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Washington Wire: Permitting, AI, ENERGY STAR, and MOU Activity

William Attardi on April 1, 2026

NAED’s Government Relations department is keeping our members updated about current happenings in D.C.  The latest Washington Wire is here, recapping permitting legislation, the White House’s new National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, a shift in leadership at ENERGY STAR®, and what NAED and its MoU partners are doing on Capitol Hill. Get the latest updates on important events taking shape in Washington, D.C.   Washington Wire: Permitting, AI, ENERGY STAR, and MOU Activity – tEDmag

US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

The MOU also highlights the intent to collaborate in various fields including petroleum refining and refined products trading, electricity generation technologies and energy storage systems, and artificial intelligence projects to accelerate deployment of energy-driven innovations. The two sides also outlined areas for cooperation on civil nuclear energy, including safety, security, and nonproliferation programs; vocational training and workforce development; U.S. Generation III+ advanced large reactor technologies and small modular reactors; uranium exploration, mining, and milling; and safe and secure nuclear waste disposal.  The signings coincided with President Trump’s announcement that he secured a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia.  US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals – electrifiED

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.