Better late than never? COP28 ends with pact to phase out fossil fuels

CLIMATE: The COP28 climate summit ends with the first-ever global agreement to begin ​“transitioning away from fossil fuels,” though some leaders acknowledge the pact is nonbinding and should’ve been reached years ago. (Politico)

ALSO: The conference took an unprecedented look at agriculture’s climate impacts, though critics say it didn’t dive far enough into livestock emissions. (Inside Climate News)

GRID:

• House Democrats unveil their response to Republicans’ energy plan, calling for speedier transmission project approvals, though the bill is unlikely to pass. (The Hill)
• The Biden administration is prioritizing ways to speed up the process for building transmission lines, which officials say need to double to meet a 100% clean power target by 2035. (States Newsroom)
• PJM Interconnection authorizes around $5 billion in transmission projects to support data center developments and power plant closures. (Utility Dive)

EMISSIONS:

• The U.S. EPA’s proposed methane emissions rules would allow non-government watchdogs to track and report super emitter events to the agency. (Grist)
• The methane rules divide states, particularly large oil and gas producers, over whether they will limit production. (E&E News)

CARBON CAPTURE:

• Opponents sound the alarm against a proposed plan to store captured carbon beneath U.S. Forest Service land, warning of leaks that could hurt humans and wildlife. (Guardian)
• Climate scientists and advocates push back on a proposed facility in southern California that would capture carbon and sequester it in nearby oil fields, saying it amounts to a lifeline for fossil fuel producers. (Capital & Main)

OIL & GAS:

• The Biden administration plans to ban future oil and gas leasing and new mining claims on nearly 225,000 acres of mountains and rangeland in western Colorado. (Colorado Sun)
• Alaska Indigenous groups remain divided over the Biden administration’s proposed Arctic drilling restrictions and on how to balance environmental protections and economic development. (Roll Call)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Ford says it will cut production of its electric F-150 Lightning in half next year, aiming to produce 1,600 vehicles a week at its Dearborn, Michigan factory. (CNBC)
• An electric vehicle battery company announces an $810 million expansion of its South Carolina factory to supply a nearby BMW plant, with the state contributing $121 million in financial assistance. (SC Now, The State)
• A Columbus, Ohio, electric vehicle charging station is the first in the country to be funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. (Inside Climate News)
• Ford is partnering with a maker of smart home products on a pilot program to determine how vehicle-to-home power management can help lower energy costs for participants. (Utility Dive)

EFFICIENCY: Minnesota taconite mine owners are investing in energy efficiency technology as the industry faces growing pressure from governments, investors and customers to reduce emissions. (KAXE/​Energy News Network)