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NATURAL GAS: An energy company shutters a natural gas power plant in southern California after a city lobbies for decades to have it decommissioned. (Daily Breeze)
ALSO:
OIL & GAS:
BIOFUELS: Portland, Oregon, approves three proposed biodiesel pipelines at a fossil fuel terminal on the Willamette River as part of a company’s agreement to phase out crude oil storage at the facility. (Oregonian)
POLLUTION:
SOLAR: California advocates ask an appeals court to rehear their challenge of the state’s new net-metering policy slashing compensation for energy generated by rooftop solar. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
CLIMATE: A federal report finds the waters off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands registered the warmest winter temperatures in over a century, making the ecosystem a “bellwether for climate change.” (Alaska Beacon)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Federal labor regulators accuse California electric vehicle startup Lucid of illegally firing two employees for joining the United Auto Workers union. (Los Angeles Times)
URANIUM: The federal Bureau of Land Management permits a uranium mining company to begin exploratory drilling just outside Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah. (Mining Technology)
PUBLIC LANDS: The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on a proposal to lift some environmental protections from 28 million acres in Alaska. (Nome Nugget)
COMMENTARY: A California energy columnist urges readers to see the world through “climate-colored goggles” because human-caused global warming is pressing, immediate and terrifying. (Los Angeles Times)
HYDROGEN: The Treasury Department’s new hydrogen tax credit guidelines appear to favor Texas and states in the Midwest and Southwest, where wind and solar can be built quickly and cheaply. (Canary Media)
ALSO: The new hydrogen incentive rules raise questions about how the federal government will measure the industry’s emissions and account for the use of nuclear power and carbon capture in hydrogen production. (E&E News)
SOLAR: First Solar enters two deals to sell $700 million worth of tax credits, a first-of-its-kind transaction that will let the U.S. solar panel manufacturer quickly bring in money from the federal domestic production incentives it could otherwise only use to trim its tax bill. (Canary Media)
WIND:
STORAGE:
CLIMATE: A judge rejects a U.S. Justice Department bid to dismiss an Oregon youths’ lawsuit alleging federal policies contribute to human-caused climate change, allowing the case to move forward. (OPB)
CARBON CAPTURE: Communities across south Louisiana organize to oppose at least 20 underground carbon dioxide storage projects in the planning or development stages that also include a sprawling network of pipeline expansions. (Floodlight/WWNO)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Georgia saw a surge of electric vehicle and battery-related investment in 2023, driven by ongoing construction at Hyundai’s electric vehicle factory and amplified by federal funding and tax credits. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Savannah Tribune)
OIL & GAS: New Mexico lawmakers consider legislation that would ban new oil and gas drilling and phase out most existing production within one mile of schools and daycare centers. (Associated Press)
EFFICIENCY:
WIND: Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities build a utility-scale wind turbine in Kentucky to test the potential for wind power in the state. (Kentucky Lantern)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR:
CARBON CAPTURE: Communities across south Louisiana organize to oppose at least 20 underground carbon dioxide storage projects in the planning or development stages that also include a sprawling network of pipeline expansions. (Floodlight/WWNO)
OIL & GAS:
GRID:
CLIMATE: A federal report on damage done by 2022’s Hurricane Ian finds newer homes survive better than older homes, with newer roofs as the single most important upgrade in damage assessments. (Miami Herald)
CLEAN ENERGY: A South Korean electronics company announces it will invest $700 million into West Virginia to develop renewable energy, telehealth and other technologies. (Associated Press)
HYDROGEN: Newly proposed rules governing development of the “green hydrogen” industry appear to favor Texas and states in the Midwest and Southwest, where wind and solar can be built quickly and cheaply. (Canary Media)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: The U.S. EPA awards $50 million to environmental and climate justice organizations from New Orleans and Houston to reduce greenhouse gases and clean up their communities. (Verite News)
OVERSIGHT: Louisiana Gov.-elect Jeff Landry names an oil and gas industry executive to head up the state’s Department of Natural Resources. (NOLA.com)
WORKFORCE: A Texas nonprofit trains workers for the solar industry as part of its mission of “disrupting poverty through green career training.” (Dallas Free Press)
COMMENTARY: Louisiana is gearing up for a legal fight against a federal policy that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions even as the state tries to preserve its coastline against rising seas, writes a columnist. (NOLA.com)
Communities in southern Maine are collaborating on a pilot program that aims to help residents overcome cost and logistical barriers to accessing climate-friendly home energy upgrades.
