12-30-25

Texas Energy Report NewsClips

Tuesday December 30, 2025

Asterisk (*) denotes news stories that may be inaccessible because portions are behind a paywall

 

Happy New Year! Texas Energy Report NewsClips return on Monday January 5th

As we always do at this time of year, Texas Energy Report will be undergoing annual server maintenance during the coming week. There will likely be changes, but we will keep you posted.

 

Good morning! Here are today’s Texas Energy Report NewsClips

Oil prices retreated a touch early on Tuesday after rising more than 2% in the previous session, partly driven by spillover from a pullback in precious metals even as escalating Russia–Ukraine tensions left markets grappling with supply disruption fears.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude eased 20 cents, or 0.3%, at $57.88.

Brent crude futures for February delivery , which expires on Tuesday, were down 21 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.73 a barrel as of 0150 GMT. The more active March contract was at $61.30, down 19 cents or 0.3%.

Both contracts settled more than 2% higher in the previous session after Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting President Vladimir Putin’s residence, stoking fears of supply disruptions.

“The selling you are seeing now is probably some spillover weakness generated by the significant correction we saw in precious metals that is bound to impact pretty much every other commodity,” Marex analyst Ed Meir said.

 

Top Stories

 

Oil Price – December 19, 2025

Oil Executives Brace For Another Tough Year Ahead

Oil executives expect oil markets to remain depressed, with respondents projecting West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil prices to finish 2026 at $62 per barrel, lower than the average of $65.32 per barrel that the EIA has projected for 2025. For some context, the EIA projects Brent crude to average $55.08 per barrel in 2026 while WTI is expected to average $51.42 per barrel.

Oil executives expect oil markets to be oversupplied in 2026 if the Trump administration succeeds in ending the Ukraine conflict and Russian sanctions are lifted; however, if Russian sanctions continue, along with reduced oil volumes from Iran and Venezuela, markets may approach a balanced position. The energy leaders are more bullish about longer-term expectations, predicting WTI prices to average $69 per barrel in 2027 and $75 per barrel by 2029/2030.

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Fortune – December 26, 2025

Little-known underground salt caverns could slow the AI boom and its thirst for power: Jason Blum

A slow-starting race to build underground salt caverns could hamper the AI data center boom and weaken power delivery for the massive computing facilities that typically require 99.999% reliability. About half as much new gas storage is planned than will be needed in the future, industry sources estimate.
Yes, you read that correctly, salt caverns. Manmade reservoirs thousands of feet below the surface are ideal storage structures for the volume of natural gas required to power AI data centers being built by hyperscalers and to feed the rapid growth of gas-exporters along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

U.S. natural gas output is projected to spike another 15-25% from 2024 through 2030—and continue rising—because of a doubling of gas exports and a surge in domestic demand from the data center construction wave, ongoing electrification, and manufacturing onshoring.

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Energy Now – December 29, 2025

Frontera Signs Deal to Supply Crude Oil to Chevron Unit for Up to $120 Million

Frontera Energy’s Colombian unit has signed a prepayment and commercial agreement worth up to $120 million with a unit of U.S. oil major Chevron to supply crude oil over two years, the Canadian oil producer said on Monday. Under the deal, Frontera will receive an initial $80 million advance and supply a portion of its crude output to Chevron Products Company.

Frontera may seek an additional $40 million advance for up to six months on a fully committed basis. The agreement replaces an existing prepayment arrangement set to expire at the end of January 2026, Frontera said.

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Bloomberg – December 19, 2025

Russian Oil Tankers Cleave to Turkish Coast to Cut Drone Risks*

Oil tankers hauling Russian crude across the Black Sea are taking a roundabout route along the coastlines of Georgia and Turkey — a measure that might help them to reduce the risk of being targeted by Ukrainian sea drones. Vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows at least two tankers that recently loaded cargoes at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk taking a coastal route to the Bosphorus, rather than making the more normal trip straight across the middle of the sea. The detour adds about 350 miles, or 70%, to the journey from the port to the Turkish straits.

