Mar 9, 2017

Big oil chief goes after Silicon Valley

Ben Geman, author of Generate

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Chevron's CEO knocked Silicon Valley's approach to energy, saying tech firms need too much government intervention.

It used to be that Silicon Valley was all about staying out of the way. Now, particularly when it comes to energy related activity, they seem to want a lot of government intrusion. — Chevron CEO John Watson speaking at CERAWeek

He singled out the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal biofuels mandate, and the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in California as "failures of policy." Watson, whose company has refineries in California, also attacked the state's cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases.

Why it matters: Chevron's criticism of Silicon Valley shows that while big oil companies like to promote their own alternative energy research, they oppose energy technology policies that layer requirements on the kinds of fuels they can deliver nationally or in the huge California market.

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Axios
Updated 50 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

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President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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11 GOP congressional nominees support QAnon conspiracy

Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

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