Hope and optimism return as Senate Democrats yesterday said they will return to the negotiating table on permitting reform. Permitting reform has been one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement in Washington but Senate Democrats walked away from progress in talks last December due to the White House's stance on wind and solar projects. Now that Interior has been actively processing applications for solar and onshore wind projects, negotiating is back on. And that's a good thing for everyone.

We know how the conflict with Iran is impacting energy prices and supplies, but it's also having impacts on other material supplies. One key impact is the global supply of aluminum. With shipping traffic through the strait of Hormuz at a standstill, supplies aren't moving, smelters are issuing notices to customers, and disruptions are being felt across the supply chain.

And in the coming days the International Seabed Authority, which is the UN body that manages mineral-related activities in the ocean, will gather in Jamaica to discuss a proposed mining code for commercial seabed mining. As they meet, there's a lot at stake as some are looking to move ahead with projects while others are calling for a global moratorium so that science and regulations can catch up.