To meet emissions goals, states redefine ​“clean”

CLEAN ENERGY: As states struggle to meet their own clean electricity goals, some are changing definitions to include nuclear, natural gas and biomass generation. (E&E News)

POLITICS:

• House Republicans pass a bill to gut energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including electric appliance rebates and funding for local governments to update building codes. (The Hill)
• A Republican senator insists a bill that would establish a tariff on carbon-intensive imported goods isn’t a carbon tax, highlighting GOP lawmakers’ attempts to distance themselves from climate action. (E&E News)

GRID: As long backlogs threaten the Biden administration’s clean electricity goals, the U.S. Energy Department releases a draft plan for speeding the country’s grid interconnection process. (Utility Dive)

OIL & GAS:

• Xcel Energy says it must double its grid capacity in the Permian Basin to meet anticipated demand from oil and gas industry electrification and a growing population. (Carlsbad Current-Argus)
• Enbridge reaches an agreement with Minnesota regulators that requires the oil company to commit $61 million a year into a fund to pay for the eventual decommissioning of the Line 3 pipeline. (Star Tribune)
• A federal appeals court pauses an earlier order requiring the Biden administration to hold a Gulf of Mexico drilling lease sale next month, though it’s still required to hold the sale under the Inflation Reduction Act. (The Hill)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Automakers and analysts forecast slowing growth in electric vehicle demand, adjusting their manufacturing investments and production targets accordingly. (Axios)
• A source says Ford plans to produce an ​“all new” electric vehicle at a Louisville, Kentucky, assembly plant that once made gas-powered SUVs. (WDRB)

BUILDINGS:

• Federal and state Buy Clean programs aim to use governments’ massive purchasing power to drive manufacturing of low-carbon steel, cement and other building materials. (Canary Media)
• A New York City co-op building’s lack of gas for cooking for two years due to a high repair bill underscores how difficult it is for low-income residents to maintain gas systems or make electric upgrades. (The City)

WIND: Wind development is outpacing grid expansion in Oklahoma and other parts of the Southwest Power Pool, prompting companies to also invest in storage. (Reuters)

CLIMATE: Los Angeles region governments and nonprofits develop a climate roadmap calling for ambitious emissions reductions and investment in clean energy leading up to the 2028 Olympic Games. (Los Angeles Times)

SOLAR: Residential solar installation costs dropped in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the year before, while utility-scale installation costs rose, researchers find. (Utility Dive)

BATTERIES: University of Maryland researchers say they’ve created a new way to develop lithium-ion batteries to make them less prone to combust while increasing energy storage. (news release)

UTILITIES: A North Carolina manufacturers group moves to block a Duke Energy customer assistance program designed to reduce energy burdens on the utility’s poorest residential customers. (Energy News Network)

COAL: Tribal nations call for a meeting with the U.S. and Canadian governments to address cross-border selenium water contamination from coal mines. (Missoulian)