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US House passes waterways bill

  • : Agriculture, Biofuels, Chemicals, Coal, Coking coal, Crude oil, Fertilizers, Metals, Oil products, Petroleum coke
  • 24/07/23

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Monday authorizing the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to tackle a dozen port, inland waterway and other water infrastructure projects.

The Republican-led House voted 359-13 to pass the Waterways Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes the Corps to proceed with plans to upgrade the Seagirt Loop Channel near Baltimore Harbor in Maryland.

The bill also will enable the Corps to move forward with 160 feasibility studies, including a $314mn resiliency study of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which connects ports along the Gulf of Mexico from St Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas.

Water project authorization bills typically are passed every two years and generally garner strong bipartisan support because they affect numerous congressional districts.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed its own version of the bill on 22 May. That bill does not include an adjustment to the cost-sharing structure for lock and dam construction and other rehabilitation projects.

The Senate's version is expected to reach the floor before 2 August, before lawmakers break for their August recess. The Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until 9 September. If the Senate does not pass an identical version of the bill, lawmakers will have to meet in a conference committee to work out the differences.

WRDA is "our legislative commitment to investing in and protecting our communities from flooding and droughts, restoring our environment and ecosystems and keeping our nation's competitiveness by supporting out ports and harbors", representative Grace Napolitano (D-California) said.


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25/01/21

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update 2

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update 2

Updates with details throughout Washington, 20 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump today signed an executive order declaring a "national energy emergency" and said he plans to impose 25pc tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico on 1 February. Returning to the White House for a second term, Trump signed a series of executive orders on energy and trade that he said will restore "common sense" to US policy. His orders aim to expedite permitting of energy infrastructure, tackle inflation, roll back climate programs put in place under former president Joe Biden and pursue a "drill, baby, drill" energy policy. In declaring a national energy emergency, Trump's order contends the Biden administration left a "precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid" that required swift action. Trump also froze all federal regulations, placed a temporary hold on hiring non-military federal workers, rescinded 78 Biden executive actions and memoranda and began rolling back Biden's climate legacy. "I'm immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off," Trump said at a rally held after his second inaugural ceremony. Trump's declaration of an "energy emergency" could bolster the legal rationale for some of energy policies and plans to expedite permitting. Trump also said he plans to end the "Green New Deal" — a reference to climate programs enacted under Biden — and revoke an "electric vehicle mandate" he said is threatening the US auto manufacturing sector. Trump also vowed to begin an "overhaul" of the US trade system to protect domestic workers and reiterated his support for tariffs, which he sees as a way to raise government revenue and support domestic manufacturing. "Tariffs are going to make us rich as hell," Trump said. They are "going to bring our country's businesses back that left us". While Trump is reiterating his threat to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, oil industry officials have warned such a move could disrupt the nearly 4mn b/d of crude the US imports from Canada. Trump stopped short of promised to erect tariffs on all US imports, saying: "We're not ready for that." On foreign policy, Trump said the US would "reclaim its rightful place" as the most powerful country in the world and reiterated plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Trump also promised still-unspecified actions to take control of the US-built Panama Canal in response to what he says has been unfair treatment of US ships, a claim that Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino has rejected. "We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said during his second inaugural address. Trump signed an order to ease drilling restrictions in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, while also prioritizing the development of the proposed 20mn t/yr Alaska LNG export terminal. Trump also said he wants to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is at 55pc of its capacity with 394mn bl of crude in storage, "right to the top". Refilling the SPR would require the US Congress to appropriate $32bn at current prices, to offset the costs of canceling 100mn bl of upcoming mandatory crude sales and buying about 300mn bl of crude. Trump signed an order to rescind a series of climate-related orders Biden had issued, measures the new administration says places "undue burdens" on energy production. And he imposed a temporary moratorium on leasing acreage in federal waters for wind projects. "We're not going to do the wind thing," Trump said. That drew an outcry from offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, whose executive director Hillary Bright said an emergency should require unleashing "all necessary sources of American energy — including offshore wind". During his campaign, Trump promised to cut the price of energy by 50pc within 12 months of taking office. But with regular grade gasoline averaging close to $3/USG and Henry Hub natural gas prices less $4/mmBtu this month, such a dramatic cut in prices would be difficult to achieve without causing major disruptions to industry. Environmentalists and Democratic-led states are also preparing to file lawsuits challenging Trump's deregulatory actions, a strategy they used during his first term with mixed success. Trump was sworn in in a relatively small ceremony inside the US Capitol, after calling off a more traditional, outdoor inauguration because of temperatures that were hovering around 23° F. Among those in attendance was Telsa chief executive Elon Musk, who spent more than $250mn to help elect Trump and is chairing a cost-cutting advisory panel. After being sworn in, Trump formally nominated his cabinet members, leaving it up to the Republican-controlled US Senate to hold confirmation votes. Trump also named Republicans to lead 15 independent agencies. Trump named Mark Christie as chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Mark Uyeda as acting chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission; and Patrick Fuchs as chair of the US Surface Transportation Board. Caroline Pham became acting chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission through a vote of its members. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update


