POLITICS: Even with billions of dollars in clean energy investments flowing to their districts, many Republican lawmakers still oppose climate mitigation, but analysts say the long-term political implications remain to be seen. (CNN)

ALSO:
• A hearing yesterday on House Republicans’ plan to gut the Inflation Reduction Act as part of a debt limit plan spotlights how far apart the two parties are on climate change. (E&E News)
• A former official in the Trump administration’s Interior Department co-founds a nonprofit to inform and smooth relations in rural Virginia communities experiencing a wave of solar energy development. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A peer-reviewed study finds California’s electric vehicle rebate program is resulting in cleaner air, but pollution levels are decreasing more in wealthier communities than in less affluent ones. (Bloomberg)
• Environmental groups issue an analysis finding that New Jersey would see hundreds of fewer deaths per year and save drivers billions of dollars if the state adopted advanced clean car rules. (NJ Spotlight)
• Electric vehicle startups including Rivian and Lordstown Motors are struggling financially even though electric vehicle adoption rates are increasing. (Marketplace)
• Colorado prepares to launch a $12 million electric bicycle rebate program for low- and moderate-income residents. (CPR)

NUCLEAR: Westinghouse announces the launch of a new small modular reactor, and has been holding informal conversations with officials in West Virginia and Ohio about converting former coal plants. (Reuters)

GRID:
• Frustrated with reliability issues and some utilities’ slow progress on emissions, more communities are considering forming local public power agencies. (Inside Climate News)
• Analysts project Texas’ utility-scale battery storage capacity will grow exponentially over the next decade to support the state’s fast-expanding solar and wind generation fleets. (S&P Global)

SOLAR: California environmental groups sue to overturn the state’s new net metering policy, saying regulators illegally ignored the benefits of rooftop solar when it slashed compensation rates for power sent back to the grid. (Los Angeles Times)

BIOFUELS: Ethanol continues to be a hot-button political issue, even as researchers say it has not lived up to its climate and energy-security promises touted 15 years ago. (Grist)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board says abandoning small electric vehicles like the Chevy Bolt in favor of trucks and SUVs is “a step backward in the fight against climate change.” (Los Angeles Times)
• A GOP state senator from Iowa says the state should capitalize on its renewable energy development by investing in modern grid infrastructure. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

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Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.