Climate, Energy, Environment, Electric Rates

Fri, Jan 16, 2026:
Trump and States Aim to Stop A.I. From Inflating Energy Bills. Demand from centers that power artificial intelligence has driven up electricity bills, frustrating consumers. - NYT
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore — both possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidates — endorsed a plan with the Trump administration on Friday to try to slow electricity price increases in the nation’s largest grid region… - Spotlight PA
Over the past two years, the grid region known as PJM has experienced an unusual upswing in electricity prices largely attributed to rising power demand from data centers… One of the two core pieces of the proposal is a plan to keep a price cap in place on future PJM auctions for a type of electricity generation known as capacity, which is used to ensure that enough power will be available to prevent blackouts in times of high demand…
The second proposal is a one-time auction for technology companies to allow them to bid on new, 15-year contracts for power generation in the region, a highly unusual setup compared to the standard one-year auctions that involve all power generators. This design has the potential to solve multiple problems: it would force tech companies to make commitments about their power needs in the region (creating some clarity about data center demand), and it would ensure that the costs for new data centers are borne by the companies creating them instead of the average residential electricity consumer.

Tues, Jan 13, 2026:
U.S. carbon emissions increased in 2025, reversing a downward trend. Why? Coal plants, power-hungry data centers, cryptocurrency mining and colder winter temperatures drove an estimated 2.4% rise, according to a new report. - WP

In related news: The EPA yesterday weakened emissions standards for new power plants and said it will no longer consider health impacts of some of the deadliest pollutants. - WP

President Trump’s vendetta against renewable fuels, and Democrats, was dealt another blow when a judge ruled that the administration illegally cancelled $7.6bn in clean-energy grants. The judge found that the explicit rationale for the cuts—that the states receiving the money had voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential elections—violated the constitution’s equal-protection clause. - Economist

Wed, Jan 14, 2026:
2025 was the third hottest year on record. It should have been a relatively cool year; it was anything but - The Economist

Mon, Jan 12, 2026:
E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution. In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show. - NYT

Thurs, Jan 8, 2026:
US ditches world’s biggest climate fund, a day after spurning landmark treaty. The move out of the Green Climate Fund threatens a program that has provided $19 billion to help poor nations adapt to a warming world. - Politico

Tues, Jan 6, 2026:
The data center rebellion is here, and it’s reshaping the political landscape. As the buildout of AI infrastructure alarms communities, it is fast emerging as a potent electoral issue across the political divide. - WP

Tues, Dec 30, 2025:
‘Trump’s EPA’ in 2025: A fossil fuel-friendly approach to deregulation - AP

Fri, Dec 26, 2025:
States See a Federal Power Grab in Clash Over AI Data Centers. The Trump administration wants to control how data centers connect to the power grid. – WSJ
An electric car mandate crashes into reality. Failures by Ford and Europe on EVs are instructive. – WP

Tues, Dec 23, 2025:
‘Incredibly reckless’: Trump’s wind halt stuns even some allies. Republican worries about energy affordability didn’t deter the administration from halting five major projects that had already begun construction. – Politico

Mon, Dec 22, 2025:
Trump suspends all large offshore wind farms under construction, threatening thousands of jobs and cheaper energy. – CNN
Senate Democrats cut off permitting talks after Trump’s newest ‘assault’ on wind. The Trump administration’s blocking of renewable projects is putting in jeopardy the long-running talks to reduce red tape for energy projects. – Politico
Pausing offshore wind projects is a blow to America’s energy future. The need for tech-neutral permitting reform has never been clearer. – WP

Thurs, Dec 18, 2025:
House passes major GOP-led permitting overhaul after late drama. Republicans were able to put their stamp on a bipartisan priority of easing the construction of energy projects needed to meet rising power demand. – Politico

Wed, Dec 17, 2025:
Trump’s dismantling of climate research center is a ‘destruction of knowledge,’ critics say – Politico
Vought says National Center for Atmospheric Research will be dismantled – Politico

Tues Dec. 16, 2025:
16 states sue Trump administration again over billions in withheld electric vehicle charging funds – AP
House Republicans succeeded Tuesday in advancing a bipartisan bill aimed at speeding up the federal permitting process, fending off a late challenge from hard-liners who wanted more power to kill offshore wind projects. – Politico

Mon, Dec 15, 2025:
GOP leaders make concessions to conservatives on permitting bill. Hard-liners will get to vote on anti-wind amendments to legislation they have threatened to tank. – Politico
Supersized data centers are coming. See how they will transform America. – WP

