FIRST IN DAILY ON ENERGY: A House Natural Resources subcommittee will host a field hearing in the coming weeks on the gray wolf, making the case for lessened federal protections on the grounds that the predator terrorizes other animals and imposes hardship on farmers, ranchers and outdoorsmen.
The Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries subcommittee will hold the hearing in Minnesota May 3 to address the economic, ecological, and societal ramifications of the “gray wolf surge,” as Republicans demand a rollback in protections for the animal. The hearing will also examine how the wolves bedevil other animals, such as elk, deer, and moose, and assess the federal government’s role in addressing the problem.
“Wolves are natural-born killers, and they are wreaking havoc upon wildlife, preying on livestock, and damaging the ability of fish and wildlife agencies to do their jobs,” subcommittee Chairman Rep. Cliff Bentz of Oregon said in a written statement. “Yet, the federal government remains idle on this issue, prioritizing the protection of wolves over the protection of our elk deer, moose populations, and important parts of our rural communities.”
Some background: GOP lawmakers have been asking the Biden administration to delist the animal from being under the Endangered Species Act, arguing that growth of the gray wolf’s population underlines the lack of risk for extinction – and that the population boom can cause significant problems for cattle. Twenty House Republicans, in a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service, argued that the gray wolf no longer needed to be listed under the Endangered Species Act within the entirety of the Western U.S., noting that the agency’s decision to reject a petition to re-list the gray wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountains was a “clear acknowledgement” of the species’ recovery.
Population numbers for the gray wolf – which once roamed the entire North American continent but is now primarily found in the Great Lakes regions and in the West – have oscillated between rising and dipping as states and federal lawmakers participate in a tug-of-war over protections for the controversial animal. During the Trump administration, the FWS fully delisted the animal from the ESA – and as more states allowed for hunting, wolf populations began to drop. A federal court order prompted the FWS to issue a rule reinstating protections for the gray wolf last year in the lower 48 states. But the Biden administration has declined to list the wolf as endangered in the Northern Rocky Mountains and in the Western U.S.
On the flipside: Measures that lessened protections for the gray wolf have raised alarm among conservationists and Democrats, who argue that increased hunting would decrease wolf numbers to unsustainable levels. And in some Democratic states, officials are fighting back – in December, Colorado wildlife officials released a number of wolves in the state as part of one of the most ambitious efforts in almost three decades to help restore population numbers.
The hearing will be held in Pine County, Minnesota – an area with a high density of gray wolves. Watch the upcoming hearing here.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner Energy and Environment writers Breanne Deppisch (@breanne_dep) and Nancy Vu (@NancyVu99). Email bdeppisch@washingtonexaminer dot com or nancy.vu@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.
TWO PFAS SUBSTANCES ADDED TO SUPERFUND LIST: The Environmental Protection Agency announced a final rule this morning classifying the two most widely used PFAS substances – perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) – as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law, meaning that the agency can hold polluters responsible for any improper disposal of the substances. Breanne has the story here.
The final rule comes as part of the Biden administration’s broader crackdown on PFAS contaminants. Earlier this month, the EPA published a rule requiring U.S. water utilities reduce PFAS contamination in public drinking water to near-zero levels.
EPA SIGNS OFF ON SUMMER E15 SALES: The EPA issued an emergency waiver this morning allowing the sale of E15 gasoline — gasoline blended with 15% ethanol — during the summer driving season. The agency cited the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East as justification for the measure, saying it would bring down gas prices.
Iowa ethanol proponent Sen. Chuck Grassley praised the move in a press release, but also said that the agency should move toward year-round, nationwide E15. He noted that the EPA has said it will allow year-round E15 sales in Midwestern states starting next year. “I’m hearing rumors the agency might delay implementation, and that better not be true,” Grassley said. “Such a delay would be a bait-and-switch by Biden bureaucrats on the drivers, retailers, farmers and refiners who are counting on uninterrupted E15 moving forward.”
RELATED…BRAINARD PROMISES AFFORDABLE SUMMER GAS PRICES: Speaking of gas prices – top Biden economic adviser Lael Brainard hinted yesterday that the administration is prepared to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve again if prices get too high.
Specifically, Brainard, speaking at a Semafor event, said the administration will “make sure gas prices remain affordable” during the summer driving season.
“We’re highly attentive to the international oil markets and domestic gas prices. We’ll continue to monitor closely and want to make sure that those gas prices remain in current ranges,” Brainard said, according to CNBC.
The average price of a gallon of gas is $3.679, according to AAA. The group has warned that prices are likely to go above $4 this summer.
PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION IN CLIMATE DEFIANCE PROTEST OF MURKOWSKI: A group of climate activists violently stormed a gala at which Sen. Lisa Murkowski was being honored Wednesday, with several activists tumbling off a stage as event attendees attempted to remove them.
