WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Tuesday, readers! As today marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States, we hope you are able to spend some time outside today enjoying this lovely planet we call home.
Today’s edition of Daily on Energy kicks off with a little history lesson about Earth Day, before quickly diving into the breaking news of the day. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is experiencing a commissioner shake-up and hundreds of environmental justice workers with the Environmental Protection Agency have been fired.
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Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.
HAPPY EARTH DAY: The U.S. has been celebrating Earth Day since April 22, 1970. The day raises awareness about conservation and climate change, and has led to the passage of key environmental laws.
How did Earth Day get started? Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day. Nelson set out to raise public awareness about the harms of water and air pollution after witnessing a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969.
He was inspired by the student movement against the war in Vietnam. Nelson announced the first “teach-ins,” where colleges and universities would dedicate an entire day to discuss environmental challenges and solutions. California Republican Rep. Pete McCloskey helped serve as the co-chair for the first Earth Day.
They also worked with activist Denis Hayes to help organize the campus teach-ins. They chose April 22, which takes place between Spring Break and final exams to ensure great student participation.
The first Earth Day in 1970 saw participation from an estimated 20 million Americans. The day resulted in political action and led to key environmental legislation like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.
“Environment is all of America and its problems. It is rats in the ghetto. It is a hungry child in a land of affluence. It is housing not worthy of the name; neighborhoods not fit to inhabit,” Nelson said.
Check out the first Earth Day poster from April 22, 1970, here.
FERC COMMISSIONER WILLIE PHILLIPS STEPS DOWN: Democratic appointee Willie Phillips has stepped down from his seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which he chaired during the Biden administration, at the request of President Donald Trump.
The details: His departure leaves the commission with a 2-2 partisan split, paving the way for Trump to name a new commissioner and give the majority back to Republicans. A White House official confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Phillips stepped down. His departure from the independent commission was set to take effect immediately. Phillips told Politico that the request was not a surprise and he had already planned to step down sometime this year.
The impact: It was not immediately clear why the White House sought to remove Phillips from the commission, as he has voted alongside Republicans and in line with the administration’s agenda regarding providing electricity to facilitate artificial intelligence domestically.
Until his replacement is named, Phillips’s departure from FERC may leave it deadlocked in some key votes in the coming months. It could also delay the commission’s efforts to issue new rules regarding co-locating AI data centers directly with existing power plants, a process also known as behind-the-meter.
About FERC: The commission, chaired by Republican Mark Christie, is made up of people on both sides of the aisle, and each commissioner serves a five-year term. Phillips had been set to complete his term at the end of June 2026.
Read more from Callie here.
TRADE WAR CREATES LONG-TERM UNCERTAINTY FOR OIL AND GAS DEMAND: The Trump administration’s escalating trade war with China and Western allies is going to have a lasting impact on global demand for oil and gas, likely reducing energy related agreements with the U.S., the head of the International Energy Agency has warned.
The details: IEA is meeting with dozens of global leaders this week in London for its summit on the future of energy security. Ahead of the summit, executive director Fatih Birol insisted Europe has still not fully learned the lessons from the energy crisis brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Birol told the Financial Times that there are “three golden rules” for global energy security: a diversification of energy supplies, political predictability for long-term investments, and global cooperation. Much of that is at risk due to Trump’s tariffs.
Birol said the growing trade war has created “uncertainty which will affect demand for oil and gas for some time to come.”
EPA FIRES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND DEI STAFF: The Environmental Protection Agency has sent termination or reassignment notices to more than 450 employees working on environmental justice or diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Washington Post reports.
The agency sent notices late last night to those working at the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. A spokesperson told the Washington Post that the agency would fire 280 employees and reassign 175 employees to other offices.
The notice obtained by the Washington Post said the agency’s action will help ensure “efficient and effective operation of our programs.”
It added “With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the Agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
The Trump administration has made an effort to shrink federal agencies, specifically in areas that do not align with the current administration’s agenda or priorities.
During a press conference yesterday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the administration’s consolidation efforts and said that the agency would be sure to fulfill all its statutory obligations as it reorganizes different offices and priorities.
“I do not want to lose one good employee,” Zeldin said. “And we’re going to be very thoughtful and deliberate in how we go forward in this process…If you ask me, ‘What’s the perfect number for the agency?’ While we’re figuring out that exact number, the answer should be not one more or one less than what we need to fulfill our statutory obligations.”
MEANWHILE, AT NOAA: Sources confirmed to Bloomberg today that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has approved more than 1,000 applications for the federal government’s deferred resignation program (DRP).
