WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Wednesday, readers! House lawmakers held a lengthy hearing today on permitting reform – a key issue for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.
Here at Daily on Energy, we tracked the developments as the House Natural Resources Committee hearing on permitting reform lasted for nearly five hours. Read on to learn more about what’s been said so far.
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In other news, the Interior Department is moving forward to repeal the Biden administration’s Public Lands Rule, which prioritizes conservation. The administration has argued that the rule restricts land use for essential energy developments.
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.
CONGRESS DIGS DEEP ON PERMITTING: The House Natural Resources Committee has officially kicked off debate over reforms to the environmental review process for infrastructure and energy projects, and there is one major looming question: will lawmakers finally be able to agree on a package?
Republicans are moving quickly to reform the permitting process by targeting the National Environmental Policy Act. While they hold the majority in both the House and Senate, any package is doomed to fail in the upper chamber without bipartisan support.
Appealing to the Left: In a legislative hearing held by the committee, looking at three specific permitting reform bills, some Republicans attempted to appeal to their Democratic colleagues by highlighting that clean energy projects can benefit from the desired reforms.
“I’m not sure how folks who support renewable energy could be opposed to smart NEPA reforms,” Alaska Rep. Nick Begich said. Begich said that reforms proposed by Republicans would allow the U.S. to shore up much of the supply chain for renewable energy projects, which is currently dominated by China and its critical mineral resources.
“We must allow our nation to grow and develop. Revisions to NEPA are smart and they are necessary for core infrastructure investments to proceed at the speed of our modern competitive reality,” the Republican congressman said.
Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber also attempted to send that message in his questioning of the permitting reform advocates providing their testimony during the hearing. Stauber specifically zeroed in on the permitting reform bill introduced by committee chairman Bruce Westerman and Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden called the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act.
“Would reforms in the SPEED Act benefit all kinds of projects, including renewable energy projects, and the build up of transmission lines?” Stauber asked Thomas Hochman, director of Infrastructure Policy for the Foundation for American Innovation.
“Absolutely,” Hochman responded. “This is tech-neutral permitting reform.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DISBANDS GROUP BEHIND CONTROVERSIAL CLIMATE REPORT: The Department of Energy has reportedly dissolved the group of scientists that wrote the widely criticized report released by the agency last month that downplays the risks of climate change.
The lawsuit: DOE’s Climate Working Group was made up of five independent scientists selected by Energy Secretary Chris Wright this spring. The decision to disband the group appears to stem from an August lawsuit filed against the agency by the Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
This lawsuit accused DOE of violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act in a number of ways, including failure to issue a public notice for the working group’s meeting. DOE confirmed to Daily on Energy today that the working group was dissolved by Wright on Sept. 3 via a letter sent to its members.
Now that the working group is dissolved, however, the administration is arguing that those claims no longer have any standing. In court documents viewed by Politico, DOE specifically told the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts said the claims are now “moot.”
Free to engage: Wright did not reference the lawsuit in the letter sent to the working group’s members last week, instead saying that the scientists had accomplished their mission of bolstering debate and scientific discourse around the effects of climate change.
“Having collided with so many orthodoxies, I’m confident that we’ve excited the much-needed debate in this area and can dissolve the Climate Working Group without undermining that goal. Each of you remains free, as always, to continue engaging in that debate,” Wright wrote.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT MOVES TO REPEAL PUBLIC LANDS RULE: The Department of the Interior announced today that it would move forward with repealing the Biden administration’s Public Lands Rule, which prioritizes conservation.
The Biden administration last year finalized the Public Lands Rule, also known as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. The rule is imposed by the Bureau of Land Management to prioritize conservation and land restoration.
However, Trump’s DOI argued that the previous administration’s rule treated conservation as “no use,” meaning that the land was to be left untouched rather than authorizing legitimate uses of the land, such as grazing, energy development, or recreation. The department said the rule also exceeded the BLM’s authority by restricting land use.
DOI said that BLM’s public land should be used for multiple purposes, such as grazing, recreation, and energy development. The Trump administration has sought to open public lands for fossil fuel developments. The department will publish the proposed rule on the Federal Register, providing the public a 60-day comment period.
Lawmaker reactions: Republican Sen. John Curtis said on X: “Rescinding this rule has been a priority for my office and for so many western states. Public lands are best cared for by those who live closest to them, who depend on them, and who know them best.”
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman also applauded the DOI’s effort, stating, “This rescission ensures our public lands remain productive and accessible for all Americans. I thank the administration for protecting Western jobs and American energy dominance and look forward to working with them to restore commonsense to federal land management.”
Read more by Maydeen here.
SEN. WHITEHOUSE URGES UNITED NATIONS TO FINALIZE MARINE FUEL EMISSION FEE: Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said the United Nations International Maritime Organization should “stick to their guns” and finalize its agreement to impose a carbon fee on ships that exceeds emission standards.
During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today, Whitehouse said marine shipping is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. He said that a “victory is near” with the UN International Maritime Organization implementing a binding emission standard that includes a monetary fee for vessels that fail to meet the standards.
The IMO agreed on a draft in April to impose fees on ships that exceed emissions. The U.S. withdrew from the talks, threatening to retaliate against supporters of the agreement. Reuters had previously reported that the State Department has warned nations not to adopt the deal.
