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Category: Energy

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Demand Trump Reverse Damage to Program that Helps Lower Cooling & Heating Costs for Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that the Trump Administration reinstate federal workers who run a federal program that helps lower home cooling and heating costs for hardworking families. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allows families with children and seniors on fixed incomes to stay cool in the extremely hot summers and warm in the winter. This month, every single worker who helps administer this critically important program was arbitrarily fired by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
    “Last year, LIHEAP provided over 6 million American households with the assistance they needed to heat their homes during extremely cold winters and to keep air conditioners running in the soaring heat,” wrote the Senators. “Without this bipartisan program, Americans throughout the country would be forced to make the unacceptable choice between putting food on the table, paying for prescription drugs, or heating their homes in the winter.”
    “Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate all of the LIHEAP staff that were terminated, reopen the Division of Energy Assistance (DEA) that administers this program, and disburse all of the LIHEAP funds that Congress has appropriated,” the Senators’ letter continued. “Being able to heat your home in the freezing cold and keep the air condition on in the extreme heat is not a luxury. It is a matter of life and death.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    For nearly 45 years, LIHEAP has helped families across Nevada pay home cooling bills in the summer and heating bills in the winter, and prevent energy shutoffs, restore services, make energy-related home repairs, and make homes more energy efficient. Rising energy costs have made this assistance even more important for working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. According to the Census Bureau, more than 23 percent of households report that they were unable to pay their energy bills in full last year. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: A Bridge to Progress: AfDB Executive Directors Visit Transformative Project in The Gambia

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    Standing on the Senegambia Bridge – an emblem of regional integration and economic resilience – a team of Executive Directors from the African Development Bank Group witnessed firsthand how infrastructure investment is reshaping lives in West Africa.

    “This bridge is more than steel and concrete—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when countries come together to build shared prosperity,” said Nomfundo Ngwenya, spokesperson for the mission and one of seven Executive Directors on the high-level visit.

    Fully funded by the African Development Fund, with 24 km of access roads supported by the European Union, the Senegambia Bridge is a vital artery connecting The Gambia and Senegal. It has eased cross-border transport, boosted trade, and improved daily life for thousands.

    “The difference this makes to traders, transporters, and families on both sides of the border is profound,” said Executive Director Darkortey Rufus. “We saw it. We heard it.”

    The delegation also visited several other projects with transformative impact, including:

    • The Women’s Garden in Bassori, empowering female farmers through irrigation and training, funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP)
    • The OMVG 225/30 kV substation in Soma, part of a broader push for regional energy connectivity
    • A rural Energy Access Program site in Ker Ali, bringing electricity to previously off-grid villages.

    “This is what development looks like: local, practical, and community-owned,” said Chantal Nonault, another Executive Director on the mission. “We’re not just reviewing numbers—we’re seeing results.”

    Strengthening Partnerships, Shaping Future Support

    Held from 24 – 28 February, the mission was part of the Bank’s ongoing engagement with Regional Member Countries. The delegation, representing 34 of the Bank’s 81 member nations, met with President Adama Barrow and senior officials, including Finance Minister Seedy Keita.

    President Barrow expressed appreciation for the Bank’s sustained support and welcomed the Executive Directors’ first collective visit to The Gambia. He also emphasized the government’s reform agenda and home-grown solutions designed to complement external support. He referred to the mission as being not only a vote of confidence in The Gambia’s national development path but also a strong signal about partnerships that matter.

    The visit came at a critical moment as The Gambia advances its 2023–2027 National Development Plan, focusing on economic diversification, climate adaptation, digital transformation, and domestic resource mobilization. These priorities closely align with the African Development Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033).

    Since joining the Bank in 1974, The Gambia has built a robust partnership with the institution. The current portfolio includes 17 active projects valued at $227.47 million, with transport (45%), agriculture (20%), and energy (18%) as leading sectors.

    “The hospitality of the Gambian people and the commitment of its leadership were deeply inspiring,” the EDs said in a joint statement. “We leave with a clear sense of the progress made—and what more can be done.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Regional Infrastructure Summit for Chathams

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones will take one of the largest delegations in recent years to the Chatham Islands tomorrow for his next regional summit.
    “It is important, given the relative isolation of the islands, to take the summit to the people who live there. The Chathams has an infrastructure deficit and I am going there in person to share with the locals the criteria of the Regional Infrastructure Fund and how they can apply for project funding,” Mr Jones says.
    “I expect a big turnout from the locals for this summit. Previously, the Crown funded projects through the Provincial Growth Fund. I’m keen to see how they have contributed to the local economy. Boosting resilience is critical.
    “ I am taking a large delegation including government ministers and MPs, experts in a range of fields, business leaders and officials. Energy, fishing, tourism and alternative land use are all areas which could benefit from the connections made at the summit tomorrow and I hope to hear some ambitious plans from the islanders.”
    Mr Jones will also be accompanied by the Rātana Band, a rare visit, and an acknowledgement of the historical ties between the Rātana Church and the Chathams.
    The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $580 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects.
    “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund has received more than 260 applications. Approved investments align with the Government’s focus areas of enabling growth and water storage, supporting energy generation and Māori economic development, and increasing resilience,” Mr Jones says.
    Mr Jones has so far held 11 summits around the country, with more than 1300 stakeholders attending. 
    Summits will be held for Wairarapa and Kāpiti on 9 May, and Otago on 16 May.
    The Regional Infrastructure Fund is a capital fund with the primary purpose of accelerating infrastructure projects, particularly with a focus on water storage, energy, Māori economic development, growth, and resilience.
    Committed funding includes approved funding and funding ring-fenced for specific purposes but is yet to be approved for release.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy – Equinor – Proposal on capital reduction from the company’s board of directors

    Source: Equinor

    15 APRIL 20250 – The board of directors of Equinor ASA (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) has today decided to propose to the general meeting of the company that the company’s share capital is reduced through cancellation of own shares and redemption of shares belonging to the Norwegian State.

    The proposal is made as a result of the company having acquired own shares pursuant to the authorization for share buy-back granted by the annual general meeting of the company in May 2024.

    The proposal entails that the company’s share capital shall be reduced by NOK 589,934,295 from NOK 6,981,953,075.00 to NOK 6,392,018,780.00, through cancellation and redemption of a total of 235,973,718 shares. Notice of the general meeting of the company which will attend to the board’s proposal will be announced separately at a later stage.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Euronext Oslo Børs Rulebook II section 4.2.4 and Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Joins Markey, Massachusetts Delegation Demanding Answers on Staff Cuts to Home Energy Program for Vulnerable Households

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Massachusetts has received more than 181,000 requests for heating assistance so far this fiscal year.

    Critically, Massachusetts is still waiting on HHS to release the remaining estimated 10 percent of FY2025 LIHEAP funds.

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joins Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09)—in writing to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on the sudden termination of the federal staff responsible for administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the impacts to Massachusetts families who depend on the program to stay safe, healthy, and housed.

    Massachusetts has received more than 181,000 requests for heating assistance so far this fiscal year, with more than 110,000 households already served through March 31. First-time applicants have also surged: more than 27,000 Massachusetts households applied for LIHEAP for the first time this fiscal year, 8 percent more than last year at this point. More than 58 percent of households served so far include at least one elderly member, more than 33 percent include individuals with disabilities, more than 6,500 include a veteran or active-duty military member, and more than 11,500 include young children under age five. Critically, Massachusetts is still waiting on HHS to release the remaining estimated 10 percent of FY2025 LIHEAP funds.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “Over the past decade, Massachusetts energy prices have risen two to three times more than the national average. This winter alone, rate increases in Massachusetts hit families hard, with some energy bills doubling over the heating season. In Boston, residents face some of the highest heating costs among cities nationwide. This means that many Massachusetts families are struggling to pay their utility bills.”

    The lawmakers continue, “Although LIHEAP is structured as a block grant administered primarily by states, federal staff provide essential technical assistance—from calculating the complicated allocation formula and distributing block grant funds, to guiding new state LIHEAP directors, reviewing and approving state plans, and monitoring state program implementation. This is not red tape, it is essential governance. Despite serving more than 5 million households nationwide, the entire federal LIHEAP team consisted of only 25 staff—an example of efficient, high-impact federal support.”

    The lawmakers request answers by May 1, 2025, to questions that include:

    • How does HHS plan to preserve the continuity of LIHEAP operations nationwide?
    • How does HHS plan to ensure that states such as Massachusetts can timely access the remaining FY2025 LIHEAP funds appropriated by Congress?
    • With the termination of the LIHEAP staff, who within HHS is now responsible for the program’s operation?
    • Does HHS intend to restore the terminated positions or provide an equivalent staffing structure before the 2025–2026 heating season begins?
    • What measures will HHS implement to ensure communications with state program administrators on vendor enrollment, rule changes, and reporting compliance?
    • Has HHS consulted — formally or informally — with state LIHEAP administrators or community action agencies about these staff terminations, either before or after they occurred?

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress speaking out against Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s unprecedented assault on our democracy and federal agencies, and she has been a steadfast advocate for protecting the essential services that federal workers and agencies provide.

    • On April 9, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined the Massachusetts delegation in sending a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers after the abrupt shuttering of the entire HHS Regional Office in Boston.
    • On April 9, 2025, Rep. Pressley led lawmakers in sending a letter to Trump’s trade official demanding he resign from holding multiple positions with clear conflicts of interest that would further harm federal workers.
    • On March 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s executive order to end collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees.
    • On March 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley led Massachusetts lawmakers in a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sharply criticizing and demanding answers about the impact of the Musk-Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal workers in Massachusetts.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley spoke out against the U.S. Department of Education’s mass layoffs of over 1,300 workers, which effectively guts the agency.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley voted against Republicans’ shameful government budget bill, which would harm vulnerable families and provide a blank check for Elon Musk and Donald Trump to continue their unprecedented assault on our democracy. She later issued a statement condemning its final passage in the Senate.
    • On March 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined 13 of her colleagues on a letter to the Department of Homeland Security demanding answers and the immediate release of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, whose illegal abduction is an attack on his constitutional right to free speech and due process.
    • On March 4, 2025, Rep. Pressley walked out of the House chamber in protest during Donald Trump’s presidential joint address to Congress.
    • On March 4, 2025, Rep. Pressley welcomed Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and former HUD worker who was unjustly terminated as part of Musk and Trump’s assault on federal agencies as her guest to the presidential joint address to Congress.
    • On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in a letter urging the Office of Special Counsel to immediate reinstate and expand protections for all unfairly fired federal workers.
    • On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined over 200 Democrats in filing an amicus brief defending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before a U.S. District Court.
    • On February 26, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed what true government efficiency looks like and denounced Elon Musk and Donald Trump for utilizing DOGE to gut the essential services that keep people safe, fed, and housed.
    • On February 25, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley condemned Elon Musk’s abuse of government efficiency through the fraudulent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
    • On February 25, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she railed against Republicans’ cruel budget resolution that would slash Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion.
    • On February 20, 2025, Rep. Pressley and her Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
    • On February 13, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley emphasized the critical role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in safeguarding consumers and sharply criticized Donald Trump and Elon Musk for halting the critical work of the agency.
    • On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member Maxine Waters, and advocates to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unlawful takeover of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
    • On February 11, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley criticized the Trump-Musk administration for halting the critical work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with crypto scams on the rise.
    • On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support hospitals, universities, and research institutions conducting lifesaving research.
    • On February 10, 2025, as Trump and Musk threaten to dismantle the essential work of the U.S. Department of Education, Rep.  Pressley delivered a powerful floor speech to affirm the role of public education in American democracy.
    • On February 6, 2025, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful rebuke of Republicans’ efforts to gut diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and eliminate essential services for vulnerable communities.
    • On February 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied outside the U.S. Department of Treasury to protest Elon Musk’s unlawful assault on federal agencies and our democracy.
    • On January 30, 2025, Rep. Pressley slammed Donald Trump for blaming the tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport, which killed over 60 people, including some families from Massachusetts, on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
    • In January 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s illegal freeze on federal grants and loans and its harmful impact on vulnerable communities.
    • On January 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech condemning Republicans’ cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care.
    • On January 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues to reintroduce the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, a bill to repeal an outdated law that has been used to target innocent immigrants without due process rights.
    • On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Winter electricity prices are rising – how do we know we’re getting value for money?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Meade, Adjunct Associate Professor, Griffith University, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University

    Shutterstock

    Winter is coming to New Zealand and Australia, and with it come those inevitably higher power bills from heating our homes.

    But even without that seasonal spike, household power bills were already set to rise by NZ$10 to $25 a month in New Zealand and up to A$9 a month in parts of Australia.

    This is not, as some might assume, because electricity suppliers are acting uncompetitively. It’s because regulators are increasing charges for long-distance electricity transmission (pylons and substations) and short-distance distribution (poles and wires).

    Those charges together make up around 40% of power bills on average, so the price increases matter. In New Zealand, an average 15% of household budgets is spent on electricity. The proportion going towards those infrastructure costs is higher for low-income, regional and rural households.

    To put this another way, these fixed parts of our power bills can equal what a typical household spends on mobile phones, public transport or water services.

    Transmission and distribution services are regulated because they are provided by monopolies. Regulators such as the Commerce Commission in New Zealand and the Australian Energy Regulator in eastern Australia try to set reasonable prices while still allowing those firms enough money to provide reliable services.

