E15 Action Heads to Floor, EPA, DOE, Interior Budget Hearings

Friends,

Welcome Back from a quick one-week Congressional break. If you wonder what Members of Congress do when they return to their districts when their voters are facing challenging energy issues, look no further than Sampson County, North Carolina last Thursday. Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) visited OPAL Fuels’ Sapphire RNG facility at the County Landfill in Roseboro to find local solutions to energy challenges. 

The conflict in Iran continues with Secretary Wright making the rounds yesterday on Face the Nation and Meet the Press. Oil prices remain around $100 give or take, but gas prices have risen significantly (up to about $4.53 nationally). They remain especially high on the West Coast where they face unique import and environment formula challenges. And as I have said several times, we are entering the summer driving season when we always see demand increase and prices rise. The combination of driving demand and low global inventories are likely why we are seeing the increased prices. The latest news this morning: President Trump’s call for a suspension of the 18-cent (24.4-cent on diesel) Federal gas tax.

The President heads for China later this week and it will be an important visit. The discussions will definitely include key energy issues related to West Coast gasoline imports trade and manufacturing battles and key critical mineral/natural gas issues.

In Congress, after the House passed the Farm bill, E15 provisions (that were left out) head to the floor this week in an attempt to separately move legislation that would allow permanent year-round sales of gasoline blends with 15% ethanol. As with any ethanol issues, it has bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition. More interesting though is the oil/refiner/ethanol/farm group coalition that is pushing for passage. Last week, API launched a six-figure digital ad buy to encourage lawmakers to pass the legislation.

The Senate votes on another package of nominees for confirmation this week and the list includes former Rep. Steve Pearce to run BLM, Kyle Haustveit for undersecretary of Energy and re-appointments of NRC Commissioner Douglas Weaver and FERC Commissioner David LaCerte.

All the big hearings are on Wednesday: House Energy transmission permitting hearing with our friend Rob Gramlich testifying. There are also budget hearings with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin (Senate Approps Environment/Interior), Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (House Resources), Energy Secretary Chris Wright (Sen. Armed Services) and all five members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Senate Environment).

Finally, energy funding launces Friday with a House subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2027 energy and water bill, with the full committee vote the following week. Also, House Foreign Affairs will vote on Wednesday on a bipartisan bill that would form a Bureau of Energy Security and Diplomacy at the State Department and give it new powers related to critical mineral supply chains.

Off the Hill, USEA holds its annual Policy Forum tomorrow featuring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum headlining. Other speakers include DOE’s Kyle Hausvelt, House Energy Chair Brett Guthrie, Sen. Alan Armstrong, FERC Chair Loretta Swett and former FERC Commissioner Tony Clark. Then on Thursday. CRES holds its second annual Energy Leadership Summit, featuring DOE’s Audrey Robertson and CEQ’s Katherine Scarlett; Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Pete Stauber, Bob Latta, Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd; and industry voices like Growth Energy’s Emily Skor and GE’s Roger Martella.

Finally, just under a month to the Earthshot Foundation-OurEnergyPolicy GridIron Forum finale. The speaker line up will be great and the policy discussion will be essential. Sign up now…

Call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“We must give voters in red-leaning districts confidence that when their candidates break with unpopular Democratic positions on issues like immigration, crime, fossil fuels, racial preferences and trans participation in women’s sports, that will matter for lawmaking. We also need to give voters confidence that (our) candidates’ views will carry sway within a Democratic legislative majority — that Democratic Senate leadership will let a Sen. Peltola lead on issues related to Alaska’s natural resources.”

Josh Barro, a centrist Democratic political analyst, in his Very Serious Substack blog arguing tougher redistricting maps should push Democratic candidates rightward on topics including energy.

ON THE PODCAST

Sommer Urges Congress to Pass Permit Reforms – In the latest episode DC Huddle, API’s Mike Sommers joined hosts Dan Turrentinme, Rachel Bade and Sean Spice to highlight the need to pass comprehensive permitting policy. Sommer said with demand is rising, “we’re going to need a lot more power on the grid, and both parties see it. Getting bipartisan, federal permitting reform done means building pipelines and transmission faster — so we can deliver the energy Americans need.” The Segment starts at 52:00.

