Climate Corps to train 20,000 for clean energy, climate jobs

CLIMATE: The Biden administration announces an American Climate Corps program that will train 20,000 young people to work in clean energy, energy efficiency and other climate-critical jobs. (E&E News)

ALSO:
• Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden warns of the global risks of failing to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while protestors urge him to do more. (E&E News)
• While nearly 7 million properties nationwide already rely on expensive public insurance programs, as many as 39 million could be at risk of losing affordable coverage as they face mounting climate risks. (Grist)
• A nonprofit’s analysis finds climate change-exacerbated wildfire risk is rendering homes in parts of California ​“essentially uninsurable.” (CBS News)

EMISSIONS:
• Most voluntary carbon offsets are ​“likely junk,” an analysis finds, as the projects that support them contain fundamental flaws that undermine their promised emissions cuts. (Guardian)
• Colorado advocates and lawmakers push back on a proposed state greenhouse gas emissions-reduction plan for large manufacturers, saying a loophole would allow companies to buy their way out of requirements. (Greeley Tribune)

OFFSHORE WIND: Federal officials release a roadmap to build out offshore wind transmission infrastructure along the Atlantic coast. (news release)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Electrifying just a third of light- and heavy-duty vehicles in the lower Great Lakes region could save hundreds of lives and billions in healthcare costs, according to Northwestern University researchers. (Inside Climate News)
• New electric vehicle battery plants in the largely non-unionized Southeast are playing a contributing role in the United Auto Workers strike. (CNN)

EFFICIENCY:
• The National Renewable Energy Laboratory unveils a dataset of energy consumption profiles for buildings across the country that will help utilities, building operators and others prioritize efficiency improvements. (Utility Dive)
• The U.S. Energy Department announces $400 million for states and territories to create and implement energy-efficient building codes. (Utility Dive)

MICROGRIDS:
• Tribes seek U.S. Department of Energy funding to build local microgrids to improve grid reliability on tribal land. (Bloomberg Law)
• A Minnesota college’s microgrid research center prepares to expand after securing new state and federal funding. (Energy News Network)

CARBON CAPTURE: A Texas agency moves to award leases for companies competing for federal money to build carbon capture plants along the Gulf Coast and store carbon deep beneath the seafloor. (Texas Tribune)

FINANCE: The U.S. Treasury Department releases voluntary standards for the financial industry as stakeholders look to make sustainable investments. (The Hill)

OIL & GAS: Oil and gas industry lobbyists claim the Biden administration’s proposed reclamation bond increases are unfair and unnecessary even though about 99% of federal wells are insufficiently bonded. (S&P Global)

COMMENTARY: A Colorado advocate urges state regulators to adopt a robust plan to reduce manufacturers’ greenhouse gas emissions, saying it could make the state a national leader in cleaning up heavy industry. (Energy News Network)