Trump ends US vehicle emission standards, revokes climate regulations
On Thursday, the administration of President Donald Trump announced that it had repealed a scientific conclusion that greenhouse gasses endanger human life and removed federal tailpipe emission standards for cars and trucks. The administration has rolled back its climate change policies in the most dramatic way possible, following a series of regulatory changes and other actions designed to promote fossil fuels and to impede the development of "clean energy".
Tesla executives announce that the company is expanding its solar strategy to include more employees.
According to senior executives, Tesla is currently hiring to help support Elon Musk’s plan to become the largest U.S. manufacturer for solar energy components. The posts indicate that 'the company is implementing Musk's vision to set up 100 gigawatts domestic solar production. Musk announced this goal?last?month. Seth Winger wrote, "This is a bold, ambitious project," in one of many posts made by Tesla executives on LinkedIn.
Tesla executives are hiring to support Musk’s solar expansion strategy
According to senior executives, Tesla is currently hiring to support Elon Musk’s recent announcement to become the largest U.S. producer of solar energy components. The posts indicate that 'the company is implementing Musk's vision to set up 100 gigawatts domestic solar production. Musk announced this goal?last? month. Seth Winger is Tesla's senior manager of solar product engineering. He wrote this in a LinkedIn post. We need ambitious, audacious engineers and scientists who can help us scale up massively.
California's top air regulator: Trump opposes tax credits and EV regulations, but California is accelerating work on them.
California's top air regulator announced that officials will meet with Detroit automakers to discuss the next phase in greenhouse gas regulations for vehicles and trucks. California is fighting President Donald Trump in the U.S. Congress and in?the court against his efforts to dismantle federal vehicle emission standards. Lauren Sanchez, Chair of the California Air Resources Board and Governor Gavin Newsom, said in an…
Venezuelan oil reform encourages immediate investments, but executives still need to go deeper
Foreign and local executives and attorneys said that a proposed reform to Venezuela's oil laws is sufficient to encourage existing companies to expand, and to start investing. However, deeper reforms are needed to attract the $100 Billion the U.S. estimates is necessary to overhaul the nation's energy industry. The U.S. now controls Venezuela's oil revenue and exports after a military invasion to capture President Nicolas…
After E15 deal fails, US Congress creates ethanol taskforce
After a failed attempt to include such legislation into a funding bill this week, Republican U.S. legislators plan to form a taskforce to examine the potential for year-round sale of?E15 gasoline blended with higher ethanol in the U.S. Farm groups and Midwest Ethanol advocates have blasted the formation of a taskforce instead of legislation. They called it a blow for American farmers who are already hurt by low prices, uncertainty in global trade and a lack?of clarity regarding U.S. Biofuels Policies.
Venezuelan oil companies are pushing for rapid reforms to allow them to control oil exports
Sources involved in the talks say that oil executives and lawyers from international oil companies are lobbying for changes to the hydrocarbon laws of OPEC members in order to 'give them the freedom to export the oil produced in Venezuela. Many potential investors want to know how they can make this happen without waiting years for the legal and contractual reforms to protect their investment. Representatives of international oil companies want to get things moving.
Morocco targets $10 billion AI contribution by 2030
The?minister responsible for digital transition announced on Monday that Morocco targets a boost of 10 billion dollars ($100 billion) to its gross domestic product by 2030 from artificial intelligence. This is as the country increases its investment in cloud services, training programs, and sovereign data centers. Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Moroccan Minister of Education, told a Rabat conference that Morocco's current GDP is around $170 billion.
Venezuelan oil reserves: No quick fixes
Even if U.S. Oil Majors invest the billions that President Donald Trump announced just hours after he took office, Venezuela's crude production is unlikely to increase significantly for many years. Venezuela may have the largest oil reserves in the world, but its production has dropped?over the last decade due to a lack investment by foreign firms. In the 2000s Venezuela nationalized oil operations that included?assets? of Exxon Mobil & ConocoPhillips.
What changes have been made to the proposed Indian civil nuclear law?
India has proposed legislation that would end the state's monopoly on nuclear power after six decades. This law would allow private companies, and even individuals?to build and run reactors. The bill must be passed by both the lower and upper chambers of parliament before it becomes law. What is the civil nuclear law? Nuclear projects have been restricted since 1962 to companies under the Department of Atomic Energy. This includes Nuclear Power Corporation of India.
