Public Lands Clips: January 31, 2025

 

 

Trump will change the face of US food policy. These are the players to watch. “Doug Burgum, secretary of the interior As governor of North Dakota, Burgum championed both biofuels (made from corn and soybeans) and his state’s oil and coal industries. Burgum, who awaits Senate confirmation, also signed legislation allowing corporations to buy land for livestock farms – which had been prohibited in the state since the Dust Bowl. ... Russ Vought, director of the office of management and budget Project 2025 architect Russ Vought has called for sweeping budget cuts across the federal government, including $633bn in cuts to commodity supports, crop insurance programs and Snap. In 2023, the Washington Post reported that Vought, who awaits Senate confirmation, had encouraged the GOP to cut ‘more than $400 billion in food stamps’. ... Lee Zeldin, secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency Climate-change denier and Trump loyalist Lee Zeldin (who backed the president during his first impeachment hearing) was confirmed this week to lead the EPA, which regulates the use of pesticides. If his record criticizing actions to mitigate climate change, like the Paris Agreement and prohibitions on fracking, is any indicator, Zeldin is likely to pursue policies to deregulate pesticides – the majority of which are made from fossil fuels.” [The Guardian, 01/31/25 (+)]

 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

 

Budget Committee advances OMB nominee. “Russ Vought is one step closer to returning to the helm of the Office of Management and Budget, which threw Washington into confusion this week with sweeping orders to freeze federal grants and loans. President Donald Trump’s pick to run the powerful White House budget office will head to the Senate floor soon for a confirmation vote, after the Senate Budget Committee advanced Vought’s nomination along party lines on Thursday. The panel voted 11-0 to move Vought’s nomination to the floor — a vote made up entirely of Republicans, as Democrats less than an hour before the scheduled markup announced they would be boycotting the meeting. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to postpone the committee vote to get answers from Vought in writing about what transpired at the OMB this week, where an order for a sweeping freeze of federal assistance created a state of chaos — exacerbated by the Budget office then adjusting the guidance and before ultimately rescinding it.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

OMB nominee clears next hurdle to confirmation. “Russ Vought is one step closer to returning to the helm of the Office of Management and Budget, which threw Washington into confusion this week with sweeping orders to freeze federal grants and loans. President Donald Trump’s pick to run the powerful White House budget office will head to the Senate floor soon for a confirmation vote, after the Senate Budget Committee advanced Vought’s nomination along party lines on Thursday. The panel voted 11-0 to move Vought’s nomination to the floor — a vote made up entirely of Republicans, as Democrats less than an hour before the scheduled markup announced they would be boycotting the meeting.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Democrats to boycott committee vote on OMB nominee. “Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee say they will boycott Thursday’s scheduled vote on Russ Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget. It won’t affect the panel’s ability to send Vought’s nomination to the Senate floor, as Budget Committee rules only require 11 members to be present and voting, according to a committee aide for Republicans. But Democrats are nonetheless sending a strong message about their displeasure with the Trump administration’s decision to freeze federal funding across the government — and fears that Vought, who led OMB during President Donald Trump’s first term, will be a cheerleader in that effort. The committee vote is scheduled for Thursday at noon. Democrats have scheduled a press conference at the same time as counterprogramming the panel’s business meeting with a chance to voice their opposition.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

Senate

 

Senate confirms Burgum, advances Wright. “E&E DAILY | The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed the nomination of Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department with broad bipartisan support. Lawmakers voted 79-18 for the former North Dakota governor, with 26 Democrats joining the Republicans. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee vote was similarly bipartisan. Democrats have generally condemned the president’s push for more fossil fuel production while targeting renewable energy, particularly wind. But that didn’t deter many from supporting Burgum. During his confirmation hearing, Burgum said, ’The American people have clearly placed their confidence in President Trump to achieve energy dominance, and by energy dominance, that’s the foundation of American prosperity.’ After confirming Burgum, the Senate voted 62-35 to close debate on Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy. A final vote is set for Monday afternoon.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

Senate advances Trump’s energy secretary nominee to final confirmation vote. “The Senate Thursday evening advanced President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Energy to a final confirmation vote. The vote was 62-35. Chris Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy Inc., an energy industry service provider based in Colorado, was tapped by the 47th president to head the Department of Energy under his administration. The Trump nominee has received bipartisan support for his nomination, being introduced by a Democrat, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, during his confirmation hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this month. The Senate held a late-night cloture vote for Wright, to end discussion over his nomination.” [Fox News, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Chris Wright nomination clears key procedural hurdle. “The Senate voted 62-35 on Thursday to invoke cloture on Chris Wright’s nomination to lead the Energy Department. The procedural step sets up a final vote on Wright’s confirmation for early next week. Wright is the CEO of Colorado-based oil field services company Liberty Energy. He would lead a department that maintains the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal and oversees the network of national laboratories. The department was also at the center of the Biden administration’s efforts to dole out funds for domestic manufacturing and clean energy — which is currently undergoing thorough review by the Trump administration. If confirmed, Wright — who faced questions during an earlier hearing on his previous comments on climate change and Democrats’ climate law — pledged to work to expand energy production, accelerate innovation and technology breakthroughs and cut red tape for energy projects.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate Confirms Doug Burgum To Lead Interior Department, Advances Chris Wright’s Nomination for Energy Secretary. “The Senate voted Thursday evening to confirm former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum (R.) to lead the Interior Department and, in a subsequent vote, teed up a floor vote to consider the nomination of fracking executive Chris Wright as energy secretary. Burgum’s confirmation was approved in a bipartisan 79-18 vote. The vote to advance Wright’s nomination to a floor vote passed in a 62-35 vote. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D., N.M.), the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a noted climate hawk, voted alongside Republicans despite his ideological differences with the two nominees. The back-to-back votes represent significant milestones for President Donald Trump’s ’energy dominance’ and ’drill, baby, drill’ agenda. Trump has vowed to pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy that encourages increased oil and gas production, rolls back environmental regulations, and treats energy policy as a matter of national security.” [The Washington Free Beacon, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Lawmakers working on Great American Outdoors Act renewal. “E&E DAILY | Top senators have begun working on reauthorizing the Great American Outdoors Act, a sweeping bill passed during President Donald Trump’s first term to fund maintenance projects at the nation’s national parks. The law is set to run out of funding in mid-2025, while the deferred maintenance backlog at the Park Service it was intended to address continues to grow. When the bill was signed in 2020, the backlog was at roughly $17 billion, adjusted for inflation. According to the latest figures from fiscal year 2023, that figure has now grown to $23 billion. That’s despite yearly infusions of $1.9 billion from the law into the Legacy Restoration Fund, which was created by the act to address the deferred maintenance backlog. The bill was passed with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in 2020 and signed into law by Trump, who has since returned to the White House.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

