After his electoral victory, President Donald J. Trump announced the formation of a “National Energy Council” that will coordinate energy and environment-related activities within the administration—though the specifics of when this may arrive and in what form are still unknown. This prompts two thoughts: First, this is going to make for very confusing acronyms since the...
The Problem With DeepSeek’s Energy Breakthrough
Unsurprisingly, the news that China’s DeepSeek AI had leapfrogged competitors triggered an investor sell-off. It dragged down Nvidia, the American chipmaker powering the AI revolution, as well as related tech stocks, from Micron and Advanced Micro Devices to manufacturing juggernaut TSMC. There is, after all, some wisdom in worrying that we don’t know who the ultimate...
With Trump 2.0, These Climate Donors Are Thinking Differently
Three days after President Trump formally ordered a U.S. departure from the Paris Agreement, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that it would step in alongside other unnamed donors to cover the country’s funding and disclosure obligations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose job it is to implement the climate deal made in the French capital...
Senate ag committee unanimously advances Rollins nomination
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry voted 23-0 in favor of advancing Brooke Rollins’ nomination for secretary of agriculture. She must now clear a full Senate vote before officially being installed at USDA. Baring any last-minutes surprises, Rollins is expected to easily receive enough votes. “Thank you to the entire United States Senate...
How AI, Automation, and Renewable Energy Are Reshaping the Future of Farming
The 2024 Global Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Census reveals an industry at the cutting edge of technological transformation. As farms scale and optimize operations, the adoption of smart technology, AI, and renewable energy is accelerating. These innovations are driving efficiency, sustainability, and profitability in an industry poised to reshape global food production. AI and Automation:...
Bipartisan groups in Congress introduce bill to protect strategic petroleum reserve
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill to limit, not prohibit, the sale of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The Banning SPR Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act was filed in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. U.S. Reps. Chrissy...
Low-Energy Fridays: Do we want energy independence or energy security?
President Donald J. Trump recently announced tariffs on imports, which will cover energy commodities like oil and gas to a certain extent. At a glance, this policy may appear to advance “energy independence,” an agenda Trump favored on the campaign trail—but it’s not quite so simple. Defenders of tariffs on energy would point out that they will reduce...
Texas Seeks Primacy For Carbon Capture And Storage Permitting
A coalition of Texas energy and industrial organizations urged the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to swiftly grant the state primacy over carbon capture and storage (CCS) permitting. The groups argue that this shift would stimulate private investment and accelerate the deployment of carbon capture technology. In a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin,...
Can outsiders fix Washington? The ambitious mission of DOGE
“I am hopeful that Congress or the SEC can clarify that the agency’s role should not be to serve as substantive arbiters of shareholder proposals in corporate annual meetings — a role properly resting in state corporate law,” said Jim Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy for the Manhattan Institute. “I’d also like the SEC...
Korea Cancels Planned Reactor After Impeaching Pro-Nuke Leader
South Korea has scaled down its plans for nuclear power after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, an atomic energy advocate, gave the opposition party greater influence over the country’s long-term energy policy. The Asian nation expects to add a total of 3.5 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2038, according to a government plan finalized...