MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Aug 18, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: New Yorkers fighting against massive battery storage plants find new ally in EPA chief; Insane energy policies are set to burn Democrats in New Jersey, New York; NATIONAL: The climate industrial complex shifts to Plan B with climate lawfare; Celebrating a big beautiful victory with America First energy policies; AI means farewell to ‘net-zero’ fantasy; Treasury tightens tax credit eligibility for wind, solar projects; Summers are hot, obviously, but winters are the killers; INTERNATIONAL: Oil market awaits Trump-Putin summit as prices drift lower; BlackRock’s GIP leads $11B deal for Saudi gas assets; EU GHG emissions up 3.4 percent YoY in 1Q.
OTHER U.S. REGIONS
New Yorkers fighting against massive battery storage plants find new ally in EPA chief
New York (NY) Post
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has emerged as a significant supporter for New Yorkers opposing the installation of large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in residential areas, warning of severe fire hazards and toxic contamination risks, and preparing to introduce EPA guidance in Hauppauge to help municipalities evaluate such dangers. Although not opposing green energy outright, Zeldin criticized Governor Kathy Hochul and state Democrats for pursuing what he termed “delusional” climate mandates that he argues sacrifice public safety and dependable energy in favor of unrealistic goals. New York, aiming to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and achieve fully zero-emission electricity by 2040, has approved over 6,000 BESS projects, sparking heightened backlash, especially in places like Staten Island, Queens, the Hudson Valley, and Hauppauge—where local residents fear groundwater and river contamination from fires. Hochul’s office countered by defending the state’s stringent battery storage safety rules and stressing their climate benefits. [MDN: Once again, people who think clearly about these issues (Zeldin) must counter those who don’t (Hochul). Of all the people Trump picked for his administration, all terrific people, Zeldin is at the top of the list. We can’t say enough good things about Lee Zeldin. And he’s from New York!]
Insane energy policies are set to burn Democrats in New Jersey, New York
New York (NY) Post/Editorial Board
In New York and New Jersey, Democratic energy policies are driving significant utility bill increases, sparking voter outrage that could impact upcoming elections. New York’s Public Service Commission approved substantial rate hikes for National Grid, raising upstate bills by $600 annually, while Con Edison seeks 11.4% electric and 13.3% gas bill increases, largely due to green-energy mandates championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. In New Jersey, electric bills have tripled this summer, threatening Democratic chances in the governor’s race. The closure of reliable power sources like the Oyster Creek nuclear plant and fossil fuel facilities, coupled with a push for less dependable solar and wind energy, has failed to meet rising electricity demands from data centers, AI, and electrification of homes and vehicles. These policies, initiated under prior Democratic leadership and intensified by Hochul and Gov. Phil Murphy, are straining grids and may cost Democrats politically. [MDN: It better cost Dems politically. It’s time to sweep them all out of office.]
NATIONAL
The climate industrial complex shifts to Plan B with climate lawfare
Energy Security and Freedom/Tom Shepstone
The article discusses a new legal strategy, dubbed “climate lawfare,” targeting the oil and gas industry, funded by wealthy elites like the Rockefellers and English billionaire Christopher Hohn, who also supports Extinction Rebellion. A novel lawsuit in Washington state, filed by Misti Leon, seeks to hold oil companies liable for her mother’s 2021 heat-wave death, with the Rockefeller-funded Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) orchestrating the case behind the scenes. CCI, which received significant funding from the Rockefeller Family Fund and Hohn, aims to destabilize the oil industry through litigation, as part of a broader plan to delegitimize and drive divestment from fossil fuel companies. Climate activist Sarah Myhre, appointed as the estate’s agent, emphasizes emotional and equitable climate narratives. The article critiques the oil industry’s defensive stance, suggesting aggressive counter-lawfare, potentially led by figures like Donald Trump, to challenge these tax-exempt NGOs pursuing globalist agendas. [MDN: Our friend Tom Shepstone calls for the oil and gas industry to step up with counteroffensives against Big Green, using lawfare against them the way they use it against us. He is 1000% correct. Not until we push back hard and take away the tax-exempt status of these NGOs will this abusive bullying from Big Green stop.]
