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Energy & Environment

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The Big Story

How the NOAA firings could affect Americans’ lives

The Trump administration fired hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which could impact its weather prediction and other services.

The extent of the potential damage to weather forecasting and other key services provided by the agency is somewhat unclear — as NOAA and the Commerce Department that houses it have not disclosed how many people were cut or which offices they belonged to.

Nevertheless, a source with direct knowledge told The Hill that the original list of probationary employees submitted for dismissal comprised some 1,100 workers, and the original Thursday round of firings affected up to 800 people.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Rick Spinrad, who led NOAA under the Biden administration, put the figure at at least 600.

Already, the weather service appeared to be seeing some impacts. The National Weather Service released a statement on Friday saying that weather balloon launches at its office in Kotzebue, Alaska, would be suspended indefinitely “due to a lack of … staffing.”

“That is less data. That data goes directly into our weather models,” said Tom Di Liberto, one of the employees who was let go from the agency this week, told The Hill in an interview.

Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), the sole meteorologist in Congress, said in an interview with The Hill that the firings are “going to put the lives of my constituents in danger, period, full stop.”

Sorensen said he was aware of at least one electrician who had been affected by the firing, which he said was a particular practical risk.

Spinrad said that all six of NOAA’s line offices were affected.

These offices are the National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Marine and Aviation Operation, National Ocean Service, Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research and National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.

Read more when the story runs online this weekend 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.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads

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

Colorado Democrats call for independent investigation of NOAA firings

Colorado Sens. John Hickenlooper (D) and Michael Bennet (D), and Rep. Joe Neguse (D) called for an independent investigation Friday into this week’s mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Full Story

Extreme heat may be accelerating aging in older adults: Study

Increased exposure to extreme heat may be speeding up the aging process in older adults, a new study has found.

Full Story

Senate sends repeal of methane fee implementation to Trump’s desk

The Senate on Thursday sent a resolution to repeal a rule governing the implementation of a fee on excess methane emissions to Trump’s desk in a party-line vote.

Full Story

In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

How the Trump, Zelensky meeting went off the rails

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Friday with the hopes of signing a critical minerals deal with the U.S. and securing assurances from Trump as he seeks to broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow. But negotiations ended shortly after they started, with Trump calling Zelensky “disrespectful” and saying he was “not ready for peace.”

Full Story

What We’re Reading

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

Nature Conservancy Allegedly Told to Say ‘Gulf of America’ or Lose Federal Funding (Heatmap)
Senior Leaders Are Leaving an Already-Depleted Disaster Agency (The New York Times)
FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors (The Washington Post)

On Tap

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

Next week:

The House could vote on whether to eliminate Biden-era rules related to air pollution from rubber tire manufacturing, requirements for companies that want to drill offshore and certification requirements under energy efficiency standards.

Tuesday:

The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on the future of FEMA.
The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on experimental populations under the Endangered Species Act.

Wednesday:

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case about the legality of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing private companies to store nuclear waste.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on Trump’s picks for the EPA’s No. 2 official and the leader of its air and radiation office.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on “Meeting the Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity.”

Thursday:

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on the Fix our Forests Act and reducing wildfires.

What Others are Reading

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

How the Trump, Zelensky meeting went off the rails

Efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine were left in tatters following President Trump’s confrontational White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which erupted into one of the most remarkable Oval Office scenes in years. Read more

5 takeaways from Trump-Vance-Zelensky Oval Office blowup

An astonishing scene played out in the Oval Office on Friday as President Trump and Vice President Vance got into a shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Read more