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Tim McDonnell

@timmcdonnell.bsky.social
3.4K followers 1.3K following 43 posts

Climate and energy editor at Semafor. tmcdonnell@semafor.com. Based in Kyiv.

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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
My main takeaways from this great piece: Trump deeply miscalculated energy market risk from Iran war; thought Hormuz would never be blocked; didn't include top energy officials in planning. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/u...
nytimes.com
How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
In a world where grids are increasingly at risk from attacks, they are also themselves a vital military asset, and in my @semafor.com scoop today I focus on how Trump’s nat sec strategy is tangled up in a legal battle over Puerto Rico’s grid. www.semafor.com/article/03/2...
semafor.com
Exclusive: Grid fight in Puerto Rico snarls US military base upgrades
Plans to boost power reliability at two increasingly strategic US bases in the Caribbean are tangled up in a legal battle over Puerto Rico’s electricity grid.
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Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 17/03/2026
Statement with @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu on the Druzhba pipeline ↓
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CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program @erep.csis.org · 17/02/2026
@maxbergmann.bsky.social + @msnegovaya.bsky.social welcome Andrian Prokip + @timmcdonnell.bsky.social to #RussianRoulette to discuss Ukraine’s deepening energy crisis––including Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the impact on average Ukrainians. www.csis.org/podcasts/rus...
csis.org
Ukraine's Ongoing Energy Crisis | Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
Max and Maria were joined by Andrian Prokip and Tim McDonnell to discuss the relentless Russian bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and what this means for average Ukrainians trying to sur...
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
From the Caribbean to the Black Sea, the high seas are increasingly dangerous territory for autocratic petrostates. www.semafor.com/article/12/1...
semafor.com
View: The energy wars hit the high seas
On Wednesday, US military and law enforcement agents seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Join me in the Ukraine pavilion tomorrow to talk about finding capital for its very unique energy transition! #cop30 cop.ukrainian-climate-office.org/program/de-r...
cop.ukrainian-climate-office.org
De-risking Capital at Scale – Transition Finance for Ukraine
This discussion will bring together financial and industry leaders to explore how to mobilise private capital for Ukraine’s energy transition.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
The global press has turned out in force to cover the world’s biggest story #COP30
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
I’m at the function, hmu
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Nils Redeker @nilsredeker.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Bleakly poetic finale for one of Europe’s big green industrial hopes: there’s now a homepage auctioning off the entire Northvolt factory in Sweden - complete sell-off, right down to the parking signs and bike racks. nvx.psauction.com?gad_source=1...
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Semafor @semafor.com · 19/05/2025
🟡 SCOOP: The US Department of Energy plans to cancel seven major loans and loan guarantees that had been conditionally approved under the Biden administration, @timmcdonnell.bsky.social‬ reports.
semafor.com
US plans to cancel 7 conditional commitments for green projects
The projects, which had been conditionally approved by the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, are mostly battery factories.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Scoop, per a source close to the process: LPO will cancel 7 conditional loans/guarantees, the projects are listed here and include Monolith, Sunnova, and others www.semafor.com/article/05/1...
semafor.com
US plans to cancel 7 conditional commitments for green projects
The projects, which had been approved by the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, are mostly battery factories.
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Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 25/04/2025
😲 “We built our last gas-fired facility in 2022, at $785/kW. If we wanted to build that same gas-fired combined cycle unit today…$2,400/kW" - NextEra CEO John Ketchum gasoutlook.com/analysis/cos... 🔌💡
gasoutlook.com
Costs to build gas plants triple, says CEO of NextEra Energy 
 - Gas Outlook
NextEra Energy’s CEO said that gas turbines have a multi-year backlog, leading to soaring costs for new gas-fired power plants.
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Matt Zeitlin @zeitlin.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Yesterday Donald Trump said he was going to keep Cholla Generating Station, a coal plant in Arizona, open. The utility that owns it, Arizona Public Service, told that it had already stopped generating and they had procured enough resources to replace it heatmap.news/energy/coal-...
