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☆ California sues oil giants for downplaying risks posed by fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of oil drilling equipment on federal land near Fellows, California, U.S., April 15, 2023. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group, has also been listed as a defendant in the case, according to the filing. California has sought the creation of an abatement fund to pay for future damages caused by climate-related disasters in the state, the filing showed. Sharing a similar sentiment, Shell said in an emailed statement, "We do not believe the courtroom is the right venue to address climate change." California Governor Gavin Newsom, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, "California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable."

Persons: Nichola, Shell, Gavin Newsom, ConocoPhillips didn't, Kanjyik Ghosh, Lavanya, Nate Raymond, Mark Potter, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Chevron Corp, Conocophillips, Exxon Mobil Corp, Shell PLC, BP, ConocoPhillips, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Fellows , California, U.S, California, San Francisco, United States, Bangalore, Boston

☆ California sues oil giants for downplaying risks posed by fossil fuels - NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of oil drilling equipment on federal land near Fellows, California, U.S., April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Nichola Groom/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Bp Plc FollowChevron Corp FollowConocophillips Follow Show more companiesSept 16 (Reuters) - The state of California has sued major oil companies including Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), Shell PLC (SHEL.L), and Chevron Corp (CVX.N), accusing them of playing down the risks posed by fossil fuels, the New York Times reported on Friday. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group, has also been listed as a defendant in the case, the report said, adding that California has sought the creation of an abatement fund to pay for future damages caused by climate related disasters in the state. The legal action follows dozens of lawsuits filed in recent years against the fossil fuel industry by states and municipalities across the United States broadly alleging harms from climate impacts including extreme weather. Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bangalore; additional reporting by Lavanya Ahire; editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nichola, Kanjyik Ghosh, Lavanya, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Chevron Corp, Conocophillips, Exxon Mobil Corp, Shell PLC, New York Times, BP, ConocoPhillips, American Petroleum Institute, Congress, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Fellows , California, U.S, California, San Francisco, United States, Chevron, Bangalore

☆ Biden’s offshore wind target slipping out of reach as projects struggle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The 2030 target, unveiled shortly after Biden took office, is central to Biden's broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050. The energy research firm expects 21 GW of offshore wind along U.S. shores in 2030, breaking 30 GW by 2032. Still, offshore wind developers including Orsted have said the IRA’s subsidies are insufficient for projects to thrive in the current environment, and are lobbying the administration for additional concessions. The nation currently has just two pilot-scale offshore wind farms capable of producing 42 megawatts of electricity. Stephanie McClellan, executive director of the offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, said making sure the first fleet of projects succeeds was more important than a particular timeline.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Kris Ohleth, It's, Samantha Woodworth, Wood Mackenzie, Michael Brown, France's, it's, Kelly Penot, Rousseau, Orsted, Michael Kikukawa, Samah Shaiq, Shaiq, Doreen Harris, NYSERDA, Elizabeth Mahony, Stephanie McClellan, Nichola Groom, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, BP, Shell, Companies, Developers, Ocean Winds, Reuters, Biden, U.S . Department of Energy, DOE, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, New York State Department of Public Service, Equinor, Orsted . Massachusetts Department of Energy, Office of Energy, Environmental Affairs, New, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Thomson Locations: Rhode, U.S, North American, Massachusetts, Gulf of Mexico, Europe, Asia, China, United Kingdom, New Jersey, New York, Orsted .

☆ Factbox: US offshore wind projects facing inflation headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

One megawatt (MW) can power about 1,000 U.S. homes but since wind is an intermittent resource - 1 MW of offshore wind can power about 500 U.S. homes, according to offshore wind developers. SOUTH FORKDenmark's Orsted (ORSTED.CO), the world's largest offshore wind power developer, is building the 132-MW project off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. COMMONWEALTH WINDThe 1,232-MW project off Massachusetts, which was formerly a part of the larger New England Wind project, is also facing potential delays. ATLANTIC SHORES OFFSHORE WIND SOUTHThe joint venture between Shell and French EDF is developing a large offshore wind park off New Jersey. MARWINMaryland's first offshore wind project is expected to start operations in 2025-2026.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, GW, Lazard, Vineyard, Orsted, Eversource, NYSERDA, Norway's Equinor, Avangrid, MARWIN, Nerijus Adomaitis, Nichola Groom, Scott DiSavino, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal, State, White, REUTERS, U.S, U.S . Department of Energy, Reuters, Washington , D.C, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Avangrid, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Public Service Enterprise, Orsted, Eversource Energy, Rhode Island Energy, Dominion Energy, Virginia Beach, Dominion, NYSERDA, COMMONWEALTH, Shell, EDF, US, Italy's Renexia SpA, US Wind, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington ,, Spanish, Copenhagen, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode, Connecticut, Orsted, VIRGINIA, Virginia, York, Long, Montauk, Massachusetts, French, ATLANTIC, Atlantic Shores, Italy's Renexia, Maryland

