CLIMATE: President Biden releases a $6.8 trillion budget proposal that includes billions for clean energy, climate adaptation and energy efficiency, while House Republicans announce a bill to ease pipeline permitting and boost fossil fuel production. (E&E News, The Hill)
ALSO:
• In a speech announcing the budget proposal, Biden says it will “get rid of special tax breaks for oil companies,” citing billions in profits made last year. (E&E News)
• At an annual conference, oil executives acknowledge the need to cut emissions but say energy costs and security needs will require ongoing reliance on fossil fuels, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says oil and gas will be “part of our energy mix for years to come.” (Inside Climate News, Reuters)
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UTILITIES:
• A jury convicts former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and a GOP lobbyist in a $60 million FirstEnergy bribery scheme, a case that exposed the depth of political corruption in the state. (Energy News Network / Eye on Ohio)
• A federal judge will not allow the release of secret recordings that formed the backbone of prosecutors’ case against four people involved in an alleged corruption scheme with Illinois utility ComEd. (WBEZ)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to announce a plan today aimed at easing tensions over U.S. domestic sourcing requirements. (Associated Press)
EQUITY: A study finds affluent Los Angeles residents who drive more are exposed to less air pollution than those living in lower-income neighborhoods bisected by highways. (Los Angeles Times)
WIND: Citing widespread local opposition, Idaho lawmakers advance a resolution calling on the federal Bureau of Land Management to block the proposed Lava Ridge wind facility in the southern part of the state. (Times-News)
GRID:
• The EPA and Energy Department announce an agreement to coordinate responsibility for grid reliability. (E&E News, subscription)
• A former Enron trader claims in a lawsuit that Texas energy firms schemed to divert natural gas supplies and cut off production to artificially drive up prices before the 2021 winter storm that crippled the state grid and left at least 200 people dead. (Houston Chronicle)
BIOENERGY: Executives say a “land grab” to secure the most lucrative sites to capture methane from landfills and agricultural sites is largely over, as companies shift to finding markets for the fuel. (Reuters)
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HYDROGEN: Policymakers face a challenge to define “green hydrogen” as industry leaders claim overly strict requirements will stifle innovation, while critics say misleading clean energy claims can conceal emissions. (Grist)
COMMENTARY:
• A columnist says the Ohio power plant bailout convictions are “justice at work,” but the state has work to do to address a “rampant culture of pay-to-play corruption.” (Ohio Capital Journal)
• A journalist looks back on the legacy of former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah, who died this week and is credited with standing up to fossil fuel companies operating on tribal land. (Source NM)
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