 

USDA details return-to-office policies. “GREENWIRE | Senior Agriculture Department staff are expected to report in-person beginning Monday, according to a memo sent to all USDA employees Wednesday and obtained by POLITICO. By Feb. 10, following senior staff, managers and supervisors ‘with assigned duty stations and a desk’ at USDA facilities nationwide are expected in the office full time. The department will send additional guidance to those without a desk, according to the memo, which is signed by acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington. The memo is part of USDA’s compliance with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order requiring federal agencies to direct their workers to come into the office full time. By Feb. 18, telework employees in the National Capital Region who don’t have a collective bargaining agreement are expected to report to the office in person on a full-time basis, with some exceptions for people with reasonable accommodation agreements.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

Trump admin scraps wildfire retardant rule. “GREENWIRE | The Trump administration has backed away from a proposal to help the Forest Service’s use of fire retardant pass legal muster. Forest Service applications of fire retardant from aircraft continue uninterrupted, but EPA was planning to grant the agency a general permit to comply with the Clean Water Act in light of a court ruling on the matter. The White House Office of Management and Budget said the rulemaking clearing the way for the permit was withdrawn Jan. 24, less than two months after the Biden administration’s EPA sent it along for review. A spokesperson at EPA didn’t have immediate comment Thursday on the Trump administration’s withdrawal. But because the issue has played out in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Montana, the court is likely to shape what the government does next. District Judge Dana Christiansen ruled in May 2023 that the Forest Service must obtain a permit through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, although Christiansen allowed the agency to keep using retardant in the meantime.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

 

NOAA contenders range widely in expertise. “The leading contenders to head NOAA include a former acting head of the agency, a Shell executive and an ex-Interior Department official. Why it matters: As one of the few agencies that affects Americans’ daily lives via weather forecasts and warnings, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is critical for public safety and the economy. The Commerce Department agency also is one of the globe’s top climate science hubs, funding research and processing data from around the world. It’s typically led by a relatively apolitical subject-matter expert. Zoom in: At least three names are circulating for NOAA administrator, according to numerous people who spoke to Axios on condition of anonymity: Neil Jacobs, Ruth Perry and Margaret Everson. ... Jacobs has been working for the Earth Prediction Innovation Center, known as EPIC, to develop open-source weather models that can be used by government entities, universities and private sector forecasters. The intrigue: Perry currently leads regulatory affairs for Shell Renewable Generation in the Americas.” [Axios, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

 

Trump energy pick Wright slated to speak to conservative event in London. “Chris Wright, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Energy Department, is scheduled to speak to a conservative think tank in London next month, the organization said on Thursday. At previous meetings with this group, Wright had advocated for expanding fracking operations. A department spokesperson said Wright, who is expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Friday, would not attend the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in person. It was not immediately clear whether he would address the Feb. 17-19 conference virtually. Wright, the CEO of oilfield services company Liberty Energy (LBRT.N), opens new tab, last spoke at an ARC meeting in 2023 when he said opening up fracking would be good for England, where the drilling practice is banned over environmental concerns. ’The case is simply compelling for the transformation it would be in the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution,’ Wright said then. Wright believes that climate change is real but that it is a distant threat. During his confirmation hearing, he stood by his previous comments that concern about wildfires has been hyped to promote governmental policies to fight climate change.” [Reuters, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

Senate confirms Burgum as Interior secretary. “The Senate easily confirmed Doug Burgum as secretary of the Interior Department Thursday, a job that positions him to act on President Donald Trump’s energy strategy. The 79-18 vote makes the wealthy former North Dakota governor the official in charge of Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ plans as Interior oversees energy production on public land and in federal waters. Burgum promised in his nomination hearing to open more areas up for production of oil, natural gas and coal and warned that too much emphasis had been placed on renewable energy projects during the Biden administration, a stance that worried some Democrats. One of Burgum’s first policy goals will be to dismantle Interior’s support for offshore wind power development. Trump ordered Interior to halt any new lease sales that would allow wind companies to develop projects on public land and to stop any new permitting for wind power development.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

