The Institute for Energy Research

06/19/2026

A group of blue states are joining together to institute a new tax on electricity for families in their states. See what it could mean for you here: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/the-grid/virginias-residential-electric-rates-will-increase-under-rggi/

06/18/2026

⚡ WHAT DO CAP & TRADE PROGRAMS LIKE RGGI MEAN FOR FAMILIES: Your electric bill is likely going up.

Virginia is scheduled to formally re-enter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) on July 1. As a result, Dominion Energy has already filed for a rate increase that could add an estimated $13 per month to the average residential bill starting early next year.

Why the jump?
When Virginia was previously in this regional program (2021–2023), the monthly fee was around $4 to $5. However, carbon allowance prices have skyrocketed since then.

The perfect storm driving up costs:

🔹 Tighter Caps: Rejoining means adhering to strict emissions targets, including a mandated 61% reduction in carbon dioxide by 2030.
🔹 Surging Demand: Virginia's booming data center industry is causing electricity demand to skyrocket. Dominion estimates demand will grow 5% annually and double by 2045.
🔹 Infrastructure Costs: Shifting to intermittent clean energy sources like wind and solar requires massive investments in backup power and new transmission lines to keep the grid reliable.

While the previous auction proceeds funded low-income energy efficiency and flood preparedness programs, layering these new caps on top of existing clean energy mandates means consumers will be feeling the pinch.

👇 Full article below.

06/17/2026

President Trump's Department of War is concerned about California’s lack of domestic energy supplies and what that means for its military mission on the West Coast.

06/15/2026

The U.S. coal industry has struggled due to onerous regulations from the Obama and Biden administrations. President Trump has long championed coal as a major energy source in the United States because of its abundant reserves and dispatchability.

06/12/2026

Instead of addressing rampant copper theft plaguing LA's streetlights, Mayor Karen Bass and most of the LA City Council backed a Prop. 218 tax to raise $125 million to replace and update streetlights. Many of the new ones would be solar-powered.

Everyone is talking about the June 2 primary election in California, especially the results in LA. But there was another election on June 2 that you might not have heard of, as you needed to own pr…

06/11/2026

Under Governor Gavin Newsom, California taxpayers are paying for "free" rooftop solar panels for non-citizen households. Read more about the program ⬇️

05/27/2026

Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi met after the Trump-Xi summit for talks that included the “Power of Siberia 2,” a gas pipeline twice the length of the Alaskan gas pipeline, which could double exports of natural gas from Russia to China.

Russian President Putin and China’s President Xi met in China after the Chinese summit with President Trump and discussed a…

05/22/2026

During the first quarter of 2026, the Strait of Hormuz lost about 6 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum products that had transited through it in the previous quarter, down almost 30%.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has published a new report, the Global Energy Security Data report, that tracks global strategic…

05/20/2026

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is speeding up construction of its 252-mile West-East 1 oil pipeline, which will double its strait-free capacity to 3.6 million barrels per day by 2027.

Reuters reports that the United Arab Emirates will accelerate construction of a new oil pipeline, the West-East 1 Pipeline, to double its…

05/20/2026

The conflict in Iran is prompting countries to place greater emphasis on supply security. The United States, Brazil, and Russia are exporting higher volumes of oil and products, and the change in Venezuela’s leadership and its increased oil production are also helping.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Iran conflict has caused about 15% of global oil supply to be removed…