Propane lobbying heats up

OIL & GAS: A propane industry lobbying group has spent millions of dollars over the past two years to promote the fuel as a clean energy source, even though it’s a byproduct of oil and gas refining. (The Guardian/​Heated)

ALSO:

• More than 90 environmental organizations call on the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island to oppose the expansion of a major natural gas pipeline through the states. (WBUR)
• Environmental advocates celebrate the federal pause on LNG export approvals after the Biden administration credits ​“the calls of young people and frontline communities” for its decision. (E&E News)
• New Mexico lawmakers strip an oil and gas reform bill of a provision that would have required infrastructure to be set back from schools and other structures after industry lobbyists donate more than $800,000 to state politicians. (New Mexico In Depth)

POLITICS:

• Democratic strategists say President Biden is failing to sell his climate achievements to voters as many remain unaware of the Inflation Reduction Act’s environmental and clean energy provisions. (New York Times)
• A wealthy former coal boss who spent a year in jail for conspiring to violate mine safety rules registers to run as a Democrat for U.S. Senate in West Virginia. (WV Metro News, E&E News)
• Congress’ ongoing border negotiations have indefinitely delayed consideration of spending projects that would boost energy programs and disaster relief. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm discusses federal plans to build out the nation’s electric vehicle charging network and other plans to boost EVs. (ABC News)
• The U.S. Energy Department announces $131 million for electric vehicle battery research and development. (Utility Dive)

CLIMATE:

• Federal workplace safety regulators prepare to institute extreme heat protections for the first time this year. (Grist)
• A peer-reviewed study finds human-caused climate change led to record-high temperatures in the Southwest over the last two decades, intensifying the drought. (Washington Post)

SOLAR:

• A Minnesota solar nonprofit matches socially conscious investors’ cash with lower-income homeowners to spread the benefits of clean energy in a Minneapolis neighborhood. (Energy News Network)
• A new Rhode Island program lets qualifying residents pay to lease rooftop solar panels, helping lower their cost to access solar power. (Providence Journal)

HYDROGEN:

• While hydrogen could help plug the gap between what fossil fuels currently power and what clean energy can feasibly run in the near future, huge challenges remain. (Canary Media)
• Analysts say high pump prices and supply chain constraints are hampering California’s effort to promote hydrogen-powered vehicle adoption. (S&P Global)

UTILITIES: Nearly 100 small, largely public-owned utilities are exempt from a Georgia requirement to delay disconnecting power service for seriously ill customers — potentially threatening their lives when their treatment requires electricity. (ProPublica)

NUCLEAR: Federal nuclear industry regulators say they expect to review 25 licensing applications for small modular reactor projects over the next five years. (Utility Dive)