Westerman, Peters Join EEI Podcast – In a new episode of EEI’s Electric Perspectives podcast, EEI President and CEO Drew Maloney chats with House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) to discuss bipartisan efforts to pass permitting reform, strengthen America’s energy infrastructure, and support reliable and affordable electricity.

FUN OPINIONS

Loris: Build Transmission Smarter – In a piece for RTO Insider, C3’s Nick Loris and Cato’s Travis Fisher explain why the push to build more transmission can’t just be about building bigger, it has to be about building smarter. Fisher and Loris say with rising electricity demand, America’s energy economy needs more transmission. The goal of transmission reforms in Congress should be straightforward: Deliver reliable power that meets our growing needs at the lowest possible cost to end users.

Iran Crisis Makes Green Jet Fuel Interesting Again – In a column on Reuters’ Breakingviews Commentary, columnist Oliver Taslic writes the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, plan Bs like SAF and e-SAF are moving from being a source of eye-rolling to ​potentially being part of the solution. One tangible upshot of the Iran war is that a significant chunk ⁠of investment will now flow into existing companies and startups focused on ways to bring down the price premium of biofuels relative to their fossil-fuel equivalent. That might focus on areas like biodiesel and ethanol-to-jet, certain grades of which in Europe briefly priced below that of the conventional stuff. But technological ​breakthroughs may also enable the relative cost of SAF and e-SAF to fall further.

FROG BLOG

Chamber Electricity Price Map Shows Increase over 5 Years – In an blog post, the Chamber of Commerce has released its 2026 Electricity Price Map, which features 2025 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that shows Americans are paying 22% more for electricity than they were just five years ago. Why it matters: Policymakers need to get serious about building critical infrastructure (transmission lines, pipelines, and generation plants) and cutting through the permitting red tape that stalls progress on all types of projects.

Bracewell Biofuels/Tax Expert Discuss 45Z Issues – In a Bracewell Blog Post, biofuel tax experts Tm Urban and Liz McGinley write while there is no unanimity of complaint or solutions among the almost 500 stakeholders who commented on the 45Z NPRM, many of the key players agree that the NPRM represents a dramatic improvement over prior guidance and provides much-needed clarification. Despite these improvements, there are still significant outstanding questions and concerns regarding regulatory language. See the Specifics HERE.

FUN FACTS

Gas Taxes: Federal, state and local taxes also contribute to gasoline prices. The federal gasoline tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. (24.4 cents for Diesel). State gasoline taxes vary widely, ranging from roughly 9 cents per gallon in Alaska to more than 70 cents per gallon in California. Some states and municipalities also apply additional sales taxes or local fuel taxes. See the state Chart:

US Crude Oil Continues to Produce More: The United States is the world’s largest producer of both oil and natural gas. Strong U.S. production supports our economy and makes us less dependent on foreign suppliers that may not share our interests.

IN THE NEWS

Gevo Earnings Show Positive Growth, New Financing for ND Ethanol Expansion – Gevo held its earnings call late last week where it announced preliminary agreement with Ara Partners to fund expansion plans. Gevo has also received interest in private capital financing for the company’s Alcohol-to-Jet project (ATJ-30) following the withdrawal from the Department of Energy loan guarantee financing process. These successes are on top of the ongoing expansion of its North Dakota ethanol facility and its carbon management revenue, strengthening and expanding our low-carbon ethanol and carbon business to provide a solid foundation for Alcohol-to-Jet (“ATJ”) growth. Gevo secured take-or-pay agreements for SAF and carbon emissions reductions (i.e., Scope 1 and Scope 3 reductions), which include components of revenue certainty such as fixed price or fixed floor price. These agreements will provide capital for about half of the available capacity at ATJ-30. Gevo is also actively working on term sheets and definitive documents that exceed the remaining available capacity with additional potential offtake customers.

