POLITICS: An investigation identifies at least 97 members of Congress whose family investments overlap with their committee assignments, including dozens who have a stake in utilities, electric vehicles, and energy companies. (New York Times)
FINANCE:
• Climate activists hope the Inflation Reduction Act’s creation of a national green bank will help communities finance their transitions away from fossil fuels. (Guardian)
• Major private equity firms still hold billions of dollars in fossil fuel projects, putting investors at risk as governments shift to cleaner energy. (Guardian)
• Clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act stand to both benefit renewable developers and help fossil fuel companies shift to solar and storage, analysts predict. (Utility Dive)
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The Southern Environmental Law Center—one of the nation’s most powerful environmental defenders, rooted in the South—is hiring an Energy and Climate Communications Manager. This role will oversee regional energy communications, including solar and methane gas issues, to advance climate progress.
CLIMATE:
• Scientists call a 2012 IPCC report on climate-driven extreme weather “clairvoyant” in its predictions of devastating floods, increasingly intense hurricanes, and expanding dry spells. (Associated Press)
• The Biden administration prepares to announce a more than $3 billion program to fund projects that reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and forestry. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
• Eastern Kentucky families face the prospect of a winter without stable housing after their homes were destroyed in July flooding. (Ohio Valley ReSource, BBC)
GRID:
• Power outages are increasing as demand grows, infrastructure ages and the warming climate intensifies storms, a climate group’s analysis finds. (CNN)
• California regulators propose real-time pricing to provide demand flexibility, lower costs and reduce grid stress as distributed generation expands, but critics say the plan is too complicated to work. (Utility Dive)
• PacifiCorp expands Utah’s 3,000-household solar-plus-battery virtual power plant program to Idaho and plans to take it to California, Oregon and Washington. (Canary Media)
PIPELINES: Sen. Joe Manchin’s permitting reform side deal doesn’t guarantee the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s completion, as regulatory experts say it could still face further legal challenges. (E&E News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Rivian’s Normal, Illinois manufacturing plant shows the potential for the electric vehicle industry to bring activity to former automotive-reliant communities in the Midwest. (Washington Post)
• A Michigan startup unveils a new anode-free battery pack designed to cut costs by up to 50% while delivering up to 600 miles of driving range. (Reuters)
EFFICIENCY: A New York City startup aims to help buildings replace aging fossil fuel heating infrastructure with electrified equipment and reduce their emissions. (New York Times)
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COAL: The coal industry’s dependence on railroads threatens to derail power supplies in parts of the country as railroad workers prepare to strike this week. (Grist)
HYDROGEN:
• Tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act are set to boost nuclear plant owners, and they could bring in additional funding by providing electricity to hydrogen producers, analysts say. (S&P Global)
• Oregon and Washington state partner to pursue billions of dollars of federal funding to establish a regional green hydrogen production hub. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
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