    However, this old regulatory model is being challenged by changing consumer behaviour. Households are increasingly electrifying, switching to heat pumps for space and water heating, and electric vehicles (EVs) for personal transport.

    Regulators want to ensure the reliability of electricity supply doesn’t significantly decline. But households that rely on electricity want greater reliability – especially with growing demand for “smart” appliances that can be damaged by outages.

    Quality versus quantity

    Unfortunately, history is a poor guide to how regulation should ensure these future reliability needs are met. Furthermore, electricity is an unusual “product” – the quantity we consume is often an afterthought, while the affordability and quality of supply are more top of mind.

    Importantly, quality means much more to consumers than just reliability. It includes how well outages are planned and communicated, how easy it is to get help and updates when things go wrong, new connection times, and the voltage stability modern appliances require.

    What constitutes good service might also include customer charters or other guarantees of minimum acceptable expectations, as well as compensation schemes.

    Beyond these options, however, the very basis for regulation is being upturned as households invest in rooftop solar panels, home batteries and electric vehicles (EVs). The competition offered by these new technologies means distribution companies are no longer monopoly providers because households can get electricity in new ways.

    This also means households expect new services from those providers – such as being able to sell electricity to others (including to distribution companies themselves to help them maintain reliable supply).

    Smart appliances, solar power and EVs are all changing consumer expectations of the electricity market.
    Shutterstock

    What customers really want

    Historically, electricity regulation has responded to emerging challenges like these with “bolt-on” solutions. Each one tries to address a specific issue individually, but not in a coherent and joined-up way.

    Overall, how and why we regulate electricity transmission and distribution need rethinking from the ground up, not more rounds of regulatory whack-a-mole. Consumer preferences need to be more than a vague overriding objective. They need to be at the heart of regulation.

    New Zealand’s Commerce Commission already exempts many distribution firms from much regulation because they are owned and governed by customers. And regulators in other English-speaking countries, including Australia, increasingly rely on consumer forums and other channels to indirectly and only partially identify consumer preferences.

    But neither model obtains directly usable information about what consumers want – from those consumers themselves. Unsurprisingly, customer preferences are not widely or systematically reflected in regulation.

    Besides, asking customers about quality and reliability of service assumes they can clearly articulate what they care about and what value they attach to them in ways regulators can use.

    Value for money

    One solution is to use a direct measure of consumer satisfaction. We developed and applied a version of this in recent research involving a survey of Swedish electricity customers.

    We measured satisfaction by asking consumers to rate the “value for money” they perceived from their distribution firm, ranging from zero (lowest) to five (highest).

    Perceptions of quality can vary and are inherently subjective. But value for money can be interpreted as a ratio of quality to price: higher quality means higher value for money, higher price means lower value for money. From this, we obtained an objective measure of overall customer satisfaction levels.

    As might be expected, we found value for money tended to be higher for customers of distribution firms owned and controlled by those customers. But directly measuring customer satisfaction in this way could be a good basis for regulation reform in general.

    We still need to better understand how customer satisfaction is affected by regulatory decisions. This has always been the case, but it is especially true now that fundamental changes are happening in the sector.

    Electricity customers heading into winter might be happier with rising transmission and distribution prices if they were confident regulation genuinely improved their overall value for money.

    Business as usual, on the other hand, may offer them only cold comfort.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Winter electricity prices are rising – how do we know we’re getting value for money? – https://theconversation.com/winter-electricity-prices-are-rising-how-do-we-know-were-getting-value-for-money-254198

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Meets with Community Pharmacists in Dublin

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) met with members of Martin’s Pharmacy and other community pharmacists in Dublin, Virginia. Mr. William Hale, owner of Martin’s Pharmacy, invited Representative Griffith and led the discussions.

    “Community pharmacies face unique challenges when serving their local populations with critical medicines and drugs. I am grateful for the dedicated workers of Martin’s Pharmacy and all community pharmacies in the region who tend to the medical needs of their community. I thank Mr. Hale, his staff and all the pharmacists in attendance for bringing to my attention issues important to them,” said Representative Griffith.

    “We appreciate Representative Griffith taking the time to stop by the pharmacy and check in with us, Mr. Griffith has always been an avid supporter of independent community pharmacies.  Representative Griffith’s fight to hold the Pharmacy Benefit Managers accountable for their actions and bring transparency to their tactics is essential to keep community pharmacies open and serving their communities,” said Mr. Hale.

    BACKGROUND

    Representative Griffith sits on the House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee, which oversees health care policy and Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform.

    The Health Subcommittee held a hearing in February on PBM reform entitled “An Examination of How Reining in PBMs Will Drive Competition and Lower Costs for Patients.”

    Representative Griffith’s questions from that hearing can be found here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Par Pacific Announces First Quarter 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call Schedule

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR) (“Par Pacific”) today announced that it will release its first quarter 2025 results after the New York Stock Exchange closes on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. This release will be followed by a conference call for investors on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern). The full text of the release will be available on Par Pacific’s website at http://www.parpacific.com.

    Par Pacific First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call
    Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    9:00 a.m. Central time (10:00 a.m. Eastern)
    Dial-in number: 1-833-974-2377 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-5782 (toll)

    Individuals who would like to participate should dial the applicable dial-in number at least 10 minutes before the scheduled conference call time.

    To access the live audio webcast and related presentation materials, please visit the Investors section of Par Pacific’s website at http://www.parpacific.com.

    A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-0088 (toll). The passcode for the replay is 2659885. The replay will be available until May 21, 2025.

    About Par Pacific

    Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a growing energy company providing both renewable and conventional fuels to the western United States. Par Pacific owns and operates 219,000 bpd of combined refining capacity across four locations in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, and an extensive energy infrastructure network, including 13 million barrels of storage, and marine, rail, rack, and pipeline assets. In addition, Par Pacific operates the Hele retail brand in Hawaii and the “nomnom” convenience store chain in the Pacific Northwest. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. More information is available at www.parpacific.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Ashimi Patel
    VP, Investor Relations & Sustainability
    (832) 916-3355
    apatel@parpacific.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: PrairieSky Announces First Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (“PrairieSky” or the “Company”) (TSX: PSK) is pleased to announce its first quarter operating and financial results for the period ended March 31, 2025.

    First Quarter Highlights:

    • Oil royalty production volumes averaged a record 13,502 barrels per day, a 3% increase over Q1 2024(1). Total royalty production averaged 25,339 BOE per day, a 3% decrease from Q1 2024 due to declines in natural gas and NGL production.
    • Royalty production revenue of $119.9 million combined with other revenue of $8.2 million to generate total revenues of $128.1 million for Q1 2025(1). Other revenue included bonus consideration of $5.0 million earned on entering into 52 new leasing arrangements focused on Duvernay light oil and Mannville light and heavy oil targets.
    • Funds from operations totaled $85.8 million or $0.36 per share, an increase of 3% over Q1 2024 primarily due to increased oil royalty revenue with higher oil royalty production volumes combined with narrowed oil price differentials.
    • Declared a first quarter dividend of $61.2 million ($0.26 per common share), representing a payout ratio of 71%.
    • Purchased and cancelled 3,415,900 common shares under the Company’s normal course issuer bid (“NCIB”) for $90.0 million.
    • Completed acquisitions of both producing and non-producing royalty interests for $63.6 million, including the previously announced $50.0 million acquisition, before customary closing adjustments, of fee lands, lessor interests and gross overriding royalty interests in Central Alberta and Southeast Saskatchewan, as well as incremental royalty interests in the Duvernay, Clearwater and Mannville.
    • Net debt totaled $258.8 million as at March 31, 2025.
    		  


    President’s Message

    It was a busy first quarter across PrairieSky’s royalty properties with 200 wells spud on PrairieSky’s royalty acreage at an average royalty rate of 6.9%, an increase from 174 wells spud in Q1 2024 at an average royalty rate of 6.0%. In addition to robust activity in the Mannville heavy oil play with 39 wells spud, there were 20 wells spud in the Clearwater, 15 wells spud in the Duvernay light oil play, 8 wells spud in the liquids-rich Montney, and an incremental 118 oil and natural gas wells spud elsewhere across the basin.

    PrairieSky earned $119.9 in royalty revenues, 93% liquids, from total royalty production volumes of 25,339 BOE per day in Q1 2025, 3% lower than Q1 2024. Oil royalty revenue totaled $101.1 million, a 10% increase over Q1 2024, and was generated from record oil royalty production of 13,502 barrels per day, an increase of 3% over Q1 2024. Oil royalty production volumes were positively impacted by continued activity in the Clearwater, Mannville and Duvernay and the addition of 177 barrels per day of production from the previously announced royalty acquisition that closed on January 10, 2025. Natural gas royalty production added 55.9 MMcf per day, a decrease of 10% from Q1 2024, and included an estimate of 1.1 MMcf per day of downtime related to cold weather in the quarter. Natural gas royalty production added $8.7 million of royalty revenue with continued weak natural gas benchmark pricing with daily AECO index pricing averaging $2.16 per Mcf, a decrease of 14% from Q1 2024. NGL royalty production averaged 2,520 barrels per day, a slight decrease of 1% from Q1 2024. NGL royalty production generated total NGL royalty revenue of $10.1 million in the quarter.

    Other revenue totaled $8.2 million in Q1 2025 and included $5.0 million in bonus consideration from entering into 52 new leases with 39 separate counterparties. In addition to active leasing in the quarter, PrairieSky acquired incremental producing and non-producing royalty interests focused on heavy and light oil plays in Central Alberta and Saskatchewan for $63.6 million. Acquisitions included the previously announced purchase of fee lands, lessor interests and gross overriding royalty interests for cash consideration of $50.0 million, before customary closing adjustments, which closed on January 10, 2025.

    Funds from operations totaled $85.8 million ($0.36 per share) in the quarter. PrairieSky declared a dividend of $0.26 per share or $61.2 million in the quarter with a resulting payout ratio of 71%. Excess funds from operations were allocated to acquisitions, including the purchase and cancellation of common shares under PrairieSky’s NCIB. Under the NCIB, PrairieSky purchased 3,415,900 common shares at a weighted average price of $26.36 per share for $90.0 million, including commissions and before income tax of $1.8 million. The NCIB is a key component of our capital allocation strategy and the recent share repurchase represents a high-quality acquisition of 1.4% more of the business, equivalent to purchasing approximately 259,000 acres of royalty lands. Repurchased common shares were cancelled prior to PrairieSky’s March 31, 2025 dividend record date. Share repurchases were funded using PrairieSky’s credit facility, which PrairieSky expects to pay down using excess cash flow above its quarterly dividend over time. At March 31, 2025, PrairieSky maintained a strong balance sheet with net debt of $258.8 million.

    We will be holding our 2025 investor day and releasing our updated Royalty Playbook on May 14, 2025 which will highlight the unique attributes of our long-duration, high margin business model. The investor day will be broadcast via webcast for interested parties. Thank you to our staff for their hard work and our shareholders for their continued support.

    Andrew Phillips, President & CEO

    ACTIVITY ON PRAIRIESKY’S ROYALTY PROPERTIES

    Third-party operators spud 200 wells in Q1 2025 (Q1 2024 – 174 wells) comprised of 108 wells on gross overriding royalty acreage, 81 wells on fee lands, and 11 unit wells. There were a total of 186 oil wells (93% of wells) spud during the quarter which included 53 Mannville light and heavy oil wells, 38 Viking wells, 20 Clearwater wells, 17 Mississippian wells, 15 Duvernay wells and 43 additional oil wells across Alberta and Saskatchewan and including 11 Lindbergh and 6 Onion Lake thermal oil wells which are expected to come on production in 2026. There were 14 natural gas wells spud in Q1 2025 including 8 Montney wells as well as additional gas wells in the Mannville, Spirit River and Duvernay formations. PrairieSky’s average royalty rate for wells spud in Q1 2025 was 6.9% (Q1 2024 – 6.0%).

    NORMAL COURSE ISSUER BID

    PrairieSky will apply to the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) to extend its NCIB for an additional one-year period. The renewal of the NCIB has been approved by the Company’s board of directors; however, the NCIB, including the limit of purchases thereunder, will be subject to acceptance by the TSX and, if accepted, will be made in accordance with the applicable rules and policies of the TSX and applicable securities laws. Under the NCIB, common shares may be repurchased in open market transactions on the TSX, and/or other Canadian exchanges or alternative trading systems. The price that PrairieSky will pay for common shares in open market transactions will be the market price at the time of purchase. Common shares acquired under the NCIB will be cancelled. If approved, the NCIB is expected to commence shortly after regulatory approvals are obtained and after expiry of the current program on June 3, 2025.

    PrairieSky believes renewing the NCIB as part of its capital management strategy is in the best interests of the Company and represents an attractive opportunity to use cash resources to reduce PrairieSky’s share count over time and thereby enhance the value of the common shares held by remaining shareholders. Decisions regarding increases to the NCIB will be based on market conditions, share price, best use of funds from operations, and other factors including debt repayment and options to expand our portfolio of royalty assets.

    2025 INVESTOR DAY

    PrairieSky will be hosting an investor day on May 14, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta, where members of PrairieSky’s management team will present details on the Company’s oil and natural gas plays. The investor day will be webcast starting at 9:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 a.m. EDT). Interested parties may participate in the webcast which will be available through PrairieSky’s investor center at www.prairiesky.com. The webcast will be archived and accessible for replay after the event.

