Climate bill falls short on environmental justice, advocates say

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: A coalition of climate and environmental justice groups accuse Democrats of overselling the Inflation Reduction Act’s benefits to low-income families and communities of color. (Inside Climate News)

COAL: The owners of at least six U.S. coal plants this summer have announced they are delaying or considering delaying their closures over concerns about energy shortages. (Reuters)

Sponsored Link
Fresh Energy is hiring
Fresh Energy, a Minnesota-based clean energy nonprofit, is hiring a Managing Director of Industry to join the Energy Transition team. This role will shape and drive Fresh Energy’s work reducing carbon emissions and spurring an equitable energy transition across Minnesota’s industry and agriculture sectors. 

CLEAN ENERGY:
• Solar is expected to make up half of the 29.4 GW in new generating capacity deployed in the second half of 2022, with wind making up another 6 GW. (Utility Dive)
• A Massachusetts law signed in July allows the Bay State to jointly bid with Maine in a clean energy solicitation that is poised to turn northern Maine into a renewable energy hub. (Boston Globe)

STORAGE: Analysts predict the U.S. will deploy an average of 54 GWh of energy storage every year through 2031, reaching a total of 600 GWh installed by then. (Utility Dive)

POLITICS: The West Virginia coal industry turns on U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin over his support of a climate spending bill, intensifying Republican efforts to turn him out of office. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• U.S. oil refiners and pipeline operators expect energy consumption to be strong in the second half of the year despite fears of a recession and as high prices have driven down demand in recent weeks. (Reuters)
• The U.S. Interior Department told an Alaska village’s officials they’d have more time to comment on the proposed Willow oil drilling project but reversed course just days later. (Grist)

MINING: The federal government’s failure to quickly approve new mining permits threatens Biden administration plans to build a clean energy material supply chain. (E&E News)

SOLAR: Ford signs an agreement with DTE Energy to purchase 650 MW of new solar power to be added in Michigan, which the companies say is the largest ever renewable energy purchase from a U.S. utility. (Detroit News) 

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Ford says it will increase the price of its F-150 Lightning electric truck due to rising materials costs. (New York Times)
• Major electronics manufacturer Foxconn plans to build driverless electric tractors in Ohio starting early next year. (Reuters)

GRID: Sources in the power industry say Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is exerting extraordinary influence in the search for a new CEO of the state’s power grid, as well as what information the grid operator releases to the public. (Texas Tribune)

CLIMATE:
• Climate change is worsening the spread and severity of more than half of infectious diseases known to affect humans, a peer-reviewed study finds. (Grist)
• Warming temperatures are making conditions more dangerous for outdoor workers, but major companies are fighting states’ attempts to institute protections, and are likely to do the same if the Biden administration takes action. (Washington Post)

COMMENTARY:
• An engineering professor discusses how the U.S.’s current energy system disproportionately harms poor communities and communities of color, and how collecting data can help change that. (The Conversation)
• A recent rush of enthusiasm for heat pumps could easily crash if there isn’t adequate supply and funding to help interested Americans transition to electric heating, a cleantech entrepreneur writes. (Canary Media)

More from the Energy News Network: Midwest | Southeast | Northeast | West