INFRASTRUCTURE: The Congressional Progressive Caucus prepares a $10 trillion response to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill that will lay out a path to 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2035 and devote half of its spending to environmental justice initiatives. (HuffPost)
ALSO:
• An environmental group is spending $10 million on ads arguing that investments in clean energy infrastructure have bipartisan public support, as some Republicans remain resistant to spending on electric vehicle charging networks and the grid. (Axios)
• Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s open to using a mileage tax, rather than a gasoline tax, to help fund the infrastructure bill. (CNBC)
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CLIMATE:
• Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are on the guest list for the White House’s upcoming virtual climate summit. (Axios)
• More than 40 of the world’s biggest asset managers pledge a net-zero target across their holdings by 2050. (Bloomberg)
• Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed a wide-ranging climate change bill, which includes a pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 among other provisions. (Associated Press, WBUR)
CARBON CAPTURE: Two senators introduce a bill to extend a carbon capture and storage tax credit for five years and let businesses redeem the tax break as a direct payment. (Forbes)
UTILITIES:
• A new analysis finds that PG&E’s public safety power shutoffs in October 2019 may have prevented wildfires from burning more than 3 million acres. (San Francisco Chronicle)
• The Nebraska Public Power District could drastically reduce carbon emissions over the next three decades at little or no cost to ratepayers, according to a pair of studies produced for the utility. (Energy News Network)
PIPELINES: The Biden administration is reconsidering a penalty against a North Dakota pipeline owner for trespassing on tribal land after the fine was dramatically reduced by the Trump administration. (Inside Climate News)
NATURAL GAS:
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may be reconsidering its permit for a Massachusetts natural gas compressor posing health risks to the surrounding area — an unprecedented move for the regulator. (Drilled News)
• Two GOP senators introduce a bill to automatically allow any country with a free-trade agreement with the U.S. to receive exports of liquified natural gas. (E&E News, subscription)
SOLAR: Two nonprofits in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley launch a fund to outfit 20 area Habitat for Humanity homes with photovoltaic panels, bringing solar and lowering utility bills for families in need. (Energy News Network)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• After a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission, South Korean battery manufacturer SK Innovation considers multiple options that include abandoning its factories in Georgia. (Korea Herald)
• Illinois auto dealers are suing the state and electric vehicle startup Rivian for selling vehicles directly to customers. (Chicago Tribune)
• Court filings reveal Tesla wants a U.S. appeals court to reinstate an Obama-era federal regulation that would more than double penalties for automakers who fail to meet fuel efficiency standards. (Reuters)
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GEOTHERMAL: A new geothermal project in Minneapolis that will use existing underground water as a kind of thermal storage system would be among the first in the U.S. (MinnPost)
COMMENTARY:
• A carbon tax could help pay for President Biden’s $3 trillion infrastructure proposal, provided it’s tailored to avoid a “disproportionate burden on the poor and middle class,” an editorial board writes. (Washington Post)
• A Rhode Island advocate says that the state needs to pass a comprehensive policy package to ensure that Black and brown communities equally reap the benefits of the state’s offshore wind industry. (Providence Journal)
• The Los Angeles Times editorial board says the city should aggressively aim for 100% clean, renewable energy by 2035.