Discover the Latest News and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future

HYDROGEN: Xcel Energy says plans for an Upper Midwest hydrogen hub are jeopardized by proposed federal tax credit rules that would bar utilities from diverting existing clean energy generation to power hydrogen facilities. (Star Tribune)

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SOLAR: A proposed 600 MW solar project outside Lawrence, Kansas, highlights land use debates with utility-scale developments and concerns about removing prime farmland. (Flatland)

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OHIO: Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted refuse to comment so far on the apparent suicide of former regulator Sam Randazzo, who previously had their support and was a key player in the state’s largest corruption scandal in history. (ABC 5)

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CLIMATE: Experts say Chicago’s climate lawsuit against major oil companies is likely to be moved back to local courts ahead of a long legal dispute with deep-pocketed companies. (Chicago Sun-Times)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Michigan is offering millions of dollars in funding to bolster research on recycling materials from electric vehicle batteries. (IPR)
• An Indiana nonprofit research organization hosts a panel discussion on how the electric vehicle transition will affect the state’s auto manufacturing base. (Indiana Public Radio)
• Missouri lawmakers consider creating a $1 billion fund for an incentive program to lure megaprojects like electric vehicle and battery factories to the state. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

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NUCLEAR: Federal regulators will hold a public information meeting next week in Michigan on an unprecedented plan to reopen a shuttered nuclear plant. (MLive)

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COAL: A Congress member from Michigan co-sponsors legislation that backers say would close a loophole in federal law that allows coal companies to skirt mine remediation requirements when they file for bankruptcy. (E&E News, subscription)

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UTILITIES: Ratepayers in northeastern Ohio are set for lower electricity bills this summer as FirstEnergy pays about 27% less for wholesale power at auction this year. (Cleveland.com)

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COMMENTARY:

• U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois says partnering with foreign allies is key to the U.S. leading in alternative fuels and advanced clean energy technologies. (Register Star)
• The executive of Dane County, Wisconsin, says the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are creating clean energy and economic development opportunities in the state. (Capital Times)

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CLEAN ENERGY: The U.S. Interior Department finalizes a rule that will cut fees as much as 80% for solar and wind projects on federal land as it celebrates a milestone of permitting more than 25 GW of renewable projects under President Biden. (The Hill, Reuters)

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ALSO: An Indigenous researcher says tribes need application support, better access to information, and resources to build better infrastructure, to in addition to funding to adopt clean energy. (Grist)

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CLIMATE: While the world’s biggest companies are making stronger climate commitments, an analysis finds they’re still insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals. (Grist)

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GRID: About 2.6 TW of power projects — 95% of them solar, battery and wind developments — were waiting to connect to the U.S. grid at the end of last year, up 27% from the year before. (Utility Dive)

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SOLAR:

• Solar developer Nexamp secures $520 million in capital to build community solar arrays around the nation. (Canary Media)
• A proposed 600 MW solar project outside Lawrence, Kansas, highlights land use debates with utility-scale developments and concerns about removing prime farmland. (Flatland)
• Conservation groups call on the federal Bureau of Land Management to amend its proposed Western solar plan to exclude development in some wildlife migration routes and critical habitat. (WyoFile)

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HYDROGEN: Xcel Energy says plans for an Upper Midwest hydrogen hub are jeopardized by proposed federal tax credit rules that would bar utilities from diverting existing clean energy generation to power hydrogen facilities. (Star Tribune)

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OIL & GAS: Oil companies challenge a federal regulation requiring former owners to clean up abandoned offshore oil and gas infrastructure along California’s coast, potentially leaving taxpayers to pick up the multimillion-dollar bill. (E&E News)

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COAL:

• Residents of Baltimore’s Curtis Bay neighborhood say coal piles have grown in their community since the Port of Baltimore closure, increasing pollution and health concerns. (E&E News, subscription)
• House Democrats propose legislation that backers say would close a loophole in federal law that allows coal companies to skirt mine remediation requirements when they file for bankruptcy. (E&E News, subscription)

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EMISSIONS:

• U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 1% between 2021 and 2022, but have fallen 17% overall from 2005 levels, the U.S. EPA reports (The Hill)
• A California startup launches a commercial-scale demonstration of technology aimed at reducing cement manufacturing’s carbon dioxide emissions. (Associated Press)

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EFFICIENCY: Advocates push the U.S. Energy Department to speed up its updating of appliance efficiency standards. (Utility Dive)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Michigan is offering millions of dollars in funding to bolster research on recycling materials from electric vehicle batteries. (IPR)

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UTILITIES: Questions still abound about the Tennessee Valley Authority CEO’s decision to replace a Tennessee coal plant with a gas plant and pipeline without public approval by the TVA board, and despite warnings from the U.S. EPA that the environmental review underlying the project was inadequate. (WPLN)

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COMMENTARY: Utilities are overstating the urgency of their need for new power to meet increasing demand, and should pause to consider alternatives to gas, two clean electricity advocates write. (Utility Dive)

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CLEAN ENERGY: The U.S. Interior Department finalizes a rule that will cut fees as much as 80% for solar and wind projects on federal land as it celebrates a milestone of permitting more than 25 GW of renewable projects under President Biden. (The Hill, Reuters)

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ALSO: An Indigenous researcher says tribes need application support, better access to information, and resources to build better infrastructure, to in addition to funding to adopt clean energy. (Grist)

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CLIMATE: While the world’s biggest companies are making stronger climate commitments, an analysis finds they’re still insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals. (Grist)

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GRID: About 2.6 TW of power projects — 95% of them solar, battery and wind developments — were waiting to connect to the U.S. grid at the end of last year, up 27% from the year before. (Utility Dive)

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SOLAR:

• Solar developer Nexamp secures $520 million in capital to build community solar arrays around the nation. (Canary Media)
• A proposed 600 MW solar project outside Lawrence, Kansas, highlights land use debates with utility-scale developments and concerns about removing prime farmland. (Flatland)
• Conservation groups call on the federal Bureau of Land Management to amend its proposed Western solar plan to exclude development in some wildlife migration routes and critical habitat. (WyoFile)

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HYDROGEN: Xcel Energy says plans for an Upper Midwest hydrogen hub are jeopardized by proposed federal tax credit rules that would bar utilities from diverting existing clean energy generation to power hydrogen facilities. (Star Tribune)

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OIL & GAS: Oil companies challenge a federal regulation requiring former owners to clean up abandoned offshore oil and gas infrastructure along California’s coast, potentially leaving taxpayers to pick up the multimillion-dollar bill. (E&E News)

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COAL:

• Residents of Baltimore’s Curtis Bay neighborhood say coal piles have grown in their community since the Port of Baltimore closure, increasing pollution and health concerns. (E&E News, subscription)
• House Democrats propose legislation that backers say would close a loophole in federal law that allows coal companies to skirt mine remediation requirements when they file for bankruptcy. (E&E News, subscription)

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EMISSIONS:

• U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 1% between 2021 and 2022, but have fallen 17% overall from 2005 levels, the U.S. EPA reports (The Hill)
• A California startup launches a commercial-scale demonstration of technology aimed at reducing cement manufacturing’s carbon dioxide emissions. (Associated Press)

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EFFICIENCY: Advocates push the U.S. Energy Department to speed up its updating of appliance efficiency standards. (Utility Dive)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Michigan is offering millions of dollars in funding to bolster research on recycling materials from electric vehicle batteries. (IPR)

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UTILITIES: Questions still abound about the Tennessee Valley Authority CEO’s decision to replace a Tennessee coal plant with a gas plant and pipeline without public approval by the TVA board, and despite warnings from the U.S. EPA that the environmental review underlying the project was inadequate. (WPLN)

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COMMENTARY: Utilities are overstating the urgency of their need for new power to meet increasing demand, and should pause to consider alternatives to gas, two clean electricity advocates write. (Utility Dive)

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GRID: The New England grid operator’s newest transmission study finds the region has to spend up to $26 billion over the next 26 years to bulk up its transmission network — a large sum but roughly comparable to spending in recent decades. (CommonWealth Beacon)

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ALSO: Two Connecticut municipalities sue to stop a state-approved transmission line expansion, calling the plan an “aesthetic eyesore and an unjust blight.” (Only In Bridgeport)