How Each Senator Voted to Confirm Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary. “Mr. Burgum will lead the department responsible for managing the nation’s public land and waters. At his Senate confirmation hearing, he said that while he cared about conservation, he would help realize President Trump’s desire for ‘energy dominance’ by supporting more extraction of oil, gas and minerals.” [The New York Times, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

AP | Doug Burgum confirmed as interior secretary with support from Senate Democrats. “The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday after President Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration’s ambitions to boost fossil fuel production. The vote was 79-18. More than half of Senate Democrats joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Burgum. Burgum, 68, is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who came from a small North Dakota farming community, where he worked at his family’s grain elevator. He served two terms as governor of the oil-rich state and launched a presidential campaign in 2023, but dropped out months later and quickly endorsed Trump. Trump also picked Burgum to chair a new National Energy Council that’s tasked with achieving American ’energy dominance.’ He would have a seat on the National Security Council — a first for the interior secretary.” [CBS News, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate easily confirms Burgum as Interior secretary. “What they’re saying: Majority Leader John Thune praised Burgum’s record as governor and said he would ’bring the same data-driven, consensus-based, think-big work ethic to his work as Secretary of the Interior.’ During his confirmation hearing, Burgum made the case for speedier permitting and putting more baseload power — namely, coal, nuclear and oil and gas — onto the grid. ’We have a shortage of electricity, and especially we have a shortage of baseload,’ he told the committee. ’We know that we have the technology to deliver clean coal.’ Between the lines: Burgum is also slated to lead Trump’s National Energy Council — which has yet to be formally created — and will have a seat on the National Security Council. He’ll likely have coordinating permitting and production efforts across agencies and will be at the center of Trump’s energy emergency executive order.” [Axios, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Burgum as Interior Secretary. “The Senate on Thursday voted 79-18 to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) as Interior secretary, as President Donald Trump moves forward with implementing his energy agenda. Burgum will oversee the Interior Department, which manages more than 600 million acres of public land and all federally-owned oil, natural gas, and other minerals. He’ll also be responsible for endangered species recovery, managing much of the West’s water supply, overseeing tribal lands and Indian education, and operating national parks. Burgum, whose home state is among the top oil producers in the US, is central to Trump’s energy plans, which are focused on removing constraints to fossil fuels development. Trump also tapped Burgum to be his energy czar. ‘Too often, under the Biden administration, the Interior Department was the tip of the spear in restricting development of America’s resources,’ Senate Republican leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the chamber’s floor Thursday. ‘The Biden administration seemed to believe that land use and conservation were mutually exclusive.’” [Bloomberg Law, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms Burgum as Interior secretary. “The Senate confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Interior secretary Thursday in a 79-18 vote, with the majority of Senate Democrats joining every Republican in the chamber. Burgum, a one-time candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination-turned-visible Trump campaign surrogate, has been among the president’s least controversial nominees. He advanced out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week in a nearly unanimous vote, with only Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) voting against the nomination. Wyden, the mastermind of the renewable energy tax credits within the Inflation Reduction Act, cited President Trump’s opposition to the cuts in opposing both Burgum and Energy secretary nominee Chris Wright, who is also unlikely to face significant Senate opposition. ‘I cannot support these nominees who will carry out Trump’s policies that throw out America’s greatest advantages,’ Wyden said last week.” [The Hill, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Senate confirms Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior. “The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. He secured confirmation with significant bipartisan support and a 79-18 vote. On Wednesday, senators voted by a 78–20 margin to close debate and move the nomination to a final vote. Burgum appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-January, where he told lawmakers that national security issues and the economy were his top two priorities for leading the agency. ’When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand,’ Burgum said in his opening statement on Jan. 16. ’It just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran, whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.’” [Fox News, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Billionaire Oil Ally Doug Burgum Confirmed As Trump’s Interior Chief. “The Senate voted Thursday to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as President Donald Trump’s secretary of the Interior Department. At the helm of the massive federal agency, Burgum will be responsible for managing 500 million acres of federal land ― roughly one-fifth of the United States — including 63 national parks, as well as conserving imperiled species and honoring the government’s trust responsibilities for more than 500 federally recognized tribes. Twenty-five Democrats joined all 53 Republicans in voting to confirm Burgum as the nation’s 55th secretary of the Interior Department. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) abstained from voting.” [HuffPost, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Senate Confirms Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary in Bipartisan Vote. “The Senate voted 79–18 to confirm Doug Burgum as secretary of the Department of the Interior on Thursday, with the majority of Democrats joining all 53 Republicans in backing his nomination. Burgum — a billionaire, the former governor of North Dakota, and a one-time presidential candidate — will help lead President Donald Trump’s agenda to boost domestic oil and gas production in place of the Biden administration’s reliance on renewable energy. He succeeds Deb Haaland, who cut back on oil and gas sales and prioritized solar and wind projects on federal lands over the past four years. In addition to environmental policy, the cabinet-level appointee will oversee nearly 500 million acres of public land and 1.7 billion acres of offshore waters.” [National Review, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Trump’s interior secretary. “Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was confirmed by the Senate Thursday to lead President Trump’s Department of the Interior. Burgum, 68, received bipartisan support from senators, who voted 78-18 to approve his Cabinet nomination. The former Republican presidential primary candidate is expected to play a key role in Trump’s plan to put the US on the path to ‘energy dominance.’ ‘Gov. Burgum knows that America’s natural resources are our greatest national asset,’ Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in remarks from the Senate floor before the confirmation vote.” [The New York Post, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Doug Burgum Is Confirmed by Senate as Interior Secretary. “Doug Burgum, a promoter of oil and gas, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the Interior Department, a role in which he will oversee drilling and mining policies on federal lands and waters. The 79-18 vote for Mr. Burgum puts him in charge of nearly 500 million acres of public land, 1.7 billion acres of offshore waters, and more than 70,000 employees across the country tasked with protecting wildlife and endangered species, managing national parks and maintaining tribal lands. He is expected to be a key player to implement President Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda that calls for making it easier and cheaper for oil companies to operate, and loosening protections for wildlife as well as easing limits on air and water pollution. In addition to leading the Interior Department, Mr. Burgum is also to run a White House council charged with encouraging more oil and gas development. The role of the council is still undefined but it is expected to help meet Mr. Trump’s goal of selling more American oil and gas to Europe and Asia.” [The New York Times, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum confirmed as Interior secretary. “The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior. During his confirmation hearing, Burgum emphasized a commitment to advancing U.S. energy production in President Donald Trump’s administration. The Senate confirmed Burgum on a bipartisan vote of 79-18, with support from North Dakota Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, who championed his appointment. ‘Doug Burgum clearly understands the potential of our abundant, taxpayer-owned energy resources and will treat them as the strategic asset they are, including our oil, gas and coal reserves,’ Hoeven said in a statement. Cramer said Burgum is ‘tailor-made’ for the position, highlighting his ‘consensus-driven leadership style.’” [North Dakota Monitor, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms Burgum for Interior secretary. “E&E DAILY | The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed the nomination of Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department with broad bipartisan support. Lawmakers voted 79-18 for the former North Dakota governor, including 26 Democrats joining every Republican. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee vote was similarly bipartisan. Democrats have generally condemned the president’s push for more fossil fuel production while targeting renewable energy, particularly wind. But that didn’t deter many from supporting Burgum. During his confirmation hearing, Burgum said, ’The American people have clearly placed their confidence in President Trump to achieve energy dominance, and by energy dominance, that’s the foundation of American prosperity.’” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Burgum’s burden now. “The former North Dakota governor is now running the agency at the center of some of the president’s biggest day one priorities — namely, drilling, drilling and more drilling. Exactly how much more drilling oil companies are willing to do remains to be seen (by many reports oil executives are content to leave production mostly as is, barring a major price spike) but ME expects more federal land could be open to production. As part of his executive order sweep, Trump already reversed a Biden-era block of drilling on some federal offshore acres and Burgum has similarly called for fewer restrictions on fuel production. The prospects appear less rosy for renewable energy development, much of which also relies on Interior permitting. Though Burgum’s home state gets more than a third of its electricity from wind power, Burgum gave renewables mixed reviews during his hearing. And the president is not a fan of wind in particular, signing an executive order on day one halting new permits for wind resources.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