    NOTES AND REFERENCES

    (1)    In this press release, the financial reporting periods are referred to as follows: “Q1 2025” or “the quarter” refers to the three months ended March 31, 2025; “Q1 2024” refers to the three months ended March 31, 2024.

    Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, terms used in this press release but not defined above are as defined in in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

    FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

    The following table summarizes select operational and financial information of the Company for the periods noted. All dollar amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

    A full version of PrairieSky’s management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) and unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2025 are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

        Three months ended
        March 31 December 31 March 31
    ($ millions, except $ per share or as otherwise noted)   2025 2024 2024
    FINANCIAL        
    Royalty production revenue     119.9     115.6     113.2  
    Other revenue     8.2     20.0     7.5  
    Revenues     128.1     135.6     120.7  
             
    Funds from operations     85.8     99.0     83.0  
    Per share – basic and diluted(1)     0.36     0.41     0.35  
             
    Net earnings     58.4     60.2     47.5  
    Per share – basic and diluted(1)     0.25     0.25     0.20  
             
    Dividends declared(2)     61.2     59.9     59.7  
    Per share     0.26     0.25     0.25  
             
    Dividend payout ratio(3)   71 % 61 % 72 %
             
    Acquisitions – including non-cash consideration(4)     63.6     31.5     8.8  
    Net debt(5)     258.8     134.9     208.3  
    Common share repurchases, inclusive of all costs     91.8     –     –  
             
    Shares outstanding (millions)        
    Shares outstanding at period end     235.5     239.0     239.0  
    Weighted average – basic and diluted     238.3     239.0     239.0  
             
    OPERATIONAL        
    Royalty production volumes        
    Crude oil (bbls/d)     13,502     13,317     13,142  
    NGL (bbls/d)     2,520     2,482     2,535  
    Natural gas (MMcf/d)     55.9     55.1     62.1  
    Royalty Production (BOE/d)(6)     25,339     24,982     26,027  
             
    Realized pricing        
    Crude oil ($/bbl)     83.16     81.66     77.18  
    NGL ($/bbl)     44.51     40.68     44.18  
    Natural gas ($/Mcf)     1.73     1.23     1.89  
    Total ($/BOE)(6)     52.58     50.30     47.79  
             
    Operating netback per BOE ($)(7)     42.85     45.86     39.60  
             
    Funds from operations per BOE ($)     37.62     43.07     35.04  
             
    Oil price benchmarks        
    West Texas Intermediate (WTI) (US$/bbl)     71.39     70.27     76.95  
    Edmonton light sweet ($/bbl)     95.20     94.90     92.18  
    Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude oil differential to WTI (US$/bbl)     (12.67 )   (12.55 )   (19.33 )
             
    Natural gas price benchmarks        
    AECO Monthly Index ($/Mcf)     2.02     1.46     2.05  
    AECO Daily Index ($/Mcf)     2.16     1.48     2.50  
             
    Foreign exchange rate (US$/CAD$)     0.6976     0.7147     0.7411  

    (1)    Funds from operations and net earnings per share are calculated using the weighted average number of basic and diluted common shares outstanding.
    (2)    A dividend of $0.26 per share was declared on March 10, 2025. The dividend will be paid on April 15, 2025 to shareholders of record as at March 31, 2025.
    (3)    Dividend payout ratio is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.
    (4)    Excluding right-of-use asset additions.
    (5)    See Note 13 “Capital Management” in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 and Note 16 “Capital Management” in the annual audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
    (6)    See “Conversions of Natural Gas to BOE”.
    (7)    Operating netback per BOE is defined under the “Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios” section of this press release.

    CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

    A conference call to discuss the results will be held for the investment community on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, beginning at 6:30 a.m. MST (8:30 a.m. EST). To participate in the conference call, you are asked to register at one of the links provided below. Details regarding the call will be provided to you upon registration.

    Live call participant registration
    URL:  https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIadb5efe7e21145bda3895f295f81b293

    Live webcast participant registration (listen in only)
    URL:  https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/be75c3go

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This press release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) which may include, but are not limited to PrairieSky’s future plans, current expectations and views of future operations and contains forward-looking statements that the Company believes allow readers to better understand the Company’s business and prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words “expect”, “expected to”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “objective”, “ongoing”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “could”, “likely”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends”, “strategy” and similar expressions (including negative variations) are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, estimates regarding the impact of cold weather downtime on natural gas royalty production volumes, our expectations with respect to PrairieSky’s business and growth strategy and trajectory, including the benefits of the Company’s strategy of investing in low-cost oil plays, expectation that the 11 Lindbergh and 6 Onion Lake thermal oil wells spud in Q1 2025 will come on production in 2026 and the application of PrairieSky to renew the NCIB, the timing of when the NCIB will commence, the limit thereunder, and PrairieSky’s belief that repurchasing such common shares under the NCIB is a good allocation of PrairieSky’s capital resources and will enhance the value of the common shares held by remaining shareholders, and other statements.

    With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, PrairieSky has made several assumptions including those described in detail in our MD&A and the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024. Readers and investors are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. PrairieSky’s actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. PrairieSky can give no assurance that any of the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits the Company will derive from them.

    By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond PrairieSky’s control, including but not limited to the impact of general economic conditions including inflation, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, lack of pipeline capacity, currency fluctuations, increasing interest rates, imprecision of reserve estimates, competitive factors impacting royalty rates, environmental risks, taxation, regulation, changes in tax or other legislation, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility, political and geopolitical instability, the risks and impacts of tariffs imposed between Canada and the United States (and other countries) or other restrictive trade measures, retaliatory or countermeasures implemented by such governments affecting trade between Canada and the United States (and other countries), including the potential introduction of regulatory barriers to trade and the effect on the demand and/or market price for commodities, and the Company’s ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. In addition, PrairieSky is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties in relation to acquisitions. These risks and uncertainties include risks relating to the potential for disputes to arise with counterparties, and limited ability to recover indemnification under certain agreements. The foregoing and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions are described in more detail in PrairieSky’s MD&A and the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024 under the headings “Risk Management” and “Risk Factors”, respectively, each of which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and PrairieSky’s website at www.prairiesky.com.

    Further, any forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of this press release, and PrairieSky undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for PrairieSky to predict all of these factors or to assess, in advance, the impact of each such factor on PrairieSky’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    CONVERSIONS OF NATURAL GAS TO BOE

    To provide a single unit of production for analytical purposes, natural gas production and reserves volumes are converted mathematically to equivalent barrels of oil (BOE). PrairieSky uses the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). The 6:1 BOE ratio is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead and is not based on either energy content or current prices. While the BOE ratio is useful for comparative measures and observing trends, it does not accurately reflect individual product values and might be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. As well, given that the value ratio, based on the current price of crude oil to natural gas, is significantly different from the 6:1 energy equivalency ratio, using a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.

    NON-GAAP MEASURES AND RATIOS

    Certain measures and ratios in this press release do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures and ratios. These measures and ratios may not be comparable to similar measures and ratios presented by other issuers. These measures and ratios are commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry and by PrairieSky to provide potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to conduct its business. Non-GAAP measures and ratios include operating netback per BOE and dividend payout ratio. Management’s use of these measures and ratios is discussed further below. Further information can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures and Ratios section of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.

    “Operating netback per BOE” represents the cash margin for products sold on a BOE basis. Operating netback per BOE is calculated by dividing the operating netback (royalty production revenue less production and mineral taxes and cash administrative expenses) by the average daily production volumes for the period. Operating netback per BOE is used to assess the cash generating and operating performance per unit of product sold and the comparability of the underlying performance between years. Operating netback per BOE measures are commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry to assess performance comparability. Refer to the Operating Results table on page 6 of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 and page 7 of PrairieSky’s MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2024.

        Three months ended
        March 31 December 31 March 31
    ($ millions)   2025 2024 2024
    Cash from operating activities     90.7     91.3     79.7  
    Other revenue     (8.2 )   (20.0 )   (7.5 )
    Other revenue – non-cash     –     8.2     –  
    Amortization of debt issuance costs     (0.1 )   (0.2 )   (0.1 )
    Finance expense     2.9     2.3     3.7  
    Current tax expense     17.3     16.2     14.7  
    Interest on lease obligation     –     (0.1 )   –  
    Net change in non-cash working capital     (4.9 )   7.7     3.3  
    Operating netback     97.7     105.4     93.8  

    “Operating Margin” represents operating netback as a percentage of royalty production revenue. Management uses this measure to demonstrate the comparability between the Company and production and exploration companies in the oil and natural gas industry as it shows net revenue generation from operations.

        Three months ended
        March 31 December 31 March 31
    ($ millions)   2025 2024 2024
    Royalty production revenue   119.9     115.6     113.2  
    Operating netback   97.7     105.4     93.8  
    Operating margin   81 % 91 % 83 %

    “Dividend payout ratio” is calculated as dividends declared as a percentage of funds from operations. Payout ratio is used by dividend paying companies to assess dividend levels in relation to the funds generated and used in operating activities.

        Three months ended
        March 31 December 31 March 31
    ($ millions, except otherwise noted)   2025 2024 2024
    Funds from operations     85.8     99.0     83.0  
    Dividends declared     61.2     59.9     59.7  
    Dividend payout ratio   71 % 61 % 72 %


    ABOUT PRAIRIESKY ROYALTY LTD.

    PrairieSky is a royalty company, generating royalty production revenues as oil and natural gas are produced from its properties. PrairieSky has a diverse portfolio of properties that have a long history of generating funds from operations and that represent the largest and most consolidated independently-owned fee simple mineral title position in Canada. PrairieSky’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSK.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

    Andrew M. Phillips
    President & Chief Executive Officer
    PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
    (587) 293-4005 

    Michael T. Murphy
    Vice-President, Geosciences & Capital Markets
    PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
    (587) 293-4056 

    Investor Relations
    (587) 293-4000
    www.prairiesky.com

    		 Pamela P. Kazeil
    Senior Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer
    PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.
    (587) 293-4089

    PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/582f0ac4-3c4f-4983-afeb-621e284659ef

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.14.2025 Sen. Cruz Resolution Rescinding Biden-Harris Appliance Regulation Passes Senate, Proceeds to President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement after the Senate passed his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind an appliance regulation on water heaters, which was imposed by the Biden-Harris administration in December 2024, and which if left in place would have increased costs and limited the consumer choice of everyday Texans and Americans across the country.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden-Harris administration knew they were increasing costs on Americans and they didn’t care. Their rule would have forced Americans to either pay hundreds of dollars more for efficient water heaters or purchase less efficient models. I applaud Congress for passing my resolution rescinding this rule, and when the President signs it in the coming days it will restore fairness, consumer choice, and affordability to the American people.”
    This bill is endorsed by National Federation of Independent Business and the American Public Gas Association.
    Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President for Advocacy said, “Small businesses believe that consumers and business owners should have the freedom to decide which product works best for their specific needs, no matter what fuel source the product uses. Unfortunately, DOE finalized a rule that would set new arbitrary energy efficiency standards for natural gas-fired water heaters that would effectively ban more affordable appliance options for consumers and small businesses, such as tankless water heaters. As small businesses continue to list inflation as a significant problem, regulations restricting or banning common household appliances will only increase costs for small businesses.”
    Dave Schryver, President and CEO for the American Public Gas Association said, “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) commends Senator Cruz and colleagues for taking decisive action to challenge a deeply flawed rulemaking dating back to the Biden Administration, which imposes new minimum efficiency standards for Gas Instantaneous Water Heaters. This rule would have effectively eliminated an entire class of affordable, reliable, and efficient appliances from the market, driving unnecessary and costly fuel switching. APGA believes that Americans should have the freedom to choose the appliances that best meet their household needs and budgets.” 
    BACKGROUND
    Industry experts estimate that the Biden-Harris rule would have added $450-$665 to the cost of each affected water heater, and that beyond the initial increased cost, forty percent of Americans directly affected by the rule would have also seen a net cost increase over the life of the appliance. Sen. Cruz introduced this CRA to repeal the rule in January.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: With NASA’s Webb, Dying Star’s Energetic Display Comes Into Full Focus

    Source: NASA

    Gas and dust ejected by a dying star at the heart of NGC 1514 came into complete focus thanks to mid-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Its rings, which are only detected in infrared light, now look like “fuzzy” clumps arranged in tangled patterns, and a network of clearer holes close to the central stars shows where faster material punched through.
    “Before Webb, we weren’t able to detect most of this material, let alone observe it so clearly,” said Mike Ressler, a researcher and project scientist for Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. He discovered the rings around NGC 1514 in 2010 when he examined the image from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). “With MIRI’s data, we can now comprehensively examine the turbulent nature of this nebula,” he said.
    This scene has been forming for at least 4,000 years — and will continue to change over many more millennia. At the center are two stars that appear as one in Webb’s observation, and are set off with brilliant diffraction spikes. The stars follow a tight, elongated nine-year orbit and are draped in an arc of dust represented in orange.
    One of these stars, which used to be several times more massive than our Sun, took the lead role in producing this scene. “As it evolved, it puffed up, throwing off layers of gas and dust in in a very slow, dense stellar wind,” said David Jones, a senior scientist at the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands, who proved there is a binary star system at the center in 2017.
    Once the star’s outer layers were expelled, only its hot, compact core remained. As a white dwarf star, its winds both sped up and weakened, which might have swept up material into thin shells.

