This series of storms highlights the need to rethink how electricity is priced for consumers in the United States. Wind and solar receive subsidies, have no end-of-life funds, and incur no grid-resilience costs when they can't generate. The current pricing model also does not include grid resiliency costs and the additional maintenance required for natural gas turbines to spin up and down during wind and solar generation. The additional maintenance costs are just passed on to consumers, who don't realize they are caused by wind and solar installations.

The main topics discussed in this Energy News Beat Stand Up are:

1. The impact of recent winter storms on the U.S. energy grid and the performance issues with renewable energy sources like wind and solar during peak demand periods. The speaker argues that wind, solar, and storage need to be repriced to account for the additional costs they impose on the grid.

2. The launch of "Project Vault" by the Trump administration to establish a strategic critical minerals reserve and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign suppliers, especially China. The speaker highlights several companies that are expected to benefit from this initiative.

3. Siemens Energy's $1 billion investment to expand manufacturing of grid equipment in the U.S., creating 1,500 new jobs. The speaker praises the "approachability" of the Trump administration and the Department of Energy, which he says has made it easier for companies like Siemens to invest in Republican-led states.

4. The decline in OPEC oil production in January 2026, largely due to political turmoil in Venezuela. The speaker discusses the complexities of the global oil market, noting that "not all oil is created equal" and that OPEC is taking a cautious approach to production quotas and cuts.

5. India's continued imports of Russian oil, despite pressure from the U.S. to reduce reliance on Russian energy. The speaker argues that he does not fault India for buying cheap Russian oil, but criticizes California for importing Russian oil-derived jet fuel, which he sees as a national security risk.

6. The need for more truthful and fact-based reporting on energy issues by the mainstream media, which the speaker believes is often biased in favor of renewable energy.

1.Overreliance on Renewables Leaves Americans Out in the Cold, and Paying More for Electricity

2.Trump’s Project Vault Gives US Critical Minerals a Boost

3.Siemens Energy Commits $1 Billion to Ramp Up Manufacturing in US, Impacting Grid Equipment

4.OPEC Output Fell Last Month Due to Venezuela Turmoil

5.Oil Rises Amid Conflicting Reports on Iran

6.India Is Expected To Only Slowly Reduce Its Import Of Russian Oil

7.When will the Mainstream Media Report the Truth on Energy? Nick Deluliis Stops By to Talk about the Truth In Energy

Shout out to Steve Reese and the Reese Energy Team at https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/

Sources: theenergynewsbeat.substack.com, nationalreview.com, Grok, electrek.co, eia.gov

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Nick Deluliis is a Director on the CNX Board and an author, bringing decades of experience to the discussion. On his website, he cites WSJ reporting and notes that the mainstream media (MSM) is letting the American Public down. He also raises some compelling points about how this can play out.

With Bill Gates admitting we are not going to die from "Climate Crisis" to Larry Fink admitting at Davos that we need stable power, when will the MSM follow these stories? Is it up to the podcastsers?

1. Concerns about biased and inaccurate energy news reporting:

The host and guest discuss how energy news reporting, particularly in outlets like the Wall Street Journal, often fails to provide objective, fact-based coverage. They cite the "Gell-Mann amnesia effect" where readers trust the reporting on topics they are unfamiliar with, even when the reporting on the guest's area of expertise (energy) contains significant flaws and omissions.

2. The challenges of transitioning the energy grid to renewable sources:

The transcript explores how the push for large-scale adoption of wind and solar power has led to "manufactured inefficiencies" in energy systems. The guests argue that intermittent renewable sources are not viable replacements for reliable baseload power from fossil fuels and nuclear, resulting in grid instability and higher costs for consumers.

3. The importance of rational, fact-based energy policies:

The discussion highlights how ideologically-driven energy policies, often favoring renewable energy over more reliable sources, have had negative consequences for energy affordability, grid reliability, and industrial competitiveness. The guests advocate for policymaking grounded in scientific and economic realities rather than political agendas.

4. The potential of the Marcellus Shale region for reviving American manufacturing:

The guests express optimism about leveraging the abundant natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale to support domestic manufacturing and economic growth, if policies enable the efficient development and utilization of these energy assets.

