PJM executive concerned about pace of new capacity

GRID: A PJM Interconnection executive says the pace of new capacity is “nowhere near where we need to be,” with only 2 GW added last year compared to 5 GW the year before. (Utility Dive)

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ALSO: Grid operator MISO advances plans for a $21.8 billion portfolio of transmission projects that analysts say could produce up to $23.1 billion in net benefits, partly by limiting the need for new generation. (Utility Dive)

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OIL & GAS:

• An investigation finds fossil fuel industry lobbyists coordinated with lawmakers in multiple U.S. states to shape laws cracking down on peaceful protests against oil and gas development. (The Guardian)
• A federal oil and gas lease auction in Wyoming nets just $27,000 in bids, prompting industry officials to accuse the Biden administration of trying to indirectly halt drilling through higher fees and tighter regulations. (E&E News)

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CARBON CAPTURE: U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, introduces a bill that would increase subsidies for using captured carbon dioxide to stimulate oil and gas production from aging wells. (E&E News, subscription; news release)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• A review of federal data finds clean energy sources provided a quarter of U.S. electricity during the first seven months of 2024. (Solar Power World)
• Amazon’s CEO says the company expects to be the world’s largest buyer of clean energy for “several years to come.” (Axios)

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WIND: The state of Iowa sues a Washington-state company for allegedly dumping tons of old wind turbine blades around the state, in violation of solid waste laws. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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SOLAR: University of Pittsburgh researchers interview four dozen rural people, including many farmers, about their views on rural solar development and find that smaller projects that work with the landscape would be more readily embraced. (Inside Climate News)

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NUCLEAR:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority considers how to pay for development of small modular nuclear reactors, after it already budgeted $350 million for initial design and permitting. (Knoxville News Sentinel)
• The Idaho National Laboratory prepares to install and test the nation’s first transportable nuclear reactor. (Boise State Public Radio)

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POLITICS:

• Energy and climate are key issues in four races that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. (E&E News)
• A new poll finds 58% of Black voters in battleground states view climate change as a major priority, and messaging on clean energy and climate change increased voting motivation for 33% of Black voters. (Michigan Advance)
• The Biden administration’s policies on electric vehicles is a key issue among voters leading up to the November election in a Republican-leaning metro Detroit congressional district. (Bridge)

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ELECTRIFICATION: The Biden administration awards nine tribal nations in Western states nearly $42 million to electrify homes with clean energy. (news release)

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