Romania extends OMV Petrom Permits; Onshore royalty tax will jump
The coalition government of Romania announced on Wednesday that it had extended exploration and production licenses for energy group OMV "Petrom" (and agreed to increase its onshore royalties by approximately 40%). OMV Petrom is a majority-owned company by Austrian OMV. It supplies a third of Romanian gas, fuels, and electricity. OMV Petrom, in partnership with the state-owned Romgaz, is developing the deepwater project Neptun Deep, located in the Black Sea.
Hungarian energy company MVM is ready to phase out Russian Gas if necessary
Hungary's MVM state-owned group can still supply gas to the country even if Russian imports are stopped, but prices will probably rise, according to its chief executive. As part of a move to reduce the EU's energy dependence on Moscow over decades, the European Union decided on Wednesday to stop importing Russian gas by 2027. Short-term pipeline gas contracts will be affected as early as June 2026. Hungary, a landlocked country…
Romania adopts decree to control Lukoil local assets
The coalition government in Romania approved a decret on Tuesday that allows it to control the assets local of companies subject to international sanctions such as Russia's Lukoil. Lukoil operates 320 petrol stations across Romania. It is the third largest refinery in the country and has offshore exploration rights for a part of the Black Sea. For weeks, the refinery has been closed for maintenance. It accounts for about one-quarter of Romania's fuel supplies.
Florida Republicans Oppose Trump's Offshore Oil Leasing Plan
Florida Republicans, led by Governor Ron DeSantis have said that they are opposed to a plan of the Trump administration which could allow for new oil and natural gas drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast.The reactions were in response to a proposal by the Interior Department published on Thursday, which contemplated future oil leasing in an eastern portion of Gulf of Mexico that is heavily used for military training and testing.Congress ruled out energy development in the region nearly 20 years ago.
Can West Virginia be green when Trump supports coal mining?
He is a member of Economic Development Greater East, an initiative that promotes projects in a region devastated by the decline in coal production. He said he was a fourth-generation coal miner who had moved from one mining job to another in the past. He met EDGE's founder Jason Tart when he returned to Berwind and with their support, he opened a chicken business. Startups and non-profits, like EDGE, have taken on projects aimed at clean energy and land reclamation.
The Bulgarian Parliament overturns the presidential veto regarding Lukoil refinery Takeover
The Bulgarian Parliament overruled the veto of the president on Thursday on legislation that would allow the government to sell Lukoil’s oil refinery to protect the asset from impending U.S. sanctions. Last month, the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, along with Britain, imposed sanctions on Lukoil, and Rosneft - Russia's largest oil companies - to increase pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin and threaten their operations in Europe.
US sanctions threaten to disrupt Lukoil's international assets
The sale of Lukoil's overseas assets to Swiss commodity traders Gunvor has been blocked by Washington, which is a result of U.S. sanctions. Lukoil has a global footprint that includes upstream oil and natural gas projects, refineries, and fuel distribution networks in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. The company produces a half-million barrels of crude oil per day, 0.5% of the global oil production, outside of Russia in countries like Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.
ExxonMobil warns EU laws could force ExxonMobil to leave Europe
Woods is one of a growing group of energy producers who are urging European legislators to revise Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, which mandates that companies operating in the EU identify and address risks related to human rights and the environment across their supply chain. Woods said on the sidelines at the ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi that it would be impossible for us to remain in Europe if we couldn't succeed there.
QatarEnergy, ExxonMobil Executives Threaten European Exit Under Imposing Climate Regulation
Executives at two of Europe's top gas suppliers, ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy, on Monday warned they could stop doing business with the European Union if it does not significantly loosen a sustainability law that could impose fines of 5% of their global revenue.Exxon CEO Darren Woods told Reuters on the sidelines of the ADIPEC meeting in Abu Dhabi that the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive would have…
Exxon and QatarEnergy executives warn Europe of a possible exit due to climate law
ExxonMobil executives and QatarEnergy executives warned on Monday that they may stop doing business in Europe if the EU does not loosen its sustainability law, which could result in fines up to 5% of global revenue. Exxon CEO Darren Woods said on the sidelines the ADIPEC Meeting in Abu Dhabi, that the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence directive would have "disastrous" consequences if it was adopted in its present form.