5. The emerging global divide on energy and climate policies:

The transcript suggests a bifurcation of the world into two camps - those pursuing net-zero emissions policies that undermine industrial competitiveness, versus those focused on energy affordability and reliability to support economic prosperity.

We emphasized the need for objective, fact-based journalism to inform the public and policymakers on the complex realities of the energy transition.

A wild way to end January trading with the Silver Crash of 2026, and how is oil going to shake out? We also cover earnings for Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Liberty Energy.

The main topics discussed in thisEpisdoe of the Energy News Beat Stand-Up are:

1. The dramatic plunge in silver prices:

- The silver market saw a 37% single-day crash on January 30th, the worst day on record since March 1980.

- There are questions around potential market manipulation by entities like JP Morgan.

- The hosts discuss the underlying supply and demand factors impacting the silver market, such as China's export restrictions.

2. The global energy crisis and its impact:

- Europe is facing major challenges with energy security and affordability, leading to a resurgence of fossil fuel usage.

- Countries like China, India, and the UK are all ramping up domestic oil and gas exploration and production.

- The hosts analyze how this global energy crunch is affecting natural gas prices and availability in the US.

3. The role of natural gas and fossil fuels in the energy transition:

- Texas is doubling down on natural gas-fired power generation, including a massive 75.65 GW project.

- Major oil companies like Exxon and Chevron are increasingly partnering with data centers to provide dedicated, behind-the-meter power generation.

- The hosts discuss how this shift towards natural gas-powered data centers could impact midstream pipeline companies.

4. Earnings and financial performance of energy companies:

- The hosts review the latest quarterly earnings reports from companies like Liberty Energy, Exxon, and Chevron.

- They analyze trends like share buybacks, production growth, and the impact of assets like Guyana and Venezuela.

- The discussion touches on how these companies are transitioning towards more utility-like business models.

1.Silver Market Plunge Wipes Out Investors, and We Have Questions

2.The Monroe Doctrine in Full Display as Danish Firm Maersk Temporarily Takes Over Operations of Two Ports on the Panama Canal

3.Energy Security Starts at Home, and the EU and UK Are Waking Up

4.Largest Power Project In US Approved For West Texas Amid Gas Plant And Data Center Buildout

5.Liberty Energy Earnings Report for Q4 2025

6.Exxon Beats Expectations as Record Production Offsets Lower Oil Price

7.Chevron Beats Profit Estimates with Venezuela on a Roll

Shout to Steve Reese and the entire Reese Energy Consulting group for sponsoring the Energy News Beat Podcast. https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/

Shout out to FeedSpot - Energy News Beat ranked #3 globally for top Energy Podcast

https://podcast.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

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You can't buy this kind of entertainment. When President Trump throws out a mean Truth Social post, he can move the markets, but when an Aircraft Carrier Strike group shows up near Iran and Iraq, the oil traders panic. It is quite possible that the Glut Narative may just roll off into the sunset, as Stu Turley has said on the podcast "Where's the Glut?" much like the "Where's the Beef" Wendy's commercial.

We are seeing a commodities Supercycle surge, and did oil just make it to the Commodities Homecoming Dance? We cover critical investing and issues that will impact consumers in the oil and gas markets.

The main topics discussed in this Energy News Beat Stand-UP are:

1. Geopolitical tensions and their impact on oil prices:

- President Trump's threats of military action against Iran and the resulting spike in Brent crude oil prices

- Concerns about potential supply disruptions from Iran and Iraq, which could further impact oil markets

2. Declining oil and gas exploration and investment:

- The plunge in global conventional oil and gas discovery volumes in recent years

- The decline in overall oil and gas capital expenditures, focused on short-cycle, low-cost projects

- The high percentage of production coming from post-peak oil and gas fields raising concerns about future supply

3. The changing dynamics in the oil and gas industry:

- The dichotomy between "drill, baby, drill" and "grow, baby, grow" approaches to production

- The role of refinery demand in determining the pricing and trading of different crude oil grades

- Saudi Aramco's efforts to change how OPEC monitors and prices oil, moving towards a more refinery-driven model

4. Potential mergers and acquisitions in the sector:

- The ongoing discussions around a potential merger between Coterra Energy and Devon Energy

