WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Monday, readers! We hope you all had a restful weekend. In today’s Daily on Energy, we are kicking things off with Republicans continuing their effort to roll back former President Joe Biden’s energy and climate policies. The House is slated to vote on three bills this week that would reverse energy- and climate-related regulations. 

With the help of our editor, Joe Lawler, we also take a look at the fires burning throughout North and South Carolina, prompting a state of emergency. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces plans to bypass regulations to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. 

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.

HOUSE TO VOTE ON BILLS UNDOING BIDEN’S ENERGY POLICIES: The House this week will vote on three measures to undo energy and climate regulations implemented under the Biden administration. 

Republicans have been seeking to reverse former President Joe Biden’s climate and energy policies through the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to bypass the filibuster and take a simple majority vote in the House and Senate to overturn rules. 

Last week, the House and Senate voted on several climate-related CRA bills. Both chambers voted to reverse an Environmental Protection Agency rule that imposes a methane fee on oil and natural gas facilities – which now just needs President Donald Trump’s signature. 

Regulations on the chopping block this week:  

• Rubber Tires Manufacturing – This regulation sets standards for hazardous emissions from the rubber tire manufacturing process. Republicans have said the standards increase compliance costs for the industry and result in higher prices for consumers. 

• Energy Conservation-Appliance Standards – This regulation requires appliances to meet certain standards to receive a label informing consumers that they are energy-efficient. Republicans have argued that the rule slows the introduction of new products to market, limits consumer options, and impacts the supply chain. 

• Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources – This regulation requires oil and gas lessees and operators to submit archaeological reports for exploration or development on the Outer Continental Shelf. The Senate last week passed the bill with three Democrats voting in favor of repealing the rule. The GOP argues that the rule blocks and harms domestic energy production. 

OIL PRICES FALL AS OPEC+ MOVES FORWARD WITH SUPPLY HIKE: OPEC+ said today that it would proceed in April with a long-delayed hike in production, as President Donald Trump had called for. 

The group will aim to raise supply by 138,000 barrels per day, the first in a series of hikes meant to increase production by 2 million bpd by 2026, according to Bloomberg. Traders had expected another delay. 

Brent crude prices were down nearly 2% to $71.50 following the announcement. 

Why proceed with the hike? Bloomberg notes that OPEC member Saudi Arabia needs funds to cover government spending, and that it is seeking to strengthen ties with the U.S. and Trump via investment projects. Russia, too, may be hoping to ship more oil internationally as it seeks a deal with the Trump administration. 

WILDFIRES ERUPT IN THE CAROLINAS: Fires erupted over the weekend in North and South Carolina, fueled by high winds and dry conditions.

More than 175 fires were burning in South Carolina on Sunday. As of this afternoon, there are 144 wildfires, which have burned more than 5,600 acres, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. One of the largest fires burning in the states is the Horry County fire, just north of Myrtle Beach, which has burned 1600 acres and is 30% contained. 

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency yesterday to ensure first responders have the necessary resources to fight the wildfires. Officials in South Carolina also issued a ban on all outdoor burning. 

Then in North Carolina, there are 205 active fires throughout the state, with over 2,100 acres that have been burned. In North Carolina, there is a brush fire in the mountain region threatening the communities of Saluda and Tryon. The fire was sparked by a downed power line. As of this morning the fire is estimated to have burned 481 acres, with 30% containment. 

NEWSOM DECLARES EMERGENCY AHEAD OF WILDFIRE SEASON: California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency to bypass some regulations ahead of peak wildfire season. 

The emergency proclamation would bypass “bureaucratic red tape” by temporarily suspending the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires agencies to assess the environmental effect of their projects. It would also temporarily pause the Coastal Act, which guides how land along the state’s coast is developed and protected. 

Newsom said these regulations slow down “critical” forest management projects. 

The announcement comes two months after the Los Angeles County wildfires, which destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. Trump and Republicans have claimed that these regulations create hurdles for clearing areas prone to fires. 

The state will also invest $2.5 billion to increase and implement the governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan, a framework signed by Newsom in 2021 to improve wildfire resilience. 

