Inside fossil fuel leaders’ big meetup
Energy industry leaders met this week in Houston for the annual CERAWeek conference, which turned into a celebration of all things fossil fuels. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright kicked things off with a promise that the Trump administration will “end the Biden administration’s irrational, quasi-religious” climate policies, while fossil fuel executives praised President Donald Trump’s deregulatory push and announced they are stepping back from clean energy promises.
But it wasn’t all love for Trump policies. Some fossil fuel leaders quietly aired their grievances with the president’s trade fights, saying they’re driving up costs even as he tries to boost the industry.
Energy news to know this week
The latest on tariffs: Ontario’s premier lifts a 25% surcharge on Canadian power exported to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, but President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the country and beyond still went into effect Wednesday. (CNN)
Climate suits safe for now: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear an argument by 19 Republican attorneys general seeking to limit states’ abilities to sue fossil fuel companies for climate damages. (New York Times)
It’s all about timing: Time-of-use electricity rates, which charge customers more during times of high power demand and less when it’s low, could make heat pumps more financially worthwhile in areas where fossil gas is cheaper than electricity. (Canary Media)
Dive deeper: A time-of-use rate pilot program helped Chicago-area utility customers save money, and it will soon let more residents opt in. (Canary Media)
Power plant preparations: Several states are devising tax incentives and loosening regulations to encourage power plant construction and prepare for rising electricity demand stemming from data center expansions. (Associated Press)
Sunshine State: Florida built 3 GW of utility-scale solar last year, second only to Texas, even as the state’s Republican leadership continued to fight climate action. (Canary Media)
Reliving EV history: A Chicago-area environmental justice community is reigniting its 100-year history as an electric vehicle hub by building a charging network it hopes can get more Black and Brown drivers into EVs. (Canary Media)
Smells like clean energy: A startup is adapting fusion technology to blast through rock that would destroy conventional drill bits, letting it get deeper into the Earth to unlock hotter geothermal power — and the result smells like toasted marshmallows. (Canary Media)