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SOLAR:

• New England’s grid operator estimates solar production dropped 4 GW during Monday’s total eclipse. (Concord Monitor/Granite Geek)
• A Connecticut solar developer describes how a focus on operations and maintenance during the construction phase has helped keep one of the state’s larger solar arrays on track to hit its milestones. (Solar Power World)
• In Pennsylvania’s Lebanon County, an egg farm and an auto repair shop receive U.S. Department of Agriculture grants to install solar panels on their properties. (Leb Town)

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COAL: Federal energy analysts believe April coal exports will be slashed by about a third because of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and subsequent Port of Baltimore closure. (The Hill)

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BUILDINGS:

• Washington, D.C.’s city council advances a plan to electrify 30,000 low-income homes by 2040, but the mayor proposes to direct the funds elsewhere amid a broader budget problem. (RTO Insider, subscription)
• A Pennsylvania agency kicks off a residential loan program to help homeowners access affordable financing for energy efficiency projects. (news release)
• The Delaware Energy Efficiency Advisory Council hears updates from a utility and a consultancy on the progress being made toward bringing a gas efficiency program to life and updating building codes. (DPM)

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NUCLEAR:

• A new report from the U.S Government Accountability Office says federal nuclear regulators should be more mindful of climate change’s impact on nuclear plants, including New Hampshire’s Seabrook station. (SeaCoast Online)
• A federal report suggests potential transportation routes for removing 125 casks of nuclear waste being stored at the Indian Point station in New York, including a barge trip down the Hudson River. (LoHud)

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STORAGE: Pennsylvania’s utility commission issues new battery storage guidelines for utilities that allow them to use non-wires distribution reliability projects and possibly own them on a case-by-case basis. (Utility Dive)

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UTILITIES:

• Two New England senators join activists calling on the country’s largest gas sector association to stop using ratepayer’s bills to pay for climate disinformation campaigns. (E&E News, The Guardian)
• Maryland utility customers will briefly see higher bills as the state fixes how utilities recover costs for its energy efficiency program, which until now has caused customers to pay ballooning interest. (Fox 45)

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CLEAN ENERGY: A town in Massachusetts’ Berkshires region is undertaking weatherization measures, installing electric vehicle chargers and installing solar arrays to achieve net-zero by 2050. (Berkshire Eagle)

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TRANSIT: Rhode Island’s public transit agency says piloting no fares on its most popular bus route increased ridership by nearly 100,000 riders but cost it $2.7 million, calling the cost unsustainable. (Rhode Island Current)

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EQUITY:

• Acadia National Park receives a $950,000 federal grant to blend western science and Wabanaki indigenous knowledge and develop climate mitigation projectss. (Portland Press Herald)
• A New York City public housing complex hasn’t had gas for cooking since January, when post-hurricane reconstruction efforts damaged the line, requiring residents to rely on take-out for months. (City Limits)
• A New York City workforce development program hopes to connect Black and Brown communities with climate education and jobs to reduce income inequality. (NextCity)

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GRID: Utilities in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee want to build gigawatts of new natural gas-fired power plants to meet escalating power demand from data centers and factories, potentially jeopardizing state and federal climate goals. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• Oklahoma sues two natural gas producers, alleging they fraudulently reduced supplies to spike prices during 2021’s Winter Storm Uri. (Associated Press)
• Severe storms and a tornado knock out power to about 140,000 Louisiana residents, while high winds cause outages for tens of thousands of people in Georgia and hundreds in North Carolina. (NOLA.com, WSB, WLOS)

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TRANSITION:

• West Virginia regulators approve a 100 MW solar farm and battery facility on the site of a former coal mine. (WTRF)
• A Kentucky Congress member’s efforts to attract a federal prison on the site of a former coal mine is opposed by locals and a growing national coalition. (Louisville Public Media)

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SOLAR:

• Virginia customers of Appalachia Power will soon be able to access a community solar program approved by state lawmakers and the governor, although it’s unclear whether the program will make financial sense for many customers. (Roanoke Times)
• A Virginia county board amends its solar ordinance to require all projects be located within a 1-mile radius of two electrical substations. (Virginia Business)
• A Virginia school installs a 74.2 kW rooftop solar array. (news release)

