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☆ U.S. to limit Chinese firms, battery parts from winning EV tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration on Friday issued long-awaited guidance that will limit Chinese content in batteries eligible for electric vehicle tax credits starting next year. The FEOC rules come into effect in 2024 for completed batteries and 2025 for critical minerals used to produce them. Treasury said the few materials being exempted each account for less than 2% of the value of battery critical minerals. The rules are expected to further reduce the number of electric vehicles eligible for EV tax credits. Earlier this year, new battery and mineral sourcing requirements took effect with price and buyer income eligibility caps from Jan. 1.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, General Motors, Ford, Marco Rubio, Joe Manchin Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General, Ford, Energy Department, Companies, Energy Locations: Washington , DC, China, Michigan, North Korea, Russia, Iran, North America

☆ Biden criticizes US companies for keeping raised prices high 'even as inflation has come down'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Biden criticized companies that have failed to bring prices down even as inflation eases. The White House has blamed inflation on issues like supply chain disruptions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The president also said companies that are taking advantage of inflation to boost profits are "price gouging." The Commerce Department has developed new tools to assess risks to the supply chain and has partnered with the Energy Department on the supply of renewable energy resources. The supply chain group is co-chaired by Lael Brainard, the White House National Economic Council director, and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

Persons: Biden, —, Joe Biden, we've, Democrat Biden, Lael Brainard, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Service, Monday, Democrat, Human Services Department, Cabinet, The Commerce Department, Energy Department, Shipping, Transportation Department, White, National Economic Council, White House, White House Council, Economic Advisers, National Intelligence, Management, Science, Technology Locations: Ukraine, United States, U.S

An advanced geothermal project has begun pumping carbon-free electricity onto the Nevada grid to power Google data centers there, Google announced Tuesday. Getting electrons onto the grid for the first time is a milestone many new energy companies never reach, said Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Google's geothermal partner in the project, Houston-based Fervo Energy. Political Cartoons View All 1267 ImagesFervo is using this first pilot to launch other projects that will deliver far more carbon-free electricity to the grid. Google and Fervo Energy started working together in 2021 to develop next-generation geothermal power. Google announced back in 2020 that it would use carbon-free energy every hour of every day, wherever it operates, by 2030.

Persons: Tim Latimer, ” Latimer, Michael Terrell, We’re, ”, Terrell, “, ” Terrell, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Sarah Jewett, Latimer, DCVC, Rachel Slaybaugh, Fervo, Slaybaugh, it’s, Jewett Organizations: Google, Energy, International Energy Agency, Fervo Energy, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Energy Department, DOE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AP Locations: Nevada, Houston, Utah, Winnemucca , Nevada, Las Vegas, Reno, United States, California , Nevada , Utah, Hawaii , Oregon , Idaho, New Mexico, Latimer, Fervo, Beaver County , Utah

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday will convene the first meeting of his supply chain resilience council, using the event to announce 30 actions to improve access to medicine and needed economic data and other programs tied to the production and shipment of goods. “We’re determined to keep working to bring down prices for American consumers and ensure the resilience of our supply chains for the future,” said Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council and a co-chair of the new supply chain council. The announcement comes after supply chain problems fueled higher inflation as the United States recovered from the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. The Commerce Department has developed new tools to assess risks to the supply chain and has partnered with the Energy Department on the supply of renewable energy resources. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesBesides Brainard, the council will be co-chaired by Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

Persons: Joe Biden, “ We’re, ”, Lael Brainard, Biden, Brainard, Jake Sullivan Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, National Economic Council, Democrat, Human Services Department, Cabinet, The Commerce Department, Energy Department, Shipping, Transportation Department, White House, White House Council, Economic Advisers, National Intelligence, Management, Science, Technology Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Biden will convene his new supply chain council and announce 30 steps to strengthen U.S. logistics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden listens during a meeting with his administration's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and private sector CEOs in the South Court Auditorium of the White House December 22, 2021 in Washington, DC. "We're determined to keep working to bring down prices for American consumers and ensure the resilience of our supply chains for the future," said Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council and a co-chair of the new supply chain council. The announcement comes after supply chain problems fueled higher inflation as the United States recovered from the coronavirus pandemic in 2021. The Commerce Department has developed new tools to assess risks to the supply chain and has partnered with the Energy Department on the supply of renewable energy resources. Besides Brainard, the council will be co-chaired by Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.