Wed, Dec 10. 2025:
First of 30 oil lease sales planned for Gulf of Mexico draws $300 million from companies – AP

Mon, Dec 8, 2025:
N. Carolina: A $600 million catastrophe bond backing “super roofs.” – Bloomberg
As NOAA Funding Lags, a Critical Ocean Weather System Nears a Breaking Point. Officials warn that if regional Integrated Ocean Observing System readings go dark, coastal forecasts will become less precise, endangering commercial fishermen, cargo ships and coastal communities. – Inside Climate

Wed, Dec 3, 2025:
Trump said he would weaken Biden-era mileage standards, which were designed to increase electric-vehicle sales, calling them a “scam.” – NYT

Thurs, Nov 20, 2025:
Meet the Republicans who killed solar subsidies — after using them. POLITICO’s E&E News examined satellite imagery of more than 100 homes owned by Republican lawmakers to see if they have solar panels. Seven had rooftop arrays. – Politico

Tues, Nov 18, 2025:
Trump administration lends $1 billion to restart Three Mile Island nuclear reactor – CNN

Mon, Nov 17, 2025:
There’s a New Effort on the Runway to Raise Climate Funds. A small group of countries is aiming to impose a fee on private jets and premium commercial fares. The revenue would help nations adapt to warming. – NYT

Fri, Nov 14, 2025:
Why Trump Couldn’t Stop the Electric Vehicle Dream. We never got those promised EV chargers — but we did get a future for EVs. – Politico

Wed, Nov 12, 2025:
One of the world’s worst hot spots for dangerous rainfall is in the U.S. A Post investigation shows why much of Appalachia is increasingly vulnerable to extreme rain and floods. – WP

Fri, Oct 31, 2025:
High-level US representatives are staying away from the UN climate negotiations in Brazil, even as President Donald Trump seeks to influence energy policy globally. – Bloomberg

Thurs, Oct 30, 2025:
Why the Price of Electricity Is Spiking Around the Country. Not all states have gotten hit equally hard. The reasons are complex. – NYT

Wed, Oct 29, 2025:
In 2021, GM and its CEO Mary Barra announced a bold plan to go all electric by 2035. But falling consumer demand and shriveling government support has undermined GM’s electric plans. Now, as Sharon Terlep reports, GM has gone from one of the industry’s loudest EV champions to a leading opponent of government emissions rules and fuel-economy standards. – WSJ

Tues, Oct 28, 2025:
Bill Gates Says Climate Change ‘Will Not Lead to Humanity’s Demise’. In a memo, the Microsoft co-founder warned against climate alarmism and appears to have shifted some of his views about climate change. – NYT – The Gates Memo
The White House’s Bet on Fossil Fuels Is Already Losing – Bloomberg

Wed, Oct 22, 2025:
Trump ‘retired’ a database tracking the most expensive weather disasters. Now it’s back — and finding over $100B in losses – CNN The climate research nonprofit Climate Central now hosts the database and makes this information available to insurers, policy makers, broadcast meteorologists and ordinary citizens.

Fri, Oct 17, 2025:
The Government Is Shut Down. But Not for Fossil Fuels. Federal workers who issue permits for oil, gas and mining operations are on the job, along with those working to repeal pollution limits. – NYT
US helps sink world’s first global carbon tax after threatening sanctions against countries supporting it – CNN

Thurs, Oct 16, 2025:
What Trump’s Victory Taught Democrats About Climate Change. Climate change is out. Energy affordability is in. – Politico
Energy Department offers $1.6 billion loan guarantee to upgrade transmission lines across Midwest – AP

Tues, Oct 14, 2025:
A shadow looms over Nevada’s solar boom — and the whole country. The cancellation of a massive solar project is a sad commentary on America’s energy development. – WP

Sun, Oct 12, 2025:
Climate tipping points are being crossed, scientists warn ahead of COP30 – Reuters

Fri, Oct 10, 2025:
Interior cancels largest solar project in North America. It’s the Trump administration’s latest move to slow or block major clean energy projects. – Politico
Trump’s crackdown on EVs hits home in the Battery Belt – Reuters

Wed, Oct 8, 2025:
Trump’s Energy Cuts Punished Mostly Blue States. Red States Might Be Next. As NY and other states tally the damage, a leaked document suggests more Energy Department cuts may be coming. – NYT

Thurs, Oct 2, 2025:
President Trump and Director Vought Terminate Blue State Energy Projects, Raising Prices for Consumers, Eliminating Jobs – Approps/DeLauro

