Stockpiled solar parts could spur installation boom

SOLAR: A two-year pause on federal solar import tariffs from Southeast Asia ends, which experts say could drive a solar installation boom as developers use up components they’ve imported duty-free. (Reuters)

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ALSO:

• U.S. solar panel prices are falling thanks to more efficient manufacturing, but they remain far above the worldwide average due to federal trade restrictions. (Inside Climate News)
• Florida and Texas lead a record-breaking quarter for U.S. solar growth in which domestic solar manufacturing capacity surged. (PV Magazine)

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EMISSIONS:

• Carbon emissions levels in the atmosphere have hit record levels and are rising “faster than ever,” a new NOAA report finds. (The Hill)
• The U.S. Energy Department releases a definition of “zero-emission building,” setting a voluntary standard it hopes will help the building industry curb its climate impact. (The Hill)
• As ports across the Great Lakes land support for decarbonization projects, freighter operators say they haven’t received the same level of funding support to cut their emissions. (The Guardian)

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POLITICS: The debate over federal permitting reform has divided clean energy and environmental justice advocates, with some worried that speeding deployment of renewables and transmission will also benefit fossil fuels and weaken environmental protections. (Utility Dive)

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NUCLEAR: The U.S. Energy Department issues grants to eight fusion technology companies looking to produce emissions-free power with the unproven technology. (E&E News)

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BATTERIES: Republican Congress members cite forced labor allegations as they push the Biden administration to block imports from two top Chinese battery makers that are working with Ford and other electric vehicle manufacturers. (E&E News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Kia debuts a new electric SUV — the first electric vehicle manufactured in Georgia, where a slew of electric vehicle and battery-related plants are under construction. (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)
• The engineering researchers behind a project electrifying a section of highway in Indiana hope the technology makes electric vehicles more palatable for drivers. (NPR)

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WIND:

• The federal Bureau of Land Management advances a contested wind project in Idaho that would be visible from a World War II incarceration camp and national historic site, drawing criticism. (National Parks Traveler)
• Federal ocean energy regulators say offshore wind lease sales in Delaware and Maryland waters that could power 2.2 million homes shouldn’t have “significant impacts” on the environment. (E&E News, subscription)

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CLIMATE: The Biden administration’s youth climate corps program begins this month, sending workers to take on climate and environmental jobs, largely across Western states. (High Country News)

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TRANSMISSION: A federal judge dismisses a lawsuit from a tribal nation and environmentalists seeking to block construction of a segment of the SunZia transmission line through a culturally significant valley in southern Arizona, saying the plaintiffs’ challenge came too late. (Associated Press)

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TRANSPORTATION: As New York’s governor halts a traffic congestion plan in New York City, cities around the world have kept similar policies in place — even in areas where it was initially unpopular. (Washington Post)

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