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Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
This just in: IEEFA analysis suggests LNG is unlikely to play a major role in displacing coal (or oil) in China. Notes that "volatility in global markets and escalating tensions with suppliers like the U.S. have only weakened the case for LNG in China"; global oversupply incoming.
ieefa.org
Understanding the competitive landscape for China’s LNG market
Gas exporters have touted the potential of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to replace coal and reduce emissions in China. China’s LNG demand appears limitless when viewed as a simple substitute for coal. ...
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Zack Colman @zcolman.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
This story is now free for all to read: www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
politico.com
Trump moves to hobble major US climate change study
The cuts are a potentially fatal blow to the National Climate Assessment that Congress mandated to ensure the government understands the threats posed by rising temperatures.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
My queen! www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2025/04/0...
washingtonpost.com
Siobhán O’Grady Named Ukraine Bureau Chief
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Reaching out for comment to a number of well-placed energy sources in Ukraine about possibility of energy ceasefire discussed by T & P, all think it’s too soon to mark any notable breakthrough and point to the massive attack happening right now on Kyiv as the sign T has so far achieved very little
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Hands down best interview of CERA Week has been with Charlie the conference’s official emotional support pup. Her third birthday is coming soon and she is an absolute delight
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Adrian Hiel @adrianhiel.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
I have been collecting these the last few weeks - they are timely once again:
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Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
"What we don’t want to do is drive ourselves to only one solution — that being a gas-fired solution — that’s now more expensive than it ever has been in its history,” NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum told @timmcdonnell.bsky.social: www.semafor.com/newsletter/0... 🔌💡
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Trump’s Big Oil bear hug won’t help the AI race | Semafor
Renewables offer a cheaper and faster way to meet surging power demands, said the CEO of the largest US electricity provider.
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Brendan Pierpont @brendan.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
NET Power's first full scale project with Oxy appears to have doubled in cost and been delayed. #energysky subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com
E&E News: Net Power delays low-emission Texas gas plant as costs climb
The company’s stock price tumbled 31 percent Monday following an update on a key project in the Permian Basin.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
In today’s @semafor.com Net Zero, does Big Oil regret backing Trump? A scooptastic dispatch from CERAWeek in Houston, featuring NextEra CEO John Ketchum, the latest on Equinor’s renewables calculus, and more www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Trump’s Big Oil bear hug won’t help the AI race | Semafor
Renewables offer a cheaper and faster way to meet surging power demands, said the CEO of the largest US electricity provider.
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Michael Li (李之樸) @mcpli.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Ontario will impose a 25% export tax on the electricity it sends to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
wsj.com
Ontario to Slap Export Tax on Electricity to U.S.
Canada’s province of Ontario will slap a 25% export tax on electricity it sends to 1.5 million homes in Minnesota, Michigan and New York, in retaliation for President Trump’s tariffs, said Doug Ford, ...
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Trump admin kills US support for Ukraine’s energy security www.nbcnews.com/politics/sta...
nbcnews.com
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Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov's BAFTA-winning and Oscar-winning documentary is an unflinching inside look at the suffering that Russia's invasion has unleashed upon the Ukrainian people. Available on @channel4tv.bsky.social www.channel4.com/programmes/2...
channel4.com
20 Days in Mariupol
(2023) Unflinching, Oscar-winning inside view of Russia's invasion of Ukraine
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illumi @yallchemist.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
the pyramid of needs showing self fulfillment, psychological, and basic needs all hastily drawn over and extended. the needs are all one: the news to stop
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Coming to CERA Week in Houston in a couple of weeks? Make sure to join our Monday night cocktail party featuring NextEra CEO John Ketchum and United CSO Lauren Riley, among others. events.semafor.com/accleratinge...