Side hustle. “Because running the agency charged with overseeing 480 million acres of public lands isn’t time-intensive enough, Burgum will also take a part-time gig on the National Security Council (a sort of compensation for his previously-promised role on the still-in-progress National Energy Council). POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre has more on Burgum (and his interesting investing history) here.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms North Dakota’s Burgum as Trump interior secretary. “The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, as President Donald Trump’s interior secretary. The vote was 79 to 18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land, a fifth of the nation’s surface area. He is expected to pursue Trump’s goal of maximizing energy and mineral production on public lands, likely by ratcheting up new leasing in oil-producing states like Wyoming and New Mexico and in the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump has said is now officially called the Gulf of America.” [Reuters, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms Doug Burgum as interior secretary to pursue Trump pro-drilling agenda. “The Senate has confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as the next secretary of the interior in a bipartisan vote, further cementing an energy dominance focus in the president’s Cabinet. Burgum, 68, was confirmed late Thursday night in a 79-18 vote with the majority of Senate Democrats voting in favor. The vote came one day after Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin was confirmed, making Burgum the eighth member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed. Burgum sailed smoothly through his confirmation hearings in committee earlier this month. Last week, the Senate Committee of Energy and Natural Resources met to discuss advancing Burgum’s nomination to the floor, with only two members voting against. Several Democrats, including Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO), have said they believe the Republican to be well qualified for the position.” [Washington Examiner, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms Trump’s pick to lead his ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda. “The Senate on Thursday confirmed former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum to lead the Interior Department, a role overseeing millions of acres of federal land that will be key to President Donald Trump’s plans to boost U.S. fossil fuel production and ‘drill, baby, drill.’ The vote was 79-18, with roughly two dozen Democrats joining all Republicans in supporting Burgum’s nomination for interior secretary. Trump has also tapped Burgum to serve as energy czar and chair of a White House energy council, a newly created role that does not require Senate confirmation. The Interior Department exerts significant sway over drilling, logging, mining and other industrial activities across roughly 500 million acres of federal land and more than a billion acres of federal waters. Under Trump, the agency is expected to relax restrictions on drilling in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere that the Biden administration had implemented as part of its ambitious climate agenda.” [The Washington Post, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Senate confirms Doug Burgum to head Interior Department. “The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed President Trump’s primary rival-turned-ally Doug Burgum to serve as interior secretary. Mr. Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, earned broad bipartisan support, winning a 79-18 vote. ‘Governor Burgum’s confirmation today is a win for our public lands and a win for American energy,’ said Sen. Mike Lee, Utah Republican and Energy and Natural Resources Committee chairman. ‘He has spent his career bringing people together to solve problems and earned the trust of tribes, businesses, conservationists, and working families alike.’ ... Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources panel, said he supported the nominee because he believes having a ‘healthy relationship’ with the Interior secretary is critical to securing the best outcomes for his home state.” [The Washington Times, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Trump’s point man for drilling agenda confirmed by Senate. “The US Senate on Thursday confirmed Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, a role that oversees the nation’s vast public lands and waters that are vital to the president’s agenda of expanding drilling. Former North Dakota governor and 2024 presidential candidate Doug Burgum was confirmed in a 79-18 vote, with the majority of Democrats joining their Republican colleagues. Trump has also tapped Burgum to lead a newly created National Energy Council, a role which does not require Senate confirmation.” [WFXG-TV, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Big Oil wants a lot from Trump. It has an ally in Doug Burgum, the president’s Interior pick. “When North Dakota’s petroleum association was going to hold a banquet honoring top fracking executives last year, it turned to Gov. Doug Burgum. The two-term Republican, now President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, co-hosted the event — at the governor’s mansion. And when energy industry lobbyists were looking for help taking on Biden administration greenhouse gas rules, they also turned to Burgum. In an email to Burgum’s office seeking the legal heft the state could provide, an industry lobbyist argued that ‘combating’ such regulations required ‘a one-two punch’ from industry and government. While it is not surprising that the governor of the third-largest oil producing state would have a close relationship with fossil fuel producers, records obtained by the Associated Press reveal Burgum’s administration eagerly assisted the industry even as the governor was profiting from the lease of family land to oil companies. And his assistance came at a time when Burgum was leaning on those very connections to build his national profile in the Republican Party.” [Associated Press, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Big Oil has an ally in Doug Burgum, President Trump’s Interior pick. “When North Dakota’s petroleum association was going to hold a banquet honoring top fracking executives last year, it turned to Gov. Doug Burgum. The two-term Republican, President Trump’s choice to lead the Interior Department, co-hosted the event — at the governor’s mansion. And when energy industry lobbyists were looking for help taking on Biden administration greenhouse gas rules, they also turned to Burgum. In an email to Burgum’s office seeking the legal heft the state could provide, an industry lobbyist argued that ‘combating’ such regulations required ‘a one-two punch’ from industry and government. Although it is not surprising that the governor of the third-largest oil producing state would have a close relationship with fossil fuel producers, records obtained by the Associated Press reveal Burgum’s administration eagerly assisted the industry even as the governor was profiting from the lease of family land to oil companies. And his assistance came at a time when Burgum was leaning on those connections to build his national profile in the Republican Party.” [Los Angeles Times, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Trump admin lifts brief ban on mining approvals. “E&E NEWS PM | The Interior Department reversed Wednesday the Trump administration’s short-lived moratorium on some mining approvals on federal lands. Acting Secretary Walter Cruickshank signed the order amending a prior mandate that Interior Department halt a host of actions for 60 days unless first approved by a senior Trump administration official. The original order — signed the day President Donald Trump took office — had barred approval of operation plans and amendment plans under the General Mining Law of 1872, which governs the extraction of minerals like gold and copper on public lands. The order had also halted new rights of way, easements and land sales. The amended order removes those two provisions. It retains a 60-day moratorium on several other consequential public land decisions, including renewable energy authorizations, hiring new workers — other than seasonal hires — and publishing final agency actions in the Federal Register.” [Politico, 01/31/25 (=)]