    Webb’s observations show the nebula is tilted at a 60-degree angle, which makes it look like a can is being poured, but it’s far more likely that NGC 1514 takes the shape of an hourglass with the ends lopped off. Look for hints of its pinched waist near top left and bottom right, where the dust is orange and drifts into shallow V-shapes.
    What might explain these contours? “When this star was at its peak of losing material, the companion could have gotten very, very close,” Jones said. “That interaction can lead to shapes that you wouldn’t expect. Instead of producing a sphere, this interaction might have formed these rings.”
    Though the outline of NGC 1514 is clearest, the hourglass also has “sides” that are part of its three-dimensional shape. Look for the dim, semi-transparent orange clouds between its rings that give the nebula body.

    The nebula’s two rings are unevenly illuminated in Webb’s observations, appearing more diffuse at bottom left and top right. They also look fuzzy, or textured. “We think the rings are primarily made up of very small dust grains,” Ressler said. “When those grains are hit by ultraviolet light from the white dwarf star, they heat up ever so slightly, which we think makes them just warm enough to be detected by Webb in mid-infrared light.”
    In addition to dust, the telescope also revealed oxygen in its clumpy pink center, particularly at the edges of the bubbles or holes.
    NGC 1514 is also notable for what is absent. Carbon and more complex versions of it, smoke-like material known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are common in planetary nebulae (expanding shells of glowing gas expelled by stars late in their lives). Neither were detected in NGC 1514. More complex molecules might not have had time to form due to the orbit of the two central stars, which mixed up the ejected material. A simpler composition also means that the light from both stars reaches much farther, which is why we see the faint, cloud-like rings.
    What about the bright blue star to the lower left with slightly smaller diffraction spikes than the central stars? It’s not part of this nebula. In fact, this star lies closer to us.
    This planetary nebula has been studied by astronomers since the late 1700s. Astronomer William Herschel noted in 1790 that NGC 1514 was the first deep sky object to appear genuinely cloudy — he could not resolve what he saw into individual stars within a cluster, like other objects he cataloged. With Webb, our view is considerably clearer.
    NGC 1514 lies in the Taurus constellation approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.
    The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
    To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb
    Downloads
    Click any image to open a larger version.
    View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL)

    Read more about other planetary nebulae
    Watch: ViewSpace video about planetary nebulae
    View images of other planetary nebulae on AstroPix
    More Webb News
    More Webb Images
    Webb Science Themes
    Webb Mission Page

    What is the Webb Telescope?
    SpacePlace for Kids
    En Español
    Ciencia de la NASA
    NASA en español 
    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced To More Than 10 Years In Prison For Kidnapping Elderly Victim

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 32, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2023 kidnapping of an elderly victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hedden’s co-conspirator, Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, is currently awaiting sentencing, after a federal jury last week convicted her of kidnapping.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed documents, court proceedings, and trial evidence presented at Neace’s trial, on November 30, 2023, the victim, a 71-year-old female, was driving from Georgia to North Carolina, when she saw the defendants walking. The victim offered the defendants a ride because it was cold outside. The defendants accepted the ride, and soon after they entered North Carolina, Hedden instructed the victim to drive to his car. When they arrived at the location, a car was not there. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop the vehicle, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat. Hedden then took over driving.

    According to court records, the victim began to cry and Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device. At one point, Hedden stopped the vehicle, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim’s phone and disabled it. Hedden also demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. Fearing for her safety, the victim told the defendants to take her to an ATM and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police.

    During the drive to the ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the defendants the money if they let her stay behind safely at the gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied. As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, attempted to use it to flee but was unable to start the car without the key fob. Hedden and Neace then fled on foot and escaped into the woods but were apprehended days later.

    On November 13, 2024, Hedden pleaded guilty to kidnapping and aiding and abetting. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are in charge of the prosecution.

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch and Cassidy Introduce Bill to Protect Energy Permitting Process from Frivolous Lawsuits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) introduced the Revising and Enhancing Project Authorizations Impacted by Review (REPAIR) Act that would protect the permitting process for U.S. energy, manufacturing and critical infrastructure projects from frivolous litigation.
    “Off-shore energy projects face stiff headwinds in America,” said Crapo.  “As we move toward greater American energy independence, the REPAIR Act would reduce the threat of frivolous lawsuits during the permitting and review process for new projects that can tie up proposals for years.  Advancing this bill is an important step in furthering President Trump’s domestic energy agenda.”
    “Critical domestic energy, natural resource and manufacturing projects have been blocked by activist litigation for far too long, forcing the U.S. to rely on countries like China for resources available in our own backyard,” said Risch.  “The REPAIR Act would close judicial loopholes and eliminate years of unnecessary litigation that have hindered our ability to harness our own natural resources.”
    “Green activist groups have a pattern.  They manipulate the legal system to keep infrastructure and energy projects in legal purgatory,” said Cassidy.  “Let’s end this and get the project moving again.  It’s the only way to unleash American energy!”
    The REPAIR Act would make many vital changes to the judicial review of an approved permit by ensuring all laws related to permitting have the same review process, scope of adjudication, rules for standing and statute of limitations.  The bill would remove the ability to file a suit based on the National Environmental Policy Act, instead focusing lawsuits on the statute for which the permit was issued.  In the case of a judicial remand or other court action, the REPAIR Act would establish a mediation process that allows the project developer and the permit-issuing agency to directly address the challenge and enable the project to move forward.  Additionally, the bill would increase transparency in ongoing court challenges to permits to highlight the unnecessary delays caused by the judicial process.
    The legislation is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute, ClearPath, the National Mining Association and Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES).

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Leads Massachusetts Delegation in Demanding Answers on Staff Cuts to Home Energy Program for Vulnerable Households

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Massachusetts has received more than 181,000 requests for heating assistance so far this fiscal year

    Washington (April 14, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, led all members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation—Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Presley (MA-07), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09)—in writing to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on the sudden termination of the federal staff responsible for administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the impacts to Massachusetts families who depend on the program to stay safe, healthy, and housed.

    Massachusetts has received more than 181,000 requests for heating assistance so far this fiscal year, with more than 110,000 households already served through March 31. First-time applicants have also surged: more than 27,000 Massachusetts households applied for LIHEAP for the first time this fiscal year, 8 percent more than last year at this point. More than 58 percent of households served so far include at least one elderly member, more than 33 percent include individuals with disabilities, more than 6,500 include a veteran or active-duty military member, and more than 11,500 include young children under age five. Critically, Massachusetts is still waiting on HHS to release the remaining estimated 10 percent of FY2025 LIHEAP funds.

    In the letter the lawmakers write, “Over the past decade, Massachusetts energy prices have risen two to three times more than the national average. This winter alone, rate increases in Massachusetts hit families hard, with some energy bills doubling over the heating season. In Boston, residents face some of the highest heating costs among cities nationwide. This means that many Massachusetts families are struggling to pay their utility bills.”

    The lawmakers continue, “Although LIHEAP is structured as a block grant administered primarily by states, federal staff provide essential technical assistance—from calculating the complicated allocation formula and distributing block grant funds, to guiding new state LIHEAP directors, reviewing and approving state plans, and monitoring state program implementation. This is not red tape, it is essential governance. Despite serving more than 5 million households nationwide, the entire federal LIHEAP team consisted of only 25 staff—an example of efficient, high-impact federal support.”

    The lawmakers request answers by May 1, 2025, to questions that include:

    • How does HHS plan to preserve the continuity of LIHEAP operations nationwide?
    • How does HHS plan to ensure that states such as Massachusetts can timely access the remaining FY2025 LIHEAP funds appropriated by Congress?
    • With the termination of the LIHEAP staff, who within HHS is now responsible for the program’s operation?
    • Does HHS intend to restore the terminated positions or provide an equivalent staffing structure before the 2025–2026 heating season begins?
    • What measures will HHS implement to ensure communications with state program administrators on vendor enrollment, rule changes, and reporting compliance?
    • Has HHS consulted — formally or informally — with state LIHEAP administrators or community action agencies about these staff terminations, either before or after they occurred?

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: EIB and Iberdrola sign two loans totalling €108 million for investments in energy storage infrastructure in Extremadura

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • These loans will finance works to improve the Valdecañas pumped-storage hydroelectric complex in Cáceres to secure energy supply and to integrate renewables.
    • The project has received funding from the Regional Resilience Fund, which was set up by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise to invest a portion of the NextGenerationEU loans, predominantly in environmental and social projects in Spain’s autonomous communities.
    • This operation also contributes to the EIB Group’s strategic priorities – namely climate action and cohesion –, to the objectives of the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the REPowerEU plan, which aims to improve energy security in the European Union.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed two green loans with Iberdrola totalling €108 million – a €50 million loan using own funds and a €58 million loan with funds from the Regional Resilience Fund (FRA). The operation aims to improve the pumping capacity of the Valdecañas hydroelectric complex, which encompasses the Torrejón and the Valdecañas power plants.

    The complex will help to secure energy supply and create storage capacity enabling the integration and management of renewable energy. The Valdecañas plant will have a total installed capacity of 225 MW, a 15 MW hybrid battery and 7.5 MWh of stored energy.

    Together, the battery and hydroelectric units will make it possible to increase the added pumping capacity to a maximum of 313 MW, and the storage capacity of the Tajo system to 210 GWh. The works to improve pumping capacity will make use of the existing installations in the Valdecañas and Torrejón-Tajo reservoirs – without changes to the levels of operation – and the existing transport networks, thus reducing the impact on the environment.

    Once up and running, the complex will help to reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, the improvement works will directly create 165 jobs and a further 500 indirectly, boosting skilled employment. The total investment will take place in a cohesion region, an area where the per capita income is below the EU average. In this way, the project will contribute to climate action and territorial, economic and social cohesion – two of the eight priorities set out in the Group’s Strategic Roadmap for the years 2024-2027.

    Having received funding from the Regional Resilience Fund, the project is also in line with the objectives of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The Regional Resilience Fund directs funding from the NextGenerationEU programme to boost investment in Spain autonomous communities, predominantly for environmental and social projects. The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise and is supported by the autonomous communities and cities and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), with the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.

    This operation is in line with the EIB’s action plan to support the REPowerEU initiative to improve energy security in the European Union and to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

    How the Valdecañas pumped-storage hydroelectric complex works

    Reversible pumping plants, such as those in the Valdecañas hydroelectric complex, make it possible to use and generate electricity quickly, allowing for better management of the consumption and demand curve, and stabilising the electricity grid. The upper reservoir – which feeds the plant – acts like a storage system that is charged with the water’s potential energy. Energy can then be stored when excess energy is generated from other non-dispatchable energy sources, and can subsequently be recovered when needed. It operates like a closed circuit between the upper and lower reservoir, which does not just consume water, but also reuses it. This system, which is independent of precipitation and water resources, has a long service life and can provide wide-reaching reinforcement to the electricity grid. 

    Background information  

    EIB 

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta Votes to Support Budget Reconciliation, Enact Trump’s Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    On April 10, 2025, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) voted to continue the process of budget reconciliation to provide tax cuts to families and businesses, address the national debt, and secure the border, and safeguard our nation. Congressman Latta released the following statement:   

    “I’m pleased to have joined my colleagues in voting to move forward with budget reconciliation. Now that the budget resolution has been adopted, committees can work to prepare their respective parts of the reconciliation bill. It is important to note that the budget framework does not, will not, and cannot include any cuts to Social Security or Medicare. The House budget resolution instructs the Committee on Energy and Commerce, of which I am a member to save $880 billion across its vast jurisdiction, which includes energy, environment, telecommunications, and health care. 

    “In our Communications and Technology Subcommittee, I believe we will be able to raise a significant amount of money through our spectrum auctions. We have not held any in two years. We will also focus on routing out waste, fraud, and abuse that is in our jurisdiction. Further, we will look at rolling back pandemic rules that permitted persons ineligible for Medicaid to stay on the rolls and removing illegal immigrants from receiving benefits. We also want individuals to rejoin the workforce and relish in the dignity of work. I look forward to working with my colleagues and President Trump to use American taxpayer dollars effectively while making life easier, safer, and more affordable in Ohio and across the nation. The American people are counting on us, and we will deliver the results.”   

    NOTE: Reconciliation allows for expedited consideration of certain tax, spending, and debt limit legislation—nowhere in the resolution does it mention cuts to Social Security or Medicare, meaning such claims are misleading and misrepresent the actual intent of the process. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, under the Byrd Rule, social security cannot be changed through reconciliation.  

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Modular Construction Enables Efficient and Affordable Housing

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    NREL Teams Up With iUnit To Advance Lower Cost Modular Housing

    NREL researcher Shanti Pless introduces visitors to the NREL Research Block, which currently hosts iUnit Communities’ modular apartment prototype, shown behind Pless. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    Recently, Shanti Pless stood on a windswept hillside and listed some of the issues that come with leaky envelopes. While that phrase may conjure surreal images of damp greeting cards, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researcher was actually explaining the problems that arise when too much air can escape a building through its walls, windows, doors, and other openings.

    “You’re paying money to heat and cool your space,” Pless explained. “A leaky envelope allows conditioned inside air to escape and outdoor air to enter. This makes it harder to maintain a stable indoor temperature, which leads to less efficient buildings and increased utility bills.”

