WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Wednesday, readers! Congress is back in full swing this week, jumping right into hearings considering new legislation and pending nominations. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee also held an oversight hearing for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this morning, during which the sitting commissioners indicated there is a risk of being fired by the president without cause. 

Feeling some deja-vu? Oil prices dropped again today on the news that OPEC+ is once again considering increasing production next month. The low prices haven’t spared any oil producers, as ConocoPhillips plans to lay off up to a quarter of its employees this year. 

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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.

NRC COMMISSIONERS AT RISK OF BEING FIRED BY TRUMP: Multiple members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said this morning they are at risk of being fired by President Donald Trump if they slow his nuclear energy agenda. 

The details: The three sitting commissioners of the NRC appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today, where they defended the independent agency’s commitment to prioritizing safety over speed. 

Concerns have grown in recent months that the president’s overhaul of the NRC is sacrificing its ability to safely and effectively license and approve new nuclear projects. California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff pressed the commissioners as to whether they believe they are at risk of being fired if they refuse to approve a new reactor design over safety concerns. 

Commissioner Matthew Marzano called the risk of dismissal a “possibility,” while commissioner Bradley Crowell told the committee, “I think on any given day, I could be fired by the administration for reasons unknown.”

Only NRC Chairman David Wright avoided saying whether he thought there was a risk of being fired, emphasizing that the commission would put safety above all. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Wright said. “I’m going to make the right decision, and I’ll stand by that decision.”

Read more from Callie here. 

KEY WHITE HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL NOMINEE HEADS TO SENATE FLOOR: Just before Senate EPW’s oversight hearing on the NRC, the committee voted to advance Trump’s nomination of Katherine Scarlett to lead the Council on Environmental Quality. 

The details: Scarlett’s nomination moved through the committee with ease this morning, advancing to the Senate floor in a 12-7 vote. Two Democrats voted in favor of her nomination, including Ranking Member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. 

Ahead of the vote, Whitehouse said he supported the work that CEQ is undertaking under Scarlett’s leadership to implement the National Environmental Policy Act and to modernize the federal permitting process. 

“This work is long overdue,” Whitehouse said. 

Some background: CEQ has remained at the center of permitting debates in Washington, as the environmental policy office is tasked with issuing guidance and interpreting regulations related to NEPA. Trump ordered the agency earlier this year to do away with all of its existing regulations and replace them with new, nonbinding guidance. 

CEQ has been without a chair since Trump took office. Since January, Scarlett has worked as chief of staff, the position next in line to lead the agency when there is no chairman. 

HOUSE LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE COAL AND MINING BILLS: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing this morning to introduce several bills related to boosting mineral and coal developments on federal lands. 

Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, the chairman of the subcommittee, said: “I know how vital it is to secure reliable domestic sources of the minerals needed to power our 21st Century economy and our national defense.” 

The legislation:

•  H.R. 280 “Combatting Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025” or the “COAL Act of 2025”
•  H.R. 1366 “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2025”
•  H.R. 3872 “Mineral Extraction for Renewable Industry and Critical Applications Act of 2025” or the “MERICA Act of 2025”
•  H.R. 4018 “To unleash America’s offshore critical minerals and resources.” 
•  H.R. 4068 “Streamlining NEPA for Coal Act”
•  H.R. 4090 To codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, and for other purposes.

The bills are part of the administration’s broad effort to increase coal and mineral development. 

The Trump administration has argued that more coal production is needed to meet growing energy demand. At the same time, the administration is taking steps to grow domestic mineral production to reduce reliance on foreign adversaries like China, who control the majority of the world’s mineral supply chains. 

The ranking Democrat on the panel, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Washington, said that “We need a whole supply chain approach, from mining to processing to end use, to build truly secure and resilient mineral supply chains. We must consider public input and ensure the benefits of domestic mining stay local.”

“That’s not what these bills would do beyond critical minerals, the two coal bills on the agenda are trying to artificially prolong the life of an industry that is on life support as market forces like cheap, renewable energy are driving coal’s decline,” she added. 

MORE ON FOSSIL FUEL DEVELOPMENTS… Lawmakers are set to take up three bills on the House floor that would reverse the Biden Bureau of Land Management-approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments for lands in Montana, North Dakota, and Alaska. 

