2025-03-20 20:54

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday called for urgent safety assessments of 68 bridges including iconic crossings like the Golden Gate Bridge, Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, George Washington Bridge and the Chicago Skyway Bridge. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the board wants bridge owners in 19 states to perform vulnerability assessments and determine the risk of catastrophic collapse from a vessel collision "and if warranted, implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan." Sign up here. The NTSB is making the recommendation after the March 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a cargo ship, killing six people. The review focuses on bridges built before 1991 and frequented by ocean-going vessels that have not undergone vulnerability assessments. "There is a potential safety risk and you need to take immediate action," Homendy said, noting ocean cargo vessels are much bigger and heavier today. "It doesn't mean there is a risk there. They just don't know right now, so they need to determine that." Other bridges that need urgent reviews include the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges across the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and Mateo-Hayward Bridge in California, Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida, Memorial Bridge in New Hampshire and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge in New York. Bridge owners need to calculate whether the probability of collapse is above a risk threshold and if so "develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan," the NTSB said. Bridge owners should seek guidance and assistance from the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and explore "short- and long-term strategies to reduce the probability of a potential bridge collapse from a vessel collision," the NTSB said. The Golden Gate Bridge District said the California span is in full compliance with all federal and state regulations, including federal evaluation requirements and "has arguably one of the most robust ship collision protection systems of any bridge on the West Coast." The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge exceeds guidelines and is further protected by rock islands. The Mackinac Bridge authority said it is reviewing the NTSB report. Other authorities did not immediately comment. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-agency-calls-urgent-safety-assessments-iconic-bridges-2025-03-20/

2025-03-20 20:41

NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters) - Energy regulators on Thursday approved the Southwest Power Pool to expand its territory and become the first regional U.S. grid to operate in both the western and eastern interconnections of the country's electrical system, SPP said. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT SPP is one of seven regional transmission operators that manage the physical flow of electricity and the markets that facilitate that movement, and those RTOs sometimes compete with each other for territory and members. Sign up here. SPP, which runs the bulk electric grid and wholesale power market across 14 western and Midwest states, will expand its reach to encompass all or parts of 17 states under the agreement unanimously signed off on by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, SPP said in a statement. CONTEXT Seven power providers that currently intersect with the SPP market on a limited basis will get the ability to participate in the broader market, transmission planning and other grid services beginning in April 2026. Those potential new members include Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Colorado Springs Utilities, Deseret Power Electric Cooperative, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN); Platte River Power Authority, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and the Western Area Power Administration Colorado River Storage Project, Rocky Mountain and Upper Great Plains regions. KEY QUOTE "With the complexities of today's energy industry and the regulations that define it, an adaptable electric grid with access to both local and regional resources is essential for managing customer costs and maintaining service reliability,” Colorado Springs Utilities Chief Executive Officer Travas Deal said in a statement. "We strongly believe the SPP RTO will help us achieve this goal." https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/southwest-us-grid-operator-expanding-into-west-2025-03-20/

2025-03-20 20:37

David Copley to oversee US mining policy -sources New council aims to boost US production of critical minerals Copley to advise on permitting reform, industry oversight March 20 (Reuters) - Former Newmont (NEM.N) , opens new tab executive David Copley has been tapped to oversee the mining portfolio for the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council, two sources familiar with the appointment said, making him the highest-ranking federal official shaping domestic minerals policy. Created last month by President Donald Trump, the council's mandate is to boost not only U.S. oil and gas production, but also the extraction and processing of lithium, copper and other critical minerals used widely across the economy. Sign up here. China's near-total control of the critical minerals industry has long rankled Trump and his predecessors. Despite that, the U.S. has not had a senior official overseeing federal mining policy since the Bureau of Mines was closed in 1996 amid a round of budget cuts. U.S. mining policy is currently administered through multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and their priorities often conflict. Copley will be the senior White House official on mining, advising Trump and other officials on permitting reform and helping to coordinate the executive branch's oversight of the industry. Reuters reported last week that Trump was considering naming a point person to coordinate U.S. mining policy. Trump separately on Thursday signed an executive order directing a review of which federal lands - including those controlled by the Pentagon - could be used for minerals processing, among other steps aimed at boosting domestic mining. The White House referred questions on Copley's appointment to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which was not immediately available to comment. Copley was not immediately available to comment. Newmont declined to comment. An economist by training, Copley is an intelligence officer with the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked on Iraq-related issues for the State Department in Trump's first term. He previously held roles at U.S. Silica, a minerals producer acquired last year by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, and Active Minerals International, a producer of kaolin clay for ceramics. Copley consulted for Boston Consulting Group earlier in his career and served as an intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense. Copley until recently had worked in a strategic development role for Denver-based Newmont, the world's largest gold miner by production with a market value of $54 billion and mines across 13 countries. The miner has been also expanding into copper production after it bought Australian rival Newcrest in 2022. Abigail Hunter, executive director of SAFE's Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, said she was glad to see "someone with practical mining expertise" be the administration's point person for mining, a role that her think tank had lobbied officials to create. "A diffuse approach makes it harder to align policy priorities," said Hunter. "Having someone in this position on the council can help cement a unified federal strategy." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/former-newmont-executive-tapped-oversee-mining-us-energy-council-2025-03-20/

