LNG growth ​“neither sustainable nor advisable,” Granholm says

OIL & GAS: In a letter set to accompany a federal study on liquefied natural gas’ economic, national security and climate effects, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm writes that the current pace of LNG export growth is ​“neither sustainable nor advisable.” (New York Times)

POLITICS: Sen. Joe Manchin blames Republicans for the collapse of years-long efforts to pass energy permitting reforms, while House Speaker Mike Johnson points the finger at Senate Democrats. (E&E News)

OVERSIGHT: U.S. Supreme Court justices indicate they may reconsider a lower court’s decision that called for federal agencies to take a ​“hard look” at the environmental and climate impacts of energy projects. (E&E News)

GEOTHERMAL: The geothermal industry could use oil and gas drilling techniques to meet as much as 15% of new power demand worldwide through 2050, a new International Energy Agency report finds. (Axios)

GRID: The North American Electric Reliability Corp. adopts two new standards to help transmission planners and regulators better prepare for extreme weather and other energy emergencies. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• The U.S. Supreme Court rejects conservative states’ constitutional challenge to California’s stronger-than-federal automobile emissions standards, but leaves open the door for the oil and gas industry’s lawsuit seeking to block the regulations. (Los Angeles Times)
• President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team recommends slashing federal electric-vehicle and charging-infrastructure incentives and blocking California’s automobile pollution limits. (Reuters)
• Tesla begins operating a lithium refinery in Texas that the company projects eventually will produce enough material for batteries in 1 million electric vehicles per year. (Houston Chronicle)

CARBON CAPTURE: A company pushes to build a carbon capture storage hub in the Gulf of Mexico to store tens of millions of tons of emissions from new liquified natural gas terminals and other fossil fuel facilities, prompting pushback from the fishing industry. (Floodlight)

COAL: U.S. power companies have stockpiled nearly 138 million tons of coal, about what mines were expected to produce in 2025, creating financial and storage challenges as the price of gas and renewable power drops. (The Hill)

HYDROGEN: Three Ohio companies are investing in hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles as an alternative to gas and electric cars, despite the lack of widespread charging infrastructure. (Energy News Network)

CLEAN ENERGY: Advocates say the clean energy and transmission development surge on federal lands in Nevada and neighboring states amounts to ​“a fundamental transformation of the American West.” (Inside Climate News/​Type Investigations)

OFFSHORE WIND: The Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts restarts installation of turbine blades, five months after a defective blade broke off and scattered debris in the surrounding waters. (Vineyard Gazette)

EQUITY: Massachusetts’ new climate law creates a fund to help community groups engage with — and, if needed, fight against — plans for power plants and other infrastructure in their neighborhoods. (Boston Globe)