The details: Approximately 1,029 employees with NOAA have opted into the “fork in the road” program which allows federal employees to resign from their positions immediately while receiving full benefits and paychecks through September of this year. NOAA staff had until April 17 to decide if they would opt into the offer.
It remains unclear if big staffing cuts to the agency will help it escape future reductions in force (RIF). Before January of this year, NOAA staffed more than 12,000 people worldwide. In February, the agency also saw nearly 900 employees fired.
DOE APPROVES THIRD LOAN FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT: The Department of Energy announced it has approved the third loan disbursement for Holtec International to reopen the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. DOE said in a statement that it will release $46,709,358 of the up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee to Holtec for the restart of the plant.
The loan was first approved by the Biden administration in September 2024. Holtec is looking to reopen Palisades in the fourth quarter of this year but is awaiting final approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If the 800 megawatt plant is approved, it would be the first decommissioned nuclear facility in the U.S. to come back online.
“In advancing President Trump’s commitment to meet our growing demand for affordable, reliable and secure electricity, America needs to utilize all forms of energy that grow our economy, create new jobs, and secure energy independence,” said DOE Secretary Chris Wright.
“With projects like the Palisades Nuclear Plant, the Energy Department is working to ensure America’s nuclear renaissance is just around the corner,” Wright added.
Take a look at Callie’s exclusive peek inside the facility in January.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENS PENALTIES OVER NYC CONGESTION PRICING: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has accused New York Gov. Kathy Hochul of engaging in “class warfare” by keeping New York City’s congestion pricing in place, threatening a number of penalties if she refuses to lift the tax.
Quick reminder: On Jan. 5, New York City implemented a congestion pricing program in order to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours. The program imposes a tax starting at $9 for more motorists. The funds collected are expected to be used to repair the city’s subway system. While polling has suggested that a plurality of New Yorkers (42%) are in support of the toll, it has been heavily criticized by the Trump administration.
Trump’s demands: After taking office, Trump demanded Hochul lift the congestion pricing program by March 21. One month before, Duffy rescinded the Department of Transportation’s approval of the toll. Hochul has resisted the pushback from the federal government, saying the state will not be “steamrolled.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has also filed a lawsuit, claiming the Trump administration does not have the legal authority to withdraw its approval.
New threats: Duffy leveled new threats against Hochul on Monday, ordering her to demonstrate why her refusal to comply with the administration’s demands wasn’t illegal within 30 days. If she fails to do so, there will be two main forms of punishment.
This would include the halting of non-essential advance construction authorizations for projects in Manhattan, a halt in National Environmental Policy Act approvals for projects in Manhattan, and a halt to approvals for “Statewide Transportation Improvement Program amendments concerning New York Metropolitan Transportation Council [Transportation Improvement Program] modifications.”
If the state continues to refuse to end the program, the administration may impose another tier of punishments, including a halt of FHWA funds for New York City, among other penalties.
ICYMI – TRUMP TO IMPOSE STEEP TARIFFS ON ASIAN SOLAR IMPORTS: The Trump administration announced steep tariffs on solar imports from four nations in Southeast Asia yesterday, with duties as high as 3,500%, on the grounds that the nations act as pass-throughs for products being dumped into the global market by China.
The details: The Department of Commerce unveiled the new tariff rates following investigations into crystalline photovoltaic cells imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, which found that the countries were receiving subsidies from China.
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick indicated that the tariffs are intended to help boost domestic manufacturing and American competitiveness. However, U.S. solar developers have heavily relied on imports to meet demand, meaning the duties will likely spark more uncertainty for the renewable sector already facing the administration’s ire.
The new tariffs vary depending on the company and country. Cambodia saw the highest tariffs, approximately 3,521%, as it did not participate in the investigation. Jinko Solar products from Malaysia are set to see some of the lowest tariffs announced, with rates around 41.56%. Other modules from Vietnam and Thailand are facing rates between 120% and 400%.
Some background: The antidumping and countervailing duty investigations began in May 2024, after the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee filed a petition. The trade group insisted that companies in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam were injuring the U.S. solar industry by receiving support from China. The group pointed to findings from the Biden administration’s Department of Commerce, which said in 2023 that Chinese solar manufacturers were circumventing tariffs on solar exports by shipping products through South Asian countries.
Read more from Callie here.
RUNDOWN
BBC News How 50 years of climate change has changed the face of the ‘Blue Marble’ from space
The Guardian On thin ice: the brutal cold of Canada’s Arctic was once a defence, but a warming climate has changed that
Washington Post This Earth Day, there are some reasons to be hopeful about the climate