EPA climate finding will be tough to overturn

CLIMATE: As President-elect Trump seeks to dismantle U.S. climate policy, advocates note the 2009 EPA finding declaring greenhouse gases a threat to public health has already survived numerous legal challenges as the science underpinning it has become more robust. (E&E News)

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ALSO: Maine has become the latest state to sue major oil and gas companies, alleging they withheld information about the environmental impact of fossil fuels in order to pursue profit. (New York Times)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Analysts say Inflation Reduction Act tax credits may survive the Trump administration, but could face shorter phase-out dates as Republicans seek ways to offset promised tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations. (Canary Media)
• Climate tech investors anticipate some companies will be harmed by Trump administration policies but say the sector is overall more resilient and less dependent on public subsidies than in the past. (TechCrunch)
• An Xcel Energy executive says data center growth won’t prevent the utility from hitting Minnesota’s 2040 clean energy targets, though some gas plants may need to stay online longer. (Energy News Network)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Rivian appears likely to restart construction of its Georgia factory after receiving a nearly $6 billion federal loan, resparking tension for Republican leaders between applauding the company’s investment and criticizing federal support for clean energy. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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OIL & GAS: Analysts say Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada will increase gasoline prices as much as 75 cents per gallon as many U.S. refineries are engineered to specifically handle Canadian crude; meanwhile, industry groups are pushing for exemptions. (E&E News)

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EQUITY: Environmental justice groups worry that millions in federal grants aimed at increasing climate resilience in disinvested communities will not be disbursed before the Trump administration can end the program. (Inside Climate News)

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OFFSHORE WIND: A French energy company has paused its plans to build an offshore wind farm off New York and New Jersey for at least four years, citing Trump’s opposition to wind as a major factor. (New York Post)

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SOLAR:

• A report released last week finds utility-scale solar installations will hit a record 32 GW this year ahead of a tariff moratorium deadline, and will likely dip next year before recovering later this decade. (Utility Dive)
• The Commerce Department announces an anticipated round of tariffs on solar cells produced in Southeast Asia to prevent Chinese companies from selling them below cost in the U.S. (Reuters)
• Plans for a 120 MW solar project on contaminated former mine land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula could provide a blueprint for community buy-in of large solar projects on unused brownfield land. (Bridge)

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COAL: The Biden administration finalizes rules blocking new federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, but Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon says he will work with the incoming Trump administration to overturn the ban. (The Hill, news release)  

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COMMENTARY: A California columnist says popular bakeries’ opposition helped sink Berkeley’s natural gas-tax ballot measure, and urges the restaurant industry to work together to electrify. (Los Angeles Times)

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