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WIND: Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities begin using a single wind turbine to study its capabilities, along with a lithium-ion battery and 44,500 solar panels. (Spectrum News)

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POLITICS:

• South Carolina lawmakers advance sweeping legislation to overhaul energy and utility regulation with the end goal of accelerating permitting for a planned natural gas-fired power plant, but critics warn the process is moving too fast and risks taxpayer money. (Charleston City Paper)
• West Virginia’s treasurer adds four financial institutions to a list of firms blocked from doing business with the state for failing to show they’re “not engaged in a boycott of fossil fuels.” (WV Metro News)

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OIL & GAS:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority announces completion of a three-unit, 750 MW expansion of a natural gas-fired power plant in Kentucky. (WBKO)
• Residents of a Texas port city testify to Congress about pollution and jobs amid the Biden administration’s pause on permitting new liquified natural gas export terminals. (Houston Chronicle)
• Kentucky researchers investigate the possibility of using coal ash to rejuvenate idled and abandoned oil and gas wells. (news release)

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HYDROGEN: A hydrogen company buys the last available water rights to Texas’ Nueces River, sparking concern about drinking water availability in the nearby city of Corpus Christi. (Inside Climate News)

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CRYPTOCURRENCY:

• Arkansas lawmakers file a number of bills to limit noise, restrict ownership and curb energy use by crypto-mining operations. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
• Federal officials try to get a better idea of just how much energy the fast-growing cryptocurrency mining sector uses, with Texas emerging as a focal point. (E&E News)

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WORKFORCE: Students at a Virginia technical high school follow line workers from a local electric cooperative to learn more about trade jobs. (WHSV)

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UTILITIES: West Virginia regulators launch an investigation of how utilities notify customers when there’s an outage or other service interruption. (WV Metro News)

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EMISSIONS: U.S. EPA officials are reportedly mulling changes to a landmark power plant emissions rule first proposed a year ago and will likely give utilities more time to add carbon capture equipment to gas facilities. (E&E News)

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ALSO: The U.S. Senate passes a bill that would invalidate a Transportation Department rule aimed at cutting highway emissions, though President Biden would veto the measure if it passes the House. (Politico)

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CLIMATE:

• The Biden administration races to fund climate and clean energy projects in the last months before the presidential election. (Guardian)
• The U.S. Transportation Department announces $830 million in funding to protect critical infrastructure from climate-fueled weather disasters. (The Hill)

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GRID:

• Utilities in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee want to build gigawatts of new natural gas-fired power plants to meet escalating power demand from data centers and factories, potentially jeopardizing state and federal climate goals. (Canary Media)
• The New England grid operator’s newest transmission study finds the region has to spend up to $26 billion over the next 26 years to bulk up its transmission network — a large sum but roughly comparable to spending in recent decades. (CommonWealth Beacon)
• U.S. power consumption will reach record highs in 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts. (Reuters)
• Federal officials try to get a better idea of just how much energy the fast-growing cryptocurrency mining sector uses. (E&E News)

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PIPELINES: The U.S. Justice Department weighs in on the Line 5 dispute for the first time, arguing that Enbridge has been trespassing on tribal land in Wisconsin but that a previous court order failed to consider all of the implications of shutting down the pipeline. (Wisconsin Public Radio)

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OHIO: FirstEnergy made a previously unreported $1 million dark money gift to benefit the campaign of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s eventual running mate, who later worked to win support for the state’s power plant bailout legislation, according to newly revealed company emails. (Energy News Network/Floodlight)

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HYDROGEN:

• The U.S. Energy Department announces $1.6 million for four projects aimed at lowering the cost of clean hydrogen production. (E&E News, subscription)
• Experts discuss the pitfalls and potential for green hydrogen to clean up the emissions-heavy steelmaking industry. (Canary Media)

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NUCLEAR:

• U.S. senators start a bipartisan caucus to promote the advanced nuclear energy industry. (E&E News, subscription)
• New Mexico’s and Arizona’s governors call on the Biden administration to create a new federal process for cleaning up abandoned uranium mines. (Albuquerque Journal)

