10 places feds want to quickly build new transmission

GRID: The U.S. Energy Department announces 10 areas across the country where it intends to use unprecedented federal power to quickly fund and build major transmission projects that connect regional grids. (Canary Media)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Renewables are almost entirely meeting new U.S. power demand, though capacity isn’t being built quickly enough to meet federal climate targets, the U.S. Energy Information Administration finds. (The Hill)
• Rapid wind and solar growth led to renewables making up 30% of the world’s electricity mix last year, a figure that could soon temper fossil fuel growth. (Guardian)

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POLICY: Of the $1.1 trillion the Biden administration has passed for infrastructure spending, emissions reduction measures, and other priorities, just $125 billion has so far been spent, an analysis finds. (Politico)

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OIL & GAS:

• A new whitepaper compiles lessons from cities and utilities that have decommissioned or reused gas pipeline networks, and makes a case for exploring alternatives to gas system expansion. (Utility Dive)
• A new report says federal regulators are overlooking the potential cumulative effects of a planned liquified natural gas export terminal buildout in Louisiana and Texas on vulnerable “fenceline” communities of color around them. (Floodlight)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority is moving forward with plans to build a natural gas-fired plant to replace a Tennessee coal plant set for retirement, despite criticism by the U.S. EPA that the decision was essentially a “foreordained formality.” (Associated Press)
• A Wisconsin utility is asking state regulators for permission to bill ratepayers more than $2 billion to build two new gas power plants, a fuel storage facility, and a pipeline, drawing pushback from groups that say the investments are likely to be obsolete before mid-century. (Energy News Network)
• Identifying and prioritizing abandoned oil and gas wells to plug in Pennsylvania has taken on new urgency as the federal government directs hundreds of millions of dollars to plugging projects. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A $100 million competition that seeks innovative ways to capture and sequester carbon announces a list of finalists. (Canary Media)

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UTILITIES: Two years after California lawmakers passed a proposed fixed monthly utility charge designed to slash electricity use and reduce low-income residents’ bills, advocates say it has amounted to a gift for utilities. (Los Angeles Times)

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STORAGE: The U.S. Energy Department seeks input on potential manufacturing and design challenges that could affect grid-scale battery storage deployment. (Utility Dive)

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EFFICIENCY: Minnesota clean energy advocates say the state can make significant strides in reducing carbon emissions and saving energy costs by adopting updated building codes. (MPR News)

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