CALGARY, Alberta, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Birchcliff Energy Ltd. (“Birchcliff”) (TSX: BIR) is pleased to announce that at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 15, 2025 (the “Meeting”), shareholders elected all six of the proposed director nominees listed in Birchcliff’s information circular dated March 26, 2025 (the “Information Circular”) and approved all other matters voted upon at the Meeting.
The matters voted upon at the Meeting were discussed in detail in the Information Circular, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on Birchcliff’s website at www.birchcliffenergy.com. The voting results for each matter voted upon are set forth in the table below and a copy of the Report of Voting Results is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Matters Voted Upon
Outcome of Vote
Votes For
Votes Against or Withheld, as applicable
1.
Ordinary resolution to fix the number of directors of Birchcliff to be elected at the Meeting at six.
Passed
135,193,576 99.32%
931,402 0.68%
2.
Ordinary resolution to approve the election of the following nominees as directors of Birchcliff, to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders of Birchcliff or until their successor is elected or appointed:
(a)
Dennis Dawson
Elected
93,944,910 70.49%
39,329,818 29.51%
(b)
Debra Gerlach
Elected
131,655,475 98.79%
1,619,253 1.21%
(c)
Stacey McDonald
Elected
129,029,644 96.81%
4,245,084 3.19%
(d)
Cameron Proctor
Elected
131,458,289 98.64%
1,816,439 1.36%
(e)
James Surbey
Elected
132,282,767 99.26%
991,961 0.74%
(f)
A. Jeffery Tonken
Elected
129,135,476 96.89%
4,139,252 3.11%
3.
Ordinary resolution to approve the appointment of KPMG LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the auditors of Birchcliff, to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders of Birchcliff, and to authorize the board of directors to fix their remuneration as such.
Passed
134,726,653 98.97%
1,398,325 1.03%
ABOUT BIRCHCLIFF:
Birchcliff is an intermediate oil and natural gas company based in Calgary, Alberta with operations focused on the exploration and development of the Montney/Doig Resource Play in Alberta. Birchcliff’s common shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “BIR”.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matthew Bunn, Professor of the Practice of Energy, National Security, and Foreign Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Richard Garwin at the White House on Nov. 22, 2016.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Richard Garwin, who died on May 13, 2025, at the age of 97, was sometimes called “the most influential scientist you’ve never heard of.” He got his Ph.D. in physics at 21 under Enrico Fermi – a Nobel Prize winner and friend of Einstein’s – who called Garwin “the only true genius” he’d ever met.
A polymath curious about almost everything, he was one of the few people elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine for pathbreaking contributions in all of those fields. He held 47 patents and published over 500 scientific papers. A giant trove of his papers and talks can be found in the Garwin Archive at the Federation of American Scientists.
Garwin was best known for having done the engineering design for the first-ever thermonuclear explosion, turning the Teller-Ulam idea of triggering a fusion reaction with radiation pressure into a working hydrogen bomb – one with roughly 700 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. He did that over the summer when he was 23. Over the decades that followed, he contributed to countless other military advances, including inventing key technology that enabled reconnaissance satellites.
Arms control advocate
Yet Garwin was also a longtime advocate of nuclear arms control and ultimately of nuclear disarmament. Working on nuclear deterrence and arms control, now at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, I got to know Garwin as a tireless and effective participant in dialogues with scientists and current or former officials in Russia, China, India and elsewhere, making the case for steps to limit nuclear weapons and reduce their dangers.
The deep respect that top Russian and Chinese nuclear weapons scientists had for him was palpable – even though he was often blunt in telling them where he thought their arguments were wrong. Once, at a workshop in Beijing, after listening to the leader of China’s program to develop nuclear “breeder” reactors lay out his program, Garwin started his remarks by saying, “This is a poorly designed breeder program that will fail” – and then laying out why he thought that was the case.
Because nongovernment experts have a freedom to explore ideas that government negotiators lack, these kinds of dialogues played a key role in developing the concepts that led to nuclear arms control agreements and, I would argue, contributed to ending the Cold War. As an example, one committee team that included Garwin helped convince Chinese weapons scientists that their country had no more need for nuclear tests and should sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty – which it did soon after the discussion.
Only weeks before his death, he and I and others participated in a Zoom meeting with Russian nuclear weapons experts discussing what initial steps should be taken if U.S.-Russian political relations improved enough for them to resume discussions of nuclear restraint and risk reduction.
Garwin’s mind seemed to be interested in everything at once – and he had a wry sense of humor that could enliven a dry meeting. When I was directing a National Academies study about dealing with the plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons after the Cold War, he would send an email with a penetrating insight on some issue in the study, followed by an equally long query about the parking arrangements for the meeting.
We put him in charge of assessing all the especially strange options for dealing with the plutonium. Once, while diagramming on a chalkboard the option of diluting the plutonium in the ocean, he drew the ship that would be doing the work and then began drawing many smaller vessels. Someone asked him what those were, and he said: “Oh, those are the Greenpeace boats.”
Science, technology and policy
Garwin’s unbelievable energies focused on three broad areas: fundamental science, new technologies and advising the government.
In fundamental science, he made major contributions to the detection and study of gravitational waves, and he helped to discover what physicists call parity violation in the weak nuclear force – a discovery that was one of the building blocks for what is now the standard model of the fundamental forces of the universe.
In new technologies, beyond weapons and satellites, he played a key role in the invention of touch screens, magnetic resonance imaging, laser printers and the GPS technology that enables us all to get directions on our cellphones. He was a researcher at IBM from 1952 to 1993.
Garwin advised the government on panels ranging from the President’s Science Advisory Committee, to the JASON panel of high-level defense advisers, to leading the State Department’s Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board (now called the International Security Advisory Board). He made major contributions to thinking about problems ranging from antisubmarine warfare to missile defense. He was a pungent critic of the “Star Wars” missile defense program launched in the Reagan administration, pointing out the wide range of ways enemies could defeat it more cheaply. His range was remarkable: He was called on to offer ideas for capping the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and on managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
His curiosity was not limited to important matters. Once, as I was sitting next to him waiting for a meeting to start, he told me that if you took a Superball – a small, extremely elastic rubber ball – and bounced it diagonally on the floor so that it bounced up onto the bottom of the table, it would bounce back onto the same spot on the floor and back into your hand. I said I didn’t believe it for a minute – surely it would keep bouncing forward until it got to the other side of the table. He gave me an explanation I didn’t fully understand, involving energy of forward motion being converted to torque, and then converted into energy of backward motion.
When I got home, I received an express package from him containing an article he’d written in the American Journal of Physics, titled “Kinematics of an Ultraelastic Rough Ball,” with pages of equations explaining how this worked. The first figure in the paper is a stick-figure drawing of bouncing such a ball, with a footnote: “This was first demonstrated to me by L. W. Alverez using a Wham-O Super Ball.” Luis Alverez was a Nobel Prize winner in physics.
An oral history interview with Richard ‘Dick’ Garwin.
An honored life
Garwin’s brilliance was obvious to all who encountered him and won him wide recognition. In addition to election to all three national academies, he was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2002 by President George W. Bush. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Amid all this activity, Garwin was a family man. His marriage to his beloved wife, Lois, lasted over 70 years, until her death in 2018. They have three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
The advances Garwin contributed to have enhanced our understanding of the universe and benefited millions of people around the world. And as dark as nuclear dangers may seem today, the world is further from the nuclear brink than it would have been if Richard Garwin had never been born.
Matthew Bunn is a member of the National Academies Committee on International Security and Arms Control and a board member of the Arms Control Association. He is a member of the Academic Alliance of the United States Strategic Command and a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Nick Brown today joined Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and 35 other state attorneys general in a bipartisan letter to Congress voicing opposition to a sweeping and dangerous U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that imposes a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems.
“At the pace technology and AI moves, limiting state laws and regulations for 10 years is dangerous,” Brown said. “If the federal government is taking a back seat on AI, they should not prohibit states from protecting our citizens.”
AI promises to revolutionize America’s economy, spur achievement and innovation, and improve lives across the country. However, the rise of such technology presents real, immediate dangers ranging from explicit material and election interference to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers. In the absence of federal leadership, state legislatures and attorneys general have continued to be at the forefront of ensuring AI is not abused and that consumers are protected. As the letter to Congress emphasizes, state laws and regulations “have been developed over years through careful consideration and extensive stakeholder input from consumers, industry, and advocates. And, in the years ahead, additional matters—many unforeseeable today given the rapidly evolving nature of this technology—are likely to arise.”
If enacted, the amendment would strip away essential state protections without replacing them with a viable federal regulatory framework and silence state leaders who are best positioned to respond. Any effort to prohibit states from enacting and enforcing laws aimed at regulating AI and protecting consumers will leave AI entirely unregulated at any level and Americans completely exposed to its known harms and evolving, real-world risks—ultimately leading to dangerous consequences for the American people. The bipartisan coalition of attorneys general respectfully urges Congress to reject the AI moratorium added to the budget reconciliation bill.
Led by the attorneys general of Colorado, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Vermont, Washington state joins American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and Wisconsin in the bipartisan letter to Congress.
You can read the full letter here.
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DAGS hires Yovo Stefanov as Business Transformation Project Director
Posted on May 16, 2025 in Main
Yovo Stefanov
DAGS is pleased to announce it has hired Yovo Stefanov as Director of the Business Transformation Office (BTO), a newly created office to support Statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system efforts to modernize business processes, beginning with the current Enterprise Financial System (EFS) project to revolutionize Hawai‘i’s financial and budget systems.
“Yovo’s job is to leverage the latest technology and best practices to improve the financial management capabilities of state departments, agencies, and elected officials by giving them accurate financial information in a timely manner so they can make informed decisions for the state,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan. “He will guide the changes related to EFS, from preparation to deployment, with a strong emphasis on change management.”
Stefanov’s expertise is in IT and change management. He was most recently at Hawaiʻi Gas as a senior project manager, but it was his work at First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) from 2019 to 2023 that most closely mirrors the work he will be doing now.
“I was a compliance systems manager at FHB for four years managing anti-money laundering efforts that included fraud, risk management and compliance, and related strategic initiatives. Our biggest project was to convert a 40-year-old mainframe system into modern banking software,” said Stefanov. “That’s much like what DAGS has with its 55-year-old legacy mainframe system.”
He draws comparisons to the complexity, magnitude and duration of the FHB project. “A bank is one of the few private sector businesses that can come close to the size of state government. I’m excited to bring my experience to the government sector and contribute to a large-scale modernization effort that puts Hawai‘i’s people first,” stated Stefanov.
Stefanov has also worked in the real estate, technology and utility industries, in a career that extends over 15 years. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance and IT from Hawaiʻi Pacific University.
In his spare time, you can still find the former professional soccer player on the pitch, when he’s not sailing, kitesurfing, training for triathlons, coaching youth soccer or performing volunteer work.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (Virginia 4th District)
Washington, D.C. — Today, New Democrat Coalition Energy & Commerce Committee Members, including Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03), Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02), and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) issued a joint statement following the Committee’s markup and party-line passage of the Republican reconciliation package:
“The reconciliation package our Republican colleagues just forced through the Committee shocks the conscience. In their effort to give the richest billionaires yet another unearned tax cut, House Republicans are betraying the American people.
“For more than 24 hours, we told the stories of our constituents and laid out the devastating impacts this legislation would have on the American people. We detailed how their Medicaid cuts would rip health care coverage away from a staggering 13.7 million people, including by raising Affordable Care Act premiums to jeopardize coverage for four million Americans. We railed against their efforts to defund reproductive healthcare at Planned Parenthood, raise copays on the lowest-income Americans, and handcuff healthcare providers at nursing homes and community health centers.
“All the while, our Republican colleagues either remained silent or echoed the same lies they’ve been spreading for months to justify their multi-trillion dollar handout to billionaires, financed on the backs of working people.
“The legislation is not inevitable, and the stakes are too high to give in. New Dems will do everything in our power to fight for our constituents, elevating the voices of everyday Americans to speak out against this injustice and blocking this bill at every opportunity.”
Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
05.16.25
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee, secured a commitment this week from Adam Telle, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works in charge of the Army Corps of Engineers, to prioritize the Port of Nome project, the nation’s first deep-draft Arctic port, in light of Alaska’s strategic importance constituting the entirety of America’s Arctic.
“The Port of Nome has bipartisan support,” said Sen. Sullivan. “We don’t have an Arctic port anywhere to push back on the Russian and Chinese aggression in my part of the [country]. That project, it’s really important. We’ve got to get it over the finish line. Can I get your commitment to work with me and the others in this committee on that project?”
“Senator Sullivan, one of the most strategic issues that confronts the United States of America today is our status as an Arctic…nation,” said Mr. Telle. “This is an area of the world that the Chinese Communist Party is very interested in. The Russians are very active. Your state is front and center to the United States of America’s being an Arctic nation. We must be. It seems to me that, if we’re going to be an Arctic nation, that Alaska ought to be one of the key launching points of that force projection and power projection and economic projection. I look forward to working with you to help make the case for the strategic nature of Alaska and the Port of Nome as it relates to the United States asserting itself as an Arctic nation.”
[embedded content]
In his questioning during the EPW hearing, Sen. Sullivan also highlighted President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” which directs the Corps to “review, revise or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow, or otherwise delay any critical project in the State of Alaska.” Mr. Telle reiterated his understanding of and support for carrying out the President’s Alaska order in relation to critical projects, including the Port of Nome.
Below is a transcript of Sen. Sullivan’s exchange with Mr. Telle on the Port of Nome and the Alaska EO.
