Federal program to link low-income ratepayers with community solar

SOLAR: The Biden administration prepares to announce a program that will connect recipients of federal energy cost subsidies with community solar projects that could lower their bills. (Politico)

CLEAN ENERGY: Installations of clean energy projects dropped 55% from April to June compared to the same time last year, partially due to supply chain issues and a lack of congressional support. (Reuters)

OIL & GAS:
• The U.S. has become the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporter as Europe seeks alternatives to Russian fuel. (Utility Dive)
• The U.S. EPA prepares to unveil a rule regulating oil and gas methane emissions, and legal experts say it falls within the scope of regulatory approaches the Supreme Court left standing. (E&E News)
• Natural gas prices surge amid high temperatures, even as the temporary closure of an export facility due to a fire has stranded more gas in the domestic market. (Bloomberg)
• Oil field employment hasn’t recovered since its pandemic slump, even as the oil industry itself resumes production and regains profits. (E&E News)

CLIMATE:
• The Biden administration launches heat.gov, a website that includes forecasts and tips meant to help municipalities prepare for extreme heat. (New York Times)
• Ministers and faith leaders across the Southeast increasingly advocate for mobilizing against climate change as a Christian duty, re-framing the climate crisis as a values-based issue rather than a political one. (Guardian)

COAL: Sen. Joe Manchin’s rejection of Democrats’ climate bill dashes coal miners’ hopes that the measure would include increased payouts for those suffering black lung disease. (E&E News)

HYDROGEN: Nuclear and hydrogen industry interests form a coalition to work more closely on producing clean hydrogen. (E&E News)

OFFSHORE WIND: Developers are unearthing unexploded World War II munitions as they look to build wind farms off the New England coast. (E&E News)

EMISSIONS: More than 175 environmental organizations urge the U.S. Transportation Department to require cities and states to set emissions standards. (The Hill)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Uber announces it will expand its all-electric fleet to seven more cities. (Axios)
• A federal investigation finds evidence of pervasive racial discrimination at Tesla’s San Francisco factory. (Bloomberg Law)

EFFICIENCY: New research by Efficiency Maine shows that stand-alone heat pump systems can deliver comfort and cost savings even in sub-zero temperatures. (Energy News Network)

STORAGE: A Maryland company touts its new solid-state battery, which it says lacks overheating and flammability concerns sometimes observed in lithium-ion models. (Daily Record)

NUCLEAR: Environmental groups sue to reverse a federal license granted to an interim spent nuclear reactor fuel depository proposed for the Permian Basin. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)