The RMP is an outline for how to manage specific public lands while maximizing its resources, but Republicans claim the Biden administration’s RMP amendments for these three states limit or block fossil fuel and mining production.

TRUMP’S HITS ON WIND KEEP COMING: The Trump administration is further escalating its war on offshore wind, by reportedly employing every federal agency possible in order to block new and ongoing projects. 

Agency action: The New York Times now reports that the White House is instructing around six federal agencies to draft plans targeting the offshore wind industry. Several of the agencies’ involvement, including the Department of Interior or Department of Energy, makes sense given how tied their offices are to the energy sector. However, Trump is reportedly also looking to the Defense Department and the Health and Human Services Department to come up with ways to block new wind farms. 

Two individuals briefed on the matter told the outlet that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and senior adviser Stephen Miller are leading the effort. At HHS, officials are reportedly investigating whether wind turbines emit electromagnetic fields that could harm human health. Meanwhile, DOD is looking into possible national security risks. 

One former Interior Department official under the Clinton administration likened this latest effort to stymie the offshore wind industry to “grasping at straws.” 

Withdrawing permits: The Interior Department has primarily led administration action this summer, by withdrawing federal support for new and ongoing projects. Last week, court documents revealed that the agency was withdrawing its federal approvals granted to an offshore wind farm poised to be constructed off the coast of Maryland. 

Yesterday and today, new documents indicate that Interior will also be revoking permits previously granted to offshore wind projects along the East Coast. The agency is targeting SouthCoast Wind and New England Wind off the coast of Massachusetts. Construction on both projects have not yet begun, but that has not stopped the administration from halting progress before. 

OPEC+ CONSIDERING ANOTHER OUTPUT HIKE: OPEC+ is reportedly weighing increasing its oil production levels again in October, after six straight months of substantial output hikes. 

Two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the oil-producing bloc will decide Sunday as to whether it will increase production again. This would launch the second unwinding of production cuts seen in recent years, around 1.65 million barrels per day, that were set to remain in place through next year. 

OPEC+ could pause its increases in October, as it has already raised output by around 2.5 million barrels a day since April. A final decision has not been made as of Wednesday. 

There are concerns that pumping more oil into the global market will further depress prices, which analysts warn could drop to the low $50s next year. OPEC+ has continuously held a more bullish view of the market, continuously pointing to a “steady global economic outlook.” 

Market reaction: Unsurprisingly, oil prices fell today on the news of the potential output hike. Both international and domestic benchmarks dropped by over 2%, with prices sitting in the low to mid-$60s. Just before 3 p.m. EST Brent Crude was down by 2.3% and was selling at $67.56 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate had also fallen by roughly 2.6% and was priced at $63.88 per barrel. 

PLUS…CONOCOPHILLIPS LAYOFFS: Oil majors haven’t been spared by the lower prices this year, as ConocoPhillips plans to lay off up to 25% of its workforce. 

The details: Reuters confirmed today that the company plans to slash its staff by 20-25% as part of a broader restructuring. In a video message obtained by the outlet, CEO Ryan Lance reportedly told employees that the company is streamlining its operations and will need fewer roles. Lance explained that costs for drilling and production have risen by around $2 per barrel, making it more difficult for ConocoPhillips to compete with its rivals as futures continue to drop. 

ConocoPhillips has roughly 13,000 employees worldwide, meaning upwards of 3,250 people could be laid off. The company told Reuters that it plans to implement most of the restructuring before the end of the year. 

US WARNS COUNTRIES TO REJECT UN SHIP EMISSIONS AGREEMENT: The U.S. has warned nations to reject the United Nations agreement that would impose a fee on ships that exceed global carbon emission standards, Reuters reports. 

The UN’s International Maritime Organization agreed on a draft in April to impose fees on ships that exceed emissions. The U.S. withdrew from the talks and threatened to retaliate against nations that support the agreement. 

Reuters reported that, according to sources, the State Department has reached out to nations, warning them to not adopt the agreement. 

A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. was “actively exploring and preparing to act on remedies including tariffs, visa restrictions, and/or port levies should this effort succeed in the October IMO extraordinary session vote.” 

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