events.semafor.com
Semafor's Accelerating Energy Innovations
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
another great example along with Wired and Teen Vogue of how real journalism these days can be a lot braver at outlets where no one is trying to get in good with the White House press secretary they’re out here with us, reporting on what’s happening to us all, instead of trying to get inside access
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
In today’s @semafor.com Net Zero, looking at the risks of Trump’s possible energy deal with Putin. Ukraine fears a repeat of Biden’s deal to lift Nord Stream 2 sanctions, which “has been haunting us for many years.” www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Trump is playing a dangerous game with Russian energy | Semafor
Lifting sanctions and allowing Russian oil and gas back into the global market could backfire for the US.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
One key piece of the geopolitical puzzle of U.S.-Panama relations is this mine, unpopular in Panama but which Trump could push to open, maybe with the kind of mineral swap he tried to push on Ukraine last week www.semafor.com/article/12/2...
semafor.com
A massive, embattled copper mine in Panama turns to Trump for rescue
Economic competition between the US and China is playing out in Latin America’s mineral mines.
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Avi Zevin @azevin.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Departures starting to pile up at DOE in a way that seems completely counter productive to the Admin's professed goals of "energy dominance", reliable electricity, and rebuilding defense nuclear capabilities. -325 from NNSA including Defense Programs (what happened to the natsec exemption?) (1/x)
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Center on Global Energy Policy @columbiauenergy.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Loosening the methane standards "could be something that [the EU] can offer as a negotiation point on these tariff threats," CGEP scholar Anne-Sophie Corbeau tells @semafor.com reporter @timmcdonnell.bsky.social.
semafor.com
Trump-EU tariff spat could put a key climate policy on the negotiating table
Europe’s looming methane standards could hold US gas companies accountable — or devolve into greenwashing.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
In today's @semafor.com Net Zero: An exit interview with @jigarshahdc.bsky.social, who shares what really has him worried about the Trump transition (it's not Chris Wright) www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Jigar Shah worries about Trump’s unpredictability | Semafor
“I don’t see how anyone can make a 20- or 30-year investment in the energy sector without the rule of law,” former Loan Programs Office director Jigar Shah said.
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Representation without taxation for a handful of billionaires, taxation without representation for the rest of us.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Scoop in today's @semafor.com Net Zero: Senior Democrats worry Trump's foreign aid freeze and chaos at USAID pose an urgent threat to Ukraine’s energy security and will harm efforts toward it reaching a peace deal with Russia www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: How the USAID collapse helps Putin | Semafor
Deliveries of critical equipment for rebuilding Ukraine’s energy system have been stopped.
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
"This is a... harmful, dangerous, killer bluff. But they don't have the law on their side. If we are going to push back on this kind of autocratic behavior, it's not just members of Congress who have to stand up, & we will, it is all of us together" -@schatz.bsky.social in front of USAID just now
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Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 30/01/2025
Confirmation that distribution of already contracted funds have been frozen: "EPA cuts off IRA solar money already under contract. Recipients of the $7 billion Solar For All program were locked out of an online portal that’s used to distribute federal funding."
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
In today’s @semafor.com Net Zero: NET Power CEO Danny Rice explains why he’s not spooked by DeepSeek, humanitarians on why they are spooked by Trump’s aid freeze, and @nathanielbullard.com on his faves from his huge new chart collection www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: This fossil fuel billionaire thinks Wall Street is wrong about DeepSeek | Semafor
NET Power CEO Danny Rice is still bullish about data centers’ insatiable appetite for natural gas.
