Discover the Latest News and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future

The Biden administration spent the last year preparing to roll out one of the biggest emissions-fighting regulations the U.S. has ever seen. Now, one of its most ambitious provisions may not happen.

As far as climate regulations go, this one was pretty big: The U.S. EPA would require all new and existing fossil fuel plants to sharply cut or capture their emissions in the next decade, or else face shutdown. But now, the agency has decided to exempt the nation’s 2,000 or so existing gas plants, E&E News and other sources reported last week.

The EPA said that it’s instead planning a “stronger, more durable” rule for existing gas plants that also would crack down on how they pollute nearby, often disadvantaged communities. But the New York Times reports that agency officials also worried the rule could be overturned in court, and that it wouldn’t help get skeptical voters on President Biden’s side before the election.

Whatever comes next, if it doesn’t get done well before November, the EPA may miss its chance to regulate gas plant emissions altogether.

It’s only been a few weeks since reports suggested the EPA would also weaken its proposed tailpipe emissions rule, which would push automakers to speed up their transition to electric vehicles. But after automakers raised concerns about EV costs and still-weak charging infrastructure, it too may be on the chopping block.

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More clean energy news

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🌎 Kerry’s last stand: As John Kerry steps down as U.S. climate envoy, he made a final push for phasing out new gas infrastructure construction and cautioned that capturing carbon emissions won’t replace the need to decarbonize. (The Guardian)

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🛰️ Measuring methane: A methane-tracking satellite launched Monday, and aims to collect emissions data and map out leaking oil and gas infrastructure around the world. (NPR)

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💰 Rural clean energy boost: The U.S. Department of Energy announces $366 million for rural renewable energy projects across 20 states and 30 tribal nations. (The Hill)

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💸 Cracking down on utility spending: At least a dozen states seek to limit utilities from spending ratepayer money on lobbying, advertising, and other costs in the wake of corruption scandals like the FirstEnergy scandal unfolding in Ohio. (States Newsroom, Floodlight/Mother Jones)

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🌊 Offshore wind’s ‘terrifying’ threat: Offshore wind industry leaders say former President Trump’s election poses a “terrifying” threat to their already struggling industry, with one official saying that “anyone who is telling themselves that they’ll find a way around it is kidding themselves.” (E&E News)

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☀️ A big leap for solar: A clean energy group’s analysis finds a $7 billion federal program is on track to help more than 700,000 lower-income households install solar and storage systems, making it the largest such investment in U.S. history. (Canary Media)

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🔥 Energy storage heats up: At least 30 startups look to store renewable power by heating up rocks and other materials, hoping thermal storage can solve solar and wind’s intermittency challenges. (Canary Media)

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🧟 Zombie hunt: Environmental groups propose policies that could help states clean up and repurpose nearly 1 million acres of idled, unreclaimed “zombie” coal mines across 12 states. (Daily Yonder)

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OIL & GAS: An Ohio judge dismisses environmental groups’ request to halt a state commission’s plan to start accepting bids for oil and gas drilling under state park and wildlife areas. (Energy News Network)

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AIR POLLUTION: Chicago environmental justice advocates score a “significant” victory as the U.S. EPA directs Illinois to make sweeping changes to its permitting process for polluting industries in neighborhoods. (Grist)

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PIPELINES:

• Former North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple says federal bureaucracy cost the state $38 million in Dakota Access pipeline policing costs as U.S. attorneys dispute the expenses. (North Dakota Monitor)
• South Dakota lawmakers are now considering 10 bills related to a proposed carbon pipeline as some landowners remain fiercely opposed to the use of eminent domain for the project. (South Dakota News Watch)
• The Sierra Club claims carbon pipeline developer Summit Carbon Solutions owes nearly $60,000 for site prep work to several Iowa counties. (Globe Gazette)

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UTILITIES: In seeking to ban campaign contributions from utilities, a Michigan lawmaker says it’s much cheaper for companies to buy political influence than invest in grid reliability. (Michigan Advance)

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CLEAN ENERGY: Michigan regulators will hold a public hearing next week in Detroit to gather input on carrying out sweeping new clean energy laws. (MLive)

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SOLAR: A $2.4 million solar installation coming to a Twin Cities-area corrections facility is part of a broader clean energy plan for Minnesota’s most populous county. (Star Tribune)

