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EMISSIONS: The Biden administration institutes new limits on vehicle tailpipe emissions, reversing a Trump administration rollback but falling short of requiring new car sales to be electric by 2030. (Washington Post)

ALSO: Residents of one of West Virginia’s only majority-Black communities say they’ve complained for years about air pollution from a Union Carbide plant only to have their concerns fall on deaf ears. (Mountain State Spotlight/ProPublica)

POLITICS:
• The United Mine Workers of America calls on U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin to reconsider his opposition to Democrats’ Build Back Better bill because it includes multiple provisions to aid coal workers, including an extension of the black lung fund. (Bloomberg)
• Democrats look to press forward with their reconciliation bill, or at least the parts of it Sen. Manchin supports, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promises a vote on the measure after the holidays. (E&E News)

CLIMATE:
• The U.S. will still likely shift to clean energy despite the reconciliation bill’s failure, experts say, though the country won’t achieve emissions reductions needed to prevent the worst effects of climate change. (E&E News)
• Northeastern states involved in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are reviewing the program for the third time since it began in 2009 as environmentalists say more ambitious targets are needed to respond to climate projections. (Energy News Network)
• Climate change-induced warming thaws huge underground debris flows in Alaska, setting them on a collision course with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. (Inside Climate News)

CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. Department of Energy’s early-stage funding of carbon capture and storage projects puts it at risk of wasting “significant funds” on projects that don’t come to fruition, a government watchdog report finds. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• Environmental advocates call on the Biden administration to push forward with oil and gas leasing reform now that Democrats’ plans for an overhaul are likely dead. (E&E News)
• More than 2 million gallons of drilling waste has been spread on Pennsylvania roads since 2018, even though a moratorium passed that year disallows disposal in that manner, according to a statewide nonprofit. (Allegheny Front)

SOLAR:
• Solar power in the U.S. saw huge growth in 2021 despite rising supply costs and stalled legislation meant to boost the industry. (Canary Media)
• Documents show Florida Power & Light wrote and asked state lawmakers to introduce legislation to hamper rooftop solar by restricting net metering to prevent homeowners and businesses from selling excess power back to the company. (Miami Herald)

COAL: As an Illinois coal plant owner shares a required coal ash cleanup plan, some worry that older, “legacy” coal ash deposits not covered under state and federal laws might pose a greater risk for groundwater contamination and redevelopment plans. (Energy News Network)

BUILDINGS: Despite recent political and regulatory setbacks for the natural gas industry, North Carolina has largely resisted a national push toward phasing out gas and other fossil fuel appliances in favor of building electrification. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Rivian, Lordstown Motors and other electric vehicle startups see their stocks fall after Sen. Joe Manchin’s rejection of the federal Build Back Better package. (CNBC)