 

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

 

Florida scrub-jay protections incite a sweeping ESA challenge. “GREENWIRE | The modest Florida scrub-jay has now been enlisted into a major-league fight over limiting the reach of the Endangered Species Act. In a case that revives a far-reaching but so far unsuccessful argument, the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation is contending in federal court that the ESA applies only to species that inhabit more than one state. The threatened Florida scrub-jay, by contrast, is confined to the Florida peninsula. That’s allowed it to be folded into the legal challenge that theoretically could reach well beyond the one species. ‘We take the lawsuit seriously, given the threat that that argument poses to the Endangered Species Act and the uncertainty of how the Trump administration will respond to it,’ Earthjustice senior attorney Aaron Bloom said. Bloom added that ’we don’t have specific information’ about how the Fish and Wildlife Service will respond but added that ’we just see what the new administration is generally doing and saying with regard to the Endangered Species Act.’” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

New EPA administrator sworn in, other energy-related picks advancing through Senate. “Lee Zeldin was sworn in as the 17th administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency Jan. 29, 2025, with President Trump’s picks to lead the Interior and Energy departments advancing toward Senate confirmation. The Senate approved Zeldin, a former US representative from New York, by a vote of 56-42. In an EPA press release Jan. 30, Zeldin said he was honored to serve, and said his EPA would prioritize ‘economic prosperity’ as it works on environmental issues. During his confirmation hearing, Democrats questioned Zeldin on climate change, given that Trump has repeatedly dismissed climate change as a hoax and Zeldin was paid for opinion pieces that criticized a variety of climate actions. Meanwhile, Trump’s choice to helm the Interior Department Doug Burgum was posed for confirmation Jan. 30, after the Senate voted 78-20 on Jan. 29 to move the nomination to the floor. Chris Wright, the nominee for the Energy Department, could also see Senate confirmation by Jan. 31, 2025.” [Oil & Gas Journal, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Zeldin is confirmed as the new EPA administrator. What’s next? “Lee Zeldin has been confirmed as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Senate confirmed the appointment 56-42 on Wednesday. Zeldin, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023, will take the helm of an agency that the Trump administration has vowed to take in a different direction than the Biden administration. The EPA is responsible for a wide range of issues relevant to agriculture, including oversight of pesticides, water regulation and biofuels. Zeldin’s supporters see him as the right fit for prioritizing economic growth while still protecting the environment. Democrats who opposed the nomination say Zeldin is too aligned with oil and gas company interests that could exacerbate climate change.” [Agriculture Dive, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

