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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Toyota announces plans to hire 1,600 additional workers and ship its first hybrid and electric vehicle batteries from a new North Carolina plant later this year. (Raleigh News & Observer)
ALSO:
GRID:
COAL: An analysis finds owners and operators of coal plants in 30 states are considering or have decided to delay their planned retirements to keep up with escalating power demand, driven largely by data centers. (Floodlight)
SOLAR:
OIL & GAS:
STORAGE: A company commissions two 100 MW battery storage facilities in Texas and sells the investment tax credits to a third party. (Renewables Now)
WIND: Trump promises to block new wind energy development despite its rapid expansion in Republican-led states like Texas, where it generates 22% of the state’s electricity. (New York Times)
UTILITIES: A judge delays Mississippi’s investigation of a troubled municipal utility to allow the city an opportunity to respond. (SuperTalk Mississippi Media)
POLITICS: A Virginia lawmaker files legislation to block state regulators from approving rate hikes for Appalachian Power for two years. (Bristol Herald Courier)
COMMENTARY: A new study finds Virginia will need to triple its energy production by 2040 to meet anticipated demand from data centers, writes an editor. (Cardinal News)
NUCLEAR: Eight current or former coal plant sites in Indiana could potentially host small modular nuclear reactors and help the state meet its growing energy demand, according to a new Purdue University study. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
PIPELINES: Minnesota regulators rescind a permit to rebuild a petroleum pipeline near a culturally significant site to tribes and will require the company to conduct an archeology study after pushback from several tribal nations. (Sahan Journal)
CLIMATE: A U.S. Senate committee is expected to next week consider Trump’s interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum, who championed carbon capture and storage while governor of North Dakota. (Washington Post)
SOLAR:
EMISSIONS: Coal and natural gas plants represent more than two-thirds of the facilities that release the most greenhouse gases across several Midwest states, according to an analysis of federal data. (WFYI)
UTILITIES:
BATTERIES: Western Michigan county officials pass a resolution withdrawing support for a large proposed battery manufacturing plant, citing public opposition to the plan. (WOOD-TV8)
POLITICS: Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan takes the stand during his federal corruption trial, insisting he never traded his public office for private gain, including for former associates who allegedly got jobs at ComEd in exchange for favorable legislation. (Chicago Sun-Times)
WIND: President-elect Trump promises that “no new windmills” will be built in the U.S. once he takes office, despite the industry’s growth in GOP-leaning states like Iowa and his inability to control private-sector investments. (New York Times)
EFFICIENCY: Wisconsin starts rolling out programs for homeowners to secure energy efficiency rebates through the Inflation Reduction Act. (WCCO)
COMMENTARY:
FINANCE: The U.S. Treasury Department releases rules governing “technology-neutral” tax credits for solar, wind, geothermal and other clean energy projects, drawing praise from renewables advocates and criticism from the fuel cell and hydrogen industry. (New York Times, Axios)
ALSO: Six major U.S.-headquartered banks have so far quit an international net-zero alliance, with some observers blaming the exodus on incoming federal Republican leadership. (The Guardian)
COAL: An analysis finds owners and operators of coal plants in 30 states are considering or have decided to delay the facilities’ planned retirements to keep up with escalating power demand, driven largely by data centers. (Floodlight)
WIND:
ELECTRIFICATION:
OIL & GAS:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
POLITICS: A U.S. Senate committee is expected to next week consider Trump’s interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum, who championed carbon capture and storage while governor of North Dakota. (Washington Post)
Welcome back to Energy News Weekly! Today, we’ve got an update on a long-awaited federal move that will drive the clean hydrogen industry, and a dive into what it’ll mean under the next president.
After more than a year of anticipation, the U.S. Treasury Department last week released rules for claiming federal clean hydrogen tax credits.
Hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition is still unclear. The fuel does not release greenhouse gas emissions when burned, so it could help decarbonize heavy manufacturing and large vehicles. But today, it’s largely produced using natural gas, which means it still has a big climate impact. It’s also expensive and hard to come by.