Wed, Sept 24, 2025:
China doubles down on climate, wind and solar pledges — a day after Trump called them a ‘scam’
Clean energy is the “trend of our time,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said while announcing modest targets for trimming the economic superpower’s carbon pollution. – Politico
China asserts green energy leadership, as Trump dismisses climate ‘con job.’ China on Wednesday pledged its first-ever emissions reduction target. Some analysts said the U.S. retreat makes it easier for China to look good by comparison. – WP
Energy Department plans to claw back $13B in green funds – The Hill

Tues, Sept 23, 2025:
Trump Blasts UN Over Immigration, Climate in Combative Speech – Bloomberg
Trump’s allies still waiting for him to land his hardest climate blow; yet to announce his plans for the 1992 Senate-ratified treaty that underlies the world’s efforts to counter global warming. – Politico

Mon, Sept 22, 2025:
Federal judge lifts Trump administration’s halt of nearly complete offshore wind farm in New England – AP

Sun, Sept 21, 2025:
The U.S. Is Forfeiting the Clean-Energy Race to China. As President Trump doubles down on fossil fuels, the U.S. and China offer competing visions for the future of energy. – WSJ

Tues, Sept 16, 2025:
Al Gore Says Trump’s Energy Policies Are a ‘Tragedy’ for the US. The US energy policy is paving the way for China to extend its lead in the low-carbon economy, with geopolitical ramifications including a potential redrawing of trade alliances. – Bloomberg

Fri, Aug 15, 2025:
I.R.S. Makes It Harder for Wind and Solar Projects to Claim Tax Breaks. The move comes as the Trump administration has issued a barrage of new restrictions on renewable energy across the country. – NYT

Thurs, Aug 7, 2025:
Trump’s Attack on Wind, Solar Cuts Deeper Than Industry Expected – Bloomberg

Wed, Aug 6, 2025:
Global insured catastrophe losses hit $80 billion in first half of 2025, report shows – Reuters

Tues, Aug 5, 2025:
EPA Moves to Cancel $7 Billion in Grants for Solar Energy – NYT

Mon, Aug 4, 2025:
GOP senators place holds on Trump Treasury nominees in renewable energy standoff. The actions follow an effort by a handful of Senate Republicans to meet with administration officials about the future of the tax credits for wind and solar projects. – Politico

Tues, July 29, 2025:
Trump administration moves to repeal climate ‘holy grail.’ The repeal of the finding on the dangers greenhouse gases pose to human health and welfare will face fierce legal challenges. Politico

Wed, July 23, 2025:
Utility costs emerge as campaign issue as Democrats pan sweeping budget law. Gutting of clean energy tax credits will hurt Americans, Democratic candidates say. – Roll Call

Thurs, July 17, 2025:
EPA moves ahead with reorganization, new buyouts – Politico

Tues, July 8, 2025:
Trump Hires Scientists Who Doubt the Consensus on Climate Change. The three scientists joined the administration after it dismissed hundreds of experts who were assessing how global warming is affecting the country. – NYT

Mon, July 7, 2025:
Climate cuts could make it harder to predict weather disasters – WP

Mon, June 30, 2025:
There’s a Race to Power the Future. China Is Pulling Away. Beijing is selling clean energy to the world, Washington is pushing oil and gas. – NYT

Mon, June 23, 2025:
Trump to strip protections from millions of acres of national forests. The Agriculture Department said it would begin the process of rolling back protections for nearly 59 million roadless acres of the National Forest System. – WP

Thurs, May 29, 2025:
Supreme Court narrows scope of federal agencies’ environmental reviews of highways, pipelines and other projects. The decision centered on a rail line in Utah that would carry billions of gallons of oil and sets new parameters for how far agencies may go in assessing environmental impacts. – WP
Earth is likely to cross a key climate threshold in two years; A new World Meteorological Organization report spells the end of the goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. – WP

Wed, April 16, 2025:
Judge blocks Trump EPA from clawing back $14 billion in climate grants – WP
Judge rules against Trump admin after it couldn’t find evidence of fraud in clean energy program – CNN
Judge blocks DOE plan to slash $405m from universities – Politico
Carbon dioxide levels grew at the fastest rate in recorded history last year. It could mean Earth’s ecosystems can no longer absorb much of the pollution emitted by humans. – WP

Sat, May 10, 2025:
Trump promised U.S. dominance. Instead, energy companies are faltering. Oil and gas firms are reeling, and major renewables projects are getting shelved as Trump’s policies rattle energy investors and executives. – WP

Tues, April 15, 2025:
Trump administration must unfreeze billions in climate funding, judge rules. The Trump administration must release billions of dollars for climate and infrastructure-related projects the president paused in January, a court said. – WP

