We are coming to you LIVE from the AFPM International Petrochemical Conference in San Antonio this week!

If you’re at IPC, come by the EMPOWER booth (or find us floating among the hospitality suites tonight) and say hello.

AFPM EMPOWER’s Allison, Charlie and Ericka - do you have your AFPM EMPOWER mug yet?

Happy Monday!

-Charlie and the AFPM EMPOWER team

Have ideas for content, comments, or questions? You can reach me at charlie@afpm.org.

What we’re reading this week

US LNG full lifecycle emissions delivered to Europe are 48% of the coal equivalent - Wood Mackenzie
Toleman added, “It is also clear that there are a number of ‘truths’ about LNG and coal that have perhaps not always been fully appreciated and/or represented in some of the prior published analyses. These truths are extremely important if a fair and reasonable assessment is to be made comparing US LNG and coal emissions.”

Heavy-duty truck sales in Massachusetts plummet 99% under new EV sales mandate. Here’s how it affects buyers, costs - Yahoo! News
The Peterbilt Stores New England in Plainville reportedly has a lot full of heavy-duty trucks, but you won’t find a 2025 model among its stock. As a result of the new EV mandate, Preston hasn’t ordered any new trucks this year.

Oil Executives Talk Permitting But Not Prices in Trump Meeting - Bloomberg
Oil executives pressed for faster permitting — and didn’t discuss concerns about falling crude prices — during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said.

Republicans Introduce Bill To Block California's EV Mandate - The Washington Free Beacon
The Stop California from Advancing Regulatory Burden Act, introduced by Rep. Troy Nehls (R., Texas) and Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), would immediately dismantle California's efforts to mandate electric vehicles, electric trucks, and electric trains.

Ignore the Boom in Oil That Isn’t Oil at Your Peril - Bloomberg
To the untrained eye, the words “crude,” “petroleum” and “oil” are quasi-synonymous. This columnist often uses them interchangeably, trading accuracy for legibility. Ask any specialist, though, and they each have different meanings. And herein lies the problem of today’s petroleum market: There’s a lot more oil than crude.

Harold Hamm Sounds the Alarm: Low Oil Prices Could Shut Down US Shale - OilPrice.com
Shale titan Harold Hamm isn’t mincing words—if oil prices stay this low, drilling in some of America’s prized shale fields could grind to a halt. Speaking at CERAWeek in Houston, the Continental Resources founder warned that with oil hovering near $65 a barrel, many U.S. fields are already on shaky ground. “When you get below the cost of supply, you can’t ‘drill, baby, drill,’” Hamm told Bloomberg. “That shuts you down.”