However, as government policies started to line up in the industry's favor in recent years, offshore wind developers unveiled a host of new project proposals, mostly off the U.S. East Coast. Many contracts for offshore wind projects have no mechanism for adjustment in the case of higher interest rates or costs. In New York, offshore wind developers also sought to boost the price of power produced at their projects. Norway's Equinor EQNR.OL and its partner BP (BP.L) are seeking a 54% increase for the power produced at three planned offshore wind farms - Empire Wind 1 and 2 and Beacon Wind. But the offshore wind industry is not fully satisfied.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Eli Rubin, Rubin, Equinor, France's, Scott DiSavino, Nerijus, Nichola Groom, Simon Webb, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal, State, White, REUTERS, U.S ., Dominion, EBW Analytics, Reuters, U.S . Federal Reserve, Commonwealth, BP, Nichola, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Europe, U.S . East Coast, Rhode, Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Oslo, Culver City

☆ Biden administration to announce cancellation of Alaska wildlife drilling leases-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden convenes the fourth virtual leader-level meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday will announce the cancellation of oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state agency in 2021, according to sources briefed on the matter. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) was issued seven leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who had pledged to protect the habitat for polar bears and caribou. Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los AngelesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom Organizations: Major Economies, White, REUTERS, U.S . Interior Department, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Wildlife, Los Angeles Our, Thomson Locations: Energy, Washington , U.S, U.S, Alaska, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ Biden Administration to Announce Cancellation of Alaska Wildlife Drilling Leases-Sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday will announce the cancellation of oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state agency in 2021, according to sources briefed on the matter. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) was issued seven leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, who had pledged to protect the habitat for polar bears and caribou. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles)

Persons: Joe Biden, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Interior Department, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Wildlife Locations: U.S, Alaska, Washington, Los Angeles

Interior Department on Wednesday said it would cancel oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state development agency in the final days of former President Donald Trump's administration. Environmentalists and an Alaska indigenous group praised the move while a Republican Senator from Alaska slammed it. A Republican-passed tax bill in 2017 opened the area to oil and gas leasing and directed Interior to hold two lease sales by December 2024. The oil and gas industry largely failed to embrace the 2021 lease sale, which generated just $14 million in high bids, mostly from AIDEA. “We commend Secretary Haaland for canceling unlawfully issued oil-and-gas leases in the Arctic Refuge,” Abigail Dillen, president of environmental group Earthjustice, said in a statement.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Biden, Deb Haaland, AIDEA, “, ” Abigail Dillen, Dan Sullivan, Interior's, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom, Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Library, Fish, REUTERS, Conocophillips, U.S . Interior Department, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Wildlife, Democrat, National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska Natives, Trump, ConocoPhillips, United Nations, ALASKA Trump's Interior Department, Republican, Biden, Thomson Locations: Beaufort, Wildlife Service Alaska, U.S, Alaska, United States, ALASKA Trump's, ANWR, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ First US offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico attracts paltry interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

RWE is among the world's largest offshore wind developers, with an extensive portfolio in Europe, and has also secured leases off the coasts of California and New York. The Southeast also has low power prices that could make it harder for higher-cost offshore wind generation to compete for electricity contracts. Texas does not have an offshore wind target. "Today's auction results show the important role state public policy plays in offshore wind market development," Liz Burdock, CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, said in a statement. They included offshore wind development arms of European energy companies Equinor (EQNR.OL) and Shell (SHEL.L), who also have oil and gas operations in the Gulf.

Persons: Karen, Steve Nesius, Biden administration's, Germany's, RWE, Liz Burdock, Joe Biden's, ”, Elizabeth Klein, Nichola, Marguerita Choy, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, ASA, Texas, U.S . Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Carolinas, Business Network, Offshore, of Ocean Energy Management, Shell, . Developers, Thomson Locations: Dauphin Island , Alabama, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, California, Europe, U.S, Gulf, Mexico, Texas, of Mexico

☆ First US Gulf offshore wind auction to fuel region's green hydrogen push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It is considered "green" if produced with renewable energy and "gray" if the process is fueled with carbon-emitting natural gas. "When we get to the Gulf, (offshore wind) will start becoming much more disconnected from the grid," said Cheryl Stahl, principal project manager at risk assessment firm DNV. In comments to BOEM on the planned Gulf sale earlier this year, those three companies noted the potential of offshore wind to produce green hydrogen in the region. "The Gulf of Mexico is uniquely situated to facilitate and benefit from green hydrogen production via offshore wind," Shell said in April, pointing to the region's existing port and pipeline infrastructure as well as new federal funding for green hydrogen development. The American Clean Power Association, a trade group that represents offshore wind and other renewable energy developers, also said in its comments to BOEM that green hydrogen would "increase market viability of offshore wind."