SEN. SULLIVAN: I appreciated our meetings, Mr. Telle and Mr. McMaster. It’s hard to build anything in Alaska. Right? You want to build a road, a sidewalk, you usually get 12 radical far-left environmental groups that sue to stop it. We have the King Cove Road. We’ve only been trying to get that done for 40 years. A nine-mile, single-lane gravel road that every Democrat in the country—including, God rest his soul, Jimmy Carter, writes op-eds [saying] you can’t build a road in Alaska. Then it went so bad, we had the Biden administration’s Last Frontier Lock Up. My great state suffered through 70 executive orders and executive actions from the Biden administration singularly focused on Alaska. I like ripping this up because that’s not the issue anymore. We now have President Trump who issued his day-one executive order called, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” Mr. Telle, as you and I discussed, there’s a lot of great provisions in here. This is all about getting things done in Alaska, not crushing us as the radical left wants to do. There’s a really good provision about the Corps of Engineers. I’m going to read it to you: “The assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works”—that’s you—”shall immediately review, revise or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow, or otherwise delay any critical project in the state of Alaska.” That’s from the President. Will you commit to abide by that very expansive provision to get things done in my great state after four years of being crushed by the previous administration?
MR. TELLE: Senator Sullivan, absolutely. When I visited your office, I tattooed the executive order that the President issued on Alaska on my heart.
SULLIVAN: By the way, that’s a great answer.
TELLE: I will go ahead and read the second paragraph to you from memory, which essentially says that I shall, if confirmed, coordinate as closely with the Governor of Alaska as a human could possibly coordinate.
SULLIVAN: Good. And the Senator from Alaska.
TELLE: Of course.
…..
SULLIVAN: The Port of Nome has bipartisan support. We don’t have an Arctic port anywhere to push back on the Russian and Chinese aggression in my part of the [country]. That project, it’s really important. We’ve got to get it over the finish line. Can I get your commitment to work with me and the others in this committee on that project? That’s an interesting project. I mentioned, you had your SASC hearing yesterday. That’s EPW, and that’s very much DoD, to be able to have Navy ships, icebreakers, be able to pull up to the port of Nome. We don’t have a port in the Arctic right now that can handle Navy ships and icebreakers.
TELLE: Senator Sullivan, one of the most strategic issues that confronts the United States of America today is our status as an Arctic and Antarctic nation. This is an area of the world that the Chinese Communist Party is very interested in. The Russians are very active. Your state is front and center to the United States of America’s being an Arctic nation. We must be. It seems to me that, if we’re going to be an Arctic nation, that Alaska ought to be one of the key launching points of that force projection and power projection and economic projection. I look forward to working with you to help make the case for the strategic nature of Alaska and the Port of Nome as it relates to the United States asserting itself as an Arctic nation.
Below is a timeline on the Port of Nome expansion project:
Water resource projects developed by the Corps undergo a multi-stage process. Standard Corps project delivery consists of the Corps leading the study, design, and construction of authorized projects. However, each stage of that process must qualify for an existing authorization or receive a separate authorization from Congress, as well as receive congressional appropriation at each stage to proceed. Congress authorizes the Corps’ actions through periodic Water Resource Development Acts in the Senate EPW Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In 2012, the Corps launched the Alaska Deep Draft Arctic Port System Study to evaluate potential locations on the northern and western coasts of Alaska, and to determine the feasibility of constructing navigation improvements as part of a larger system of port facilities in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. Following the selection of Nome as the location for an Arctic port, the Corps began a feasibility study, assessing the costs of the port versus the benefits. The Corps paused the feasibility study following the departure of Shell Oil Company from the Arctic, which significantly tipped the cost-benefit ratio against the port project.
In the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, Sen. Sullivan and the late Representative Don Young (R-Alaska) included two provisions to justify a potential Arctic port based on its value to surrounding communities and its importance to national security.
In 2017, following enactment of the WIIN Act, senior Corps leaders committed to Sullivan and Young to utilize the new authority to restart the feasibility study for the port.
On February 2, 2018, the City of Nome and the Corps initiated a cost-sharing agreement.
On October 23, 2018, President Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), which included Sullivan-Young language to expedite completion of a Corps feasibility study for the Nome port.
On May 29, 2020, the Corps announced the completion of the chief’s report for the Port of Nome Modification Feasibility Study, making the project eligible for congressional authorization and funding.
In December 2020, President Trump signed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, which included language, championed by Sullivan and Young, authorizing $379 million for the federal share of the Nome Deep Draft Port Project.
On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law. The bill provided $250 million over five years for the construction of remote and subsistence harbor projects. These projects are in locations that are not connected to a road system, and for ports are vital to the long-term viability of the community.
On January 19, 2022, the Corps announced that the entire $250 million from the IIJA for remote and subsistence harbor projects will be directed to the Port of Nome.
On July 28, 2022, the Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. The legislation included key victories for Alaska infrastructure, including increasing the federal cost-share for the Nome Deep Draft Port Project.
On December 15, 2022, the Senate passed WRDA 2022 as part of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
On October 31, 2023, Senators Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced an$11.2 million grant for the construction of water and wastewater, fuel, power, and communications infrastructure to expand and deepen the Port of Nome. The grant was made possible by the IIJA.
On January 25, 2024, the Corps announced a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the Port of Nome expansion project, which includes the construction of a new deep-water basin. The PPA, which legally binds the government and the State of Alaska to execute the project, was marked by a signing ceremony held in Nome.
On February 12, 2025, several Arctic policy experts testified at a Senate Commerce Science & Transportation Committee hearing in support of increasing infrastructure investments in Alaska, including the Port of Nome expansion.
Source: The White House
President Donald J. Trump’s first official trip was a huge success, locking in over $2 trillion in great deals—including a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia, a $1.2 trillion economic exchange agreement with Qatar, $243.5 billion in U.S.-Qatar commercial and defense deals, and $200 billion in U.S.-United Arab Emirates commercial deals.
President Trump’s historic collaboration with these Middle Eastern nations not only strengthens America’s economy but also fosters greater safety and stability in the region, paving the way for a more prosperous and secure future.
The companies securing these landmark deals are grateful for the Trump Administration’s leadership and the economic climate President Trump has fostered to make these agreements possible:
U.S.-Saudi Arabia Deals
Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat: “We acknowledge and are grateful for the engagement and policies of the Trump Administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who are enabling strong execution to accelerate AI innovation in both countries. We are proud of the partnership with PIF for a global AI hub that will deliver innovation, economic growth and societal benefits not only to Saudi Arabia, but also to American and global companies doing business in the region. Together, we will create highly-skilled jobs and deliver AI training programs to open new, rewarding career pathways.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: “We appreciate President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman convening business leaders in Saudi Arabia to strengthen economic ties and drive innovation between our two countries. Amazon is excited to partner with HUMAIN, Saudi Arabia’s newly created AI innovation company, to collectively invest more than $5 billion to build a groundbreaking ‘AI Zone’ there, which will bring multiple innovative AWS AI capabilities to Saudi Arabia along with skills training for 100,000 citizens from the Kingdom.”
DataVolt CEO Rajit Nanda: “This partnership was made possible in large part due to the enabling technology and trade frameworks advanced during the Trump Administration—policies that championed high-tech exports, strengthened U.S.-Saudi strategic ties, which have empowered entrepreneurial collaboration in the digital era.”
Oracle CEO Safra Catz: “Thanks to the decisive actions and strong leadership of President Trump and his administration, Oracle is providing the world’s most advanced cloud and AI technology to Saudi Arabia. Our expanded partnership with the Kingdom will create new opportunities for its economy, deliver better health outcomes for its people, and fortify its alliance with the United States, which will create a ripple effect of peace and prosperity across the Middle East and around the world.”
GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik: “As the world’s energy equipment manufacturer, GE Vernova is proud to deploy world class technology to help deepen the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, advance energy security, and strengthen the economic prosperity and competitiveness of both nations. We are thankful for the leadership of both governments for putting energy manufacturing, innovation, and technology front and center, setting the strongest possible precedent for the role of equipment to unlock more solutions globally. We are committed to continuing our work to grow capacity and jobs in the U.S. and beyond to meet these critical needs.”
Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC Chairman and Founder Stephen Shaya, M.D.: “We extend our profound gratitude to President Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Administrations of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and our future partner Alturki Holding for their unwavering support and shared vision in making this endeavor possible. The Trump Administration’s policies and engagements have shown leadership and laid the groundwork for international partnerships and investment opportunities. As we embark on this transformative journey, we are committed to generating employment, stimulating industrial growth, and contributing to the development of a robust pharmaceutical industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Together with our esteemed partners, we are fortifying global competitiveness and positioning ourselves as leaders in the healthcare sector. This venture represents a monumental leap forward in our mission to deliver innovative healthcare solutions. By leveraging advanced technologies and fostering international collaborations, we aim to set new standards in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and research, ultimately improving patient outcomes worldwide.”
Saudi Excellence Co. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Zaid Al-Meleihi on the Energy Investment Fund: “This vehicle represents more than capital—it is a bridge of trust and ambition between two great nations. We are proud to recognize the legacy of President Trump, which positioned the United States as a magnet for innovation and opportunity and elevated the conditions necessary for meaningful bilateral engagement.”
New Era Fund and New Vista Capital General Partners Adam Kaplan and Kirsten Bartok Touw, along with Saudi Excellence Co. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Zaid Al-Meleihi: “We extend our gratitude to President Donald J. Trump and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for their exceptional leadership and support in making this initiative possible. The launch of the New Era Fund reflects a shared vision of investing in industrial capability and innovation to build a stronger and more resilient future together.”
Palantir Co-Founder and CEO Alex Karp: “This historic visit builds on decades of strategic cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Palantir is proud to play a role in forging the next generation of that alliance by enhancing U.S.-Saudi cooperation on AI and defense.”
Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Taiclet: “At Lockheed Martin, we build the world’s best air defense systems, powerful radars, and most lethal fighter aircraft and we thank President Trump for including us in this groundbreaking defense partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We look forward to working with his administration to support a pathway to fifth generation air dominance capabilities while further strengthening the Kingdom’s defenses against air and missile threats.”
L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik: “L3Harris was proud to enter a defense-focused joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) in 2019 under the first Trump administration, and today’s agreement represents another significant step forward in our collaboration in the Kingdom. We look forward to expanding our partnership in communications; datalinks; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to protect the joint security interests of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.”
Jacobs Chair and CEO Bob Pragada: “Jacobs is honored to have participated in the Saudi–U.S. Investment Forum, held this week, which reinforces the strength of the commercial partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The signing of our Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) reflects Jacobs’ continued commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure that supports Vision 2030 and contributes to long term prosperity and job creation in the Kingdom.”
Bechtel Chairman and CEO Brendan Bechtel: “Bechtel’s announcement to deliver three new terminals at King Salman International Airport marks a significant new chapter in our more than 80-year partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This project reflects our shared commitment to advancing world-class infrastructure that fuels long-term economic growth and underscores the enduring strength of U.S.-Saudi economic and development ties. We appreciate the leadership of President Trump and the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made together—including more than 300 projects across Saudi Arabia, such as the recently opened Riyadh Metro—and we’re energized by the opportunities ahead.”
Franklin Templeton CEO and President Jenny Johnson: “President Trump is visiting the Middle East to build on historic progress made in his first term to bring peace and stability to the region by brokering the Abraham accords. His focus on enhanced economic and military cooperation advances the interests of the US, our partners in the region, and all who rely on the benefits of a more stable region and safe passage of critical resources and services. The United States is home to the leading global asset managers. For over 75 years, Franklin Templeton has been one of the largest, most innovative, and truly global firms; having maintained a physical presence in the Gulf region more than 25 years, we are renowned for our pioneering approach to emerging market investments, as we were one of the first global asset managers to invest in the Saudi capital market and now we offer a suite of investment and research services from our Riyadh location, in addition to our leadership in global Sukuk and Sharia-compliant investing. Our USA-based teams manage many of our global portfolios in close collaboration with our local teams on the ground in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The Trump Administration’s policies, including those designed to open foreign markets to US-based global leaders like us – have already helped Franklin Templeton to export more of our world-class services. And the Administration’s bilateral approach to trade in both goods and services is a welcome, direct approach that allows for quick and meaningful successes like those we have announced this week with our Saudi partners.”
Edrevel Founder and CEO Anita Selwyn: “President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and the announcement of more than $600 billion in U.S.–Saudi investment agreements mark a major step forward in global economic partnership. Edrevel thanks the U.S. Department of Commerce for bringing together innovative startups and enterprises to power the dialogue at the forum, and set the stage for long term investments in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. The investments in both countries generate a surging demand for talent, requiring fast, scalable upskilling. AI-powered learning delivers speed, precision, and measurable ROI. Edrevel is proud to advance workforce development through strategic partnerships with the Saudi Entertainment Academy, Alfaisal Center for Research and Consultancy Studies, and Aosha Training and Consulting in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to expanding Edrevel’s role in building capacity, driving innovation, and unlocking opportunity across both nations.”
Mitchell Rubber Arabia Founder, Chairman, and CEO Stephen J. Lautenschlager: “President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia represents a historic affirmation of the enduring strength and strategic importance of the U.S.–Saudi relationship. Mitchell Rubber exemplifies the kind of industrial collaboration that advances Vision 2030 while delivering real economic value back to the United States—through expanded trade, advanced technology integration, and the growth of U.S.-based engineering and services exports. This partnership is made possible by forward-looking policies from both governments and the coordinated support of the Ministry of Investment, the Royal Commission for Yanbu, the U.S. Embassy, and the U.S.–Saudi Business Council—all of whom have played a vital role in enabling this cross-border investment and industrial localization initiative.”
