• Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
• Natural Gas CARES: It provides Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy Security.
• President Biden faces increasing pressure over pause of new LNG export approvals.
• Florida shifts focus from climate change to energy affordability with new law.
• A solar company must pay $220K in fines and refunds in Kansas.
• Study: Fewer Americans see climate change as a very serious problem.
• Bryce: What the media won’t tell you about the ‘energy transition.’
• Opinion: Trillions in taxpayer subsidies haven’t made wind, solar power cheaper.
• “Hands Off Our Home Appliances” Act passes in the House.

The issue: President Biden’s environmental agenda is a dangerous path toward an energy crisis. There’s a reason no country has gone 100 percent renewable. Modern society depends on affordable, reliable energy, something only fossil fuels can provide.

Why it Matters: Primary elections are upcoming. Voters in energy-rich West Virginia go to the polls next Tuesday — and that serves as a reminder that the general election is just six months away.

TEA’s new interactive map shows energy affordability is critical to Mountain State residents, with 74% of the state’s 1.1 million registered voters identifying as an energy affordability voter. That is someone who prioritizes the cost of energy in their voting decisions and supports candidates who champion cost-effective energy policies.

It appears that Republican Gov. Jim Justice is the frontrunner to win the U.S. Senate seat. He is challenged by GOP rival, U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney.

Both are strong supporters of domestic energy and wisely so, given the state produces natural gas in abundance (a record 2.9 trillion cubic feet in 2022) and it contributes $11.2 billion to its annual economy.

Justice has said the state’s energy is key to American energy independence and driving down consumer costs. Mooney touts his record of fighting EPA policies and government overreach.

Also running is former Republican Don Blankenship, a longtime coal executive, one of three people running on the Democratic ticket. The other candidates have no proven track record on energy.

The wild card is Sen. Joe Manchin, who could run as an independent, should Blankenship win. While Manchin has been an outspoken critic of Biden’s green agenda, he also cast the deciding vote in helping pass the terribly flawed Inflation Reduction Act two years ago.

Consider:

• West Virginia voters give Biden an abysmal -28.8% approval rating on energy issues.
• In 2019, more than 81,000 residents relied on this industry for employment (roughly 9% of the total).
• Roughly 49 percent of West Virginia’s households have an income of less than $50,000 a year.

Bottom Line: Our bold prediction: the backlash to Biden’s green agenda will be severe in 2024. Candidates who champion policies that will reduce prices and protect American energy security will succeed.

The issue: Natural gas producers are planning for a significant spike in demand over the next decade, as artificial intelligence and new data centers drive a surge in electricity consumption that renewables alone will be unable to meet.

Why it Matters: The surge in power demand poses a real challenge for Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta. These tech companies have committed to powering their data centers with renewables to slash carbon emissions. The harsh reality is that solar and wind alone likely will be inadequate to meet the electricity load because they are dependent on variable weather, according to a report from consulting firm Rystad Energy.

Consider:

• Electricity demand is forecast to grow 20% by 2030, according to Wells Fargo.
• Power companies admit natural gas is needed to meet demand when renewable energy sources are not generating enough power.
• The demand growth is prompting TC Energy to reinforce gas-pipeline networks running through Virginia and Wisconsin.

Also take into account that many of the renewables will be installed in areas that are not immediately adjacent to data centers, meaning it will take time to build power lines to transport resources to areas of high demand.

Another constraint on renewables is the currently available battery technology is not efficient enough to power data centers 24 hours a day.

Bottom Line: The AI revolution is here, and that means we’re going to need a lot more electricity. Wind and solar alone won’t cut it – to meet growing demand the only solution is more natural gas.

Gas prices in the U.S. remained stable at $3.64 per gallon, with weak demand and oil prices under $80 a barrel. California remains the most expensive market at $5.31 per gallon, while Utah is the cheapest at $3.83. Oil prices rose to $78.99 a barrel due to a decrease in crude oil inventories reported by the Energy Information Administration.

FERC Open Meeting: On Monday, May 13, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold an Open Meeting of the Commission.

Hearing On EPA Budget: On Wednesday, May 15, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials will have a hearing on the FY 2025 Environmental Protection Agency Budget.

Hearing On Climate Costs to National Security: On Wednesday, May 15, the Senate Budget Committee will have a hearing to examine climate change and the costs to national security.

Hearing On CEQ Budget: On Thursday, May 16, the House Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on the Council on Environmental Quality FY 2025 budget request and related policy matters.

“There’s a transition coming, but you can’t take something off that you’re depending on 24/7 unless you have something better to replace it with.

Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the EPA’s new rule for gas and coal-fired power plants.