NC Rep. Murphy Visits OPAL Biofuels/RNG Facility at Sampson Co Landfill – If you wonder what Members of Congress do when they return to their districts when there are challenges energy issues facing votes, look no further than Sampson County North Carolina. Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) visited OPAL Fuels’ Sapphire RNG facility at the Sampson County Landfill in Roseboro, NC late last week. The visit included a tour of the facility and a meeting with OPAL Fuels Co-CEO Adam Comora to discuss the role of domestic RNG production in strengthening American energy security, supporting Eastern North Carolina’s economy, and providing heavy-duty fleets with a cost-effective, lower-emissions alternative to diesel. The Sapphire RNG facility captures naturally occurring methane from the decomposition of organic waste at the Sampson County landfill and converts it into pipeline-quality RNG that powers heavy-duty fleets across the country. The plant has a nameplate design capacity of approximately 0.80 million MMBtus (6.6 million gasoline gallon equivalents) per year. After the visit, Murphy said:

“These conversations are critical as we work to support policies that encourage responsible energy development, strengthen our workforce, and expand opportunity across the region. America needs reliable energy in all forms that is safe and secure, powers our economy, and keeps our beautiful ecosystems healthy.”

See WRAL’s Coverage of the visit HERE

CRES Q&A with NC Rep. Tim Moore – Speaking of North Carolina, recently CRES posted a Q&A with Rep. Tim Moore on North Carolina’s all-of-the-above energy strategy. Moore said when he talks to folks back home, he reminds them that energy is the foundation for everything we want to build. “The growth of artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, robotics, you name it, will require a level of energy production we have not seen before. Advanced nuclear is one of the best ways to meet that demand while keeping energy reliable and affordable. It also strengthens our national security by powering military operations and supporting missions such as our return to the Moon. If America leads in this space, we set the standard for the world. If we fall behind, we give that advantage to countries like China, and that is not a risk I am willing to take.” See more of his discussion on gasoline/oil, energy markets, critical mineral supply chains and permitting reform.

Expert Highlights Jet Fuel Issues – In a post, oil & gas expert John Kemp notes that U.S. petroleum refiners have raised fuel production to a near-record for the time of year and prioritized jet fuel in response to worldwide shortages stemming from closure of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. gross refining margins have more than doubled since the start of the year and are among the highest since the start of the century after adjusting for inflation, which has incentivized maximum crude processing. Faster fuel production has not been enough to offset increased demand for exports, so fuel stocks have depleted rapidly for gasoline and distillate (though not for jet). But the depletion would have been very much more severe and fuel price increases much larger if U.S. refiners had not boosted processing so much.

New NRC Rules Could Help Move Nuclear Forward – In a new paper, C3’s Nick Loris and Prasanna Pydipalli explain how recent and proposed NRC rulemakings could lower costs, shorten timelines, and create a more flexible, risk-informed framework for advanced reactors without compromising safety. In many cases, NRC’s action would improve safety by allowing regulators to focus resources where they matter most. The opportunity is not just to build more reactors. It is to build a framework that enables nuclear energy to compete, scale, and deliver affordable, reliable power for decades to come.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

CCS Forum Set For DC – The Global CCS Institute holds its 2026 Americas Forum on Carbon Capture and Storage tomorrow in Washington, D.C. hosted at the Embassy of Australia. The Forum program will feature keynote remarks, expert panels and in-depth discussions on policy, technology, investment, and project developments. The event will also discuss Carbon Removal by Howard J. Herzog (MIT) and Professor Niall Mac Dowell (Imperial College London), both of whom will be speaking at the Forum.

NGSA to Release Summer Outlook – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) holds an embargoed virtual press briefing unveiling our 2026 Summer Outlook. Amid a rapidly evolving energy landscape, NGSA’s 2026 Summer Outlook delivers a data-driven assessment of the market forces shaping the months ahead, from supply and demand to pricing dynamics and infrastructure constraints as we head into the peak summer season. Dawn Constantin, NGSA Board Chairman, and Dena Wiggins, President and CEO of NGSA, will walk through the findings and take questions.

Burgum to Headline USEA Energy Forum – The US Energy Association will convene the US Energy Policy Forum tomorrow starting at 11:30 a.m. in Washington, DC, to shift the national dialogue from high-level discussion to "Prioritizing Action." This landmark event will gather a select group of visionaries and decision-makers to bridge the gap between policy and practice, defining the next era of our energy landscape. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will Keynote.

