OVERSIGHT: Advocates say outdated federal regulations leave the U.S. unprepared to address safety and other questions related to carbon pipelines, hydrogen projects and liquified natural gas infrastructure. (E&E News)
OIL & GAS:
• The natural gas industry has fought gas appliance regulations for decades, including through an industry-penned report that dampened warnings about gas heat and stoves’ risks in 1984. (Vox)
• A federal appeals court finds the Bureau of Land Management violated environmental law by failing to account for the cumulative impacts of approving nearly 200 drilling permits near a New Mexico national park. (Associated Press)
• Climate advocates urge the Biden administration to base federal methane emissions rules for oil and gas facilities on New Mexico’s regulations, which essentially ban routine flaring and venting. (Albuquerque Journal)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The U.S. House and Senate launch parallel probes into electric vehicle and battery supply chains to uncover their reliance on Chinese businesses allegedly dependent on forced labor. (Axios)
• California, New York and Florida top the list of states with the largest number of new, full-size zero-emission buses in or on the way to their transit agencies’ inventories last year. (Utility Dive)
WIND: The Biden administration delays the first auction of wind energy lease areas in the Gulf of Mexico by at least six months to fast-track more oil and gas drilling. (NOLA.com)
CLIMATE:
• More than 3 million U.S. residents were forced to leave their homes last year because of a natural disaster — a figure far above the average of 800,000 displaced in the years before. (E&E News)
• Climate change denial think tank the Heartland Institute sends a textbook to teachers across the country filled with what it calls “the data to show the earth is not experiencing a climate crisis.” (Grist)
EFFICIENCY:
• This year’s CES tech trade show spotlighted the latest in smart energy controls and electric appliances, suggesting a future of all-electric, high-efficiency homes isn’t too far away. (Canary Media)
• After years of lagging, North Carolina looks set to make a huge leap to align its building code with international energy conservation guidelines. (Energy News Network)
SOLAR:
• Battery and solar developer Sunrun partners with a home electrification company to operate a dozen virtual power plants, with Sunrun predicting this will be “the year of the virtual power plant.” (Utility Dive)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority signs a power-purchase agreement for 160 MW of solar power from four projects as part of its plan to buy or build 10,000 MW of solar generation over the next decade. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
COAL: More than 110 coal ash storage sites located within two miles of Great Lakes shores threaten the environment and public health of nearby communities, advocates say. (Inside Climate News)
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PIPELINES: The developer of a proposed Midwest carbon pipeline is offering to pay as much as $19 million for cooperation from an Illinois county that previously passed a two-year moratorium on such projects. (Energy News Network)
COMMENTARY: The Inflation Reduction Act falls short on incentivizing clean, efficient home improvements for low-income renters, costing them lowered energy bills and health benefits, an energy policy student writes. (Energy News Network)
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