How fossil fuel leaders want to dismantle methane rules

POLITICS: Internal documents reveal an oil and gas lobbying group created a blueprint for dismantling methane emissions penalties if Republicans win the White House and Congress, with a major Trump donor leading the effort. (The Guardian)

ALSO:

• Both a President Harris or Trump will inherit a struggling grid and growing power demand, and will need to prioritize manufacturing, job creation, and other big energy decisions to tackle those challenges. (E&E News)
• Public utility regulators have long been a powerful force influencing utility power mixes, rates, infrastructure improvements and other decisions, and several are up for election this week. (Grist)
• An analysis finds utilities and fossil fuel companies provided sizable contributions to utility regulatory candidates, raising questions about their decisions on power generation, grid hardening and other issues. (Floodlight)

EMISSIONS: A monitoring group has been tracking and notifying companies and governments about massive methane emissions for two years, but says the number of entities who’ve addressed those leaks ​“can be counted on two hands, maybe one.” (Bloomberg)

GRID: Expanding data center construction has already ramped up power demand and grid infrastructure upgrades, raising consumers’ electric bills, and that trend is on track to continue. (Washington Post)

CLIMATE:

• A Trump administration would likely give up defending Biden administration climate policies in court cases looking to dismantle them, experts say. (New York Times)
• Massachusetts lawmakers consider a climate bill that aims to slow the expansion of natural gas and authorizes gas utilities to offer networked geothermal services. (Energy News Network)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• The Inflation Reduction Act has paid for clean energy projects that brought electricity to remote homes on tribal lands, but former President Trump has threatened to halt IRA funding. (E&E News)
• An analysis finds the Midwest is lagging other regions in attracting clean energy manufacturers to disadvantaged communities. (Inside Climate News)
• Private high school students coalesce to get their schools to divest from fossil fuels and fund clean energy instead. (The Guardian)

STORAGE: A sodium-ion battery manufacturer’s plans to open a North Carolina factory serve as an early indicator of the technology’s growth, though experts say lithium-ion batteries will likely maintain their market dominance for some time. (Washington Post)

WIND:

• A Trump win could provide another major setback for the offshore wind industry, which has struggled amid supply and price challenges and political opposition. (E&E News, subscription)
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee greenlights the proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind facility in the southern part of the state and urges regulators to streamline permitting, saying it is essential to meeting ​“urgent clean energy needs.” (Seattle Times)

MICROGRIDS: A New York City utility tests a microgrid combining solar panels, an onsite battery, and electric school buses that can send power to the grid during off hours. (Canary Media)