Power plant emissions rule can stand — for now

EMISSIONS: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to pause the Biden administration’s power plant emissions rule as it faces legal challenges, though Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s opinion suggests those challenges may ultimately be successful. (Associated Press, E&E News)

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ALSO:

• Experts say existing state-run carbon markets would likely hold up against litigation from a second Trump administration, though states considering launching markets should speed up their efforts. (E&E News)
• A demonstration plant in upstate New York will aim to remove carbon dioxide from the air and use it to recycle mining industry waste. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR:

• Amazon leads a $500 million round of funding to develop and build small modular nuclear reactors in Virginia and Washington as it races Google to secure clean energy to power data centers. (Washington Post, Associated Press)
• The U.S. Energy Department opens applications for $900 million in funding for developing and deploying small modular reactors. (S&P Global)

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CLEAN ENERGY: A growing number of cities across Minnesota and the U.S. are funding climate and clean energy projects with franchise fees collected from utilities using public rights-of-way for infrastructure. (Energy News Network)

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COAL: An Alabama coal-fired power plant is named as the U.S. EPA’s top greenhouse gas polluter for the ninth year in a row, but owner Alabama Power has no plans to retire the plant or convert it to natural gas. (Inside Climate News)

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LITHIUM: General Motors pledges $625 million to help fund the contested Thacker Pass lithium mine under development in Nevada in an effort to boost battery material’s domestic supplies. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

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SOLAR: Homeowners looking to install rooftop solar panels often run into a dilemma when they learn their roofs will need to be replaced before the lifespan of their array expires. (Grist)

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HYDROGEN: A large hydrogen fuel production facility in upstate New York was expected to make the state an industry leader, but work on the project has halted and its future is uncertain. (Heatmap News)

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BIOFUELS:

• The U.S. Energy Department tentatively awards two companies $3 billion in loan guarantees to produce sustainable aviation fuels. (Canary Media)
• Phillips 66 says “market dynamics” prompted plans to shutter its Los Angeles-area refinery that supplies 8% of the state’s gasoline next year and replace its output with biofuels from its San Francisco Bay-area complex. (Los Angeles Times)

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