California’s wildfire season typically begins in June or July and can last through late October or November. 

Read more by Washington Examiner’s Annabella Rosciglione here. 

LIGHTNING STRIKES NANTUCKET WIND TURBINE THAT SHATTERED LAST YEAR: A wind turbine off the coast of Nantucket was struck by lightning, Bloomberg reports. 

It’s the same turbine that suffered a shattered blade last year. Shards and other parts of the broken blade washed up on the shore and littered the island’s beaches, stirring up local opposition to the project. 

Vineyard Wind, the operator, said that the lightning strike might have affected the already broken blade, but that no new debris was created. 

ZELDIN REQUESTS INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATION INTO ‘GOLD BARS’: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has requested an official investigation by the agency’s inspector general into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the $20 billion granted to it by the Biden administration. 

The request is the latest in Zeldin’s efforts to scrutinize the funds, which became an object of concern after an EPA official was secretly recorded saying that the agency rushed the funds out the door before Trump took office in a manner akin to throwing gold bars off the Titanic. 

Zeldin noted in the letter that disbursement of the funds, held at Citibank, is frozen amid investigations by the FBI and Department of Justice. 

He cited problems with the grantmaking, including that the awards lacked oversight and that there weren’t proper controls at the entities being funded. He also said that some of the awardees had conflicts of interest – such as a group, Power Forward Communities, affiliated with Stacey Abrams, which received a $2 billion grant. 

EUROPEAN UNION TO GRANT MORE TIME FOR AUTOMAKERS TO MEET CARBON TARGETS: The European Commission will propose later this month to allow automakers to meet carbon targets over a three year period instead of by 2025, Reuters reports. 

“The targets stay the same. They have to fulfil the targets, but it means more breathing space for industry,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. She added the proposal will still require approval from EU governments and the European Parliament.

Reuters said compliance will now be based on a carmaker’s average emissions over the three year window. The EU is seeking to meet zero emissions from vehicles by 2035. However, some European automakers in recent weeks have urged the commission to offer more flexibility for its vehicle emission standards. 

The EU executive is expected to announce its automotive action plan on Wednesday. 

ICYMI – TRUMP WANTS TO BOOST TIMBER PRODUCTION: Trump over the weekend signed two executive orders on timber and lumber production. 

In the first order, Trump directed the Departments of Interior and Agriculture, as well as the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, to issue new or updated guidelines to boost timber production, improve forest management, reduce timber delivery time, and decrease timber supply uncertainty. 

It added that the Department of Interior and Agriculture may also submit legislative proposals to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to expand authorities. 

The second order asked the Department of Commerce to investigate trade practices and domestic industry’s production of lumber and timber. The order could result in additional tariffs on imported lumber from Canada and Mexico. 

A LOOK AHEAD: 

March 4 Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress.

March 4 The House Natural Resources committee is holding a hearing, “Understanding the Consequences of Experimental Populations Under the Endangered Species Act.”

March 4 The House Energy and Commerce will mark up twelve pieces of legislation.

March 5 The Senate Environment and Public Works committee is holding a nomination hearing for David Fotouhi to be Deputy Administrator and Aaron Szabo to be an Assistant Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency.

March 5 The House Energy and Commerce committee is holding a hearing on “Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder.” 

March 5 The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas.

March 5 The U.S. Energy Association is holding a virtual press briefing on “Energy and Environment: Trump Challenge.”

March 5 The Center for Strategic & International Studies is holding a webcast on the “Electricity Supply Bottleneck on U.S. AI Dominance.” 

March 5 CRES will host Geothermal House DC MAGMA tomorrow at Top of the Hill. 

March 6 The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is holding a hearing to “Examine Options to Reduce Catastrophic Wildfires.”

March 6 George Washington University Security and Sustainability forum will be holding a talk with Richard Heinberg, a Senior Fellow of Post Carbon Institute on Trump’s second term.

RUNDOWN

The New York Times Rising Temperatures Are Scrambling the Base of the Ocean Food Web

AP News As warming climate hammers coffee crops, this rare bean may someday be your brew

CalMatters Who should pay billions for climate disasters? California and others take aim at Big Oil — will the strategy work?