{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  High stakes election is underway Today is Election Day. Voters are taking the future of the country — including its energy policy – into their own hands. © Greg NashAfter a hard-fought campaign, voters today will decide whether Vice President Harris or former President Trump will be our next president. Polls put the two neck and neck in key swing states. As of Tuesday, a model from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ gave Trump a 54 percent chance of winning.  Energy is just one among many policies at stake in the election, as the two candidates have presented a contrast on issues such as climate change.    Trump is likely to try to pursue more opportunities for fossil fuel production and could get rid of climate and other environmental protections.   Harris is likely to at least maintain Biden-era regulations, though her campaign has also said she'd like to pursue more energy production.  As far as oil goes, the election's consequences are more likely to be long-term as, in the short term, production is decided by private companies based on economic factors. “Production is pretty much independent from whoever sits in the White House. It's much more dependent on oil prices and decisions that were made long ago,” Claudio Galimberti, chief economist and global director of market analysis at Rystad Energy, told The Hill on Tuesday. Follow The Hill's full election coverage at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  California scientists unlock new key to mosquito-borne disease spreadMale mosquitoes that fail to hear potential females do not end up mating — a phenomenon that could have major implications for insect-borne disease spread, a new study has determined.  Full Story  Seeking wiggle room from Republicans on climate changeHeather Reams apologized for being late to an interview with The Hill: She had been on a conference call with a GOP congressman discussing the benefits of climate-friendly energy tax credits.  Full Story  Record number of states facing drought conditionsThe U.S. has droughts in every state except Alaska and Kentucky — the greatest number in history, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.  Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Election forecaster predicts 218-217 House Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a prominent election forecaster, predicted Monday that this year’s elections will result in a House divided by one vote. Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: State races and ballot initiatives to watch on climate (E&E News)  Meta’s plan for nuclear-powered AI data centre thwarted by rare bees (Financial Times) Your medicine comes from unexpected places. Why those sources are now at risk. (The Washington Post)  What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Election Day 2024 live updates: Nation braces for results of Harris-Trump battle Vice President Harris and former President Trump face the moment of truth on Election Day as voters around the country head to the polls. Read more Trump rips Fox News’s election morning coverage Former President Trump railed against Fox News on Tuesday morning for playing clips of a speech Oprah Winfrey gave in support of Vice President Harris. Read more  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe