Reversing climate policies would jeopardize investment, economists say

CLIMATE: Economists say former President Trump’s plans to repeal Biden administration climate policies would put U.S. manufacturing investments at risk and send jobs back overseas. (New York Times)

ALSO:

• White House climate adviser John Podesta says the U.S. will follow through on its commitments to fund climate projects in poor countries, while also defending the expansion of domestic gas production under President Biden. (The Guardian)
• A report finds Wyoming has received more federal climate-related funding per capita than any other state even though it is dominated by fossil fuel-friendly politics. (Wyoming Public Media)

STORAGE: Energy storage capacity installations jumped 84% in the first quarter of 2024 from the year before, with utility-scale installations more than doubling year-over-year. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• The U.S. Treasury Department finalizes prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules for clean energy projects looking to tap into Inflation Reduction Act funds. (Utility Dive)
• District energy systems that heat and cool buildings in Minneapolis-St. Paul and beyond are facing increasing pressure to decarbonize and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Volkswagen announces it will invest $5 billion in electric vehicle startup Rivian in a deal that will allow shared use of Rivian’s software. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• An industry survey finds 75% of charging station developers and operators say grid interconnection issues are stalling deployment, forcing some to install fossil fuel generators. (Utility Dive)

WIND: With 21 of its planned 62 wind turbines completely installed, Vineyard Wind claims to now be the largest operating wind project in the country, pushing 136 MW to the grid. (electrek)

OIL & GAS:

• A building electrification expert details the health risks of fossil fuel-powered appliances, and how they can still emit toxic chemicals even when not in use. (Canary Media)
• California researchers find more than 100,000 oil and gas wells in the Western U.S. are in wildfire-prone areas, compounding health and safety risks that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. (The Hill)

POLITICS: As the coal industry’s influence fades, former President Trump’s campaign has drifted from his promise to end ​“the war on coal.” (E&E News)

CARBON CAPTURE: Louisiana officials announce two new carbon capture projects, frustrating residents who say the technology will prolong the use of fossil fuels. (Associated Press)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Black residents in Louisiana’s ​“Cancer Alley” call on the U.S. Justice Department to protect them against the ongoing expansion of the region’s petrochemical industry and its pollution. (Floodlight)

NUCLEAR:

• An effort to restart a shuttered nuclear plant in southwestern Michigan may get a boost from a federal nuclear permitting bill awaiting President Biden’s signature, experts say. (MLive)
• Some residents of a Wyoming coal community are slow to support a proposed advanced nuclear reactor, saying they don’t like project-backer Bill Gates’ politics. (Casper Star-Tribune)