Instant EV rebates exceed $1 billion in first 6 months

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: U.S. electric vehicle buyers have received more than $1 billion in point-of-sale rebates since the Treasury Department launched the instant incentives in January, discounting an estimated quarter of the 600,000 EVs sold so far this year. (E&E News)

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ALSO:

• U.S. electric vehicle sales are still up year-over-year despite reports of slowed market growth. (Axios)
• An electric vehicle charging company founded by seven major automakers selects North Carolina for its headquarters. (Raleigh News & Observer)

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OIL & GAS:

• Federal regulators approve the long-delayed, $7.85 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline to enter service after a decade of regulatory, legal and on-the-ground battles against project opponents. (Roanoke Times)
• Fracking in the Pittsburgh area is turning local residents’ water nonpotable, but a nearby driller is offering to provide water in exchange for signing an agreement with non-disclosure terms. (Public Source)
• Regulators continue to investigate abandoned Permian Basin oil and gas wells that inexplicably have begun spewing contaminated water. (Inside Climate News)

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COAL:

• The U.S. EPA’s recent update to its coal ash rules still relies on companies to self-report and propose fixes for ash storage sites, which could lead to inconsistent enforcement. (E&E News)
• Thirteen states sue to block new Biden administration rules giving federal regulators greater oversight over coal mines. (E&E News, subscription)

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GRID:

• The Bureau of Land Management advances the proposed Greenlink West transmission project designed to carry solar and wind power across Nevada. (E&E News, subscription; news release)
• An organization pushing to build transmission lines along highways recently scored a legislative win in Minnesota, and now looks to expand the policy to other states. (Canary Media)

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CLIMATE: Researchers expect average U.S. electric bills to be 8% higher this year than last due in part to warming temperatures, and urge governments to bar electricity shutoffs during extreme heat. (Utility Dive)

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ELECTRIFICATION: California lawmakers introduce legislation that would allow utilities to voluntarily pay to electrify entire neighborhoods one by one instead of maintaining and replacing aging natural gas distribution networks. (Canary Media)

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EMISSIONS: North Carolina regulators receive hundreds of comments complaining Duke Energy’s plan to meet state emission goals arbitrarily limits solar and battery storage and relies on unproven hydrogen technology to justify building new gas plants. (Energy News Network)

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SOLAR:

• NextEra Energy Resources and Entergy agree to build 4.5 GW of solar and energy storage in the utility’s Southeast territory over the next five years. (Utility Dive)
• About an hour west of Madison, Wisconsin’s largest solar farm is generating enough power for tens of thousands of homes while generating crucial income for the farmer landowner. (WISN)

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