Hydrogen producers rally against new tax credits

HYDROGEN: The Biden administration releases guidance for its hydrogen tax credit, though industry leaders say the rules go too far in prioritizing low- and zero-emission hydrogen production and will slow growth. (E&E News, Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• New federal incentives for electric vehicles take effect this year, allowing buyers to instantly access up to $7,500 toward a new EV and $4,000 toward a used one instead of waiting for a tax refund. (Grist)
• While electric vehicle sales are still growing, that rate has slowed in the past few months, and some high-profile models have proved slow to sell. (E&E News)

SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/​Grist)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• A coalition of regional groups uses a $10 million federal grant to recruit more than 1,000 small and medium manufacturers for the growing clean energy economy in five Appalachian states. (Energy News Network)
• Advocates credit a small northern New Mexico electric cooperative with paving the way for other rural utilities to ditch fossil fuels. (High Country News)

CLIMATE:

• As 2023 becomes the hottest year on record, scientists predict its extreme temperatures will soon become normal and that 2024 will be even hotter than last year. (Axios, Washington Post)
• Cooperative ownership opens mobile home park residents up to clean energy solutions, including solar installations and energy efficiency upgrades that private landowners are often reluctant to undertake. (Grist)

EMISSIONS:

• Climate analysts predict 2023 may have marked the global peak of fossil fuel emissions from energy use. (Guardian)
• Truck engine manufacturer Cummins agrees to pay $1.6 billion to the federal government over allegations it installed devices to cheat emissions controls on its engines.

PIPELINES: A proposed carbon pipeline in the Midwest divides ethanol industry supporters and farmers who say they feel betrayed by the company’s potential use of eminent domain to build the project. (South Dakota Searchlight)

GRID:

• Federal regulators conclude Texas should reduce its reliance on natural gas to avoid power outages like those that nearly caused the state grid to collapse in a 2021 winter storm. (Houston Chronicle)
• Researchers find the Pacific Northwest is susceptible to sudden drops in solar and wind production, but the impacts would be less severe than in other regions due to an abundance of hydropower. (OPB)

LITHIUM: The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony looks to build coalitions and garner public support — rather than file lawsuits — to fight the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)

RESILIENCY: Although Massachusetts wants more municipalities to undertake climate resiliency projects, they say securing state funds to do so isn’t easy. (Boston Globe)

BUILDINGS: Maine’s heat pump market is already thriving, but new federal subsidies targeting low-income homeowners could further spur its growth. (Portland Press Herald)