The Trump Administration dramatically escalated its standoff with Venezuela on Wednesday by seizing a large tanker loaded with crude oil bound for Cuba.
- The exact details of the seizure, first reported by Bloomberg, are unclear and administration officials could not be reached for comment. The tanker seizure also targets longtime Cuba — a close Venezuelan ally and long-time U.S. adversary. Havana sells Venezuelan crude on the black market, chiefly to Asian markets that ultimately feed China.
SPEED Act Draws Opposition From Key Senate Democrats
Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich, Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse, and Hawaii senator Brian Schatz came out against passing the SPEED Act, a bill that would change the National Environmental Policy Act, citing concerns about how it would apply to renewable energy and transmission development priorities.
Iowa Data Centers Spark Utility Rate Concerns
Environmental advocates say two planned data centers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, bring uncertainty to the community and concerns about rising utility rates.
Trump AI Executive Order Draws Congressional Response
As President Trump prepares this week to release an executive order aimed at blocking states from regulating artificial intelligence, congressional Democrats are countering with a new commission to deepen their engagement with the industry.
Air Force Turns to AI for Rapid Wargaming Simulations
The U.S. Air Force is turning to artificial intelligence to boost its wargames. The Air Force wants a cloud-based, AI-powered “digital sandbox” as a hub to generate and run wargames at speeds of up to 10,000 times faster than real time, according to a recent request for information.
NextEra Energy, Basin Electric Plan 1,450 MW Gas Plant
NextEra Energy and Basin Electric plan to develop a 1,450 MW gas plant in North Dakota as part of a broader buildout of power generation in data center supply hubs.
DTE Energy Expects Approval for $7B Data Center Power Contracts
DTE Energy tells investors that it expects the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve controversial power supply contracts for a $7 billion hyperscale data center on Dec. 18, as additional data center negotiations continue.
🌍 WORLD
India Continues Buying Russian Crude Oil
India plans to continue buying cheap crude oil from Russia, despite sanctions imposed on major Russian oil companies by the United States and Europe. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Russia-India annual bilateral summit in New Delhi last week, during which Putin said:
“Russia is ready for uninterrupted shipments of fuel to India.”
REAlloys Moves to Front of Rare Earth Sector
REAlloys, which is in the process of merging with Blackboxstocks Inc., has moved to the front of the rare earth sector with a new agreement that gives it control over the lion’s share of North America’s upcoming heavy rare earth production.
Chinese Rare Earth Firm Secures Export Licenses
Chinese rare earth producer Ningbo Jintian Copper (601609.SS) said Wednesday it had secured streamlined licences for magnet product exports. The new “general licences” allow more exports under year-long permits for individual customers following an agreement after a meeting between China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in late October.