in line: Two new aluminum smelters being planned in the U.S. will need a lot of electricity at a time when artificial intelligence is already straining demand. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Trump on Wednesday slapped tariffs of up to 50 percent on certain imports of copper, which is essential for electric wiring and power grids. EPA's move to repeal the endangerment finding is likely to face a legal gauntlet in the courts. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum moved to end what he called 'preferential treatment' for wind and solar projects at the agency. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Politico
28-07-2025
- Science
- Politico
The sticky study of sunblocking a warming planet
A plan to artificially create clouds over a small town in the San Francisco Bay fell apart last year after locals protested. But that modest research plan was just the tip of the iceberg. According to new reporting from my colleague Corbin Hiar, the scientists planned a much larger test over a swath of ocean the size of Puerto Rico. They kept it secret from the public so as not to raise alarm bells. But some solar geoengineering experts say such secrecy can breed public distrust in an emerging science that should be studied as the world continues to burn the fossil fuels driving climate change. 'Maybe you're able to do research quietly now in these early stages, but eventually people will find out about it, and they will be angrier when they find out that they have been kept in the dark,' Shuchi Talati, the founder of The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, told Power Switch. The secrecy also breeds disinformation, said Sikina Jinnah, an environmental studies professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who argues the discipline needs more public education and transparency. 'We don't want to have a potential tool in our toolbox excluded from consideration because people misunderstand what it is,' she said. What is solar geoengineering? Solar geoengineering encompasses various hypothetical technologies that aim to block the sun's rays to cool the planet. The two most studied strategies are releasing sulfate particles into the earth's atmosphere or spraying saltwater aerosols over the ocean. Some say the process would disrupt the weather, with ripple effects on people, farms and wildlife. Others warn of heat spikes if effective strategies allow the planet to continue to burn fossil fuels — and then suddenly stop working or shut down. Hundreds of scientists have even called for a ban on the science's development. Solar geoengineering also fits neatly into long-standing internet conspiracy theories about the government releasing chemicals from airplanes to control the climate and for mass mind control. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has falsely blamed the deadly Texas flooding on July 4 on solar engineering and introduced a bill to criminalize the technology. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a law last month targeting solar geoengineering that bans the release of chemicals into the atmosphere 'for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight.' What happens now? The public fallout from some projects highlights the need for transparency, Talati said. The research is likely going to continue regardless, she said. But if public discussions shut down, that research may be done by private companies, or even militaries, outside the public eye. Jinnah stressed that solar geoengineering is not the primary tool for responding to climate change — and researching it doesn't mean such technology will ultimately be implemented. But as countries fail to make significant progress in reducing fossil fuel consumption, this emerging science could help communities that face the consequences of global warming, both Jinnah and Talati said. 'The reason a lot of people work on solar geoengineering is that it might have the potential to limit human suffering,' Talati said. It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Heather Richards. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to hrichards@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Ben Lefebvre breaks down the Trump administration's recent oil lease sale in New Mexico's Permian Basin. Power Centers Imminent climate rule rollbackThe Trump administration plans to release a proposal on Tuesday to overturn the scientific finding that underpins the Environmental Protection Agency's climate rules, writes Jean Chemnick and Zack Colman. The draft revision to the so-called endangerment finding is part of the Trump administration's efforts to weaken the government's authority to curtail carbon emissions. It will be paired with a proposal to roll back rules that limit climate pollution from cars and trucks. Two people granted anonymity to speak about internal discussions told Jean and Zack that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin would make the announcement while visiting an Indiana facility with links to the truck manufacturing supply chain. The transportation sector is the largest source of planet-heating gases in the U.S. At odds over permitting A bipartisan bill that would reform a landmark environmental statute to speed federal permitting drew fire from a top Democrat, Kelsey Brugger writes. The bill from Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), introduced last week, would narrow the scope of federal actions that trigger review under the National Environmental Policy Act. California Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the bill would 'shield polluters from scrutiny' and 'bury the climate risks of massive fossil fuel projects.' Two pipelines, one pathTwo companies are proposing to build natural gas pipelines along roughly the same route, setting up a fight over their necessity and cost, Carlos Anchondo and Mike Soraghan write. The proposals from Williams Cos. and Mountain Valley Pipeline would follow an existing Williams pipeline, and both companies say they are needed because of growing electricity demand. But Williams says its project would be enough to handle the gas volume planned for both pipelines. 'It seems as though Transco is attempting to undercut MVP Southgate,' said Ian Heming, a natural gas analyst at East Daley Analytics. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is set to release analyses of both proposals this fall. It could approve both projects. In Other News Renewables flourish: Texas' power grid and competitive market have allowed wind and solar to grow and gain support in the state. New nuclear player: A Canadian nuclear reactor maker is looking to expand its business into the U.S. to get in on skyrocketing electricity demand. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. EPA has barred an engineer from its drinking water advisory council after she signed a letter criticizing Administrator Lee Zeldin's policies. Two Democrats are calling on the government's watchdog to issue a legal decision on the fiscal 2025 spending for the Energy Department. EPA plans to use a regulatory maneuver to suspend Biden-era requirements for oil and gas operations to limit their methane emissions. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