At an event honoring the Alaska Republican for her work on behalf of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, advocates from Climate Defiance had rushed the stage chanting and protesting the senator, according to a video posted by the group on Thursday. As attendees attempted to remove the protestors, the clash became violent, with several people being pushed off the stage.
In an X thread, the group called the senator a “murderer,” and blasted her advocacy to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, efforts to get the Willow oil project approved, her vote to confirm Trump EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and her lack of support for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill.
A spokesperson for Murkwoski didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
BROWN AND TESTER VOTE TO BLOCK BIDEN TAILPIPE EMISSIONS RULES: In case you missed it – Sens. Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester, two of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats, voted yesterday with Republicans for legislation to block the EPA from implementing its auto tailpipe emissions standards.
Sen. Joe Manchin, also voted in favor and had cosponsored the measure. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party and is not seeking reelection, also voted “aye.”
Brown previously called for an outright ban on Chinese-made electric vehicles, an effort that helps align him with union voters in Ohio. Yesterday’s vote was in the same vein. Sen. Mike Crapo, the bill’s author, said that the emissions standards “hand the keys of our automotive industry over to China–who currently dominates the entire EV supply chain.”
FALLOUT FROM BIDEN LIMITING DRILLING AND MINING IN ALASKA: The Biden administration pleased environmentalists this morning with announcements that it will restrict drilling for oil and gas on 13 million acres of the National Petroleum-Reserve Alaska and reject the application for the Ambler Road needed for mining of critical minerals.
While the moves may help mollify activists angry over the administration’s earlier decision to authorize the Willow Project in the state, it also faces critical opposition from key people in Alaska.
Alaska’s two Republican senators came out strongly against the moves and hinted at legal reprisal. Sen. Dan Sullivan said in a press conference last night that “they are clearly illegal.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski separately said that the Department of the Interior hadn’t followed the law, according to the Alaska Beacon.
The state’s Democratic representative, Mary Peltola, also criticized both decisions. On X, she said that the rule on the petroleum reserve “steamrolled the voices of many Alaska Natives.” She also wrote that the Ambler Road denial conflicted with what local stakeholders wanted.
While Biden cited Alaska natives in a statement touting the restrictions on drilling in the petroleum reserve, he is also facing pushback from some groups representing locals opposed to the rules. “We’re barely 50 years away from getting indoor plumbing, and that was brought by oil and gas,” Doreen Leavitt, director of natural resources for the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, told the Washington Post. Leavitt said,“We feel that our voices haven’t been listened to.”
OIL INVESTORS HEARTENED BY LOW INTENSITY OF ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT: So far, the direct conflict between Israel and Iran has been sufficiently limited and constrained that oil markets are expressing relief.
Brent crude rose above $90 last night on reports that Israel launched missile strikes on Iran in reprisal for this past weekend’s drone and missile attacks by Iran on Israel. But it dipped back below $87 this morning as the limited scope of the effort became clear.
Iran downplayed the incident, describing it as an “infiltration” rather than an act of war.
Altogether, oil markets signaled that investors see the two sides as avoiding escalatory measures. To this point, the reality of the conflict has been less bad than the fears that drove up Brent well above $90 earlier this month.
CANADA LAUNCHES NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURING SUBSIDIES: Canada is spending more to help automakers build out electric vehicle supply chains in the country as part of its yearslong effort to attract new auto investments and compete with the U.S. EV subsidies enacted under President Joe Biden.
A new tax credit, included in the government’s 2024 budget proposal released this week, offers manufacturers a 10% subsidy on the capital cost of buildings used in “key segments” of EV production and is designed to build on an existing tax credit Canada passed in 2023 to subsidize 30% of EV makers’ equipment costs.
The tax credits are a strategy from Ottawa designed to incentivize areas of EV manufacturing and production in areas that the Inflation Reduction Act has not. “Since the [IRA] was signed, Canadian officials have been hard at work figuring out what Canada’s response is” to the law, Joanna Kyriazis, director of public affairs and head of transportation at Clean Energy Canada, told us in an interview.
“I think Canada is doing a dance, understanding that the U.S. is both a collaborative partner and also a competitor,” Kyriazis said.
Why it matters: Keeping up with the EV sector is a major goal for Canada, and the new 10% tax credit is widely seen as vying for the investments of two automakers specifically—Honda and Toyota—which both have plans to invest billions in new North American facilities.
“The joke right now is that the federal government should have said, ‘This new tax credit is only available for companies with names rhyming with Rhonda,’” Kyriazis quipped. Read more on that here.
RUNDOWN
Associated Press Climate change concerns grow, but few think Biden’s climate law will help, an AP-NORC poll finds
E&E News House leaders block LNG amendment to spending package
The New York Times China’s Cities Are Sinking Below Sea Level, Study Finds