    To improve building efficiency, Pless and NREL’s Industrialized Construction Innovation (ICI) team have partnered with Virginia housing developer iUnit Communities, using iUnit’s modular apartment prototype as a testing ground. NREL hosts the 380-square-foot prototype, which features a supertight building envelope, high-performance heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and affordable appliances, on that windswept hillside on the laboratory’s South Table Mountain Campus in Golden, Colorado. Here, researchers conduct field tests to measure the prototype’s performance and efficiency. Through this research, the ICI team studies how methods like automation, factory construction, and prefabrication can deliver affordable, reliable, energy-efficient residential buildings—while enhancing the U.S. construction workforce.

    Greater Performance, Lower Costs

    The high costs of housing and energy are enough to keep many consumers up at night. Addressing these challenges requires innovative housing solutions that reduce costs and improve building performance.

    “How do we create housing that is efficient and therefore truly affordable?” iUnit founder Brice Leconte asked.

    That question inspired Leconte to found iUnit Communities, which develops and manages residential communities focused on smart living, energy efficiency, and modern design. iUnit’s first apartment community, Eliot Flats in Denver, consists of 40 studio and one-bedroom units. Each unit was built in a factory and fully integrated with energy-efficient HVAC and water systems, as well as the capability to access hybrid energy sources, before being delivered to the Eliot Flats site and assembled into a three-story apartment building.

    iUnit’s approach is unique for several reasons: First, the iUnit community model can function as a microgrid, meaning the structures can be equipped to generate and store energy. This capability reduces reliance on the traditional grid, enhancing resilience against power outages and lowering energy costs for residents. Those energy-generating features are integrated into the unit when it is constructed in the factory, which means that each unit arrives on-site fully equipped and move-in ready.

    The prototype on the NREL campus is the same type as those that make up iUnit’s first community, the 40-unit Eliot Flats in Denver. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    “Because we’re working in a controlled environment, we can deliver a turnkey product,” Leconte explained. “Much like a car rolls off the assembly line ready to drive, our homes are ready to use upon delivery.”

    Finally, building the units in the controlled environment of a factory allows iUnit to standardize its construction processes, improve quality control, and reduce costs—which makes the homes more affordable to renters.

    “By integrating modular design and factory-built systems, we can streamline construction, maximize savings, and boost housing supply,” said NREL researcher Nick Cindrich, who also works on the iUnit project. “This ensures more affordable, high-performance housing options for those who need them most.”

    NREL and iUnit Join Forces

    Around the same time iUnit built the Eliot Flats community, Leconte connected with Shanti Pless at a conference, and the two decided to join forces to use an iUnit studio as a testing ground for cost-effective, modular construction methods and energy-efficient housing. Leconte agreed to provide the studio—the same as those at Eliot Flats—and Pless and the ICI team agreed to conduct the research.

    The iUnit prototype arrived at the South Table Mountain Campus in 2017 and was housed in NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), where the ICI team studied the efficiency of the unit’s integrated heat pump system and advanced smart and grid-interactive controls. iUnit incorporated lessons from this research into production of newer studios. In 2019, the team moved the prototype out of the climate-controlled environment of ESIF to the campus’s Research Block. At this new location, the team has been performing field tests to understand how real-world conditions impact the prototype’s energy performance.

    iUnit provided NREL with a 380-square-foot studio apartment prototype, shown here at NREL’s Research Block. NREL’s Industrialized Construction Innovation team uses the unit as a testing ground for innovative, energy-efficient building technologies. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    Most recently, the team investigated the iUnit prototype’s air infiltration and thermal performance—technical terms for determining the leakiness of a building envelope. Over the course of a year, the team pumped carbon dioxide (CO2) into the unit and used sensors to measure the CO2‘s decay, or how much the CO2 decreased, which indicated how much outside air leaked into the unit under varying weather conditions.

    “If CO2 levels drop quickly, it means lots of outside air is entering and indoor air is escaping, indicating a leaky building envelope,” Pless explained. “If the level drops slowly, the space is more airtight, with less unwanted airflow. Data like this will give us valuable insights into how to optimize air barriers and improve our energy modeling tools.”

    Inside the iUnit prototype, the ICI team is studying the unit’s air infiltration and thermal performance, which impact the unit’s air quality and energy efficiency. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    The ICI team uses the results of field experiments like these to help developers and factories adopt energy-efficient modular construction practices. These methods help improve energy efficiency, lower construction costs, and expand access to high-performance, affordable homes nationwide.

    NREL is also developing and testing virtual construction training and testing spaces called Immersive Industrialized Construction Environments, in which workers and machines collaborate to make construction faster, safer, and more productive. By training workers in this immersive environment, the program makes learning about automation and energy-efficient construction more accessible, scalable, and safer.

    A Win for Workers, Property Owners, and Residents

    In addition to enhancing energy efficiency and affordability, industrialized construction has the potential to transform the construction workforce. By creating jobs in a factory setting, industrialized construction offers workers safe working conditions and new career options in a rapidly evolving industry. Factory-built construction offers a solution: Instead of battling the elements on a construction site, workers carry out their tasks in a controlled setting. That controlled setting facilitates standardized processes, enabling employers to offer training in advanced building technologies.

    “iUnit exemplifies this approach by designing housing units that are fully equipped with heating, cooling, and energy systems before they leave the factory,” Pless said. “This not only streamlines construction; it creates demand for a skilled workforce trained in energy-efficient building, automation, and smart home technology. It’s a win-win.”

    Visit our Industrialized Construction Innovation page to learn more about NREL’s research.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves are a Trojan horse to hide humanity’s destruction of nature

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rich Grenyer, Associate Professor in Biogeography and Biodiversity, University of Oxford

    One of the biotech company’s ‘dire wolves’. Colossal

    With wildlife populations globally 73% smaller on average than in 1970 and large mammals missing from much of the world, surely there’s never been a better time to “de-extinct” species? US biotech company Colossal Biosciences Inc claimed to do just that recently by resurrecting the dire wolf from Game of Thrones (a species that also lived in our world, several thousand years ago).

    The potential seems huge. A species in trouble? Get a high-quality genome and you’ve made it a save game point, ready to replay when the environment improves. Didn’t get there in time? Never mind – you can use frozen remains in the permafrost, or shotgun-blasted specimens in a museum collection. And pretty soon, even if you don’t have those, a dose of generative AI and you can probably infer some of that genome anyway. A little genetic engineering and you have a species back from the dead, ready to go.

    What’s the problem? Well, pretty much everything. These aren’t species returned from extinction. They aren’t going to be very useful, and in fact may well not survive at all. Most worrying of all, like the Freys and Boltons hidden in the hall before the Red Wedding, it’s the ethos of de-extinction hidden in these “dire wolf” puppies that will likely do the most damage to biodiversity if it establishes itself.

    Extinction has not been reversed

    The dire wolf was a very large carnivore that lived in the Americas about 10,000 years ago. Anatomically, it resembled a big, muscular, extra-toothy grey wolf: the species alive today that everyone thinks of when they say “wolf”.

    The two pups revealed by Colossal Biosciences are not dire wolves. They are grey wolves, with 14 genes modified to produce an animal that resembles what we think a dire wolf looked like. Actually, only one of the 14 was a gene directly from a dire wolf specimen – the others were gene variants from existing grey wolf populations chosen to give physical features that made the engineered wolves bigger and whiter.

    Over time, gene editing technology could increase the possible number of genes that can be engineered into a host species, and increase the complexity of the traits being inserted. But it’s not species being revived, it’s a few of their characteristics being borrowed by a species from today. It’s like claiming to have brought Napoleon back from the dead by asking a short French man to wear his hat.

    The argument for this kind of genetic engineering revolves around the notion that the new hybrids might be useful for environmental restoration. As a top predator, the dire wolf could in theory bring the same revolutionary changes to ecosystems that reintroducing grey wolves to Yellowstone national park in the US famously caused in the 1990s. In other words, a more complete ecosystem, with wolves checking the voracious appetite of deer such that more complex and biodiverse habitats rebound.

    However, in ecosystems where the dire wolf would reign supreme the grey wolf can very clearly fill the same role (just as it did in Yellowstone) without any of the unnecessary technology – if only people stopped trying to shoot them and exempt them from endangered species legislation.

    There’s also the problem that captive breeding programmes seeking to release endangered species into the wild today regularly butt against: that the new animals have little or no idea what to do or how to live in their new habitat.

    Operation Migration, dramatised in the 1996 film Fly Away Home, saw a dedicated team of pilots teach endangered migratory birds how to traverse North America by having them chase microlight aircraft for thousands of miles. This is just one example of the intensive training necessary, and which is never guaranteed to be successful. It’s obviously more difficult to train apex predators by example – I will not be volunteering for the “intro to pack hunting” session.

    No quick fixes

    The word “de-extinction” is not just itself untrue, but it seeks to diminish the inconvenient truth of the biodiversity crisis: we know what causes extinction, and it’s us.

    Food systems have to destroy less habitat and use much less protein from animals, wild and farmed. Energy systems have to burn less carbon, so that there are fewer deaths among species (including ours) trying to adapt to higher temperatures and the changes they bring. To do both these things, our landscapes have to leave more space for nature and much of what remains must be used more efficiently to provide food, fuel and living space.

    There are definite signs that we can make good on these promises: conservation does work, for humans and for other species.

    But these changes require us to recognise that certain economic and political philosophies are no longer tenable. They require sacrifice by everyone and a willingness by rich people and countries to pay with money, trade policy, intellectual property rights and energy supply, so that many of the poorest people and countries can flourish while avoiding the environmental damage that those rich countries caused over their own histories.

    What motivates people to cope with these changes is a desire for justice, a need to nurture, a drive to make things better and a recognition that while habitats can sometimes be restored, species extinctions are irreversible dead-ends which can only be avoided. That recognition is under threat.

    The Trump administration is trying to defang the US Endangered Species Act. In the UK, a wholesale revision of legislation to prevent biodiversity loss has begun with the targeting of the habitat regulations, in preemptive defence of the government’s need to “build, build, build” in a desperate search for more economic growth. How useful would it be if the risk of extinction could be averted with a simple “don’t worry, we’ll pay to de-extinct it afterwards”?

    There won’t be a dire wolf, and even if there were to be one, we’d have no idea what it was for (and neither would it). We’ll all pay for the mistaken belief that extinction is a solved problem, and that the business-as-usual global economy that has caused the sixth mass extinction is no big deal, because its casualties aren’t actually dead – just temporarily inconvenienced by an extinction that is no longer forever.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Rich Grenyer 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.

    – ref. Why ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves are a Trojan horse to hide humanity’s destruction of nature – https://theconversation.com/why-de-extinct-dire-wolves-are-a-trojan-horse-to-hide-humanitys-destruction-of-nature-254309

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: SunRocket Capital Closes Financing for a 1.93 MW Community Solar Project in Northeast

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SunRocket Capital, a structured finance partner to solar developers, is pleased to announce the closing of financing for a ground-mount community solar installation in ME with Novel Energy Solutions. The 1.93 MW (DC) project is in development and has qualified for Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) and is the fifth Novel Energy Solutions project that SunRocket Capital has funded within the last several months.

    “SunRocket Capital was able to tailor and coordinate the debt financing to the needs of the project,” stated Matt Sullivan, VP of Finance at Novel Energy Solutions. “They understood that sometimes development needs may change, especially with an evolving community solar pipeline. The ability to be adaptable with and responsive to our portfolio needs remains very appealing and makes for a strong team. That is why SunRocket Capital continues to stand out. We really appreciate the SunRocket Capital team and look forward to the next closing.”

    “It is our mission to understand the needs of our client developers and to assure them that they have a financial partner that will close their construction to permanent loan needs,” added Derek Gabriel, Sr., Head of Originations at SunRocket Capital. “We see Novel Energy Solutions as great partners and will always work diligently to meet the goals of our clients.”

    About Novel Energy Solutions:

    Novel Energy Solutions is a growing solar development company headquartered in St. Paul, MN. The company was born out of a multi-generational farming family, leveraging this background and extensive relationship with farmers and landowners to acquire and develop solar sites across the US.

    For more information, please visit www.novelenergy.biz

    About SunRocket Capital:

    SunRocket Capital is a leading private lender specializing in financing commercial, industrial, and community solar projects. Led by an experienced team in solar development and structured finance, SunRocket Capital is dedicated to advancing sustainable initiatives by serving as a preferred capital source, including serving as a resource for tax equity investments as necessary, for developers and EPCs. The company’s core structured credit solution (SolarC2P™) is designed to support solar projects at or near NTP (Notice to Proceed), which is the time in a project’s life cycle when developers are prepared to purchase and install solar assets. Upon reaching commercial operation date (COD), developers benefit from a seamless conversion to term debt within the same loan structure, facilitating long-term ownership, operation, and portfolio-building.

    For more information please visit: www.sunrocketcapital.com.

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Coal in Alberta: Neither public outrage nor waning global demand seem to matter to Danielle Smith

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ian Urquhart, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, University of Alberta

    “We heard you, Albertans.” With those words, Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean put coal mining in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains back on the table last December. Common sense might suggest Jean meant that Albertans are in favour of resuscitating metallurgical coal mining there, but that’s not the case.

