Top companies bought ​‘junk’ carbon offsets

CARBON OFFSETS: A new analysis finds Disney, Delta, ExxonMobil and more of the world’s biggest companies invested in carbon offsets that a previous report found had major failings and were ​“probably junk.” (The Guardian)

ALSO: A Florida county draws more than $1 million in annual revenue from selling carbon credits linked to a natural preserve as scientists question the value of such projects. (Tampa Bay Times)

RENEWABLES:

• The Biden administration looks to expand tax credits for solar and wind projects to also apply to nuclear fission and fusion, geothermal, and other clean energy projects. (Reuters)
• The expanding use of renewable energy in the U.S. between 2019 and 2022 slashed carbon emissions equivalent to taking 71 million cars off the road each year, a new report finds. (The Guardian)

CLIMATE:

• SUVs worldwide emit more carbon each year than all but the world’s four top-emitting countries, and their growing popularity continues to jeopardize global climate goals. (Axios)
• Another home collapses into the sea in a coastal North Carolina community that’s already seen five other houses succumb to erosion and rising seas. (Washington Post, WTVD)

NUCLEAR: The Biden administration announces its aim to ​“reestablish U.S. leadership” in nuclear power by mitigating the risks of building large projects and setting an ​“aggressive deployment target.” (E&E News)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• China’s plans to scale up production and dominate the electric vehicle market threaten Michigan’s marquee industry and poses an economic and national security threat to the U.S., experts say. (Bridge)
• Federal filings show Mercedes-Benz contracted with three consulting firms to bring in at least 11 people for anti-union meetings ahead of an election in which workers voted not to join the United Auto Workers. (AL.com)

OIL & GAS:

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts natural gas-produced electricity consumption this summer will match last year’s record, despite electricity demand growth. (news release)
• As pro-gas groups work to dismantle gas bans across the country, recent meetings suggest they may turn their attention to new pro-electrification building codes and pilots in Massachusetts. (Boston Globe)
• New Mexico advocates and residents call on federal and state regulators to identify, plug and reclaim dozens of abandoned oil and gas wells in the San Juan Basin, and to hold industry accountable. (Albuquerque Journal)

SOLAR:

• A $156 million federal grant is expected to fund a transformative investment in residential solar for low-income households in Massachusetts, advocates and officials say. (Energy News Network)
• At least 27 Ohio counties have passed resolutions to block utility-scale solar projects as part of a state law that the state chamber of commerce says has ​“chased away investment in this state.” (WCMH)