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TRUMP ‘SHITHOLE’ OUTRAGE COULD THROW WRENCH INTO ENERGY AGENDA: President Trump’s insulting comments last week could upend attempts by Energy Secretary Rick Perry and other administration officials to secure interest from the African continent to strike import deals for U.S. natural gas.

Problems from Cape Town: The most visible sign of problems for Trump’s energy dominance agenda will come Monday as South Africa plans to send the president a formal protest after he referred to African countries as “shithole countries” on Thursday. Take the Perry challenge: Perry gave the keynote address at a major oil conference in South Africa’s major port city of Cape Town. He used the event to try to forge ties with South Africa and other countries on the continent to strike deals on natural gas imports. Pruitt, too: In December, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt was in North Africa to convince Morocco that importing more U.S. natural gas is a good idea. His trip is now under investigation by the EPA’s inspector general after Democrats and others raised questions about the role of the EPA in promoting energy resources abroad. African Union demands apology: The African Union, representing African countries, asked Trump to formally apologize for his remarks. Pretoria’s protest: South Africa, one of the most developed countries on the continent, will file a formal diplomatic protest to the U.S. embassy in the capital of Pretoria. "The department will provide an opportunity to the Charges de Affaires to explain the statement that African countries, alongside Haiti and El Salvador, constitute 'shitholes' from where migrants into the United States are undesirable," said the country’s Department of International Relations. Trump’s tweet not enough: The country said Monday that it did note Trump’s tweet on Friday, “in which he denies making the crude and offensive statement.” But it said Trump's “denial was not categorical, referring only to Haiti and not addressing the entirety of the statement attributed to him.” Mutual respect: It added that relations between South Africa and the U.S.must be based on mutual respect and understanding, and that South Africa has aligned itself with the African Union’s demand for an apology and the statement by the Africa group of ambassadors made to the United Nations in New York.

U.S., AFRICAN ENERGY GROUPS STEP UP ALLIANCE: The U.S. energy industry had no problem forming a pact with African utilities Friday, despite Trump's derogatory remarks aimed at African nations.

High performers: The Edison Electric Institute and the Association of Power Utilities of Africa signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to support "the creation of high-performing African electric companies" that are efficient and support cleaner energy resources, the group announced in Washington. It is part of an effort started in April by Trump's State Department called the Africa Utility Power Sector Exchange. Continuing ‘forward’: "We are continuing to move forward" as indicated in the announcement, said a spokeswoman for EEI, which represents all major utility companies in the U.S. Trump referred to nations in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America as "shithole countries" on Thursday during a meeting with Congress about immigration policy. ‘Tremendous opportunity’: The joint EEI-State Department exchange program promotes electricity sector reform and development in developing nations. “This is a tremendous opportunity to work together with our partners in Africa on some of the most pressing issues facing the electric power industry worldwide,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn.

Welcome to Daily on Energy, compiled by Washington Examiner Energy and Environment Writers John Siciliano (@JohnDSiciliano) and Josh Siegel (@SiegelScribe). Email dailyonenergy@washingtonexaminer.com for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVING FORWARD WITH MONUMENTS ROLLBACKS: The Trump administration on Tuesday will publish two notices in the Federal Register jumpstarting land-use plans for the two national monuments Trump shrunk in December.

Pen and phone: Trump on Dec. 4 signed a proclamation cutting the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah by more than 1.1 million acres, or 85 percent. Trump also shrunk in half the 1.86 million Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, and he is considering reducing the size of two more monuments and changing how six others are managed. Managing the land: The Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday will publish notifications seeking public comment in advance of preparing land use plans for the modified monuments. The BLM will accept comments for at least 60 days, or for 15 days after the last scheduled public meeting, whichever is later. BLM is not releasing dates and locations of meetings. Rollback row: Environmental and tribal groups have sued the administration over the monument rollbacks, arguing the president has to no power to undo national monuments on such a dramatic scale under the 1906 Antiquities Act. ‘Rush to act’: Conservation groups slammed the BLM for moving to finalize the monument reductions before the cases are heard. “The BLM’s rush to act is irresponsible. No planning efforts should move forward until the legitimacy of these new proclamations and dismantling of protected areas are fully settled by the courts,” said Phil Hanceford, conservation director of the Wilderness Society. “We fully expect these new proclamations to be overturned by the courts, making these planning efforts a colossal waste of time and money for an already strapped agency.”

ZINKE WORKS THE PHONES: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spoke with six governors on Friday who oppose his plan to expand offshore drilling into nearly all federal waters.

Long contact list: Zinke talked with six Democratic governors opposed to drilling: Rhode Island’s Gina Raimondo, California’s Jerry Brown, Washington’s Jay Inslee, Delaware’s John Carney, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper and Oregon’s Kate Brown. Zinke also has spoken with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, who does not want drilling off the shore of his state. What about me? Coastal governors who oppose offshore drilling are pressing Zinke for exemptions from his proposal, after he granted one to Florida last week after meeting with Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Oregon trail: Brown, since talking with Zinke, said he is considering exempting Oregon from the offshore plan. The governor's spokesman said Zinke agreed to visit the state as part of his consideration. “Regarding the offshore drilling ban, Gov. Brown asked for the same consideration for Oregon’s ‘people’s coast’ as was given Florida,” her spokesman, Bryan Hockaday, told the Associated Press. “Secretary Zinke agreed with concerns about the economic risks that offshore drilling could bring to Oregon and committed to work with the governor.”

COAL PRODUCTION DROPS THE MOST SINCE TRUMP WAS INAUGURATED: Coal production dropped the most since President Trump was sworn into the Oval Office nearly one year ago, according to new federal data.

