Trump plans record fireworks show, internal docs warn of smoky skies

By Alex Guillén， Miranda Willson and Ariel Wittenberg

3 July 2026 at 19:55

The National Park Service will launch a dazzling 850,000 fireworks in the nation's capital this year. Officials acknowledge the potential health risks.

Fireworks seen from the Lincoln Memorial explode over the Potomac River for Independence Day, July 4, 2019, in Washington.

‘We are screwed’: People near data centers dread heat wave pollution

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Ariel Wittenberg and Benjamin Storrow

2 July 2026 at 02:37

Extreme temperatures threaten to strain the grid as data centers are increasing energy demand. What could go wrong?

A data center is seen, top left, from inside a home in Sterling, Virginia, on March 9, 2026.

Trump Energy Department hits its target on small nuclear reactors. Now comes the hard part.

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Pavan Acharya and Kelsey Tamborrino

1 July 2026 at 23:25

A third advanced reactor has reached criticality through an Energy Department program, meeting the administration’s self-set July 4 goal.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright climbs atop a nuclear reactor at Aalo Atomics facility during a tour of the Idaho National Laboratory in an area west of Idaho Falls, Idaho, on June 25, 2026.

Trump’s Mount Rushmore fireworks show reignites fire fears

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Heather Richards

1 July 2026 at 02:44

The Trump administration has restarted fireworks at the memorial in a national forest in rural South Dakota.

Fireworks light the sky at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3, 2020, near Keystone, South Dakota.

‘More people die in the winter’: Wright downplays Europe’s deadly heat wave

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Sara Schonhardt， Ariel Wittenberg， Charlie Cooper and Nicholas Earl

27 June 2026 at 04:17

The U.S. Energy secretary made his comments as the EU warned of life-threatening dangers from record-high temperatures.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged Europe to buy more American natural gas as he dismissed the effects of a heat wave smothering the continent.

Hormuz evacuation effort on hold after new ship attack

Politico | Energy & Environment

By James Bikales

26 June 2026 at 04:45

The vessel was attacked after Iran warned ships must use its designated corridors through the Strait of Hormuz rather than the route the U.S. has backed.

People ride a paddleboard as cargo and service vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 1.

Here’s why Republicans are worrying about high gas prices ahead of the midterms

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Pavan Acharya and Catherine Allen

25 June 2026 at 22:00

Midterm elections dating back to the 1970s suggest that Republicans run the risk of losing midterm seats on account of high gas prices.

Gasoline prices have pulled back in recent weeks, but the spikes caused by the war in Iran may leave a lingering effect on voters' minds.

Trump accuses oil companies of gouging drivers, orders DOJ to investigate

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Cheyanne M. Daniels， Mike Soraghan， James Bikales， Scott Waldman and Carlos Anchondo

24 June 2026 at 20:55

In a post to social media, the president said gasoline prices should be lower because of declines in crude oil prices.

President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9.

Dead ducks add to Trump’s reflecting pool drama

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Heather Richards

24 June 2026 at 04:48

A local wildlife organization is performing necropsies on ducks found dead near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Ducks swim in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as workers scrub and vacuum algae in Washington, on June 18, 2026.

Hormuz evacuation plans emerge after months of gridlock

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Scott Waldman

24 June 2026 at 04:12

A global effort to create an evacuation lane includes the International Maritime Organization, U.S., Iran, Oman and other countries.

Vessels are seen anchored in Bandar Abbas, Iran, along the Strait of Hormuz on June 18.

Lawmakers, companies tread carefully on data center energy bill

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Nico Portuondo

23 June 2026 at 23:00

A House panel will vote on the bipartisan legislation Wednesday, but major developers and top lawmakers are stopping short of a full endorsement.

Solar panels are seen at a Vantage Data Center in Sterling, Virginia, on March 9.

'Not the old sleepy agency’: Energy regulator dives into fight over data center connections

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Kelsey Tamborrino and Joel Kirkland

19 June 2026 at 10:00

FERC Chairman Laura Swett discussed how the agency threaded a needle amid pressure from the White House, Big Tech and governors.

The Douglas County Google Data Center complex is seen, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Lithia Springs, Georgia.

EVs are winners in the Iran war. So is US oil.

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Benjamin Storrow

18 June 2026 at 17:00

The conflict is pushing the world into a fractious energy future that could increase the tension between fossil fuels and clean power.

A small motorboat passes anchored vessels in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, last week.

How a fired FEMA leader got a second chance from Trump

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Thomas Frank

17 June 2026 at 17:00

Cameron Hamilton defied the president by defending the agency in 2025. A year later, he's poised to take the reins.

Cameron Hamilton testifies at a House oversight hearing on May 7, 2025.

‘VIP pass’: Trump administration mulling how to coax more oil tankers through Hormuz

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Ben Lefebvre and Scott Waldman

17 June 2026 at 07:35

Despite the president calling Hormuz open for business, ship owners remain wary of testing the waters.

A tractor tows a small boat through shallow water as cargo ships and industrial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 1.

Trump promised clear water. The reflecting pool went green.

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Kinnia Cheuk and Heather Richards

17 June 2026 at 01:54

Algae spread across the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool shortly after a multimillion-dollar renovation. The Interior Department says fixes are on the way.

White foam is expelled Tuesday into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool through hoses attached to machines.

A red-state revolt against insurers

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Saqib Rahim

16 June 2026 at 23:21

Oklahoma Republicans are embracing a tougher regulatory stance once considered untouchable in a primary race to be insurance commissioner.

A family searches what's left of their home after it was destroyed by a tornado in April near Enid, Oklahoma.

'A bit of FOMO': Oil companies give Venezuela a second look amid Mideast chaos

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Ben Lefebvre and James Bikales

16 June 2026 at 07:57

President Donald Trump’s policy misfires in the Middle East are having one unexpected beneficiary — his policy goals in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez takes part in talks with the Russian foreign minister in Moscow on March 1, 2019.

Trump is urging tankers to sail through Hormuz. Vessels aren’t so sure yet.

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Mike Soraghan， Martina Sapio and Carlos Anchondo

16 June 2026 at 01:30

Vice President JD Vance said ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already increased since a peace deal was announced, but industry associations are urging caution.

Iran’s state-linked Tasnim News Agency said that Iran intends to start charging ships for services after the 60-day period for technical negotiations around the deal.

Diesel mechanics queue up for Trump pardons

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Alex Guillén

14 June 2026 at 02:00

President Donald Trump pardoned a mechanic who disabled pollution control monitors on hundreds of diesel trucks. Now others are lobbying for similar clemency.

A growing number of people convicted of crimes under the Clean Air Act, particularly diesel mechanics who tampered with emissions controls, are seeking pardons from President Donald Trump.

Trump’s massive arch could snarl traffic for years

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Heather Richards

13 June 2026 at 03:40

The president’s proposed 250-foot-tall monument is facing criticism from lawmakers and Vietnam veterans.

A rendering of President Donald Trump's planned triumphal arch on April 10.

Algae resurfaces in reflecting pool after multimillion-dollar fixes

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Kinnia Cheuk

13 June 2026 at 01:57

The Interior Department said the algae is residual after supply lines sat dormant for weeks.

Green algae can be seen Friday in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

US military escorting growing number of oil tankers through Hormuz, Energy secretary says

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Mike Lee

12 June 2026 at 23:38

The increased traffic through the Strait of Hormuz comes as Trump and Iran continue haggling over a peace deal.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy on Capitol Hill on April 16.

‘This is not normal’: Trump leans on MAGA organizer to revive coal

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Zack Colman， Ian M. Stevenson and Hannah Northey

12 June 2026 at 17:00

The Energy Department is giving millions to a company partially led by a far-right activist and telecom executive to build the nation’s first coal-fired power plant since 2013.

President Donald Trump's hopes of a U.S. coal renaissance relies in part on a company that wants to build a coal plant and carbon capture project in West Virginia.

Inside the campaign to discredit a key climate science report

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Corbin Hiar， Lesley Clark and Chelsea Harvey

11 June 2026 at 16:45

An emerging field of research that can measure how much climate change has worsened individual disasters is under attack by friends of the fossil fuel industry. Billions of dollars are at stake.

The National Academy of Sciences building is seen in Washington on May 1.

EPA won't set nationwide standards for data centers

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Alex Guillén

11 June 2026 at 02:30

"EPA is not the party that is negotiating and or mediating or refereeing that deal," the EPA administrator said.

Zeldin addresses data center skepticism: 'It really depends on how the deal is structured'

Trump attacks on renewables ‘toxic’ to permitting talks

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Timothy Cama

11 June 2026 at 00:21

A top Democrat said Wednesday he wanted to see more movement on renewable energy approvals. A White House official didn’t appear willing to budge.

Inside the push for permitting reform at POLITICO's Energy Summit

Trump administration in 'active dialogue' on strategic petroleum reserve in California

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Noah Baustin and Ben Lefebvre

6 June 2026 at 05:43

The plan would almost certainly run into opposition from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks in front of Sable Offshore Corporation's oil processing facility in Santa Barbara County, California, on Friday.

Republicans probe China's influence in data center opposition

Politico | Energy & Environment

By Nico Portuondo

5 June 2026 at 05:05

The House GOP is asking the administration to investigate whether China-linked entities are fueling resistance to artificial intelligence infrastructure.

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