The Big Story 

The Biden administration is expected to soon hand at least a partial win to progressives who have been calling on his administration to crack down on natural gas.

© The Associated Press file photo

It has been previously reported that the Biden administration is expected to consider bolstering climate consideration as it weighs whether to OK natural gas exports projects. 

But, the administration is now expected to pause new project approvals while it considers the criteria, a source told The Hill.

An announcement is expected soon, the person said. 

The move comes after natural gas export terminals have been facing increased scrutiny by young and progressive voters, as well as environmental activists. 

In recent months, this bloc has otherwise expressed some disappointment in the administration over its handling of issues including the war in Gaza and its approval last year of the Willow oil project in Alaska. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Essential Reads 

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

Trump deregulated nearly 21 percent of streams, 25 percent of wetlands: Research

Amnesty International report: Pollution has made Houston Ship Channel communities a ‘sacrifice zone’

Biden administration lays out strategy to protect endangered whales during wind power development

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

EU lawmakers to Biden: We don’t need more US natural gas

Big oil is trying to make Europe “the excuse” for an unnecessary and planet-heating expansion in gas exports, 60 members of the European Parliament wrote in a Tuesday letter to President Biden.

What We’re Reading 

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• The world is already experiencing record heat — in January (The Washington Post)

   

• ‘How to greenwash’: propane industry tries to rebrand fuel as renewable (The Guardian/HEATED)
  
  

• Bill to scale back natural gas in Maine draws strong opposition at public hearing (Portland Press-Herald)

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Senate GOP pleads with Trump not to kill Ukraine-border security deal  

Senate Republicans who favor sending aid to Ukraine and cutting a deal with Democrats to secure the U.S.-Mexico border are hoping that former President Trump’s Senate allies can intervene with the presidential front-runner to save a carefully negotiated package of military aid and border security reforms from going down in flames.   Read more

Trump delivers brief, fiery testimony in E. Jean Carroll trial

NEW YORK — Former President Trump took the stand in his defamation case brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll on Thursday for about two minutes in a brief, fiery moment that marked the final testimony before closing arguments. Read more