2025-03-20 20:33

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday announced steps to open up more acreage for oil and gas leasing and lift restrictions on building an LNG pipeline and mining road in Alaska, carrying out President Donald Trump's executive order to remove barriers to energy development in the state. Burgum said the agency plans to reopen the 82% of Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve that is available for leasing for development and reopen the 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing. Sign up here. He also said the administration would revoke restrictions on land along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Corridor and Dalton Highway north of the Yukon River and convey the land to the State of Alaska, which would pave the way forward for the proposed Ambler Road and the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline project. “It’s time for the U.S. to embrace Alaska’s abundant and largely untapped resources as a pathway to prosperity for the Nation, including Alaskans,” said Burgum. Drilling in Alaska's pristine Arctic refuge has long been a source of friction between Alaska lawmakers and tribal corporations seeking to open more acres to drilling to spur economic growth, and Democratic presidential administrations that sought to preserve the local ecosystem and wildlife. A January 8 lease auction that had been mandated by Congress held under the Biden administration's Interior Department received no bids from energy companies. The Biden administration last year rejected the Ambler Road Project, a proposed 211-mile road that would connect to a rare earths mining district. Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy and the state's congressional delegation have pushed for a reversal of Biden's Alaska resource development policies. Some Alaska indigenous nations have also called for the right to develop resources in ANWR and the National Petroleum Reserve, and welcomed the announcement. “We applaud today’s decision by DOI and Secretary Burgum," said Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation President Charles Lampe. "As the only community within ANWR’s 19-million-acre boundaries, we have fought for years for our right to self-determination and local economic development in our Indigenous homelands. The oil industry has signalled it would be hesitant to rush into Alaska given its high risk and the possibility of a political pendulum swing in four years that could put Alaska off limits again. Environmental groups criticized the move that would disturb what they call one of the last wild places on earth, putting caribou, polar bears and migratory birds at risk. "Expanding oil drilling across public lands in the Arctic is risky, harmful to the health and well-being of people who reside nearby, devastating to wildlife and bad for the climate,” said Carole Holley, Managing Attorney in Earthjustice’s Alaska Regional Office. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-open-more-alaska-acres-oil-gas-drilling-2025-03-20/