There’s a chance that the ships are providing false digital positions — something that’s become increasingly common on Russian shipments as the war continues. However, satellite imagery reviewed by Bloomberg showed at least one of the vessels on a detour on Wednesday. The image puts the ship about 4.4 nautical miles away from its digital position signal 20 minutes earlier, adding weight to identification based on the tanker’s dimensions, color and deck layout. That ship is the Jumbo. Its insurer and beneficial owner are unknown and it sails under the flag of Sierra Leone, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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El Pais – December 29, 2025

80,000 barrels of Mexican oil sent to Cuba: Havana drawn into the US–Mexico clash

While Mexico was calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis between the United States and Venezuela at the United Nations, two oil tankers flying the Liberian flag were sailing near Cuba. Both vessels had departed from the port of Coatzacoalcos in the Mexican state of Veracruz, specifically from the Pajaritos terminal owned by the Mexican state oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), which is tasked with delivering barrels of oil to the island to help alleviate the energy crisis that Cuba has been facing for months.

The United States quickly viewed the shipment as a sign of support for the Cuban regime, intensifying the already strained and complex relations between Mexico and the U.S.

 

The Latest TERse Tips

Amplify Energy Corp. said Monday that it closed the previously announced transaction to sell its interests in Oklahoma for a contract price of $92.5 million — see the press release

Pipeline & Gas Journal notes Energy Transfer plans to upsize the Transwestern Desert Southwest expansion after strong open season demand, increasing pipeline capacity and reinforcing natural gas supply to fast-growing markets in Arizona and New Mexico

The Trump administration on Wednesday issued emergency orders to keep two set-to-be-shuttered coal plants in Indiana running through the end of the year, providing a lifeline to a favored industry while arguing it would ensure people with secure and affordable electricity — The Hill

Data centers are increasingly using jet engine-based turbines and fossil fuel generators to meet electricity demands due to grid connection delays and supply chain bottlenecks. Companies like GE Vernova and ProEnergy are seeing a rise in orders for these power solutions. While on-site power costs are higher, they provide immediate electricity, allowing data centers to operate without waiting for grid access. This trend may change as tech companies adjust infrastructure spending — Financial Times*

The Bureau of Land Management has approved a multistate power line project originally planned to carry renewable energy across the desert Southwest but now being billed as a necessary upgrade to an aging and increasingly overstressed regional power grid — Politico*

The Trump administration announced sanctions on Russian oil giants, including Lukoil PJSC, which has affected small American business owners who operate Lukoil-branded gas stations in the US — Bloomberg*

 

Oil & Gas Texas

 

Midland Reporter-Telegram – December 27, 2025

Permian gas seen driving U.S. LNG growth as pipelines expand, report says*

Global thirst for U.S. liquefied natural gas is expected to be met by Permian Basin natural gas finding its way to the Gulf Coast via pipelines. A new report from Enverus Intelligence Research lays out just how critical Permian Basin natural gas will be. EIR projects U.S. LNG feed gas demand will rise to 33 billion cubic feet a day by 2030, with the potential to approach 50 Bcf a day if planned expansions move forward. To support this growth, approximately 9 Bcf a day of new Permian pipeline capacity is expected to be added eastward toward the Gulf Coast.

The additions would connect West Texas output with the Agua Dulce and Katy hubs, along with 12.25 Bcf a day of additional pipeline capacity along the coast dedicated to supplying LNG facilities and mitigating bottlenecks. “While there is ample pipeline capacity from the Permian Basin and along the Gulf Coast to supply incremental LNG feed gas to 2030, the challenge lies in ensuring long-term natural gas supply for additional LNG expansion,” said Alex Ljubojevic, a director at EIR, in the report. The Haynesville play is expected to peak at 19 Bcf a day in 2033 before declining, limiting its ability to support future LNG expansions.

