Grid faces growing threats, from attacks to cold snaps

GRID: U.S. grid regulators are examining the fallout from a wave of extreme cold that knocked out power to more than 1.6 million U.S. customers over Christmas weekend and raised urgent questions about grid reliability. (E&E News)

ALSO: The U.S. power grid saw more reported physical and computerized attacks in the first eight months of 2022 than the whole year before — a count that doesn’t include December incidents in North Carolina and Washington. (Politico)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Individuals can now take advantage of Inflation Reduction Act incentives for heat pumps, rooftop solar, and electric vehicles. (Washington Post)
• Supply chain disruptions and trade restrictions stalled wind and solar deployment in 2022, but industry projections suggest federal incentives could spark a rebound this year. (Canary Media)

WIND:
• Offshore wind is set for a big year, with construction to start on two East Coast arrays and the opening of Pacific waters likely to spur the advancement of floating offshore wind technology. (Canary Media)
• Wind farms face steep opposition in some rural areas over perceived impacts to farming, health, and property values, potentially jeopardizing federal clean energy goals. (New York Times)
• A Massachusetts agency authorizes 1.6 GW of offshore wind contracts, despite warnings from one developers that its project cannot be financed and built under current agreements. (State House News Service)

CLIMATE:
• The U.S. experienced 15 weather disasters costing more than $1 billion in damages last year, as of mid-December, more than doubling the country’s average in the decades before 2017. (Washington Post)
• Scientists explain how intense winter weather like the blizzard that killed over two dozen people around Buffalo, New York, over the holidays could worsen as the world warms. (USA Today)
• North Carolina releases a plan to reduce carbon emissions that environmental advocates say is too vague, while other critics say its reliance on renewables could increase rates and jeopardize grid reliability. (WRAL)

OIL & GAS: Oil and gas companies look to clean up their operations with geothermal installations and offshore wind farms, potentially prolonging the fossil fuel industry’s life. (Politico, Guardian)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• New federal incentives exempt leased electric vehicles from domestic manufacturing requirements, prompting criticism from Sen. Joe Manchin, who’d spearheaded the made-in-America standards. (E&E News)
• New York adopts an advanced clean cars rule that requires all passenger cars and trucks sold in New York state to be zero-emission starting in 2035 and edits pollution standards for gas-powered cars between 2026 and 2034. (Times Union)
• Tesla’s fourth-quarter and overall 2022 sales fall short of expectations as prices rise and competition from legacy carmakers grows. (CBS News)

FINANCE: Republicans in Congress and state legislatures prepare to target sustainable investment funds and financial regulators in the coming year. (Inside Climate News)

SOLAR: A Cleveland pilot project begins installing rooftop solar on low- and moderate-income homes, which advocates say is a first step to helping reduce the energy burden in disadvantaged neighborhoods. (Energy News Network)