Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
Energy industry lobbying spending trended upward in 2024, as just about everyone began preparing for Trump 2.0.
Why it matters: Energy companies and trade groups have tapped new Republican lobbyists and tax specialists over the past few months, according to federal filings.
- They're increasingly reporting discussions with lawmakers about the looming tax and reconciliation battle royale.
Driving the news: The corporate energy and environmental lobbying spending we've been tracking ticked up slightly in 2024 from the previous year.
- The American Chemistry Council led that charge, spending $22.1 million in 2024, up from $15.8 million in 2023.
- NextEra Energy, meanwhile, tapped Joseph Boddicker — former tax counsel to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Republicans on the Finance Committee — to lobby for it, per a disclosure filed earlier this month.
- The Nuclear Energy Institute similarly brought on outside lobbyists from Miller Strategies — including former Mike Pence legislative affairs director Jonathan Hiler.
Zoom in: A focus on reauthorizing the original Trump tax cuts — and protecting industry-friendly aspects of the IRA — started showing up in much more detail in the Q4 disclosures.
- The Solar Energy Industries Association reported lobbying on the "maintenance" of incentives for solar.
- Oil companies are talking to lawmakers about a possible repeal of the IRA's methane fee, which many of them publicly oppose.
ConocoPhillips listed its priorities for the tax debate in its Q4 disclosure.
- They included a 21% corporate rate, intangible drilling cost expensing (impacted by the IRA) and "preserving" the 45Q carbon capture credit.
- A form with that level of detail is somewhat unusual. Lobbyists aren't required to say whether they support or oppose a policy, and many keep these forms as vague as possible.
The big picture: The disclosures show that fossil fuels and utilities still dominate D.C. energy policy lobbying, even though President Biden's term saw plenty of policy wars over renewables development and the energy transition.
By the numbers: Some of the notable lobbying spends:
- American Petroleum Institute: $1.27 million in Q4 and $6.3 million total in 2024, compared with $6.2 million in 2023.
- American Clean Power Association: $520,000 in Q4 and $2 million total in 2024, compared with $1.9 million in 2023.
- Solar Energy Industries Association: $460,000 in Q4 and $1.87 million total in 2024, compared with $1.87 million in 2023.
- Nuclear Energy Institute: $340,000 in Q4 and $1.5 million total in 2024, down from $2 million in 2023.
- Edison Electric Institute: $1.5 million in Q4 and $ 10.6 million total in 2024, compared with $11.5 million total in 2023.
- ExxonMobil: $1.5 million in Q4 and $6.7 million total in 2024, up from $6.4 million in 2023.
- Shell USA: $1.6 million in Q4 and $7 million total in 2024, compared with $7 million in 2023.
- Chevron: $2.5 million in Q4 and $9.1 million total in 2024, up from $7.8 million in 2023.
- ConocoPhillips: $3.8 million in Q4 and $8.3 million total in 2024, up from $7.9 million in 2023.
- Orsted North America: $240,000 in Q4 and $1.3 million total in 2024, compared with $1 million in 2023.
- Southern Company: $3 million in Q4 and $11 million total in 2024, compared with $10.9 million in 2023.
- NextEra Energy: $2 million in Q4 and $7.8 million total in 2024, compared with $7.6 million in 2023.
- Duke Energy: $1.7 million in Q4 and $6.4 million total in 2024, up from $6 million in 2023.
- Constellation: $1.1 million in Q4 and $4.7 million total in 2024, up from $4.3 million in 2023.