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Midland Reporter-Telegram – December 29, 2025

Permian Basin operators brace for tough 2026, eye 2027 rebound*

Permian Basin oil and gas operators are ending 2025 in an economic downcycle as oil prices sank below $60 a barrel, activity declined and uncertainty gripped the industry. Those conditions are not expected to change in 2026, with a number of analysts predicting oil prices could fall further, resulting in U.S. oil production levels remaining flat to slightly lower for the year. However, those same analysts say that, while 2026 could be a rough year economically, the stage is being set for prices to rebound in 2027.

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Bloomberg – December 29, 2025

Chevron Ships Unload Venezuelan Oil in US Ports Amid Blockade*

At least two vessels chartered by Chevron Corp. that picked up oil from Venezuela since the Trump administration launched a partial maritime blockade have successfully unloaded cargoes at US ports, according to data reviewed by Bloomberg.

Chevron, which holds a US license to drill and export oil from the sanctioned country, has finished discharging a cargo from the vessel Searuby and is in the process of unloading ship Canopus Voyager, according to Bloomberg tanker tracking. A ship called Nave Neutrino also off-loaded Venezuelan crude in the US Gulf Coast over the past few days, data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler show, though its unclear whether it’s chartered by Chevron.

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Oil Price – December 29, 2025

The Permian Is Drowning in Its Own Wastewater

The first signs of serious trouble emerged earlier this year, when the Texas Railroad Commission sent out notices to companies applying for licenses for wastewater disposal wells in the basin, stating that there were ground pressure issues caused by wastewater disposal. The number of new ones was to be restricted. Wastewater disposal, the Railroad Commission wrote in the letters sent out in May, “has resulted in widespread increases in reservoir pressure that may not be in the public interest and may harm mineral and freshwater resources in Texas.” The RRC added that “Drilling hazards, hydrocarbon production losses, uncontrolled flows, ground surface deformation, and seismic activity have been observed.”

It is difficult to find a solution to this problem without compromising oil production, and while local communities may not have a big problem with that, the industry will. So decision-makers in relevant positions are considering options. One of these, per a recent Bloomberg report, is releasing the water—after treating it—into local rivers.

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Yahoo! News – December 29, 2025

‘Expect higher prices in 2026.’ Texas energy professor weighs in on cheap gas

Low demand and too much supply: these basic economic principles are what University of Texas Energy Professor Michael Webber said are behind the current drop in prices. AAA reports the current national average for regular gas as $2.83, which is the lowest price in more than four years. Locally, gas is even cheaper, averaging $2.37 in the Austin area. Webber talked with KXAN about what’s impacting the oil and gas market, the impact it’s having on Texas, and his expectation for future pricing. …

Tom Miller: How do low prices affect jobs, state revenue, and businesses connected to energy production here in Texas?

Webber: It’s a mixed bag because a lot of us are consumers. If you consume gasoline for a fleet of cars or trucks for your business, or for commuting, this is good news because you’ll spend less money and that can be economically advantageous. But for producers, it’s really rough. They can’t sell gasoline for as much, and low oil prices mean less production, less drilling, and other economic consequences. Texas is more exposed because as a state, we benefit when prices are higher. When prices are high, there’s more production, more jobs, and more economic activity. It also means more tax payments to the state. Texas makes a lot of money from oil and gas, both directly and indirectly. That revenue supports schools, parks, libraries, county governments, and courthouses.

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Albuquerque Journal – December 24, 2025

NM AG files lawsuit against Texas oil, gas well operators

Three Texas men used shell companies to pocket revenues from hundreds of New Mexico oil and gas wells while leaving the state with cleanup costs for abandoned properties, Attorney General Raúl Torrez alleges in a new lawsuit.

The suit describes a complex asset-stripping scheme in which profitable wells were placed in certain companies while non-productive wells remained in other companies that filed for bankruptcy. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in 1st Judicial District Court in Santa Fe on behalf of New Mexico and the state Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department.

