Watt’s Happening aims to provide breaking news, sharp analysis, and thoughtful commentary from the cutting edge of the energy sector as this dynamic area of the world continues to expand and grow before our eyes.
Weekly Highlights:
New Nuclear Energy Executive Orders vs. DOGE Cuts
President Trump issued a series of executive orders aimed at augmenting the US domestic nuclear industry by streamlining a complex licensing process and establishing new regulatory pathways. Other executive orders in the package focus on fixing the United States’ civil nuclear export programs in order to make it more competitive and appealing for developing countries against Russia’s and China’s state-owned nuclear export programs. While experts agree that many of these executive orders were long overdue to address the US’s cumbersome approval process, they also point out that making the United States’ nuclear export program competitive around the world will require the Department of State, the Department of Energy, and other agencies working together. How that will happen in the face of the DOGE cuts remains to be seen. To read the latest TNI analysis, go here.
“If You Build It, They Will (Maybe) Come”: Saudi Hydrogen Projects Have Unanswered Questions
A certain aspect of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic transformation program — a massive green hydrogen plant — saw it enter the planning phase back in 2010 with assurances of guaranteed demand from Europe upon completion. Now, however, domestic demand in Saudi Arabia is small and European policy shifts regarding green energy, as well as the EU still needing to hammer out guidelines for hydrogen consumption, have curbed demand for Saudi hydrogen. Will this project generate an adequate return on investment, or will it be just another white elephant project? To read the latest TNI analysis, go here.
An Oil Patch Political Shakeup in South America
A recent election in Suriname has the potential to affect global energy policy. At the end of May, elections in this small South American country saw the center-left opposition National Democratic Party (NDP), headed by Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, triumph over the incumbent Progressive Reform Party (VHP). Such a political shift will likely shape the direction the country is taking with regard to its vast oil reserves, which have already attracted the attention of both Western and Chinese oil companies. It remains to be seen how the country will manage its oil reserves, with some analysts projecting that the NDP will adopt a more distributive model for its revenues and a more cautious approach towards foreign companies. To read the latest TNI analysis, go here.
“Bigger Than US Steel?”: Maybe
After delays, Japan’s Nippon Steel is expected to finally acquire US Steel at $55 a share after President Trump approved the merger. An earlier attempt at the acquisition failed when then-President Joe Biden blocked it on grounds of national security and a threat to the US’s supply chain. Originally, neither Donald Trump nor the United Steelworkers union approved of the merger, with the head of the union worrying that the merger would threaten high-paying union jobs. However, it is Donald Trump’s about-face on the merger that has sparked analysts’ interests the most.
A Court Decision About Tariffs Affects Oil Prices
A recent decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump’s decision to unilaterally impose tariffs exceeded the bounds of his authority. Citing the fact that the Constitution delegates this power to Congress, not the president, the court brought all the tariffs imposed under the auspices of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to a halt. While this has brought relief to the stock market, it has also (temporarily, at least) re-lubricated the machine that is the global economy, increasing the demand (and thus the price) for oil. Although President Trump plans to appeal the decision, the invalidation of the tariffs has brought a sigh of relief to global markets.
About the Author: Toni Mikec
Toni Mikec is the Managing Editor for Energy World, a publication of the Center for the National Interest. Before that, he worked as a political consultant for Your Voter Guide in Sacramento and as a Senior Editor at Eagle Financial Publications in Washington DC. He holds a B.A. in International Relations (summa cum laude) from the University of California, Davis and a M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Image: Shutterstock/Piyaset