‘Let’s get to work,’ Zeldin tells EPA staff. “GREENWIRE | EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told agency staffers he was committed to protecting the environment as well as the economy and looked forward to working together ’to tackle the most-pressing issues facing our country.’ Zeldin sent an agencywide email to staff Thursday morning, his first as the head of EPA. His message comes during a turbulent time for the agency, which has been rocked by President Donald Trump’s moves to shrink the federal workforce and pause government funding in just over a week in office. Zeldin, who served eight years as a New York Republican lawmaker, touted his record on Capitol Hill in the email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. ’My district, on the eastern end of Long Island, was unique in that it was almost completely surrounded by water,’ Zeldin said. ’My constituents took environmental issues very seriously, and I developed a record in Congress fighting hard and with great success advancing their local priorities.’” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Zeldin Takes the Helm at Trump’s EPA Amid Industry Pressure for Regulatory Rollbacks. “Lee Zeldin has been sworn in as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 17th administrator, inheriting an agency that the power industry sees as increasingly central to the future of U.S. energy policy, grid reliability, and regulatory uncertainty. At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 16, Zeldin, a former congressman from New York’s First District with a background in law and military service, pledged to balance environmental protection with economic growth, positioning himself as a pragmatic regulator rather than an activist enforcer. ‘Our mission is simple but essential: to protect human health and the environment,’ he said. ‘We must do everything in our power to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship. We must ensure we are protecting the environment while also protecting our economy.’” [POWER Magazine, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

How big insurance’s investment in fossil fuels came back to bite it. “Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been largely avoided by lawmakers, influencers and the public. Among them: What is the future of insurance when people’s homes are increasingly located in areas of climate risk — whether wildfires, hurricanes, flooding or the rising sea levels? Those questions have bedeviled policy makers in California — where insurance giants like State Farm, Farmers, and Allstate announced last year that they were no longer writing new policies in the state due to the surge in wildfires (in 2024 alone, firefighters across the state battled 8,024 wildfires that burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed 2,148 houses and other structures).” [Yale Climate Connections, 01/31/25 (+)]

 

Fossil Energy

 

Hundreds of oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico sit idle. Why is Trump calling for more? “Despite President Donald Trump’s calls to ‘drill, baby, drill,’ many oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico will likely do what they’ve done for years: sit on hundreds of untapped oil leases across millions of acres. Trump has repeatedly said eliminating barriers to drilling will unlock vast untapped reserves of ‘liquid gold’ and ignite a new era of national prosperity. But most of the drilling leases already granted to companies in the oil-rich Gulf are idle and unused, and they’ll stay that way until the U.S.’s record-breaking production rates wane and the high costs of drilling offshore drop precipitously. Of the 2,206 active leases in the Gulf, only a fifth are producing oil, according to records from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which regulates offshore drilling. Oil industry executives and analysts say the current number of 448 oil-producing leases is unlikely to grow significantly even if Trump makes good on promises to expand leasing opportunities and expedite drilling permits. The market is saturated with oil, making companies reluctant to spend more money drilling because the added product will likely push prices down, cutting into profits.” [Louisiana Illuminator, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Trump wants more drilling, but the oil market is already saturated. “Despite President Donald Trump’s calls to ‘drill, baby, drill,’ many oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico will likely do what they’ve done for years: sit on hundreds of untapped oil leases across millions of acres. Trump has repeatedly said eliminating barriers to drilling will unlock vast untapped reserves of ‘liquid gold’ and ignite a new era of national prosperity. But most of the drilling leases already granted to companies in the oil-rich Gulf are idle and unused, and they’ll stay that way until the United States’ record-breaking production rates wane and the high costs of drilling offshore drop precipitously. Of the 2,206 active leases in the Gulf, only a fifth are producing oil, according to records from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which regulates offshore drilling. Oil industry executives and analysts say the current number of 448 oil-producing leases is unlikely to grow significantly, even if Trump makes good on promises to expand leasing opportunities and expedite drilling permits.” [Grist, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Hundreds of oil leases in the Gulf are sitting idle. Why is Trump calling for more? “Despite President Donald Trump’s calls to ‘drill, baby, drill,’ many oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico will likely do what they’ve done for years: sit on hundreds of untapped oil leases across millions of acres. Trump has repeatedly said eliminating barriers to drilling will unlock vast untapped reserves of ‘liquid gold’ and ignite a new era of national prosperity. But most of the drilling leases already granted to companies in the oil-rich Gulf are idle and unused, and they’ll stay that way until the U.S.’s record-breaking production rates wane and the high costs of drilling offshore drop precipitously. Of the 2,206 active leases in the Gulf, only a fifth are producing oil, according to records from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which regulates offshore drilling. Oil industry executives and analysts say the current number of 448 oil-producing leases is unlikely to grow significantly even if Trump makes good on promises to expand leasing opportunities and expedite drilling permits. The market is saturated with oil, making companies reluctant to spend more money drilling because the added product will likely push prices down, cutting into profits.” [veritenews.org, 01/31/25 (+)]

 

 

California

 

