Energy Sector Weekly — The West Does Not Have a Mining Problem. It Has a Buyer Problem. The West keeps describing critical minerals as a supply problem. Find more deposits. Permit more mines. Reduce dependence on China. That is only half right. The real constraint is not geological. North America, Australia and allied countries possess extensive mineral resources. The harder question is whether a developer can secure enough demand certainty to finance a mine, build a processing facility and survive commodity-price cycles that have historically punished every new entrant outside China. A critical-minerals strategy that begins and ends with extraction is not a strategy. It is a wish list. This week, several seemingly unrelated developments made that clearer. Canada backed a Greenland molybdenum project. The

Energy Sector Weekly — FIFA’s Climate Contradiction Is Really an Energy Story For years, the global conversation around energy has been built on a simple assumption: technology, policy, and efficiency would eventually allow economies to grow while consuming less energy. Governments embraced net-zero targets, corporations published sustainability reports, and major institutions promised a future where economic growth and energy consumption would gradually decouple. Then the World Cup arrived. What has emerged over the past two weeks is one of the most fascinating contradictions in modern energy. FIFA is simultaneously promoting sustainability initiatives while overseeing what may become one of the most energy-intensive sporting events ever staged. Players are taking mandatory hydration breaks because of extreme temperatures. Air-conditioned stadiums have become critical infrastructure. Millions of fans

Energy Sector Weekly — The AI Boom Isn’t Creating an Energy Crisis. It’s Exposing One. For years, the energy industry was preparing for a future defined by efficiency. Cars would consume less fuel. Homes would use less power. Renewable generation would lower costs. Demand growth would slow. The biggest debate wasn’t whether America would have enough electricity — it was what kind of electricity it would use. Then artificial intelligence arrived. What began as a technology story is rapidly becoming one of the largest infrastructure stories in modern American history. Utilities are rewriting demand forecasts. Grid operators are warning about supply shortages. Natural gas developers are accelerating projects. Communities are organizing against data centers. Politicians are discovering that the race for AI dominance comes with

Energy Sector Weekly — Energy Politics in the Crosshairs: Coal Subsidies, Voter Revolt, and the Geothermal Breakthrough The story of U.S. energy this week isn’t just about kilowatt hours or oil prices — it’s about power, politics, and the fight for the future of energy policy. From the White House invoking Cold War authority to bail out an industry on its death bed to activist operatives mobilizing “energy bill voters,” the battleground is no longer technological — it’s political. At the same time, a less-heralded technology is quietly challenging the fossil establishment from an unexpected angle: geothermal power backed by Big Tech. This week’s headlines speak to a deeper truth: America’s energy future is being decided in courtrooms, ballot strategies, budget bills, and boardrooms —