EPA may give power plants more time to add carbon capture

EMISSIONS: U.S. EPA officials are reportedly mulling changes to a landmark power plant emissions rule first proposed a year ago and will likely give utilities more time to add carbon capture equipment to gas facilities. (E&E News)

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ALSO: The U.S. Senate passes a bill that would invalidate a Transportation Department rule aimed at cutting highway emissions, though President Biden would veto the measure if it passes the House. (Politico)

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CLIMATE:

• The Biden administration races to fund climate and clean energy projects in the last months before the presidential election. (Guardian)
• The U.S. Transportation Department announces $830 million in funding to protect critical infrastructure from climate-fueled weather disasters. (The Hill)

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GRID:

• Utilities in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee want to build gigawatts of new natural gas-fired power plants to meet escalating power demand from data centers and factories, potentially jeopardizing state and federal climate goals. (Canary Media)
• The New England grid operator’s newest transmission study finds the region has to spend up to $26 billion over the next 26 years to bulk up its transmission network — a large sum but roughly comparable to spending in recent decades. (CommonWealth Beacon)
• U.S. power consumption will reach record highs in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts. (Reuters)
• Federal officials try to get a better idea of just how much energy the fast-growing cryptocurrency mining sector uses. (E&E News)

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PIPELINES: The U.S. Justice Department weighs in on the Line 5 dispute for the first time, arguing that Enbridge has been trespassing on tribal land in Wisconsin but that a previous court order failed to consider all of the implications of shutting down the pipeline. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

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OHIO: FirstEnergy made a previously unreported $1 million dark money gift to benefit the campaign of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s eventual running mate, who later worked to win support for the state’s power plant bailout legislation, according to newly revealed company emails. (Energy News Network/Floodlight)

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HYDROGEN:

• The U.S. Energy Department announces $1.6 million for four projects aimed at lowering the cost of clean hydrogen production. (E&E News, subscription)
• Experts discuss the pitfalls and potential for green hydrogen to clean up the emissions-heavy steelmaking industry. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR:

• U.S. senators start a bipartisan caucus to promote the advanced nuclear energy industry. (E&E News, subscription)
• New Mexico’s and Arizona’s governors call on the Biden administration to create a new federal process for cleaning up abandoned uranium mines. (Albuquerque Journal)

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COAL: Federal energy analysts believe April coal exports will be slashed by about a third because of the Port of Baltimore closure. (The Hill)

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SOLAR: Residents in a rural Illinois village west of Chicago hope to overturn local restrictions on rooftop solar that were previously enacted because of aesthetic concerns. (Energy News Network)

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