COAL ASH: The U.S. EPA denies requests from six coal plant operators to keep dumping toxic ash into unlined or inadequately lined pits, signaling the agency’s commitment to enforce 2015 federal rules that had previously been ignored. (Energy News Network)
OIL & GAS:
• House Republicans seek to pass legislation that would prohibit drawing down federal petroleum stockpiles without matching production increases. (Politico)
• Republicans make up eight of the top 10 recipients of oil and gas company donations among U.S. House members. (E&E News)
• Fossil fuel giants look to challenge a ban on new offshore fracking projects in the Pacific Ocean at the U.S. Supreme Court. (E&E News)
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SOLAR:
• A bipartisan group of U.S. House members seek to repeal the Biden administration’s solar import tariffs on four southeast Asian nations. (Reuters)
• Microsoft and solar manufacturer Qcells partner to build utility-scale solar projects in the U.S. (Axios)
• A Wisconsin foundation’s innovative model helps schools and nonprofit organizations install rooftop solar. (Energy News Network)
UTILITIES: Florida Power & Light’s CEO announces he’ll step down after reporting ties him to a consulting firm accused of meddling in campaigns and taking over a news website to attack critics. (Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald)
GRID:
• Puerto Rico awards a 10-year contract to a natural gas company to operate its aging fossil fuel-fired power plants, sparking criticism of its potential to slow the transition to renewables. (NBC News, Inside Climate News)
• Xcel Energy is among a handful of utilities launching new planning departments dedicated to preparing for utility systems and an electric grid of the future. (Utility Dive)
CLIMATE: Government and private sector climate pledges are becoming increasingly ambitious, an analysis finds, but most still don’t align with 1.5°C warming goals. (Reuters)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Hyundai announces it will spend $8.5 billion on vehicle electrification this year, primarily on research and development and on building a new factory in Georgia. (Bloomberg)
ELECTRIFICATION: Boulder, Colorado, considers banning natural gas hookups on all new construction after a study finds gas stoves can lead to higher rates of childhood asthma. (KUNC)
OFFSHORE WIND: A New York City energy developer proposes repowering the Ravenswood fossil fuel-fired generating station in Queens with offshore wind, a project the company says would be a first of its kind in the U.S. (Offshore Wind)
BIOFUELS: The U.S. Department of Energy announces $118 million for projects to expand biofuel production. (Reuters)
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