MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Jul 7, 2025 [FREE ACCESS]
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Mamdani made anti-fossil fuels central to his “affordability” plan for NYC; Did Louisiana just become America’s first energy sanctuary state?; NATIONAL: US refiners rely on shale more than ever as heavy oil supplies dwindle; EPA puts on leave 139 employees who spoke out against policies under Trump; Trump fired head of Nuclear Regulatory Commission over a “conflict of visions”; It is time to hold the climate cabal accountable; INTERNATIONAL: US overtakes Russia as EU number two gas source; Oil slips as US plans Iran talks; The world’s biggest carbon emitters—and the story behind the numbers.
OTHER U.S. REGIONS
Mamdani made anti-fossil fuels central to his “affordability” plan for NYC
Inside Climate News/Lauren Dalban
Zohran Mamdani, the official Democratic mayoral primary winner in New York City, has integrated climate change solutions into his affordability-focused campaign, emphasizing improved quality of life for New Yorkers. While not the central theme, his platform addresses the climate crisis through policies like supporting Local Law 97 to reduce carbon emissions from city buildings and opposing polluting natural gas infrastructure. Mamdani’s vision includes a rent freeze for stabilized apartments, free city buses, universal childcare, city-owned grocery stores, and building 200,000 affordable housing units to tackle the city’s high living costs, exemplified by the $4,025 average monthly rent for a one-bedroom. He defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary with 56 percent of the vote under the ranked-choice system and will face Mayor Eric Adams and others in the November general election. Mamdani’s climate-smart approach aims to make New York a model for sustainable urban living. [MDN: What you need to know about Mamdani is that he (a) is a full-throated Communist, (b) is anti-fossil fuel, including anti-natural gas, and (c) will never win the November election to become Mayor. We refuse to believe even NYC Democrats are that stupid.]
Did Louisiana just become America’s first energy sanctuary state?
RealClearEnergy/Larry Behrens
Louisiana has enacted Act 462, dubbed the “Energy Independence Act,” a groundbreaking law prioritizing affordable, reliable, and domestically produced energy over unreliable renewable mandates, in stark contrast to states like California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, which suffer from skyrocketing electricity rates—228%, 142%, and 137% above the national average, respectively—due to strict Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and the closure of fossil fuel plants. Louisiana’s law defines dispatchable, reliable energy in statute, emphasizing sources that stabilize the grid, avoid foreign dependence, and keep costs low, with the state enjoying electricity rates 9% below the national average. By rejecting the “Green New Scam” and its reliance on intermittent, foreign-sourced renewables like Chinese solar panels, Louisiana sets a model for energy policy that prioritizes working families and economic stability, urging other states to follow its lead in favoring merit-based energy competition over political agendas. [MDN: Go Louisiana! Smart policies by smart people. Kick unreliable renewable subsidies to the curb. Renewables lose against fossil energy every time there is an even playing field.]
NATIONAL
US refiners rely on shale more than ever as heavy oil supplies dwindle
Bloomberg/Lucia Kassai
American refiners are increasingly relying on light shale oil from major U.S. basins like Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota, as supplies of heavier crude from Mexico, Canada, and Venezuela decline due to falling production, trade disputes, and a U.S. ban on Venezuelan oil. Recent government data shows U.S. fuelmakers are processing the lightest oil mix on record, driven by abundant light, sweet crude from domestic shale and global sources like Guyana and the North Sea. This shift has narrowed the price gap between heavy, sour crude and lighter, sweeter varieties from $7.70 to $3.25 per barrel, making shale oil more attractive for refiners like Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy, and Exxon Mobil. Investments in refinery infrastructure have enabled greater use of domestic shale oil, which is less exposed to geopolitical risks and arrives quickly via pipelines. In 2023, 61% of oil used for gasoline and diesel was domestic, a trend likely to grow if shale remains cost-competitive. [MDN: It’s about darned time we started refining more of our own oil, and rejecting heavier (sour) crude from places like Canada, Mexico, and (most especially) Saudi Arabia.]
EPA puts on leave 139 employees who spoke out against policies under Trump
Associated Press
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed 139 employees on administrative leave for signing a “declaration of dissent” criticizing the agency’s deviation from its mission to protect human health and the environment under the Trump administration. The employees, part of a group of over 170 who signed the letter (with about 100 signing anonymously), faced accusations of “unlawfully undermining” the administration’s agenda, which includes cutting environmental funding, rolling back regulations on air pollution, asbestos, and greenhouse gas emissions, and reorganizing the EPA’s research office to reduce its focus on climate change and environmental justice. The EPA’s actions, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, have drawn comparisons to a similar dissent at the National Institutes of Health, where no retribution occurred. The EPA insists its decisions are informed by career professionals, but the employees’ public criticism highlights tensions over policies projected to cost thousands of lives and billions in economic losses annually. [MDN: Don’t just put them on leave, FIRE THEM! They have proven they are partisan hacks and do not deserve to have jobs paid by us, taxpayers. The EPA needs to weed out the partisans. It is an executive agency under the oversight of the sitting President. He has every right to fire them all. And we hope he does.]