Senate Ag Looks at Fertilizer Industry – The Senate Agriculture Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. looking at perspectives on the fertilizer industry. The hearing will look at ensuring a stable and affordable supply for American producers.

Senate Energy Looks at Forest Service – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. looking at the Forest Service’s FY2027 budget request featuring Forest Service Director Tom Schultz.

Wright Joins NNSA Team at Armed Services – The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. featuring the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration atomic energy defense activities in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Nuclear Security Program. Secretary Wright and the NNSA team will testify.

Burgum Heads to House Resources – The House Resources Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to focus Interior’s FY2027 budget request. Secretary Doug Burgum testifies.

NRC Commissions Visit Senate Environment – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s FY2027 budget request. All five NRC commissioners testify.

State Department Critical Minerals Legislation Set for Committee Vote – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Foreign Affairs Committee marks up a number of bills, including H.R. 7037, the Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies Act. The bipartisan bill that would form a Bureau of Energy Security and Diplomacy at the State Department and give it new powers related to critical mineral supply chains.

House Energy Panel to Look at Transmission, Permitting – The House Energy and Commerce Panel on Energy will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. to Look at transmission development and permitting Issues around it. Among those testifying will be our friend and grid expert Rob Gramlich

Zeldin Heads to Senate Approps Subpanel – On Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior/Environment holds a hearing on EPA's FY2027 budget request featuring EPA head Lee Zeldin.

Forum Looks at Environment Justice/Health – The Urban Institute holds a discussion on Wednesday at Noon looking at environmental justice and health equity issues. Legal scholars, policymakers and public health advocates hold a timely discussion of innovative strategies to develop durable legal protections for communities and to advance environmental and health justice.

DOE’s Wright to Address CATO Energy Forum – On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the CATO Institute holds a policy forum on how America can unleash the next energy revolution. The event features a fireside chat with Energy Secretary Chris Wright to discuss the current state of energy policy and the energy revolutions to come. Former EPA officials Mustafa Santiago Ali and Vicki Arroyo speak.

CRES Energy Leadership Summit Focuses on Energy Dominance – On Thursday, CRES holds its second annual Energy Leadership Summit, a one-day event bringing together Trump Administration officials, Members of Congress and conservative industry leaders, advocates, researchers, investors and policymakers for high-impact conversations on the future of American energy. This year’s summit will focus on winning the race for energy dominance and leadership. From powering the AI revolution to unleashing American manufacturing capabilities and energy production, speakers will explore how the U.S. can stay ahead of the pack and how lawmakers can ensure federal policy keeps pace with rapidly growing demand.

Forum Looks at Climate Relocation Financing – On Thursday at Noon, the Center for Global Development in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, the Platform on Disaster Displacement and the Coalition on Dignified Climate Relocation holds a forum financing planned relocation in the context of climate change and disasters. It will bring together global experts and practitioners on planned relocation to assess financing sources and mechanisms, identify remaining policy and research gaps, and discuss challenges, good practices and the role of development finance in advancing planned relocation.

Forum Looks at Midwest Transmission – On Wednesday at Noon, the Conservative Energy Network holds a forum on the proposed new transmission lines known as CORE and CORE+ and their ability to keep costs down and power supply reliable for customers in the mid-South and Southern Plains. This webinar will explore how these new lines will save consumers money, enable economic growth, enhance reliability and advance American energy innovation.

Webinar Tackles Public Charging – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., SAFE’s Electrification Coalition holds a webinar highlighting the current state of public and semi-public charging for medium- and heavy-duty EVs. During this session, the EC will present the most significant barriers to deploying charging and practical solutions identified through extensive stakeholder engagement.

Forum Looks at Climate Risks – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings will host a public event to examine how to best incorporate climate risk assessments into real estate values. Part of the center’s ongoing series, Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations, the event will kick off with a keynote and fireside chat from Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. Following the keynote, a panel of distinguished experts, including Jesse Keenan (Tulane University) and Margaret Walls (Resources for the Future), will discuss what empirical approaches would be consistent and robust enough to incorporate climate risks into real estate markets.