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CLIMATE: An Indiana researcher says localized actions and advocacy to help curb climate change could help prevent forecasted damages to local ecosystems and rising precipitation. (Indianapolis Star)

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RENEWABLES:

• Former Ohio regulator Sam Randazzo, who’s been indicted for his alleged role in a utility corruption scheme, also previously aligned with a known anti-renewable advocate in the region. (Checks and Balances Project)
• Detroit-based DTE Energy is seeking proposals to develop 1,075 MW of renewable energy projects to support its long-term clean energy plan. (North American Windpower)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A nascent movement of moms across the country is pushing for schools to transition to electric buses amid mounting evidence on the health harms of childrens’ exposure to diesel buses. (Associated Press)

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GRID:

• Ameren Missouri says in a new report that recent grid infrastructure upgrades prevented outages for roughly 66,000 customers in 2023. (KFVS)
• Grid operators MISO and Southwest Power Pool agree to conduct another shared grid study this year even though the past five studies have failed to produce an interregional transmission project. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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CLIMATE: Federal regulators are scrambling to implement policies to cut heat-trapping emissions and meet U.S. climate obligations in case the White House changes hands after the 2024 election. (Bloomberg)

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ALSO:

• The SEC has reportedly weakened a proposed emissions disclosure rule amid pushback from business interests. (Reuters)
• A judge rules in favor of Texas cryptocurrency companies’ challenge to efforts by the U.S. Department of Energy to collect data on the sector’s energy consumption. (International Business Times)

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HYDROGEN: An anticipated Supreme Court ruling could help hydrogen producers in their challenge to the 45V tax credit, which aims to ensure “green” hydrogen is produced from new clean energy resources. (E&E News)

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OIL & GAS:

• A warm winter and increased U.S. production have pushed natural gas prices to their lowest levels in more than 30 years. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
• Environmentalists say Pennsylvania’s abandoned oil and gas well plugging project needs more oversight, as much of the funds going toward the effort aren’t being used on the worst wells. (Spotlight PA)
• An Ohio judge dismisses environmental groups’ request to halt a state commission’s plan to start accepting bids for oil and gas drilling under state park and wildlife areas. (Energy News Network)

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WIND:

• The sight of wind farms and other renewables in West Virginia coal country still stir emotions in residents who grew up grounded in coal culture and are uncomfortable with the clean energy transition. (NPR)
• The mayor of Ocean City, Maryland, rejects the community incentive package offered by US Wind in exchange for a commitment to not speak negatively about the developer’s local plans. (Salisbury Daily Times)

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UTILITIES: A new Virginia commission to provide state lawmakers more guidance on increasingly complicated utility and energy bills could give new life to stalled proposals to restrict utilities’ spending and introduce more competition for wind and solar. (Energy News Network)

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POLLUTION: Chicago environmental justice advocates score a “significant” victory as the U.S. EPA directs Illinois to make sweeping changes to its permitting process for polluting industries in neighborhoods. (Grist)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A nascent movement of moms across the country is pushing for schools to transition to electric buses amid mounting evidence on the health harms of childrens’ exposure to diesel buses. (Associated Press)

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COAL: Arizona regulators reject a utility’s proposed coal community transition fund aimed at helping the Navajo Nation weather mine and power plant retirements in the northern part of the state and New Mexico. (NM Political Report)

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POLITICS: Utah lawmakers pass legislation amending state energy policy to prioritize dispatchable power sources, including fossil fuel generation, over clean energy. (Utah News Dispatch)

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HYDROPOWER: The Biden administration and four Northwest tribal nations sign an agreement opening the door to breaching four hydropower dams in Washington state to restore fish populations. (Tri-City Herald)

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EMISSIONS: The U.S. EPA plans to weaken its power plant emissions rule by excluding existing natural gas plants from the regulation, instead promising a “comprehensive” rule that will also address local pollutants that affect neighborhoods surrounding the plants. (E&E News)

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ALSO: The change gets support from environmental justice groups, but climate-focused Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says the delay may cost the EPA its chance to regulate existing gas plants altogether. (E&E News)

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OVERSIGHT: President Biden nominates three new members, two Democrats and one Republican, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Utility Dive)

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UTILITIES:

• At least a dozen states seek to limit utilities from spending ratepayer money on lobbying, advertising, and other costs in the wake of corruption scandals and rising rates. (States Newsroom)
• The FirstEnergy scandal unfolding in Ohio is part of a resurgence of fraud and corruption in the U.S. utility sector that come as those companies aim to spend billions of dollars in clean energy initiatives. (Floodlight/Mother Jones)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Biden administration plans to probe Chinese-made “smart cars” that can track drivers’ whereabouts as China increases its foothold in the electric vehicle market. (Associated Press)

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GRID: States across the country consider legislation on grid-enhancing technologies that maximize current transmission and increase renewable energy capacity. (E&E News, subscription)

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WIND:

• Two proposed New York offshore wind farm projects have been revived after the state awards contracts in a competitive auction. (Canary Media)
• California developers say the 22-year planning, permitting and construction timeline for a new wind power facility on the state’s coast illustrates the challenges for the industry. (Politico)

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PIPELINES:

• Developers propose three major gas pipelines for central North Carolina, facing residents with the prospect of increased methane emissions and a higher accident rate in disadvantaged neighborhoods. (NC Newsline)
• South Dakota carbon pipeline opponents raise doubts about the future of a proposed $1 billion sustainable aviation fuel facility that depends on a multi-state carbon pipeline. (South Dakota Searchlight)

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EFFICIENCY: The Biden administration announces new washer and dryer efficiency standards. (Grist)

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SOLAR: A pollinator scorecard developed at Michigan State University helps solar developers mitigate the effects of utility-scale projects when applying for permits. (Interlochen Public Radio)

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CLIMATE:

• Representatives from frontline climate communities across the Americas testify for a human rights commission in Washington, D.C., as worsening weather drives them to more stable areas. (Guardian)
• A study finds human-caused climate change cost U.S. ski areas $5 billion from 2000-2019. (Associated Press)

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OIL & GAS:

• Two Republican senators introduce a bill that would reverse the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas exports. (The Hill)
• An Arizona nonprofit finds orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells threaten cultural resources in the Southwest and urge the Biden administration to update federal reclamation bonding requirements to mitigate the harm. (news release; E&E News, subscription)

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CRYPTOCURRENCY: The Biden administration appears to have reached a settlement with crypto miners after the planned collection of energy usage data led to a lawsuit by a Texas nonprofit that represents the industry. (Utility Dive)

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CLIMATE: State and local governments, including those in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, are preparing applications for a $5 billion federal grant program to implement big ideas in climate action plans. (Energy News Network)

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EFFICIENCY: The home builder lobby is mobilizing members to fight stronger energy-efficient building standards, inflating upfront costs and ignoring how efficiency measures could quickly pay for themselves through lower energy bills. (Washington Post)

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UTILITIES:

• Ohio utility regulators will resume investigations related to FirstEnergy and HB 6 and whether ratepayer funding was used for political spending. (Crain’s Cleveland Business, subscription)
• A forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court ruling related to Illinois’ bribery statute could upend the convictions of four former ComEd executives, according to defense attorneys. (Center Square)

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GRID:

• Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials prepare to ask voters whether to approve a Sustainable Energy Utility that would deploy microgrids connecting solar, geothermal and battery storage across the city. (Michigan Public)
• Just months after receiving a $368 million rate increase, DTE Energy appears poised to request another increase this spring for grid infrastructure investments. (Planet Detroit)
• Four electric grid operators call on federal regulators to improve natural gas networks and market rules to avoid energy emergencies recently seen in Texas and the Northeast. (E&E News)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A North Dakota environmental group says a $300,000 public contract to a consultant to educate residents about carbon capture is essentially lobbying for the practice. (North Dakota Monitor)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• President Biden’s push for electric vehicle adoption divides unionized auto workers in Michigan, a crucial swing state where concerns remain about long-term job losses tied to the transition. (New York Times, Politico)
• Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian will lay off 10% of its salaried workers amid recent quarterly losses and growing market competition. (CNN)

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SOLAR: A developer begins early siting work for a planned 1,400-acre solar project in southwestern Indiana. (WEVV)

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COMMENTARY: A retired Michigan minister and columnist says state lawmakers should pass a pair of bipartisan bills that would open community solar in the state. (Holland Sentinel)

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POLLUTION: Colorado lawmakers introduce a suite of bills aimed at reducing ozone pollution that would pause summer oil and gas drilling, restrict gasoline-fueled automobile traffic and increase fines for polluters. (Colorado Sun)