“To no one’s surprise, the Trump administration is trying to undermine this process as another trophy for its fossil fuel donors … I urge the IMO and the big international shippers to stick to their guns and finalize the fee,” Whitehouse said.
GREEN GROUP ANALYSIS SAYS TRUMP BUDGET CUTS PUT PUBLIC HEALTH AT RISK: The Environmental Defense Fund released an analysis today finding that the Trump administration’s proposed environmental budget cuts threaten public health.
The Trump administration is seeking to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by nearly half for fiscal year 2026. The cuts align with the Trump administration’s agenda to slash what it considers unnecessary spending. The EDF says the proposal would slash funding for monitoring water and air quality, harming public health and safety.
“Without adequate funding for clean air, clean water and enforcement, people will be less healthy while polluters will face fewer consequences,” Joanna Slaney, vice president for political and government affairs at EDF Action, said in a statement.
In particular, the EDF looked at five states – Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania – which it said would face public health risks from budget cuts.
EDF said the budget proposal would result in over 86% reduction in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and 90% reduction in Clean Water State Revolving Funds. It would also eliminate funding for state and local air quality management grants. Lastly, the budget cuts would leave state agencies without resources to implement enforcement to address violations of pollution.
EXXON ANTICIPATING LONG-TERM EUROPEAN UNION-UNITED STATES GAS DEAL: Oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil is expecting that the European Union will agree to buy U.S.-produced natural gas in multiple deals stretching decades, in an effort to keep its promises in the trade deal signed with President Donald Trump over the summer.
Quick reminder: In July, Trump spearheaded a landmark trade deal between the U.S. and EU as a part of negotiations to lower tariff rates on most goods imported from the region. In the deal, Europe agreed to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S., including through purchasing $750 billion in U.S. energy products by 2028.
New contracts: Oil executives now believe those investments will be long-term. Peter Clarke, senior vice president of Exxon’s liquefied natural gas arm, told the Financial Times from GasTech in Milan that Europe is the “most important market” for U.S. exports of LNG. Clarke told the outlet that the industry is now pursuing long-term contracting with the EU, saying “that is a development I think that’s coming down the track.”
Since July, EU members like Italy and Germany have announced deals to purchase US-produced LNG, particularly from Venture Global. As the interest grows, driven by desires to reduce reliance on Russian energy, Clarke said it is “logical” for Europe to commit to long-term contracts lasting 10-20 years or more.
NUCLEAR IN NEW YORK? Holtec International is considering restarting yet another decommissioned nuclear plant, bringing a more than 60-year-old facility back online in New York.
The details: Holtec International President Kelly Trice told Politico this week that the company has been getting many inquiries in New York state about whether it would be possible to restart the shuttered Indian Point Energy Center in Westchester, just over 30 miles north of midtown Manhattan.
“The answer is yes,” Trice told the outlet.
Holtec is currently in the process of restarting the Palisades Nuclear Plant in western Michigan, a project that received sweeping support from state and federal officials. The process won’t be as easy in New York, as there has long been opposition to having an active nuclear facility so close to the Big Apple.
The 2 gigawatt plant officially closed its doors in 2021, driven by safety concerns regarding the aging plant, as well as the fact that natural gas quickly became a more cost-effective solution for utilities and consumers.
Holtec currently estimates that a recommissioning of the facility would take around four years, and bring thousands of jobs to the region. It also estimates that the entire project would cost around $10 billion, roughly $4,800 per kilowatt.
While Holtec is considering moving forward, they don’t appear to have support from the governor’s office just yet. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul told the outlet that there have been no discussions or plans to reopen the nuclear facility.
ICYMI – SPEAKER JOHNSON BACKS VIRGINIA OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT: In a break from the Trump administration, House Speaker Mike Johnson has offered his support for an offshore wind project located off the coast of Virginia, which is set to be the largest offshore wind farm in the country.
The details: As the president and his cabinet have cracked down on planned and under-construction wind projects along the East Coast, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has somehow remained unscathed. The project has been quietly backed by Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who reportedly directly called Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in August to voice his support, according to the New York Times.
Johnson is now joining the Republican calls to ease the attacks on offshore wind.
“Yes, I’ve talked to the Trump team and there are ongoing conversations about that,” Johnson told E&E News when asked about the Virginia Beach project. “I understand the priority for Virginians and we want to do right by them, so we’ll see.”
Some background: Utility giant Dominion Energy has said the project is just months away from producing electricity and sending the power to Virginia consumers. However, that timeline has not stopped the administration from halting construction before. In August, the Interior Department issued a stop-work order for the Revolution Wind project in Rhode Island, which is estimated to be 80% complete.
Hopes dashed: The support from Republicans might all be for naught, as Burgum insisted today that there is “not a future” for the offshore wind industry under the Trump administration. The Interior Secretary issued the warning during GasTech in Milan, adding that all five offshore wind projects under construction are being reviewed. This included the Virginia Beach project.
“Right now, under this administration there is not a future,” Burgum said of the industry, according to Bloomberg “I think the fact that subsidies have been either cut back or limited means that it’s likely that there won’t be future offshore wind built in America.”
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