Persons: Biden, Cheryl Stahl, John Filostrat, Shell, TotalEnergies, Alon Carmel, Joe Biden's, Lacy McManus, McManus, Nichola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Department's, of Ocean Energy Management, Companies, Shell, Clean Power Association, PA Consulting, New, New Orleans Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, South Louisiana

☆ Oil companies sue U.S. over Gulf auction changes meant to protect whale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unused oil rigs sit in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Fourchon, Louisiana August 11, 2010. The suit is the latest dispute between the oil and gas industry and the administration of President Joe Biden over leasing federal lands and waters for energy development. The final sale notice included new restrictions on development meant to protect the endangered Rice's whale. Lease Sale 261 will be held on Sept. 27 and will offer approximately 12,395 blocks on approximately 67 million acres (27 million hectares) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Western, Central, and Eastern Planning Areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Persons: Lee Celano, Joe Biden, Biden, Ryan Meyers, Mrinmay Dey, Nichola, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Chevron, Biden, Western, Western District of, Interior Department's, of Ocean Energy Management, American Petroleum Institute, Interior Department, U.S . Outer Continental, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon , Louisiana, Louisiana, Gulf, Mexico, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Central

☆ US slaps tariffs on some big solar companies for dodging China duties
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Solar panels are set up in the solar farm at the University of California, Merced, in Merced, California, U.S. August 17, 2022. The decision, which largely mirrors a preliminary finding the agency made in December, was opposed by buyers of solar panels that rely on cheap products made overseas to make their projects competitive. Other companies operating in those nations have the ability to pursue a certification process to show that they are not circumventing tariffs. The U.S. has had anti-dumping duties in place for a decade on Chinese-made solar products after a Commerce probe found Chinese companies were receiving unfair government subsidies that kept their prices artificially low. The companies and others will face the same duty rates the United States already assesses on their Chinese-made products.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Joe Biden's, Trina Solar, Joe Biden, Nichola Groom, Stephen Coates Organizations: University of California, REUTERS, Commerce Department, Commerce, Energy, New, Thomson Locations: Merced, Merced , California, U.S, United States, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam

☆ EV battery imports face scrutiny under US law on Chinese forced labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

More than a year of enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has already stymied development of solar energy projects as detained panel shipments languish in U.S. warehouses. When shipments are detained, CBP provides the importer with a list of examples of products from previous reviews and the kind of documentation required to prove they are not made with forced labor, CBP told Reuters. "The timing of these changes does not reflect any specific changes in strategy or operations," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the list of eight product types was "not exhaustive." In a report to Congress last month on UFLPA enforcement, CBP listed lithium-ion batteries, tires, "and other automobile components" among the "potential risk areas" it was monitoring. The stepped-up focus on automakers follows a study by Britain's Sheffield Hallam University published in December that said nearly every major automaker has exposure to products made with forced labor in Xinjiang.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Dan Solomon, Chevalier, Solomon, Britain's, Ron Wyden, Wyden, we've, Tesla, Brandon Daniels, Nichola Groom, David Shepardson, Jan Schwartz, Daniel Leussink, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Beijing, Uyghur, Labor, U.S . Solar Energy Industries Association, Biden, CBP, Miller, Britain's Sheffield Hallam University, U.S, Senate, Benz, Volkswagen, Friedrichshafen AG, Bosch, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Continental AG, Thomson Locations: United States, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Xinjiang, U.S, Detroit, UFLPA, Los Angeles, Washington, Hamburg, Tokyo

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S President Joe Biden on Wednesday used the first anniversary of his signature Inflation Reduction Act to pitch the landmark clean-energy law as an economic powerhouse to a public that remains largely unaware of its contents. The legislation, Biden said, has shifted production of critical components away from China and into the United States. [1/3]U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event to celebrate the anniversary of his signing of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act legislation, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 16, 2023. The bill's name, the Inflation Reduction Act, helped solve a political problem for Democrats who were concerned that voters would punish them for soaring prices in the 2022 congressional elections. "Voters hear the Inflation Reduction Act, but they do not see their grocery bills coming down.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Moody's, Kevin Lamarque, MARK Biden, WHAT'S, Jimmy Siegel, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom, Moira Warburton, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool, Jonathan Oatis, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Biden, LOVE, Wall, Bank of America, White, REUTERS, Democrats, Reuters, Washington Post, University of Maryland, White House, Democratic, Thomson Locations: China, United States, U.S, Asia, Europe, Washington , U.S