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Texas Standard – December 15, 2025

The three stories that defined Texas energy in 2025

Exports have hit a record for LNG. So we’ve seen new LNG terminals such as Plaquemines just pushing out a lot of LNG. There’s also the demand for it, right? I think about 70% of it is going to Europe because Europe’s trying to pivot away from Russia. But on the oil side of things, we haven’t hit a record actually. So Europe has been pulling back a little bit, but we’ve had increasing competition into Europe. But one reason, actually, it’s been lower to Asia is because of tariffs. And so China’s purchasing has basically all but dropped off there.

Q: You know, in any other year that might have been your No. 1, but let’s let’s now shift from No. 3 to No. 2. What’s your second-biggest energy story?

A: I think we’ve got to go with Texas power, and there’s a few bits here.

So the main one is really just the expectations of AI and data centers there. They’re going to be the largest component driving energy demand growth in Texas in the coming years here.

 

Oil & Gas National & International

 

Oil Price – December 29, 205

Why Saudi Arabia Just Moved Into Syria’s Oil And Gas Fields

Saudi Arabia’s recent agreements with the Syrian Petroleum Company to help revive and develop Syria’s long-neglected oil and gas fields are not a benevolent Gulf gesture but the latest step in a carefully sequenced post-Assad strategy shaped in Washington and London. The removal of Bashar al-Assad last December — driven as much by Syria’s pivotal geography and Mediterranean frontage as by the desire of the new U.S. administration to demonstrate its willingness to unseat entrenched autocrats — created a vacuum that Western planners were determined not to fill with another Iraq-style occupation.

Instead, they have opted for a reconstruction model fronted by powerful Arab states, with Western firms embedded behind them. The UAE’s early lead in resuscitating Syria’s gas sector was the first signal of this shift; Riyadh’s move into that sector – and its vital oil space too — is the second, and it aligns neatly with Washington’s broader effort to re-anchor regional influence and revive the architecture of Arab?Israeli normalisation that defined Donald Trump’s first term.

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December 29, 2025

You deserve to know why Trump wants war with Venezuela: Houston Chronicle*

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Financial Times/Aberdeen Business News – December 29, 2025

North Sea oil suffers worst year since production began as drillers freeze investment

The UK North Sea oil and gas industry endured its most challenging year for exploration in 2025, with future investment projected to plummet significantly. Companies halted new drilling activities amid profound uncertainty surrounding the government’s evolving tax policies, leading to a historic low.

According to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, no exploration wells were drilled in UK waters throughout 2025. This marks the first year without fresh exploration activity in the North Sea since oil and gas discoveries began in the 1960s. The financial outlook is equally stark, with investment, which stood at £4.4 billion in 2025, expected to fall by over 40 per cent to just above £2.5 billion in 2026. This would represent the lowest investment level since the tumultuous early 1970s, a period characterised by high costs, industrial unrest, and rampant inflation within the UK oil sector.

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NPR – December 25, 2025

Why some U.S. oil companies aren’t interested in returning to Venezuela

…[A]ccording to Politico, some American oil companies have already told Trump that they are not interested in returning to the country, even if there is a regime change. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, so why wouldn’t America’s oil giants want to do business there? Well, to help us answer that question, we’re joined now by Scott Modell, CEO of the energy consulting firm Rapidan. Welcome.

CHANG: Well, are you having those conversations with board members? Like, do you have any sense of how the heads of oil companies have been reacting to the developments in Venezuela right now?

MODELL: I think they’re looking at it with caution. I don’t think that they’re eager to jump in. I know the president is eager to see Conoco back in and Exxon back in, and for us to quickly follow a regime change of sort, with inflow of U.S. companies, back to the way things were. But the boards are going to be very reluctant. Until you have a stabilizing of above-ground political risk in Venezuela – and that’s going to take years – I don’t think you’re going to see them rushing back in.

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S&P Global Platts – December 29, 2025

Commodities 2026: Asian refiners drawn to US crude imports for economic and diplomatic gains

Major East Asian refiners are expected to continue purchasing light sweet US crude in 2026 as they seek to diversify feedstock suppliers to mitigate geopolitical risks and improve margins, while maintaining strong diplomatic relations with Washington.

