Free Republic

Yesterday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed repeal of the Biden-era’s Clean Power Plan 2.0, which ruled that coal-fired and many new natural gas power plants must capture and store over 90% of their carbon emissions by the 2030s—or shut down by 2040. It’s a costly mandate, resting on shaky legal and technical foundations. Americans would be fortunate to have it repealed. President Biden issued his Clean Power Plan 2.0 after the Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency that President Obama’s Clean Power Plan 1.0 exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) statutory authority. The Court’s...

In May, an American investor tried to sell top German economic officials on an audacious plan to buy a Russian undersea pipeline. Despite years of international friction over the pipeline, he proposed to eventually activate it and deliver natural gas to Germany. The investor, Stephen P. Lynch, had already made the pitch to the Trump administration, which he was betting would want U.S. control over a pivotal piece of energy infrastructure. Now the Germans wanted to hear for themselves about Mr. Lynch’s proposal to lead a takeover of the much-criticized pipeline on the floor of the Baltic Sea, called Nord...

BATA, Equatorial Guinea—Classified American intelligence reports suggest China intends to establish its first permanent military presence on the Atlantic Ocean in the tiny Central African country of Equatorial Guinea, according to U.S. officials. The officials declined to describe details of the secret intelligence findings. But they said the reports raise the prospect that Chinese warships would be able to rearm and refit opposite the East Coast of the U.S.—a threat that is setting off alarm bells at the White House and Pentagon. Principal deputy U.S. national security adviser Jon Finer visited Equatorial Guinea in October on a mission to persuade...

Despite the dire predictions of peak oil demand, which will is expected to arrive during the next decade as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, international energy companies are investing heavily in fossil fuel exploration and production. One region which has caught the world by surprise and is attracting significant attention is the Guyana-Suriname Basin. A swathe of world-class discoveries by ExxonMobil in offshore Guyana sparked considerable interest in the Guyana-Suriname Basin, which after poor drilling results during the 1960s and 1970s saw it largely ignored by energy companies. Recent discoveries with estimated recoverable oil resources of more than...

U.S. intelligence chiefs ordered agencies to tighten surveillance on Greenland, the first tangible step toward President Donald Trump’s oft-stated goal of bringing the Arctic island under American control, sources leaked to The Wall Street Journal. The directive instructed the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Security Administration (NSA) and the CIA to identify Greenlandic and Danish figures who might back U.S. objectives and to gauge public sentiment toward American resource extraction, the outlet reported Tuesday. Its emergence triggered immediate pushback from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who accused unnamed officials of leaking in order to thwart the administration. “The Wall...

The United States and Ukraine have signed an agreement over access to Ukraine’s natural resources, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. The deal will provide the US privileged access to new investment projects to develop Ukraine’s natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and natural gas, Bloomberg reported.

Policymakers on both sides of the political aisle increasingly advocate for affordable, reliable, and clean energy. This is for good reason – modern society requires energy that is affordable and available on demand. Environmental concerns are also very important. Together, affordability, reliability, and cleanliness form the three pillars of ideal energy policy. Two new analyses evaluate competing electrical power sources and produce an affordable, reliable, and clean scorecard. The two analyses – one published by Northwood University and the Mackinac Center, and the other published by my public policy organization, The Heartland Institute – independently reach near-identical findings. Both analyses...

Cities looking to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings have notched a decisive court victory. Last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by plumbing and building trade groups against a New York City ban on natural gas in new buildings. The decision is the first to explicitly disagree with a previous ruling that struck down Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation gas ban. That order, issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 and upheld again last year, prompted cities across the country to withdraw or delay laws modeled after the Berkeley ordinance. While New York City’s law functions...

America’s natural gas industry celebrated Monday after President Donald Trump signed into law a resolution repealing Biden-era fees on methane emissions. The Waste Emissions Charge, which Republicans say is the equivalent of a natural gas tax, was authorized by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2024. The resolution rescinds that regulation under the Congressional Review Act. The CRA legislation gives Congress the authority to repeal regulations issued during the final months of a previous administration. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., called the repeal “a victory for the...

The Trump administration is wasting no time reversing President Joe Biden's disastrous energy policies and is already opening up new lanes of production less than two months after being sworn into office. Last week Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright traveled to Louisiana to announce new liquified natural gas exports are back in business. Bergum and Wright were hosted by Venture Global, which committed to $18 billion in new energy investments. "Venture Global announced plans for a brownfield expansion at its Plaquemines LNG facility south of New Orleans, Louisiana. Joining Venture Global for the announcement was Secretary...