Persons: Joe Biden, We're, Lael Brainard, Biden, Brainard, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Force, White, National Economic Council, Democrat, Human Services Department, Cabinet, The Commerce Department, Energy Department, Shipping, Transportation Department, White House, White House Council, Economic Advisers, National Intelligence, Management, Science, Technology Locations: Washington , DC, United States, U.S

☆ Former Coal Towns Get Money for Clean-Energy Factories
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In Weirton, W.Va., in the heart of coal country, a company started by MIT scientists plans to build a plant that will produce a metal and alloy critical for clean energy, fuel cells and cleaner steel. In Vernon, Texas, also a former coal town, a third-generation wind entrepreneur plans to manufacture turbines suitable for remote, rural locations. And in Vandergrift, Pa., and Louisville, Colo., a window maker plans to retrofit aging factories to produce thin, insulated units that help make buildings more energy efficient. They’re all projects getting federal funding designed to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers bring clean-energy jobs to former coal communities, part of a $1 trillion infrastructure package signed by President Biden in 2021. The Energy Department announced the projects on Monday.

Persons: Biden Organizations: MIT, The Energy Department Locations: Vernon , Texas, Vandergrift, Pa, Louisville, Colo

☆ The money you are saving at the pump this holiday season is probably only temporary
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Goldman Sachs researchers are projecting oil prices to jump nearly 20% next year. AdvertisementAs the holiday season approaches, drivers are experiencing a welcome respite at gas stations, but those savings will likely go away in the new year. Last week, West Texas Intermediate crude, a benchmark for oil prices, dipped to approximately $73 per barrel, a significant 20% drop from its late September peak of $94. "The big surprise of 2023 is stronger than expected non-OPEC supply growth, which we think will slow heading into 2024," Struyven said. And what the US economy doesn't need in the near future is Americans tightening their budgets after their summer of fun and the holiday spending season.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, —, GasBuddy, Daan Struyven, CNBC's, Dado Ruvic, Struyven, David Kelly, We're, Kelly Organizations: Service, West, AAA, OPEC, Reuters, US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Biden, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Energy Department, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Morgan Asset Management Locations: West Texas, OPEC, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia

☆ US Aims to Speed Heat Pump Manufacturing Using Cold War-Era Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. will fund nine projects with $169 million from last year's climate bill to speed manufacturing of heat pumps, systems that can heat and cool homes and businesses more efficiently, the Energy Department said on Friday. Heating and cooling homes and buildings, including critical infrastructure like military bases, drive more than 35% of U.S. energy consumption, according to her department. Compared to boilers fueled by natural gas, heat pumps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%, it says. The funding will go to manufacturers including Armstrong International in Michigan, Honeywell International in Louisiana, and Ice Air, LLC in South Carolina. The Energy Department said it expects to unveil another round of DPA investments in early 2024.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Timothy Gardner Organizations: WASHINGTON, Energy Department, Armstrong International, Honeywell International, Ice Air, LLC, The Energy Department Locations: U.S, Michigan, Louisiana, South Carolina

☆ Biden Signs Spending Bill, Staving Off a Government Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Lisa Friedman | More About Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden signed a short-term government funding bill on Thursday, narrowly averting a government shutdown but leaving a larger spending clash for Congress early next year. The Senate gave final approval to the package late Wednesday, about 48 hours before a shutdown deadline at midnight Friday. The vote in the Senate was 87 to 11, with 10 Republicans and one Democrat, Michael Bennet of Colorado, opposing the bill. It was approved by the House on Tuesday with near-unanimous support from Democrats and nearly half of House Republicans opposing it. The spending plan does not include additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Michael Bennet of Colorado Organizations: Congress, Energy Department, Jan, Republicans Locations: Israel, Ukraine, San Francisco, Pacific