Most East Asian refiners rely primarily on sour crude supplies. However, by purchasing light sweet US crude grades, such as WTI Midland and West Texas Light, they seek to enhance energy security and stabilize supply chains, according to feedstock and inventory managers at state-run and major private-sector refiners in South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan, including PTT and ENEOS.

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World Oil – December 29, 2025

Woodside signs long-term LNG supply agreement with Türkiye’s BOTAŞ

Woodside has executed a binding long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement with Türkiye’s state-owned natural gas company Boru Hatları ile Petrol Taşıma A.Ş., converting a non-binding heads of agreement signed in September into a firm contract.

Under the terms, Woodside will supply BOTAŞ approximately 0.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG—equal to about 5.8 Bcm of natural-gas equivalent—over a period of up to nine years beginning in 2030. LNG will be sourced primarily from the under-construction Louisiana LNG project in the U.S., complemented by volumes from Woodside’s global portfolio.

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The New York Times – December 27, 2025

How Oil, Drugs and Immigration Fueled Trump’s Venezuela Campaign*

On a spring night in the Oval Office, President Trump asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio how to get tougher on Venezuela. It was just before Memorial Day, and anti-leftist Cuban American lawmakers whose votes Mr. Trump needed for his signature domestic policy bill were urging him to tighten a vise on Venezuela by stopping Chevron’s oil operations there. But Mr. Trump did not want to lose the only U.S. foothold in Venezuela’s oil industry, where China is the biggest foreign player. The president was considering allowing Chevron to continue. But he told Mr. Rubio, a longtime hawk on Venezuela and Cuba, that they had to show the lawmakers and other doubters they could bring the hammer down on Nicolás Maduro, the leftist autocratic leader of Venezuela, whom Mr. Trump had tried to oust in his first term.

Another aide in the room, Stephen Miller, said he had ideas. As Mr. Trump’s homeland security adviser, he had been talking with other officials about Mr. Trump’s campaign vow to bomb fentanyl labs. For various reasons, that notion had faded, and in recent weeks Mr. Miller had turned to exploring attacks on boats suspected of carrying drugs off the shores of Central America.

Mr. Miller’s deliberations had not focused on Venezuela, which does not produce fentanyl. But three separate policy goals began merging that night — crippling Mr. Maduro, using military force against drug cartels and securing access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves for U.S. companies. Two months later, Mr. Trump signed a secret directive ordering the Pentagon to carry out military operations against Latin American drug cartels and specifically calling for maritime strikes. Though the justification was drugs in general, the operation would concentrate enormous naval firepower off the coast of Venezuela. The result has been an increasingly militarized pressure campaign intended to remove Mr. Maduro from power.

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Energy Now – December

Five Energy Market Trends to Track in 2026, the Year of the Glut: Ron Bousso

Energy markets enter 2026 in a downbeat mood as geopolitical uncertainty clouds the outlook and increasing signs of swelling oil and gas supplies threaten to sink prices.This past year was a wild one for the oil and gas industry, punctuated by the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June, U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars, the intensified targeting of energy infrastructure in Russia in its war against Ukraine, OPEC’s often perplexing production decisions and the recently threatened U.S. blockade of Venezuela.

So what’s in store for next year? Here are five trends likely to shape the energy landscape in 2026 and beyond. Investors will keep a razor-sharp focus on signs of swelling oil inventories next year after crude prices fell nearly 20% in 2025 to about $60 a barrel on fears of significant oversupply. Global oil output has surged over the past year. The U.S. – the world’s biggest oil producer – ramped up production, as did Canada and Brazil, while the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, reversed years of cuts.

 

Utilities, Electricity & Renewables

 

Utility Dive – December 23, 2025

Energy industry dealmaking soared in 2025 on large utility, IPP mergers

Energy sector mergers and acquisitions totaled nearly $142 billion from November 2024 to November 2025, up from just under $28 billion during the same time period last year, according to an analysis from PwC. The sharp increase was driven more by growth in the scale and value of deals than by the total number of mergers and acquisitions in 2025, the firm said. It tallied 35 deals in 2025 compared to 30 in 2024. “Smaller and mid-tier utilities increasingly sought combinations to strengthen balance sheets and capture scale ahead of rising reliability and electrification needs,” the report said.