I Squared Capital Chairman and Managing Partner Sadek Wahba: “Today’s forum represents the best of U.S.-Saudi cooperation—built on a long-standing partnership and poised for future growth. The MoU I Squared Capital signed with the Public Investment Fund highlights the vital role of private capital, particularly in infrastructure, and reflects what’s possible when two nations share a commitment to innovation, investment, and economic progress. We are especially grateful to the U.S. and Saudi leadership for their vision and collaboration in setting the stage for high-impact partnerships like ours. As part of our commitment to the Kingdom, I Squared Capital hopes to invest roughly $1 billion in Saudi Arabia over the coming years, supporting the ambitions of Vision 2030 and contributing to a more connected, sustainable, and prosperous future.”
Armada CEO Dan Wright: “We’re grateful for President Trump’s focus on American leadership in enhancing global economic prosperity and look forward to continuing to strengthen key international partnerships through collaboration, technology, and innovation. This visit marks a significant moment in the historic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Aligned with this milestone, we are proud to announce that Armada is partnering with Alturki Holding to bring real-world AI and edge infrastructure to the region and help advance Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. This $30 million investment will accelerate American and Saudi innovators, create highly-skilled jobs, and expand opportunities for collaboration between our nations.”
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon: “This marks a pivotal time for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it makes significant strides in becoming a global hub for digital and AI innovation. As a long-standing American innovator and semiconductor company, we are proud to work with HUMAIN, Aramco and ALAT to deploy our leading technologies in 5G, AI and next generation edge and cloud computing. The Saudi-US Investment Forum showcased the importance of collaboration between leading enterprises of two great nations, and we applaud President Trump and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for their leadership.”
Doroni Aerospace CEO and Founder Doron Merdinger: “It was an honor to represent Doroni Aerospace at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh — a historic moment where American innovation met global collaboration. This partnership, to develop and manufacture the H1-X, next generation personal eVTOL, will directly support U.S. job creation, help alleviate traffic through advanced personal air mobility, and unlock new economic opportunities by reimagining how we move. This milestone would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership, fostering a business environment that welcomes international investment and accelerates next-generation technologies.”
Parsons Corporation Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer Carey Smith: “Parsons is proud to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in Saudi Arabia. As a global infrastructure leader with a presence in the Kingdom spanning more than six decades, Parsons has leveraged our global experience to build trusted partnerships and deliver critical infrastructure, supported by over 3,000 employees across the country with 50 active projects in the Kingdom, including mega and giga projects. We are working on some of the Kingdom’s premiere projects including the world’s largest urban park; King Salman Park, NEOM’s THE LINE and Oxagon projects, Soudah Peaks and Riyadh Metro, the largest driverless metro system in the world. Our unwavering focus on the country’s future is underlined by a combination of a dedicated team of experts and our understanding of the local environment and vision, reinforcing our commitment to building this nation and supporting its transformation.”
Hill International Global CEO Raouf Ghali: “We extend our profound gratitude to President Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Administrations of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and our future partner National Water Company and Lucid Motor for their unwavering support and shared vision in making this endeavor possible. The Trump Administration’s policies and engagements have shown leadership and laid the groundwork for international partnerships and investment opportunities. As we embark on this transformative journey, we are committed to generating employment, stimulating industrial growth, and contributing to the development of a robust infrastructure industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Together with our esteemed partners, we are fortifying global competitiveness and positioning ourselves as leaders in the infrastructure sector. This represents a monumental leap forward in our mission to deliver infrastructure top notch services.”
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill: “Woodside was pleased to sign a collaboration agreement with Aramco today as part of the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, which is focused on building economic ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia as part of the President’s goal to build a long-term economic partnership between the two countries. Under the collaboration agreement, Woodside and Aramco will explore global opportunities, including Aramco’s potential acquisition of an equity interest in and LNG offtake from the Louisiana LNG project as well as exploring opportunities for a potential collaboration in lower-carbon ammonia.”
Global AI Director and CEO Sami Issa: “The Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum has exceeded our expectations. We are deeply grateful to President Trump for his remarkable efforts to strengthen cooperation with our close ally, Saudi Arabia, and to promote mutual investment in AI between our two nations. We would be honored to invite President Trump and Secretary Lutnick to tour our state-of-the-art, water-cooled data center located in his home state of New York.”
Intelligent Security Systems Chairman Richard Burns: “We were delighted to close our deal at the Summit. No question at all that President Trump’s visit was the major accelerant. Our deal is proof that you don’t need to be Fortune 500 to do well in Saudi if you have the right products and services.”
Phosphorus Cybersecurity CEO and Founder Chris Rouland: “President Trump’s historic visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between our countries. We are proud to support this shared commitment to economic growth and innovation by providing advanced cybersecurity technologies that empower the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 while also driving technological leadership here in the United States. We thank the Trump administration for its policies that promote global collaboration and open new opportunities for American technology companies to contribute to critical digital infrastructure projects around the world.”
Hydrotech CEO Tarek Khouri: “President Donald Trump’s historic visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant milestone in the enduring partnership between the United States and the Kingdom. At HydroTech Environmental Engineering and Geology DPC, we take immense pride in contributing to this collaboration by delivering innovative environmental and infrastructure solutions that drive economic growth and sustainability. We sincerely appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his administration’s commitment to fostering international cooperation, foreign investment, and technological advancement. These policies have paved the way for strengthened economic ties and new opportunities that benefit industries across both nations. We remain dedicated to leveraging our US and international expertise to support this evolving partnership and to create lasting positive impacts for a sustainable future. Thank you, President Trump, for upholding your commitment to Make America Great Again and for implementing policies that have reinforced America’s global leadership toward a new golden age.”
Science Technology Co CEO Eng. Idris Al-Zakari: “The unprecedented opportunity provided by President Trump’s historic visit to the Kingdom underscores and surpasses the evolutionary relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. The spectacular investment package negotiated between the two allies is the most significant step forward for the two nations since the meeting between Franklin Roosevelt and King Abdualaziz aboard the USS Quincy during WW-II.”
Cimcor, Inc. President and CEO Robert E. Johnson, III: “This moment marks more than a business milestone—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when American innovation aligns with visionary leadership in the Gulf. Through this partnership, we are helping to build a digital future that’s more secure, more resilient, and deeply connected across borders. We’re proud to contribute to Vision 2030 and thank the Administration for fostering global cooperation that drives real progress.”
Enfield Investment Partners Chairman and Co-Founder Jake Silverstein: “It is an extraordinary honor to be part of President Trump’s historic visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to witness the collaboration between President Trump and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Enfield Investment Partners is built on the belief that sports is a universal language. Enfield invests in sports teams, leagues, and sports-focused real estate that drive economic value, uplift communities, and bring people together around the shared experience of sports. The sports ecosystem in the United States is the strongest and best in the world because core to our national identity are the traits that make sports so compelling: competition, meritocracy, and constantly seeking the leading edge of excellence. A portion of our Fund is directed to developing the Saudi Arabian sports ecosystem. I would like to thank President Trump for leading a transformation and ushering in a new Golden Age and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a once-in-history visionary leader whose bravery and determination has rapidly propelled the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our two countries have been friends for eighty years, but this visit marks the start of a new chapter, built on mutual trust, shared vision, and an exciting new path.”
Tricion Defense Group President and CEO Eng. Nasr al-Ghrairi: “We extend our sincere congratulations to President Trump on his historic visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a moment that marks a renewed and elevated chapter in U.S.–Saudi relations. We deeply appreciate the Administration’s vision and policies that continue to foster bilateral engagement, unlock economic opportunity, and reinforce America’s global industrial leadership. Tricion Defense Group is proud to stand at the forefront of this strategic transformation. As one of the largest private U.S. direct investment in Saudi Arabia’s defense sector, we are not only enabling the Kingdom to localize critical capabilities in electronic warfare, air defense, and C4I—but we are also contributing to U.S. economic growth by injecting capital into innovation, technology development, and advanced manufacturing across both nations. This SR4 billion ($1.06 billion) commitment—announced in partnership with NESMA Information and Technologies (NIT)—represents more than an MOU; it is a declaration of our belief that Saudi Arabia must lead from the front—not follow. It is also a bold affirmation of our support for the American innovation engine, which remains the most valuable strategic asset of the United States. President Trump’s visit has reignited a new era of industrial alignment between our two nations. Through this investment, we are laying the foundation for a next-generation model of defense collaboration: faster, bolder, and unapologetically strategic. We thank the leadership of both nations, especially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, for enabling a partnership of this scale and consequence.”
U.S.-Qatar Deals
Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg: “We are grateful for the trust Qatar Airways has placed in us with this historic order, the largest-ever for Boeing’s widebody planes, including the largest-ever purchase of 787 Dreamliners and more 777X jets. Thank you to President Trump for supporting the agreement, which grows our longstanding partnership with the airline. As one of America’s top exporters, Boeing is proud that our aircraft sales to global customers strengthen U.S. manufacturing and sustain jobs in our factories and at suppliers across the United States.”
GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.: “We are extremely honored to deepen our relationship with Qatar Airways and grateful to them for placing their trust in us with our largest ever widebody engine deal. Our widebody engines – the GE9X and GEnx – are marvels of modern engineering, with the durability and reliability to power flight across the longest distances. We appreciate President Trump’s support for this historic agreement.”
Northrop Grumman Spokesperson: “Northrop Grumman has a long history of delivering advanced defense technologies to Qatar. Thanks to the President’s leadership, we have a historic opportunity to accelerate security cooperation and defense technology sales that will greatly expand U.S. jobs and economic strength.”
Quantinuum President and CEO Dr. Rajeeb Hazra: “Quantinuum is deeply committed to advancing quantum capabilities with partners like Qatar to further solidify U.S. innovation and global leadership in a technology critical to our collective future. We are honored to be highlighted as part of this historic visit by the President of the United States to Qatar and look forward to helping create the future of our industry.”
Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Jim Taiclet: “At Lockheed Martin, supporting American armed forces and our international defense partners drives everything we do. We build the most advanced integrated air and missile defense systems with cutting-edge radars. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we will help accelerate Qatar’s next-generation air and missile defense capabilities, enabling a more secure and stable region, sustaining American manufacturing jobs, and reinforcing our defense industrial base.”
Parsons Corporation Chair, President, and CEO Carey Smith: “I’m proud to be here on behalf of Parsons, and to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in Qatar. As a global infrastructure leader with over six decades of experience in the region, including two-plus decades in Qatar, Parsons has partnered with organizations across the country to deliver on many of its premier infrastructure projects in Doha, Lusail, and beyond.”
McDermott International President and CEO Michael McKelvy: “The partnership between McDermott, Qatar Energy and The State of Qatar has been developed over decades. We remain committed to bringing McDermott’s +100 years of experience to support Qatar’s energy development plans for decades to come and were honored to be part of this historic visit by the President.”
U.S.-United Arab Emirates Deals
Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins: “This groundbreaking deal unites the best of American innovation with a partner committed to regional security and stability. We are proud to play our part in President Trump’s vision, for regional maritime superiority, to enable the safe passage of trade and the interception of illegal or destabilizing activity, throughout the Middle East region.”
Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub: “We are proud to participate in President Trump’s visit to the UAE, where we signed a strategic energy enhancing agreement with our longstanding partner ADNOC, whose investment company XRG will consider making a $500 million investment in the United States, alongside a grant award from the U.S. DOE, to advance Occidental’s South Texas Direct Air Capture Hub, Development of DAC is essential for ensuring our country’s long-term energy security. We also signed an agreement with ADNOC to examine the expansion of production at our successful joint venture energy development project in the UAE’s Shah Gas field, using U.S. technologies.”
Oracle CEO Safra Catz: “In support of President Trump’s vision and commitment to peace through prosperity and the Abraham Accords, the greatest diplomatic accomplishment in modern history, we are pleased to continue to invest in and deliver cloud and AI technology to power the UAE’s most important systems. Our Oracle Cloud Infrastructure footprint, Oracle Alloy sovereign cloud partnerships, and groundbreaking work in healthcare will help accelerate the UAE’s technology modernization efforts and advance patient health outcomes. Together, the UAE and U.S. will redefine what is possible in technology, business, and healthcare.”
Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg: “As one of the launch customers for the 777X, Etihad is a valued customer, and we are grateful for the airline’s continued confidence in Boeing. We appreciate the support of the President and his administration as we partner with Etihad to enable their growth while sustaining highly skilled U.S. manufacturing jobs.”
Northrop Grumman Spokesperson: “Just as we have invested in the UAE, such as Northrop Grumman’s grant to the American Community School in Abu Dhabi, we welcome increased partnership and investment by the UAE in our world-class defense sector. This historic trip will increase U.S. jobs and economic strength.”
Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Taiclet: “Through President Trump’s leadership, Lockheed Martin and the United Arab Emirates are building on 50 years of partnership to strengthen regional defense with advanced airpower, integrated air and missile defense, precision radars, and next-generation command and control. Our high-tech innovation benefits both nations by sustaining American manufacturing jobs and driving industrial growth.”
Parsons Chair, President, and CEO Carey Smith: “Parsons is proud to be a part of President Trump’s initiatives to strengthen strategic relations in the UAE. As a global infrastructure leader with a presence in the Emirates spanning nearly five decades, Parsons has leveraged our global experience to build trusted partnerships and deliver critical infrastructure, supported by 2,700 employees across the country and have successfully completed more than 3,000 projects. We have worked on some of the UAE’s premiere projects including the region’s first metro line in Dubai, the iconic Infinity Bridge, Dubai Municipality’s Strategic Sewerage Tunnel project, the Sharjah and Abu Dhabi International Airports and Etihad Rail, the region’s first high speed rail network. Our unwavering focus on the country’s future is underlined by a combination of a dedicated team of experts and our understanding of the local environment and vision, reinforcing our commitment to building this nation and supporting its transformation.”
Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli: “We congratulate President Trump on his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates — A key moment that underscores the enduring partnership between two nations committed to innovation, progress, and shared prosperity. As we look to the future, energy will remain central to economic growth and broader cooperation that supports stability and opportunity for both countries, and Baker Hughes remains steadfast in our dedication to help both nations meet their goals.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Newly Released Army Corps Work Plans Show Trump Abandoning Blue State Infrastructure Projects
Washington, DC — This week, the Trump Administration released its Army Corpswork plans that show President Trump is politicizing critical infrastructure investments.
House Appropriations Committee analysis shows that the Trump administration shifted more than $250 Million away from critical infrastructure construction projects in Democratic-led states, particularly Washington and California, to Republican-led states. This includes the complete elimination of Army Corps construction funding for states like California. This move risks delaying critical safety projects across the country.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) condemned this corrupt move.
“President Trump is blatantly playing politics with critical Army Corps construction investments and punishing the American people for the way their states have voted,” said Representatives Kaptur and DeLauro. “Rushing water from collapsed dams and floods caused by failed infrastructure do not know state borders, nor do they have political leanings. The damage, lives lost, and economic outcomes impact all Americans, which is why the federal government makes these investments in the first place. The Trump administration should follow Congress’s intent to guide its investments. Instead, President Trump has unilaterally chosen to punish the people living in certain states — a historic and clear abuse of taxpayer dollars. This is the exact scenario we feared when House Republicans introduced their slush fund 2025 funding bill, which failed to reflect both Republican and Democratic priorities. It does not matter who is in the White House, people across the country are harmed when all the power Congress holds to represent the people in their states and districts is handed to the President.”
TheRepublican fiscal year 2025 full-year continuing resolution cut Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Construction by $1.4 Billion or 44 percent, and it also gave all discretion to the Trump administration to prioritize projects among over 1,000 throughout the country that should be directed by Congress. Army Corps of Engineers projects keep commerce safely flowing on our waterways, manage flood risk, and restore ecosystems. The Army Corps’ work plan can be foundhere.
Governor’s Executive Order provides clarity to state agencies and local governments around the enforcement of state strategic growth laws
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis signed an Executive Order to help increase Colorado’s housing supply, reduce housing costs, and increase energy efficiency, by giving further guidance to state agencies on how to best support local governments who are taking needed action to deliver more housing and help ensure statewide compliance with strategic growth laws passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Polis.
“We need more housing now. Coloradans are demanding solutions to the high cost of housing. Thoughtful and strategic growth is about the supply and cost of housing, as well as the impact on the environment, and how people can move around our state quickly and easily. In partnership with the legislature and local governments, we are taking major steps to build more housing that people can afford near where they live and work. Costly government regulations should never be a barrier to reducing the cost of living or stand in the way of a person or family finding a home they can afford,” said Governor Polis.
“Colorado is making important progress to increase housing supply and reduce costs for Coloradans in communities around the state, but the cost of housing still remains a major pain point for too many hardworking people. Housing is a multi-jurisdictional concern and today’s action prioritizes the building of new homes in communities that are working to successfully implement more housing now for all budgets,” he continued.
Since taking office, Governor Polis has signed landmark laws to build more housing people can afford and near transit, break down barriers to housing, and cut through government red tape to allow for more housing. Major steps forward include new laws around transit-oriented communities and accessory dwelling units, and eliminating discriminatory occupancy limits and costly parking requirements.
Governor Polis and the General Assembly built on that work again this year with new legislation to address construction defects to help build more condos, allow for more smart-stair buildings that create more homes Coloradans can afford, and break down barriers to modular housing.
To date, the state has taken important actions to increase housing units across the state:
The Division of Housing has awarded over $768 million in housing development awards since the 2020-2021 state fiscal year that have resulted in the creation or preservation of almost 20,000 housing units.
The Division of Housing has provided Emergency Rental Assistance through three programs and supported almost 65,000 households, with a total investment of over $538 million.
The Division of Local Government (DLG) has achieved the following since January 2020:
Awarded almost $153 million for housing in Colorado, which includes more than $17 million for planning and over $135 million for infrastructure.
Supported the construction of almost 10,000 affordable housing units through implementation and infrastructure projects.
Assisted over 200 local governments working to implement affordable housing strategies using DLG planning grants.
Today, Governor Polis signed an Executive Order giving the Department of Local Affairs, the Department of Transportation, the Colorado Energy Office, and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade guidance to compile a list of funding opportunities administered by these state agencies for the purpose of establishing priority for communities in compliance with state strategic growth laws.
Specific laws include:
HB24-1007 – Prohibit Residential Occupancy Limits
HB24-1152 – Accessory Dwelling Units
HB24-1304 – Minimum Parking Requirements
HB24-1313 – Transit-Oriented Communities
SB24-174 – Sustainable Affordable Housing
HB25-1273 – Residential Building Stair Modernization
SB25-002 – Regional Building Codes for Factory-Built Structures
DOLA is also directed to create and update quarterly a list of all Strategic Growth Compliant, Strategic Growth Compliance-in-Progress, and Strategic Growth Non-Compliant local governments by October 6, 2025. DOLA shall make the list available for relevant agencies to establish priority for applicable funding opportunities.
Projects excluded from this consideration include:
Funding Opportunities that are funded solely based on formulas, statutory criteria or other criteria for which the Relevant Agency has no discretion;
Funding Opportunities that are federally funded for which the Relevant Agency has no discretion;
Funding Opportunities that were awarded prior to October 6, 2025 or for which the application process or grant cycle has started by October 6, 2025;
Funding Opportunities for individuals;
Funding Opportunities for supportive services or other tenant supports for housing; and
Funding Opportunities solely for economic development
Once the group of potential funding opportunities is submitted, projects that are necessary for public health or safety and disaster relief programs will be excluded. The Executive Order will be updated to reflect the grants identified by state agencies that are subject to the declarations in the order.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced awards for a total of 19 transformational projects in the Mohawk Valley as part of two economic development programs: the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward. Eight projects were announced for Herkimer, the Round 7 winner of a $10 million DRI award; six projects were announced for Boonville, a Round 2 winner of a $4.5 million NY Forward award; and five projects were announced for Richfield, also a Round 2 winner of a $4.5 million NY Forward award.
“Revitalizing our towns and villages is about giving communities the tools they need to grow and thrive — that’s why I’m announcing 19 new investments in the Mohawk Valley that will transform neighborhoods for people who count on them,” Governor Hochul said. “The Mohawk Valley is home to an extraordinary array of small businesses and hubs of arts and culture, and by supporting them through these projects, we’re helping our communities write the next great chapter of their history.”
New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “When we invest in our downtowns, we’re investing in the heart of our communities. Through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward program, we’re not just funding projects – we’re fostering vibrant, walkable neighborhoods that spur economic growth, enhance quality of life for residents and preserve the unique character of each municipality and region. These signature programs exemplify our commitment to ensuring that every New Yorker, in every corner of our State, has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.”
Village of Herkimer The Village of Herkimer has represented itself as “A Jewel with Multiple Facets.” The Village’s DRI projects focus on workforce generation and economic development through investments in the downtown; streetscape enhancement and walkability; enhancing the downtown cultural experience; connecting the downtown to recreational assets; and improving downtown gateways that welcome businesses, residents and visitors.
The 8 Herkimer DRI projects, totaling $9.7 million, include:
Enhance Village Streetscapes ($2,900,000): Enhance streetscapes in the “Diamond District” by creating a gateway arch at the intersection of Main Street and Albany Street to welcome visitors, improving multimodal transportation networks, and adding streetscape amenities.
Revitalize the Masonic Temple for Food and Commercial Business ($2,000,000): Complete a full renovation of the former masonic temple on Main Street to create a modern, multi-purpose incubator space with NYS-certified commercial kitchen for food startups, co-working and tenant office space, and community and event space.
Revitalize and Update Myers Park ($1,900,000): Construct a multi-purpose building with an outward facing performance space and restrooms in Myers Park; enhance outdoor seating; lighting, and landscaping; restore the historic fountain; and improve walkways and connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods.
Transform Heritage Access at the Herkimer County Historical Society ($1,208,000): Upgrade the Historical Society buildings to create accessible, functional spaces that protect historical artifacts and enhance community engagement. The project will install an elevator, improve storage and access to historic collections, and complete interior renovations to support events and programming.
Create a Herkimer DRI Small Project Fund ($600,000): Provide small businesses, non-profits, and property owners in the DRI Area with small grants for business assistance, technical assistance, public art, façade restoration and/or building renovation for commercial and mixed-use spaces.
Establish the Downtown Diamond District ($500,000): Establish a unique local branding and marketing campaign for Herkimer’s “Diamond District”, with unified signage, branding elements, and public art throughout the DRI Area as well as an online marketing presence.
Renovate Mixed-Use Building at 120 West Albany Street ($442,000): Revitalize a mixed-use downtown building through interior and exterior improvements to ensure the small business’s continued viability as a key service provider for Herkimer’s residents as well as area businesses and institutions.
Expand Local Dental Practice to Better Serve Veterans and Patients ($150,000): Build an addition on a local dentist office at 314 North Prospect Street to create new operatories and facilities that will improve access to dental care for residents and veterans in the region.
Village of Boonville The Village of Boonville seeks to transform its downtown into an attractive destination for tourists and residents alike, building on its reputation as a hub for tourism and recreation, as well as the Gateway to the Adirondacks. Through the NY Forward projects, the Village envisions improved pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, expanded small business opportunities, and mixed-use building development.
The 6 Boonville NY Forward Projects, totaling $4.5 Million, include:
Discover Boonville- Amplifying Gateways into Historic Downtown ($1,531,000): Improve the northern gateway, southern gateway and NYS Route 12-D (Main Street). Improvements include wayfinding signage, rebuilt sidewalks, pedestrian scale lighting, and landscaping and new sidewalk edges to better delineate the pedestrian and vehicular realms.
Rebuild the Mixed-Use Boone Building ($1,000,000): Construct a three-story, 25,500 square-foot mixed-use building, including three new retail spaces on the first floor and nine apartments on the upper floors.
Rebuild the Historic Slim’s Restaurant ($840,000): Rebuild the historic Slim’s Restaurant in the heart of the NYF Area. Project activities include the creation of a restaurant on the first floor and the addition of two apartments on the second floor.
Revive Manufacturing in Boonville ($600,000): Upgrades including a partial roof replacement, exterior painting, landscaping, exterior lighting, two new ADA-compliant restrooms, and some interior wall construction. A portion of the funding will be used toward improving site aesthetics and screening adjacent residential uses from the warehouse.
Restore Greenhouses and Expand Flower Hill Farm ($385,000): Flower Hill Farm will implement a multi-phase renovation project of its retail facility. Proposed improvements include the renovation of its existing greenhouse spaces, the rehabilitation of an underutilized barn into a retail venue with a commercial kitchen, and the installation of a botanical garden.
Renovate Restore Forward Building ($144,000): Renovate the interior and exterior to the building at 181 Main Street, including the addition of a co-working space, commercial kitchen and woodworking shop. Additionally, the building facade will be improved–making it more attractive to passersby.
Town of Richfield The Greater Richfield Springs Downtown Area — located in the Town of Richfield and Village of Richfield Springs — is a small community with an outsized passion for the revitalization of its Main Street. NY Forward projects identified focus on adaptive re-use of existing buildings; increased sustainability and decreased greenhouse gas emissions; support for small business growth in the downtown area; and increase awareness of, and appreciation for, its diverse cultural backgrounds.
The 5 Richfield NY Forward Projects, totaling $4.5 Million, include:
Revive Elk Opera House for Mixed-Use, Commercial & Residential ($1,552,000): Rehabilitate this historic structure with an updated facade while displaying its original name and year of construction. The five second-floor apartments will be redesigned for a more cohesive flow, while the third floor will be transformed into five apartments with generous loft spaces that take advantage of the high ceilings. Energy-efficient upgrades, including the installation of a new boiler will ensure the building is environmentally friendly.
Revitalize Historic Spring Park ($976,000): Revitalize Spring Park, honoring its historical significance and original design. The plan will ensure the park is welcoming, accessible, and engaging for people of all ages and abilities, while also visually reconnecting it to the downtown area. The project will reestablish formal walkways between allées of trees, create new meandering pathways, restore significant structures and install interpretive signage to tell the story of the park, the Sulphur springs and their connection to Native Americans.
Revamp Cornerstone Commercial/Residential Mixed-Use Structure ($826,000): Renovate the exterior of the building, five apartments on the front side of the building, and the four street-level commercial spaces. All the renovated spaces will get new heating and LED lighting.
Implement the Small Project Fund ($600,000): The Small Project Fund will provide financial support to small businesses and property owners within the Richfield NY Forward Area to help cover building renovations, business assistance and soft costs.
Expand 140 Main Street for Co-Op Commercial Kitchen and New Apartments ($546,000): Construct a commercial kitchen to support the growth and expansion of the Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative, the construction of three new apartment units and the rehabilitation of the building’s facade.
In the FY2025 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul made the “Pro-Housing Community” designation a requirement for cities, towns and villages to access up to $650 million in State discretionary programs, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward. To date, more than 300 municipalities across the State have become certified. To further support localities that are doing their part to address the housing crisis, Governor Hochul is creating a $100 million Pro-Housing Supply fund for certified Pro-Housing Communities to assist with critical infrastructure projects necessary to create new housing, such as sewer and water infrastructure upgrades.
Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward programs are transforming communities across New York State by turning local visions into bold investments to generate place-based economic development. These projects will create new opportunities for businesses, support vibrant public spaces, and attract residents and visitors alike – laying the foundation for sustainable growth and stronger regional economies.”
