energy
Newsletter
Credit: Anastasiia Orlova/Pixabay
Arctic spring heatwave linked to fossil fuel emissions shattered century-old records
A record-setting May heatwave in Iceland and Greenland was made roughly 3°C hotter by human-caused climate change, according to new research.
In short:
- Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group found that climate change intensified May's Arctic heatwave, causing Greenland’s eastern region to hit 14.3°C and Iceland to set a national May record of 26.6°C.
- The heat triggered ice melt in Greenland at 17 times the normal rate, disrupted Inuit travel and hunting traditions, and strained health systems in Iceland unaccustomed to heat-related illness.
- Researchers say the Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the global average, and further warming could push ice loss past irreversible tipping points, accelerating sea level rise and altering global weather systems.
Key quote:
“In recent years, my colleagues and I in the Climate Group at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have noticed unusual weather extremes, such as rainfall events that far exceed in rainfall duration and amount, anything expected based on prior data. In short the old statistics do not apply.”
— Dr Halldór Björnsson, group leader at the Icelandic Meteorological Office
Why this matters:
The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth. This rapid heating — driven in part by vanishing sea ice that once reflected sunlight — threatens both the ecosystems and people who have lived there for generations. Inuit communities in Greenland depend on stable ice for travel and subsistence hunting. As that ice thins and disappears, their access to food and mobility shrinks. But the melting of the Greenland ice sheet isn’t just a local concern. It contributes to rising sea levels that put low-lying islands and coastal cities around the world at risk. Scientists warn that this melting could eventually disrupt major ocean currents like the AMOC, which plays a crucial role in regulating global climate. What happens in the Arctic ripples outward, affecting health, migration, weather, and food systems everywhere.
Learn more: Arctic heat surges to unprecedented levels
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Joss/Big Stock Photo
Trump's energy council shifts federal focus to fossil fuels over clean energy
President Donald Trump’s top energy adviser says the administration will sideline renewables and prioritize fossil fuels, aiming to fast-track drilling projects and reduce federal oversight.
In short:
- Jarrod Agen, director of the newly formed National Energy Dominance Council, said the White House does not support solar and wind energy, citing a lack of reliability and independence from subsidies.
- The administration has reopened federal lands to drilling, cut permitting timelines, and backed controversial pipeline expansions in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.
- The council, operating largely behind closed doors, has only about 10 staff and no solar energy experts, yet plays a central role in steering federal energy policy toward traditional fuels.
Key quote:
“The president is not focused on wind and solar. They haven’t proven that they can get off the ground.”
— Jarrod Agen, executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council
Why this matters:
The Trump administration’s deepening embrace of fossil fuels comes as scientists warn that time is running out to curb emissions driving climate change. While solar and wind power are breaking records in capacity and price competitiveness, federal energy policy now pivots toward oil, gas, and coal. By accelerating permits, opening untouched lands, and sidelining renewables, the U.S. risks locking in decades of greenhouse gas emissions just as global efforts aim to phase them out. Communities near drilling and pipeline projects often face increased air and water pollution. The council’s secrecy and lack of public oversight raise concerns about accountability in decisions with long-term environmental and health consequences.
Learn more:
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay
Clean energy rollback plan could threaten U.S. power reliability, industry warns
Republican efforts to slash clean energy tax credits could stall new power projects and strain the electric grid as artificial intelligence data centers ramp up demand, energy leaders told POLITICO’s Energy Summit.
In short:
- The House-passed GOP megabill aims to repeal clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, but industry executives and former Republican officials argue the move could deter investment and delay projects critical to meeting rising electricity demand.
- Energy executives, including NextEra CEO John Ketchum, warned that taking wind and solar “off the table” would risk economic growth and U.S. competitiveness in the AI sector, since natural gas and nuclear plants won’t come online fast enough.
- Senators from both parties are calling for revisions to the bill’s credit phase-out structure and foreign investment restrictions, while former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) leaders raised alarms about political interference threatening the commission’s independence.
Key quote:
“We can’t possibly win the AI race and keep energy reliable and affordable with only fossil fuels. We need every available electron.”
— Neil Chatterjee, former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Why this matters:
The U.S. power grid is under pressure from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and now, a surge in demand from AI data centers. Clean energy sources like wind and solar, once considered supplemental, are now central to meeting this load without triggering blackouts or higher bills. Rolling back tax incentives risks chilling investment just as utilities and developers scale up projects to match the pace of new tech. It also signals uncertainty to markets already wary of abrupt policy shifts. And if federal agencies like FERC lose independence, regulatory whiplash could stall infrastructure decisions for years.
Learn more: Trump’s clean energy rollback puts U.S. manufacturers on edge
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Fahroni/Big Stock Photo
EPA moves to hand Texas control over carbon storage permits amid industry pressure
A federal proposal would give Texas the authority to regulate its own carbon dioxide injection wells, despite growing concerns about groundwater safety and seismic risks.
In short:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed approving Texas’s application to manage permits for underground carbon dioxide injection, known as Class VI wells, used in carbon capture and storage (CCS).
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin cited Texas's capability to protect drinking water while enabling CCS projects that could curb industrial CO2 emissions and benefit oil companies with deep drilling experience.
- Landowners and environmental groups say the plan could worsen groundwater contamination and seismic activity, especially in the Permian Basin, where the state already oversees wastewater disposal linked to similar hazards.
