MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 22, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Fuel rationing chaos looms in New York State; Hochul ends ‘100-foot-law’ through new legislation; Georgia regulators approve massive power grid expansion to serve data centers; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures post daily gain, weekly loss; Climate fundraising update – hope amid doom; The EV bubble, or what’s left of it, popped this week; Democrats introduce legislation to stop LNG exports; INTERNATIONAL: Oil posts second weekly decline; The high cost of the “energy transition.”

OTHER U.S. REGIONS

Fuel rationing chaos looms in New York State
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)
New York State faces potential chaos as it implements fuel rationing to meet the Climate Act’s mandatory 40% emission reduction target by 2030. Since the expected shift to electric vehicles failed to materialize, the state’s “Cap and Invest” program may restrict gasoline and diesel sales. Critics argue this strategy is futile due to “mobility”: residents near state lines will simply drive to neighboring states to refuel, potentially increasing overall emissions. Additionally, rationing could trigger 1970s-style panic buying, fuel bootlegging, and severe financial strain on the poor. Ultimately, the article suggests that changing the law is the only viable solution. [MDN: It’s time to get the heck out of NY while you still can. A disaster of enormous proportions looms just over the horizon.]

Hochul ends ‘100-foot-law’ through new legislation
Buffalo (NY) WIVB-TV
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation repealing the “100-foot rule,” a 40-year-old policy that required existing utility customers to subsidize the first 100 feet of gas lines for new applicants. Effective in one year for residential buildings, the law shifts installation costs entirely to new applicants to improve affordability for current ratepayers. While Hochul emphasizes the elimination of unfair subsidies, National Fuel opposes the move, arguing that it could increase upfront housing costs, hinder low-income development, and discourage transitions from higher-emission fuels. Despite the change, utilities must still provide service, though the financial burden is relocated. [MDN: NY continues to be screwed under the “leadership” of far-left Governor Kathy Hochul. She’s a dunce.]

Georgia regulators approve massive power grid expansion to serve data centers
Georgia Recorder
Georgia regulators have approved a historic expansion of the state’s power grid, authorizing Georgia Power to significantly increase its generation capacity to meet the surging electricity demands of data centers. The Public Service Commission’s decision allows for the construction of new natural gas units at Plant Yates and the utilization of battery storage and solar power. While proponents argue this expansion is vital for economic growth and maintaining grid reliability, critics express concern over the environmental impact of increased fossil fuel reliance and the potential for rising utility costs for residential customers to subsidize these industrial energy needs. [MDN: Typical reaction by anti-fossil fuel fanatics. They’d rather go back to the Stone Age than add some more gas-fired power plants.]

NATIONAL

U.S. natural gas futures post daily gain, weekly loss
Wall Street Journal
U.S. natural gas futures continue to trade in an up-and-down pattern after last week’s big selloff, settling higher with a slight cooldown in midday weather runs. “The broader picture in the U.S. market remains tilted to the downside,” Rania Gule of XS.com says in a note. “Weather, the primary driver of winter gas demand, has yet to provide the support needed to build a sustainable upward trend.” With temperatures expected to be above-average for the latter part of December, “the absence of clear signals for a strong cold wave in early January leaves any current upside fragile and prone to quick reversals,” Gule adds. Nymex natural gas settles up 1.9% at $3.984/mmBtu for a 3.1% loss on the week. [MDN: Inching back up to the $4 range.]

Climate fundraising update – hope amid doom
MasterResource
This article argues that mainstream climate activism is built upon “illusionary hope,” a deceptive optimism that ignores the physical and economic realities of energy transitions. The author contends that leaders and activists promote unrealistic timelines and “green” solutions that cannot meet global energy demands, effectively misleading the public. This approach prioritizes emotional mobilization over scientific and engineering feasibility, creating a disconnect between rhetoric and reality. By clinging to these false narratives, the movement avoids difficult conversations about the inherent limitations of renewable energy. Ultimately, the piece suggests that this manufactured hope hinders genuine progress by masking the true complexities of climate policy. [MDN: Time to start a new tag/meme: #BigGreenKnew. The left has known all along its dump fossil fuels prescription will not accomplish its objectives and will, in fact, cause widespread misery and death. Perhaps we should sue Big Green, again and again and again? Let’s use their own tactics against them.]

The EV bubble, or what’s left of it, popped this week
Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)
The electric vehicle bubble has burst as automakers face harsh market realities and shifting political landscapes. Following Donald Trump’s move to cut subsidies and ease emissions rules, U.S. EV sales plummeted, with Ford reporting a nearly 60% drop. Consequently, Ford is abandoning several EV projects and taking a $19.5 billion write-down, while General Motors has initiated significant layoffs. Simultaneously, the European Union has retreated from its 2035 total combustion engine ban. The article argues that the EV industry’s reliance on government coercion failed, ultimately increasing vehicle costs and forcing a pivot back to gas-powered and hybrid models. [MDN: It was predictable that forcing everyone into EVs would not work. And it hasn’t. It’s over and done—a complete failure.]

Democrats introduce legislation to stop LNG exports
U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke
Representatives Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, and Senator Edward Markey introduced the Lowering American Energy Costs Act to address skyrocketing household energy bills by banning most natural gas exports. The bill directs the President to prohibit these exports, which the lawmakers argue drive up domestic utility prices while fueling the climate crisis and polluting local communities. Highlighting that the U.S. is currently the world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter, the proponents claim this legislation prioritizes American families over corporate profits. Endorsed by numerous environmental and consumer advocacy groups, the act seeks to reinstate export restrictions previously repealed in 2015. [MDN: You can’t fix stupid, and these three are among the most foolish in Congress.]

INTERNATIONAL

Oil posts second weekly decline
Bloomberg
Oil prices declined for a second consecutive week, with West Texas Intermediate settling above $56 despite a nearly 1% weekly loss. While recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian-linked tankers provided some price support, the market remains dominated by fears of a structural surplus. Major trading houses like Trafigura anticipate Brent staying in the $50s through mid-2026 due to lackluster demand and increased production from OPEC+ and global rivals. Investors have responded by pushing short positions to record highs. Ultimately, the prevailing “glut mindset” continues to outweigh geopolitical risks in Russia and Venezuela, leaving the market bearish heading into the holidays. [MDN: We keep reading about “experts” believing Brent will be in the $50s, and yet it’s in the $60s with rare exceptions. WTI for February rose 0.9% to settle at $56.52 a barrel. Brent for February was up 1.1% to settle at $60.47 a barrel.]

The high cost of the “energy transition”
Institute for Energy Research
The global energy transition is proving extraordinarily expensive yet minimally effective at reducing fossil fuel reliance. Despite spending over $4 trillion between 2012 and 2023, hydrocarbons still provide nearly 87% of the world’s energy, a reduction of only three percentage points. These investments have triggered skyrocketing electricity prices, particularly in Europe, where heavy subsidies for intermittent wind and solar power require costly backup infrastructure and grid upgrades. Consequently, industrial competitiveness is declining as companies flee high energy costs. While U.S. prices remain lower than Europe’s, aggressive climate policies are driving similar domestic increases, threatening economic stability and industrial growth. [MDN: This is madness. The world has gone insane, believing it must dump the very thing that gave us the modern age, long life, and a high standard of living (i.e., fossil fuels). We’ve spent trillions to accomplish NOTHING. Time for the collective world (and the left) to pull its head out of its rear-end.]