25/01/21
25/01/21

Trump to declare energy 'emergency': Update

Updates with changes throughout Washington, 20 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump pledged today to declare a "national energy emergency" as one of the first acts of his second term in office and has signed a series of executive orders designed to bring down energy costs, including pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement. The executive orders on energy, trade and other issues will restore "common sense" in US policy, Trump said during his second inaugural address, moments after being sworn in at the US Capitol. The executive orders and emergency declaration are intended to expedite permitting of energy infrastructure, tackle inflation, roll back climate programs put in place under former president Joe Biden and pursue what Trump says is a policy to "drill, baby, drill". Trump signed his first set of executive orders during a rally tonight with supporters and plans to sign more orders later tonight at the White House. The first executive orders will implement an "immediate regulation freeze", put a temporary hold on hiring workers and rescind 78 of Biden's executive actions and memoranda. Trump also signed a directive to federal agencies to take steps to reduce the cost-of-living, along with a separate order that will withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord for a second time. "I'm immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off," Trump said at a rally later in the day. "The United States will not sabotage their own industries while China pollutes with impunity." Trump's declaration of an "energy emergency" could bolster the legal rationale for some of energy policies and plans to expedite permitting. Trump also said he plans to end the "Green New Deal" — a reference to climate programs enacted under Biden — and revoke an "electric vehicle mandate" he said is threatening the US auto manufacturing sector. Trump also vowed to begin an "overhaul" of the US trade system to protect domestic workers and reiterated his support for tariffs, which he sees as a way to raise government revenue and support domestic manufacturing. "Tariffs are going to make us rich as hell," Trump said. They are "going to bring our country's businesses back that left us." But it remains unclear if Trump will move ahead with his threatened 25pc tariff against Canada that oil industry officials have said could disrupt the nearly 4mn b/d of crude the US imports from Canada. On foreign policy, Trump said the US would "reclaim its rightful place" as the most powerful country in the world and reiterated plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Trump also promised still-unspecified actions to take control of the US-built Panama Canal in response to what he says has been unfair treatment of US ships, a threat that Panamanian president Jose Raul Mulino has rejected . "We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said. Trump is expected to take action soon to restart licensing of US LNG export terminals and support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Trump said he wants the US to take advantage of its vast oil and gas reserves, which he said would reduce energy prices and increase energy exports. Trump also said he wants to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is at 55pc of its capacity with 394mn bl of crude in storage, "right to the top". Refilling the SPR would require the US Congress to appropriate $32bn at current prices, to offset the costs of canceling 100mn bl of upcoming mandatory crude sales and buying about 300mn bl of crude. Trump has yet to specify which parts of Biden's climate legislation he will work to overturn, which also would require congressional action. But the White House said the administration would consider rescinding all federal rules that put "undue burdens" on energy producers and stop leasing federal land to wind farms. "We're not going to do the wind thing," Trump said. That drew an outcry from offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, whose executive director Hillary Bright said an emergency should require unleashing "all necessary sources of American energy — including offshore wind." During his campaign, Trump promised to cut the price of energy by 50pc within 12 months of taking office. But with regular grade gasoline averaging close to $3/USG and Henry Hub natural gas prices less $4/mmBtu this month, such a dramatic cut in prices would be difficult to achieve without causing major disruptions to industry. Environmentalists and Democratic-led states are also preparing to file lawsuits challenging Trump's deregulatory actions, a strategy they used during his first term with mixed success. Trump was sworn in in a relatively small ceremony inside the US Capitol, after calling off a more traditional, outdoor inauguration because of temperatures that were hovering around 23° F. Among those in attendance was Telsa chief executive Elon Musk, who spent more than $250mn to help elect Trump and is chairing a cost-cutting advisory panel. After being sworn in, Trump formally nominated his cabinet members, leaving it up to the Republican-controlled US Senate to hold confirmation votes. Trump also named Republicans to lead 15 independent agencies. Trump named Mark Christie as chairman of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Mark Uyeda as acting chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission,and Patrick Fuchs as chair of the US Surface Transportation Board. Caroline Pham became acting chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission through a vote of its members. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trump sworn in with vow to 'drill, baby, drill'