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “All across this State, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward programs are strategically prioritizing communities, growing economies with targeted awards, creating more housing opportunities that improve affordability for New Yorkers where it is most needed, and building on the diverse character of our neighborhoods. By working with local and municipal partners, these awards continue Governor Hochul’s commitment to developing the full potential of our downtowns as economic drivers and attractive places to live.”
Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Larry Gilroy and Dr. Marion Terenzio said, “Strategic state investments like the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward are more than just funding, they are also catalysts for local economic growth. The selected projects — focusing on broad improvements to our streetscapes, storefronts, services, and scenic parks — will have positive, long-lasting impacts not just in Herkimer, Boonville, and Richfield, but across the Mohawk Valley. NY Forward and DRI demonstrate that a productive partnership between the state and our region can strengthen local communities and empower them to reimagine an even more prosperous future.”
Village of Herkimer Mayor Dana Sherry said, “This is an exciting moment for Herkimer as we begin to pave the way with new economic development, housing, education, artistic collaboration and historic renovation and embark on the long awaited revitalization of the Main St corridor. This will transform the way we do business by bringing excitement, new life, vibrant artistic expression and positive people and energy to our downtown. I am honored to receive this 10 million dollar grant award from Governor Hochul as it has been my number one goal and aspiration since the day I took office as Mayor in June 2023. Thank you, Governor, for recognizing Herkimer’s untapped potential as a ‘Jewel with Many Facets.’ I would also like to thank my Co-Chairwoman, Dr Renee Shevat; a local businesswoman of distinction and vision, who shares the same passion for this village. Thank you to our esteemed Local Planning Committee consisting of local residents who dedicated their time and expertise to project selection, Alison Madmoune from Empire State Development, Stefan Lutter, our consultant from the Department of State, Lead Consultants from EDR; Lisa Nagel, Laura Lourenco, and Aiden McKibbin and Connor Hartnett from MRB Group. It was a pleasure to work with all of you. It’s now time to roll up our sleeves and polish each of the facets of our new Diamond District as we reimagine and reinvent our Village of Herkimer.”
Village of Boonville Mayor Judith Dellerba said, “We are incredibly proud and grateful to accept the transformational projects to be included in the Village’s recent $4.5 million NY Forward grant from Governor Hochul. This investment in the Village of Boonville is key for our village’s future to create a vibrant, walkable downtown to attract new businesses, support local businesses and a welcoming space for residents and visitors. Most importantly, and critical to this community is that we will move forward in a way that preserves the historic charm and character that makes our village so special. We thank Governor Hochul and the NY Forward program for recognizing the potential of small communities like ours and for investing in a future where economic growth and quality of life go hand in hand.”
Richfield Town Supervisor Larry Frigault said, “I’d like to thank the Governor and her administration for recognizing Richfield’s potential. Our project sponsors will greet this news with great enthusiasm. Everyone is ready to continue the revitalization of Richfield which would not have been possible without this financial support.”
DRI and NY Forward communities developed Strategic Implementation Plans (SIPs), which create a vision for the future of their downtown and identify and recommend a slate of complementary, transformative and implementable projects that support that vision. The SIPs are guided by a Local Planning Committee (LPC) comprised of local and regional leaders, stakeholders and community representatives, with the assistance of an assigned consultant and DOS staff, all of whom conduct extensive community outreach and engagement when determining projects. The projects selected for funding from the SIP were identified as having the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and generate new opportunities for long-term growth.
About the Downtown Revitalization Initiative The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was created in 2016 to accelerate and expand the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods in all ten regions of the state to serve as centers of activity and catalysts for investment. Led by the Department of State with assistance from Empire State Development, Homes and Community Renewal and NYSERDA, the DRI represents an unprecedented and innovative “plan-then-act” strategy that couples strategic planning with immediate implementation and results in compact, walkable downtowns that are a key ingredient to helping New York State strengthen its economy, as well as to achieving the State’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles. Through nine rounds, the DRI has awarded a total of $900 million to 91 communities across every region of the State.
About the NY Forward Program First announced as part of the 2022 Budget, Governor Hochul created the NY Forward program to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The program works in concert with the DRI to accelerate and expand the revitalization of smaller and rural downtowns throughout the State so that all communities can benefit from the State’s revitalization efforts, regardless of size, character, needs and challenges.
NY Forward communities are supported by a professional planning consultant and team of State agency experts led by DOS to develop a Strategic Investment Plan that includes a slate of transformative, complementary and readily implementable projects. NY Forward projects are appropriately scaled to the size of each community; projects may include building renovation and redevelopment, new construction or creation of new or improved public spaces and other projects that enhance specific cultural and historical qualities that define and distinguish the small-town charm that defines these municipalities. Through three rounds, the NY Forward program has awarded a total of $300 million to 60 communities across every region of the State.
Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), both members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced the reintroduction of bipartisan legislation to expand the reach of peer-to-peer networks that are already helping farmers manage the many challenges they face. As farmers and ranchers are met daily with unique challenges, including unexpected weather, droughts, and floods, they often turn to colleagues to find the right answer. This bill fills a critical gap in federal programs to support and provide guidance to those networks.
The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would leverage existing technical assistance resources by supporting farmer-led education networks and build capacity for new ones—particularly for communities that are historically marginalized from existing systems—as a key strategy to increase adoption of conservation practices. Specifically, the bill would authorize the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enter into cooperative agreements with community-based organizations in each state that are able to identify and build on established and burgeoning peer-to-peer networks, and/or create new ones.
“Farming is deeply ingrained in New Mexico’s history and culture, with communities that have cultivated the land for generations. Local farmers are skilled at managing challenges like unpredictable weather, drought, and flooding. However, existing programs often fall short in providing the support and guidance needed during these times,” said Senator Luján. “The bipartisan Farmer to Farmer Education Act will help improve coordination between local farmer-to-farmer networks and the USDA and NRCS. Strengthening this connection will ensure farmers receive timely, specialized information to better protect their crops and livestock.”
“Farmers and ranchers across the country face many conservation challenges, including staffing shortages at NRCS, which limits their access to conservation technical assistance,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation would allow farmer-to-farmer groups to develop cooperative agreements with USDA to share conservation concepts and new practices.”
“When it comes to adopting conservation practices, farmers trust information and guidance from other farmers.” said Samantha Levy, AFT’s Senior Policy Manager for Conservation and Energy. “We applaud Senators Lujan and Moran for introducing a bipartisan bill that would enable more farmers to provide practical, experience-based assistance to their peers. This would supplement the essential support producers receive from NRCS, nonprofit conservation organizations and districts, and others to successfully implement practices critical to the resilience and viability of their operations.”
“We learn from best from people who are like us. The Farmer to Farmer Education Act would help connect producers to support each other’s on-farm conservation efforts,” said Ben Knuth, Agriculture Policy Manager at National Wildlife Federation. “As complements to USDA’s existing conservation technical assistance, these learning networks offer informal opportunities to learn about improving soil, water, and wildlife outcomes.”
“Farmers and ranchers across the country serve as a valuable resource to their peers when it comes to knowledge-sharing about farming best practices and resources. As farmers adapt to a changing climate, it will become even more important that farmers continue learning from their most trusted sources: each other,” said Lotanna Obodozie, Climate Policy Director, National Young Farmers Coalition. “The Farmer-to-Farmer Education Act will invest in collaboration between farmers and their networks for long-term conservation practice adoption, and we’re grateful to Sen. Luján and Sen. Moran for cosponsoring this important bipartisan legislation.”
“For farming and ranching families, helping one another is just part of their way of life,”said Jenny Conner Nelms, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs at The Nature Conservancy. “Supporting local, producer-led networks is a natural, common-sense way to help farmers and ranchers share information with their neighbors and manage challenges together, like droughts and floods. We are grateful for Senators Lujan and Moran’s proposal, which would help producers, communities, and nature thrive.”
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 40 attorneys general in sending a letter to Congressional leaders opposing a proposed 10-year ban on states enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems. The ban was included in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s changes to the budget reconciliation bill. In the letter, the attorneys general note that the ban, particularly when combined with the lack of any movement toward a federal regulatory framework, would leave this fast-moving area of law and technology completely void of regulation — wiping away any state-level frameworks already in place and effectively depriving consumers of reasonable protections.
“As the fourth largest economy in the world — built in large part on technological innovation and a commitment to protecting our residents — California knows that consumer protections and innovation go hand in hand. Allowing states to be responsive to AI and adopt new protections while still nurturing innovation serves both industry and consumers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I strongly oppose any effort to block states from developing and enforcing common-sense regulation; states must be able to protect their residents by responding to emerging and evolving AI technology.”
BACKGROUND
AI systems affect nearly all aspects of everyday life. Businesses use AI systems to evaluate consumers’ credit risk and guide loan decisions, screen tenants for rentals, and target consumers with ads and offers. AI systems are used in the workplace to guide employment decisions, in educational settings to provide new learning systems, and are widespread in health care settings where they’re used to guide medical diagnosis and treatment, healthcare provider operations, and insurance coverage decisions.
The promise of AI raises exciting and important possibilities. But, like any emerging technology, there are risks to adoption without responsible, appropriate, and thoughtful oversight. AI systems are novel and complex, and their inner workings are often not understood even by developers and entities that use AI, resulting in situations where AI tools have generated false information or biased and discriminatory results.
In the absence of federal action to install this oversight, states have considered and passed legislation to protect their residents and address a wide range of harms associated with AI and automated decision-making.
In California, this includes laws to prohibit deep-fakes designed to mislead voters and consumers, require basic disclosures when consumers are interacting with specific kinds of AI, and ensure that doctors supervise AI tools used to make decisions about healthcare services and insurance claims. In January, Attorney General Bonta issued two legal advisories reminding consumers of their rights and advising businesses and healthcare entities who develop, sell, or use AI about their obligations under California law. Although AI technology is developing rapidly, entities must comply with existing California laws, as well as new laws that went into effect on January 1, 2025.
In sending today’s letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Colorado, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Vermont, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Over the years, Luisa climbed the ranks in regulatory control. By 2002, she was appointed Director of the National Centre for Nuclear Safety, Cuba’s nuclear regulatory body. A year later, when Cuba signed the IAEA Nuclear Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, she played a key role, including coordination with the IAEA about inspections and information exchange . Her leadership extended beyond Cuba, contributing to regional projects in Latin America aimed at developing regulatory frameworks for medical and industrial nuclear technology applications.
While Luisa had dedicated most of her career to nuclear and radiation safety, her transition into nuclear security came unexpectedly. In 2007, she was chosen to complete a master’s degree in national security and defense — an assignment she initially resisted. However, the programme broadened her understanding of security issues and, in hindsight, proved essential to her later career.
In 2014, she was appointed President of Cuba’s Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technologies Agency, overseeing all the country’s nuclear applications, from medicine to industrial use. Yet, life had another challenge in store. When her husband, a nuclear physicist, was offered a position at the IAEA, they decided to relocate to Vienna.
“I arrived in Vienna in 2016 without a job, which was hard for someone as active as me, but I wanted to keep our family together.”
However, this move ultimately led her in 2019 to a full-time position with the IAEA, working on the Regulatory Infrastructure Development Project with a focus on nuclear security.
“For me, regulation is in my blood,” she says. “Safety and security in nuclear applications are crucial, and I’ve dedicated my life to ensuring they are upheld.”
CALGARY, Alberta, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, OTCQX:VLERF) (the “Corporation” or “Valeura“), the upstream oil and gas company with assets in the Gulf of Thailand and the Thrace Basin of Türkiye, is pleased to provide the voting results from its annual general meeting of shareholders held on May 14, 2025.
Shareholders voted on and approved the following proposals: (1) the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP (Singapore) as the auditors of the Corporation; and (2) the election of the directors of the Corporation.
The voting results for the election of directors are as follows:
Total Votes
% of Votes Cast
Nominee
For
Withheld
Total
For
Withheld
Dr. W. Sean Guest
54,931,122
1,177
54,932,299
100.00
0.00
Dr. Timothy R. Marchant
54,415,326
516,973
54,932,299
99.06
0.94
James D. McFarland
39,288,880
15,643,419
54,932,299
71.52
28.48
Russell J. Hiscock
54,905,008
27,291
54,932,299
99.95
0.05
Timothy N. Chapman
54,931,127
1,172
54,932,299
100.00
0.00
Lina Lee
54,904,571
27,728
54,932,299
99.95
0.05
Anna Green
54,905,564
26,735
54,932,299
99.95
0.05
Chalermchai Mahagitsiri
43,040,694
11,891,605
54,932,299
78.35
21.65
About the Company
Valeura is a Canadian public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Thailand and in Türkiye. The Corporation is pursuing a growth-oriented strategy and intends to re-invest into its producing asset portfolio and to deploy resources toward further organic and inorganic growth in Southeast Asia. Valeura aspires toward value accretive growth for stakeholders while adhering to high standards of environmental, social and governance responsibility.
Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Valeura Energy Inc. (General Corporate Enquiries)+65 6373 6940 Sean Guest, President and CEO Yacine Ben-Meriem, CFO Contact@valeuraenergy.com
Valeura Energy Inc. (Investor and Media Enquiries) +1 403 975 6752 / +44 7392 940495 Robin James Martin, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations IR@valeuraenergy.com
Contact details for the Corporation’s advisors, covering research analysts and joint brokers, including Auctus Advisors LLP, Canaccord Genuity Ltd (UK), Cormark Securities Inc., Research Capital Corporation, and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, are listed on the Corporation’s website at www.valeuraenergy.com/investor-information/analysts/.
This announcement does not contain inside information.
This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful.
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Town of Pulaski, Virginia, a $500,000 Brownfield Assessment grant. The funding supports a community-wide assessment of local brownfields. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“The EPA’s Brownfields Program has the power to transform and revitalize communities, including those in Southwest Virginia.