PwC attributed the surge to “load growth opportunities” from electrification and data center demand, “continued portfolio rationalization among regulated utilities, the return of large, regulated utility mergers, and deployment of infrastructure fund capital into long-duration yield oriented assets.” It predicted sustained deal momentum into 2026.

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pv magazine – December 19, 2025

US battery market faces a make-or-break year in 2026 

2025 was a tumultuous year for the energy storage industry, and it left market forces tugging the industry in different directions. AI and data center-driven energy demand is skyrocketing while electricity prices are hitting highs; battery costs are shifting unevenly, project economics are under strain and a suite of policies set to come into effect in the New Year will cause even more shake-up.

ESS News spoke with leaders from around the energy storage industry to learn more about what they expect for the year ahead. Rising electricity prices will push storage further into the spotlight as a cost and reliability solution.

“Everything is getting more expensive for families (groceries, household goods, gas) but electricity doesn’t have to be. We’re entering what I see as a twin crisis: the need for a more reliable electricity supply and relief for ratepayers facing rising costs. In 2026, the real test for the energy industry will be whether we can move fast enough to tackle both. Speed to market will be the single biggest driver of energy deployment next year, and energy storage can scale fast and cost effectively.” – Arvin Ganesan, CEO, Fourth Power

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Politico – December 25, 2025

Data centers fight uphill battle on energy messaging*

Data centers are facing a significant backlash from the public and some policymakers over their energy usage, but the companies backing the projects may not be doing enough to push back. Technology giants fueling the data center boom like Google, Meta and Amazon have been active in state utility regulatory proceedings and local government fights where they want to build facilities. They’ve also bolstered their Washington lobbying on the issue.

The companies argue projects are paying their fair share for electricity and any burdens they bring to the electric grid, and can even reduce prices for other customers. But as the industry increasingly faces charges that data centers are harmful to the electric grid, are the main cause of skyrocketing electricity bills and use polluting energy sources, the companies’ rebuttals don’t seem to be getting through. “Whatever they’re doing right now is clearly not working from a communications and lobbying perspective,” said Nate Mason, a former energy analyst at the State Department who has studied the effects of data centers on the electric grid and argued that they can bring numerous benefits.

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Utility Dive – December 23, 2025

Using scenario modeling to address uncertainty in the clean energy transition: Kaushik Telgaonkar, Energy Exemplar

The biggest roadblock to the energy transition is neither technology nor finance, nor is it a lack of ambition; it is uncertainty. We are operating on limited information and trying to make an educated guess for a better, cleaner future. The transition requires answers to essential questions, such as when electric vehicles and heat pumps will be scaled up?

How much energy will data centers require? When will we reach net-zero emissions? These are not technical or financial questions; instead, they are questions about the future, and the most crucial tool we use for answering them is forecasting and scenario modeling.

 

Regulatory

 

Bloomberg – December 24, 2025

The Climate Stories Bloomberg Green Most Admired This Year

In the dark, chilly winter months, it’s not uncommon to walk down one of London’s more affluent residential streets without noticing the smell of wood smoke. Bittersweet and pungent, the odor typically comes from an appliance that has become the epitome of British middle-class aspiration: the wood-burning stove. These squat metal burn boxes have become a must-have for the city’s affluent homeowners. Between 2009 and 2024, the number of stoves in single-family homes, typically occupied by wealthier people in the UK, rose by more than 25%.