☆ Biden signs stopgap spending bill, averting government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Jalen Beckford | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the stopgap spending bill into law, averting a shutdown for now and setting up a contentious fight over funding in the new year. The plan is not a full-year spending bill and only extends funding until January 19 for priorities including military construction, veterans’ affairs, transportation, housing and the Energy Department. Democrats have once again conceded aid for Ukraine after additional military assistance wasn’t included in the stopgap bill that passed in September. The measure passed with a vote of 336 to 95 in the House on Tuesday with more Democrats than Republicans voting in support. His predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, was ousted after putting the previous stopgap bill on the House floor at the end of September, though the move averted a shutdown.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, wasn’t, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Energy Department, Israel, Republicans Locations: Ukraine

The Energy Department is making a push to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, announcing up to $3.5 billion for companies that produce batteries and the critical minerals that go into them. Some officials, industry experts and others concerned about climate change uneasy supply of battery materials will not keep pace with demand. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law assigned $6 billion in total funding for battery material processing and manufacturing. An initial round went to 15 projects including companies that mine critical minerals like graphite and nickel, used in lithium batteries. Tom Moerenhout, a professor at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, said it will be a big challenge to ramp up the global supply of critical minerals for the projected battery demand in 2030.

Persons: Harris, Jodie Lutkenhaus, “ I’m, ”, ” Lutkenhaus, Matthew McDowell, Tom Moerenhout, “, Moerenhout Organizations: Energy Department, DOE, Biden, Texas, M University, Infrastructure Law, Georgia Institute of Technology, Columbia University's Center, Global Energy, Companies, ____, AP Locations: Asia, Albemarle, Kings Mountain , North Carolina, U.S

☆ Senate passes stopgap bill to avert government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Clare Foran | Ted | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Senate on Wednesday passed a stopgap bill to keep the government open, averting a shutdown for now while setting up a contentious fight over funding in the new year. The bill was approved by the House on Tuesday and will now be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 87 to 11. Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson will face another major leadership test as lawmakers navigate that challenge. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted after putting a stopgap bill on the House floor at the end of September.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: Energy Department, Democrats, Republicans Locations: Israel, Ukraine

If the House passes the bill, the Senate will next need to approve the measure. Government funding is currently set to expire at the end of the week on Friday, November 17. In the first major test of his leadership, newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson is pursuing an unusual two-step plan that would set up two new shutdown deadlines in January and February. The conservative House Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 30 hardliners, has taken an official position against Johnson’s two-part government funding plan. A number of conservatives oppose the stopgap bill because it would not implement the deep spending cuts they have demanded.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, CNN’s Kristin Wilson, Annie Grayer, Lauren Fox Organizations: Energy Department, Caucus, Republican, GOP, Freedom Caucus, Johnson’s Locations: Israel, Ukraine

It also slightly raised its 2023 forecast for growth in global oil demand and stuck to its relatively high 2024 prediction. Last week, oil prices slid to their lowest level since July, hurt by concerns that demand could wane in in top oil consumers U.S. and China. A U.S. crackdown on Russian oil exports could potentially disrupt supply, supporting prices further. Iraq's oil minister expects to reach an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and foreign oil companies to resume oil production from the Kurdish region's oilfields and resume northern oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Focal points for the market include the International Energy Agency's latest monthly oil market report later in the day.