That’s something the Inflation Reduction Act aimed to change. The huge 2022 climate law included the 45V tax credit to push developers to start producing clean hydrogen, but didn’t specify how the fuel had to be made.
As environmental advocates had hoped, the Treasury’s rule will prioritize tax credits for hydrogen made with solar and wind power. But it’ll also grant smaller benefits to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, so long as it incorporates carbon capture — a method some advocates say could outweigh hydrogen’s climate benefits.
Even with the priority for hydrogen produced with renewables, oil industry leaders and Republican lawmakers still back the hydrogen tax credits, the Washington Post reports. So with that support in place, industry observers expect President-elect Trump to keep the incentives, albeit with a few changes to benefit fossil fuels even more.
🕚 Last-minute drilling ban: President Biden permanently bans the sale of new federal drilling leases off much of the U.S. coasts in a move that will be hard to repeal, but experts say the order is unlikely to slow oil and gas production. (E&E News, Associated Press)
🏭 A manufacturing transformation: U.S. clean energy manufacturing rapidly expanded over the past four years as factories emerged to produce solar panels, batteries and electric cars, though the growth trajectory is less certain going forward under President-elect Trump. (Canary Media)
🏙️ Urban decarbonization: Major U.S. cities are leading the way on decarbonizing large buildings by instituting standards that require owners to submit energy usage data and gradually improve their performance. (Canary Media)
🛢️ Oil’s playbook: An investigation reveals oil and gas companies’ “playbook” for shirking liability for environmental damage, avoiding cleaning up their wells and offloading reclamation costs to taxpayers. (ProPublica)
🚘 EVs roll through winter: The inclusion of heat pumps in newer electric vehicle models is among the improvements helping to boost battery performance during cold weather, as experts say winter charging concerns have been overblown. (Inside Climate News)
⚡️ Gridlocked: A lack of transmission lines on the U.S. power grid and stalled interconnection processes remain the biggest barriers to continued clean energy growth, experts say. (Canary Media)
💰 Cost/benefit: The Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits will cost around $656 billion but deliver as much as $2.7 trillion in net benefits over the next decade, a report commissioned by a clean power group finds. (Utility Dive)
OFFSHORE WIND: Delaware officials and the developer of an offshore wind project sign agreements to ensure the developer will provide the state with renewable energy credits and other community benefits worth more than $128 million. (Renews)
ALSO:
EFFICIENCY:
STORAGE: A planned 325-MW battery storage project in Connecticut faces obstacles from state regulators, as well as area residents worried about possible fires. (Energy News Network)
TRANSPORTATION: New York’s newly implemented, first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan faces challenges from both the incoming Trump administration and local opponents. (E&E News, subscription)
CLIMATE:
SOLAR: A solar farm operated by a group of municipal utilities in Massachusetts receives $2.3 million from a clean energy tax provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the first public power agencies in the country to benefit from the new rule. (MassLive, subscription)
RELIABILITY: Electric utilities serving the Northeast ask federal regulators to enact gas pipeline reliability requirements to ensure power plants have enough fuel to keep the lights on. (Utility Dive)
UTILITIES: A Connecticut electric utility says regulatory decisions are the reason the state has some of the highest power prices in the country. (CT Insider)
COMMENTARY: A Massachusetts task force’s plan to use revenue from the state’s millionaire tax to stabilize the transportation system is too timid an approach for such a long-term challenge, says a transportation journalist. (CommonWealth Beacon)
EFFICIENCY: St. Louis is the first large Midwest city with building performance standards that will reach initial deadlines this year and determine whether building owners are penalized for noncompliance. (Canary Media)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR:
OIL & GAS: Ohio’s new General Assembly leaders signal an interest in taking up energy-related policies in the new session, including making it easier to drill for gas in the state. (Ohio Capital Journal)
GRID:
UTILITIES: Missouri lawmakers are set to consider legislation that would allow gas utilities to base customer rates on projected expenses rather than actual costs, which critics say could increase bills. (Missouri Independent)