Five towns and two regional nonprofits received a three-year, $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program in late 2023. The budget for the program is now being finalized for launch this summer or fall.
The grant will fund AmeriCorps members to provide one-on-one energy coaching for residents. These “navigators” will help identify the best cost- and emissions-cutting retrofits for each home, and will help residents apply for a range of accompanying tax credits, rebates and other incentives. The grant also includes about $500,000 to directly offset residents’ remaining costs.
“The pilot program, as we envision it, will remove the up-front capital barrier and help homeowners navigate the process with confidence,” said Kendra Amal, the town manager in Kittery, one of the towns participating in the grant. “We expect to see a significant increase in the number of households able to make energy-reducing and cost-saving improvements to their homes through this program.”
Kittery joins the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells and Ogunquit in working with Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission on the project, along with York County Community Action Corporation. SMPDC will host the AmeriCorps navigators, while the county action agency will set up a new Southern Maine Energy Fund to help pay for projects and will provide energy services staffers to oversee actual retrofits and installations.
“We’ve heard from all of our communities that home weatherization and heat pumps are really important, but they didn’t feel like they could do it themselves,” said SMPDC sustainability coordinator Karina Graeter. “(This program) provides the opportunity for these smaller communities that don’t have their own sustainability staff or their own capacity to undertake big outreach and education efforts … to try and address the energy issues that have been shown to be really important to the community.”
Maine relies more on home heating oil than any other state, and residential emissions are the state’s top contributor to climate change after transportation. In recent years, Maine has been nationally lauded for successful efforts to incentivize efficient electric heat pumps as a replacement for oil. State heat pump and weatherization rebates can total thousands of dollars per project, especially for lower-income people, and federal tax credits can offer thousands more.
But even hefty incentives may not cover everything, and energy bill savings from these upgrades can take months or years to materialize — meaning many people still can’t afford remaining project costs, said Amal and Graeter.
During Kittery’s climate action planning process, the town discovered that many residents weren’t taking advantage of state energy rebates, Amal said. And costs were not the only problem; Amal said residents also cited “the confusing and often rigid process required to qualify” for incentives as another reason they chose not to pursue home efficiency or electrification work.
“There are so many great incentives out there, but they’re always sort of changing depending on what funding is available, you know, who’s running the program,” said Graeter. “Helping people navigate that requires a certain amount of skill and knowledge.”
The program’s navigators will be trained to help residents make the most of these complex offerings, she said.
The grant proposal envisions connecting with interested residents through whatever way they reach out to a participating group, whether it’s via the county agency or a town. Residents of any income would be paired with a navigator, who would answer their questions, assess their needs and provide technical assistance on designing a project with the greatest energy savings impact.
For low- and moderate-income families, the program would also provide instant rebates to offset upfront project costs. The county agency’s energy technicians would do the actual installation work on the project and follow up on other assistance options, including tax credits as needed.
In the next six months of setting up the program, Graeter said her cohort plans to seek inspiration from other regional groups — like the county agency partnering on the grant, or WindowDressers, which builds heat-saving window inserts for low-income people — to design a community engagement approach that will reach the most people.
“The idea is to have a ‘no wrong path’ sort of option for people; meeting people where they’re at in terms of their energy needs, and figuring out what assistance they need most,” she said.
The participating towns have been working toward this program for years, since initially collaborating to fund Graeter’s position at SMPDC, Graeter said. This regional approach lets them learn from each other and build on shared progress rather than duplicating effort, she said.