California’s monarch butterfly population plummets; fire wipes out Topanga habitat. “The Western population of the monarch butterfly has declined to a near-record low with fewer than 10,000 found living in California this winter, a foreboding sign for the future of the beloved black-and-orange insect. An annual count recorded 9,119 butterflies this winter, according to results released by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. This is the second-lowest population recorded since tracking began in 1997. An all-time low of fewer than 2,000 monarchs was recorded in 2020. The society said these numbers underscored the importance of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new proposal to list the butterfly as a federally endangered species. The butterfly’s Western population has plummeted more than 95% since the 1980s, when up to 4 million butterflies were estimated to spend winter in California, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Without urgent conservation efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the Western population faces a 99% chance of extinction by 2080. Habitat destruction, pesticides and extreme weather fluctuation due to climate change are all to blame for the butterfly’s decline.” [Los Angeles Times, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

‘We don’t want it!’ San Gabriel Valley rages against shipment of Eaton fire hazardous waste. “Hundreds of San Gabriel Valley residents confronted state and federal officials during a heated community meeting Wednesday, asking how a local recreation area had become a processing site for hazardous waste from the Eaton fire without community input. The Environmental Protection Agency began trucking hazardous waste 15 miles from the Altadena burn zone to Lario Park in Irwindale for sorting and storage on Monday. Officially known as the Lario Staging Area, the rocky area is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was leased until this month to the Los Angeles County parks department. The 5-acre site is now home to workers in protective gear who are organizing potentially hazardous household items — which can include paint, bleach, asbestos and lithium-ion batteries — that cannot be sent to landfills. Advertisement State Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and several local mayors said they learned about the EPA’s use of the Irwindale site from news reports. Residents of Duarte, Azusa and nearby cities said they were furious that they had not been notified that waste was arriving by truck at a site near a popular recreation area, which includes the San Gabriel River trail. Some said they were afraid that toxic chemicals or other fire debris would leach into the air, soil or water.” [Los Angeles Times, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

State officials approve Edison rate hike for 2017 wildfire sparked by its equipment. “More than $1.6 billion of the $2.7 billion that Edison paid to more than 5,000 victims of the Thomas fire will be covered by its customers. The rest will be paid by shareholders of the for-profit company. A second proposal, still pending, would shift $5.4 billion of costs it paid to victims of the 2018 Woolsey fire to customers. Investigators said Edison’s equipment sparked both fires.” [Los Angeles Times, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Indiana

 

Indiana to receive $24M to address legacy pollution, revive coal communities. “The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) announced more than $24 million in funding from former President Joe Biden’s Investing in American agenda to address abandoned mine lands and create economic opportunities in coal communities in Indiana. In addition, Indiana received nearly $300,000 to update its abandoned mine land inventory to support future remediation efforts. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $16 billion to address legacy pollution, including over $11 billion to address abandoned mine lands. The funding is expected to address nearly all the current inventoried abandoned coal mine lands in the nation, eliminating dangerous conditions and pollution. ‘The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law infuses coal communities with the funding necessary to turn past pollution into future prosperity,’ said Sharon Buccino, principal deputy director of OSMRE. ‘This historic funding is making people safer, cleaning up the environment and creating jobs. Outcomes that these communities need and deserve.’” [The Indianapolis Recorder, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

Maine

 

Local fishermen praise bill limiting offshore wind. “From Brooksville to Blue Hill to Stonington, local fishermen are applauding Congressman Jared Golden’s co-sponsorship of a bill prohibiting commercial offshore wind energy development over nearly 14,000 square miles in the Gulf of Maine. The Northern Fisheries Heritage Protection Act of 2025 would protect Lobster Management Area 1, the nearshore fishing waters stretching from the Canadian border to the north shore of Cape Cod, from wind development. ‘I support that all the way,’ said Marsden Brewer, who has fished out of Stonington his entire life. Brewer, who has fished commercially for lobster, shrimp, ground fish and sea urchins, currently scallops and, with his son, Bob, runs a local aquaculture scallop farm. Brewer said that proponents of offshore wind minimize its potential downside, including the heat it generates that can raise water temperatures. He also said he is concerned that the noise generated from constructing, servicing and running offshore wind installations could have the potential of ‘blinding’ whales’ sonar, leaving them vulnerable to collisions and entanglement.” [Penobscot Bay Press, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Maine Republican legislators write Trump asking for further action to stop offshore wind. “Maine Republican legislators wrote a letter to President Donald Trump thanking him for his recent action on offshore wind and asking him to take it a step further. The letter sent Thursday was authored by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport). Offshore wind was a key issue for Paul in her reelection campaign last year after the state announced its hopes to build a port in her district to support its larger goals to develop 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by 2040. ‘Common sense, economics and environmental concerns are against the offshore wind projects proposed by Democrats for the Gulf of Maine,’ Paul said in a news release Thursday, noting her appreciation for Trump’s swift action on the matter. She went on to say that she and her Republican legislative colleagues ‘are asking his administration to finish the job before irrevocable harm is inflicted on marine wildlife, coastal communities and our quality of life.’” [Maine Morning Star, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Massachusetts

 

Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court. “A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of federal waters called the Massachusetts Restricted Area Wedge. The Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association sued to block the rule, saying a Dec. 2022 appropriations rider reflected the U.S. Congress’ intent not to extend emergency protections for North Atlantic right whales from earlier that year. A federal district judge declared the rule void last March. But in Thursday’s decision, Circuit Judge Seth Aframe called that a mistake because the rule was ’in place’ when the rider took effect, though it was not being enforced at that time.” [Reuters, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

New Jersey

 

