EV battery recycling had a tough year

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The fledgling electric vehicle battery recycling industry suffered in 2024 amid falling material prices, delayed construction projects, and reduced expectations for what recycling can deliver. (Canary Media)

ALSO:

• Stanford University scientists reevaluate EV battery life cycles, finding they could last as much as 40% longer than previously estimated. (The Hill)
• A pilot program in California could model a way for electric vehicle charging hubs to connect to the grid more quickly by limiting their power output based on what the grid can safely supply. (Canary Media)
• EV maker Rivian begins opening its rapid-charging network to drivers of all compatible vehicles. (Automotive Dive)

EMISSIONS: An electrification advocacy group estimates replacing every American household’s fossil fuel furnaces, hot water heaters and clothes dryers with electric alternatives could deliver $40 billion in annual health benefits. (New York Times)

OFFSHORE WIND: An offshore wind company’s decision to put a planned wind farm on hold during the second Trump presidency is having ripple effects, endangering the development of a renewable energy hub in New York City. (Heatmap)

CARBON CAPTURE: The latest delays for a proposed North Dakota carbon capture project cap a year with few signs of progress for U.S. coal plant owners considering carbon capture retrofits. (Inside Climate News)

GRID:

• Federal regulators reject proposals that would have given more control over transmission planning in PJM territory to the transmission owners rather than the grid operator. (Utility Dive)
• A Virginia legislative commission releases a report predicting data center development could triple the state’s energy usage by 2040 if allowed to continue uninhibited, and calls for companies to build renewables and join demand-response programs to temper demand. (Virginia Mercury, WUSA9)
• Federal regulators order a company to pay $27 million for fraudulently using bogus demand response resources to make offers in MISO’s capacity market. (Utility Dive)

OVERSIGHT: President-elect Trump’s promise to strengthen White House control over independent agencies could impact federal energy regulators’ nonpartisan oversight of gas and power markets. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:

• President Biden is set to join other countries in calling for restricted financing for international fossil fuel projects. (E&E News)
• The Biden administration schedules an oil and gas lease sale for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge offering 400,000 acres — the minimum allowed by a 2017 law — with restrictions aimed at reducing environmental impacts. (Alaska Beacon)
• California scientists urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to close the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility that experienced a catastrophic blowout in 2015, saying its continued operation threatens public health. (Los Angeles Daily News)