25/01/20
25/01/20

Trump sworn in with vow to 'drill, baby, drill'

Washington, 20 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump, within minutes of being sworn in for a second term in office, pledged today to declare a "national energy emergency" and sign executive orders to expand drilling, block electric vehicle regulations and end the climate policies of his predecessor. In his second inaugural address delivered inside the rotunda of the US Capitol, Trump vowed to put "America first" and make the US "greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before". Trump said he will sign a raft of executive orders to restore "common sense" in US policy, including a directive for his administration to "defeat" inflation by increasing drilling and rolling back climate-related policies. "The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency," Trump said. "We will drill, baby, drill." It remains unclear if Trump will take action soon on his plan to pursue across-the-board import tariffs, or a threatened 25pc tariff against Canada that oil industry officials have said could disrupt the nearly 4mn b/d of crude the US imports from Canada. Trump said today he would immediately begin an "overhaul" of the US trade system to protect domestic workers and to start to "tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens". In an often-dark, bellicose address reminiscent of his "American carnage" speech eight years ago, the 47th president of the US promised to "reverse the horrible betrayal" and "give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy and, indeed ,their freedom. "From this moment on, America's decline is over," Trump declared. In foreign policy, Trump said the US would "reclaim its rightful place" as the most powerful country in the world and reiterated plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Trump also promised still-unspecified actions to take control of the US-built Panama Canal in response to what he says has been unfair treatment of US ships, a threat that president Jose Raul Mulino has rejected . "We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said. Trump's declaration of an "energy emergency" could bolster the legal rationale for some of energy policies and plans to expedite permitting. US interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum, at a confirmation hearing last week, said emergency action was needed because of a looming "crisis" with the electric grid that he said could result in higher prices and slowing the growth of artificial intelligence data centers. Trump is expected to take action soon to restart licensing of US LNG export terminals and support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Trump said he wanted the US to take advantage of its vast oil and gas reserves, which he said would reduce energy prices, increase energy exports and refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which now holds 394mn bl of crude and is at 55pc of its capacity, "right to the top". Trump also said he plans to end the "Green New Deal" — a reference to climate programs enacted under former president Joe Biden — and revoke a federal "electric vehicle mandate" he said is threatening the US auto manufacturing sector. Trump has yet to specify which parts of Biden's climate legislation he will overturn, but the White House said the administration intends to consider rescinding all federal regulations that impose "undue burdens" on energy production, end leasing of federal land to wind farms and roll back energy efficiency standards for consumer goods. The White House also said Trump will once again pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement. During his campaign, Trump promised he would cut the price of energy by 50pc within 12 months of taking office. But with regular grade gasoline averaging close to $3/USG and Henry Hub natural gas prices less $4/mmBtu this month, such a dramatic cut in prices would be difficult to achieve without causing major disruptions to industry. Environmentalists and Democratic-led states are also preparing to file lawsuits challenging Trump's deregulatory actions, a strategy they used during his first term with mixed success. Trump was sworn in in a relatively small ceremony inside the US Capitol, after calling off a more traditional, outdoor inauguration because of temperatures that were hovering around 23° F. Among those in attendance was Telsa chief executive Elon Musk, who spent more than $250mn to help elect Trump and is chairing a cost-cutting advisory panel, and other tech industry billionaires. Florida governor Ron Desantis (R). Indiana governor Mike Braun (R) and other top Republicans watched the inauguration remotely. Former president Joe Biden today issued pardons to former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff retired Gen. Mark Milley, key medical adviser during the Covid-19 pandemic Anthony Fauci, leaders of the committee that investigated Trump's actions leading up to the 6 January 2020 attack on the US Capitol, and members of his own family. Biden said those he pardoned did nothing wrong but worried they could face "baseless and politically motivated investigations". By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Viewpoint: Why EVs hold the key to the next US election