Fri, April 4, 2025:
A stunning number of electric vehicle, battery factories are being canceled. Billions of dollars in clean energy projects have been canceled since Donald Trump took office again. – WP

Thurs, March 27, 2025:
Earth’s soil is drying up. It could be irreversible; The losses in soil moisture already pose issues for farming, irrigation systems and critical water resources for humans. But new research shows how the declines are contributing to sea-level rise more than previously thought. – WP

Wed, March 26, 2025:
Trump admin considers killing big energy projects in Dem states; The cuts, if carried through, would politicize the federal funds that Congress and the Biden administration awarded to seven regional applicants as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law. – Politico

Thurs, March 13, 2025:
A breakdown of major EPA deregulatory moves around water, air, climate – AP
“The EPA will reconsider policy on topics including power plant emissions standards; toxic emission limits on power plants; wastewater rules for coal and other power plants; uses for oil and gas wastewater; petrochemical emergency planning; and greenhouse gas reporting requirements”

Wed, March 12, 2025:
EPA’s Zeldin terminates $20 billion in Biden climate grants – Politico
EPA targets dozens of environmental rules as it reframes its purpose – NYT
In a barrage of pronouncements on Wednesday the Trump administration said it would repeal dozens of the nation’s most significant environmental regulations, including limits on pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks, protections for wetlands, and the legal basis that allows it to regulate the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet. But beyond that, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, reframed the purpose of the E.P.A. In a two-minute-and-18-second video posted to X, Mr. Zeldin boasted about the changes and said his agency’s mission is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business.”

Tues, March 11, 2025:
NASA cuts Chief Scientist and climate expert – NYT

Tues, March 4, 2025:
Supreme Court strikes down EPA rules on discharge of water pollution – WP

Thurs, Feb 27, 2025:
FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors – WP
Effects of climate change on GDP in the 21st century – CBO

Wed, Feb 26, 2025:
EPA urges WH to strike down landmark climate finding: Trump officials are weighing whether to repeal the “endangerment finding,” which says that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. – WP

Tues, Feb 18, 2025:
Senior DOJ prosecutor quit after being told to investigate Biden climate spending – CNN
DC federal prosecutor resigns after declining to take part in Trump administration plan to freeze EPA grant funding – WP

Fri, Feb 7, 2025:
Trump energy secretary allowed 23-old DOGE rep to access IT systems over objections from GC – CNN
Transportation Dept suspends EV charger program; billions set to flow to fast EV chargers at risk – WP
NOAA restricts contact with foreign nationals – WP

Thurs, Feb 6, 2025:
Dem letter to EPA demanding answers on illegal cuts – Murray/DeLauro

Wed, Feb 5, 2025: Imminent Purge of EPA Employees will undermine agency’s obligations to protect human health and the environment – RM Pingree

Tues, Feb 4, 2025: EPA spending freeze continues despite court orders – Politico

Mon, Feb 3, 2025: Trump Admin. tells more than 1,000 EPA employees they could be fired – NYT

Fri, Jan 31, 2025: USDA ordered to scrub climate change from websites – Politico

Tues, Jan 28, 2025:
Sea temperatures hit record highs for 450 straight days in 2023-24 which helped fuel massive hurricanes – Bloomberg

Fri, Jan 24, 2025: Trump’s inflation fix centers on energy emergency that doesn’t exist – NYTimes

Wed, Jan. 22, 2025: WH narrows executive order restricting IRA funds – The Hill

Tues, Jan. 21, 2025: Trump (again) starts year-long process to withdraw US from the Paris global climate framework – AP In addition, Trump rolled back rules aimed to speed the transition to electric vehicles, eliminated restrictions on exports of liquefied natural gas, and temporarily halted offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and a large wind farm in Idaho. – WashPost

Thurs, Jan 9, 2025: Hottest year ever sees world breach 1.5c global warming target – Bloomberg

Thurs, Dec 18, 2024: The Risks of Climate Change to the U.S. in the 21st Century – CBO

Tues, Dec 3, 2024: Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and Homeowner’s Insurance – CBO

Tues, Nov 26, 2024: Benchmark Projection of Greenhouse Gas Emissions – CBO

Wed, Nov 13, 2024: Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and Homeowner’s Insurance – CBO
“Climate change is increasing the severity of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Losses are likely to continue to rise. Climate change is also increasing the uncertainty about projected losses from natural disasters. That uncertainty is one factor causing private insurers to reduce the availability and affordability of insurance.”

Mon, Nov. 11, 2024:

Extreme weather cost global economy $2 trillion in 10 years, U.S. worst hit – Axios

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