“This EPA Brownfield Assessment grant for $500,000 helps the Town of Pulaski conduct an assessment of hazardous or polluted sites that can be potentially redeveloped for economic and social gain in Southwest Virginia.”
BACKGROUND
Congressman Griffith is chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment.
In March of 2025, Congressman Griffith chaired a hearing on the EPA’s Brownfields Program. Scott County Native and LENOWISCO Executive Director Duane Miller testified to the panel and discussed the Program’s importance to Southwest Virginia communities.
The Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.
A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
Brownfield Assessment grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.
Congressman Griffith’s e-newsletter on the Program can be found here.
Chairman Griffith will hold a hearing next week with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to discuss the agency’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Brownfields grants to LENOWISCO Planning District Commission and the Town of Pennington Gap.
LENOWISCO Planning District Commission received a $1,200,000 Brownfield Assessment grant. The funding supports a community-wide assessment of local brownfields.
Further, the Town of Pennington Gap received a $276,563 Brownfield Cleanup grant. This funding supports brownfields cleanup activities.
U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“The EPA’s Brownfields Program has the power to transform and revitalize communities, including those in Southwest Virginia.
“This EPA Brownfield Assessment grant for $1.2 million helps LENOWISCO Planning District Commission conduct an assessment of hazardous or polluted sites that can be potentially redeveloped for economic and social gain in deep Southwest Virginia.
“Moreover, this EPA Brownfield Cleanup grant for $276,563 supports Pennington Gap in its activities cleaning local brownfield sites.”
BACKGROUND
Congressman Griffith is chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment.
In March of 2025, Congressman Griffith chaired a hearing on the EPA’s Brownfields Program. Scott County Native and LENOWISCO Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller testified to the panel and discussed the Program’s importance to Southwest Virginia communities.
LENOWISCO Planning District Commission serves the Counties of Lee, Wise and Scott and the City of Norton.
The Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.
A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
Brownfield Assessment grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.
Congressman Griffith’s e-newsletter on the Program can be found here.
Chairman Griffith will hold a hearing next week with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to discuss the agency’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
Lichens on stone, those “still explosions” as the great American poet Elizabeth Bishop named them, remain unseen to most, which is remarkable when you consider how commonplace they are. It seems these ecologically and culturally significant whatever-they-ares unfairly fall victim to something akin to plant blindness, a known phenomenon and tendency of people to overlook plants, which many of us – when we first encounter lichens – identify them as, even though that’s not what they are at all.
Part of the problem is that they’re not studied in schools because they’re awkward outsiders and are not perceived to fit in with the objectives of the science curriculum. So I was surprised to see lichens leap into the public imagination following the Just Stop Oil protest at Stonehenge at the summer solstice in June, 2024.
Just Stop Oil protesters spray an orange substance onto Stonehenge stones. Just Stop Oil
Much of the outrage seemed to be in reaction to a quote from one of the protesters about the stones being inert: “It’s time for us to think about what our civilisation will leave behind – what is our legacy? Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.” Inert? “Well, what about the rare lichens growing on them?”, was the response from some people, seeing them as separate from the stone, and for others more important even.
English Heritage, the current custodians of Stonehenge, talked about the stones as being “testament to the desire of people – from prehistoric times to today – to connect with nature, the Earth, the Sun and the Moon, as well as crucially, each other”. And this very publication printed a response suggesting we should care more about the effects of climate change on our cultural heritage rather than the inconsequential actions of the Just Stop Oil protesters.
What’s more, a senior druid said he sympathised with the group’s message but was critical of their actions at the sacred site, warning against additional measures to protect the stones, given the summer solstice is the only day in the year that people can “connect with the stones and have a proper relationship”.
Relationship – a word that is often only reserved for connections between people, or people and animals, or animals and other animals, not people and what would otherwise be something seen – in western eyes at least – as abiotic, or non-living, lifeless, inert stones. Or are they?
For a lichenologist specialising in saxicolous (or stone) lichens, what’s particularly interesting to me is what lichens have to say about stone and its inertness, its lifelessness, the sweeping “abiotic” label that western thinking assigns to it.
This is because lichens are transforming our understanding of stone in both ecological and cultural contexts, and this could have major implications not only for the conservation of our cultural heritage, but also the broader field of conservation and how we understand and relate to the natural world.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
What exactly is a lichen?
To start with, how we see lichens themselves is changing. Trying to agree on a definition of lichens that pushes them into one of science’s neat little cubby holes has proved as difficult as trying to distinguish stone from rock. A symbiotic association between a fungus (a mycobiont) and a photosynthetic partner, usually an alga or a cyanobacterium (a photobiont), is where we’d got to. And to accommodate our Linnaean classification system of living things we’ve treated them as we would a single species, naming them after the fungus.
But the reality is, whereas all those other living things are assigned a single species name to sit at the end of a single branch of Darwin’s tree of life, lichens recline over several, perhaps many branches, giving us the side-eye. They simply don’t fit. This has led some researchers to consider alternative ways of seeing them, including recently defining them as complex ecosystems due to the presence of additional microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria. This sea change has been challenged, however, and the debate about “lichenhood” looks like it will go on as it has done since the mid-1860s.
More than their biology
The notion that lichens are ecosystems, or perhaps become ecosystems, really appeals to my geographer sensibilities. It frees the lichen from species-scale thinking yet doesn’t overshadow the symbiosis that also defines certain relationships involved. What we see and define as a lichen, can in fact become more complex over time.
One of the arguments against the idea that they are ecosystems is that it would require us to include the mineral, soil or plant substratum that the lichen grows on. As scientist William Sanders writes, “For most biologists, a lichen removed from its substratum is still a lichen.”
I spend a lot of time looking at stone-dwelling lichens through a lens and under a microscope, and to me the co-habitational interplay between the stone, the lichen’s hyphae (or thread-like anchors) and its thallus (or main body) are intimate and dynamic, and ultimately a relationship that defines the lichen itself.
Lichens become more than their biology, mainly because they are in situ for such an extensive length of time and even often incorporate their substrate into their main body. Depending on the environment, individuals can colonise rock and stone for decades, centuries, thousands of years even; it’s been proposed that some of the oldest found in northern Alaska are in the range of 10-11,500 years old. And so, they blur the boundary between the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living), which occur on a continuum when you escape a species-scale view.
Verrucaria baldensis is an endolithic lichen that embeds in stone. At the surface of the stone, it can leave pits where its fruiting bodies detach. I call it the Moon Lichen because that’s exactly what it looks like up close; the surface of the Moon, the pits becoming craters. But when you look at it from above, or even in cross-section to see how it embeds in the stone, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had vanished, or was actually mainly stone. The relationship between the biology and the geology becomes so close that there seems good reason to consider the two together when observing it.
Verrucaria baldensis, a lichen that submerges in stone and is reminiscent of the Moon’s surface. Nicholas Carter, CC BY
The moment stone is quarried or exposed in some other way, colonisation of its surface begins, by cyanobacteria, algae and so on. This means that when that stone finds its way into a wall, a building, a monument or sculpture somewhere it has already started transforming, metamorphosing into something that acts alive. And so, at the surface, the stone is taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen, contributing to our net zero aspirations.
And when a lichen forms on it, in time, that stone becomes part of the lichen, and so contributing to the biodiversity of the site. We don’t see it, or think about it even, but it’s happening. We just need to start seeing stone differently, dynamically, more than the mineral. For a Unesco World Heritage Site like Blenheim Palace, where I’ve been conducting lichen surveys and whose vision is partly to enhance the ecological value of the site, seeing stone in this way is highly beneficial.
Arguably, much of how we define something depends on our relationship with it and how we choose to see it. How we value the living in relation to the non-living plays out in how we define lichens; we need to acknowledge the importance and value of both. In doing so, we are altering our perception of stone and our relationship with it. For there to be effective conservation, we need to value stone and other non-living entities because of the close relationships involved.
The reverse situation also occurs. In the field of heritage conservation, stone, the abiotic, relocated by humans, is often valued over and above the biotic, for example lichens, which can be found colonising and occupying it. We tend to want to preserve rather than conserve stone when it comes to cultural monuments and structures, so huge sums of money are spent on cleaning historic buildings and sculptures, including on the use of biocides, many of which can be dangerous for human health and the environment.
Metaphors for resistance and resilience
It’s when we start to understand the cultural contributions as well as the ecological and conservation benefits of lichens to heritage that we start to lean towards and come up with more effective nature-based solutions in relation to the deterioration of stonework.
After all, lichens occur in our folklore, and have stories to tell, and so bring a flavour of intangible cultural heritage, as well as sometimes protecting stone surfaces from other deteriorative agents. What’s interesting here is that heritage scientists have often talked about stone in human terms, when diagnosing decay for example. So stone forms blisters and has a memory even, storing past traumas related to environmental pollution.
And lichens are also influencing a cultural and artistic re-evaluation of stone, such that contemporary artists and writers are exploring the symbiotic relationships lichens have with stone, viewing them as metaphors for resistance, resilience and interconnection. In this way, lichens highlight stone’s living narrative, bridging biology and geology in relation to the human condition.
There’s an interesting parallel to draw here in terms of life defined by relationships. A developing theme in anthropology focuses on the intra-actions among humans and the mineral world. In her article on this, Nadia Breda’s ethnography discovers a European form of animism that “attributed subjectivity, intentionality, ability and agency to non-humans, revealing an interspecies network of relationships hidden by the western naturalistic worldview”.
In the company of the Piave, an Italian river where water and stones were described by old gatherers as living beings, Breda signposts an anthropology of life where “stones are living in this moving world of humans, stones and water” in a world where “life is not an intrinsic property of objects but a condition of being dependent on the context, and vitality is not a property of isolated individuals, but of the total field or relationships in which they are interacting.”
By observing lichens and listening to voices outside of a western perspective, we see stone as something more than lifeless, a way of reconnecting with the natural world – which we desperately need.
We form relationships and emotional attachments to the biological world with relative ease, but we need to nurture these connections with physical elements too, and not just when they hold cultural or symbolic significance. As such, we need to advocate for soil integrity, for example, as much as for saving endangered species. Ethical debates such as rights and conservation should not just focus on the biological, and what we see as the physical must be spoken about in terms of moral obligations.
Stone is significant to lichens as well as many human cultures, representing more than inert matter, carrying meaning, history and spiritual significance. Focusing too rigidly on a binary distinction obscures the integrated nature of ecosystems and diminishes these broader environmental and human connections, which can offer valuable insights into sustainability and environmental stewardship. This is less about making distinctions, but building more connections.
Nicholas Carter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The pressure of decarbonising industrial sectors is weighing on workers.
The UK’s Labour government seeks a low-carbon and homegrown energy supply by 2030. The scale and pace of this transformation is unprecedented in the country’s power sector, and will involve building twice as much transmission infrastructure (pylons, cables, substations) in the next five years as was built over the last decade.
Much of the workforce will be drawn from the construction sector, which employs 2.3 million people. Construction forms the dominant supply chain to the 17 major infrastructure projects involved in an overhaul of the electricity grid that will connect new wind farms in the North Sea and northern Scotland to homes and businesses across Great Britain.
The workers “on the tools” who will carry out much of this transformation are struggling. The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests that the suicide risk of construction workers is three times higher than the male national average. Scholars of construction project management have identified a toxic workplace culture in the industry, citing aggressive market competition and demanding performance metrics.
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This is a problem that is largely being ignored. When planners at the National Energy System Operator assessed the UK’s capacity to build a clean power sector by 2030, they considered the absolute number of workers needed, the skills required and how employment is changing in the sector.
Their assessment failed to consider the broader implications for workforce mental health and wellbeing of such a quick and comprehensive upgrade – but it is people who are going through a rapid transition, not just infrastructure.
Construction workers already endure long hours and stress due to tight deadlines. A rapid transition to green power will substantially increase their workload, unless managed carefully.
Our report, published July 2024, looked into wellbeing and suicide in the construction industry. We concluded that the UK government, major infrastructure owners such as National Grid and their supply chain partners who provide specialist design and construction services, must work together to solve this problem.
Major infrastructure owners offer mental health services, such as confidential counselling, legal advice and financial guidance, to help their own employees manage personal or work-related issues. But most workers on the tools are not directly employed by these owners. Most are self-employed, or hired by construction firms, of which 99% are small- and medium-sized enterprises.
More than 96% of construction firms have fewer than 15 employees. Smaller suppliers of specialist trade skills, like electrical and mechanical installation, have fewer employment protections and more compressed schedules, and are even less likely to have the capacity to provide these services.
Some infrastructure owners and big construction companies extend their health and wellbeing services to these smaller suppliers. However, in an industry that is dominated by competitive tendering, which favours suppliers that keep costs low, it is no surprise that uptake has been low.
Owners of infrastructure assets like electricity pylons and substations can drive workplace improvements by adopting procurement models that prioritise suppliers that are offering measures to improve worker wellbeing.
Research from one of us (Jing Xu) and fellow project management expert Yanga Wu, has shown that the top-down prescriptive approach traditionally applied to health and safety in construction does not work for wellbeing. This requires a bottom-up approach, that makes it easy for workers to tell managers what they are struggling with and what they think would help.
The construction sector also faces a shortage of workers and skills required for the green transition. The industry training board forecasts that the industry must attract the equivalent of 50,300 extra workers a year to meet expected levels of work over the next five years.
In the power sector, however, there is the additional complication of an ageing workforce, as well as differences in employment conditions between permanent and contract staff. Key expertise is at risk of being lost with retirements. Older workers often face additional pressure, not only to meet performance targets but also to compensate for gaps in expertise, and all within a fast-paced environment.
To improve mental health and wellbeing among a diverse workforce requires engaging with workers directly and ensuring their voices are heard. This involves more than upgrading technical skills. Research to better understand how organisations can care for their workforce in the context of increasing pressures due to achieving net zero is also vital.
