Climate lawsuits keep coming for fossil fuel companies

OIL & GAS: The number of climate lawsuits filed globally against top fossil fuel companies has nearly tripled since 2015, with the majority coming from U.S. cities and states. (The Guardian)

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ALSO:

• A California judge strikes down Los Angeles’ oil and gas drilling ban, saying the state has jurisdiction over most of the industry’s operations. (Los Angeles Times)
• Angry Texans gather to oppose an energy company’s plans to build a 300 MW gas power plant alongside two existing plants to boost a neighboring Bitcoin mine that’s prompted complaints about round-the-clock noise. (Inside Climate News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• While automakers are backtracking from electric vehicle goals, analysts say sales should soon rebound, especially as smaller manufacturers step up to claim more of the market. (Inside Climte News)
• General Motors and Hyundai announce plans to collaborate on new combustion, electric and hydrogen vehicles. (New York Times)
• Automaker Stellantis says it will spend $406 million to retool three Michigan factories to make electric vehicle or battery parts, including its first battery-electric light duty pickup truck. (Associated Press, Bridge Michigan)
• U.S. school districts are slowly but surely switching to electric school buses as Michigan research suggests academic benefits from ditching diesel. (Yale 360)
• A study urges California policymakers to come up with new funding sources for public fast electric vehicle charging stations, saying electricity sales alone are not recouping initial investments. (E&E News, subscription)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Recycling alone can’t address aluminum’s outsized climate impact, but experts say recovering more material and cleaning up the process could help lower emissions and reduce costs. (Canary Media)
• Iowa clean energy advocates say if utilities aggressively took advantage of federal incentives they could reduce costs and transition to 100% renewable generation within 5-10 years. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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WIND: Many East Coast states are relying on planned offshore wind projects to meet their renewable power goals, but recent GE Vernova blade failures worry some observers, like the fishing community, about the safety and reliability of the components. (New York Times)

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COAL: Pittsburgh-area environmental justice activists say discussion around a federal plan to block the U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel merger ignores their concerns around coal-related air pollution. (EHN)

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BIOFUELS: The fledgling sustainable aviation fuels industry faces high expectations and big questions as it gathers for a national summit in St. Paul this week. (Star Tribune)

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