    Instead, the public strongly opposes reviving metallurgical coal mining — also known as coking coal mining — to supply Asian steelmakers. December’s Coal Industry Modernization Initiative sadly exemplifies what has become too common in politics today — using misinformation to try to win the public’s willingness to accept the unacceptable.

    In this case, the government’s treatment of expert opinion compounds its misinformation. It’s blind to expert advice from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Australian government questioning the rosiness of metallurgical coal’s future.

    Bringing coal miners back to Alberta’s Rockies was extremely contentious between 2020 and 2022. Jason Kenney’s Conservatives removed the de facto exploration and exploitation restrictions in place there since the 1970s. At the same time, Benga Mining Limited proposed to resume coal mining in southwest Alberta. Together, these events ignited a public furore.

    Public opposition

    Andrew Nikiforuk, a journalist whose books and articles focus on epidemics and the energy industry, was one of the first to bring coal miner ambitions to the public’s attention. He told me the outrage was “probably the most important environmental protest I have ever witnessed in this province.”

    Benga’s Grassy Mountain project was summarily dismissed by government regulators in 2021. Eleven weeks before that decision, Alberta created the Coal Policy Committee. It consulted Albertans about the 2020 decision to invite coal miners to return to the Rockies.

    The committee gave anyone with a view on coal — positive or negative — the opportunity to contribute to its deliberations. The response was impressive. The committee received nearly 4,400 pieces of correspondence, 176 detailed written submissions and conducted 67 virtual and public meetings.

    The consultation confirmed what polling firms had already found: “A significant number of respondents are apprehensive about coal development in Alberta.”

    Albertans didn’t believe coal’s economic benefits justified its risks to landscapes and water quality. Only eight per cent of those who answered the committee’s survey question about the economic benefits of coal mining felt they were very important; 64 per cent regarded those benefits as “not important at all.”

    This unambiguous public opposition repeated what the federal-provincial review panel into Benga’s Grassy Mountain coal mine proposal revealed in 2020-2021. Ninety-eight per cent of the more than 4,400 public comments left on the review panel’s website opposed the proposal to bring coal mining back to the Crowsnest Pass.

    Second, the committee concluded that land-use planning, with public consultation, needed to take place before a decision could be made about permitting coal exploration in the Rockies.

    Premier Danielle Smith’s government hasn’t listened. It doesn’t intend to conduct the land-use planning called for by the committee.

    Jean has also said he will consult industry — and only industry — as he tries to get his new policy in place this year. He promised “targeted” engagement with coal industry stakeholders. The public and other interests will be mere spectators.

    Global coal demand is a myth

    Alberta’s coal initiative has an optimistic view of future metallurgical coal demand.

    Jean markets his proposal by saying Alberta coal is needed “given the current and anticipated future global demand for coal.” But the IAE doesn’t share that optimism. Nor do experts from the Australian government, the world’s largest exporter of metallurgical coal.

    The IEA’s annual coal report is a benchmark for understanding the medium-term global outlook for coal. Its most recent report projects metallurgical coal production will fall by 4.2 per cent from 2024 to 2027. The IEA’s 2024 World Energy Outlook predicted steelmaking coal production would fall over the next two decades as steelmakers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    In 2050, it expects world coking coal production to drop 35.8 per cent from the 2024 level.

    Australia’s pre-eminence comes from producing 46 per cent of global metallurgical coal exports. The Australian government’s March 2025 Resources and Energy Quarterly confirms the general thrust of the IEA’s analyses. A slight increase in the amount of steel produced without metallurgical coal “will likely result in a slight fall in global metallurgical coal demand through to 2030.”



    Read more:
    Australia urgently needs to get serious about long-term climate policy – but there’s no sign of that in the election campaign

    Asian demand

    The IEA makes it clear that Australian producers don’t intend to relinquish market share willingly. Forty-seven Australian coal projects are in the pipeline, with most focused on metallurgical coal or metallurgical/thermal coal combined. Three-quarters of Australia’s metallurgical coal exports feed the Asian steel industry.

    Then there’s Mongolia. After its “recent extraordinary export growth” into China, Mongolia now supplies nearly one-half of China’s imports. The country is the world’s second largest metallurgical coal exporter. Mongolia’s high-quality coal, proximity to China and improved rail infrastructure will make its production difficult to displace.

    It’s unlikely, then, that new coal production from Alberta will gain easy access to Asian markets.

    Alberta’s Coal Industry Modernization Initiative illustrates two dangerous trends in politics today — the refusal to heed both the public and experts.

    The stakes here are large. Coal mining will undoubtedly have a substantial impact on the headwaters that serve people in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Smith’s Conservatives should in fact embrace common sense and the spirit of party policy from the 1970s. Prohibit coal mining in Alberta’s Rockies.

    Ian Urquhart 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.

    – ref. Coal in Alberta: Neither public outrage nor waning global demand seem to matter to Danielle Smith – https://theconversation.com/coal-in-alberta-neither-public-outrage-nor-waning-global-demand-seem-to-matter-to-danielle-smith-252551

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger Fly-By: April 11, 2025

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Post navigation

    Pfluger Fly-By: April 11, 2025

    Washington, April 11, 2025

    April 11, 2025

    Friend,

    Welcome back to the weekly Pfluger Fly-By, a collection of events and happenings to keep you updated on everything I am doing week by week to represent you in Congress.

    This week, I voted in favor of the budget resolution to continue advancing our America First agenda, blocked noncitizens from voting, reined in district judges, participated in two full committee markups, joined a Punchbowl News event discussion on investing in America, met with several groups of Texans visiting Washington, and much more.

    I have included some photos and highlights from the week. You can also find information on how my office can help you with any federal problems you may be having. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can ever be of assistance.

    Best,

    My Thoughts on the Budget Resolution

    I voted in favor of the budget resolution that will allow Republicans to continue moving forward. While the measure was not perfect, it was a necessary step to implement President Trump’s agenda, and it gives us the ability to move legislation soon to cut government spending and prevent the largest tax hike in history for American families.

    We have to look the American public in the eye and give them the confidence that we are committed to ensuring tax relief for working families and small businesses, reining in reckless federal spending, unleashing energy dominance, and making America safe again for this generation and the next – and continuing our momentum by passing the budget resolution does exactly that.

    Blocking Noncitizens from Voting in U.S. Elections

    This week, I voted in favor of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE)Act to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote in U.S. elections by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals to vote in a federal election. Lax voter registration laws across the country in places such as New York, Washington, D.C., California, and others threaten the integrity of our election system.

    Voting for the SAVE Act should have been a simple, bipartisan, ‘yes’ vote from all Members of Congress, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Over 200 Democrats voted against the SAVE Act, proving that they will never support commonsense election reforms such as requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to vote. If an individual can’t provide identification to prove they are an American citizen, they should not be able to vote, plain and simple.

    I was proud to vote ‘yes’ on this legislation and will continue to be a strong advocate for election reform in Congress. Last year, my legislation to prevent noncitizens from voting in D.C. passed by a bipartisan vote. I reintroduced this bill this Congress as well as two other election security bills.

    Read more about my election security bill package by clicking the link here.

    Ending the District Judges’ War on Presidential Authority

    I joined my colleague Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) in penning a joint op-ed in Fox News on the No Rouge Rulings Act, which passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives this week. If signed into law, this legislation would rein in district judges’ war on presidential authority and keep them in their constitutional lane.

    In the op-ed, we outline the dangerous overreach by unelected district judges who have relentlessly tried to block President Trump’s executive orders and actions, and how judicial decisions have increasingly undermined the will of the voters.

    You can read the full piece here or by clicking the link below.

    TAKE IT DOWN Act Passes Out of Energy and Commerce Committee

    During the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s legislative markup this week, I spoke in support of my legislation, the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support out of committee. This legislation would protect victims of deepfakes and would criminalize the publication of these harmful images.

    We’ve heard time and again of the horrific stories of people ranging from celebrities to 14-year-old girls who have been victimized by this harmful content by strangers or even their peers. While AI has the potential to be harnessed for incredible things, there are far too many predators out there who abuse its power to exploit innocent people.

    Watch my full remarks in support of the bill here or by clicking the image below.

    Punchbowl News Event: Investing in America

    This week, I also sat down with Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman during a Punchbowl News event to discuss the news of the day and how private capital is investing in America. We focused on the success private investment has had in Texas.

    I love Texas. I love being from there. It is pro-business and pro-family, and companies know that they succeed when they come to Texas to start or continue operations.

    You can watch the full conversation here or by clicking the image below.

    Countering the Chinese Communist Party

    I am proud to announce that my legislation, the Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025, and the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes passed out of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security this week and are now one step closer to becoming law.

    Both of these bills will counter the Chinese Communist Party and their foothold on American soil. The CCP’s unacceptable acts of hostility are a direct challenge to our nation’s sovereignty, and Congress must respond appropriately to defend our national security. Watch my full remarks on the Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025 here or at the link below.

    ICYMI: Sunday Morning Features on FOX News

    I also joined Sunday Morning Features to discuss unleashing American energy in the Permian Basin. You can watch the full interview here or at the link below.

    Meeting with Texans in Washington

    This week, I met with several community leaders and partners in Washington, which is always a pleasure. Thank you all for taking the time to discuss how we can implement smart, commonsense policies to strengthen Texas-11!

    Deadline Approaching Soon: 2025 Congressional Art Competition

    My office is accepting submissions for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. This competition gives high school students from across Texas-11 the opportunity to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building.

    This year’s theme is ‘Texas to Me’ and students will have until April 21stto submit their artwork. Information on the Congressional Art Competition, including how to apply, can be found on the Congressman’s website by clicking here.

    RULES

    · Artwork must be two-dimensional and original in concept, design, and execution. Art must follow the theme of ‘Texas to Me.’

    · The artwork’s dimensions can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows:

    · Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.

    · Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (It is recommended that charcoal and pastel drawings be fixed.)

    · Collages: must be two-dimensional

    · Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints

    · Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.

    · Computer-generated art

    · Photographs

    Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on our congressional website or contact Carol Cunningham in the Llano District Office atCarol.Cunningham@mail.house.gov with any questions.

    REMINDER: If you are in need of assistance with a federal agency, my office is here to help. For more information, please visit our website HERE.

    Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) for daily updates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: TUESDAY: Rep. Pfluger to Host Press Conference Following EPA Regional Administrator Visit

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    MIDLAND, TX — On Tuesday, April 15th, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) will host U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Scott Mason, and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-At-large), a fellow member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in the Permian Basin for an oil and gas site visit and roundtable with producers, local leaders, stakeholders, and EPA officials.

    Following the site visit and producer roundtable, Rep. Pfluger will host a press conference to update the media on the efforts of the Trump Administration, Congress, and the EPA to cut the burdensome red tape previously imposed on the Permian Basin by the Biden Administration.

    WHO: Congressman Pfluger, Congresswoman Fedorchak, EPA Regional Administrator Scott Mason, and other local leaders possible

    WHAT: Press Conference discussing takeaways EPA Administrator visit

    WHERE: 500 W Wall St, Midland, TX 79701 (North Side of Wall St.)

    WHEN: Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 1:45 pm CT

    NOTE: Credentialed media may arrive at the site at 1:30 pm. Media must RSVP to Bethany.Holden@mail.house.gov by Monday, April 14, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: International Summit on the Future of Energy Security Partners

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    International Summit on the Future of Energy Security Partners

    Government welcomes Official Partners of International Summit on the Future of Energy Security.

    • The Official Partners sponsoring the International Energy Agency and UK Government’s energy security summit are Iberdrola/ScottishPower, National Grid, SSE and Urenco 

    • Ministers and industry leaders from around the world will gather in London in April to discuss the future of energy security 

    • Summit will be hosted by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and International Energy Agency Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol

    The government has today (Monday 14 April) announced the four Official Partners sponsoring the upcoming summit marking a new era for energy security.  

    Energy ministers and key energy sector decision makers from around the world will convene at the UK Government and International Energy Agency’s Summit on the Future of Energy Security, co-hosted by the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol, at Lancaster House, London, on 24-25 April.   

     Sponsorship from Iberdrola/ScottishPower, National Grid, SSE and Urenco will help deliver the summit at a lower cost to UK taxpayers and demonstrates their ongoing commitment to delivering clean energy and energy security in the UK and around the world.   

    In recent years, energy security has risen up the global agenda as countries act to respond to today’s challenges and protect themselves from future energy shocks. The summit is an opportunity to cooperate on rising to the challenges the world faces on energy security and seizing the opportunities to act. It comes as the UK sets a global example by accelerating to a new era of clean electricity by 2030.  

    The Official Partners  

    Iberdrola/ScottishPower   

    Iberdrola is the largest utility in Europe, with a market capitalization of £85 billion, and serves 100 million people worldwide thanks to a diversified portfolio of businesses across the electricity value chain in the UK, the US, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil and Australia. In the UK, Iberdrola is investing £24 billion up to 2028 through ScottishPower, mainly in transmission and distribution networks and offshore wind. Overall, the Group is dedicating around 70% of its investments to power networks to accelerate electrification as a way to increase energy security and competitiveness, create new industries and jobs, and improve sustainability. Around two thirds of Iberdrola’s global investments are allocated to the UK and to the US   

    Iberdrola Executive Chairman Ignacio Galán said:  

    Energy security is the first step towards overall security. Digitalization, big data, AI and the industries of the future rely on a secure power supply, driving demand growth not seen for decades, and network infrastructures are the backbone of a resilient power system.  Driven by the UK Government’s clear and stable energy policies, Iberdrola is investing £24 billion to 2028 in the UK in transmission, distribution and offshore wind to guarantee energy security, growth and competitiveness. We welcome the IEA and UK Government bringing together key policy makers and energy companies to analyse how best to enhance energy security globally.