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Semafor @semafor.com · 20/12/2024
🟡 SCOOP: The CEO of the company running one of the world’s largest and most embattled copper mines wants Trump to help rescue the project before the legal battles over its future turn uglier, @timmcdonnell.bsky.social reports.
semafor.com
A massive, embattled copper mine in Panama turns to Trump for rescue | Semafor
Economic competition between the US and China is playing out in Latin America’s mineral mines.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
In the last @semafor.com Net Zero of 2024, a scoop about how one of the world’s largest and most embattled copper mines, First Quantum’s Cobre Panama, is turning to Trump for help www.semafor.com/newsletter/1...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Big Copper turns to Trump | Semafor | Semafor
Economic competition between the US and China is playing out in Latin America’s mineral mines.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
This column sucks. Doesn’t name a single suggestion for how to “fix it” other than being better at explaining rationale for unpopular coverage decisions www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | UnitedHealth Group C.E.O.: Brian Thompson Was Never Content With the Status Quo
No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
In today's @semafor.com Net Zero, Exxon's new plan to eat OPEC's lunch, and a look at why the latest auction for federal geothermal drilling leases was a bust www.semafor.com/newsletter/1...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: Geothermal hits a cold spell | Semafor | Semafor
The latest federal lease auction for geothermal drilling was a bust.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
In today’s @semafor.com Net Zero: the best way to keep LPO, a powerful weapon in Biden’s climate arsenal, from being gutted by Trump is to get as many projects financed as possible. Shuttering LPO won’t be as easy this time as it was in Trump’s first term www.semafor.com/newsletter/1...
semafor.com
🟡 Biden’s climate cash ‘supernova’ | Semafor | Semafor
The lending office Donald Trump mothballed in his first term could be harder to shutter this time around.
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Joe Lo @joeloclimate.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Interesting story which shows some of the challenges we will face in scaling up electricity grids to move renewable power around www.bbc.com/future/artic...
bbc.com
'A bullet train for power': China's ultra-high-voltage electricity grid
China produces more clean energy than any other country. Now it's rolling out an ultra-high-voltage grid to match – will its strategy of going big pay off?
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
In today’s @semafor.com Net Zero, dissecting Northvolt’s bankruptcy for clues about how to tweak industrial policy counter China, & texting @thenewyorktimes.bsky.social ‘s Moscow chief about bathing in crude oil at COP29 www.semafor.com/newsletter/1...
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: What Northvolt’s bankruptcy means | Semafor | Semafor
The sweeping trade barriers proposed by Donald Trump could hurt nascent manufacturers more than help.
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Prashant Rao @prashantrao.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
The bankruptcy of Northvolt has huge symbolic and strategic importance: @timmcdonnell.bsky.social digs into them in the latest edition of @semafor.com's Net Zero newsletter www.semafor.com/article/11/2...
semafor.com
A European bankruptcy shows a new strategy is needed to counter China’s EV dominance | Semafor
The sweeping trade barriers proposed by Trump could hurt nascent manufacturers more than help.
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Tim McDonnell @timmcdonnell.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
The headline number from COP29 — $300 billion — isn't great. But the critical fine print is even more disappointing. www.semafor.com/newsletter/1... @semafor.com
semafor.com
🟡 Semafor Net Zero: The COP29 deal is even more disappointing than it looks | Semafor | Semafor
Rich countries have a bad track record on keeping their climate finance promises, and the Baku agreement does little to help.
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Jason Dove Mark @jasondovemark.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Privately, European diplomats called the package “empty,” “not helpful,” “unserious” and, in one instance, “shit.” Things did not get much better from there. subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com
E&E News: Climate deal: ‘It isn’t nearly enough, but it’s a start’
Developing nations got a promise of at least $300 billion in climate finance from rich countries such as the U.S. and the EU’s members. They wanted far more.
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 23/11/2024
BREAKING #COP29 FINAL (?) TEXTS A new package of texts has been published as "draft decisions" – usually means final, but given all we've seen here, who knows – $300bn finance goal – "Baku to Belem roadmap to $1.3tn" – no stocktake progress tracking, just a 2yr chat www.carbonbrief.org/... 1/3
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 23/11/2024
#COP29 just wrapped up "part 1" of the closing plenary, where a series of less contentious matters were formally adopted Notably, this included carbon trading under Articles 6.2 & 6.4 But now, meeting is suspended until "later on this evening" to, in theory, agree key issues: climate finance etc
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