The quiet greening of federal buildings

BUILDINGS: The General Services Administration leads a quiet but unprecedented effort to slash emissions from federal buildings, installing heat pumps, solar panels and energy efficient lighting and windows. (Washington Post)

SOLAR:

• Solar developers, environmental groups, tribal organizations and farmers develop a framework of best practices for handling land-use issues that often stymie solar projects. (New York Times)
• Qualified elderly and low-income households in Virginia are receiving free weatherization and solar installations through a utility pilot. (Energy News Network)

COURTS: The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear a case from Republican-led states seeking to stop the Biden administration from using an interim social cost of carbon to write climate regulations. (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• The United Auto Workers expands its strike to Ford’s largest and most profitable U.S. factory in Kentucky, which is also home to two planned electric vehicle battery plants that are part of the automaker’s shift to EVs. (Detroit News)
• The UAW hopes a successful strike against the Big Three automakers, with assurances for the electric vehicle future, will help it unionize Tesla factories. (CNN)
• Electric vehicle makers Rivian and Tesla sign on to what they say is a monumental agreement protecting consumers’ right to repair their cars, though major organizations representing the repair industry haven’t joined it. (Grist)
• Plans for a second large electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Indiana come as the striking UAW seeks a just transition for workers at automakers for electric vehicle joint ventures. (Indiana Public Radio)

OIL & GAS: More than $550 million in federal funding has started trickling out to 24 states to plug orphan oil and gas wells, though a worker shortage may stall action. (States Newsroom) 

WIND: Leading wind developer Ørsted is struggling as its stock prices sink and offshore projects become uncertain — a problem for climate action when combined with oil’s boom. (E&E News)

CLEAN ENERGY: A Colorado coal and steel city reinvents itself as a clean energy hub with an expanding wind turbine factory, a solar-powered steel mill and a train testing center. (Colorado Newsline)

CLIMATE: A new analysis finds the world is ​“less likely than ever” to meet the Paris Agreement’s stretch goal of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C. (Axios)

HYDROGEN: Two hydrogen hubs partially located in Pennsylvania are among seven reportedly poised to receive hundreds of millions in federal grants, but the official, detailed announcement is expected tomorrow. (Reuters, Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

PIPELINES: Carbon pipeline opponents, including some local officials, hope Iowa regulators will follow North and South Dakota and reject permit applications from developers. (Des Moines Register)

COMMENTARY:

• The UAW’s recent agreement with a General Motors battery plant shows the electric vehicle future doesn’t have to come at the expense of good-paying jobs, an editorial board writes. (Los Angeles Times)
• An analyst urges federal regulators to guide battery materials mining toward ​“least conflict” areas, similar to how a California effort handles large-scale solar developments. (The Hill)