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COAL: Federal energy analysts believe April coal exports will be slashed by about a third because of the Port of Baltimore closure. (The Hill)

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SOLAR: Residents in a rural Illinois village west of Chicago hope to overturn local restrictions on rooftop solar that were previously enacted because of aesthetic concerns. (Energy News Network)

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OFFSHORE WIND: Maine lawmakers reject a proposal from the governor to exempt offshore wind hub development on Sears Island from adhering to sand dune protections, obscuring the project’s path forward. (Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald)

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ALSO:

• A Rhode Island judge ends a lawsuit filed by an anti-offshore wind group trying to overturn a coastal regulatory agency’s vote in favor of the Revolution Wind project. (ecoRI)
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has undertaken an “aggressive lobbying campaign” to ensure federal tax credit guidance would benefit offshore wind developers after New York’s industry stumbled last fall. (E&E News)

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SOLAR:

• New York officials confirm Tesla’s Buffalo solar panel factory uses panels made by a competitor on its roof, not its own product. (Investigative Post)
• Rutgers University is studying the use of vertically installed solar panels in dual-use agrivoltaic projects that grow forage crops and allow cattle to graze. (PV Magazine)

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GRID:

• Vermont utility Green Mountain Power used its residential customers’ battery storage systems to offset the drop in solar power during Monday’s total eclipse. (WCAX)
• Grid operators across the Northeast reported smooth operations throughout the total eclipse despite the moon blocking out the sun, shading solar panels. (RTO Insider, subscription; Rhode Island Current)
• As Connecticut considers new electrification measures, some critics debate if current grid capacity is enough to handle more or whether that concern is “a cop out” for not moving forward. (CT Mirror)
• Pennsylvania workers who make the electrified steel core of most distribution transformers rejoice that the country plans to mostly stick with their product, but an efficiency expert says using that product locks the U.S. into reduced energy efficiency potential for decades. (WITF)

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STORAGE:

• A new state report finds New York is approaching 1 GW of installed, awarded or contracted energy storage capacity since the state’s 2018 storage goal was set. (Utility Dive)
• A Buffalo, New York, battery storage systems manufacturer wants a $200 million low-interest loan from federal energy officials to expand a manufacturing plant to make 100,000 units annually and create over 400 jobs. (Buffalo News)

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CARBON CAPTURE: In Pennsylvania, lawmakers advance a Republican bill establishing a regulatory framework for underground carbon dioxide-storage wells to support federally backed hydrogen hubs, but critics say it doesn’t include enough liability guarantees from involved companies. (Associated Press)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Nearly 200 electric vehicles were reportedly stalled overnight waiting for their turn at one rural Vermont charging station after the eclipse. (WCVB)

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NUCLEAR: Wiscasset, Maine, officials say they’ll negotiate with the owners of the former Maine Yankee nuclear power plant about how much revenue the town will receive after a state law closed a tax exemption for the facility. (Bangor Daily News)

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TRANSIT: A district court judge will soon decide whether New York has to go back to the drawing board with its Manhattan congestion tolling plan or whether it doesn’t need an environmental impact statement. (NJ Advance Media)

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UTILITIES: Pennsylvania utility regulators unanimously vote to investigate a 16% rate hike request from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania. (Penn Live)

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BUILDINGS: The Efficiency Maine Green Bank will use a $15 million federal grant to support energy loans and deploy heat pumps to small businesses, homes, schools and elsewhere. (Mainebiz)

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WORKFORCE:

• A solar installer uses a state grant to offer a pre-apprenticeship program for recent immigrants to Maine to explore renewable energy sector jobs. (Portland Press Herald)
• Delaware Technical Community College plans to discontinue its energy-focused two-year degrees starting this fall, citing low enrollment. (Delaware News Journal)

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COMMENTARY: In Vermont, the Burlington Electric Department’s general manager and a conservation program manager write that the U.S. EPA’s new final rule for vehicle emissions is a win for the state and planet. (VT Digger)

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OIL & GAS: Federal officials approve the construction of a deepwater oil export facility off the Texas Gulf Coast that will be the largest oil export terminal in the U.S. (Houston Chronicle)