Persons: Dun Jiao, Tatiana Meel, Leon Li, Emily Chow, Edwina Gibbs, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, ING, Organization of, Petroleum, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S . Treasury Department, Kurdistan Regional Government, of Commerce, International Energy, APEC, Markets, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, China, Washington, Moscow, Iraq, Kurdish, Turkey, Shanghai

☆ Oil prices edge up after OPEC says market fundamentals are strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Oil prices inched up on Tuesday after an OPEC report said market fundamentals remained strong and due to concerns supplies might be disrupted as the U.S. cracks down on Russian oil exports. Last week, oil prices slid to their lowest level since July, hurt by concerns that demand could wane in in top oil consumers U.S. and China. Iraq's oil minister expects to reach an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and foreign oil companies to resume oil production from the Kurdish region's oilfields and resume northern oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Oil prices were also supported by a U.S. crackdown on Russian oil exports, potentially disrupting supply. Focal points for the market include the International Energy Agency's latest monthly oil market report later in the day.

Persons: Dun Jiao, Tatiana Meel, Emily Chow, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Brent, Organization of, Petroleum, ANZ Research, Kurdistan Regional Government, of Commerce, U.S . Treasury Department, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, International Energy, Energy, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, China, Iraq, Kurdish, Turkey, Washington, Moscow

☆ US plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Department of Energy officials lead reporters on a tour of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, U.S. June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Richard Carson Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. plans to buy 1.2 million barrels of oil to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after it sold off the largest amount ever last year, the Energy Department said on Monday. If the purchase is finalized it will have bought back about 6 million barrels. Last month the Energy Department said it hopes to buy 3 million barrels for December delivery and another 3 million for January at the higher price. It said it expects to issue additional oil purchase solicitations for the reserve on a monthly basis through at least May 2024.

Persons: Richard Carson, Joe Biden, Joe, Biden, Timothy Gardner, Sandra Maler, Chris Reese Organizations: of Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, REUTERS, Rights, Energy Department, Thomson Locations: Freeport , Texas, U.S, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Russia

☆ Mike Johnson adds an interesting twist to the familiar government shutdown plotline
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The broad outlines of the government spending fight as it stands in November are the same as they were in October. Funding expires after Friday, November 17, and lawmakers do not have a definitive plan to pass a stopgap government funding bill. A procedural vote Tuesday will identify how many Democrats Johnson will need to pass his version of the bill. CNN has identified eight House Republicans currently opposed to Johnson’s laddered approach, and he can only afford to lose four. If Johnson opts to pass the bill without a majority built only of Republicans, it would require a large number of Democrats to set aside House rules.

Persons: ►, CNN’s Lauren Fox, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, Johnson, McCarthy, ” Johnson, Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, “ I’m, ” CNN’s Manu Raju Organizations: CNN, Republicans, ►, Capitol, Veterans Affairs, Energy Department –, White Locations: Israel, Ukraine

Steam feeding into the Unit 3 turbine generator of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. “The United States is now committed to trying to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy,” John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, said in September. One recent Pew survey found that 57 percent of Americans favor more nuclear plants, up from 43 percent in 2016. A NuScale engineer gave a tour of a control room simulator, modeling the company’s plans for new nuclear reactors, in 2013. “The demand for clean energy is almost unprecedented,” said Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group.

Persons: Biden, ” John Kerry, Biden’s, “, ”, Jacopo Buongiorno, Jimmy Carter, Rosalyn Carter, Bruce Springsteen, Dan Reicher, Gavin Newsom, Reicher, Clinton, Jeffrey Collins, Arnie Gundersen, John Williams, “ It’s, Patty Durand, Julie Kozeracki, Kendrick Brinson, Jay Wileman, Bill Gates, Dow, Roger Blomquist, NuScale Power, Jose Reyes, Adam Stein, it’s, they’re, Ahmed Abdulla, Robert Taylor, Leah Nash, NuScale, David Schlissel, Joshua Freed, didn’t, Maria Korsnick Organizations: Unit, Republicans, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Associated Press, Madison, Natural Resources Defense, California Gov, Democrat, Associated, Fairewinds Associates, Components, Workers, Georgia, Southern Company, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Energy Department, The New York Times, GE, Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Vogtle . Ontario, Tennessee Valley Authority, Argonne, National Laboratory, Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, NuScale, ”, Breakthrough Institute, Carleton University, Soaring, Institute for Energy Economics, United, Nuclear Energy Institute Locations: U.S, Waynesboro, Ga, Savannah, Georgia, United States, ”, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Jenkinsville, Vogtle, South Carolina, South, Canada, Tennessee, Argonne, Chicago, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Maryland, Pueblo County, Colo

