WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Thursday, readers! We are continuing to follow the aftermath of the destructive flash flood that hit parts of central Texas last week. The death toll continues to increase as search and rescue efforts are ongoing. If you want to help those suffering because of the flood, here is a list of places to donate.
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.
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NO END IN SIGHT FOR THE AGE OF OIL, OPEC SAYS: Earlier today, OPEC released its annual World Oil Outlook, forecasting that global oil demand will continue to swell until 2050.
The details: In the annual report, the oil producing bloc estimated global energy demand overall will grow by at least 23% during the same time period. OPEC indicated that it believes oil will play a critical role in meeting demand, with oil projected to maintain the largest share in the global energy mix in 2050 at around 30%. This grows to over 50% when combined with gas.
For oil specifically, OPEC has forecast that demand will reach almost 123 million barrels per day by 2050, with no peak on the horizon.
Outlier in the market: It’s important to note that OPEC’s forecast does deviate from other, more bearish, projections made within the energy sector. For example, the International Energy Agency has said global oil demand will peak by 2029 and S&P Global Commodity Insights said demand could fall after 2035.
Key quote: “Positively, it has become increasingly clear to many policymakers in recent years that the narrative of swiftly phasing out oil and gas has been seen for what it is: unworkable, and a fantasy,” OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said. “Many initial net-zero policies promoted unrealistic timelines or had little regard for energy security, affordability, or feasibility — this mindset is shifting.”
Read more from Callie here.
LATEST ON TEXAS: Almost a week after the flash flood that struck central Texas, there have been nearly 120 confirmed dead across the state and at least 150 people reported missing in Kerr County as of this morning.
Yesterday evening, hundreds gathered for a vigil at Tivy High School to honor the lives lost in the flood. The flood was particularly destructive in Kerr County, where at least 27 people died in the flood from an all-girls camp, called Camp Mystic.
Plus, accusations about FEMA: In the days since the flood, responders with the Federal Emergency Management Agency have worked to conduct search and rescues and deploy critical resources for those hit by the natural disaster.
However, those efforts reportedly have been in part hindered by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Several FEMA officials told CNN that they have now been forced to obtain Noem’s personal okay to pursue any work that would cost over $100,000. The officials said this delayed FEMA by 72 hours in deploying critical rescue teams to the flooding areas.
Then, yesterday, Noem issued an attack on the agency for what she described as past failures and urged emergency response to be turned over to the states.
“Federal emergency management should be state and locally led, rather than how it has operated for decades,” the secretary said, adding that FEMA “needs to be eliminated as it exists today, and remade into a responsive agency.”
POWER BILLS TO JUMP AMID RATE HIKE REQUEST FROM UTILITIES: Millions of Americans could be in for higher energy bills this year as utilities have sought to increase rates by billions of dollars, a new report has found.
The details: The report, published today by nonprofit PowerLines, found that utilities across the U.S. have requested or received approval to increase rates for the first half of this year by $29 billion. This far surpasses the amount of rate increases requested and approved at this point last year, which PowerLines estimated to be $5 billion.
Utility rates are anticipated to increase across the country, affecting around 40 million consumers.
Customers of National Grid for example, who are primarily located in New York and Massachusetts, are anticipated to see their monthly bills increase by up to $50 a month as the utility received approval to increase its rates by $708 million, according to calculations made by the Financial Times. Similarly, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company has received approval to raise rates by $237 million. This equates to a roughly $23 monthly increase to bills.
The why: PowerLines executive director Charles Hua has said that one large factor driving the rate increases is the soaring energy demand brought on by artificial intelligence advancements and data centers. As utilities face growing pressure from these large-load facilities plugging into the grid, consumers are starting to feel the costs.
“What we’re . . . seeing is a deer-in-headlights dynamic,” Hua told the Financial Times. “A lot of states don’t have a playbook for how they can meet rising demand while balancing affordability and utility bills.”
EPA LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITES ON WEATHER MODIFICATION: The Environmental Protection Agency launched two new websites to address the public concerns regarding weather modification after some Republicans alleged it could be linked to last week’s flash flood in Texas.
