Funds for Michigan plant part of U.S. nuclear resurgence

NUCLEAR: The Energy Department approves a $1.52 billion loan guarantee to restart the closed Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, part of a resurgence of interest in nuclear power in the U.S. (New York Times)

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ALSO: The AI boom has left big tech companies scrambling to find large amounts of low-carbon energy to power data centers, creating new demand for nuclear power. (Mother Jones)

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NATURAL GAS:

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Friday night that would have required public health warning labels on gas-burning ranges and cooktops, saying the measure was “highly prescriptive” and would be difficult to amend in the future as scientific knowledge evolves. (Washington Post)
• A new report from a nonpartisan think tank says the “fastest and most efficient transition” to 100% clean energy will include natural gas generation as a backup source. (E&E News, subscription)

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CLIMATE: Environmental advocates are skeptical of a federal effort to establish guidelines for voluntary carbon markets. (Grist)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Automakers say they have been caught off guard by the recent politicization of electric vehicles, driven in large part by misinformation spread by former President Donald Trump. (Quartz)
• Ford will start offering customers who buy or lease an electric vehicle a free home charger and installation in an effort to relieve range anxiety. (Detroit Free Press)

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ELECTRIFICATION:

• Advocates say a Massachusetts utility’s plan to offer more favorable winter rates to customers with heat pumps could become a model for the rest of the state. (Energy News Network)
• After a federal court struck down Berkeley’s ban on new natural gas hookups, a growing number of California cities are pushing forward with efficiency-based building codes to continue the push toward building electrification. (Inside Climate News)

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WIND:

• Federal officials canceled an upcoming floating offshore wind auction off the Oregon coast Friday due to insufficient bidder interest, saying only one of five eligible companies was still interested in the project. (OPB)
• Dominion Energy reports construction of its $9.8 billion offshore wind farm near Virginia is “on time and on budget,” and should be about halfway done when construction pauses for the winter in November. (Virginia Business)

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GEOTHERMAL: The U.S. House last week passed a bipartisan bill that aims to speed up approval for geothermal projects. (Think Geothermal)

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POLITICS: Climate change is rarely acknowledged by either candidates in a hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Ohio, where some communities are experiencing new clean energy investments under the Inflation Reduction Act. (Inside Climate News)

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COMMENTARY: A columnist describes a “tragedy of errors” that has led to the U.S. falling behind China in the race to lead on solar technology. (Bloomberg)

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