BIOGAS: An Illinois natural gas provider is now operating its first renewable gas interconnection in the state at a facility that produces biogas from methane and carbon dioxide from landfill waste. (Pipeline and Gas Journal)
OVERSIGHT: North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong names the director of business for the state’s Public Service Commission to fill a vacancy on the regulatory board. (North Dakota Monitor)
BIOFUELS: A Missouri agency invests $3.4 million on fuel distribution upgrades to expand the availability of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. (KMZU)
COMMENTARY: Big tech companies should be required to shoulder the costs of new generation to power their data centers so that costs aren’t shifted on to utility ratepayers, an economist and author writes. (Utility Dive)
MANUFACTURING: U.S. clean energy manufacturing rapidly expanded over the past four years as factories emerged to produce solar panels, batteries and electric cars, though the growth trajectory is less certain going forward under President-elect Trump. (Canary Media)
BUILDINGS: Major U.S. cities are leading the way on decarbonizing large buildings by instituting performance standards that require owners to submit energy usage data and gradually improve their performance. (Canary Media)
OIL & GAS:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Pentagon announces plans to blacklist Chinese company CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker and a key partner of Tesla and Ford. (Washington Post)
GRID:
NUCLEAR: Nuclear power has suffered in the face of high-profile disasters but has a chance to make a comeback as leaders recognize its ability to generate clean, reliable energy, an environmental journalist says. (Grist)
SOLAR:
OFFSHORE WIND: The fishing industry has been a consistent opponent of offshore wind, but developers in Massachusetts have paid $8 million to local fishermen to do safety and security work for the Vineyard Wind project. (New Bedford Light)
COMMENTARY: Big tech companies should be required to shoulder the costs of new generation to power their data centers so that costs aren’t shifted on to utility ratepayers, an economist and author writes. (Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The U.S. Transportation Department awards California $122.9 million to build electric vehicle charging facilities and hydrogen fueling stations. (Sacramento Bee)
CLIMATE:
SOLAR:
GRID:
UTILITIES: Southern California utilities warn customers of potential public safety power shutoffs as unusually severe winds and dry conditions grip the region. (Mercury News)
TRANSPORTATION: California Gov. Gavin Newsom touts progress on and plans for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and the Bay Area in advance of expected attacks on the project from the incoming Trump administration. (Los Angeles Times)
COAL: Utah environmental groups worry a state plan to create “inland ports” to spur economic development will lead to an idled coal mine’s revival. (KSL)
POLLUTION: Southern California environmental justice advocates push back on a proposed biofuel terminal, saying diesel pollution from shipping trucks would harm the neighboring community. (NBC San Diego)
A planned 325-megawatt battery energy storage system at a key location on New England’s power grid could boost Connecticut’s access to carbon-free power — but only if it can overcome complicated legal and political barriers.
An Israeli firm, Sunflower Sustainable Investments, filed an application in October for the project with the Connecticut Siting Council, which has regulatory authority over the siting of power facilities.
The $200 million project, called Windham Energy Center, would be located on a largely undeveloped 63-acre site in Killingly, Connecticut, that was slated for construction of a fossil fuel power plant a few years ago. There is existing electric transmission infrastructure immediately adjacent to the site, and the project will connect to the grid via a 345-kilovolt transmission line.
A spokesman for Windham Energy, Jonathan Milley, said the location is ideal for a battery facility.
“If you look at the topology of the New England grid, this is at the intersection of the Millstone nuclear power plant and Brayton Point,” in Somerset, Massachusetts, where approved offshore wind projects will eventually be connected to the grid, Milley said. “This nodal location will at certain times of the day and under certain conditions have some of the lowest cost energy available to it on the grid.”
The project would consist of lithium-ion batteries installed in racks in prefabricated containers, and a switching station operated by Eversource to connect them to the transmission line. The equipment would be located within 20 acres of the total project site.
But the project is currently hung up by an administrative roadblock. That’s because in 2019, the siting council approved an application from NTE Energy to build a 650-megawatt natural gas plant on a portion of the same property.