Amal noted that the pilot nature of the program also aims to help officials evaluate impact and potentially scale up similar efforts elsewhere in the state.
Graeter stressed that the grant doesn’t seek to replace federal energy tax credits or existing state programs offered by Efficiency Maine, the quasi-governmental agency that oversees Maine’s energy incentives.
“Our focus is really to increase access to those programs, and then provide some additional financial support to help bridge the gap between current incentives and the true cost of these upgrades, which is always shifting and changing,” she said.
OIL & GAS: A $25 million federal grant allowed Michigan to plug 200 orphaned oil and gas wells in 2023, nearly half of all known orphaned wells in the state. (MLive)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Youngstown, Ohio, officials halt plans for a facility that would convert recycled tires into synthetic gas in a neighborhood of predominantly Black residents. (Inside Climate News)
PIPELINES:
GRID:
SOLAR: Officials in southern Illinois advance plans to purchase a vacant, 123-acre cemetery that’s owned by the state for a solar project. (FOX 2)
RENEWABLES: Indiana-based NiSource sells a minority stake in its utility NIPSCO for $2.16 billion that executives say will help the utility invest in more renewables. (Times of Northwest Indiana)
COAL: The owner of North Dakota’s largest coal plant, which is set to close in the coming years, expands a partnership to recycle more byproducts from coal burning for future uses. (Bismarck Tribune)
OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Supreme Court and federal district courts are weighing several cases this year that could significantly limit federal energy regulators’ ability to oversee climate and infrastructure policy. (E&E News)
WIND: Consumers Energy begins operating a 72-turbine, 201 MW wind project in central Michigan. (FOX 17)
EMISSIONS: A northern Michigan city hopes to reduce its local methane emissions by enrolling more restaurants in a composting program that diverts food waste from landfills. (WDIV)
UTILITIES: Minnesota utilities continue seeking rate increases for grid investments and clean energy as inflation on services remains stubborn for consumers. (Star Tribune)
A new year is here, and so are some big new clean energy developments, including the arrival of federal incentives that could boost the hydrogen and electric vehicle industries.
Here’s what you may have missed over the last two weeks:
🚗 Making EV incentives easier: New federal incentives for electric vehicles just took effect, allowing buyers to instantly access up to $7,500 toward a new EV and $4,000 toward a used one instead of waiting for a tax refund. At least 7,400 car dealers have signed up to offer the incentives. (Grist, The Hill)
💵 Hydrogen rules are here: The Biden administration released draft guidance for its hydrogen tax credit, which prioritize low- and zero-emission hydrogen production. Industry leaders say the rules go too far and will slow growth. (E&E News, Utility Dive)
☣️ Acknowledging coal ash dangers: A draft risk assessment published by the U.S. EPA for the first time says using coal ash as structural fill in road and other building projects can cause an elevated cancer risk from radiation, validating the concerns of residents and activists around the country. (States Newsroom, Energy News Network archives)
🔥 A hot new normal: As 2023 becomes the hottest year on record, scientists predict its extreme temperatures will soon become normal and that 2024 will be even hotter than last year. (Axios, Washington Post)
🥇 States lead on climate: Clean electricity standards enacted in Minnesota and Michigan bookended a year of state-level climate progress that included gas hookup restrictions and new funding for clean energy manufacturing. (E&E News)
🕯️ How gas keeps its power: U.S. gas utilities serving more than 35 million customers offer builders and contractors incentives to keep fossil fuels in new buildings, part of a longstanding relationship that could impede electrification. (The Guardian)
🤝 Labor meets climate: Last year saw significant collaboration between the labor and climate movements as UPS drivers fought for extreme heat safety measures, and autoworkers demanded fair wages amid a transition to electric vehicles. (Grist)
CLEAN ENERGY: Advocates credit a small northern New Mexico electric cooperative with paving the way for other rural utilities to ditch fossil fuels. (High Country News)
SOLAR: The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on the proposed 117 MW Sapphire solar-plus-storage project in southern California. (news release)
