Good morning and Happy New Year readers! Callie and Maydeen are back with another edition of Daily on Energy after our holiday hiatus. We hope you had well deserved rest to kick off 2025.
In our first newsletter of the year, we start off looking at the first congressional action from freshman Rep. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota as well as the Biden administration’s ban on new oil and gas drilling in some federal waters.
With Washington D.C. covered in a blanket of snow, we also dive into Winter Storm Blair and the impact it has left across the eastern U.S. Plus, like every Monday, keep reading to find out which events are on our calendar this week.
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.
EXCLUSIVE – NORTH DAKOTA REP. URGES TRUMP TO RESCIND 20 BIDEN REGULATIONS IN FIRST CONGRESSIONAL ACTION: Freshman Republican Rep. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota has taken her first official action in Congress urging President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee to head the Department of Interior, Doug Burgum, to rescind 20 Biden administration regulations to advance the incoming administration’s energy agenda.
The letter, obtained by the Washington Examiner, accuses the Biden administration of leaving the U.S. energy industry “in a vulnerable position with nearly two-thirds of our nation in jeopardy of not having enough power to meet demand today.”
Fedorchak endorsed the incoming administration’s goals for prioritizing energy dominance, particularly through harnessing fossil fuels. She claimed “unleashing American energy” would help drive down costs for everyday Americans at the pump, grocery store, and utility bills.
“Furthermore, supporting American energy dominance will benefit the planet and advance national and international security, allowing the United States to supply our allies with clean, American-made energy while reducing their dependence on our adversaries like Russia,” the freshman congresswoman said.
Reversing regulations: Fedorchak is urging Trump and Burgum, if confirmed, to walk back 20 rules and regulations issued by their predecessors over the last four years. This includes several controversial rules from the Environmental Protection Agency such as those imposing limits on methane, mercury and other air pollutants emitted by coal and and oil power plants. The congresswoman is also asking the incoming administration to rescind rules requiring coal power plants to install carbon capture and storage technologies and fees on methane emissions from petroleum and natural gas facilities that exceed certain thresholds.
She also criticized the EPA’s vehicle emission standards Republicans have dubbed an “EV mandate” and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules – aimed at protecting critical habitats and threatened species – which she claimed would burden landowners and economic development.
Additionally, Fedorchak took aim at several Bureau of Land Management regulations creating conservation leases, modernizing mineral leasing, and limiting the venting/flaring of natural gas.
“North Dakotans, like all Americans, want and deserve better, which is why they overwhelmingly voted to support your agenda to unleash U.S. energy production,” she wrote. “The following 20 Biden Administration regulations are unnecessary, burdensome and will exacerbate threats to reliable, affordable energy and I urge you to rescind them upon assuming office.”
Some background: Fedorchak is the first woman to represent North Dakota in the House and is the first congresswoman to serve on the Energy and Commerce committee as a freshman in 14 years. Energy-focused policy is expected to remain a top focus for the congresswoman throughout her term, having previously served as public service commissioner in her home state, overseeing and regulating utilities since 2012. The Republican also previously served as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. While assignments to the E&C committee are typically reserved for more seasoned lawmakers, Fedorchak previously told the Grand Forks Herald that her selection was evidence of committee leadership prioritizing background over tenure.
BIDEN ISSUES ELEVENTH-HOUR BAN ON NEW DRILLING IN SOME FEDERAL WATERS: The White House plans to permanently ban new offshore oil and gas drilling in 625 million acres of federal waters, in its latest last minute effort to curb Trump’s pro-oil agenda.
The details: President Joe Biden said Monday he was invoking his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a 1953 law that controls developments for offshore oil and gas drilling. The law contains one particular provision that allows the president to permanently protect federal waters from future leasing and, therein, future drilling. It does not include language detailing whether future presidents can walk back those protections.
Biden is banning new drilling off the entire East Coast and the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington state. Drilling is also to be barred in some areas off of Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The order does not impact current leases or drilling operations and does not target regions considered to be the drilling hubs for the industry.
Trump’s promise to reverse: Trump attempted to end similar protections during his first term that were implemented by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Obama had banned offshore drilling in some regions of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. In 2019, a U.S. district judge ruled against Trump, saying only Congress would be able to revoke such a ban.
However, that ruling does not seem to have deterred Trump, who told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt on Monday morning, “I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory. It’s ridiculous. I’ll unban it immediately.” Trump went on to insist he has “the right” to reverse the protections but did not offer up any more detail as to how he would undo the Biden executive order.
Read more from Callie here.
US POISED TO IMPOSE NEW OIL SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA: The Biden administration is reportedly set to impose new sanctions on Russia over its work with Ukraine, this time targeting the country’s oil transports.
The details: Two sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed the plans to Reuters over the weekend, saying the sanctions would come before Trump again takes office. Biden is reportedly planning to issue sanctions on tankers carrying Russian oil that is sold above $60 per barrel – the Western cap imposed by the Group of Seven.
This cap, which is intended to reduce Russian oil revenues and keep global prices from increasing too much, had led Russia to use a “shadow fleet” of tankers while redirecting their supply towards China and India.
