WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Friday, readers! In today’s Daily on Energy, the Interior Department has given the green light to a new mining plan that will extend the lifetime of the Antelope Mine in eastern Wyoming, which is yet another move by the administration to boost coal production in the U.S. We have the full breakdown of the plan below. Plus, oil prices are dropping as the U.S. and Russia work toward a potential peace agreement. 

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.

Recommended Stories

• Daily on Energy: Power plant rule comments due, another blow to offshore wind, and Trump versus plastic rules
• Daily on Energy: India tariffed, Idaho wind project axed, and solar farm controversy
• Daily on Energy: Solar for All axed, Diamondback pessimistic, and a second wave for wind?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: President Donald Trump earlier this week imposed additional tariffs on India to pressure the country to stop purchasing Russian oil, as a way to cut the Kremlin’s finances for the war in Ukraine. 

India is the second largest importer of Russian oil, but now faces a total tariff rate of 50%. India has indicated it would not stop importing Russian oil despite Trump’s tariffs. 

However, Sumit Ritolia, an analyst at Kpler told the Washington Examiner that if India does stop importing Russian oil, “We are talking about 1.5 million barrels a day of crude getting removed from the system.” 

“It will impact gasoline prices at the pump because you’re removing 1.5 million barrels of oil from the system … Overall, the prices will go up everywhere,” Ritolia added. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RAMPS UP EFFORT TO BOOST COAL: The Interior Department approved a new mining plan for a coal mine in Wyoming, extending its lifetime by more than 10 years.

The details: Secretary Doug Burgum announced today that the agency approved a mining plan modification for the Antelope Mine in eastern Wyoming, saying it will “unlock” 14.5 million tons of coal. The modified mining plan expands the mine’s federal coal leasing area, authorizing production across an additional 857 federal acres. The Interior Department said this will extend the lifetime of the mine through 2037. 

The approval, first reported by the Washington Examiner, marks the latest step from the administration to bolster the coal industry. President Donald Trump and his cabinet have repeatedly insisted that coal is crucial for securing more reliable baseload energy as electricity demands soar. 

“As global instability continues to threaten energy markets, the need for reliable, domestic coal has never been clearer,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Mineral Management Adam Suess said in a statement. 

Some background: The Antelope Mine has been in operation since 1985 and has a permitted mining capacity of 42 million tons of coal annually. It is currently operated by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company, supporting more than 350 full-time jobs. The mine sits at the bottom of the Powder River Basin, the largest coal basin in the U.S., stretching across Wyoming and Montana. The basin saw peak mining in 2008, with production hitting around 466.3 million short tons of coal. That has dramatically decreased over the last 15 years, with Wyoming only producing around 185 million tons of coal in 2024. 

Read more from Callie here. 

OIL SET FOR STEEPEST LOSSES IN WEEKS: Oil prices were poised to see their steepest losses since late June as the U.S. and Russia inch closer to a peace deal. 

The details: Just before 2 p.m. EST, both international and domestic benchmarks were down by roughly $3-4 compared to last Friday, with prices sitting in the mid to low $60s. Brent Crude was up on the day by 0.15% selling at $66.53 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate had fallen 0.03% on the day and was priced at $63.86 per barrel.

The drop in prices comes as Bloomberg reported that U.S. and Russian officials were working toward an agreement that would cement Moscow’s occupation of Ukrainian territories seized during its years-long invasion of the neighboring nation. People familiar with the matter told the outlet that the U.S. was aiming to seal the deal by early next week, aligning with President Donald Trump’s planned summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

A peace deal could very well lead to eased sanctions on Russia and its energy products, which have fueled trade tensions with nations like India and China all week. 

And related…the rig count: The dropping oil prices are a positive sign for the president who vowed to lower energy prices during his second presidency. Though, fulfilling that has made it more difficult to carry out another campaign promise, namely that the U.S. would “Drill, baby, Drill.” As of this afternoon, the number of active rigs in the U.S. continued to drop. 

Data released by Baker Hughes reveals that there are only 539 active rigs operating on land and offshore in the U.S., one fewer than last week and 49 fewer than this time last year. The rig that was dropped was located on land. Producers have warned for months that dropping prices, combined with high tariffs, are making it increasingly difficult to pursue new drilling projects. 