☆ One year on, Biden still needs to explain his signature clean energy legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Leah Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreAug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday marks the first anniversary of signing his signature clean energy legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act by leading a campaign to better explain to Americans what, exactly, it does. Twelve months after it passed, the law commonly referred to as the IRA, like most major U.S. legislation, is drawing mixed reviews. Meanwhile, many Americans, even those who support Biden, don't know much about it, according to Reuters opinion polls. Biden has expressed regret at calling the bill the Inflation Reduction Act. "Voters hear the Inflation Reduction Act, but they do not see their grocery bills coming down.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah, Biden, Democrat Biden, Donald Trump, Moody's, MARK Biden, Goldman Sachs, WHAT'S, Jimmy Siegel, Jarrett Renshaw, Nichola Groom, Moira Warburton, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, REUTERS, Democrat, U.S, Republican, LOVE, Wall Street, Bank of America, Democrats, Credit Suisse, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, Reuters, Washington Post, University of Maryland, White House, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Utah

☆ First Solar audit reveals forced labor at Malaysia factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Miniatures of solar panel and electric pole are seen in front of First Solar logo in this illustration taken January 17, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies First Solar Inc FollowAug 15 (Reuters) - Top U.S. solar panel maker First Solar (FSLR.O) on Tuesday said an audit of its manufacturing operations had uncovered unethical labor practices at its Malaysia factory, sending the company's shares down about 5%. The revelation is the latest to tie the fast-growing solar energy industry to concerns about forced labor. First Solar said it had taken steps to return passports, wages and recruitment fees to the affected workers. First Solar also produces panels in the U.S. and Vietnam, and is planning to open a factory in India.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nichola Groom, Jonathan Oatis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Malaysia, Xinjiang, Tempe , Arizona, U.S, Vietnam, India

This undated handout image shows the carbon sequesterization unit at American Electric Power Company's Mountaineer Plant near New Haven, West Virginia. REUTERS/Tom Dubanowich/Handout /File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. power plant owners warned the Biden administration on Tuesday that its sweeping plan to slash carbon emissions from the electricity sector is unworkable, relying too heavily on costly technologies that are not yet proven at scale. Proposed in May, the EPA plan would for the first time limit how much carbon dioxide power plants can emit, after previous efforts were struck down in court. Industry is particularly concerned about proposed standards for existing natural gas power plants, saying those facilities would be hard to retrofit with CCS, or hydrogen, due to space constraints and other limitations. The EPA's proposal had been crafted to reflect constraints the Supreme Court imposed on the agency after it ruled an Obama-era power plant proposal went too far by imposing a system-wide shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Persons: Tom Dubanowich, Biden, EEI, Joe Biden, Jim Matheson, Nichola Groom, Valerie Volcovici, Sharon Singleton, Marguerita Choy Organizations: American Electric Power, Edison Electric Institute, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Task Force, Natural Resources Defense, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Labor, United Mine Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Electricity Workers, Thomson Locations: New Haven, West Virginia, U.S, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington

☆ Top US utility group opposes emissions plan for existing gas plants-source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Edison Electric Institute FollowJuly 31 (Reuters) - The top U.S. utility lobby group intends to push back on the Biden administration's proposals requiring upgrades to existing natural gas-fired power plants to curb climate-warming emissions, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The power industry accounts for a quarter of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, second only to transportation, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. The rules would also regulate coal and new natural gas plants separately. It also said retrofitting those plants for CCS would be "difficult" due to space constraints and other limitations. EEI and others have until Aug. 8 to submit comments on the proposed rules.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, EEI, Brian Reil, Nichola Groom, Valerie Volcovici, Sonali Paul Organizations: Edison Electric, Edison Electric Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, CCS, EPA, Thomson

☆ US plans water heater standards, says they will save consumers $11 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday proposed energy efficiency standards on water heaters it said would save consumers $11.4 billion on energy and water bills annually. The standards on residential water heater efficiency, which are required by Congress, have not been updated in 13 years. The proposal would require the most common-sized electric water heaters to achieve efficiency gains with heat pump technology and gas-fired water heaters to achieve efficiency gains through condensing technology. Tankless water heater maker Rinnai (5947.T), however, said the proposed standards for its products were "technologically impossible" and would reduce consumer choice. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican, complained about efficiency standards for shower heads, saying that they interfered with the rinsing of his hair.