Politico
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Why billions in disaster aid go unspent
As disaster experts continue to piece together the events that led to more than 100 people dying in this month's Texas floods, the tragedy is highlighting a deadly gap between abundant federal dollars for disaster preparation and the ability of states to put it to use. Texas has relinquished $225 million in federal aid over the past 10 years that Washington had granted it to ready communities for disasters, according to federal records reviewed by Thomas Frank and Mike Lee. In fact, Texas officials twice turned down the county that experienced the worst of this month's flooding when it asked for a small portion of available federal money to set up a flood warning system. Texas is not unique in letting federal disaster money lie fallow. Since 2015, the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has heaped more than $23 billion on states to prepare for floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other threats. The funding is automatically approved for mitigation against future hazards when a federal disaster is declared, and it is provided in addition to federal funds doled out to clean up and rebuild after disasters strike. But roughly $21 billion of that federal grant money remains unspent. The federal government has clawed back some of the disaster money because states never used it. Over the past decade, states have relinquished $1.4 billion of federal mitigation grant money, including Texas' $225 million. The problem: Federal officials stress that the untapped federal funds are a lost opportunity to prepare for instead of simply respond to deadly events. But states and counties often lack the staff, expertise or bandwidth to navigate a cumbersome federal process to tap those funds. Even though the federal grants are automatically approved after a disaster declaration, applicants have to drum up hundreds of pages to prove to federal disaster agencies that their proposed projects are feasible, make financial sense, and comply with environmental and historical preservation laws. It's a potentially deadly inefficiency within the federal bureaucracy of disaster preparation, Thomas and Mike write, even as climate change intensifies the extreme weather that can hurtle through communities with little notice. A former emergency management official in Nevada, David Fogerson, summed up the federal grant program as a 'blessing and a curse.' 'It almost becomes overload,' he said, 'when you're trying to manage the disaster and then you're trying to measure how to protect against the next disaster.' It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Heather Richards. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to hrichards@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Zack Colman breaks down how Democrats are shifting their messaging on energy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Power Centers U.S. disengagement in red, white and blueClimate and energy experts were swept up in the mass firing of State Department employees Friday — thwarting U.S. engagement just as China grabs the reins on clean energy development, former diplomats say. Around 75 people focused on climate have left State since President Donald Trump took office. Two-thirds of the Bureau of Energy Resources were let go Friday, according to estimates. The State Department declined to confirm those figures, Sara Schonhardt reports. 'It's crippling,' said Dan Reifsnyder, a former diplomat who spearheaded U.S. climate efforts at the State Department from their beginning. 'I think the biggest thing that the United States brings to these international fora are really very bright people, very dedicated people, people with ideas, people with creativity, people with talent.' State says the restructuring will make it 'more accountable, more accessible, and more transparent.' The move comes as Trump defunds the transition to clean energy, withdraws from global climate efforts and cuts weather and disaster spending. Check the 'yes' boxA representative from the Department of Government Efficiency told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's chair and top staff that they were expected to 'rubber stamp' new reactors tested by the departments of Energy or Defense, Francisco 'A.J.' Camacho and Peter Behr report. Trump has said he wants to quadruple the U.S. supply of nuclear power by 2050. Tech industry allies, Republicans in Congress and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright have been sharply critical of the NRC for what they say is an unreasonably slow approval process for nuclear technology. Defenders of the agency say the political push to build more nuclear reactors, and fast, doesn't change NRC requirements under the law to ensure new reactor designs are safe. Shrinking agenciesHouse Republican appropriators unveiled their fiscal 2026 funding legislation for the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, with steep cuts proposed for both agencies, Kevin Bogardus, Garrett Downs and Michael Doyle report. The bill would approve about $38 billion for agencies under its purview, nearly $3 billion below the fiscal 2025 amount. Interior would get about $14.8 billion and EPA would be funded at $7 billion, a 23 percent cut for the environment agency. Sierra Club boss is on leaveBen Jealous is on leave from his job as the Sierra Club's boss after a tumultuous stretch leading the organization, Robin Bravender reports. The green group informed staff in a cryptic message Friday that Jealous was on leave and that an acting boss would be filling in. But the group didn't provide details about the cause of Jealous' leave or how long it would last, raising questions about the long-term leadership of the iconic environmental group as it faces off against the Trump administration. In Other News Metal mania: A site in Arizona is being fast-tracked to become the first new big U.S. copper mine in more than a decade after Trump said he'd impose a 50 percent tariff on imports on Aug. 1. Overstated: Grid experts say a Department of Energy report on blackouts is using questionable math to back up its claims. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Union leaders are pleased with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's recent openness to nuclear energy and gas pipelines. Delays to California's cap-and-trade program made the state lose out on nearly $3 billion in revenue last year, a climate advocacy group says. House Republicans included a provision in their 2026 transportation spending bill that would prevent federal funds from being awarded for high-speed rail projects in California and Texas. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