Offshore wind troubles threaten NJ climate ambitions. “CLIMATEWIRE | New Jersey’s offshore wind ambitions are on the verge of collapse after two projects announced setbacks Thursday. The day began with an announcement from Shell that it was pausing its involvement in a project under development near Atlantic City. Then a second wind developer, Attentive Energy, filed a request for a stay with utility regulators seeking to defer a compliance payment with the state, citing difficulty securing an interconnection site and delays in federal permitting. The developments represent a blow to Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who is trying to pass a 100 percent clean electricity standard in the Legislature, and illustrates the uncertainty facing offshore wind after President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Trump signed an executive order freezing offshore wind permitting on his first day back in office. ‘Elections have consequences,’ said state Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat who leads the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. ’We have a guy running a country who stated repeatedly that he is going to do everything he can to hinder renewable energy, wind or solar.’” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Offshore wind industry in tatters amid Trump uncertainty. “New Jersey’s offshore wind industry is on life support following President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt wind development. In recent days, two New Jersey projects have been thrown into uncertainty. On Thursday, energy giant Shell paused involvement in Atlantic Shores, an offshore wind project that Trump last week called ‘dead.’ It was the only active project in New Jersey that had federal permits to proceed. Another project by Attentive Energy, a TotalEnergies subsidiary, also told state utility regulators it needs to delay key deadlines on its project through the end of the year. The request for this delay was submitted last week but only made public Thursday. A third project, Leading Light Wind, was facing delays even before Trump took office. While representatives of all three projects have said they are going to keep working to build wind turbines off the New Jersey coast, the fate of each project is now quite murky given they lack the necessary permits or financial conditions to proceed.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Shell hits pause on NJ offshore wind project. “GREENWIRE | Shell said Thursday it is pausing its involvement in a major New Jersey offshore wind project, dealing a major blow to a venture targeted by President Donald Trump. The announcement, made during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call, throws the future of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind into limbo. Shell said it was writing down its investment in the project by $996 million. ‘We just don’t see that it fits both our capabilities nor the returns that we would like,’ Shell Chief Financial Officer Sinead Gorman told reporters in remarks reported by Bloomberg. ‘So we took the decision to effectively write that off and pause our involvement.’ Of the 11 offshore wind projects permitted by the Biden administration, Atlantic Shores is arguably the most endangered. The project is 8.7 miles from the New Jersey coast, making it the closest project to shore along the Eastern Seaboard. Its proximity has made it a target of intense criticism from New Jersey Republicans and Trump, who appeared to single out the project in a social media post last year.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

New Mexico

 

Hunters warned about ‘forever chemicals’ near New Mexico base. “GREENWIRE | ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Environmental regulators and health officials in New Mexico are warning hunters that harmful chemicals known to cause cancer in people have been found at record levels in birds, small mammals and plants at a lake near Holloman Air Force Base. In fact, state officials say the findings are some of the highest levels documented in wildlife and plants worldwide based on comparisons with other published studies. Researchers contracted by the state tested muscle, liver and bone tissue in ducks, other birds and rodents as well as eggshells, algae and even skin shed by a rattlesnake. The findings come as more states in recent years have been forced to issue health advisories to hunters and others as a result of ’forever chemicals’ known as PFAS showing up in wild animals that are hunted for sport and sustenance. From Maine to Michigan and beyond, wildlife managers and scientists have been busy expanding testing as the scope of the problem widens.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

 

Gulf of Mexico

 

Gulf of Mexico won’t go away so easily. “Name changes like the one proposed for the new Gulf of America usually follow lengthy review and a vote by the Domestic Names Committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which is housed within the Interior Department. For example, the board, which has members from myriad federal agencies, last November voted unanimously to change the name of Texas’ Womans Hollow Creek to Woman Hollering Creek. Though only a modest change, the vote occurred 11 months after a petition was submitted. In some high-profile cases, political executives can drive the action. That happened during the Biden administration with former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who directed the board to remove a derogatory term for Native American women from 650 places on the federally recognized landscape. As for Trump’s Gulf mission, in a Jan. 24 statement, Interior said the board ’is working expeditiously to update the nomenclature’ to follow the president’s directive. As of Jan. 30, the Geographic Names Information System database still included the ‘Gulf of Mexico,’ enumerating a number of details including its average depth of 5,300 feet.” [Politico, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Western Water

 

 

 

AI on public lands and Biden’s environmental legacy. “On Jan. 14, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing the departments of Defense and Energy to make land available for private entities to construct gigawatt-scale ‘frontier’ AI data centers. He also instructed the Interior Department to identify sites on public land for developing ‘clean energy’ to power those centers and called for streamlined permitting for the power projects and their associated transmission lines. That same day, the Biden administration began the process of withdrawing more than 300,000 acres of public land from new mining claims and mineral leases in the Amargosa Valley in Nevada, protecting it from future lithium mining and geothermal energy development. The two initiatives stand in stark contrast with each other. In one case, Biden offered corporate entities federal land for building energy- and water-intensive data centers as well as solar, wind, geothermal or even nuclear installations. In the other, he sought to protect federal land from similar energy developments.” [High Country News Magazine, 01/30/25 (=)]

 

Research

 

How federal land could generate lots of electricity. “A study late in the last administration concluded that using federal land to build windmills and lay out solar panels could generate a lot of electricity. Thousands of gigawatts. With how they developed the estimates, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turn to a senior energy analyst with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Trieu Mai.” [Federal News Network, 01/30/25 (+)]

 

 

 

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