November 20, 2024

President-elect Trump announced his nominees to head the departments of Energy and the Interior last week, and they happen to be among his least controversial for his second cabinet. K Kaufmann took a look at North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, the likely future secretaries of energy and the interior, respectively.

K also reports that while Secretary Jennifer Granholm only has two months left at the department, it continues to issue grants to projects with funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, such as rooftop solar for schools and solar-plus-storage for mining operations. 

And K was in D.C. for a forum with former FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee and Sen. John Hickenlooper, who discussed the prospects of the Energy Permitting Reform Act passing before Congress adjourns and potential actions by the second Trump administration to rollback implementation of the IRA. 

Trump’s second presidency was also major discussion topic among attendees of NARUC’s Annual Meeting this month in Anaheim, Ayla Burnett reports. 

Finally, John Stang has an excellent feature on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s efforts to institute a cap-and-trade program in the state, which may be his legacy — secured by voters this month when they rejected a ballot initiative to repeal it. 

Here’s what else we had this week: 

• AEP Adding Fuel Cells as Temporary Data Center Power 

• Compromise Climate Bill Finally Approved by Mass. Legislature 

• Court Nullifies Sale of NY Peaker to Crypto Miner 

• EIA: Distribution, Transmission Led to Higher Utility Capital Spending 

• Mass. Energy Leaders Talk Barriers to Innovation at NECA Conference 

• NJ BPU Updates Proposal for Storage Incentives 

• NY Gauging Industry Interest in Advanced Nuclear 

• NYPA Urged to Do More in New Renewables Role 
  

• RWE Pauses Investments in US Offshore Wind 

• Stakeholder Soapbox: Kill Subsidized Energy Efficiency for the Public Good 

See you next week!