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ALSO:

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrates the groundbreaking of a 380 MW natural gas-fired “peaker” plant that intends to take advantage of new state incentives to spur such construction. (KXAN)
• U.S. House Republicans hold a field hearing in Texas to argue against the Biden administration’s pause on approval of new liquified natural gas export terminals. (E&E News, subscription)
• Executives of a Georgia oil company lobby for changes to a federal law that requires the use of American-made ships to transport goods between U.S. ports, which they say blocks the shipment of domestic oil and gas to the East Coast. (Savannah Morning News)

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STORAGE: Federal investigators cite an electric vehicle battery plant in Georgia for safety violations after a recent fire in which employees “suffered potentially permanent respiratory damage.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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NUCLEAR:

• Experts are divided on whether Georgia Power’s costly, long-delayed expansion of its nuclear Plant Vogtle heralds a new era for nuclear power development or will discourage future investment in the power source. (Grist)
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin amends two bills to allow Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to seek cost recovery for development of small modular nuclear reactors. (Cardinal News)

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EMISSIONS:

• The U.S. EPA issues a new rule requiring more than 200 chemical plants, more than half of which are in Louisiana and Texas, to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer. (Associated Press, Texas Tribune)
• Residents of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” hail the new rule as a relief and the first time their complaints about risk from nearby facilities have been taken seriously. (WWNO)
• North Carolina regulators begin public hearings on Duke Energy’s long-term plans to reduce carbon emissions while keeping power bills affordable. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)

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SOLAR:

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs bills to create and expand community solar programs by Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy. (Cardinal News)
• A Texas Congress member announces a $30 million federal grant to fund the installation of solar panels on rooftops, parking lots, and parking spaces across 42 city facilities in San Antonio. (KABB)
• The Southeast accounts for half of the top 10 U.S. states with the highest estimated savings from going solar, according to a study. (CleanTechnica)
• Oklahoma residents gather to oppose NextEra Energy’s plans to build a solar and battery storage facility. (KOKH)

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BIOMASS: Mississippi officials agreed to give more than $24 million in incentives to wood pellet producers in an effort to revitalize struggling rural areas, only to see a global debate erupt around the industry and its biggest company file for bankruptcy. (Mississippi Today)

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OVERSIGHT: South Carolina regulators move to pass sweeping legislation that overhauls how the state regulates utilities to help clear the way for a planned natural gas-fired power plant, while renewable energy companies lobby for changes to encourage more solar development. (Utility Dive)

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GRID: Texas solar and battery installations are growing so much that federal energy officials say there’s less need for natural gas generation during the day. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, PV Magazine)

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COAL ASH: Duke Energy announces a new rail yard and loading dock at a retired coal-fired power plant in North Carolina to assist with disposal of about 1.3 million tons of coal ash. (Greensboro News & Record)

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UTILITIES: The Tennessee Valley Authority names a new executive leader for its east region, which includes eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, western North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. (news release)

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ELECTRIFICATION: A new Department of Energy program aims to help manufacturers develop next-generation heat pumps that can replace large buildings’ rooftop heating and cooling systems and save U.S. businesses as much as $5 billion annually. (Utility Dive)

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ALSO: Clean energy advocates and professional cooks continue to work to electrify restaurant kitchens and homes in Berkeley, California, even after a court shot down the city’s natural gas-hookup ban. (Guardian)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• While the average electric vehicle today gets the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon, new technology could double that number to more than 200 in the coming decades, a report suggests. (Washington Post)
• An appeals court upholds the U.S. EPA’s decision to allow California to set its own electric vehicle sales mandates and tailpipe emissions limits. (Reuters)

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OIL & GAS:

• Federal officials approve the construction of a deepwater oil export facility off the Texas Gulf Coast that will be the largest oil export terminal in the U.S. (Houston Chronicle)
• Democratic senators join climate advocates at a protest decrying utilities that spend ratepayer money on fossil fuel lobbying. (Guardian)
• House Democrats call out Republicans for conditioning Ukraine aid on an increase in natural gas exports. (The Hill)

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EMISSIONS:

