The Trump administration is rushing to finalize some of its biggest environmental rollbacks ahead of November's election. Some affected groups say they're too distracted by the pandemic to engage.
Keri Belcher has worked in the oil and gas industry. But she's considering switching careers — even if it means less time outdoors, which is what attracted her to geology in the first place.
Energy demand plummeted because of the pandemic shutdown. A big question is whether new habits like telecommuting and flying less will endure, and mean lower oil consumption in the future.
Oil companies have slashed production across West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, where communities are also hurting from pandemic-driven business shutdowns.
Miles driven in the U.S. plummeted remarkably in the middle of March — dropping by 30% in a single week. Now driving is slowly resuming, a trend that began before stay-at-home orders were lifted.
A controversial proposal to cut production aimed to stabilize prices amid a historic oil glut. But regulators and the industry were divided over the idea.
A flotilla of Saudi tankers loaded with crude oil is heading to the U.S. at a time when the shale industry is teetering. U.S. producers and others are pressuring President Trump to block the tankers.
Global energy demand, particularly for coal, is falling sharply this year, the International Energy Agency says. The drop is caused by weather patterns and COVID-19 shutdowns.
The Trump administration wants some of the trillions of dollars in congressional coronavirus relief funding to help the fossil fuel industry. But Democrats hope to use it to address climate change.
Coal use has plummeted in part because it's more expensive than natural gas or renewable energy. Mines are shutting down, and some power plants may run out of places to stockpile coal.
The pandemic means the world is using far less oil. But pumps are still going, creating a huge oversupply. Companies are often willing to operate pumps at a loss — for a little while.
The offshore drilling industry now has equipment on standby to respond to a similar emergency. But critics says stronger regulation is still needed to prevent another massive oil spill.
The International Energy Agency says the industry is about to test the limit of how much oil it can transport and store, given the phenomenal drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas regulators have not capped production since 1973, but some smaller producers want such a move to try and stave off bankruptcy. Oil demand and prices have crashed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marathon video chats led to a record-setting 9.7 million barrels per day in cuts. But analysts say that's not a big enough drop to balance oil markets, given the total collapse in demand for crude.
OPEC holds an emergency meeting Thursday. President Trump is no fan of the oil cartel, but needs to deal with it to reverse low prices threatening the survival of U.S. shale oil companies.
AAA says the national average is $1.997 per gallon and it's expected to drop further in the coming weeks. In a few places it's less than half that, but most Americans aren't driving much these days.
An investigation from NPR and the PBS show Frontline found oil and gas companies had serious doubts that plastic recycling was viable, but promoted it to keep profits high and plastic bans at bay.
It is a major victory for the Native American tribes and environmental groups fighting against the project. The judge has not decided whether oil can still flow in the meantime.
Clean energy groups have their own wish list for the massive coronavirus stimulus bill. They say the country's ability to tackle climate change is at stake.
Bailouts stir up images of businesses acting recklessly, enriching themselves, and then asking the government for money. That's not the case this time.
The supply of oil has surged as the coronavirus pandemic has destroyed demand. Prices have plummeted and analysts are starting to ask if the world will have enough space to store all the extra oil.
