POLITICS: Usually skeptical of carbon border fees, some Republicans and right-leaning groups start voicing support for taxing Russian emissions at its border to weaken its hold on Europe’s energy security. (Washington Post)
ALSO:
• The Biden administration imposes restrictions on energy technology exports that would support Russia’s refining capacity, and says a ban on Russian oil imports is still on the table. (E&E News)
• The U.S. nuclear power industry is reportedly lobbying the White House to let uranium imports from Russia continue. (Reuters)
• Two U.S. senators partner on a bipartisan bill to ban Russian oil imports, saying it’s worth a probable energy price hike. (Politico)
• Republican U.S. senators baselessly try to blame Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising fossil fuel prices on President Biden’s climate policies. (Politico)
CLIMATE:
• Fossil fuel interests donate heavily to Republican senators who will vote on Biden’s climate-focused nominee to oversee the Federal Reserve. (New Yorker)
• Sen. Joe Manchin outlines a climate spending package he would support, saying it should preserve fossil fuel production amid Russia’s invasion. (Politico)
• A new federal report finds nearly a third of the hazardous chemical facilities in the U.S. are at risk from climate-driven weather events. (NPR)
OIL & GAS:
• Energy security experts warn the U.S. needs to secure its gas pipelines against a potential Russian attack to protect the country’s electricity supply. (Politico)
• A news outlet explains how to divest a retirement fund of fossil fuel investments. (Canary Media)
TRANSPORTATION:
• The Biden administration is laying the groundwork to deploy thousands of electric vehicle chargers along key corridors and in “under-resourced” communities using $7.5 billion from last year’s federal infrastructure law. (Utility Dive)
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk invites United Auto Workers to hold a union vote at the company’s California factory. (Reuters)
• The former CEO of electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors sold $13.5 million worth of shares in the company this week, a day before General Motors withdrew its investment in the company. (Reuters)
• Former Space-X engineers and boating enthusiasts are building an all-electric speedboat that’s comparable in weight to conventional watercraft. (Axios)
• Light-duty electric vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 85% from 2020 to 2021, while plug-in hybrid sales more than doubled, according to the Department of Energy. (Utility Dive)
SOLAR:
• The Florida state House passes a bill to allow utility companies to pay customers with rooftop solar a lower rate for their power, which critics say will strangle the growing but still fragile industry. (Florida Politics, Canary Media)
• First Solar, the U.S.’s biggest panel maker, says supply chain difficulties and rising costs will curb its earnings this year. (Bloomberg)
STORAGE: The operators of the world’s largest battery energy storage facility plan to double the California facility’s capacity by next year. (Monterey County Now)
PLASTICS: World leaders from 173 countries agree to develop a legally binding treaty to reform the plastics industry from production to disposal. (Guardian)