WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Thursday, readers! August recess is right around the corner, and while most members of Congress will be headed back to their districts, Callie and Maydeen will be sticking around in D.C. Don’t hesitate to reach out for coffee or lunch if you are also going to be in town. Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.President Donald Trump’s pressure on the new British government to open up the North Sea for oil drilling appears to be working. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed openness today to approving more oil drilling in the North Sea, telling reporters he is taking a “pragmatic approach” to the region.
Quick reminder: Since 2024, there has been a ban on issuing new licenses for drilling projects in the North Sea, as the Labour Party seeks to reduce the United Kingdom’s reliance on fossil fuels and hit net-zero emissions by 2050. Burnham is expected to break with his party and pave the way for some new drilling, though the extent of what he may approve has yet to be seen. Trump repeatedly called on the U.K. to lift its ban, and even claimed this week that Burnham told him that he would be opening up the North Sea entirely. What did Burnham say? Earlier today, Burnham acknowledged the region holds a crucial “resource” for the nation, and said he plans to take a “pragmatic approach” regarding it.“When people are struggling, we can’t ignore that,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “Hence me indicating that to the president.”What could be approved? Some reports have suggested that Burnham may focus primarily on a pair of drilling licenses previously issued for the North Sea that have been caught up in court. Early last year, the Court of Session in Edinburgh overturned the license approvals for the Jackdaw and Rosebank gasfield projects issued in 2022 and 2023.At the time, the court ruled the approvals were unlawful and failed to fully assess the environmental impacts of the projects, such as the carbon emissions generated by the burning of any oil and gas produced. As part of the ruling, however, the court allowed the developers of the two projects, Shell and Equinor, to continue work, such as drilling wells, as the government considered any oil and gas production in the regions.Some have said Burnham may allow the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects to move forward, while keeping the overall moratorium on new licenses in place.Read more from Callie here.