CNN —House Republicans are pursuing a two-step plan for funding the government, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN, as Congress barrels toward another spending deadline next Friday. While Johnson embraced the right wing of his conference by pitching the two-step approach, he didn’t fully cave to their wishes. The package does not include the deep spending cuts that his right flank pushed for but instead extends funding at its current levels. “This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson said in a statement Saturday. The second part of the bill, which would extend funding until February 2, would include funding for the rest of the government.

Persons: Mike Johnson, “, Johnson, ” Johnson, Karine Jean, Pierre, ”, ” Jean, Chip Roy, Hakeem Jeffries, Shania Shelton Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, CNN, GOP, Republicans, Veterans Affairs, Energy Department, Republican, Democratic, ” “, appropriators, Caucus Locations: ”, Israel, Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — A project to build a first-of-a-kind small modular nuclear reactor power plant was terminated Wednesday, another blow to the Biden administration's clean energy agenda following cancellations last week of two major offshore wind projects. Oregon-based NuScale Power has the only small modular nuclear reactor design certified for use in the United States. “We absolutely need advanced nuclear energy technology to meet (the Biden administration’s) ambitious clean energy goals,'' spokeswoman Charisma Troiano said. In 2020, the Trump administration approved up to $1.4 billion for the project, known as the Carbon Free Power Project. Most prospective subscribers were unwilling to take on the risks associated with developing a first-of-a-kind nuclear project, the Utah group said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Charisma Troiano, “, Timothy Fox, Fox, Trump, Obama, John Hopkins, NuScale, Ken Cook, ” Cook, ___ McDermott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Idaho National Laboratory, Energy Department, DOE, ClearView Energy Partners, The Energy Department, Energy Department's, Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory, Carbon, Power, Congress, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Nuclear Energy Institute, Environmental, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, AP Locations: Oregon, United States, Utah, Idaho, New Jersey, U.S, Washington, Idaho Falls , Idaho, Energy Department's Idaho, California, Providence , Rhode Island

Nov 8 (Reuters) - NuScale Power (SMR.N) said on Wednesday it has agreed with a power group in Utah to terminate the company's small modular reactor project, dealing a blow to U.S. ambitions for a wave of nuclear energy to fight climate change and sending NuScale's shares down 20%. In 2020, the Department of Energy approved $1.35 billion over 10 years for the plant, known as the Carbon Free Power Project, subject to congressional appropriations. NuScale's Utah plant was expected to be the first SMR to win a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction. An Energy Department spokesperson said it was unfortunate news, but added, "We believe the work accomplished to date on CFPP will be valuable for future nuclear energy projects. So far, only NuScale's SMR design has been approved by the NRC.

Persons: NuScale, John Hopkins, Critics, Biden, Manas Mishra, Timothy Gardner, Shounak Dasgupta, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Leslie Adler Organizations: Department of Energy, Carbon, Power, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, SMR, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Energy Department, DOE, NRC, Thomson Locations: Utah, Romania, Kazakhstan, Poland, Ukraine, NuScale's Utah, U.S, Bengaluru, Washington

☆ How shipping more US natural gas to Europe helped fuel CO2 pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Tim Mclaughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The administration approved five U.S. LNG export licenses to serve the European market following Russia's invasion, having approved none beforehand. U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry told Reuters last year that greenhouse gas emissions were an inevitable "downside" to increasing LNG exports to European allies. CO2 emissions from the energy-intensive process of liquefying gas for export mark only one stage in the industry's overall climate impact. Critics argue that it is unclear whether the U.S. gas export boom to Europe is displacing coal or delaying a transition to renewables like solar and wind. NextDecade Corp has said its proposed terminal near Brownsville, Texas, could remove more than 90% of its expected 6.4 million tons per year of carbon emissions.