Key quote:
“EPA is taking a key step to support cooperative federalism by proposing to approve Texas to permit Class VI [CO2 injection] wells in the state.”
— Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
Why this matters:
Carbon capture and storage is gaining traction as a climate strategy, but the infrastructure it requires — pumping liquefied carbon dioxide deep underground — comes with environmental risks. In Texas, where oil companies stand to profit by adapting existing drilling technology for CCS, oversight questions grow more urgent. Injecting high-pressure fluids underground has been linked to groundwater contamination and earthquakes, particularly in areas already burdened by oil and gas activity. Giving Texas, a state with a pro-industry stance and a mixed track record on environmental enforcement, more control over this process could weaken safeguards.
Read more: Texas takes a giant leap in carbon capture
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Pixabay
Trump gains legal support to eliminate or shrink national monuments
President Donald Trump can legally revoke or shrink national monuments created by past presidents, according to a new Justice Department opinion that reverses long-standing legal precedent.
In short:
- The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a new opinion asserting that the Antiquities Act gives presidents the authority not only to create but also to abolish or reduce national monuments.
- The legal memo, signed by OLC head Lanora Pettit, overturns a 1938 opinion that said only Congress could reverse monument designations, clearing the way for Trump to target monuments designated by Biden and others.
- The Trump administration is eyeing changes to six national monuments, including California’s Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands, Utah’s Bears Ears, and Arizona’s Grand Canyon-adjacent Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni.
Key quote:
“It means that national monuments exist only at the pleasure of the current president who is in power.”
— Justin Pidot, law professor at the University of Arizona and former staff of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality
Why this matters:
National monuments have long served as a tool for protecting ecologically and culturally significant lands from development. Stripping protections from these areas not only risks habitat destruction and biodiversity loss but also undermines tribal sovereignty and conservation investments. The new legal interpretation weakens over a century of conservation norms by allowing each administration to potentially reverse environmental protections at will. That could create a whiplash effect where protections are given and taken away every four years, leaving sacred and fragile ecosystems vulnerable. For communities that rely on these lands for cultural identity, ecological services, and sustainable tourism, the stakes are high. The decision could open millions of acres to mining, drilling, or other extractive uses under the guise of presidential discretion.
Related: Move to shrink national monuments face growing backlash from local communities
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Peggychoucair/Pixabay
EPA moves to weaken climate rules despite US power plants ranking among top global polluters
US power plants emit so much carbon that, if they were a country, they would rank sixth globally in greenhouse gas emissions — yet the Trump administration plans to end climate regulations for them.
In short:
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to scrap all greenhouse gas limits on power plants, claiming their emissions aren’t globally significant.
- A new analysis from NYU’s Institute for Policy Integrity finds U.S. power plant emissions have made up 5% of the world’s total climate pollution since 1990 and currently exceed the total emissions of countries like Japan and the UK.
- The EPA also aims to delay methane protections and dismantle Biden-era air quality standards, amid broader efforts to revive coal and expand fossil fuel production.
Key quote:
““All of these harms stack up on top of each other. Climate change will be the most important public health issue this century and we can’t just ignore the US power sector’s contribution to that public health crisis.”
— Jason Schwartz, co-author of the NYU report
Why this matters:
Power plants are among the largest sources of air and climate pollution in the U.S., trailing only transportation. Burning coal and gas for electricity doesn’t just warm the planet — it sends fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and other toxins into the air we breathe. These pollutants increase the risk of heart attacks, asthma, strokes, and premature deaths, especially in communities near power plants. Although carbon dioxide is colorless and odorless, its cumulative effect drives extreme heat, floods, and other climate disruptions. Efforts to roll back existing rules ignore not only environmental science but also public health consequences that stretch across generations. While emissions from the power sector have declined since their 2007 peak, they still play a major role in accelerating climate breakdown and placing added burden on health systems and vulnerable populations.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Jesse Collins/Unsplash
US Supreme Court weighs limits on nationwide court orders affecting climate and energy policy
A pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling could reshape the power of federal judges to block government actions nationwide, potentially altering how future climate and energy programs are challenged in court.
In short:
- The Trump administration is urging the Supreme Court to curtail the use of universal injunctions, arguing they allow single judges to block national policies, including efforts to halt federal climate spending.
- Legal scholars and some justices question the administration’s proposed alternative — class-action suits — saying they are harder to obtain and may not provide timely relief.
- Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation to restrict lower court powers, while critics argue such moves aim to shield potentially unlawful executive actions from oversight.
Key quote:
“There are lots of obstacles that can be put in the way of getting a case approved by a court as a class action. And the solicitor general, when pressed, was very much aware of those [obstacles].— Suzette Malveaux, a law professor at Washington and Lee University
Why this matters:
Universal injunctions have become a powerful check on executive authority, especially on sweeping regulatory and environmental actions. In recent years, they’ve been used to preserve billions in federal climate funding and enforce environmental protections. Restricting these injunctions could make it harder for citizens, states, or organizations to block harmful policies before damage is done — especially in areas like public health, energy infrastructure, or environmental enforcement. With one judge able to affect national policy, the stakes of limiting that authority are high, and the outcome could shift how fast and broadly new rules — sound or not — take effect.
Related: Judge halts Trump administration attempt to block Manhattan congestion toll
Keep reading...Show less
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