    National Grid  

    National Grid is investing £60 billion in energy networks over the next five years in the UK and the northeastern United States. This represents nearly double the investment of the previous five years. Its commitment will unlock significant economic growth, create thousands of new jobs, reduce energy bills in the long term, increase energy security, and support an increasingly decarbonised, electrified economy.  

    National Grid Chief Executive Officer John Pettigrew said:   

    National Grid is investing £60 billion in energy networks to 2029, boosting energy security, driving economic growth, and supporting 60,000 more jobs across the UK and US. Innovation and investment will be essential to unlocking the benefits of the energy transformation for customers and communities; it is essential that events like this exist to enable the sector to collaborate and drive progress forwards.

    SSE  

    SSE is a UK-listed and headquartered company investing £20 billion over five years to 2027 in renewable energy, electricity networks, and flexible power generation. Harnessing some of Europe’s best renewable resources with projects like Dogger Bank – the world’s largest offshore wind farm – SSE generates homegrown clean energy, protecting billpayers from overdependence on imported fossil fuels. It also builds and operate vital transmission and distribution grids to connect and transport more secure power to homes and businesses. At the same time, through its fleet of flexible generation and storage assets across hydro, batteries and efficient gas-fired power stations, it provides the balance required to ensure an increasingly renewable energy system is not only cleaner but more secure.  

    SSE Chief Executive Officer Alistair Phillips-Davies said:   

    It has never been clearer that energy security equates to national security – and achieving it requires countries to focus both on developing their own homegrown energy sources and on international cooperation to ensure increased flexibility and resilience. This principle is at the heart of the UK Government’s Clean Power Mission, and we are proud to be playing our part in delivering mission-critical investments across renewables, networks, and system flexibility. But there is more we can and must do, and we are therefore thrilled to be partnering with the UK Government and the IEA to advance this crucial agenda.

    Urenco  

    Urenco is a global uranium enrichment company, fuelling nuclear power plants to ensure a secure, reliable, and low carbon supply of energy. With four facilities in different countries within the Western world, it is providing customers with choice of where to receive their supply from and are rapidly ramping up capacity to meet increased demand.  

    Urenco Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht said:  

    There are now well-established drivers for an enhanced role of nuclear power: the need to meet climate change goals; and the need for countries to have a secure and independent energy supply. As a long-standing and integral part of the global nuclear industry, Urenco sees it as our responsibility to make a valuable contribution to meeting world-wide energy needs, complementing other low carbon sources through a 24/7 supply which is cost effective over the lifetime of a reactor. We will continue to collaborate with partners across the energy sector and beyond to help ensure the reliable, clean energy system our world needs are achieved.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 14 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Establishment of Eskom’s renewable energy business unit welcomed

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has welcomed Eskom’s recent issuance of a tender to establish a separate renewable energy business unit. 

    “This significant step reflects Eskom’s dedication to accelerating renewable energy deployment and supporting South Africa’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, consistent with the nation’s Just Energy Transition (JET) objectives and commitments under the Paris Agreement,” the Minister said on Monday.

    On 31 March 2025, the Minister granted conditional emissions exemptions to Eskom’s coal-fired power stations, underscoring the urgent need for prioritisation of renewable energy integration. 

    “The establishment of this independent subsidiary, structured to operate with agility and encourage public-private partnerships, directly addresses those conditions.

    “It positions Eskom to capitalise on South Africa’s abundant solar and wind resources, enhance competitiveness, and secure green financing, while contributing to improved air quality and reduced carbon emissions,” George said.

    He acknowledged Eskom’s proactive approach and called for a transparent, competitive, and inclusive tender process that fosters opportunities for local and international expertise. 

    The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment will closely monitor the initiative’s progress to ensure alignment with South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the 2050 net-zero emissions target, as well as the stringent conditions imposed on Eskom on 31 March 2025 that support compliance with the Minimum Emissions Standards (MES).

    The Minister further encouraged Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the private sector to actively participate, driving innovation and investment to bolster renewable energy capacity. 

    “Through collective effort, South Africa can build a resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable energy sector that upholds the constitutional mandate to protect the health and well-being of all its citizens,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: APA Corporation Announces Executive Leadership Updates; Ben C. Rodgers Promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Operational Leaders Added to Support Key Priorities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — APA Corporation (Nasdaq: APA) today announced key updates to its executive leadership team.

    Ben Rodgers has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective May 12, 2025. In this role, he will oversee all financial activities and departments, including Accounting, Audit, Investor Relations, Planning, Tax and Treasury. Rodgers joined APA in 2018 and previously served as SVP, Finance and Treasurer. He also served as CFO of Altus Midstream and later as a director on the board of Kinetik Holdings Inc. He currently serves on the board of Khalda Petroleum Company, a joint venture between APA subsidiary Apache Corporation and Egypt Petroleum Company.

    Steve Riney will continue in his role as president, overseeing asset development and operations. As part of Steve’s team, the company has added two key executives to help oversee operations.

    Shad Frazier has joined as senior vice president, U.S. Onshore Operations, effective immediately. Shad has nearly 30 years of industry experience, most recently as vice president, Production Operations at Endeavor Energy Resources, LP. Previously, he held various leadership positions at Legacy Reserves and SandRidge Energy. He holds a petroleum engineering degree from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma University.

    Donald Martin will also be joining the company as vice president, Decommissioning, effective May 26, 2025. Donald has 20 years of operations and decommissioning portfolio experience, most recently as the head of decommissioning & projects at Spirit Energy E&P. He has also managed decommissioning at Canadian Natural Resources E&P. Donald holds a master’s degree with distinction in major programme management from Oxford University.

    “I am pleased to welcome Ben to our executive leadership team. He has done a tremendous job and will bring valuable expertise to our financial operations,” said John J. Christmann, APA Corporation CEO. “I am also excited to welcome both Shad and Donald to the team. Their extensive experience and leadership will be instrumental in driving our operations forward.”

    About APA

    APA Corporation owns consolidated subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname and elsewhere. APA posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and press releases on its website, www.apacorp.com.

    Contacts
    Investor:  (281) 302-2286
    Media: (713) 296-7276  
    Website:  www.apacorp.com 
       

    APA-G

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Equinor ASA: proposal on capital reduction from the company’s board of directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The board of directors of Equinor ASA (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) has today decided to propose to the general meeting of the company that the company’s share capital is reduced through cancellation of own shares and redemption of shares belonging to the Norwegian State. The proposal is made as a result of the company having acquired own shares pursuant to the authorization for share buy-back granted by the annual general meeting of the company in May 2024.

    The proposal entails that the company’s share capital shall be reduced by NOK 589,934,295 from NOK 6,981,953,075.00 to NOK 6,392,018,780.00, through cancellation and redemption of a total of 235,973,718 shares. Notice of the general meeting of the company which will attend to the board’s proposal will be announced separately at a later stage.

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Euronext Oslo Børs Rulebook II section 4.2.4 and Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Contact persons:

    Investor relations:
    Bård Glad Pedersen, Senior vice president Investor Relations,
    +47 918 01 791

    Media relations:
    Sissel Rinde, Vice president Media Relations,
    +47 412 60 584

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Greg Harper Appointed New CEO of CapturePoint LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALLEN, Texas, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CapturePoint LLC and affiliate CapturePoint Solutions LLC (together “CapturePoint”) announced its Board of Directors has appointed Greg Harper as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Harper has been a leader in the U.S. energy sector for over 35 years, most recently serving as co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Evergreen Midstream LLC, an asset acquisition and development firm focused on traditional and renewable resources.

    Mr. Harper’s extensive energy management experience includes previous roles as President and CEO of Blue Mountain Midstream LLC, a subsidiary of Riviera Resources, and executive leadership roles at Enbridge, Southwest Energy, CenterPoint Energy, Spectra Energy Partners, and Duke Energy. “Greg is a dynamic, purposeful leader who has driven commercial, operational, and developmental success across every aspect of America’s natural gas and energy transportation sectors,” said Brian Falik, Global Chief Investment Officer of Mercuria Energy, one of CapturePoint’s largest shareholders. “CapturePoint is poised to lead the rapidly growing U.S. Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) industry which will play a large role in America’s future energy resilience and adaptation. Mr. Harper’s demonstrated skills are well-matched to the ambitious growth plans of CapturePoint shareholders.”

    Mr. Harper replaces the former CEO and founder, Tracy Evans, who recently retired from CapturePoint. “The board would like to thank Mr. Evans for his passion and dedication for bringing CapturePoint to this pivotal point in commercializing large scale CCUS opportunities,” continued Mr. Falik.

    CapturePoint is one of the leading private carbon management companies in North America, currently injecting over 1 million tons of CO2 annually into Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2-EOR) projects and operating over 230 miles of dedicated CO2 pipelines, anchored by production in Oklahoma and Texas. CapturePoint is also pursuing deep underground carbon storage sites nationally, highlighted by industry-leading projects in Louisiana and Colorado, and has contracts and commitments to sequester up to 8 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030.

    CapturePoint’s Central Louisiana Regional Carbon Storage Hub (CENLA Hub) development, now in permit review, has the potential to be one of the largest onshore underground carbon storage sites in the United States. The CENLA Hub already has CO2 storage commitments that could exceed 4 million tons of CO2 sequestered annually and anticipates constructing a regional system of up to 250 miles of dedicated CO2 pipelines in Louisiana and Texas.

    CapturePoint’s proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Colorado will leverage an existing 200-mile CO2 pipeline and Class II injection site to serve as the foundation for building out a larger regional CO2 transport and storage network. The Colorado CO2 Storage Hub intends to utilize both Class VI deep underground storage and CO2-EOR injection methods. The first phase of the development will focus on extending the existing pipeline by 100 miles, enabling the capture of an additional 1.25 million tons of CO2 annually and significantly enhancing the region’s capacity to mitigate carbon emissions.

    “I am honored to lead the talented team at CapturePoint,” noted Mr. Harper. “Domestic carbon management solutions are critical to securing our nation’s energy resilience and reinforcing U.S. leadership in manufacturing and industrial exports while adapting to the changing needs of the climate. With a strong operating foundation and a portfolio of groundbreaking projects, CapturePoint is well-positioned to drive lasting energy leadership and success.”

    CapturePoint LLC and CapturePoint Solutions LLC, together “CapturePoint,” are privately held companies based in Allen, Texas. They provide a full range of leading-edge carbon management services, operate Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2-EOR) production, facilitate advancement of traditional energy resources as well as pioneering clean energy and manufacturing projects, and are developing regional U.S. deep underground carbon storage hubs. CapturePoint funders include an affiliate of Mercuria Energy (Mercuria) as well as other institutional investors. For more information, visit the CapturePoint website at www.capturepointllc.com.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release may include certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond management’s control.   In addition to all risks and uncertainties previously stated, CapturePoint has also been, or may in the future be, impacted by new or heightened risks related to the energy market; federal, state and local regulation; as well as other factors; and we cannot predict the length and ultimate impact of those risks. CapturePoint undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect new information or events, nor to update the status of permits, governmental approvals or other external factors that may affect potential future operations.

    The information contained in this press release is available on our website at www.capturepointllc.com.

    Media Contact:                            
    Forrest Hudson                             
    Chief Land & Legal Officer                        
    1-281-668-8478 (office/direct)  
    1-601-283-9888 (cell)                                 
    fhudson@capturepointllc.com     		 B2B / Carbon Management Services:     
    Breck Bash
    Chief Commercialization Officer
    1-832-300-8225 (office)
    1-713-503-7091 (cell)                                               
    Breck.Bash@capturepointllc.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Amplify Announces Intention to Adjourn Special Meeting of Stockholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amplify Energy Corp. (NYSE: AMPY) (“Amplify” or the “Company”) today announced that it intends to open and immediately adjourn its Special Meeting of Stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) relating to the Company’s proposed merger with Juniper Capital’s upstream Rocky Mountain portfolio companies. There will be no voting or other matters conducted at the meeting on April 14, 2025, and the Company intends to reconvene the Special Meeting on April 23, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (and the adjourned meeting will be held virtually via the internet at www.cesonlineservices.com/ampysm_vm). The record date for the Special Meeting, March 3, 2025, is unchanged and applies to the reconvened Special Meeting.

    The Special Meeting will be adjourned to allow for further time to solicit proxies from the Company’s stockholders and provide stockholders with additional time to vote in order to facilitate broader participation. Stockholders who have already cast their votes do not need to take any action, unless they wish to change or revoke their prior proxy or voting instructions, and their votes will be counted at the reconvened Special Meeting. For stockholders who have not yet cast their votes, we urge them to vote their shares now, so they can be tabulated prior to the reconvened Special Meeting. For more information on how to vote, please call the Company’s proxy solicitor, Sodali & Co, on their toll-free number (800) 662-5200 or email AMPY@investor.sodali.com.

    The Company’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the proposals identified in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the Special Meeting.

