Tim McDonnell

Climate and energy editor, Semafor

Tim McDonnell is the Climate & Energy Editor at Semafor. Tim has covered the business and science of climate change for more than a decade from front lines of the crisis around the world. He is based in Kyiv.

Renewed US-Iran strikes up risk for daring Dynacom vessels

The Greek shipowners are among the few still chasing outsized profits by sending their tankers into the world’s most dangerous waters.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran.

Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/via WANA via Reuters

Geopolitics shape Dems’ energy platform

The two biggest themes in global geopolitics — the rollout of AI and the fallout from the Iran war — look set to benefit Democrats.

The price of gasoline is displayed at a gas station near the highway in Encinitas, California, U.S.

Mike Blake/File Photo/Reuters

US DOE pushes for greater propane exports to Africa

As the administration pulls back on humanitarian aid, Energy Secretary Chris Wright is boosting a more transactional approach to fighting energy poverty.

A man arranges cooking gas cylinders in Kibera settlement of Nairobi, Kenya.

Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

US gas price relief remains elusive

The resumption of tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the US puts President Donald Trump’s goal to slash retail fuel prices further out of reach.

Mike Blake/Reuters

Global market faces LNG glut, while US forecasts shortfall

The world is facing an LNG surplus that analysts predict could reach more than 100 million tons by 2031.

A security guard stands at the entrance of Guan-Tang LNG Receiving Terminal in Taiwan.

Ann Wang/Reuters

Amazon’s rising carbon footprint ‘not a one-year story,’ CSO says

Despite the bump, the company remains confident it can hit its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040, the head of sustainability told Semafor.

Amazon’s Kara Hurst at a Semafor event in January 2026. Firebird Films/Semafor.

US energy dominance faces a test in Ukraine

One essential facet of US President Donald Trump’s overseas energy dominance strategy is proving slow to materialize.

Ukraine’s biggest energy company goes green

DTEK committed to entirely closing down its fleet of coal-fired power plants, and to boost its investment in wind, solar, batteries, and grids.

London Climate Week navigates Hormuz crisis

London Climate Action Week, now in its eighth year, was designed as a waypoint between COP conferences.

New top US solar lobbyist sees a ‘golden age’ under Trump

In an exclusive interview, Tim Pawlenty said many fellow Republicans have an “outdated understanding” of how solar power really works.

Saudi-US mining company turns to Iran

The fund is turning to mineral supplies from Kazakhstan and Pakistan that could be useful for the postwar reconstruction of Iran.

Iran’s energy weapon worked

The US-Iran truce proves Tehran’s energy weapon was powerful enough to take on the world’s mightiest military and come out ahead.

Hormuz will never really be open again

The global energy trade will never be the same.

Oil prices hit three-month low over US-Iran truce

Several major banks cut their oil price forecasts.

SpaceX breathes life into energy tech IPOs

In the past quarter or so, a rising number of energy tech startups have hit the public market.

One of Trump’s key oil market fixes is about to break

An uncomfortable energy deadline is looming for the White House.

Oil prices ease as Israel and Iran pause strikes

There still remains little sign of progress toward a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Uranium mining market heats up amid nuclear-powered data centers bet

The gap between supply and demand in uranium production is widening.