Small states leave federal climate funding untapped

CLIMATE: Five large states have collected more than half of a federal climate grant program’s funding, while several smaller states still haven’t accessed ​“free money” for climate-related projects they’ve been offered. (E&E News)

ALSO: The U.S. and EU will try to convince other countries to back a tripling of renewable power capacity at this year’s COP28 climate conference. (Bloomberg)

NUCLEAR:

• Nuclear advocates hope small modular reactors can avoid the expensive pitfalls that new large nuclear projects have encountered, but the cancellation of a promising small nuclear project raises doubts. (New York Times)
• California advocates continue to debate the future of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant a year after the state approved a plan to keep it running past its scheduled retirement date. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY: As tons of renewable energy projects sit in grid interconnection queues around the country, analysts say the vast majority likely won’t ever be built. (Utility Dive)

CARBON CAPTURE:

• A Bill Gates-backed startup company says it can effectively capture and store carbon by making bricks out of wood chips and plant pieces, which it can then bury deep underground. (Washington Post)
• The U.S. Forest Service proposes allowing underground carbon dioxide storage on land it manages. (Reuters)

GRID: Outdated federal infrastructure rules are keeping the U.S. power grid from implementing cloud technology that could cut costs and boost security and reliability, experts say. (Utility Dive)

WIND:

• Optimism about the U.S. offshore wind industry is waning as rising prices lead to the cancellation of projects, throwing the future of the burgeoning wind manufacturing industry into question as well. (E&E News)
• An energy company cancels plans to build a $200 million wind turbine blade factory in Virginia after failing to meet ​“development milestones” amid turbulence in the East Coast’s nascent offshore wind industry. (Associated Press)
• The U.S. Air Force calls on federal lawmakers to bar wind turbines within two miles of nuclear missile launch sites in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and other states. (Associated Press)

POLITICS: As U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin prepares to step down and perhaps explore a run for president, environmentalists ding his legacy as one of the last West Virginia Democrats to unabashedly promote coal. (Charleston Gazette-Mail, Associated Press)

BUILDINGS: Boston’s mayor says the city won’t pursue joining Massachusetts’ pilot gas ban program, saying she has received ​“clear indications that Boston would not be chosen for the one available spot.” (Boston Globe)

FOSSIL FUELS:

• Clean energy advocates say Wisconsin regulators should withdraw their prior approval for a 625 MW natural gas plant, citing the availability of new grid storage and federal clean energy incentives. (Energy News Network)
• Carbon pipeline opponents say proposed projects would support enhanced oil recovery and lead to more oil extraction. (South Dakota Searchlight)

TRANSPORTATION: An environmental group finds California ranks first in the nation for transportation projects that address inequality while tackling climate change. (Bloomberg)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Toyota’s plans to build a nearly $14 billion EV and battery plant in North Carolina, by far the biggest single capital investment in the state’s history, could test the region’s workforce. (Greensboro News & Record)

EMISSIONS: Florida residents complain about a growing waste-to-energy incinerator complex in the Tampa area, which they say is creating health problems for neighbors as it burns trash. (NBC News)