Their appeal is easy to understand. They slot into the old fireplaces ubiquitous in houses built before World War II, but heat more cleanly and efficiently than open hearths. The sight of flames flickering behind glass front panels makes a room effortlessly cozy. For those who prefer their pleasures seasoned with virtue, they can be carbon neutral if fueled with sustainably sourced wood. This year, however, the conversation around wood burners has darkened — particularly in London. The government is considering tightening standards on new stoves in order to meet pollution targets. And activists’ placards have begun appearing on fences and lampposts, highlighting that wood burners release potentially carcinogenic particulates into London’s already polluted winter air.

Meanwhile, stove owners are complaining that what they see as a harmless, traditional way to brighten the long winter months is being discussed as a pollutant alongside private jets or coal-fired power plants. Appliances once seen as a double-win — making your neighbors jealous and reducing your carbon footprint — are now dividing people. Stoves have become popular partly because they meet a very contemporary hunger for cozy domesticity during troubled times. “Wood burners are just one of those aspirational middle-class things nowadays,” says Tabitha Tew of north London fireplace and stove merchants Amazing Grates. “It’s like only eating red meat once a week, and having a crossbreed dog that doesn’t molt,” she says.

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Texas Border Business – December 24, 2025

Proposed Changes to Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements: What Texas Businesses Need to Know

Texas has long been the backbone of America’s energy economy, and that leadership is stronger than ever today. Texas is the nation’s top producer of crude oil and natural gas, accounting for roughly 43 percent of U.S. crude oil production and 28 percent of natural gas production, while also leading the country in wind electricity generation. This all-of-the-above energy leadership reflects decades of investment in infrastructure, innovation, and workforce development programs to meet the evolving needs of our dynamic energy industry.

But all of those investments share a common requirement that every business operation across every sector desperately needs: stability. For Texas businesses making multi-decade, capital-intensive decisions, predictable rules and consistent data – at both the state and federal levels – are critical regardless of political leadership in Austin or Washington.

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The New York Times – December 22, 2205

How Trump’s First Year Reshaped U.S. Energy and Climate Policy*

In his first year back in office, President Trump has rapidly reshaped America’s climate and energy landscape. His administration dismantled a wide range of climate and pollution regulations, began to overhaul how the federal government responds to disasters and gave a boost to fossil fuel production and nuclear power while attempting to curtail the growth of wind and solar energy. The changes have reverberated far beyond the United States, as the administration has pressured other countries to abandon their own efforts to tackle global warming. Here’s a look at some of the biggest changes in U.S. energy and climate policy in 2025:

Over the past year, the Environmental Protection Agency has moved to delay, ease or eliminate more than a dozen regulations governing air pollution, water contamination and planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, a New York Times analysis found. The Times analysis, based on research from Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and other sources, counted four proposed rollbacks of air pollution rules. In June, for instance, the E.P.A. moved to repeal a Biden-era regulation that required coal-burning power plants to cut emissions of mercury, a neurotoxin.

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Bloomberg – December 22, 2025

Here’s the Bad Climate News You Missed This Year: Dave Fickling*

It might have seemed in 2025 that every piece of bad news for the global climate and energy transition had some sort of connection to President Donald Trump. If only it were so simple. In fact, there are plenty of negative factors well away from the White House that have damaged our chances of tackling global warming, and many might have been ignored amid the drumbeat of more high-profile news. For the past few years, I’ve been trying to highlight some of these neglected issues that we should be worrying more about. Here’s my summary of three troubling developments that flew below the radar:

One huge success for the environment in recent years has been the reduction in emissions of particulates in many parts of the world — in China, from shipping, and in urban areas of developed countries. Right? Well, kinda. While the fall in sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, and ozone has been an unquestioned benefit for human health, more evidence has emerged over the past year pointing to how it’s accelerated the pace of global warming and contributed to more volatile rainfall.

Such particulates help to reflect sunlight back into space and effect the formation of water droplets in clouds. With fewer of them about, more sunlight reaches the ground to warm the planet, and storms can become more violent. Changes in cloud brightness driven by fewer particulates over the past two decades may have contributed about half as much to the world’s climate imbalance as carbon dioxide emissions, according to one study published in November. That means that we may be underestimating how much the planet will warm in response to carbon pollution.