The administration has been weighing such sanctions against Russia for weeks with sources telling Bloomberg in December that Biden was hesitant to issue additional restrictions over fears of increasing energy costs.
Exact details of the possible sanctions remain unclear, though one source told Reuters it will be a “big package.” According to the report, the sanctions are expected to include a measure against individuals involved in trading Russian oil above the G7 cap.
MASSIVE WINTER STORM IMPACTING MILLIONS: In the first major snowstorm of the year, over 30 million people are under winter storm warnings. Winter Storm Blair has swept through states in the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic, causing travel delays and cutting power to thousands.
A state of emergency was declared in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey until tomorrow. Officials warn those within the storm to avoid driving on the roads until the storm passes. The National Weather Service urged people to stay off the roads on X, featuring a tutorial on how to properly clear a vehicle if needed.
As of this morning, the most significant snowfall total includes 18 inches in Chapman and St. George, Kansas, 13 inches in Cameron and St. Joseph, Missouri, and 11 inches in Mason, West Virginia.
Airlines have canceled over 1,600 within, into, or out of the United States, according to FlightAware. Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Airport has the most flight cancellations, with 245 as of today. There are over 200,000 customers without power in states like Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois, PowerOutage.us reports as of this morning.
Despite Winter Storm Blair moving out, the same areas are slated to see another storm system later this week that will bring more snow and ice.
“The next winter storm will begin to emerge in the Southern Plains by Wednesday night and especially Thursday. It could spread snow from parts of northern Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to other portions of the South, the Ohio Valley and possibly parts of the East by Friday or Saturday,” weather.com Digital Meteorologist Chris Dolce said. “However, the track of this storm is still uncertain and that will determine what areas see significant snow and/or ice.
UNITED KINGDOM TURNS DOWN THE HEAT ON GAS BOILER BANS: The UK’s Labour-Party led government is reportedly set to abandon its plans to ban the sale of new gas boilers by 2035, according to The Guardian.
Some background: The Conservative government – which lost the general election last summer – had previously drafted plans to ban the sale of new gas boilers by 2035, pushing for the adoption of heat pumps or other environmentally friendly alternatives. Supporters of the ban had hoped to see a version of the restrictions in new future home standards.
The details: While sources have confirmed to The Guardian that the home standards will be published soon, they said the gas boiler ban will be nowhere to be found. Sources told the outlet that this also means there will be no regulations banning the sale of gas boilers or requiring homeowners to remove existing boilers.
However, the standards will require developers to build homes with limited carbon emissions, meaning many future homes will still be built with heat pumps and solar panels.
ICYMI – NEW YORK CITY’S NEW CONGESTION PRICING BEGINS: New York City’s new congestion pricing toll started on Sunday, aiming to reduce traffic and air pollution.
New York City’s congestion pricing plan is the first of its kind in the U.S., and it will require drivers to pay $9 instead of $15 to access the busiest parts of the city during peak hours. Fees vary for the types of vehicles (trucks and motorcycles) entering into the congestion zones.
“As I said from the start, a $15 toll was just too high in this economic climate. That’s why our plan cuts the daytime toll to $9 for cars,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in November. “By getting congestion pricing underway and fully supporting the [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] capital plan, we’ll unclog our streets, reduce pollution and deliver better public transit for millions of New Yorkers.”
The Governor’s office expects the congestion pricing plan to help reduce air pollution. It estimates a 5 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled and a 10 percent reduction in vehicles entering Manhattan’s Central Business District. The money raised by the congestion pricing will go toward improving the city’s infrastructure.
Joshua Moshes and Benjamin Moshes are running a “Congestion Pricing Tracker” under the supervision of Brown University Professor Emily Oster. The tracker compares data before and after the start of the program
On Sunday, Moshes’ wrote “We saw evidence of decreases in traffic in our data on tunnels/bridges leading to the Congestion Zone, particularly on the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. We also saw early signs of smaller increases in traffic for a few routes exempt from Congestion Pricing, such as FDR drive and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.”
“For other routes, results were mixed, with small or indiscernible changes. However, we urge analyzing these results with caution. This is only one day of data, and we are looking forward to much more in the coming days and weeks,” they added.
A LOOK AHEAD:
Jan. 6 Congress meets to certify the results of the 2024 Presidential Election
Jan. 7 – 9 The late President Jimmy Carter lies in state in the U.S. Capitol
Jan. 8 The Institute for Policy Studies is holding a virtual forum on the 2050 climate goals for the sustainable aviation fuels industry.
Jan. 9 President Joe Biden has declared a National State of Mourning for Carter as a public funeral will be held at Washington National Cathedral
Jan. 9 The Creative Society is holding an online forum on the causes of climate-related disasters and possible mitigation strategies.
Jan. 9 – 10 The Columbia Climate School is holding a conference on attribution science and its relevance to climate law and policy
RUNDOWN
The Guardian ‘He was prescient’: Jimmy Carter, the environment and the road not taken
Tampa Bay Times 1850s plant info unearthed, helping Florida scientists untangle climate change
Inside Climate News The Renewable Energy Transition Has Residents of a Small Arizona Town on Edge