EPA TO STOP UPDATING DATABASE AFTER RESEARCHER SLAMMED TRUMP: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to stop updating a database that calculates greenhouse gas emissions after the lead scientist on the project criticized Trump and the administration this summer, according to a New York Times report. 

The research: The climate-related database is the third most viewed on Data.gov. This database, driven by research from scientist Wesley Ingwersen, allows a variety of companies to calculate their carbon footprints, tracking products as small as apples and as large as airplanes. It is formally known as the U.S. Environmentally-Extended Input-Output (USEEIO). 

The decision: An email obtained by the New York Times revealed that on July 24, the EPA informed users of the database that it would no longer be supporting the research. The agency said it would no longer be updating the information after September 30. 

The decision came just weeks after Ingwersen was suspended from the EPA after he signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to slash federal funding for scientific research. 

Ingwersen, who accepted the buyout offer to retire early from the government in September, plans to take his research to Stanford University and has reportedly vowed to continue updating the database and make it freely available. 

Some reaction: Environmental activists have said the government’s decision to no longer update the information is a “major setback” for corporate targets related to emissions reductions and reporting. Damien Lieber, senior manager at environmental consulting firm ENGIE, told the New York Times that the database is “one of the most important data sets available – if not the most important – for estimating value chain emissions.” 

NATIONAL ACADEMIES TO REVIEW ENDANGERMENT FINDING: The National Academies will assess whether greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare in the U.S., ensuring the Environmental Protection Agency has the necessary scientific evidence. 

The study will examine the evidence collected by the scientific community since 2009, when the EPA issued the Endangerment Finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare. The EPA is now seeking to rescind the finding. The National Academies study is set to be completed and released in September. 

“It is critical that federal policymaking is informed by the best available scientific evidence,” said Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. 

“Decades of climate research and data have yielded expanded understanding of how greenhouse gases affect the climate. We are undertaking this fresh examination of the latest climate science in order to provide the most up-to-date assessment to policymakers and the public,” McNutt said. 

Shirley Tilghman, professor of molecular biology and public affairs, emeritus, and former president of Princeton University, will be leading the study. 

WILDFIRE IGNITES IN LOS ANGELES: Firefighters in Los Angeles are battling a wildfire that has forced thousands to leave their homes. 

The Canyon Fire broke out yesterday in the mountains north of Los Angeles. The fire has grown to 4,856 acres as of this morning, with 0% contained. The fire is located along the Los Angeles and Ventura county line, near a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. 

The fire exploded in size due to the dry weather and strong winds. Los Angeles County said yesterday that 2,700 residents and 700 structures are under evacuation order. About 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures are under evacuation warnings. 

This comes months after Los Angeles dealt with its most destructive wildfires, from which the communities are still working to rebuild. Earlier this week, a study published in the journal Science Advances found that wildfire season in California is starting earlier in the year due to climate change being the main cause. 

GENERAL MOTORS TO IMPORT CHINESE BATTERIES TO POWER NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE: General Motors plans to import batteries from Chinese-battery maker CATL to power the second-generation Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

GM plans to purchase batteries from China for two years until the automaker and its Korean partner LG Energy Solution can finish its battery manufacturing sites. GM’s new Chevrolet Bolt is expected to reach dealerships in 2026 as its most affordable electric vehicle. 

However, the move by GM comes at a time when Trump has imposed steep tariffs on China. The WSJ reported that Trump’s tariffs on Chinese EV batteries are about 80%. 

“For several years, other U.S. automakers have depended on foreign suppliers for LFP battery sourcing and licensing,” a spokesman told the WSJ. “To stay competitive, GM will temporarily source these packs from similar suppliers to power our most affordable EV model.”

ICYMI – ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ CONSTRUCTION PUT ON PAUSE: A federal judge has temporarily paused the construction of the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility over environmental concerns regarding its location. 

The details: Yesterday, Judge Kathleen Williams with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ordered that construction of the facility be halted for 14 days during a hearing on the matter. Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit claiming the state built and operated the facility without conducting necessary environmental reviews. 

While construction efforts have been paused, the order does allow operations regarding the detainees at the facility to continue. 

Read more from the Examiner’s Jack Birle here. 

RUNDOWN 

Canary Media Tech giants look to low-carbon cement to curb their huge climate impact

The New York Times The Fight to Save Hawaii’s Coconut Palms

Utility Dive Solutions to the energy talent gap are hiding in plain sight