Administrator on a mission

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DAILY ENERGY NEWS | 01/30/2025

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It’s time to get the EPA back to its statutory mission.

Politico (1/29/25) reports: "Lee Zeldin, the former Republican congressmember who leveraged his full-throated defense of President Donald Trump into a position in his inner circle and ultimately his Cabinet, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday to be the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by a 56-42 vote. Zeldin has a mandate from Trump to carry out an aggressive deregulatory agenda aimed at boosting domestic energy production and bolstering the increasingly power-hungry data center and artificial intelligence sectors...But he arrives at a moment when lawmakers and state officials on both sides of the aisle are panicked over potential cuts to popular EPA funding programs following the Trump administration’s Monday night memo to freeze federal grant and loan spending. Among the programs the Office of Management and Budget wants reviewed are EPA’s water infrastructure revolving funds, watershed cleanup programs that Zeldin strongly supported while in Congress, and Superfund and brownfields programs...'As head of the EPA, Lee will return the agency to its original mission of protecting America’s air, water, and land — without, as he puts it, "suffocating the economy,"' Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said on the floor."

"We must ensure we are protecting the environment while also protecting our economy.”

– Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator

Administrator Zeldin is a man with a plan.

New York Post (1/29/25) reports: "Lee Zeldin has an ambitious agenda for the Environmental Protection Agency, even beyond undoing years of damage from President Joe Biden and various states — but he’ll be consulting lawyers to ensure every move is lawsuit-proof, he told The Post in his first interview after being confirmed head of the powerful agency Wednesday. Actions 'have to be a result of a process where I am being briefed on the latest research and science and making a decision after the career professionals at EPA have the opportunity to share their thoughts and research with me. Durability is going to be an important priority for me with initiatives that I take,' he said. 'If I cut a corner that I’m not allowed to cut or prejudge an outcome that I’m not allowed to prejudge, and a state brings the EPA to court to challenge the action, a judge can overturn the action because EPA did not follow the processes required by law.' It’s a wise if somewhat unsexy approach: President Trump’s first executive orders faced court challenges barely before the ink had dried. But the former Long Island congressman, a lawyer himself, has plans no less bold than those of his boss...But the agency has plenty of cleanup to do right at home. 'I’ll give you an example. The Climate Justice Alliance received $50 million in grant funding, even though their position is "the path to climate justice travels through a free Palestine,’” he said with disbelief."

Unleashing American energy is actually quite simple.

Bloomberg (1/29/25) reports: "Two of Donald Trump’s former Cabinet secretaries are outlining a vision for American energy dominance that embraces all forms of power production — even green sources the president has ridiculed. The public pitch comes courtesy of former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, who on Wednesday launched a campaign designed to mobilize conservatives behind an 'all of the above' approach to energy...Trump has touted an all-of-the-above approach to energy even while championing plans to “drill, baby, drill” and tap the 'liquid gold' under US soil. And though he’s been a relentless critic of wind turbines, US deployment of the renewable power source is actually on track to be higher during Trump’s first term in office than under former President Joe Biden, according to American Clean Power Association data. Yet Trump’s early energy moves in the White House have been focused squarely on fossil fuels. And an emergency declaration meant to expedite energy projects only covers some sources. It gives a nod to fossil fuels as well as geothermal, hydro and nuclear power, while shunning wind and solar. Some conservatives say the new campaign should follow a similar tack. 'Restoring energy dominance requires both streamlining regulations and getting the federal government out of the business of subsidizing specific types of energy, particularly wind and solar,' said Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance advocacy group. 'If this coalition embraces both of these things, I’m on board. If it includes protecting the IRA subsides, it will surely be at odds with President Trump’s energy agenda.'"

How much is Wood Mackenzie overestimating 2030 EV sales?

E&E News (1/30/25) reports: "President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders could reduce the market share of electric vehicles 28 percent by the end of the decade compared to earlier forecasts, according to a new report. The analysis from Wood Mackenzie is one of the first projections of how the president’s policies would affect EVs, which were singled out in the policy section of the president’s 'Unleashing American Energy' plan. In that order, Trump called for eliminating subsidies and emissions waivers that could boost the technology. According to the report, the orders and related administration policies could lower the adoption rate of EVs so they make up 23 percent of sales by 2030, rather than an earlier estimated 32 percent."

Energy Markets

WTI Crude Oil: ↑ $73.49
Natural Gas: ↑ $3.16
Gasoline: ↓ $3.11

Diesel: ↓ $3.66
Heating Oil: ↑ $247.87
Brent Crude Oil: ↑ $77.48
US Rig Count: ↑ 596

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