LITHIUM: The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony looks to build coalitions and garner public support — rather than file lawsuits — to fight the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
UTILITIES:
CLIMATE:
CARBON CAPTURE: Alaska researchers launch an $11 million study of the viability of a proposed 400 MW coal plant equipped with carbon capture. (Northern Journal)
NUCLEAR: An advanced nuclear fuel startup seeks a property tax break from a Washington city to incentivize its $39 million manufacturing facility expansion. (Tri-City Herald)
GRID: Researchers find the Pacific Northwest is susceptible to sudden drops in solar and wind production, or but these energy droughts would be less severe than in other regions due to an abundance of hydropower. (OPB)
OIL & GAS:
HYDROGEN: The Biden administration releases guidance for its hydrogen tax credit, though industry leaders say the rules go too far in prioritizing low- and zero-emission hydrogen production and will slow growth. (E&E News, Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/Grist)
CLEAN ENERGY:
CLIMATE:
EMISSIONS:
PIPELINES: A proposed carbon pipeline in the Midwest divides ethanol industry supporters and farmers who say they feel betrayed by the company’s potential use of eminent domain to build the project. (South Dakota Searchlight)
GRID:
LITHIUM: The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony looks to build coalitions and garner public support — rather than file lawsuits — to fight the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)
RESILIENCY: Although Massachusetts wants more municipalities to undertake climate resiliency projects, they say securing state funds to do so isn’t easy. (Boston Globe)
BUILDINGS: Maine’s heat pump market is already thriving, but new federal subsidies targeting low-income homeowners could further spur its growth. (Portland Press Herald)
CLEAN ENERGY: A $10 million federal grant will support economic development efforts in Ohio and neighboring states to help lure small- and medium-sized manufacturers specializing in the clean energy supply chain. (Energy News Network)
CO2 PIPELINES:
OHIO: The former FirstEnergy subsidiary that was to receive the bulk of a ratepayer-funded bailout for two of its nuclear plants says it acted in a “legal way” to help get House Bill 6 passed. (Ohio Capital Journal)
SOLAR:
PIPELINES: Environmental groups and four tribes will appeal Michigan regulators’ decision to allow plans for an underground tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. (MLive)
OIL & GAS:
BIOGAS: Plans for a central Wisconsin anaerobic digester on a dairy farm divide local residents as critics raise groundwater pollution concerns. (Wisconsin Examiner)
COAL: Decommissioning units of a Wisconsin coal plant in the coming months will require complex steps to keep wastewater treatment, water intake and a conveyor system operational for remaining units. (Journal Sentinel)
UTILITIES: A new Illinois law that took effect on Jan. 1 prohibits utilities from shutting off power to customers when temperatures reach certain heat thresholds. (Southern Illinoisan)
GRID: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum declared a statewide emergency on Friday as thousands of residents experienced power outages when an ice storm dismantled power lines. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE: A new documentary explores researchers’ and advocates’ efforts to find climate solutions in northern Michigan. (Michigan Advance)
CLEAN ENERGY: A coalition of regional groups uses a $10 million federal grant to recruit more than 1,000 small and medium manufacturers for the growing clean energy economy in West Virginia and four other Appalachian states. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. EPA grants Louisiana the authority to approve and regulate the drilling of wells for carbon capture projects. (Louisiana Illuminator)
SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/Grist)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
WIND: A Virginia city receives more than $39.2 million to renovate a marine terminal into an offshore wind logistics facility. (WVEC)
HYDROGEN:
GRID:
POLITICS: Virginia environmental justice advocates worry Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is hampering a 2020 law intended to boost transparency and engagement with communities affected by pipelines and other energy projects. (Inside Climate News)
OVERSIGHT:
COAL:
UTILITIES: West Virginia water and gas utilities spat over a line break and service outage last month. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
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