- The involvement of activist investor Kimmeridge in pushing for this merger, including the potential nomination of Scott Sheffield to Coterra's board

5. Performance and outlook for oil and gas companies:

- The strong stock price performance of major oil companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron

- The potential opportunities in the mining and gold/silver sectors as a hedge against oil and gas market volatility

Stories Covered in today's Energy News Beat Stand-Up

1.Brent Breaks $70 After Trump Threatens Iran With Military Force

2.Oil Options on Longest Bullish Run Since 2024 as Iran Risk Looms

3.Oil Exploration Drastically Lagging Demand – We are approaching a critical junction of lack of investment

4.Trinidad & Tobago: The $4 Billion Nat Gas Play

5.Gas Turbines Suffer Economic Hardships Due to Stress Placed on Them by Wind and Solar

6.Saudi Aramco Raises $4 Billion as Oil Prices Remain Under the Oil Glut Threat

A shout-out to Reese Energy Consulting for sponsoring the Podcast: https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/

Check out: theenergynewsbeat.substack.com,

Get your CEO on the podcast: https://sandstoneassetmgmt.com/media/

Is oil and gas right for your portfolio? https://sandstoneassetmgmt.com/invest-in-oil-and-gas/

Robert Bryce is an author and movie producer, and he has a great Substack at Robertbryce.substack.com. We consider him a national treasure, and he holds nothing back in this great interview. We explore the world to see how energy, oil, and geopolitics collide.

As we release this podcast, US Ships are approaching Iran, and oil prices are responding.

The main topics discussed in this Podcast are:

1. The role of energy, particularly oil, in global geopolitics and conflicts:

- The transcript discusses how targeting electrical grid infrastructure has been a common military tactic in major conflicts like the Iraq wars, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the situation in Venezuela.

- Controlling energy resources and infrastructure is seen as a key strategic objective in these conflicts.

2. The "dark fleet" and Venezuela's involvement in circumventing sanctions:

- The discussion touches on Venezuela's relationship with Russia and China, and how they have been using a "dark fleet" of tankers to move oil and bypass sanctions.

- This highlights how energy trade and financial mechanisms are being used to counter geopolitical pressure.

3. The shift towards a "Western Hemispheric energy powerhouse":

- There is discussion about the Trump administration's efforts to align the energy resources of the Western Hemisphere, including shale, oil sands, and Venezuela's heavy crude, under a framework that prioritizes reliable, low-cost supply.

- This is seen as a potential challenge to OPEC's influence.

4. The challenges facing the transition to renewable energy and electrification:

- The transcript touches on the growing demand for electricity, the constraints on the power grid and natural gas supply, and the difficulties in rapidly scaling up new energy infrastructure.

- There is a discussion about the role of natural gas, data centers, and new technologies like reciprocating engines in meeting this growing energy demand.

5. The performance and challenges of the electric vehicle (EV) market:

- The transcript discusses the significant financial losses incurred by legacy automakers in their efforts to compete with Tesla and enter the EV market.

- This is seen as an example of the industry misjudging the market and customer demand for EVs.

Chapters/Time Stamps

03:27 War and how energy infrastructure is targeted

07:59 Energy is the key to geopolitics

14:35 Greenland is the New Green Deal

18:32 EIA Growing Electricity Demand

27:37 Natural Gas, and we may be too dependent on one source

32:41 EVs and the problems car makers have had, and caused.

Check out Robert Bryce on his Substack: https://robertbryce.substack.com/

Check out the Energy News Beat Substack: https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/

or the Energy News Beat Website https://energynewsbeat.co/

Just in time for the potentially crippling storm hitting the Southern Half of the United States, this podcast interview with Dr. Brett Bennett of the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlights the money spent on wind and solar, but not on resilience.

While significant improvements have been made to the ERCOT Grid system, a fundamental issue remains.

We have about $150 Billion in wind, solar, and batteries, and if we had spent only 25% less on renewables and put that toward resilience, we would not have concerns about grid stability. We are about to see how the grid holds up in this new storm rolling in this weekend.