Trump fired head of Nuclear Regulatory Commission over a “conflict of visions”
RealClearEnergy/Duggan Flanakin
President Donald Trump fired Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Christopher Hanson, whom he appointed in 2020 and President Biden reappointed in 2024, in a move some deem illegal due to the lack of stated cause, potentially sparking litigation. Speculation suggests a “conflict of visions” over the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) mission, with Trump’s May 23 executive order pushing for faster reactor permitting, revised safety limits, and a pro-nuclear culture clashing with Hanson’s focus on the agency’s independence and safety-first approach. Hanson, who threatened legal action, emphasized preserving the NRC’s bipartisan integrity, while critics like the Union of Concerned Scientists warned the firing threatens nuclear safety. Trump’s directive aims to balance safety with economic and national security benefits, aligning with a nuclear revival driven by energy demands from AI and data centers. The NRC faces increased workloads, including licensing fusion energy and microreactors, amid debates over its regulatory pace and independence. [MDN: Leftists don’t have a divine right to stay employed when there is a new person occupying the Executive Branch. They should expect to get fired. Our opinion: Good! He should be fired if he’s not ready to execute (quickly) on Trump’s agenda. Don’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya on the way out!]
It is time to hold the climate cabal accountable
Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)/Joe Bastardi
In the article “It is time to hold the climate cabal accountable” on CFACT’s website, Joe Bastardi argues that climate change narratives are being weaponized to undermine U.S. interests while allowing nations like China to emit significantly more CO2 without similar restrictions. He criticizes the hypocrisy of climate advocates who push restrictive policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, which he sees as a subsidy scheme that limits American exceptionalism, potentially benefiting foreign powers. Bastardi, a meteorologist, denies that CO2 is the primary driver of climate change, citing natural climate variability and the U.S.’s carbon-negative status due to its tree cover absorbing more CO2 than emitted. He calls for a Rand Paul-like investigation to expose the motives behind these climate policies, likening them to COVID narrative tactics, and accuses figures like John Kerry of bullying dissenters. Bastardi urges accountability for what he perceives as a deliberate agenda to weaken the U.S. economy. [MDN: Let’s turn the tables, call these climate jerks to Congressional hearings, put them under oath, and if they lie, put them in jail for perjury.]
INTERNATIONAL
US overtakes Russia as EU number two gas source
Rigzone/Jov Onsat
In the first quarter of 2025, the United States overtook Russia as the European Union’s second-largest natural gas supplier, following the expiration of Russian pipeline gas imports via Ukraine, according to the European Commission. The EU imported 69 billion cubic meters of gas, with pipeline gas constituting 55% (38 Bcm) and LNG 45% (31 Bcm). Norway led as the top supplier with 31% (21.7 Bcm), followed by the U.S. at 24% (16.6 Bcm), and Russia at 14% (9.7 Bcm). Russian gas imports dropped significantly, with pipeline volumes down 45% quarter-on-quarter and 39% year-on-year, while LNG imports remained stable. EU gas consumption rose 8% year-on-year to 119 Bcm, driven by colder temperatures. Domestic production increased slightly to 8.6 Bcm, and gas storage levels averaged 48% fullness. Wholesale gas prices climbed 9% quarter-on-quarter to €47/MWh, with retail prices up 6%, reflecting lower renewable production and geopolitical tensions. The EU aims to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027, relying on global LNG and enhanced infrastructure. [MDN: Progress, but as we’ve seen before, progress can quickly change the other way. We predict the Euroweenies will never end their dependence on Russian gas. They’re addicted.]
Oil slips as US plans Iran talks
Bloomberg/Mia Gindis, Catherine Cartier
Oil prices fell after Axios reported that the US plans to resume nuclear talks with Iran, easing concerns about escalating Middle East tensions. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 0.7% to $67.00 a barrel, and Brent settled at $68.80, following news of a planned meeting between US Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo. This development, coupled with Iran’s commitment to engage with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, reduced the geopolitical risk premium in oil prices. Despite earlier price gains driven by strong US jobs data, low liquidity ahead of the July 4th holiday, and a stronger dollar, crude was weighed down. The US also imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil trade. Meanwhile, OPEC+ is expected to discuss a 411,000 barrel-a-day production increase, though analysts predict softer demand and potential output adjustments if prices fall significantly, with additional supply risks from a Canadian wildfire near Fort McMurray. [MDN: Donald Trump has brought Iran to heel. Democrat media will never admit it, but observant people know the truth. The bombs we dropped on Iran’s nuke sites devastated the country’s nuclear bomb program, and the world knows it. Oil prices remain right where they should be.]
The world’s biggest carbon emitters—and the story behind the numbers
Forbes/Robert Rapier
The Forbes article by Robert Rapier, published on July 3, 2025, examines the world’s top ten carbon dioxide emitters in 2024, highlighting China, the U.S., and India as the leading contributors, collectively accounting for over half of global emissions. China emitted 12.5 billion metric tons, driven by heavy coal use despite renewable energy investments, while the U.S., with 5.1 billion metric tons, has reduced emissions by 1% annually over the past decade due to shifts to natural gas and renewables. India’s emissions, at 3.3 billion metric tons, are rising with economic growth. The article emphasizes the importance of per capita emissions and carbon productivity for understanding each country’s impact, noting that the U.S. leads in carbon efficiency, generating $5.71 per kilogram of CO?, compared to China’s $1.50. Indonesia’s emissions are growing fastest among the top ten, underscoring the challenge of balancing economic development with climate goals. [MDN: The point of the article is to call out that the U.S., while second in the world for carbon emissions (which doesn’t bother us a bit), is actually seeing a decrease in those emissions thanks to the use of natural gas. The other countries are seeing an increase in emissions year after year.]