Jim Steffes

Seeking to make the world a better place with smarter, cleaner, more affordable energy for all

[Houstonomics @Houstonomics]

Houston is quietly becoming one of the most important manufacturing markets in the U.S.

The mega-deals landing here are staggering:
- Eli Lilly: $6.5B pharmaceutical plant (1M SF, 600+ jobs)
- Bristol Myers Squibb: $1B pharma campus (500 jobs)
- Foxconn/Nvidia: $450M AI supercomputer factory
- Apple: expanded to 500K SF for Mac mini + AI servers

🔗 https://t.co/Sd2cHah8yS

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Propellant load is now underway

[RBN Energy (A Novi Labs Company) @RBNEnergy]

U.S. crude flows flipped the script last week. Imports dropped sharply while exports surged to a record high, pushing the U.S. into net exporter status for the first time ever.

https://t.co/quNsDMWHrG

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Liftoff!

[Council of DC @councilofdc]

Congratulations on Ben’s Chili Bowl’s grand reopening today!

Here’s a poignant flashback to the Council’s 2018 designation of Ben’s Chili Bowl Way—at its intersection with Ben Ali Way. The event featured not just the Ali family, but also the dearly departed Rev. Jesse Jackson

[National Mall NPS @NationalMallNPS]

GREAT NEWS! The fences are down and the Tidal Basin path from the Jefferson Memorial to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is open! Raised & improved as part of the Tidal Basin Seawall Rehabilitation Project, the new walkway is bordered by hundreds of newly planted trees. Please stay on the path and don't trample the saplings. See you soon! #WashingtonDC

[Travis Kavulla @TKavulla]

A big problem in the Texas electricity market: Residential customers can do exactly the same thing in terms of reducing their demand as industrial customers but not reap the same reward.

@OctopusEnergyUS @teslaenergy @GotRhythmHQ & @basepowerco team up today to propose a reform:

[Undiscovered History @HistoryUnd]

Tom Brown, a retired engineer, dedicated 25 years to preserving approximately 1,200 apple varieties from extinction.

[Richard Meyer @RichardMeyerDC]

The "fossil fuel equivalency" factor is no longer the proper method for comparing non-combustible renewables (wind & solar) to other fuels. The US EIA and the UK Energy Institute now use the physical energy content, per the UN International Recommendation of Energy Statistics.

[James E. Thorne @DrJStrategy]

Food for thought.

While everyone is fixated on oil, almost no one is talking about what’s happening in natural gas. Over the past year, US natural gas prices have collapsed by more than 30%, easing costs for power generation, industry, and home heating. Yet mainstream media and Wall Street research have largely ignored this move, because it doesn’t show up at the gas pump, doesn’t fit the preferred “energy inflation” narrative, and flows through to consumers slowly via regulated utility bills rather than daily price signs on every corner. The result is a massive, under‑reported positive supply shock in a core input to the US economy that barely registers in the public conversation.

[NASA @NASA]

Liftoff.

The Artemis II mission launched from @NASAKennedy at 6:35pm ET (2235 UTC), propelling four astronauts on a journey around the Moon.

Artemis II will pave the way for future Moon landings, as well as the next giant leap — astronauts on Mars.

[NASA @NASA]

We're going around the Moon. Come watch with us. Artemis II's four-astronaut crew is lifting off from @NASAKennedy on an approximately 10-day mission that will bring us closer to living on the Moon and Mars. The launch window opens at 6:24pm ET (2224 UTC). https://t.co/X27QJejNDt

[Javier Blas @JavierBlas]

US nat gas at 6-month low (!!!)

While the rest of the world worries about the impact of the US-Iran war on energy costs, American gas consumers enjoy a bonanza.

Benchmark US nat gas (Henry Hub) just ended the day at $2.819 per mBtu, the lowest settlement price since September.

[Richard Meyer @RichardMeyerDC]

https://t.co/RVeftrOlNW

[Everyday Astronaut @Erdayastronaut]

I'm honestly SHOCKED at how the general public has NO IDEA Artemis II is taking humans out to the moon and will be the furthest humans have ever flown. Every non-space nerd I've talked to has no idea. WE GOTTA GET PEOPLE STOKED!!!! THESE FOUR HUMANS ARE FLYING TO THE MOON!!!

[Capital Weather @capitalweather]

Peak bloom and near-perfect weather 🌸

CWG’s Kevin Ambrose (@dcstormchaser) captured the cherry blossoms Thursday under what he says were some of the best conditions he’s seen in 23 years.

"In my 23 years of photographing cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin, it featured the best weather that I can remember for peak bloom," Ambrose said. "The temperature was in the 70s with a pleasant breeze that was followed by a nice sunset. The crowd was heavy but I've seen much worse in past years, especially on weekend days."

Take a look at some of Kevin’s standout shots from around the Tidal Basin.

[Richard Meyer @RichardMeyerDC]

One potential long-term ramification of Hormuz's shutdown is that LNG consumers will place a higher premium on supply diversity and look to the U.S. and Canada for the most reliable LNG.

[National Mall NPS @NationalMallNPS]

A cool blue sky and slowly opening cherry blossoms gave us a lovely day on the National Mall. Many blossoms are still in Stage 5: Puffy White, but we're edging closer to the magic mark where we'll call Peak Bloom. Stay tuned! 🌸🌸🌸#CherryBlossom #WashingtonDC

[Richard Meyer @RichardMeyerDC]

Top quotes I heard from the sessions at #CERAWeek, Day 1

1) "Energy is life, and the world needs massively more of it." - Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of Energy

2) "Technology has always driven growth in this industry… it's always been the key that has unlocked energy abundance." - Mike Wirth, Chairman & CEO, Chevron

3) "We only ask you one thing… stop regulating [which technologies to use]. We'll find solutions. Trust the companies." - Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO, TotalEnergies

4) "If you look at every major technology, whether it was the internet or PCs or cell phones, we've always underestimated the demand for it." - Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman & CEO, Global Infrastructure Partners

5) "The most reliable LNG will come from America, produced in a stable region and backed by the world's strongest military." - Toby Rice, President & CEO, EQT Corporation

6) "Silicon Valley doesn't speak NERC and NERC doesn't speak Silicon Valley." - Hunter Hunt, CEO, Hunt Energy

7) "Capital is like a bucket of water. You pour it on the ground, and it's going to flow to the points of least resistance. Right now, the US is attracting all of our capital." - François Poirier, President & CEO, TC Energy

8) "There's 3.3 million miles of invisible highway in the United States… the pipeline you don't see." - Pierce Norton, President & CEO, ONEOK

9) "Can we have a fixed timeline that applicants can rely on? Are the permits durable—meaning, will they withstand litigation?" - Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Chairman, House Energy & Commerce Committee

[National Mall NPS @NationalMallNPS]

It's a windy Stage 5: Puffy White afternoon. Cherry trees have adorned the Tidal Basin since the first gift of trees from Japan in 1912. They are living representations of friendship between two nations. Help us preserve them by not picking blossoms or climbing trees. 🌸🌸🌸