The plunge occurred at the end of last year on Dec. 30, falling 36 percent compared to the day after Trump was sworn in as commander in chief.

Ebb and flow: Trump has boasted that coal production is up since he took office. But the Energy Department's analysis arm showed that it has mostly ebbed and flowed all year, with a huge drop occurring over the holidays. Make America the day after again: The day after Trump took office, U.S. coal production jumped by 1 million short tons from 15.4 million short tons on Jan. 14, 2017, to 16.4 million metric tons on Jan. 21, according to the Energy Information Administration, the Energy Department's independent statistical and analysis wing. End of year drop: Production then varied through the year before plummeting to 10.4 million short tons on Dec. 30, 36 percent less than Jan. 21, when Trump took office, EIA data showed.

EPA BECOMING PUERTO RICO’S TOXIC WASTE GARBAGE MAN: The EPA is stepping in as Puerto Rico’s toxic waste garbage man beginning Monday with door-to-door pick up days. The agency will collect household hazardous waste in Loiza all week, the EPA announced.

“We are excited to work with the city of Loiza and its residents to ensure hazardous household materials are properly collected and disposed,” said Pete Lopez, EPA’s regional chief in charge of the garbage collection effort.

No hazmat in landfills: The agency will take everything from spent aerosol cans and cleanser bottles, to electronic items such as computers and televisions. The effort is to ensure that hazardous chemicals stay out of landfills that are designed to hold only biodegradable waste. “Keeping these materials out of the landfill protects the community and prevents potential environmental contamination,” Lopez said. No batteries, either: The EPA also will sort through the trash to ensure car and boat batteries, which have been used to supply electricity to power lights, aren’t dumped into landfills. “Household hazardous waste should not be thrown out with regular trash as it can contaminate the land, waterways and groundwater,” the agency said. The garbage collection services are part of the agency’s Hurricane Maria response efforts. The EPA said each day it is collecting more than 1,000 containers of hazardous household materials, orphan containers, white goods and electronic waste in Puerto Rico. As of Friday, the EPA had collected 65,000 containers.

CUOMO SPURS COPYCAT CLIMATE ACTION: The Noya Fields Family Charitable Funds said Monday that is will officially join the movement to divest portfolios of fossil fuels.

Spurred on by political leaders: The investment fund said it was spurred on by New York Gov. Mario Cuomo’s decision to begin phasing out fossil fuels from the Empire State’s pension fund. "While this has been something that has been on our minds for some time, the decision to take more immediate action is absolutely motivated by the recent announcement by Governor Cuomo that New York state would divest its pension funds from fossil fuels,” said Ken Fields, co-founder and administrator for the funds. “We are, of course infinitely smaller in scale but nonetheless every bit helps and sends an important message. Collectively we are done with supporting fossil fuels." Divestment movement on a comeback: The divestment movement had been quiet for a while until officials in New York and other local governments began announcing in recent weeks a new push to divest themselves from fossil fuels. Climate politics over sound economics: Free-market groups say the movement is putting climate politics ahead of sound economic advice, which likely will cost investors and beneficiaries in the long run.

RUNDOWN

New York Times Uranium miners pushed hard for a comeback. They got their wish with Bears Ears rollback.

Miami Herald If Florida’s offshore oil rush ever happens, only one side of the state is likely to see it

Bloomberg Shell gives North Sea a shot in the arm with field redevelopment

Wall Street Journal The three stumbling blocks to a solar-powered nation

PBS Newshour Puerto Rico energy authority investigates dozens of post-Maria bribery cases

Bloomberg Ford goes ‘all in’ on electric cars

Reuters Stricken Iranian tanker leaves large oil slick in East China Sea

The Guardian Belize bans oil activity to protect its barrier reef

Calendar

MONDAY, JAN. 15

Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Federal offices are closed.

TUESDAY, JAN. 16

10 a.m., Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 366. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold an oversight hearing to examine the domestic and global energy outlook from the perspective of the International Energy Agency.

energy.senate.gov

10 a.m., 1225 I St. NW. Bipartisan Policy Center holds a policy discussion with FERC commissioners Cheryl LaFleur and Neil Chatterjee to discuss the commission’s recent decision not to move ahead on Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s grid resilience plan.

bipartisanpolicy.org

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17

8:30 a.m., U.S. Geological Survey National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Va. The Geological Survey holds a two-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information. The agenda includes topics relating to national water initiatives, and the development and dissemination of water information, as well as updates from subcommittees.

10 a.m., Senate Dirksen Office Building, Room 366. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s subcommittee on water and power will hold a hearing to examine the Bureau of Reclamation’s title transfer process and potential benefits to stakeholders.

energy.senate.gov

THURSDAY, JAN. 18

9 a.m., 11555 Rockville Pike, Commissioners’ Conference Room, Rockville, Md. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a meeting to discuss the strategic programmatic overview of the decommissioning and low-level waste and spent fuel storage and transportation business lines.

Nrc.gov

All day, starts at 9 a.m., National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Ballroom. The U.S. Energy Association holds its 14th annual State of the Energy Industry Forum.

usea.org/node/2345/register

5:30 p.m., 1616 P St. NW. Resources for the Future holds a book discussion on "The Fracking Debate: The Risks, Benefits and Uncertainties of the Shale Revolution."

rff.org

6 p.m., WeWork Wonder Bread Factory, 641 S St. NW. Leaders in Energy and Potential Energy holds a discussion on "Clean Energy Project Financing: Where the Rubber Meets the Road."

leadersinenergy.org/clean-energy-project-financing-where-the-rubber-meets-the-road