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COAL: As cases of black lung surge on the Navajo Nation, a study finds Indigenous coal miners are less likely to receive federal benefits. (Rocky Mountain PBS)

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OIL & GAS:

• Colorado landowners file a lawsuit accusing oil and gas companies of using fraudulent transfers to dodge their responsibility for cleaning up non-producing wells. (news release)
• The Biden administration allocates $50 million for plugging and remediating orphaned oil and gas wells in national parks, forests and wildlife refuges. (news release)

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STORAGE:

• Sunrun says its home battery sales have surged since California slashed net metering compensation for rooftop solar. (Bloomberg)
• A developer begins construction on a utility-scale green hydrogen-plus-battery long duration storage system in California. (Solar Power World)

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UTILITIES:

• Washington state lawmakers propose offering low- and moderate-income residents a $200 utility bill rebate to offset fuel costs blamed on a new carbon cap-and-invest program. (Crosscut)
• An Alaska utility looks to reduce its reliance on natural gas generation while also scrapping a goal to reach 50% renewable energy by 2025. (KDLL)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A California nonprofit plans to launch an electric bicycle voucher program for low-income residents this spring. (inewsource)

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SOLAR:

• Arizona regulators approve a utility’s proposed monthly surcharge on customers with rooftop solar. (Arizona Republic)
• A developer secures $1 billion in financing for a 150 MW solar-plus-storage project under construction in Kern County, California. (Energy Storage News)

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WIND: California lawmakers raise concerns about a recently approved long-term energy plan that downgrades offshore wind targets. (Politico)

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CLIMATE: The University of Arizona delays implementing its new climate plan, citing a $177 million budget deficit. (Grist)

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HYDROPOWER: Alaska utilities move forward with a plan to alter a hydropower dam even though local officials asked them to pause the project to consider possible impacts. (Anchorage Daily News)

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URANIUM:

• Utah Indigenous advocates push back on state lawmakers’ proposal to incentivize mining for uranium and other critical materials, saying it prioritizes private interests over public health. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• An Arizona county calls for the closure of a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon, saying it could contaminate groundwater. (KNAU)

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CLIMATE: Some oil companies line up to defend Washington’s new carbon cap-and-invest program against a ballot measure to repeal it, saying fixing the program’s flaws would be more effective than killing it. (Grist)

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ALSO: Oregon advocates challenge the Portland regional government’s transportation plan, saying it won’t live up to the state’s climate mandates and fails to reduce driving. (Oregonian)

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OIL & GAS:

• The federal Bureau of Land Management seeks public input on its review of 2020 oil and gas leases in New Mexico being challenged in court. (news release)
• New Mexico lawmakers put the brakes on a $500 million plan to reuse treated oil and gas wastewater as a “strategic water supply,” and plan to gather more information first. (Source NM)
• The developer of the planned Pikka oil and gas project on Alaska’s North Slope expects the facility to produce as much as 150,000 barrels of crude daily beginning in 2026. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

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GRID: A report finds Northwest utilities relied on power imports from neighboring balancing areas to meet surging demand during a January cold snap, showing the region’s grid is at a reliability “tipping point.” (RTO Insider, subscription)

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CLEAN ENERGY: New Mexico lawmakers advance a legislative package that includes tax credits for solar, clean cars, geothermal energy and heat pumps. (NM Political Report)

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UTILITIES: An Alaska utility warns lawmakers that importing natural gas to offset a looming shortfall may not be feasible until 2030, far later than previously expected. (KDLL)

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HYDROGEN: A California transit agency says it “took a little risk” by investing in 57 hydrogen buses before the fuel produced from clean energy sources becomes widely available. (Mercury News)

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TRANSPORTATION: Arizona Republican lawmakers look to permanently kill a proposed commuter rail line between Phoenix and Tucson, saying the funds should be used to expand freeways instead. (Arizona Daily Star)

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PUBLIC LANDS: Arizona Republican lawmakers sue the Biden administration over last year’s designation of a national monument near the Grand Canyon that withdrew the land from new uranium mining claims. (Arizona Daily Star)

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COMMENTARY:

• A Nevada advocate urges support for a Biden administration Western solar plan option that limits development to previously disturbed areas within 10 miles of existing or planned transmission. (Sage & Sand)
• An Oregon consumer advocate says a Western day-ahead market must cover the broadest possible geographic footprint, including California, to ensure improved grid reliability and deliver greater dividends. (Utility Dive)
• A Wyoming advocate calls on lawmakers to repeal a carbon capture mandate for aging coal plants, saying it increases utility bills and relies on unproven technology. (WyoFile)

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CLIMATE: JPMorgan Chase and State Street quit an international coalition aimed at curbing big companies’ investment-related greenhouse gas emissions, while BlackRock scales back its involvement. (Reuters)

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ALSO: Combining state, local and private-sector efforts to reduce emissions are more effective than any efforts on their own, researchers find, noting that public-sector emissions rules can drive companies to follow suit. (The Hill)

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CLEAN ENERGY: Solar and battery storage will make up more than 80% of new large-scale energy construction in the U.S. this year, while the country will add the smallest amount of new gas capacity in 25 years, the Energy Information Administration predicts. (E&E News, subscription)

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GRID:

• Some state utility regulators worry the U.S. EPA’s proposed power plant emissions reduction rule threatens grid reliability, while others say it’s key to helping states meet their climate goals. (Utility Dive)
• ERCOT officials are skeptical of a U.S. House bill to connect Texas’ grid to the rest of the country, suggesting the plan could disincentivize construction of new generation in the state. (E&E News, subscription)

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OIL & GAS:

• Federal regulators approve two projects along the Gulf Coast that are expected to accelerate natural gas exports. (E&E News)
• The U.S. House approves a bill that would block the Biden administration’s ability to block natural gas export projects, though it’s unlikely to pass the Senate. (The Hill)
• Tribal nations and advocates push back against a proposed pipeline that would carry Permian Basin natural gas to an export terminal in Mexico, saying it threatens sacred sites and could fuel the LNG boom. (DeSmog)

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POLITICS: Republicans pushing for climate action vow to keep working even if former President Trump is elected and turns the tide against them. (E&E News)

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SOLAR:

• An Arizona company announces plans for a $344 million solar panel recycling facility in rural Georgia, which will also manufacture enough glass to supply 5 GW worth of new panels per year. (Associated Press)
• The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe expects to break ground later this year on a planned 756 MW solar installation on its land in southwestern Colorado. (KSUT)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe participates in a $13.4 million intertribal electric vehicle charging network and deploys six electric vehicles to serve residents. (South Dakota Searchlight)

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OFFSHORE WIND:

• The U.S. EPA issues a Clean Air Act permit for New York’s Empire offshore wind project, slated to produce over 2 GW of power. (Reuters)
• Louisiana businesses with expertise in oil and gas extraction are finding opportunities in offshore wind. (Governing)

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OVERSIGHT: Amid new allegations that former Ohio utility regulator Sam Randazzo had a corrupt relationship with FirstEnergy dating back to 2010, Gov. Mike DeWine faces questions about whether he knew about that relationship when appointing Randazzo in 2019. (Ohio Capital Journal)

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NATURAL GAS: More than 90 environmental organizations call on the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island to oppose the expansion of a major natural gas pipeline through the states. (WBUR)

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ALSO:

• Pennsylvania’s governor moves to require fracking companies to publicly report the chemicals they use when drilling. (StateImpact)
• Environmental groups ask state regulators to release details about the economic and environmental impacts of converting a western New York coal plant to natural gas. (Buffalo News)

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SOLAR:

• A new Rhode Island program lets qualifying residents pay to lease rooftop solar panels, helping lower their cost to access solar power. (Providence Journal)
• Researchers tour Massachusetts to share their recommendations for how solar farms, agriculture and forest lands can best coexist in the state. (Athol Daily News)
• A northern New Hampshire group partners with a solar installer to offer free home solar evaluations for residents in hopes of getting more people to install panels. (NHPR)
• Maine environmental regulators look to fine a solar company nearly $150,000 for failing to control erosion at a project. (Maine Monitor)
• Colchester, Vermont, officials approve a funding boost for the town’s third municipal solar project. (Colchester Sun)

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GRID:

• Maine’s two biggest utilities ask state regulators to let them own battery storage facilities, something that isn’t allowed under the state’s deregulated utility structure. (Lewiston Sun Journal)
• NJ Transit cancels a microgrid project that would’ve used natural gas as a backup power source for its trains, saying it was not “financially feasible” and that other grid improvements made it unnecessary.

