New EV tax credit rules leave qualifying vehicles a mystery

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Treasury Department releases long-awaited and complex electric vehicle tax credit rules, which include North American material and manufacturing requirements, a price cap, and buyer income limits. (CNBC)

ALSO:
• The IRS will publish a list of qualifying electric vehicles in the coming weeks, which will include fewer vehicles than a current list, but will likely expand as the domestic EV supply chain grows. (Washington Post)
• While a handful of states have made billion-dollar pledges to build microchip and electric vehicle plants, Pennsylvania and other states are falling behind. (Associated Press)
• A truck stop electrification company merges with a defunct pro basketball league to easily go public and raise proceeds to expand its charging network. (Axios)

CLIMATE:
• Some climate scientists say President Biden needs to tamp down his climate ​“doomerism,” saying he should emphasize continued action even if the U.S. passes its warming goal, rather than label it a point of no return. (E&E News)
• After the defeat of a major climate bill in 2009 and a subsequent Republican congressional takeover, environmentalists dove deeper into politics to push for the eventual success of the Inflation Reduction Act. (Politico)
• Experts say climate change is affecting tornadoes in the U.S., resulting in fewer storms in Plains states while the Midwest and mid-South are seeing an increase. (Miami Herald)

TRANSPORTATION:
• The Biden administration approves a California plan requiring companies to sell an increasing number of zero-emission medium- to heavy-duty trucks over the next two decades. (Associated Press)
• North Carolina advocates say a state program to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions lacks urgency and specific directives, especially with regard to a state law that prioritizes highway construction. (Energy News Network)

RENEWABLES:
• China’s biggest solar and wind manufacturers are pursuing production and research facilities in the U.S. as new Inflation Reduction Act incentives take effect. (Bloomberg)
• Republican congress members, plus some Democrats, look to restore tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports. (Canary Media)

OVERSIGHT: Environmental justice leaders urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider historic pollution burdens and gather more community input when reviewing new energy infrastructure projects. (Utility Dive)

POLICY: Two House Democrats pitch a permitting reform bill that would speed the deployment of renewable energy projects while taking frontline communities’ feedback into account. (E&E News)

EFFICIENCY: A new study singles out the Tennessee Valley Authority for trailing all other major Southeast utilities in helping customers reduce their energy consumption, while the region as a whole lags the rest of the country. (Chattanooga Times Free Press, WFAE)

OIL & GAS: Environmental advocates say the Biden administration is failing to implement required reforms before an upcoming federal oil and gas lease sale in Nevada. (Nevada Independent)

CARBON CAPTURE: California entrepreneurs and officials aim to make the state a carbon removal and sequestration industry hub. (KQED)