GRID: More than three-quarters of American households should have smart meters installed by the end of the year, but almost none of the devices are fulfilling promises of saving customers money, a study finds. (Utility Dive)
ALSO:
• Puerto Rico legislators question power provider LUMA Energy’s ability to repair and restore the island’s grid as thousands of customers remain in the dark weeks after Hurricane Fiona. (NBC News)
• Federal regulators’ proposal to adjust grid planning to jumpstart long-distance power lines receives mixed response in the Southeast. (E&E News)
• A recent report finds that DTE Energy has generally disinvested in its distribution grid in low-income and minority neighborhoods while spending more resources in wealthier, predominantly White areas. (The Guardian)
• Nearly 1,800 households in Hawaii join a program that will compensate them for sending battery power back to the grid, but uncertainty about its long-term viability keeps others away. (Canary Media)
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CLEAN ENERGY: The U.S. generated three times more electricity from wind and solar last year than it did in 2012. (The Hill)
CLIMATE:
• Human-caused climate change has made droughts 20 times more likely than they were a century ago, scientists find. (New York Times)
• President Biden says one thing Hurricane Ian “has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not there’s climate change” as he visits Florida and appears with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Guardian)
• Climate change-intensified storms and permafrost thaw threaten Alaska’s power grids and the electric freezers that store Alaska Natives’ traditional subsistence foods. (New York Times)
OIL & GAS: White House officials say they’re disappointed with an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, saying the U.S. will release more fuel from its stockpiles to keep prices from spiking. (ABC News)
SOLAR: Mississippi regulators adopt a new rule to incentivize rooftop solar for residents and schools, despite the objections from the state’s Republican governor and large utilities. (Associated Press)
TRANSPORTATION:
• The U.S. EPA is reportedly set to propose electric vehicles be eligible for renewable fuel credits usually reserved for biofuels. (Reuters)
• A Seattle company develops a hydrogen-powered mining haul truck to help reduce emissions as the clean energy transition demands more critical minerals. (CNN)
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UTILITIES: New Hampshire utility regulators consider whether changing energy procurement rules for investor-owned utilities to more closely reflect electric co-op practices could reduce costs and customer bills. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
POLITICS: Ohio’s upcoming state Supreme Court election comes with high stakes for energy policy as justices are likely to consider several cases involving power plants, utility oversight and clean energy development. (Energy News Network)
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