Further research and collaboration with infrastructure owners and major construction contractors could help manage the risks and provide valuable insights for other sectors that will need to follow suit, such as heating, transport and agriculture.
It is imperative to consider what a transition means: the technical transition of replacing outmoded technology, as well as the social transition, which prioritises not only skills but workplace mental health. Without a focus on both policy and people, clean power will not be delivered.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Oestrogen and progesterone are the primary sex hormones in females, playing powerful roles throughout life – from puberty and periods to pregnancy and eventually menopause.
During adolescence, these hormones surge, kick-starting the menstrual cycle. In adulthood, they fluctuate month to month, driving ovulation and menstruation. But between the ages of 45 and 55, their levels start to decline.
This signals the beginning of perimenopause – the transitional phase leading to menopause, which is officially marked when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. After that, hormone levels settle at a lower, steady baseline, ushering in the postmenopausal stage.
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Oestrogen and progesterone don’t just affect the reproductive system, they also act directly on the brain. Both hormones can cross the blood-brain barrier and influence neural function. Oestrogen tends to excite brain activity, enhancing alertness and mood, while progesterone is more calming and balancing.
When these hormone levels begin to fluctuate during perimenopause, they can disrupt many of the systems they regulate, especially in the brain. Common symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, memory problems, mood swings, poor sleep and even depression are not just nuisances. They’re signs that the central nervous system is being affected.
These neurological symptoms can have a domino effect on physical and mental health. In fact, research shows thatwomen are more likely than men to experience frailty and cognitive decline in later life – a trend that may be linked to the hormonal shifts around menopause.
That’s why it’s so important to approach menopause as a whole-body, whole-brain experience and not just a reproductive event.
Experiences of menopause
Along with colleagues from Nottingham Trent and Northumbria universities, I conducted research that explored how women describe their personal experiences of menopause. The findings were eye opening.
When asked to sum up menopause in one word, participants offered responses like:
“Anxiety.” “Horrific.” “Bizarre.” “Depression.” Many expressed frustration at the lack of clear, trustworthy information and a feeling of isolation. One woman said: “I don’t know what my body is capable of doing from one minute to the next … the pain, it’s just horrible.”
Another described overwhelming fatigue: “I haven’t got the energy I had when I was young.” While others reported profound mental health struggles: “I had this thing where I hated myself”, “I would have a rage within me, which wasn’t me normally”, “I had depressive episodes and was very poorly.” One participant reported that she was “feeling overwhelmed and panicked about doing anything, even leaving the house”.
These stories reveal the reality behind the statistics – menopause can be deeply destabilising, and for some women, life altering.
The more symptoms women experience, the more their quality of life can be affected. But there is hope. Research shows that higher levels of physical activity are linked to fewer and less severe menopausal symptoms.
That’s why our research team has taken our findings beyond the lab. Through public events and workshops, we’re helping women learn about how nutrition, brain health, and exercise can support them through the menopausal transition. And the impact goes beyond biology: gaining knowledge has been shown to boost self-confidence and help women feel more in control and less alone.
There’s still much to learn about the full impact of menopause on the brain and body, but one thing is clear: supporting women through this major life stage is not optional – it’s essential.
By continuing to share knowledge, break taboos and support one another, we can change the story of menopause from one of confusion and isolation to one of empowerment, understanding and resilience.
Jessica Piasecki receives funding from The Royal Society and MyAge. She is affiliated with Power Group — National Institute of Women’s Health and Performance and Relative Energy .Deficiency-Sport (RED-S) interest group
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Friday highlighted the transformative role of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in India’s energy landscape. He noted that PNG is now supplying clean fuel to over 1.47 crore households, approximately 45,000 commercial establishments, and more than 20,000 industries across the country.
In a post on social media platform X, Puri stated, “Over the last decade, commercial PNG connections have increased by 164%, while industrial connections have surged by a remarkable 308%.”
He described PNG as an eco-friendly and cost-effective energy solution, adding, “It helps industries cut down fuel expenses, thereby lowering production costs and improving profitability.”
The Minister also underlined the logistical benefits of PNG, saying the 24×7 pipeline supply ensures uninterrupted operations without the challenges of storage or fuel shortages.
Calling it a safer energy option, Puri pointed out that PNG reduces the risk of gas leaks and is particularly advantageous for commercial centres and industrial units.
He further noted that the expanding adoption of PNG is significantly benefiting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), aiding in job creation and strengthening local economies. “The commercial adoption of PNG is playing a crucial role in supporting SMEs, which in turn contributes to employment generation and bolsters local economic development,” he said.
This growth comes on the back of a massive expansion of the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network over the past decade, driven by sustained government efforts. The CGD infrastructure now covers 100% of India’s population, marking a milestone in accessibility to clean energy.
According to official figures, commercial PNG connections have risen to 45,000, a 164% increase, while industrial connections have crossed the 20,000 mark, registering a 308% growth.
Earlier this month, on May 5, Puri also highlighted the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Sharing insights on X, he showcased how the scheme has brought transformative changes to underprivileged communities, expanding access to clean cooking fuel.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
GABORONE, Botswana, May 16, 2025/APO Group/ —
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $304 million loan to Botswana to support the southern African country in managing mounting fiscal challenges and implementing key governance and economic reforms.
The funding, approved by the Bank Group’s Board of Directors on Wednesday, will finance the Governance and Economic Resilience Support Programme (GERSP), a one-year general budget support operation covering the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
The facility aims to cushion Botswana from the financial shock triggered by declining diamond revenues, while advancing critical reforms to enhance fiscal transparency, boost revenue collection, and promote private sector-led growth.
Botswana’s economy contracted by 1.7% in 2024, primarily due to weak global demand for diamonds, which account for approximately 80% of the country’s exports. The country’s fiscal deficit widened — from a balanced budget in 2022/23 to 4.7% of GDP in the 2023/24 financial year–– and is projected to reach 6.7% in the current fiscal year.
“This operation comes at a critical time for Botswana,” said Moono Mupotola, Deputy Director General for Southern Africa and Country Manager at the African Development Bank Group. “We will work with the new administration to implement reforms that will deepen fiscal sustainability, strengthen transparency, and create a more business-friendly environment for economic diversification.”
The GERSP is structured around two main pillars: Strengthening fiscal sustainability and transparency, and stimulating economic growth. It includes measures to increase domestic revenue mobilization, curb illicit financial flows, and enhance public expenditure efficiency and accountability.
The program also targets support for micro, small, and medium enterprises, particularly those led by women and youth, to create jobs and reduce inequality.
The operation is a transitional measure to address short-term budget pressures while engaging with Botswana’s new government, elected in November 2024, on long-term development goals.
“The African Development Bank is committed to supporting Botswana’s ambitious socioeconomic development agenda through credible and transformational reforms, project and program financing, and continuous policy dialogue”, said Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the Bank’s Director of Governance and Economic Reforms.
The new loan builds on the Bank’s prior support to Botswana, including the Economic Recovery Support Programme implemented in 2021-2022, which had $200 million cofinancing from the OPEC Fund for International Development.
The current program aligns with the Bank’s Country Strategy Paper for Botswana (2022-2026), which prioritizes building economic resilience through support for economic governance and private sector development.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
05.15.25
Senator Stresses Importance of Improving Grid Reliability & Affordability, Rescinding Overreach by Biden Administration
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week urged Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to provide regulatory certainty to the nation’s energy producers and ensure the federal government respects private property rights. In particular, Hoeven highlighted the importance of:
Improving the reliability and affordability of the electrical grid.
Hoeven pointed to reports from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) showing that the loss of baseload power, including from the premature retirement of coal-fired electric plants, has undermined grid reliability.
The senator urged Zeldin to follow through on rolling back regulatory overreach from the Biden administration, including reining in Biden-era rules like the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) and Clean Power Plan 2.0 rules.
Restoring the traditional definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) to protect both private property rights and the role of states in managing the water within their borders.
The expanded WOTUS definition, advanced by both the Obama and Biden administrations, sought to reach beyond the federal regulatory authority established under the Clean Water Act.
These rules would have imposed unworkable mandates, burdensome new permitting requirements and compliance costs on landowners, energy and agriculture producers and other industries.
Accordingly, Hoeven worked to protect against the implementation of the expansive WOTUS rules advanced by both the Obama and Biden administrations.
The senator is supporting the Trump administration in providing regulatory certainty and bringing the WOTUS rule into compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA.
“The Biden administration imposed a regulatory blizzard on this nation, overreaching its legal authority to advance rules that punished our coal, oil and gas producers and created new burdens impacting a wide range of industries,” said Hoeven. “As a result, we saw the premature retirement of baseload, coal-fired power plants, which are critical to the reliable operation of the electrical grid. This undermined our energy security and is absolutely the wrong approach for our nation. Instead, we need to empower technological innovation, like we’re doing with CCUS in North Dakota. At the same time, we will continue working with Administrator Zeldin and the Trump administration to roll back President Biden’s harmful policies, provide regulatory certainty and ensure the federal government respects private property rights. That’s how we can make the U.S. energy dominant while improving environmental stewardship.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chair Lori Trahan (MA-03) issued the following statement after Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced their partisan reconciliation package, which will cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and result in at least 13.7 million Americans losing health coverage, to the House floor: “Over the past 26 hours, House Republicans have rejected every single Democratic amendment – amendments that would have protected Americans’ health care, lowered out-of-pocket costs for working families, kept pollution out of our children’s schools, and so much more. Instead, every Republican member of this Committee voted to preserve a cruel and reckless bill that will rip health coverage away from millions of Americans.” “Republican members like Nick Begich (AK-AL) and Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) now face a clear choice. One in three Alaskans rely on Medicaid. One in four people in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District depend on it too. Will they stand with their constituents and reject a proposal that threatens their health care and makes their bills more expensive? Or will they fall in line behind Donald Trump’s promise to slash taxes for the billionaires like Elon Musk who bankrolled his campaign?” “This bill isn’t just bad policy – it’s a betrayal of the people we were sent here to represent. I’ll keep fighting alongside my Democratic colleagues to stop it and to protect every American’s right to access affordable, quality health care.”
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
PARIS, France, May 16, 2025/APO Group/ —
The Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris featured a standout session this year with the Premier Invest Deal Room, a platform that spotlighted over $10 billion worth of oil, gas and renewable energy projects seeking investment across Africa and the broader energy frontier.
“This is a platform to showcase interesting opportunities across Africa that we are advising on,” said Marcel Awasum, Head of Business Development for Premier Invest. “All of the deals we are advising on, we are also mobilizing capital for – from family offices to private equity in oil and gas – mostly from the Middle East, and some from Europe.”
The session featured 17 active deals spanning upstream, midstream, trading and renewable segments, underscoring the breadth of investment potential across the African continent and beyond. One of the flagship opportunities was the development of a 200,000-barrel-per-day crude oil refinery, seeking $4.8 billion in combined equity and debt to meet growing regional demand for refined products. Another deal sought $50 million through a 360-day revolving letter of credit facility to support the import of refined petroleum products.
Exploration and production prospects were also on the table, including a development project offering up to 40% participating interest to qualified investors, as well as an African oil and gas company seeking a $30 million capital injection, strategic partnership and offtake agreement to enhance its trade capacity and expand upstream.
Refining featured prominently among the deals, with one project calling for €2-5 billion to expand national capacity – open to debt, equity and strategic partnerships. A separate opportunity involved a $25 million equity investment in a highly prospective offshore Guyanese block, offering first-mover advantage with an estimated 400 million barrels of recoverable reserves.
Other ventures included the sale of a defunct Caribbean gas-to-liquids plant with a proven $50 million EBITDA when operational; an $18 million debt facility to drill additional wells in an active production field; and a fast-moving $360 million field development project already attracting soft commitments. The session also featured investment opportunities in the Republic of Congo, where a special purpose vehicle is seeking a co-investor for an M&A transaction involving producing assets; a $70 million fuel importation deal in Burundi; and a $200 million financing package to support the purchase of both crude and refined products in Ivory Coast.
The session concluded with five renewable energy projects seeking over $725 million in investment. This included $362 million for a 70 MW geothermal project in Kenya, $92 million for a 71 MW hybrid solar PV and wind project in Zambia, $87 million for a 100 MW solar PV project in South Africa, and two clean-gas projects – one in Benin (43 MW) and another in South Africa (100 MW) – seeking $84 million and $100 million, respectively.
Source: The White House
The One, Big, Beautiful Bill is a generational chance to protect Medicaid for Americans by removing at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the program.
Read more in Breitbart:
“House Republicans are moving to block an estimated 1.4 million illegal aliens from receiving American taxpayer-funded Medicaid as Democrats struggle to message their support for the unpopular position.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee completed its markup of its portion of the budget reconciliation bill Wednesday morning after an all-night session which included a provision blocking anyone unable to verify citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status from coverage.
The committee projects 1.4 million illegal aliens will be removed from the program due to those requirements.”
For more than 80 years, colleges and universities across the country have collaborated with the federal government on research and innovation that has changed the world. UConn is proud of its longstanding relationships with agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the departments of Energy and Defense, and multitudes of other funders who have enabled the discoveries that define our society.
Connecticut’s workforce and economy, public health, and technological ingenuity are intertwined with the research that takes place in Storrs, at UConn Health in Farmington, and campuses across the state. UConn, like other universities across the nation, carries out critical research in facilities and with the expertise required to move America forward.
This report and website illustrate the impact of UConn’s research enterprise. It outlines the University’s influence on Connecticut, the breakthroughs made in fields from healthcare to national security, and the importance of continued federal financial support.
For more information, please visit research.uconn.edu.
