The West’s most important river is in big trouble

Years of drought and climate change are shrinking the Colorado River, which supplies water and electricity to 40 million people in the western United States. With the seven states that share that water deadlocked, the Trump administration is preparing to take matters into its own hands, setting off a scramble among the states to cut a side deal. POLITICO’s Annie Snider breaks down the latest in the Colorado River crisis and what comes next. Plus, Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the U.S. isn’t considering a crude oil export ban, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats may eye protections for consumers as data center power costs rise. Annie Snider covers water issues for POLITICO Pro. Nirmal Mulaikal is the co-host and executive producer of POLITICO Energy. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO. Cyril Zaneski is executive editor of POLITICO’s E&E News. Debra Kahn is the editorial director for energy and environmental coverage at POLITICO. Veronica Tejera is the deputy head of Audio/Video at POLITICO. Our theme music is by Pran Bandi. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Youtube and Instagram. Follow POLITICO here: ➤ X: ➤ Instagram: / politico ➤ Facebook: / politico For more reporting on energy and the environment,

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The West’s most important river is in big trouble is an episode from POLITICO Energy by POLITICO.

This episode is 12:27 long.

This episode was published on Apr 29, 2026.

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