    About Amplify Energy
    Amplify Energy Corp. is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploitation and production of oil and natural gas properties. Amplify’s operations are focused in Oklahoma, the Rockies (Bairoil), federal waters offshore Southern California (Beta), East Texas / North Louisiana, and the Eagle Ford (Non-op). For more information, visit www.amplifyenergy.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Terminology such as “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results or financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this press release specifically include the expected timing of the adjourned Special Meeting. Please read the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and if applicable, the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, which are available on the Company’s Investor Relations website at https://www.amplifyenergy.com/investor-relations/default.aspx or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future results or otherwise.

    Important Additional Information Regarding the Mergers Will Be Filed With the SEC.
    In connection with the proposed mergers, the Company has filed a definitive proxy statement. The definitive proxy statement has been sent to the stockholders of record of the Company. The Company may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the mergers. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF AMPLIFY ARE ADVISED TO CAREFULLY READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGERS, THE PARTIES TO THE MERGERS AND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MERGERS. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents filed by Amplify with the SEC from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Security holders and other interested parties will also be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents (when available) by (1) directing your written request to: 500 Dallas Street, Suite 1700, Houston, Texas or (2) contacting our Investor Relations department by telephone at (832) 219-9044 or (832) 219-9051. Copies of the documents filed by the Company with the SEC will be available free of charge on the Company’s website at http://www.amplifyenergy.com.

    Participants in the Solicitation.
    Amplify and certain of its respective directors, executive officers and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Amplify in connection with the transaction, including a description of their respective direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is included in the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the Company’s directors and executive officers is also included in Amplify’s Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and 2024 Proxy Statement, which was filed with the SEC on April 5, 2024. These documents are available free of charge as described above.

    Contacts

    Amplify Energy

    Jim Frew — Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    (832) 219-9044
    jim.frew@amplifyenergy.com

    Michael Jordan — Director, Finance and Treasurer
    (832) 219-9051
    michael.jordan@amplifyenergy.com  

    Sodali & Co.

    Michael Verrechia / Eric Kamback / Christopher Rice
    (800) 662-5200
    AMPY@investor.sodali.com  

    FTI Consulting

    Tanner Kaufman / Brandon Elliott / Rose Zu
    amplifyenergy@fticonsulting.com

    The MIL Network –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Utilities choosing coal, solar, nuclear or other power sources have a lot to consider, beyond just cost

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Erin Baker, Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering and Faculty Director of The Energy Transition Institute, UMass Amherst

    A turbine from the Roth Rock wind farm spins on the spine of Backbone Mountain behind the Mettiki Coal processing plant in Oakland, Md. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    The Trump administration is working to lift regulations on coal-fired power plants in the hopes of making its energy less expensive. But while cost is one important aspect, utilities have a lot more to consider when they choose their power sources.

    Different technologies play different roles in the power system. Some sources, like nuclear energy, are reliable but inflexible. Other sources, like oil, are flexible but expensive and polluting.

    How utilities choose which power source to invest in depends in large part on two key aspects: price and reliability.

    Power prices

    One way to compare power sources is by their levelized cost of electricity. This shows how much it costs to produce one unit of electricity on average over the life of the generator.

    The asset management firm Lazard has produced levelized cost of electricity calculations for the major U.S. electricity sources annually for years, and it has tracked a sharp decline in solar power costs in particular.

    Coal is one of the more expensive technologies for utilities today, making it less competitive compared with solar, wind and natural gas, by Lazard’s calculations. Only nuclear, offshore wind and “peaker” plants, which are used only during periods of high electricity demand, are more expensive.

    Land-based wind and solar power have the lowest estimated costs, far below what consumers are paying for electricity today. The National Renewable Energy Lab has found similar levelized costs for renewable energy, though its estimates for nuclear are lower than Lazard’s.

    Upfront costs are also important and can make the difference for whether new power projects can be built, as the East Coast has seen lately.

    Several offshore wind farms planned along the Northeast were canceled in recent years as costs rose due to inflation and supply chain problems during the pandemic. Construction costs for the two newest nuclear generators built in the U.S. also rose considerably as the projects, both in the Southeast, faced delays.

    Reliability and flexibility matter

    But cost is not the whole story. Utilities must balance a number of criteria when investing in power sources.

    Most important is matching supply and demand at every moment of the day. Due to the technical characteristics of electricity and how it flows, if the supply of electricity is even a little bit lower than the demand, that can trigger a blackout. This means power companies and consumers need generation that can ramp down when demand is low and ramp up when demand is high.

    Since wind and solar generation depend on the wind blowing and the sun shining, these sources must be combined with other types of generation or with storage, such as batteries, to ensure the power grid has exactly as much power as it needs at all times.

    Combining renewable energy and battery storage or both wind and solar can smooth out power supply dips and spikes. The Pine Tree Wind Farm and Solar Power Plant in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles do both.
    Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Nuclear and coal are predictable and run reliably, but they are inflexible – they take time to ramp up and down, and doing so is expensive. Steam turbines are simply not built for flexibility. The multiple days it took to shut down Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after an earthquake and tsunami damaged its backup power sources in 2011 illustrated the challenges and safety issues related to ramping down nuclear plants.

    That means coal and nuclear aren’t as helpful on those hot summer days when utilities need a quick power increase to keep air conditioners running. These peaks may only happen a few days a year, but keeping the power on is crucial for human health and the economy.

    In today’s energy system, the most flexible generation sources are natural gas and hydro. They can quickly adjust to meet changing electricity demand without the safety and cost concerns of coal and nuclear. Hydro can ramp in minutes but can only be built where large dams are feasible. The most cost-effective natural gas technology can ramp up within hours.

    The big picture, by power source

    Over the past two decades, natural gas use has risen quickly to overtake coal as the most common fuel for generating electricity in the U.S. The boom was largely driven by the growing use of fracking technology, which allowed producers to extract gas from rock and lowered the price.

    Natural gas’s low price and high flexibility make it an attractive choice. Its rise is a large part of the reason coal use has plummeted.

    But natural gas has its challenges. Natural gas requires pipelines to carry it across the country, leading to disruptive construction. As Texas saw during its February 2021 blackouts, natural gas equipment can also fail in extreme cold. And like coal, natural gas is a fossil fuel that releases greenhouse gases during combustion, so it is also helping to cause climate change and contributes to air pollution that can harm human health.

    Nuclear power has been gaining interest recently since it does not contribute to climate change or local air pollution. It also provides a steady baseload of power, which is useful for computing centers as their demand does not fluctuate as much as households.

    Of course, nuclear has ongoing challenges around the storage of radioactive waste and security concerns, and construction of large nuclear plants takes many years.

    Coal is more flexible than nuclear, but far less so than natural gas or hydropower. Most concerning, coal is extremely dirty, emitting more climate-change-causing gases, and far more air pollution than natural gas.

    Solar and wind have grown rapidly in recent years due to their falling costs and environmental benefits. According to Lazard, the cost of solar combined with batteries, which would be as flexible as hydropower, is well below the cost of coal with its limited flexibility.

    However, wind and solar tend to take up a lot of space, which has led to challenges in local approvals for new sites and transmission lines. In addition, the sheer number of new projects is overwhelming power system operators’ ability to evaluate them, leading to increasing wait times for new generation to come online.

    What’s ahead?

    Utilities have another consideration: Federal, state and local governments can also influence and sometimes limit utilities’ choices. Tariffs, for example, can increase the cost of critical components for new construction. Permitting and regulations can slow down development. Subsidies can artificially lower costs.

    In our view, policies that are done right can help utilities move toward more reliable and cost-effective choices which are also cleaner. Done wrong, they can be costly to the economy and the environment.

    Erin Baker receives funding from NSF, DOE, and Sloan Foundation

    Paola Pimentel Furlanetto receives funding from NSF and Sloan Foundation

    – ref. Utilities choosing coal, solar, nuclear or other power sources have a lot to consider, beyond just cost – https://theconversation.com/utilities-choosing-coal-solar-nuclear-or-other-power-sources-have-a-lot-to-consider-beyond-just-cost-254337

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: How and where is nuclear waste stored in the US?

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gerald Frankel, Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University

    A Southern California Edison employee measures radiation at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on March 10, 2020. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

    Around the U.S., about 90,000 tons of nuclear waste is stored at over 100 sites in 39 states, in a range of different structures and containers.

    For decades, the nation has been trying to send it all to one secure location.

    A 1987 federal law named Yucca Mountain, in Nevada, as a permanent disposal site for nuclear waste – but political and legal challenges led to construction delays. Work on the site had barely started before Congress ended the project’s funding altogether in 2011.

    The 94 nuclear reactors currently operating at 54 power plants continue to generate more radioactive waste. Public and commercial interest in nuclear power is rising because of concerns regarding emissions from fossil fuel power plants and the possibility of new applications for smaller-scale nuclear plants to power data centers and manufacturing. This renewed interest gives new urgency to the effort to find a place to put the waste.

    In March 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments related to the effort to find a temporary storage location for the nation’s nuclear waste – a ruling is expected by late June. No matter the outcome, the decades-long struggle to find a permanent place to dispose of nuclear waste will probably continue for many years to come.

    I am a scholar who specializes in corrosion; one focus of my work has been containing nuclear waste during temporary storage and permanent disposal. There are generally two forms of significantly radioactive waste in the U.S.: waste from making nuclear weapons during the Cold War, and waste from generating electricity at nuclear power plants. There are also small amounts of other radioactive waste, such as that associated with medical treatments.

    Nuclear waste is stored in underground containers at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls.
    AP Photo/Keith Ridler

    Waste from weapons manufacturing

    Remnants of the chemical processing of radioactive material needed to manufacture nuclear weapons, often called “defense waste,” will eventually be melted along with glass, with the resulting material poured into stainless steel containers. These canisters are 10 feet tall and 2 feet in diameter, weighing approximately 5,000 pounds when filled.

    For now, though, most of it is stored in underground steel tanks, primarily at Hanford, Washington, and Savannah River, South Carolina, key sites in U.S. nuclear weapons development. At Savannah River, some of the waste has already been processed with glass, but much of it remains untreated.

    At both of those locations, some of the radioactive waste has already leaked into the soil beneath the tanks, though officials have said there is no danger to human health. Most of the current efforts to contain the waste focus on protecting the tanks from corrosion and cracking to prevent further leakage.

    A look inside a cooling pool for spent nuclear fuel rods.

    Waste from electricity generation

    The vast majority of nuclear waste in the U.S. is spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants.

    Before it is used, nuclear fuel exists as uranium oxide pellets that are sealed within zirconium tubes, which are themselves bundled together. These bundles of fuel rods are about 12 to 16 feet long and about 5 to 8 inches in diameter. In a nuclear reactor, the fission reactions fueled by the uranium in those rods emit heat that is used to create hot water or steam to drive turbines and generate electricity.

    After about three to five years, the fission reactions in a given bundle of fuel slow down significantly, even though the material remains highly radioactive. The spent fuel bundles are removed from the reactor and moved elsewhere on the power plant’s property, where they are placed into a massive pool of water to cool them down.

    After about five years, the fuel bundles are removed, dried and sealed in welded stainless steel canisters. These canisters are still radioactive and thermally hot, so they are stored outdoors in concrete vaults that sit on concrete pads, also on the power plant’s property. These vaults have vents to ensure air flows past the canisters to continue cooling them.

    As of December 2024, there were over 315,000 bundles of spent nuclear fuel rods in the U.S., and over 3,800 dry storage casks in concrete vaults above ground, located at current and former power plants across the country.

    Even reactors that have been decommissioned and demolished still have concrete vaults storing radioactive waste, which must be secured and maintained by the power company that owned the nuclear plant.

    Salt spray from the ocean can corrode waste containers at nearby nuclear waste storage sites, like this one at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California.
    Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    The threat of water

    One threat to these storage methods is corrosion.

    Because they need water to both transfer nuclear energy into electricity and to cool the reactor, nuclear power plants are always located alongside sources of water.

    In the U.S., nine are within two miles of the ocean, which poses a particular threat to the waste containers. As waves break on the coastline, saltwater is sprayed into the air as particles. When those salt and water particles settle on metal surfaces, they can cause corrosion, which is why it’s common to see heavily corroded structures near the ocean.

    At nuclear waste storage locations near the ocean, that salt spray can settle on the steel canisters. Generally, stainless steel is resistant to corrosion, which you can see in the shiny pots and pans in many Americans’ kitchens. But in certain circumstances, localized pits and cracks can form on stainless steel surfaces.

    In recent years, the U.S. Department of Energy has funded research, including my own, into the potential dangers of this type of corrosion. The general findings are that stainless steel canisters could pit or crack when stored near a seashore. But a radioactive leak would require not only corrosion of the container but also of the zirconium rods and of the fuel inside them. So it is unlikely that this type of corrosion would result in the release of radioactivity.

    A long way off

    A more permanent solution is likely years, or decades, away.

    Not only must a long-term site be geologically suitable to store nuclear waste for thousands of years, but it must also be politically palatable to the American people. In addition, there will be many challenges associated with transporting the waste, in its containers, by road or rail, from reactors across the country to wherever that permanent site ultimately is.

    Perhaps there will be a temporary site whose location passes muster with the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, the waste will stay where it is.

    Gerald Frankel receives funding from ONR, DOE.

    – ref. How and where is nuclear waste stored in the US? – https://theconversation.com/how-and-where-is-nuclear-waste-stored-in-the-us-252475

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    April 15, 2025
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