Biden rebuked on solar tariffs, what happens next?

SOLAR: The U.S. Senate voted 56 to 41 yesterday to rescind President Biden’s moratorium on tariffs on solar cells from Asia; but even though Biden is expected to veto the bill, the issue is far from settled. (Politico, Canary Media)

ALSO: Orders are soaring for First Solar, an indication that a significant growth in solar deployment is around the corner. (Bloomberg)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• The Inflation Reduction Act is driving more investment in domestic manufacturing than expected, creating a surge in new jobs but also driving up costs for taxpayers. (New York Times)
• Despite the efforts of its elected officials, Texas has become a leader in the clean energy transition and will add more solar and wind capacity in 2023 than all other states combined. (Reuters)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Plug-in hybrids, which one analyst calls ​“training wheels” for fully-electric driving, are gaining in popularity. (Washington Post)
• States are offering ​“unprecedented” subsidies as they battle to land new electric vehicle manufacturing plants, with advocates warning the competition could undercut social programs. (E&E News)
• The United Auto Workers is declining to endorse President Biden’s reelection for now, citing concerns about low wages at new battery plants. (Politico)

CLIMATE:
• Legal experts say a Supreme Court case related to commercial fishing could have a significant impact on the federal government’s ability to address climate change. (Grist)
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs several bills aimed at fighting climate change, including one streamlining energy permitting, just days after announcing he will not seek re-election in 2024. (KOMO, Washington Post)

CARBON CAPTURE: U.S. colleges and universities are playing an outsized role in seeking federal funding for direct air capture projects that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for storage. (E&E News)

PIPELINES: An Indigenous-led United Nations panel recommends that Canada and the United States shut down the Line 5 pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac. (Michigan Advance)

NUCLEAR: Legal experts say New Mexico must prove a new law barring nuclear waste storage facilities is not based on safety concerns, which is the purview of federal regulators, to survive future challenges. (Searchlight New Mexico)

COMMENTARY:
• An editorial board says the absence of a unified plan to expand electrical transmission ​“is a critical hole” in U.S. plans to cut emissions. (New York Times)
• A biblical scholar says a misreading of the book of Revelation is making many Americans complacent about climate change. (Los Angeles Times)
• Power grids across the U.S. that have been tested by extreme weather and soaring demand should build more solar and battery storage capacity, write two solar advocates. (Energy News Network)