Key topics include:

The main topics discussed in this transcript are:

1. The reliability and resilience of the Texas electricity grid:

- Dr. Bennett discusses how the Texas grid is still vulnerable to major winter storms, despite some operational improvements since the 2021 Winter Storm Uri.

- He explains that the underlying market design issues have not been adequately addressed, leading to a growing capacity gap and over-reliance on intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar that are not well-suited for winter peak demand.

2. The need to properly value reliability in the Texas electricity market:

- Dr. Bennett emphasizes that the current market structure overvalues cheap, intermittent energy sources like wind and solar, while undervaluing the reliability provided by dispatchable generation like natural gas.

- He argues that policymakers need to require wind and solar generators to meet certain reliability standards and pay for the transmission infrastructure they require.

3. The growth of data centers and their impact on the grid:

- We discuss the rapid growth of data centers in Texas and how they can be an asset or a liability for the grid, depending on how they are integrated and how they contribute to infrastructure costs.

- Dr. Bennett suggests that data centers should be required to pay their fair share for grid infrastructure and manage their energy usage to help reduce system volatility.

4. Decommissioning of wind turbines and managing the energy transition:

- The discussion touches on the growing issue of wind turbine decommissioning and disposal, noting that Texas has started to build a regulatory framework around this, but more work is needed.

- Dr. Bennett suggests that getting the market design right is key to ensuring a smooth and cost-effective energy transition, rather than relying on subsidies and policies that can distort investment signals.

Overall, our discussion provides a comprehensive overview of the key challenges facing the Texas electricity grid and the policy changes that Dr. Bennett believes are necessary to ensure a reliable, affordable, and sustainable power system for Texas.

Check out The Texas Public Policy Foundation https://www.texaspolicy.com/

Check out Dr. Bennett's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bennett/

Check out the Substack https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/

Full transcript: https://energynewsbeat.co/

On this episode of the Energy News Beat Stand Up, I cover the key issues around Davos, Greenland, and some investing stories around Oil Field Service Companies, and why this is important.

The main topics discussed in this podcast are:

1. President Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he promoted America’s energy dominance and criticized policies like net zero emissions targets.

2. The potential acquisition or deal regarding Greenland, which the host suggests could be called the “Green New Deal” as a joke.

3. We give Newsom a shout-out as ourcriticism of California’s energy policies and the potential energy crisis in the state has helped our numbers and new subscribers.

4. Analysis of several oil and gas services stocks, including Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and Liberty Energy. Liberty has successfully been changing its business model, and I am interviewing its CEO again in a few weeks. The nimble, profitable companies will thrive and survive.

5. Updates on crude oil inventory levels and energy market prices.

00:38 President Trump's Davos speech

2:18 Can we call Greenland acquisition “The Green New Deal” just to mess with folks

05:03 Trump takes aim at Net Zero

06:28 Greenland Deal specifics and update

09:03 Gavin Newsom and President Trump Showdown is on deck

14:06 Post-Maduro Capture is a good time to look at Oil Field Service Stocks

21:04 Oil inventories up

1.Trump’s Speech at Davos Sets the Choice of Grow Baby Grow or Keep Doing What You’re Doing

2.Trump Takes Aim at Britain’s Net Zero Agenda in Davos Tirade

3.Negotiations Over Greenland Are Moving in a Positive Direction, Says Trump

4.Trump vs. Newsom Energy Showdown is About to Start

5.Post Maduro Capture, Venezuela Is Not the Only Reason to Own Oil Field Services Stocks

6.US Crude Oil Inventories Up

This is a brief part of the admission that they have failed, but the key point is that the once-great poster child of the Green New Deal has admitted they cannot go on under the old ways.

But whether they will change is the key.

Check out the Energy News Beat Substack: https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/p/the-davos-crowd-just-got-the-royal

It is clear that the Davos trip was wild. We will cover it on The Energy Realities Podcast on Monday, and I will have more clips and try to dig deeper into the highlights.

Mark Carney and Gavin Newsom's behavior proves that they are not going quietly into the night, but will fight to be “stupid,” to use a Trumpism.

Thank you to all of our great subscribers, patrons, and Steve Reese at the Reese Energy Consulting for sponsoring the Energy News Beat Podcast.

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