Electric school buses get $1 billion boost

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The U.S. EPA announces nearly $1 billion in grants for schools to replace diesel buses with electric and low-emissions vehicles, with a vast majority going to schools in low-income, rural and tribal communities. (Guardian)

ALSO:

• Analysts predict global passenger electric and hybrid vehicle sales will grow another 21% this year, though the U.S. market is hard to forecast as new federal incentives come into play. (Bloomberg)
• Goodyear is developing a heavy-duty tire for electric vehicles meant to withstand the heavy cars’ wear and tear. (Bloomberg, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY: Upfront cost is the biggest barrier to home energy upgrades like swapping out gas stoves, while lowering energy costs and environmental impact is a top motivator, a survey finds. (Canary Media)

CLIMATE:

• Scientists confirm 2023 was the hottest year on record, falling just below the 1.5 degree warming limit aimed for under the Paris climate agreement. (Axios)
• Global climate officials balk at the appointment of a former Azerbaijani oil executive to head next year’s COP29 climate conference. (The Hill)
• The U.S. Supreme Court denies fossil fuel companies’ request to move the Minnesota attorney general’s climate lawsuit to federal court. (Star Tribune)

OIL & GAS:

• Longtime scientist and advocate Sandra Steingraber says researchers have an obligation to speak on hydraulic fracking’s links to environmental health problems, and likens well sites as ​“these sort of giant cigarettes in the earth.” (Inside Climate News)
• A New Mexico energy auditor says nearly every home he checks has some level of a natural gas leak, underscoring the need to switch to electric heating and cooking. (New Mexico Political Report)

HYDROGEN:

• Industry groups say the Biden administration’s proposed rules for a hydrogen production tax credit would kneecap the nascent industry while environmental groups say they are needed to keep emissions in check. (States Newsroom)
• New federal tax credit rules will require green hydrogen producers to track power usage on an hourly basis, a potential challenge for the industry. (Canary Media)

CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. EPA’s decision last month to hand over carbon capture permitting to state officials in Louisiana has environmental advocates worried that economic considerations will trump public health. (Grist)

STORAGE: A subsidiary of LG Energy Solution plans to build 10 grid-scale battery storage projects in the U.S. this year following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR: Hawaii advocates say lower payments for customers’ surplus rooftop solar power could incentivize customers to install arrays for their own use rather than exporting to the grid, imperiling the state’s energy transition. (Hawaii Public Radio)

UTILITIES: Following the defeat of a ballot measure to replace Maine’s investor-owned utilities with a consumer-owned power company, policymakers and advocates explore new ways to improve service. (Maine Morning Star)

COAL: Two years later, West Virginia lawmakers have yet to act on a workgroup’s recommendations for revitalizing devastated coalfield communities. (Mountain State Spotlight)

COMMENTARY: Solar farms built beyond a certain size have the ability to affect cloud cover and weather, impacting solar power production in faraway areas, two researchers find. (The Conversation)