House Approps Takes Up Energy/Water Funding – The House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee holds a markup of the FY2027 Energy and Water Development bill.

IN THE FUTURE

American Biogas Council to Host 2026 BIOGAS AMERICAS Conference in Detroit – As the U.S. biogas industry continues to expand, BIOGAS AMERICAS heads to Detroit on May his May 18th to 21st at the Huntington Place Convention Center (or Cobo Hall for you DTW old-timers)). The event is the North America’s largest biogas and RNG tradeshow and conference. The event will convene project developers, operators, utilities, investors, technology providers, policymakers, and waste and wastewater professionals from across the continent to supply training and education, biogas industry data, and policy insight.

NARUC Webinar Series Looks at EVs – Next Tuesday to Thursday May 19th to 21st at 2:00 p.m. each day, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners will hold an event about electric vehicle grid integration and grid impacts for state regulators. Topics include managed charging program models, including a focus on distribution-optimization, rate design, customer engagement strategies and the emerging potential of bidirectional charging. Guest speakers from commissions, utilities and independent evaluators will share real-world insights and lessons from case studies.

BCSE, ACEEE Holds Massachusetts Forum – On Thursday May 21st at 1:00 p.m. in Boston, MA. BCSE's American Energy Abundance Alliance and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) are hosting a roundtable discussion to examine the role of energy efficiency and clean energy in Massachusetts.

CLEANPOWER Set for Houston – CLEANPOWER 2026 is set for the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston June 1st to June 4th. The annual American Clean Power Assn forum is where the industry holds its most important conversations about policy and the future of clean energy. FERC Commissioner David Rosner is among the speakers.

EEI Meetings Headlined by NBC Sports Tirico, DOE’s Fitzsimmons – EEI 2026, the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) annual meeting and thought leadership conference, will be held in Las Vegas on June 2nd to 4th.  The event is the premier event for the U.S. electric power industry. Keynote speakers include Siemens Energy AG CEO Christian Bruch, Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat, Emerald AI CEO Dr. Varun Sivaram, NBC Sports & Olympics Lead Host & Play-by-Play Announcer Mike Tirico and DOE’s Alex Fitzsimmons.

Washington Energy Summit Set – The 11th annual Washington Energy Summit 2026 will be held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. on June 3rd and 4th. The Washington Energy Summit is organized by U.S. Energy Stream and convenes U.S. Senators and Members of Congress, global energy leaders, and technology executives for candid, off-the-record dialogue. The main theme of the Summit is running the World on energy with volatility, technology and American energy dominance.

GridIron Dialogue Report, Series Set for Finale – The Earthshot Foundation, in partnership with OurEnergyPolicy, will host the GridIron Dialogues Finale on June 8th in Washington, D.C. The event marks the culmination of a year-long, whole-of-grid dialogue series that engaged more than 200 engineers, economists, regulators, and operators across a dozen sessions spanning every element of grid planning, investment, and operations. From fuel supply to transmission, distribution, and customer energy management, the GridIron Dialogues examined the grid as a system of systems – the single largest machine ever built, and the infrastructure on which every sector of our economy depends. The Finale will share key findings from the series and premiere a white paper—The GridIron: From Rivals in Gridlock to Champions of a Stronger, Smarter Grid—that summarizes whole-of-grid insights and includes an Electricity Abundance Playbook.

California Hydrogen Summit Set – The California Hydrogen Business Council holds a its 2026 California Hydrogen Summit on June 8th and 9th at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. The Summit will showcase the strategies accelerating affordable production, infrastructure build out, market adoption, and policy alignment. This is where California’s next steps for hydrogen are being decided.

Chamber Environment Summit Set – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host its 2026 Environmental Innovation Summit on Wednesday, June 17 at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Speakers and participants will focus on where the private sector is driving environmental innovation both domestically and globally, including in energy, the circular economy, agriculture, biodiversity, resilience, and more. NOAA’s Neil Jacobs will be among the speakers.