Persons: Arathy, Biden, John Kerry, Robert Fee, Critics, Alexandra Shaykevich, Sempra, Susan Richardson, Tim McLaughlin, Richard Valdmanis, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: Reuters, Cheniere Energy, United, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory, Biden White, LNG, The Energy Department, FERC, U.S, Energy Information Administration, Reuters Graphics, Washington, Venture Global, CCS, SEC, Talos Energy, NextDecade, Thomson Locations: Freeport, U.S, Freeport , Texas, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Texas, Cameron, Louisiana, Brownsville , Texas

☆ Senators urge US to take steps to boost battery production, citing China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Workers are seen at the production line of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EV) at a factory in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China August 28, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/ File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Two influential Democratic U.S. senators urged the Energy Department to take steps to boost U.S. battery manufacturing and next-generation battery research, citing China's dominance and export controls, according to a letter seen by Reuters. China dominates the global EV battery supply chain including production of graphite - the single largest component. The letter wants a committee briefing by Dec. 1 "on ongoing research and development of next-generation battery technologies." China accounts for 70% of the global production of lithium-ion batteries, the letter said, noting of five critical minerals required for most lithium-ion batteries, China "controls between 60-100% of the mining or refining for these minerals."

Persons: Stringer, Mark Warner, Joe Manchin, China's, Jennifer Granholm, David Shepardson, Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic U.S, Energy Department, Reuters, Senate, Energy, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Thomson Locations: Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, United States, Asia, U.S

In total, the cancellations equate to nearly one-fifth of President Joe Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030. Despite the setbacks, offshore wind continues to move forward, the White House said, citing recent investments by New York state and approval by the Interior Department of the nation’s largest planned offshore wind farm in Virginia. Hardy spoke at the American Clean Power industry group’s offshore wind conference in Boston last month on a panel with Morris. Phil Murphy, has established increasingly stringent clean energy goals, moving from 100% clean energy by 2050 to 100% by 2035. “Offshore wind is a lot bigger than Ørsted.”The first U.S. commercial-scale offshore wind farms are currently under construction: Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts and South Fork Wind off Rhode Island and New York.

Persons: jeopardizing, Ørsted, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Timothy Fox, “, Molly Morris, David Hardy, Hardy, Morris, “ We’re, ”, Walt Musial, Musial, Conor Bambrick, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Catherine Klinger, Catherine Bowes, ″ Bowes, Michael Brown, ” ___ McDermott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Interior Department, Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Industry, ClearView Energy Partners, Ørsted, American Clean, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Department, P, Environmental, ., Democratic Gov, New, U.S, Offshore, Ocean, ___, AP Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Danish, New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Virginia, Interior’s, Gulf of Mexico, East Coast, Washington, Norwegian, Jersey, United States, Boston, Europe, Virginia Beach, Rhode Island, . New Jersey, Rhode, North America, Providence , Rhode Island, Hill, Albany , New York, Catalini, Trenton , New Jersey

☆ Energy Dept. Pours Billions into Power Grids but Warns It’s Not Enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Brad Plumer | More About Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Energy Department on Monday announced $1.3 billion to help build three large power lines across six states, part of a new gusher of money from Washington to upgrade America’s electric grids so they can handle more wind and solar power and better tolerate extreme weather. In a major report published the same day, the Energy Department said that the nation’s vast network of transmission lines may need to expand by two-thirds or more by 2035 to meet President Biden’s goals to power the country with clean energy. That would help slash carbon dioxide emitted by gas and coal-fired electric plants — pollution that is heating the planet. “We need to seriously build out transmission,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. The nation’s electric system is divided into a patchwork of regions, each overseen by different operators.

Persons: Biden’s, Jennifer Granholm Organizations: Energy Department, ” Locations: Washington

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