Source: The White House
BUILDING LASTING PROSPERITY FOR AMERICA AND OUR ALLIES: Today in Abu Dhabi, President Donald J. Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates—bringing the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over $2 trillion.
President Trump continues to advance the interests of the American people, enhancing market access for American exporters to strengthen our economic and national security.
These deals will significantly expand investment in the United States and U.S. market access in the United Arab Emirates.
The following represent just a few of the many transformative deals secured in the United Arab Emirates:
Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 American-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE engines. With the inclusion of the next-generation 777X in its fleet plan, the investment deepens the longstanding commercial aviation partnership between the UAE and the United States, fueling American manufacturing, driving exports, and supporting 60,000 U.S. jobs.
In Oklahoma, Emirates Global Aluminum will invest to develop a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project, one of the first new aluminum smelters in America in 45 years, that will create a thousand jobs in America, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, and double current U.S. production capacity.
In line with President Trump’s executive order to unleash American energy leadership worldwide, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources are partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for expanded oil and natural gas production valued at $60 billion that will help lower energy costs and create hundreds of skilled jobs in both countries.
RTX is partnering with Emirates Global Aluminum and the UAE’s Tawazun Council on a pioneering Gallium project that will help secure and stabilize the United States’ critical mineral supply chain. By diversifying sources of this essential input for semiconductors and defense technologies, the partnership strengthens America’s supply security, supports high-tech manufacturing, and creates jobs across the U.S. critical minerals and defense industrial base.
Qualcomm is expanding its global innovation footprint through partnerships with ADIO and e&. A new Global Engineering Center in Abu Dhabi will focus on AI, data centers, and industrial IoT – advancing the UAE’s digital transformation while supporting U.S. research, engineering jobs and demand for American technologies. Meanwhile, the collaboration with e& accelerates the deployment of advanced connectivity, edge AI, and cloud computing solutions. Together, these efforts strengthen Qualcomm’s leadership in critical technologies, fuel U.S high-tech job creation, and bolster America’s economic and national security.
Amazon Web Services, e&, and the UAE Cybersecurity Council have launched a Sovereign Cloud Launchpad to accelerate public cloud services adoption in the UAE. The initiative is expected to contribute $181 billion to the UAE’s digital economy by 2033 and includes a new UAE cybersecurity technology Innovation center. This collaboration expands demand for U.S.–developed cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity technologies, supporting high-skilled jobs in the United States and reinforcing U.S. leadership in secure digital innovation globally.
These deals lay the foundation for investment, innovation and good-paying U.S. jobs, including in frontier technologies, aerospace, energy, and critical minerals.
Today’s deals strengthen the U.S.-UAE investment and trade relationship and build on the UAE’s landmark commitment to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework that will contribute to the U.S. boom in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, biotechnology, and manufacturing.
The U.S. and UAE signed an AI agreement today that supports the $1.4 trillion investment commitment secured in March. This includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centers that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE. The agreement also contains historic commitments by the UAE to further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of U.S.-origin technology.
The U.S.-UAE AI agreement strengthens bilateral investment partnerships, ensuring U.S. security interests and dominance in AI while extending the American tech stack to an important strategic partner.
ACCELERATING TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: The strategic partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates has spanned decades and supported the prosperity and security of Americans and Emiratis. This partnership encompasses strategic cooperation in defense, trade, energy, space and diplomacy, reflecting shared interests and mutual respect.
This partnership is particularly significant thanks to the historic achievement of the Abraham Accords announced during President Trump’s first term.
The UAE stands as a significant commercial partner for the United States in the Middle East. Bilateral trade and investment have flourished, with the UAE serving as a hub for American businesses seeking opportunities in the region.
The UAE had $35 billion in foreign direct investments in the United States, supporting over 33,000 American jobs in 2023.
U.S. total goods trade with the UAE was an estimated $34.4 billion in 2024, with a U.S. trade surplus of $19.5 billion, the third largest in the world.
President Trump’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates is another opportunity to welcome new partnerships in frontier technologies, health and life sciences, mobility, entertainment, and many other fields.
NEVER TIRED OF WINNING: President Trump keeps scoring great deals for the American people, securing over $2 trillion in investment agreements with Middle Eastern nations for a more safe and prosperous future.
The $200 billion UAE deals build on the $600 billion in Saudi Arabia and $1.2 trillion in Qatar the President secured on behalf of the American people.
This comes days after President Trump announced the U.S.-UK trade agreement and a joint agreement with China in pursuit of more fair, reciprocal trade that grows good-paying jobs and prosperity in America.
While it took President Biden nearly four years to secure $1 trillion in investments, President Trump achieved this in his first month, with additional investment commitments continuing to roll in.
President Trump is accelerating investment in America and securing fair trade deals around the world, paving the way for a new Golden Age of lasting prosperity for generations to come.
Got a question about Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) and the technology involved? Experts answer some of the most common questions here.
How does CCUS work?
Olivia Powis, CEO at the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, says:
Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) is essential for reducing emissions from heavy industries. It can also be used to generate low-carbon power by gas power stations with carbon capture and storage as well as enabling hydrogen power. These sources of power are important for when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing.
This low carbon technology captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial facilities, compresses it, and then transports it by pipeline or ship for utilisation or safe and permanent storage deep under the seabed, preventing the CO2 from entering the atmosphere. The CO2 is stored in porous rocks – in old oil fields, gas fields, or saline formation – that act like a sponge and are covered by layers of trapping mechanisms such as impermeable ‘caprock’ – ensuring safe and permanent storage. The CO2 is then monitored to make sure that its stored securely.
Is CCUS a proven technology?
Professor Stuart Haszeldine, Professor of Carbon Capture and Storage at University of Edinburgh, says:
Yes, carbon capture and storage has been operating successfully and safely since 1996 at the Sleipner storage site in the North Sea, halfway between Aberdeen and Bergen. A similar project has been developed at Snøhvit offshore in Norway. Experience gained in those operations has led to the Northern Lights project, situated north of Bergen which offers secure CO2 storage commercially to European industries.
Is CCUS safe?
Professor Niall Mac Dowell, Professor in Energy Systems Engineering at Imperial College London, says:
Yes, various technical components of the carbon capture, utilisation, transport, and storage value chain have all been extensively deployed in other contexts around the world for decades. In the UK, not only can existing Health and Safety legislation effectively regulate the safety of CCUS, but we are also fortunate to have a wealth of experience in the offshore industry, which will be used to safely store the CO2 several kilometres below the seabed, in formations similar to those that have trapped natural gas for millennia.
Does CCUS help us tackle climate change?
Chris Stark, former CEO at the Climate Change Committee and Head of Mission Control for Clean Power 2030 at the Department of Energy Security & Net Zero, says:
CCUS provides the lowest cost pathway to reaching net zero which is why the independent Climate Change Committee has declared it a ‘necessity, not an option.’ CCUS gives a range of options to decarbonise that would otherwise not be possible, and it minimises the climate warming emissions released to the atmosphere on our journey to net zero. It will be an important part of our industrial future.
With an increase in renewable energy, why do we need CCUS?
Louise Stott, Deputy Director for Policy at Energy UK, says:
To help secure our energy supply, we need low-carbon power that is available at all times of the day and in all weathers. Gas-fired power stations with CCUS, used alongside all other forms of low-carbon energy generation, will be able to provide flexible power on the system. Beyond power generation, CCUS will also play an important role in the decarbonisation of heavy industry. There are certain industrial processes, such as cement production, which will only be able to decarbonise through technologies like carbon capture.
Is CCUS too expensive?
Mathilde Fajardy, Energy Analyst at the International Energy Agency, says:
CCUS technologies are critical to put energy systems around the world on a sustainable path. The cost of a project depends heavily on the source of the CO2 captured, the distance and mode used to transport it, as well as where and how it is stored. The cost of CCUS also needs to be considered against alternative decarbonisation options – in some cases, CCUS may be the only option available today.
Is there enough space to safely store carbon captured by CCUS projects?
Stuart Payne, CEO at the North Sea Transition Authority, says:
The North Sea has the potential to store up to 78 GT of CO2 in a combination of depleted oil and gas reservoirs and natural saline aquifers. That could be enough capacity on the UK Continental Shelf to store centuries worth of UK emissions. In fact, we believe we have an exceptional case for the UK to become a carbon storage centre for the world.
NEW YORK, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtual Investor Conferences, the leading proprietary investor conference series, today announced the agenda for the Precious Metals & Critical Minerals Hybrid Virtual Investor Conference. Individual investors, institutional investors, advisors, and analysts are invited to attend.
This in-person and virtual event will showcase live company presentations and interactive discussions featuring Precious Metals and Critical Minerals including Gold, Silver, Antimony, Copper, Lithium, Nickel, PGM, Rare Earth Elements, Uranium and Vanadium. Company executives and industry experts will present live from the OTC Markets Group headquarters at 300 Vesey Street in New York City. All presentations will be broadcast to the Virtual Investor Conferences community. For those who are interested in attending, there are two ways to register:
For individuals joining online, it is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. There is no cost to attend and schedule 1×1 meetings with management.
“OTC Markets is proud to host the Precious Metals & Critical Minerals Hybrid Investor Conference, presented in collaboration with Murdock Capital,TAA Advisory LLC, The Prospector, and Resource World,” said John Viglotti, SVP of Corporate Services, Investor Access at OTC Markets Group. “We are especially honored to welcome our distinguished keynote speakers, Jeff Christian, Managing Partner at CPM Group, and Jack Lifton, Senior Advisor at Energy Fuels, Inc., whose insights will be invaluable to this premier industry event.”
May 22nd
To facilitate investor relations scheduling and to view a complete calendar of Virtual Investor Conferences, please visit www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.
About Virtual Investor Conferences®
Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
HOUSTON, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Occidental (NYSE: OXY) and its subsidiary 1PointFive today announced an agreement with XRG, ADNOC’s investment company, to evaluate a potential joint venture to develop a Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility in South Texas. As part of the joint venture, XRG will consider investing up to $500 million for the development of a DAC facility designed to capture 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The Strategic DAC Framework Agreement was signed by Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub and ADNOC Group CEO Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, during U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s state visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The announcement follows several significant milestones in the development of DAC, including Occidental’s progress on STRATOS, its first DAC facility in West Texas, which is on-track to start commercial operations in 2025; further de-risking of Occidental’s DAC technology; and an award from the U.S. Department of Energy for up to $650 million to support development of the South Texas DAC Hub.
“We are proud to advance our decades-long partnership with ADNOC and XRG on our South Texas DAC Hub, which we believe will deliver game-changing technology to support U.S. energy independence and global goals. Agreements like this, along with U.S. DOE support, demonstrate continued confidence in DAC as an investable technology that can create jobs and economic value in the United States and Texas,” said Hollub.
Khaled Salmeen, Chief Operating Officer, XRG, said: “Our longstanding partnership with Occidental continues to drive scalable, high-growth and strategically attractive projects that create long-term sustainable value. The U.S. is a priority market for XRG and we look forward to building on this partnership as we continue to invest in strategic projects across the energy value chain.”
Occidental and ADNOC have been discussing opportunities to collaborate on carbon capture, utilization and storage projects in the United States and UAE since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2023.
The South Texas DAC Hub, located on the King Ranch in Kleberg County, Texas, will be close to industrial facilities and energy infrastructure along the U.S. Gulf Coast, where CO2 can be transported for use or securely stored in geologic formations. The site comprises approximately 165 square miles of acreage with the potential to store up to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). The first DAC facility at the Hub is expected to capture 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and is currently in front-engineering and design.
XRG focuses on transformational global investments that create value across natural gas, chemicals and lower-carbon energy solutions. Occidental and ADNOC have a long-standing partnership at Al Hosn Gas, one of the largest Middle Eastern natural gas developments, and onshore oil and gas development projects in the UAE.
About Occidental
Occidental is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. We are one of the largest oil and gas producers in the U.S., including a leading producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and offshore Gulf of America. Our midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of our oil and gas, and includes our Oxy Low Carbon Ventures subsidiary, which is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow our business while reducing emissions. Our chemical subsidiary OxyChem manufactures the building blocks for life-enhancing products. We are dedicated to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world.
About 1PointFive
1PointFive is a Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) company that is working to help curb global temperature rise to 1.5°C through the deployment of decarbonization solutions, including Carbon Engineering’s Direct Air Capture and AIR TO FUELS™ solutions alongside geologic sequestration hubs. Visit 1PointFive.com for more information.
AIR TO FUELS™ is a registered trademark of Carbon Engineering ULC.
About XRG
XRG is a transformative international energy investment company, focused on lower-carbon energy and chemicals, and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Wholly owned by ADNOC, XRG has an enterprise value of over $80 billion. Its portfolio includes interests in industry-leading companies that are meeting rapidly increasing global demand for lower carbon energy and the chemicals that are essential building blocks for products central to modern life.
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the agreement’s benefits and related impact on carbon emissions and Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s deployment and use of DAC technology, which are based on Occidental’s current expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates, and forecasts. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements for purposes of federal and state securities laws. Words such as “believe,” “will,” “may,” “expect,” “plan,” or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes are generally indicative of forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Unless legally required, Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update, modify, or withdraw any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and risks and uncertainties, including those that are beyond Occidental’s control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s ability to access necessary technology, to develop and employ existing or new technology on a commercial scale, to access capital, to collaborate with third parties and customers, and to receive approvals from regulatory bodies, as well as market conditions, geopolitical events, and scientific developments. Additional factors that may affect the agreement’s benefits and related impact on carbon emissions and Occidental’s and 1PointFive’s deployment and use of DAC technology can be found in Occidental’s public disclosure and its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which may be accessed at Occidental’s website at oxy.com or the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Information included herein is not necessarily material to an investor in Occidental’s securities.
