New EPA methane rules expected tomorrow

EMISSIONS: The U.S. EPA is set to release new methane regulations tomorrow as the oil and gas industry contends the proposed rules clash with other federal and state standards. (E&E News)

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SOLAR: California rooftop solar installations have plummeted by up to 85% since regulators slashed net-metering rates in April, putting some 17,000 jobs at risk by the end of the year, according to an industry group. (Canary Media)

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CLIMATE: Environmental advocates release a to-do list of climate actions they want President Biden to take in the last year of his term, including a slew of EPA regulations and other Cabinet-level actions. (Washington Post)

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has taken steps toward including environmental justice in its decisions but still has further to go, advocates say. (Utility Dive)

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WIND:

• Researchers say preliminary results of a two-year study has found no negative correlation between whales, dolphins and offshore wind development survey work in New England waters. (NJ Advance Media)
• Climate advocates say a New York law requiring a public agency to build up the state’s renewable energy capacity if the private sector isn’t doing so may be the East Coast’s saving grace amid canceled wind projects. (The New Republic)
• California officials remain confident in offshore wind’s future even though the industry is experiencing setbacks on the East Coast. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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POLITICS:

• Democratic lawmakers worry Republicans headed to the COP28 climate conference will supplant their influence and promote fossil fuels. (E&E News)
• Republicans want U.S. EPA funding to be conditional on barring the agency from pursuing tailpipe emissions rules that would encourage electric vehicle adoption. (The Hill)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: General Motors’ chief financial officer expects the automaker to start making a profit on electric vehicle sales in 2025 as it produces higher-margin models. (Associated Press)

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COAL: West Virginia’s fund to clean up abandoned coal mines is sagging so badly that even one bankruptcy by a significant mining company could wipe it out and leave state taxpayers stuck paying for cleanup costs. (Mountain State Spotlight/ProPublica)

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OIL & GAS:

• Environmental groups appeal an Ohio commission’s recent decisions allowing oil and gas drilling in a state park and two wildlife areas, citing a lack of analysis and opportunity for public comment. (Energy News Network)
• The Biden administration’s failure to stem surging natural gas expansion threatens to undermine its clean energy goals and climate credibility, says Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley. (Canary Media)

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STORAGE: Georgia leans into battery storage to leverage around-the-clock power from its rapidly growing solar energy sector, highlighted by Georgia Power’s impending completion of a 65 MW battery facility. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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GRID: Utility regulators in PJM’s region urge the grid operator to shift from a reactive planning approach to more proactive and affordable ways of planning grid reliability. (Utility Dive)

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NUCLEAR: TerraPower and a mining company partner on an effort to restore domestic uranium supply chains and to fuel the Bill Gates-backed firm’s proposed advanced nuclear reactor in Wyoming. (Cowboy State Daily)

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