Ben Geman

Washington, D.C.

Energy Reporter at Axios

Energy reporter w/@Axios. Former stops incl. National Journal, The Hill, E&E, Boston Phoenix (RIP). I tweet about running too. Tips/feedback: [email protected]

Articles

Oil prices climb but don't soar after U.S. strike, Iranian threats

5 days ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Oil storage tanks in Sealy, Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesCrude oil prices jumped — but didn't head for the stratosphere — as trading markets opened for the first time since the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Why it matters: It shows elevated risk of the conflict crimping oil flows in the region, something that has not yet occurred.
Iran parliament reportedly backs closure of oil transit channel

5 days ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

A woman walks along the beach on Hormuz Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty ImagesIran's parliament has endorsed closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit point off its coast, but the authority rests with regime security officials, per summaries of state-controlled media. Why it matters: Impeding the strait would likely bring a massive spike in oil prices that would flow through to U.S. consumers.
Iran parliament reportedly backs closing Strait of Hormuz, which could spike oil prices

5 days ago | flipboard.com | Ben Geman

Oregon’s long-awaited transportation funding bill is headed to the House floor, but it remains to be seen whether it will make it to the end of the …
Supreme Court ruling could bring fresh risks to California EV rules

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

An electric vehicle charging station in Sausalito, Calif. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThe Supreme Court ruled Friday that fuel producers have standing to challenge EPA approval of California vehicle emissions and electric vehicle policies. Why it matters: The 7-2 decision enables more lines of attack against California officials, who are already battling GOP and Trump 2.0 efforts to thwart rules that go beyond federal standards.
Climate poses big threat to crop production, new study says

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosAdaptation can't outrun climate change, and rich farming nations — including the U.S. — face jeopardy despite their resources, according to amajor new paper on global warming and crop production. Why it matters: It's the first look at climate effects on staple crops to weigh farmers' "real-world adaptation measures" and fold them into projections of future damage, a summary states.
Supreme Court agrees to allow region-by-region battles over pollution rules

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Smokestacks from the Hugh L. Spurlock Generating Station are seen on June 12, 2025 in Maysville, Kentucky. Photo: Jeff Swensen via Getty ImagesThe Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that EPA decisions to reject multiple state ozone pollution plans can be challenged separately in regional courts. Why it matters: Itenables more sprawling legal battles over implementation of federal standards for smog-forming pollution that moves across state borders.
Media finally gets it: ‘The dimming future of U.S. EV sales’ - ‘Analysts are slashing estimates for U.S. EV sales’ after Trump/GOP ‘scuttle tax credits & emissions rules’ - Climate Depot

1 week ago | climatedepot.com | Ben Geman

Data: BloombergNEF; Note: Covers fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; Chart: Axios Visualshttps://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-generate-6d5434d0-4b74-11f0-87f4-5f6cce2ae8c1.htmlBy Ben GemanExcerpt: Analysts are slashing estimates for U.S. EV sales in coming years as GOP lawmakers and Trump officials scuttle tax credits and emissions rules. 2. Bonus: The global EV picture – By Ben Geman:
Trump rollbacks, vanishing tax credits to hammer U.S. EV sales

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Data: BloombergNEF; Note: Covers fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; Chart: Axios VisualsAnalysts are slashing estimates for U.S. EV sales in coming years as GOP lawmakers and Trump officials scuttle tax credits and emissions rules. Why it matters: Transportation is the biggest U.S. share of CO2. And dimming sales forecasts show a market that remains tethered to fast-changing policies.
Trump-y IRA ad push targets six GOP senators

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Image: Courtesy of Built for AmericaA business-backed group with GOP ties is dropping ads in conservative media that urge six Republican senators to preserve IRA energy tax credits. Why it matters: The $1.5 million buy — details of which were shared exclusively with Axios — expands the new coalition Built for America's Trump-focused campaign to defend the IRA on MAGA grounds.
Key agency sticks to its guns on peak oil demand

1 week ago | axios.com | Ben Geman

Data: IEA; Chart: Axios VisualsThe International Energy Agency is sticking by its controversial view that global oil demand growth will end this decade, even dipping slightly in 2030. Why it matters: The timing of a peak — and more importantly, the slope of any decline — affects everything from emissions to investment strategies. The latest: IEA sees growth of roughly 700,000 barrels per day this year and next, and then increases slow to "a trickle" for the rest of the decade.