From the affordability crisis and the data center boom, to the US government's campaign to reinvigorate the Venezuelan oil market, energy is dominating headlines in unusual ways.

And that's all happening against a backdrop of upheaval in federal energy policy, which started on day one of the second Trump administration. As we begin the new year and head into midterm elections, there's a dizzying number of crucial energy policy issues at play.

So what issues are shaping US climate and energy policymaking in 2026? How might upcoming court rulings change things? As high utility bills persist, how is the public responding to changes in energy policy? And what stories or trends are not being told amid all of these important energy storylines?

Today on the show, Bill Loveless speaks with reporters Maxine Joselow and Josh Siegel about covering energy and climate policy, and what key stories and trends they're covering in 2026.

Maxine Joselow is a reporter for The New York Times where she covers climate policy from Washington D.C. Before joining The Times Maxine covered climate change and the environment for The Washington Post. Earlier, she was a reporter at E&E News.

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO, where he focuses on Congress. He also hosts the POLITICO Energy podcast. Previously, he covered the energy beat for the Washington Examiner where he wrote the Daily on Energy newsletter.

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

Reporters' Roundtable: What's Driving US Energy Policy News in 2026?

Columbia Energy Exchange

Reporters' Roundtable: What's Driving US Energy Policy News in 2026?