Celebrating a big beautiful victory with America First energy policies
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/Kevin Mooney
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB), signed in July, marks a sweeping rollback of taxpayer-funded subsidies for wind, solar, and electric vehicles while expanding oil and gas development, signaling a sharp break from Biden-era climate policies. The legislation eliminates federal EV tax credits, restores pre-IRA oil and gas lease terms, and makes most renewable projects ineligible for subsidies, though a loophole allows projects “under construction” by July 2026 to qualify. Trump followed with an executive order tightening definitions to prevent subsidy abuse, further curbing reliance on what he called “unreliable, foreign-controlled” energy. Advocates like Tom Pyle of the Institute for Energy Research hail the law as a victory for consumers, restoring market choice in autos and ensuring energy affordability while boosting national security by reducing dependence on China for rare earths. With renewable programs sunsetting by 2028, reviving them would be politically difficult, cementing Trump’s “America First” energy agenda. [MDN: Trump has done the impossible—he has made it virtually impossible to re-implement subsidies for unreliable renewables. Finally, the adults are running the show!]
AI means farewell to ‘net-zero’ fantasy
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/Peter Murphy
Artificial intelligence is driving an unprecedented surge in global electricity demand, far outpacing the capabilities of renewable energy. According to RAND, AI data centers already consume over 20 gigawatts of power—double Utah’s capacity—and will require 68 gigawatts by 2026 and more than 300 gigawatts by 2030. These facilities rely on tens of thousands of computer chips, intensifying the need for rare earth minerals. The Colossus supercomputer in Memphis alone uses 150 megawatts, equal to 55 wind turbines. With nearly 4,000 U.S. data centers—up 40 percent in 18 months—the demand for reliable energy is accelerating. Current U.S. power generation comes mainly from natural gas (43%), nuclear (19%), and coal (16%), while wind and solar remain too inefficient and land-intensive to meet AI’s needs. As governments scale back subsidies and projects, net-zero goals are increasingly viewed as unrealistic. Ultimately, AI’s growth ensures greater reliance on nuclear and fossil fuels, pushing aside the renewable energy agenda. [MDN: AI spells the death of the dangerous “net-zero” fantasy. That’s what’s happening. And it can’t happen soon enough.]
Treasury tightens tax credit eligibility for wind, solar projects
RBN Energy
The Treasury Department’s recent notice eliminates the “safe harbor” provision for most wind and solar projects seeking tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025. Previously, projects could qualify for the 45Y production or 48E investment tax credits by beginning construction by 2034, either through significant physical work or by paying 5% of the facility’s cost with continuous progress. The new guidance, prompted by a July executive order from President Trump, restricts the safe harbor to low-output solar facilities (1.5 MW or less) and mandates that projects begin construction by July 5, 2026, or be operational by 2028. This change narrows eligibility, drawing criticism from the American Clean Power Association, which argues that accelerating the phaseout undermines energy grid stability and legislative intent to maintain low energy prices while meeting demand. [MDN: It’s time to end taxpayer subsidies for unreliable renewables. Trump is doing it.]
Summers are hot, obviously, but winters are the killers
Duluth (MN) News Tribune/Bjorn Lomborg
The article argues that while media often focus on heat waves as a major consequence of climate change, cold-related deaths significantly outnumber heat-related deaths globally and in the U.S., with a Lancet study showing cold kills over 4.5 million annually compared to 500,000 from heat. In the U.S., cold causes 80,000 deaths yearly, far exceeding 8,000 heat deaths. Despite global warming increasing heat deaths by 116,000 annually, it reduces cold deaths by 283,000, resulting in a net decrease of 166,000 temperature-related deaths. The article suggests practical solutions like cool roofs and green spaces to mitigate heat, and emphasizes affordable energy for heating and cooling to save lives. It criticizes costly climate policies that raise energy prices, potentially increasing deaths among the vulnerable, and advocates for energy innovation to address global warming effectively while prioritizing human well-being. [MDN: Lomborg reveals the dirty secret the environmental left doesn’t want to talk about: That cold kills more people than heat. And that rising planetary temps (if it’s actually happening) is actually GOOD for the inhabitants of Mom Earth, not bad.]
