Oil industry crafting Day 1 orders for Trump, sources say

OIL & GAS: Donald Trump reportedly promised oil industry leaders last month that he’d reverse Biden administration environmental policies if they raise $1 billion for his campaign; executives say they’re now crafting executive orders to expand natural gas exports, cut drilling costs, and increase offshore drilling leases. (Washington Post, Politico)

ALSO: Texas-based Occidental Petroleum promises to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, but critics dismiss its carbon capture plans as a ​“fig leaf” that grants the company a ​“license to pollute” and continue producing fossil fuels. (Grist)

CLIMATE:

• American and Chinese diplomats meet this week to discuss climate action, with the U.S. likely to focus on balancing its domestic production goals with the availability of lower-cost clean energy components from China. (New York Times)
• A new study highlights how human-caused climate change is exacerbating the conditions that allow diseases to develop and spread. (Washington Post)

SOLAR: The global surge in solar panel production is juicing demand for silver, which is used for its conductivity, thermal efficiency and reflectivity. (Wall Street Journal)

GRID:

• U.S. grid operators are taking on unprecedented amounts of renewable energy generation, and successfully integrating that power at levels that were previously thought unworkable. (States Newsroom)
• Arizona residents, advocates and tribal nations continue to lob legal challenges at the SunZia transmission project designed to carry wind power from New Mexico to the California grid. (Inside Climate News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• General Motors will stop producing the Chevrolet Malibu and invest $390 million in a Kansas assembly plant to make more electric vehicles. (Reuters)
• Electric vehicle maker Rivian sees another drop in its market value after it reports a $1.4 billion loss in the first quarter, generating more questions about its planned Georgia factory. (Bloomberg, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• North Carolina advocates say the Biden administration’s proposed emission rules for heavy-duty trucks could reduce pollution and boost the state’s burgeoning electric vehicle industry, but say supporting state and federal policies need to be implemented as well. (Energy News Network)
• A California startup begins marketing a DC-to-DC solar-powered electric vehicle charger. (electrek)

COAL: Stalled efforts to redevelop a former coal plant property in Indiana reflect a broader struggle for local officials who face legal obstacles when seeking to repurpose contaminated power plant sites. (Inside Climate News)

CLEAN TECH: Researchers at a national laboratory in Iowa are researching ways to convert non-recyclable plastic into fuels, oils and other materials. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)