“Americans have questions about geoengineering and contrails,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on X. “They expect honesty and transparency from their government when seeking answers. For years, people who asked questions in good faith were dismissed, even vilified by the media and their own government. This ends today.”
After the tweet, some accused Zeldin of pushing conspiracy theories about weather modifications being linked to natural disasters.
Soon after Zeldin’s tweet, the agency unveiled new websites to address weather modification, particularly geoengineering and contrails, where they rebutted common conspiracy theories.
The EPA’s new website comes as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced legislation over the weekend to ban weather modification, citing claims that it contributed to the Texas floods.
Greene has remained steadfast in claiming that weather modifications cause extreme weather events. Last October, Greene posted on X that the government can control the weather during Hurricane Helene.
Read more about the EPA’s websites and weather modification here.
BLM COAL EXPLORATION PROJECT: The Bureau of Land Management is opening public input for its first coal exploration project since 2019.
The exploration project will be in Utah’s Muddy Creek Canyon area. The company Canyon Fuel Company LLC is proposing drilling 10 exploration holes on 9,276 acres of public land in Sanpete County. The department said the exploration would use low-impact drilling methods to seek potential coal resources.
Today’s exploration proposal is part of the Trump administration’s effort to revive the coal industry.
“This project marks another important step in restoring commonsense access to America’s energy resources,” BLM Acting Director Bill Groffy said in a press release.
“Since April, we’ve taken a series of actions to revitalize the U.S. coal industry—supporting jobs, local economies, and energy security. Today’s announcement is part of that broader commitment,” Groffy said.
POSITIVE STEPS FOR U.S.-BASED SMALL MODULAR REACTORS: Developers of advanced nuclear projects are getting closer to building a small modular reactor in the U.S. as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is advancing an application to build one in Tennessee.
The details: Earlier today, the NRC announced that it accepted a construction permit application for review from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build one of the first SMRs in the U.S. Federal regulators are expected to complete their review of the application within 17 months.
TVA, the largest public utility provider in the U.S., is looking to build an SMR at its Clinch River Nuclear Site, just over 30 miles outside of Knoxville. TVA has held an early site permit for the site since 2019, the first of any SMR in the U.S. Next, TVA will need to receive a full safety review and approval of its reactor design before it can be cleared for construction.
“This is an exciting step to bringing the nation’s first utility-led SMR online,” TVA President and CEO Don Moul said in a statement. “As the first utility in the United States to have a construction permit application under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the BWRX-300 reactor, this will create a path for other utilities to deploy the reactor — ensuring energy security and reliable electricity for all.”
Quick reminder: There are currently no SMRs operational in the U.S. and only three operating worldwide. As of July, the NRC has only approved two SMR reactor designs, both of which were submitted by nuclear developer NuScale.
FORMER SENATOR FRANK MURKOWSKI CALLS FOR OPENING ALASKA FOR MINERAL MINING: Former Republican Alaska Sen. Frank Murkowski called for Trump to open up federal land in Alaska to gain rare earth and critical minerals.
Murkowski, the father of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, that there are untapped deposits of minerals like tantalum and other minerals on federal land in Alaska. However, the minerals are not being mined due to federal restrictions.
“Why aren’t they being mined from Alaska and made available to American industry? Because most are on federal land, which constitutes roughly two-thirds of the state’s landmass of more than 356 million acres,” Murkowski wrote.
Recently, the U.S. has been taking action to develop its own source of critical minerals and rare earths to be less reliant on foreign entities like China. The minerals are essential for building products in the energy and defense sectors.
The former senator noted that federal rules and permitting requirements make it nearly impossible for mines to develop in the state. Murkowski called on Trump to expedite rare-earth and critical mineral development on known sites.
“No longer should America have to be dependent on China, or any other nation. Alaska has the resources, but America needs the will,” Murkowski wrote.
RUNDOWN
Associated Press Here are some things you can do to be better prepared for major flooding
Inside Climate News It Just Got Easier to Build Nuclear Power Plants in Wisconsin
E&E News GOP moderates balk at Trump renewables order