Methane fee could cost oil and gas producers millions

EMISSIONS: The top 25 U.S. oil and gas producers would’ve been liable for $1.1 billion in charges had the federal climate law’s methane emissions fee been applied over a year ending in March 2023, an analysis finds. (Grist)

‍

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• White House officials and allies say the U.S. EPA’s proposed tailpipe emissions rule is still in play despite a news report suggesting it would be weakened. (E&E News)
• Researchers develop a “practical, low-cost” technology standard that could bring electric vehicle-to-grid capabilities into the mainstream. (Canary Media)

‍

WIND:

• The U.S. offshore wind industry enters 2024 with lowered ambitions after a series of canceled projects last year, though analysts say those that survived now have a better chance of being built. (E&E News)
• A confederation of tribal nations accuses federal agencies of failing to engage with them before finalizing offshore wind energy plans along the Oregon coast. (KOIN)
• Although construction is years away, workforce development programs are already stepping up to train workers for a massive wind power and transmission line project in Maine. (Mainebiz)

‍

POLITICS: Democrats fear the dismantling of Inflation Reduction Act clean energy incentives if they lose the presidency this fall. (New York Times)

‍

NUCLEAR:

• The Senate advances $2.7 billion for uranium enrichment as part of a military assistance bill. (Utility Dive)
• A Southeast trade association says the nuclear industry’s $9.8 billion footprint in Tennessee means the state will lead a pending “nuclear renaissance” in the region as utilities consider building a wave of new plants. (Knoxville News Sentinel)

‍

OIL & GAS:

• An analysis finds Colorado’s new financial assurance rules for oil and gas companies may not generate enough funds to clean up all of the state’s wells at the end of their lives. (Colorado Sun)
• Environmentalists and climate activists decry the Tennessee Valley Authority’s decision to replace a coal-fired power plant with natural gas, although local residents are glad for the shift from coal after a massive coal ash spill at the plant in 2008. (WATE)
• Some legal scholars say Enbridge is using a longshot legal argument to keep Line 5 operating on tribal land in Wisconsin based on a 1977 treaty between the U.S. and Canada. (Inside Climate News)

‍

CARBON CAPTURE: Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposes legislation that would allow the state to lease subsurface rights for storing carbon dioxide in an effort to maintain or increase fossil fuel production while reducing emissions. (Alaska Beacon)

‍

CLIMATE: Washington state lawmakers propose spending carbon allowance auction revenues on electricity bill credits for low-income residents and to purchase hybrid-electric fire engines and charging infrastructure. (Washington State Standard)

‍