INFRASTRUCTURE: Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he “will not pass an infrastructure package that first doesn’t reduce carbon pollution,” as a bipartisan package with fewer climate provisions gains steam. (The Hill, Reuters)
ALSO: The White House reiterates President Biden’s opposition to raising federal gasoline taxes to pay for infrastructure. (Associated Press)
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OVERSIGHT:
• The House prepares to overturn last-minute Trump administration rules that eliminated methane emissions standards for the oil and gas sectors. (The Hill)
• EPA Administrator Michael Regan reestablishes a clean air advisory board he dismantled in March because it was filled with Trump administration appointees. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• Despite ample sunshine and wind, renewable energy struggles to compete with oil and gas in southeastern New Mexico. (Searchlight New Mexico)
• A former Energy Department official in the George W. Bush administration is among the new members of ExxonMobil’s board after years advocating for renewable energy. (Washington Post)
• The Line 3 replacement and expansion through northern Minnesota has become one of the biggest targets of U.S. environmental advocates who are also bringing attention to the Biden administration’s climate policies. (The Guardian)
• The 13-year dispute over the Keystone XL pipeline transformed the U.S. environmental movement and shifted the climate change debate to focus on immediate landowner impacts. (Inside Climate News)
WIND: The Biden administration’s reinstatement of a regulation protecting migratory birds could complicate its efforts to ramp up offshore wind production. (E&E News, subscription)
EFFICIENCY: The EPA releases a list of the 25 cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings. (news release)
TRANSITION:
• U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia releases a 423-page draft bill that seems to be a wish list for the energy infrastructure spending portion of a larger deal. (E&E News, subscription)
• Ikea and the Rockefeller Foundation each pledge $500 bmillion to support renewable energy projects in developing countries. (Bloomberg)
• A secret, sweeping North Carolina energy bill announced last week fuels suspicion, skepticism and contempt over its reliance on natural gas, funding for a nuclear reactor and big changes to utility rates and oversight. (NC Policy Watch)
EMISSIONS:
• G-20 countries establishing a global carbon price floor could be a major boon to reducing emissions and preventing global warming, the International Monetary Fund says. (Reuters)
• Sustainability business leaders want consumers to “think of carbon as the new calorie” by placing labels that detail a product’s emissions on everything from salads to technology. (Washington Post)
UTILITIES:
• Proposed legislation would phase out rate programs that have allowed Ohio utilities to collect billions in subsidies for the past 12 years but would also preserve coal plant subsidies and cut authority over efficiency programs. (Energy News Network)
• Federal prosecutors charge five National Grid employees in connection to soliciting and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash, gifts and services in exchange for facilities maintenance contracts. (Newsday)
• Two last-minute vote changes prevent the Maine senate from passing a bill to take over the state’s utilities. (Bangor Daily News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Several top executives at Lordstown Motors sold company stock just before the electric-truck startup reported its first financial results as a public company, raising questions about internal controls. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
• “Vehicle-to-grid” initiatives across the U.S. experiment with using electric vehicles’ batteries for storage and backup power. (Grist)
COAL:
• The leader of President Biden’s interagency working group to revitalize coal and power plant communities tells a West Virginia conference that his goal is to “empower workers who are revitalizing their communities.” (State Journal)
• NRG Energy Inc. plans to retire roughly 1.6 GW of its coal capacity in the PJM Interconnection following lower clearing prices at a recent capacity auction. (S&P Global)