Technical indicators suggest some difficulty for natural gas futures in maintaining upside momentum amid a lack of near-term fundamental support. But longer-range fundamentals, including lagging production and rising LNG exports, point to an extended bullish trend. The April natural gas futures contract jumped overnight to a $4.901/MMBtu high before backing off to settle the week’s opening session 9.2 cents higher at $4.491 “Prompt month natural gas futures showed a bit of flash Sunday evening by gapping slightly higher at the open then flirting ever so briefly with the $5.00 mark before plummeting back toward the bottom of that gap,” said...

A coalition of business and trade groups is suing the Hochul administration over a law that will force oil, natural gas and coal companies to pay $75 billion for spewing carbon emissions. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration claimed the law was necessary to combat the companies contributing to climate change for decades — but critics said the extra costs will be passed along to consumers through prices at the pump and heating bills. “This law is not only illegal and misguided, but it will likely increase the cost of energy, placing an unnecessary burden on New Yorkers and consumers nationwide —...

For years, I have written about Gov. Maura Healey blocking the construction of more natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts that would increase our supplies and reduce costs. As attorney general, one of her first acts was to commission a study by a greeny organization that predictably downplayed the need for more capacity, despite 33 other studies, including one by Gov. Deval Patrick, that all concluded the Commonwealth had a major problem. Now the chickens have finally come home to roost with exorbitant bills hitting rate payers. It was the most predictable, most easily-prevented disaster ever. Trying to avoid responsibility, Healey...

In a letter delivered to Massachusetts gas distribution companies on Thursday, the Department of Public Utilities stated that with “the combination of increased supply costs, the recovery of unusually high programmatic costs through delivery charges, and a cold winter has driven customer bills to unsustainable levels. These circumstances warrant immediate measures to provide relief to consumers. Customer affordability lies at the core of the Department of Public Utilities’ priorities, and we must use all available tools at our disposal.” The letter goes on to say that the DPU is directing the gas local distribution companies to file revised costs that...

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Since his election, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed support for a major natural gas pipeline in Alaska — comments that have drawn fresh attention to a project that’s floundered for years despite support from state leaders. Trump mentioned the pipeline at a news conference with Japan’s prime minister earlier this month, drawing praise from Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Republicans. As proposed, the nearly 810-mile (1,300-kilometer) pipeline would funnel gas from Alaska’s vast North Slope to port, with an eye largely on exports to Asian countries. Critics, however, see this...

European Union officials are considering the potential introduction of a cap on natural gas prices as part of discussions on a clean industrial deal policy to boost Europe’s industry.Europe is losing competitiveness due to the European gas prices which are up to four times higher than those in the United States.A cap on prices is being discussed at the European Commission ahead of next month’s release of the so-called Clean Industrial Deal or the related Action Plan on Affordable Energy Prices, sources familiar with the talks have told the Financial Times.The EU currently has a cap on gas prices, the...

As we step into the winter months, it’s time to consider your heating options. Whether your home is warmed with electric heat or a gas furnace, you want to know your family will be comfortable when the temperature drops. Understanding your heating options, like electrification or a hybrid system, supports a comfortable home and manageable energy bill. To help you decide the best way to heat your home, we’ll explain the differences between electric and gas heat, and give a brief introduction to the hybrid dual fuel system.

The American Gas Association says it is working with President Donald Trump's administration to "mitigate" potential rising costs as part of Trump's new tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The AGA noted in a statement that roughly 9% of U.S. natural gas supplies are sourced from Canada. AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert affirmed her intent to work with the Trump administration in another public statement. "Energy security is national security, and our highly integrated North American natural gas delivery system is critical to ensuring our nation’s safety and fueling our homes and vital industries. AGA is dedicated to continuing to...

In stark contrast to Donald Trump’s agenda in the United States of exploiting cheap domestic natural gas to bolster the economy, Britain is preparing to literally pour concrete into its only remaining open fracking wells. The North Sea Transition Authority regulator has ordered the permanent closure of two natural gas wells at Preston New Road in Lancashire, some eight years after shale gas was extracted from the site. The owner of the wells, Cuadrilla, said that it will start covering them in concrete starting next month, The Telegraph reports. The closure of Britain’s final two open wells comes despite the...

During a one-on-one meeting, Speaker Johnson asked President Biden why he paused LNG exports to Europe, says Biden was completely unaware he had done so.The United States hasn't had a president for four years.Johnson says Biden was completely unaware of an executive order he signed. The comments from Johnson came during an interview with Bari Weiss.Johnson said after fighting for 9 weeks with Biden's staff, he was finally able to get a meeting with the president.When he arrived, Johnson says he was "ambushed" by Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.Biden, who apparently didn't know what was going on, asked...