• The U.S. EPA issues a new rule requiring more than 200 chemical plants to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer, winning praise from environmental justice advocates in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.” (Associated Press, WWNO)
• San Jose, New York, and San Francisco top a ranking of cities whose transit systems have the biggest impact on reducing transportation emissions. (Axios)

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GRID:

• The U.S. Department of Energy awards about $5 million each to three organizations to tackle key research and development barriers to long duration energy storage. (Utility Dive)
• Development of advanced transmission lines remains stalled over cost concerns even as top U.S. officials and new reports make a case for their potential to carry up to four times more power than conventional lines. (E&E News, subscription)
• Texas solar and battery installations are growing so much that federal energy officials say there’s less need for natural gas generation during the day. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, PV Magazine)
• Vermont utility Green Mountain Power used its residential customers’ battery storage systems to offset the drop in solar power during Monday’s total eclipse. (WCAX)

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NUCLEAR: Experts are divided on whether Georgia Power’s costly, long-delayed expansion of its nuclear Plant Vogtle heralds a new era for nuclear power development or will discourage future investment in the power source. (Grist)

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SOLAR: New York officials confirm Tesla’s Buffalo solar panel factory uses panels made by a competitor on its roof, not its own product. (Investigative Post)

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CLIMATE:

• Bloomberg Philanthropies awards $50,000 each to 100 cities worldwide to launch youth-led climate programs. (Grist)
• Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa says her positions on conservation, reducing emissions and being a clean energy-leading country drove her interest in chairing the Conservative Climate Caucus. (Daily Iowan)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An appeals court upholds the U.S. EPA’s decision to allow California to set its own electric vehicle sales mandates and tailpipe emissions limits. (Reuters)

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ALSO: A California program allowing electric and hybrid vehicle drivers to use carpool lanes without passengers is set to expire this fall, affecting more than 400,000 motorists if it isn’t renewed. (NBC San Diego)

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ELECTRIFICATION: Berkeley, California advocates and professional cooks continue to work to electrify restaurant kitchens and homes after a court shot down the city’s natural gas-hookup ban. (Guardian)

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UTILITIES: A Colorado county says Xcel Energy inadequately alerted the public to a planned outage aimed at reducing wildfire hazard during severe winds last weekend. (Colorado Sun)

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OIL & GAS:

• Oregon residents and advocates urge state regulators to deny a fuel terminal’s air quality permit that would allow it to store biofuels on the condition it stops handling crude oil. (Portland Tribune)
• Idaho regulators seek public input on proposed oil and gas drilling rules on state lands. (news release)

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POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA proposes allowing Wyoming to amend a haze reduction plan to factor in the partial conversion of a coal plant to natural gas, which would settle a long-running dispute between the agency and the state. (E&E News)

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TRANSMISSION: Arizona advocates, residents and tribal nations continue to challenge a segment of the SunZia transmission project under development through a river valley, saying it will harm ecological and cultural sites. (Inside Climate News)

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WIND: Wyoming advocates and local officials push back on state lawmakers’ efforts to increase taxes on wind power generation, saying it would stifle the industry’s growth. (Inside Climate News)

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SOLAR:

• An analysis finds solar installations in Utah generated eight times more power in 2023 than in 2014 even though state lawmakers continue to push fossil fuel-friendly policies. (Axios)
• A company begins construction on a 57 MW solar installation in southern California. (news release)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• A national laboratory finds a rapid buildup of wind, solar and battery energy storage would be the most effective way for an Alaska region to tackle a looming natural gas shortage. (KTOO)
• An Arizona university is set to launch a clean energy Master of Science program this fall. (news release)

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BIOFUELS: California researchers predict growing demand for aviation biofuels will drive land-use changes that could offset the fuels’ emissions benefits and take farms out of food production. (AgWeb)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A California company proposes a pilot project at a Washington state port that would enhance ocean water’s ability to capture and store carbon dioxide. (Peninsula Daily News)

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MINING: A company submits a plan to restart a long-idled uranium mill in southern Utah. (news release)  

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COMMENTARY: A Wyoming columnist praises environmentalists and climate deniers for their unsuccessful joint effort to kill a costly coal-friendly carbon capture mandate. (WyoFile)

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