Average U.S. Gas Price Falls Below $4 After U.S.-Iran Agreement

18 June 2026 at 10:12

Drivers are enjoying some relief at the pump after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Gasoline prices rose sharply after the start of U.S.-led war with Iran.

U.S. Will Waive Oil Sanctions That Have Long Crimped Iran

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Rebecca F. Elliott

17 June 2026 at 21:19

The preliminary U.S.-Iran deal temporarily waives restrictions that have limited the country’s oil sales and how much money it has been able to make from those exports.

An oil facility on Kharg Island, Iran, in 2017.

Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Brad Plumer

17 June 2026 at 22:49

It’s the third such deal the Interior Department has struck to pay firms to abandon plans for offshore turbines, spending roughly $2.5 billion to get companies to abandon their wind projects.

The Trump administration has now struck deals energy developers totaling more than $2.5 billion to cancel offshore wind leases.

Trump’s FEMA Nominee Calls Staff Cuts a ‘Challenge’ for Disaster Agency

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Scott Dance

17 June 2026 at 18:10

Cameron Hamilton, who briefly led the agency on an acting basis last year but was fired for contradicting the president, also said he would get money out to states faster.

Cameron Hamilton, President Trump’s FEMA nominee, testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.

D.O.J. Seeks to Halt Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk’s Data Center

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Karen Zraick and Hiroko Tabuchi

16 June 2026 at 20:59

The department cited national security concerns, saying Elon Musk’s company had played a crucial role in the Iran war. It also argued it has the authority to stop environmental lawsuits brought by citizens.

Construction at xAI’s power plant in Southaven, Miss., in February. The NAACP has sued the company over air pollution from generators there.

New Coral Study Identifies Areas Where Reefs Are Hanging On

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Katharine Houreld

16 June 2026 at 16:31

New research has identified areas around the world where cooler currents and other favorable conditions are helping to protect coral from the worst effects of global warming.

Gas Prices May Remain High Despite US-Iran Deal

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Emmett Lindner

16 June 2026 at 12:07

The preliminary agreement may not have an immediate effect on prices at the pump. Damaged infrastructure and risky transport could keep costs up.

Gas prices have soared since the start of the war with Iran.

Deal to Reopen Hormuz Kicks Off Long Effort to Ease Energy Crisis

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Rebecca F. Elliott

15 June 2026 at 16:52

The pace of the recovery will depend on how confident companies are that the deal between the United States and Iran will hold and be extended.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz this month.

Tensions Are Rising Among States That Rely on the Colorado River

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Scott Dance

16 June 2026 at 13:34

A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.

The Upper Colorado River on the Grand Canyon last month. About 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of cropland depend on the Colorado for drinking water and irrigation.

Renewable Groups Ask Courts to End Pentagon’s ‘Total Halt’ of Wind Power

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Brad Plumer

12 June 2026 at 14:42

More than 100 planned wind farms in 21 states are now stalled indefinitely as the Pentagon delays military reviews once seen as routine.

The freeze affects 41 wind projects in Texas, which produces more wind power than any other state in the U.S., as well as projects in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.

The World Is Draining Oil Reserves, Raising Pressure for a Peace Deal

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Rebecca F. Elliott and Lazaro Gamio

12 June 2026 at 19:28

The amount of oil and fuel stored by businesses and governments has fallen sharply since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Democrats Once Vowed to Stop Oil and Gas. Now They’re Not So Sure.

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer

11 June 2026 at 18:49

As the midterm elections approach, many leading Democrats are rethinking their approach to climate change.

A talk on rising energy costs on Capitol Hill hosted by Democrats, from left, Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, in March.

Indonesia Landslides Devastated Endangered Orangutans, Study Finds

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Catrin Einhorn

10 June 2026 at 18:48

More than 5 percent of the species is estimated to have been lost when a climate-fueled storm unleashed torrents of water, mud and debris.

G.M. Plans to Develop Energy Storage Batteries as E.V. Sales Flag

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Jack Ewing

9 June 2026 at 22:57

The carmaker will follow Tesla in making components for large batteries used by electric utilities, data centers and other businesses to handle fluctuations in power supply and demand.

The main active ingredient in the storage batteries that General Motors plans to produce is sodium, which is cheaper and easier to process than lithium.

The Iran War is Forcing Energy-Importing Countries to Turn Inward

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Rebecca F. Elliott

9 June 2026 at 16:06

The Iran war is pushing countries to prioritize domestic energy in order to protect themselves from volatile oil and natural gas markets.

The president of Solaric, a rooftop-solar installer based near Manila, said people were now seeing the technology as “a way to survive this new age.”

ANWR Oil Draws Few Bids, Despite Trump’s Push for ‘Liquid Gold’

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Lisa Friedman

5 June 2026 at 23:52

An auction to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ended with just 10 percent of the available land claimed for oil development.

Caribou on the tundra of the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Trump Announces $700 Million in Funds Meant to Boost Coal Industry

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer

4 June 2026 at 21:56

The president announced a total of $700 million in federal money to reinvigorate the domestic coal industry, which has been in decline for decades.

Of the roughly $700 million in total funding, $425 million would be used to upgrade and extend the life of 13 coal plants that otherwise might have closed in the coming years.

How One Company Plans to Mine the Bottom of the Sea

NYT - Energy & Environment

By: Harry Stevens

4 June 2026 at 21:30

A look at the quest to mine the bottom of the ocean for valuable minerals, the connection between light pollution and allergies and more climate news.