INTERNATIONAL
Oil market awaits Trump-Putin summit as prices drift lower
Bloomberg/Alex Longley, Julia Fanzeres
Oil prices fell below $66 a barrel as traders awaited a high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which could reshape global crude flows. Putin praised Trump’s Ukraine diplomacy, while Trump tempered expectations, suggesting only a slim chance of a breakthrough. Any peace progress would ease geopolitical risk in an oil market already bracing for oversupply, with OPEC+ output returning and a glut expected by 2026. Trump has threatened secondary sanctions on Russia’s major buyers, particularly India and China, though he has so far avoided directly targeting Beijing to prevent a price spike. Last week, he doubled tariffs on Indian goods to punish its Russian oil purchases and has considered curbing the shadow fleet carrying Moscow’s crude. Still, analysts expect limited outcomes from the summit, with sanctions unlikely to tighten immediately. Oil has dropped about 10% this year, pressured by Trump’s trade policies and swelling global supply. WTI settled at $62.80, Brent at $65.85. [MDN: Prices are still in the excellent territory in our world. Maybe $65 as a floor would be better, but honestly, we’re still good.]
BlackRock’s GIP leads $11B deal for Saudi gas assets
Bloomberg/Anthony Di Paola
BlackRock Inc.’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and a group of investors have signed an $11 billion lease deal with Saudi Aramco, acquiring infrastructure tied to the $100 billion Jafurah gas project and leasing it back for 20 years. The agreement includes creating the Jafurah Midstream Gas Company, with Aramco holding a 51% stake and the GIP-led group the remainder. The transaction, which imposes no limits on production, is part of Aramco’s broader push to raise international capital by monetizing infrastructure assets while focusing investments on higher-return core activities. Aramco, central to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy, is developing Jafurah to fuel domestic power plants and exports as the kingdom prepares for a post-oil future. The deal strengthens BlackRock’s footprint in the Middle East, following its 2021 investment in Aramco’s gas pipeline network and expansion across the Gulf. Aramco executives emphasize the strategy as a way to “unlock capital” from low-return infrastructure. [MDN: We thought it interesting that the devil (Saudi Arabia) made a deal to take money from the devil (BlackRock). They deserve each other. Meanwhile BlackRock, an American company (biggest investment firm in the world) continues to pressure American companies to divest from fossil fuels. It invests in fossil fuels in Saudi Arabia, but pressures divestment here.]
EU GHG emissions up 3.4 percent YoY in 1Q
Rigzone/Jov Onsat
The European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 3.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 to about 900 million metric tons of CO? equivalent, as GDP grew 1.2 percent. Households, electricity and gas supply, and manufacturing accounted for the largest shares of emissions, with the steepest increases in electricity and gas (+13.6 percent) and households (+5.6 percent). Transport, agriculture, and manufacturing saw declines. Twenty countries recorded higher emissions, led by Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, and Greece, while Malta, Finland, and Denmark posted the largest reductions. Fossil fuel power generation increased 17 percent, driven by coal (+15 percent) and gas (+23 percent), offsetting declines in wind and hydro despite record solar output. Renewables fell to 41 percent of electricity generation from 46 percent in 2024, while fossil fuels rose to 33 percent. Total electricity demand edged up one percent but remained six percent below pre-crisis levels, signaling ongoing structural shifts in EU energy consumption. [MDN: Proving once again the folly of “net-zero,” exposing it as lunacy.]