2025-03-20 20:31

David Copley to oversee mining for U.S. Energy Dominance Council U.S. to sign minerals deal with Ukraine soon, Trump announces U.S. miners welcome executive order to increase output WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday invoked emergency powers to boost domestic production of critical minerals used widely across the economy as part of a broad effort to offset China's near-total control of the sector. The move is the latest by Trump to increase U.S. energy and minerals production and comes amid an escalating trade conflict with China, Canada and other large minerals producers that supply American manufacturers. Sign up here. Lithium, nickel and other critical minerals are used in many electronics, and demand is expected to surge in coming years for production of electric-vehicle batteries. China is the world's largest producer or processor of many critical minerals. Trump signed an executive order that taps the Cold War-era Defense Production Act (DPA) as part of an effort to provide financing, loans and other investment support to domestically process a range of critical minerals. The DPA gives the Pentagon wide berth to procure equipment necessary for national defense. Invoking it essentially declares that relying on rival nations for critical minerals constitutes a national security threat. "The United States was once the world's largest producer of lucrative minerals, but overbearing federal regulation has eroded our nation's mineral production," the president said in the order. The order directs federal agencies to create a list of U.S. mines that can be quickly approved as well as which federal lands, including those controlled by the Pentagon, could be used for minerals processing. The U.S. currently produces very little lithium and nickel; its only cobalt mine shuttered last year amid intense Chinese competition. The U.S. does have multiple copper mines, but only two smelters to process the red metal into pipes, wiring and other components. The U.S. has only one mine for rare earths, which are used to make magnets that turn power into motion. Late last year, Beijing imposed an outright ban on exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the United States, causing U.S. manufacturers to scramble for alternative supplies of those niche-but-vital materials. The order also encourages faster permitting for mining and processing projects and a directive for the Interior Department to prioritize mineral production on federal land. The order directs agencies to help boost U.S. output of copper and gold, neither of which is considered a critical mineral by the U.S. Geological Survey. An executive order from Trump had long been sought by U.S. miners, many of which had long complained that bureaucratic delays hampered output. "Ramping up American mining is a national security imperative and President Trump's strong action recognizes that," said Rich Nolan, head of the National Mining Association trade group. The Defense Production Act is a 1950 law that former President Harry Truman deployed to ramp up steel production for the Korean War. Former President Joe Biden also invoked the law to encourage domestic production of critical minerals, adding battery materials such as lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt and manganese to the list of items covered under the measure to help companies access $750 million in funds. Former Newmont executive David Copley has been named to oversee the mining portfolio for the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council, two sources familiar with the appointment told Reuters. Copley will be the highest-ranking person in the federal government shaping mining policy, one of the sources said. Trump also said on Thursday that the United States will sign a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine shortly. Last month he ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on copper imports. https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-us-sign-minerals-deal-with-ukraine-shortly-2025-03-20/

2025-03-20 20:29

Three charged with arson at Tesla sites, face 5-20 years if convicted Activists target Tesla over Musk's role in Trump administration Trump labels violence as domestic terrorism WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said on Thursday three people have been charged in connection with arson incidents at Tesla car dealerships and charging stations. The Justice Department said the individuals each face between five and 20 years in prison if convicted. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars," Bondi said. Sign up here. All three defendants are accused of using incendiary devices known as Molotov cocktails to set fire to Tesla (TSLA.O) , opens new tab vehicles or charging stations. Prosecutors earlier announced their arrests in all three cases. Tesla has become a target of activists opposed to the political agenda of President Donald Trump and the role of his adviser Elon Musk, the electric car maker's CEO, in putting it in motion. Musk is leading the administration's drive to slash the federal payroll through the Department of Government Efficiency. In addition, Musk has orchestrated the cancellation of contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds humanitarian programs around the world. The three people in the arson cases include Lucy Grace Nelson, 42, who was charged in February with possession of a destructive device and malicious destruction of property used in interstate commerce. Nelson has pleaded not guilty and been released on bond. Nelson was spotted at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on several occasions in January and February, according to a criminal complaint. Police found a container of gasoline, a box of bottles and wick material in Nelson’s car, according to the complaint. Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is also facing a destructive device charge after he was accused of throwing about eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon. Lansky has been ordered detained to await trial and has not yet entered a plea. Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, was charged earlier this month after allegedly throwing incendiary devices at Tesla charging stations in North Charleston, South Carolina. Witnesses reported the man also spray-painted a profane message about Trump and the words “Long Live Ukraine” in the parking lot, according to a criminal complaint. Clarke-Pounder is charged with malicious destruction of property. He has not yet entered a plea and been released on $10,000 bond. The anti-Musk sentiment has also triggered a series of "Tesla Takedown" protests at dealerships around the country in recent weeks. Still relatively small-scale, the noisy demonstrations have encouraged Americans to sell their Teslas and the company's stock to protest the administration's cuts and Musk's role at DOGE. The protests have led to arrests in some cities. In a show of support for Musk, Trump said last week that the government would label any violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism and perpetrators will "go through hell." The labeling of the attacks as domestic terrorism, at this stage, appears to be mainly about public messaging. There is no criminal charge for domestic terrorism in the U.S. legal system, but prosecutors can seek a longer prison term at sentencing if they believe the crime was intended to intimidate the government or its citizens. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-attorney-general-says-alleged-arsonists-targeting-tesla-face-charges-2025-03-20/