PUERTO RICO: Most of Puerto Rico remains without electricity after being hit by Hurricane Fiona; the island’s governor promises power will be restored in “a matter of days.” (NPR)
ALSO:
• An analyst says “bureaucratic infighting” has prevented progress on hardening Puerto Rico’s grid five years after the island suffered the longest blackout in U.S. history. (E&E News)
• Puerto Rico’s beleaguered utility is scheduled to be in court tomorrow over a $9 billion debt restructuring plan. (Bloomberg)
• Since Puerto Rico banned coal ash storage, the toxic waste from its lone coal plant has been quietly shipped through Florida to Georgia. (Energy News Network)
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GRID:
• Critics say regional grid operators have been caught flat footed amid the widespread shift to clean energy, creating bottlenecks as renewable energy projects seek to come online. (Missouri Independent)
• A brief outage in Texas last year highlights the challenge of rapidly integrating large amounts of solar energy into the grid. (E&E News)
POLITICS:
• Senate Republicans threaten to scuttle Sen. Joe Manchin’s pipeline permitting deal to punish him for his “flip-flop” on the Inflation Reduction Act. (The Hill)
• Texas’ beleaguered power grid has loomed over the state’s gubernatorial race between incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke. (E&E News)
HEATING:
• A nonprofit forecasts the average household will pay 17% more for heating bills this winter amid volatile fossil fuel prices. (CBS News)
• New Hampshire wood pellet retailers say supply may be limited this winter because of higher global prices and labor shortages, warning those who rely on them for heating to stock up. (Concord Monitor)
OIL & GAS:
• The Energy Department announces it will release up to 10 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in November to help tame prices, as U.S refiners eye Canadian sources for future needs. (Reuters)
• An analysis suggests the U.S. is “stuck in the middle of the bridge” as it depends heavily on natural gas while transitioning from coal to clean energy. (E&E News, subscription)
NUCLEAR: A Government Accountability Office report says the Energy Department needs stronger oversight of its investments in advanced nuclear technology. (E&E News)
SOLAR:
• Duke Energy and stakeholder groups spar over the utility’s long-term energy plans in North Carolina, which critics say intentionally downplay solar and storage to protect the company’s revenue. (Canary Media)
• A recent report finds the number of U.S. schools that have invested in solar power has more than doubled in the past seven years. (Grist)
• The rock climber made famous by the film “Free Solo” is using his foundation to fund solar projects on minority-owned restaurants in New Orleans so that they can be used as community hubs during hurricane recovery. (Fast Company)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Automakers engaged in a “range war” for electric vehicles consider the potential for adding energy storage capacity to vehicles. (Utility Dive)
• The Navajo Nation’s largest school district receives the first of three electric school buses purchased with Arizona transportation modernization funds. (KTAR)
HYDROGEN: Seven Midwest states partner to accelerate the development of hydrogen as a clean energy alternative for vehicles and factories. (Associated Press)
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HYDROPOWER: A Colorado official says drought-diminished reservoir levels could sap Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams’ hydropower generating capacity within three years. (E&E News)
COMMENTARY: The authors of a new book on climate solutions write that individuals can have an impact beyond their own behavior by seeking “hidden” levers of power in state and local government. (Energy News Network)
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