ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Federal officials, automakers and lithium miners are preparing a national electric vehicle supply chain strategy, according to sources. (Reuters)
ALSO:
• Increasing demand for copper used in electric vehicle batteries is driving a mining resurgence in Nevada. (High Country News)
• While Connecticut has lofty goals for electric vehicle adoption, actually finding one to purchase in the state can be a challenge. (Energy News Network)
• Construction begins on a large laboratory in Rockford, Illinois, to test electric aircraft systems. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
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TRANSPORTATION:
• California files a lawsuit seeking to force the Trump administration to release documents to justify its decision to roll back vehicle emissions standards. (Reuters)
• The U.S. auto industry would rather the Trump administration didn’t fight California over fuel economy rules. (Vox)
PIPELINES:
• Internal government documents show Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf may have pressured environmental officials to hasten review of the Mariner East 2 natural pipeline, which is under criminal investigation for pollution and property damage. (The Guardian)
• The pipeline boom has provided jobs for some young people in Appalachia, but many worry it won’t last. (PBS Newshour)
• Opponents ask a federal court to reject President Trump’s attempt to revive the Keystone XL pipeline with a presidential permit. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• Oil companies invest in carbon capture as they face a barrage of lawsuits, investor resolutions and regulations related to climate change. (New York Times)
• President Trump heads to Houston to announce executive orders aimed at speeding pipeline and other oil and gas projects. (Houston Chronicle)
• Two major fires at Houston petrochemical plants likely won’t lead to crackdowns on industry. (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• Student-managed investment funds at universities are finding opportunities in clean energy to provide a financial return. (Energy News Network)
• A conservative Texas foundation ramps up its campaign against renewable energy, particularly wind power. (Austin American-Statesman)
SOLAR:
• After grappling with uncertainty created by the Trump administration’s tariffs, the solar industry is poised for a comeback as a result of incentives like California’s recent requirement for new home construction. (CNBC)
• A solar company says Los Angeles could meet its clean energy goals by creating a virtual power plant based around home solar panels and battery storage. (New York Times)
WIND: Developers of the Vineyard offshore wind farm commit to monitoring impacts on fisheries, using methods recommended by university scientists. (Cape Cod Times)
PUBLIC LANDS: If the goals of the Green New Deal are to be met, replacing fossil fuels with clean energy produced on federal lands will be critical, energy policy experts say. (Outside)
BIOFUELS: Spring flooding in the Midwest has caused ethanol shortages and contributed to increased gasoline prices as production capacity dropped 13 percent. (Reuters)
COAL: A Kentucky Democrat introduces a bill to stop new or expanded mountaintop removal coal mining until the government studies its impact on human health. (Bloomberg Environment)
NUCLEAR: Researchers find biased public attitudes against nuclear power that are based on fear. (Grist)
EMISSIONS: Entergy pledges to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent below 2000 levels by 2030 in the four Southern states it serves. (RTO Insider)
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POLICY: Federal lawmakers seek to extend clean energy tax credits and also add energy storage as a qualifying technology. (Utility Dive)
COMMENTARY:
• Climate scientist Michael Mann writes that President Trump’s “stupid,” “wrong,” and “dangerous” comments on wind energy appear to be “informed by, and in service of, Big Oil’s anti-wind propaganda.” (Newsweek)
• The Louisiana coast isn’t “disappearing,” it’s being destroyed by oil and gas companies and development, a columnist writes. (Times-Picayune)