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UTILITIES:

• Maine’s senate president introduces legislation that would bar utilities from shutting off customers’ power during extreme weather or if their bills are lower than a certain amount. (Maine Morning Star)
• Connecticut’s largest utility won’t start installing smart meters for customers until 2026, delaying its initial plans for a $766 million meter overhaul by at least a year. (Hartford Courant)

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EMISSIONS: Residents in a Pittsburgh-area town voice concerns about emissions from a longstanding coke plant as regulators consider whether to renew its operating permit. (Inside Climate News)

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WIND:

• New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation has so far gotten six bids from developers. (Renewable Energy World)
• Offshore wind opponents hold a conference on Cape Cod to raise concerns about environmental harms and a lack of transparency in the construction of wind farms in the region. (Cape Cod Times)
• Wind power opponents, including some Congress members, also gather in Ocean City, Maryland, to raise similar issues. (Salisbury Daily Times)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Connecticut lawmakers decide against holding a special session to revamp electric vehicle regulations, as the next regular session begins next week. (Connecticut Public Radio)
• Four new fast electric vehicle chargers come online at Massachusetts Turnpike rest stops. (Telegram & Gazette)
• Federal funding will help install 41 electric vehicle chargers in New York’s Oneida County. (Utica Observer Dispatch)

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COMMENTARY:

• New Hampshire’s utilities need a new business model that rewards them for achieving state reliability, climate, and rate goals, writes a clean energy advocate. (Concord Monitor)
• A Connecticut energy consumer advocate calls for a buildout of the state’s electric grid to support more clean energy, which could lower power costs and boost reliability. (CT Mirror)
• Maryland advocates protest planned transit funding cuts, saying their effects will fall hardest on low-income residents and threaten climate goals. (Maryland Matters)

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OIL & GAS: More than 11,000 underground natural gas storage sites across the U.S. could have a single barrier to failure that puts them at risk of a major methane leak, according to a new federal analysis. (Floodlight)

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ALSO:

• If a Biden administration review finds that liquefied natural gas exports are a significant driver of climate change, it could lead to a permanent ban on the practice. (E&E News)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management abandons work on a resource management plan ten years in the making that would guide oil and gas development in northwestern New Mexico’s Chaco region, baffling conservationists and the industry alike. (Capital & Main)

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SOLAR:

• FEMA will soon start putting solar panels on schools, hospitals and other public buildings when they’re rebuilt after disasters, with the hopes of boosting resilience in future extreme weather events. (New York Times)
• Texas breaks its record for the amount of grid power coming from solar, with more than 15 GW of solar providing 36% of power on the grid on Sunday. (KUT)
• An energy justice cooperative is selected to develop three community solar projects around Chicago that backers say will help lower energy costs for low- and moderate-income communities. (Inside Climate News)
• Data show demand for rooftop solar installations in California has fallen 80% since regulators slashed net-metering compensation for residential arrays. (CalMatters)

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CLIMATE: Researchers estimate climate change has killed at least 4 million people around the world since 2000, crediting increasingly extreme weather for excess deaths. (Grist)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Electric transportation became the world’s top category of energy transition investment last year, surpassing renewables. (Inside Climate News)
• Advocates say making many Level 1 charging outlets available to renters in large buildings could do more to convince them to adopt electric vehicles than installing a few faster charging ports. (Grist)
• Three top truck makers form an association to push for the buildout of charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty trucks. (New York Times)
• Charging electric vehicles in Massachusetts could get less expensive under two utility proposals, but advocates argue tweaks could make the transition faster and more fair. (Energy News Network)

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HYDROGEN: Hydrogen produced with clean energy could be essential to decarbonizing heavy industry, but questions remain over just how clean it really is. (Canary Media)

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EFFICIENCY: The U.S. Energy Department proposes rules that would require modest efficiency improvements for new gas stoves. (E&E News)

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MINING: An investigation finds proposed lithium mines across the West will require billions of gallons of water, further stressing supplies in drought-plagued areas. (Howard Center)

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COMMENTARY: President Biden’s pause on new LNG export approvals is more of a political signal than a climate win, an editorial board writes. (Washington Post)

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