That project, which ran into a storm of opposition from environmental advocates, was never built, and NTE Energy has since dissolved. But nevertheless, on Nov. 8, the siting council’s executive director, Melanie Bachman, notified Windham Energy that it is “premature” for the body to review their application because the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need previously issued to NTE still exists.
The certificate has not been surrendered to the council, she said. And it will otherwise only be void if construction on the gas plant has not been completed by September 28, 2026.
Windham Energy has asked the council to declare the certificate no longer valid, noting that NTE Energy no longer exists nor holds an option to purchase the property, and that its energy supply agreement with regional grid operator ISO-New England was also revoked in 2022.
Milley said battery storage is needed to complement the state’s offshore wind goals; the batteries can store surplus energy from wind sources when production is high, and then dispatch it to the grid when it is needed. In 2021, state lawmakers set a goal of at least 1,000 megawatts of energy storage deployment by December 31, 2030.
“If there’s a developer willing to build what the state is looking for and not asking for anything else, it doesn’t seem like asking too much for the council to nullify an existing certificate for an entity that doesn’t exist,” Milley said.
For now, counsel for Windham Energy has sent a letter by certified mail to Stephanie Clarkson, who they say is the last known contact for NTE Energy, asking her to “advise whether the Certificate issued to NTE should be an impediment” to their proposed project.
The town of Killingly has requested party status in the hearings before the siting council.
In a letter to Windham Energy following a meeting with the developers, Town Council chair Jason Alexander and vice chair Tammy Wakefield raised concerns about the potential for fire at the facility, pointing to a recent fire at a battery storage facility in New York, and asked how they would prevent a similar event.
Three battery storage projects caught fire in New York in 2023, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to convene a working group to draft updates to the state’s fire code to improve safety and emergency preparedness in the planning of such projects.
Other towns in Connecticut have also raised concerns about fires for much smaller battery storage projects proposed by Key Capture Energy, of Albany, New York.
Milley says town officials are “right to ask these questions,” and he is focused on addressing their concerns. He noted that Windham plans to use lithium iron phosphate batteries, a type of lithium battery he says is much less prone to fire.
“The element in the battery is iron, which doesn’t burn,” he said.
However, he added, Windham fully intends to work with town and state fire authorities to develop a response plan “whether it’s a strict requirement or not.”
In the meantime, Windham Energy has filed a motion with the siting council to reopen the docket concerning NTE Energy so that it might modify its decision and revoke the earlier issued certificate.
The council is expected to take up that motion during its Feb. 6 meeting.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The inclusion of heat pumps in newer electric vehicle models is among the improvements helping to boost battery performance during cold weather, as experts say winter charging concerns have been overblown. (Inside Climate News)
ALSO: Major proposed battery plants across Michigan have been scaled back or face local opposition as automakers scale back production targets. (Crain’s Detroit, subscription)
EFFICIENCY:
PIPELINES: A carbon pipeline developer asks a South Dakota regulator to recuse herself from the company’s permit application because of an alleged conflict of interest, though the regulator says there is no legal conflict. (South Dakota Searchlight)
GRID: MISO’s recently approved transmission buildout calls for six projects in Wisconsin totaling $4.1 billion in new investment. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
NUCLEAR: 2025 could be a pivotal year for a shuttered southwestern Michigan nuclear plant as federal regulators plan to issue a final decision on its restart by the end of July. (Michigan Public)
SOLAR: Northern Michigan GOP lawmakers call for the firing of state officials involved with a natural resources agency’s plan to clear cut and lease 420 acres of forest land for a solar project. (Detroit News)
FOSSIL FUELS: Experts speculate that spiking energy demand from artificial intelligence and data centers could deliver the Trump administration a political victory by boosting the consumption of fossil fuels. (E&E News)
BIOMASS: A Minnesota nonprofit says it has devised a way of burning wood and biomass that produces biochar and prevents carbon emissions from being released during the process. (Pioneer Press)
COAL:
UTILITIES: MidAmerican Energy asks South Dakota regulators to recover more than $500,000 in costs stemming from a 2024 flooding event that damaged gas infrastructure. (KTIV)
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