Solar industry to downplay climate benefits

SOLAR: The U.S. solar industry’s lobbying strategy under President-elect Trump and a Republican Congress involves downplaying climate and instead emphasizing its economic and energy grid benefits. (Reuters)

ALSO:

• The U.S. Energy Department announces $365 million to install solar and battery storage at homes and healthcare centers across Puerto Rico. (Associated Press)
• A study finds nearly 30,000 Floridians installed solar panels in 2024 despite utility and political pushback against net metering. (WUSF)

POLITICS:

• Congress continues to discuss permitting legislation, but ongoing disagreements suggest a bill won’t be passed this year. (E&E News)
• White House chief of staff Jeff Zients calls on employees to ​“sprint to the finish line” to disburse Inflation Reduction Act funding and execute other Biden administration priorities. (The Hill)

CLIMATE: The Biden administration asks the U.S. Supreme Court to continue allowing states to sue big oil companies they accuse of deceiving the public about the climate impacts of fossil fuels. (Reuters)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Utilities will need to pay closer attention to, and invest in, grid distribution systems to handle the influx of electric vehicles, experts say. (Canary Media)
• California’s energy commission votes to invest $1.4 billion in an emissions-free transportation plan that includes installing nearly 17,000 electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. (Utility Dive)

GEOTHERMAL: The U.S. Energy Department awards funding to five communities to support the construction of geothermal heating and cooling networks. (Smart Cities Dive)

GRID:

• MISO approves a $21.8 billion plan for 24 new transmission projects in nine states that supporters say will help create a transmission ​“backbone” that supports growing demand. (E&E News)
• Oklahoma’s incoming state house speaker tells a crowd the U.S. Energy Department has agreed to cancel the designation of a corridor across the state for a planned 645-mile transmission line due to widespread opposition from the community and elected officials. (KOSU, KOTV)

UTILITIES: In Minnesota, Xcel Energy agrees to new consumer protections and to conduct a one-year study on utility shutoffs, though advocates say the agreement and a recent regulatory hearing largely sidestepped the issue of racial disparities. (Energy News Network)

OIL & GAS: A New Mexico economist says the incoming Trump administration’s expected deregulation of drilling won’t lead to more Permian Basin oil production because firms are focused on low-risk profit from existing wells, not new exploration. (Source NM)

WIND: Opponents of the recently greenlit Lava Ridge wind facility in southern Idaho consider waiting until President-elect Trump takes office to file a lawsuit seeking to reverse the federal approval. (Idaho Statesman)

CLEANTECH: Dozens of startups building solar panels, storage systems, and other climate solutions failed in 2024, but rival companies and new ventures can learn from their mistakes. (Canary Media)