25/01/20
25/01/20

Viewpoint: Why EVs hold the key to the next US election

London, 20 January (Argus) — While the inauguration of President Donald Trump may have sent a shudder through the boardrooms of electric vehicle (EV) producers, boosting the US EV market during his term may be the best way to keep Republicans in the White House in 2028. President Trump has been highly critical of the EV market in previous years, and aims to abolish the $7,500 consumer tax credit for EVs. Despite this, a combination of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), corporate tax breaks, support for Tesla owner Elon Musk and, counter-intuitively, an oil boom, could herald the start of the good years for the US EV market. And a Trump administration would be foolish to resist it. IRA boosts key swing states Donald Trump ran on a manufacturing ticket. Among his slogans were "drill baby drill" and an evolution of the MAGA tagline: "Make America Greater Than Ever Before". That second slogan cannot be achieved without manufacturing the technologies of the future, including EVs, and thanks to former president Joe Biden those jobs might land in key areas for the 2028 campaign. The US EV market has had a slow start to the latest phase of expansion, lagging behind as Europe and China boomed in 2022-2023. This changed last year, as US EV sales in 2024 rose by 7.2pc and totalled 1.3mn, according to Cox Automotive. Momentum is starting to build. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed under Biden's tenure has become a catalyst for EV investment, much of it in key swing states and red states. This makes it unlikely the Trump administration will roll back any of the government money allocated to projects since the IRA was passed. In a study from August 2024, US clean energy think-tank E2 discovered nearly 60pc of the announced projects under the IRA are based in Republican congressional districts. Of all new projects, Republican districts represent 85pc of investment and 68pc of jobs. Of the top 20 congressional districts for clean energy investments, 19 are held by Republicans. The largest of these investments so far, Toyota's $13.9bn EV production plant, is in the key swing state North Carolina, which Trump won by a 183,000 vote margin in 2024. The Toyota plant will create up to 5,000 jobs, most of which are due to start during Trump's second term. Other swing states have multiple projects supported by the IRA. Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and North Carolina have over 20, while Ohio, Tennessee, California, New York, Indiana and Arizona have more than 10. Most of the states with multiple projects are key marginals which were pivotal for a Trump victory in 2024, except California and New York. Unfortunately for Biden, the benefits of his flagship legislation were too late to save the presidency for the Democrats, but they may benefit Republicans next time around. Big tech and big oil The new Trump administration is filled with contradictions, which are likely to expand into open conflict. Nowhere is this more evident than the contrast between interests of Tesla founder Elon Musk and Trump's "drill baby drill" policy. Although Musk has rolled back some his more fervent views on climate change, he still supports a transition to EVs, led by Tesla. His competition in the oil industry have also started to shift their policies on electrification. Both ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, two leading oil majors, have announced investments into lithium extraction over the last year. Trump's promised tax cuts and oil licence bonanza may give them a windfall of cash just at the point that oil executives are looking to put money into the electric transition. Despite his pro-fossil fuel rhetoric, Trump may leave office having presided over an increasingly green America. By Thomas Kavanagh EV sales in the US, by carmaker ('000s) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US government backs Ioneer Li-boron project: Correction


25/01/20
25/01/20

US government backs Ioneer Li-boron project: Correction

Corrects figure for capitalised interest in third paragraph Sydney, 20 January (Argus) — The US Department of Energy (DoE) has granted a $996mn loan to US-Australian miner Ioneer to support its Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron project in Nevada. The loan will help it progress plans to produce 20,600 t/yr of lithium carbonate and 174,400 t/yr of boric acid at the Nevada site, Ioneer said on 20 January. Ioneer was first offered a $700mn DoE loan in January 2023, with the final DoE support package including a $968mn principal facility and $28mn worth of capitalised interest. The company will start production at Rhyolite Ridge in 2028, with multiple manufacturers — including American carmaker Ford and South Korean battery material producer EcoPro as offtake partners — willing to buy more than 11,000 t/yr of lithium carbonate. The DoE started accelerating its investment program in late 2024, allocating $2.3bn to support Thacker Pass' 40,000 t/yr lithium carbonate processing plant in Nevada, $1.36bn to EnergySource Minerals' 20,000 t/yr lithium hydroxide plant in California, and over $17mn to support smaller processors across the country. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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