WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Monday, Daily on Energy readers! This Thanksgiving week is shaping up to be on the record books with nearly 82 million people expected to take to the skies and hit the roads. ✈️🚗
As you make your way to your Thanksgiving celebrations, keep in mind that some parts of the country might experience some winter-like weather which could cause some traveling delays. We are wishing you all a smooth and safe travel ahead! 🦃
Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment reporter Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email 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 me an email, and I’ll add you to our list.
UK PLANS TO BOOST CRITICAL MINERALS: The United Kingdom over the weekend announced plans to ramp up its domestic critical mineral supply as a way to curb its reliance on China.
The plan: The strategy consists of 50 million pounds, or $65.5 million, in new funding, aimed at ensuring that no more than 60% of the country’s supply of any one critical mineral is imported from a single country by 2035.
The government plans to source 10% of its mineral needs domestically and 20% through recycling by 2035. It also seeks to produce at least 50,000 metric tons of lithium by 2035.
The U.K. said it would work with those in the mineral sector to boost production at tungsten and lithium mines in Cornwall, which is Europe’s largest deposit of lithium and the largest global supply of tungsten.
Key quotes: U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that “Critical minerals are the backbone of modern life and our national security – powering everything from smartphones and fighter jets to electric vehicles and wind turbines.”
He added: “For too long, Britain has been dependent on a handful of overseas suppliers, leaving our economy and national security exposed to global shocks.”
The U.K. plan follows the United States broader effort to curb its dependence on Chinese-critical minerals and rare earths. China dominates the global supply chain of these minerals, raising national security concerns.
Read more by Maydeen here.
CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PUSHES AGAINST NEWSOM ENERGY POLICY: California Republican Rep. Vince Fong warns that Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s energy policy could jeopardize national security and undermine affordability.
Fong, who represents the state’s 20th Congressional District, which includes much of the southern and southeastern part of California’s Central Valley, wrote an op-ed on Fox News, pointing to the state’s decline in oil production since Newsom took office.
“The undeniable consequence of Newsom’s refusal to support domestic production is a greater reliance on foreign oil,” Fong wrote.
The lawmaker added, “By early 2026, the state is projected to lose nearly 20% of its remaining refining capacity, and without urgent action, blackouts, price spikes, and fuel shortages will become the new normal — not only for Californians, but for millions across the West Coast who depend on our energy supply.”
However, Newsom has recently softened his stance on the oil industry amid high gas prices and refinery closures.
In September, Newsom signed legislation that would approve 2,000 new oil wells per year in Kern County to help stabilize supply. The legislation represented a departure from the course the governor has taken in recent years, imposing stricter regulations on the oil industry that have caused oil companies to leave the state.
Fong noted that Crimson Midstream LLC, the operator of California’s largest inland crude oil pipeline, announced in September that it was in danger of closing without state approval for a rate increase.
Last week, E&E News reported that California energy regulators granted the Crimson Midstream LLC’s San Pablo Bay Pipeline, which transports crude from Bakersfield to Northern California, a rate increase to help keep the pipeline running.
Read more about what the California congressman had to say here.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL WEATHER: Millions of people this Thanksgiving week could face extreme weather starting today in places across Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Storm systems are expected to produce severe thunderstorms, flooding, and potential tornadoes across the country, potentially causing some travel delays throughout the week.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said, “A range of severe threats – including damaging winds, hail, flash flooding and a few tornadoes – will be a concern for travelers from central and southeastern Texas to Arkansas into Monday night.”
Heavy rain could make some highways slick in areas such as Missouri, eastern Kansas, western Illinois, and southern Minnesota, AccuWeather said.
Then, on Tuesday, the two storm systems in the South-Central parts of the country will move to the Northeast. The storm system is expected to weaken, but could still pose challenges for travelers due to high winds and rain.
AccuWeather said there could be heavy, locally severe thunderstorms from eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina to southern Mississippi and eastern Louisiana throughout Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Central and Eastern states will experience much colder weather, starting Wednesday and continuing into Thursday.
“As the storm in the north-central tier continues into the middle of the week, substantial blowing and drifting snow is forecast in portions of Minnesota and northern Michigan, with an all-out blizzard developing in the vicinity of Lake Superior,” Buckingham said.
A record number of travelers are expected to fly or hit the road this week, with nearly 82 million expected to travel at least 50 miles from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, according to an AAA report.
SOLAR RISES AS NATURAL GAS USE FOR ELECTRICITY FALLS IN CALIFORNIA: Natural gas generation has been decreasing for several years in California as solar power rises.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said that generation growth in California over the past few years has been driven by solar. In the first eight months of 2025, solar generation by utility-scale power plants totaled 40.3 billion kilowatt-hours (BkWh), doubling the 22.0 BkWh over the same period in 2020. EIA said in the first eight months of the year, solar generation increased by 17% compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, between January and August of this year, natural gas supplied 45.5 BkWh of electricity, which is 18% less than the same period in 2020.
The growth in solar generation comes as the Trump administration has sought to block renewable energy projects like wind and solar. California has filed several lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to undo climate policies.
ICYMI – COP30 FINAL DEAL: Delegates at the United Nations’ annual climate summit reached a deal that made no mention of fossil fuels, marking it a win for oil-producing countries.
Over the weekend, delegates at the UN climate summit, or COP30, in Brazil reached a deal in the final hours of the conference. The agreement would triple funding for poorer countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change, but it leaves out how to phase out fossil fuels, Reuters reported.
Primary fossil fuel-producing countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia opposed the idea of developing plans to deliver on the summit’s 2023 commitments to reduce fossil fuels. But, in the end, it was a win for oil-producing countries as there was no mention of fossil fuels, which is the most significant driver of warming temperatures.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on X, “Important results were obtained. But it’s difficult to reach a consensus in a period of deep geopolitical divide.
“So, evidently, we cannot pretend that the COP has delivered everything that is needed, “he added. “We must keep pushing for higher climate ambition & greater solidarity.”
A LOOK AHEAD:
Nov. 25 The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a webinar on the United Nations climate summit (COP30) takeaways.
Nov. 25 IDTechEx holds a webinar on Lithium-Ion battery storage safety.
Nov. 27 Happy Thanksgiving!
RUNDOWN
Canary Media Feel the cold? Offshore wind alleviates grid woes in winter, study says.
The Associated Press Here’s what’s next in the fight to curb climate change, now that talks in Brazil have ended
Inside Climate News Texas Workers Keep Dying in the Heat
