npm: throw new Error('npm.load() required

Question

Running npm gives me:

npm
Error: Failed to replace env in config: ${GITHUB_TOKEN}
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:415:13
    at String.replace (<anonymous>)
    at envReplace (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:411:12)
    at parseField (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:389:7)
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:330:24
    at Array.forEach (<anonymous>)
    at Conf.add (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:328:23)
    at ConfigChain.addString (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/config-chain/index.js:244:8)
    at Conf.<anonymous> (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/config/core.js:316:10)
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/graceful-fs/graceful-fs.js:123:16
/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/npm.js:59
      throw new Error('npm.load() required')
      ^

Error: npm.load() required
    at Object.get (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/npm.js:59:13)
    at process.errorHandler (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/error-handler.js:208:32)
    at process.emit (events.js:314:20)
    at process._fatalException (internal/process/execution.js:165:25

Any idea why?