CLEAN ENERGY: A federal analysis projects the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will save electricity ratepayers as much as $38 billion through 2030 as they boost clean energy and electrification. (The Hill)
ALSO:
• Top Biden administration official John Podesta shares why he came out of retirement to help sell the Inflation Reduction Act to businesses and elected officials whose support is key to the climate law’s success. (Grist)
• More than 100 new clean energy, battery and electric vehicle manufacturing facilities and expansions have been announced since the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage a year ago. (Canary Media)
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POLITICS:
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledges a “multifront approach” to fighting climate change if Democrats retake control of Congress. (E&E News)
• Democratic lawmakers urge President Biden to declare a climate emergency after saying he “practically” did already. (The Hill)
• Georgia leads the country on electric vehicle and clean energy investments despite climate denial from its governor and Republican leaders. (Fast Company)
SOLAR: American solar panel maker First Solar announces it will build its fifth U.S. manufacturing plant in southern Louisiana — a $1.1 billion project that’s set to be the state’s largest ever capital investment. (Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A year after the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage, questions remain over Republican support of electric vehicles, and whether the U.S. can create a sufficient domestic EV supply chain. (E&E News)
• Texas and Tennessee are among 30 states levying a registration fee on electric vehicles to offset gas tax losses, establishing another barrier to EV adoption. (E&E News)
• Nikola recalls its battery electric semi trucks due to fire risks tied to the vehicles’ battery packs. (Utility Dive)
GRID:
• A security video of what appears to be a tree falling on a power line in Maui suggests the incident was the source of at least one of the island’s devastating wildfires, as the death toll surpasses 100. (Washington Post, Associated Press)
• The U.S. Interior Department launches a $150 million program aimed at bringing electricity to homes in Indigenous communities. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE: Advocates push officials to establish protections for farmworkers who suffer physical and mental health effects when laboring in extreme heat. (Axios)
OIL & GAS: A new University of Pittsburgh study suggests children who live near natural gas wells in western Pennsylvania are more likely to have severe asthma and develop lymphoma. (Associated Press)
WIND:
• A pilot offshore wind project in Lake Erie could be a test case for future Great Lakes wind projects, supporters say. (Guardian)
• Federal regulators designate two potential wind development lease areas off Oregon’s coast. (E&E News)
STORAGE: Michigan utility officials say a pumped hydroelectric storage facility along Lake Michigan will act as “one huge storage solution” to manage peak production as more renewables come online. (MLive)
BUILDINGS: The University of Southern Maine opens a Portland residence hall it says is the second-largest Passive House-certified building in the country. (Portland Press Herald)
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