Persons: Jennifer Granholm, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Timothy Gardner, Nichola Groom, Alison Williams, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of Energy, Congress, DOE, Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council, Democrat, Republican, Energy Department, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington, Angeles

☆ California new oil well approvals have nearly ground to a halt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 13 (Reuters) - California, the seventh-biggest U.S. crude oil producer, has put a near halt on issuing permits for new drilling this year, according to state data. New drilling permits have steadily declined since Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, but the current rate of approval represents a sudden and dramatic drop. In an email, CalGEM attributed the smaller number of approvals to both the broader decline in California oil production and litigation that has paused permitting by Kern County, the center of the state's oil industry. The governor wants to phase out oil drilling in the state by 2045. California also passed a law last year banning oil and gas drilling within 3,200 feet of structures including homes, schools and hospitals.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, CalGEM, CIPA's Zierman, CIPA, Liza Tucker, Nichola Groom, Leslie Adler Organizations: Energy Management Division, California Independent Petroleum Association, Sentinel Peak Resources, San Luis Obispo County, Natural Resources Management, FracTracker Alliance, Reuters, Consumer, Consumer Watchdog, tinker, Thomson Locations: California, Kern County, San Luis Obispo

☆ US solar power installations soar in Q1 on easing panel import gridlock
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoJune 8 (Reuters) - U.S. solar energy installations soared 47% in the first quarter, according to an industry report published on Thursday, as easing panel supplies alleviated industry gridlock and allowed many stalled big projects to be completed and connected to the grid. The solar industry had its best first quarter ever, installing 6.1 gigawatts (GW), an analysis by research firm Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) trade group found. As a result of the strong quarter, SEIA raised its forecast for the year slightly to 29 GW from 28.4 GW. The report said 12 GW of solar modules were imported in the first quarter compared with 29 GW in all of 2022. The industry, however, is seeing a slowdown in many states due to economic uncertainty, SEIA said, and residential solar installations are only expected to rise 8% this year.

Persons: Mike Blake, Wood Mackenzie, SEIA, Joe Biden's, Nichola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Hanover Olympic, REUTERS, Solar Energy Industries Association, Homeowners, Thomson Locations: Hanover, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Florida, California

☆ US bans new oil and gas leasing around New Mexico cultural site
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tribes, conservationists and state officials have long called on the federal government to ban drilling in the area. Structures in the area date back thousands of years, and the park is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency. It is aligned with his goal to conserve at least 30% of federal lands and waters by 2030. But, the Interior Department ban on new leasing on federal lands around Chaco will last for just 20 years and does not extend to private, state or tribal lands. Oil and gas industry groups have opposed withdrawing the lands around Chaco for leasing.

Persons: Read, Biden, Joe Biden, Biden's, Deb Haaland, Nichola Groom, Kim Coghill Organizations: Chaco Culture, Historic, UNESCO, United Nations, Interior Department, New, Congressional, Navajo Nation, U.S . Bureau of Land Management, Thomson Locations: Pueblo, Chaco, New Mexico, U.S, New Mexican, American, Laguna

[1/5] Arlo Brownlee, an engineer, checks battery banks at GlidePath's Byrd Ranch energy storage facility in Sweeny, Texas, U.S., May 23, 2023. The battery rush also puts the Republican-controlled state at the forefront of President Joe Biden's push to expand renewable energy use. Reuters drew on previously unreported data and interviewed more than a dozen executives from private equity firms, utility companies and energy storage providers involved in some of the biggest battery storage deals for this report. But the legislation also contains provisions that industry groups said could encourage investment in battery storage. Miller said he expects ancillary market prices to "collapse" as more battery storage comes online.

Persons: Arlo Brownlee, Adrees Latif, Rhett Bennett, ”, Joe Biden's, Wood Mackenzie, Andrew Waranch, David Miller, Miller, Waranch, Dick Lewis, Andrew Tang, Chris McKissack, you've, McKissack, Nichola Groom, Laila Kearney, Richard Valdmanis, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, Korea's SK, Switzerland's UBS, Black, Energy, Texans, Republican, Reuters, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Developers, BlackRock, Jupiter, EnCap Investments, Korea's SK E, Vision Ridge Partners, UBS, SK E, SK, Mercom Capital Group, Reliability, of Texas, Spearmint Energy, Inc, Wartsila, Thomson Locations: Sweeny , Texas, U.S, BlackRock, Texas, California, Gridmatic

☆ Italy's Enel to invest more than $1 bln in Oklahoma solar panel factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A logo of Italian multinational energy company Enel is seen at the Milan's headquarters, Italy, February 5, 2020. The facility will be among the largest to produce solar equipment in the United States, where most projects are built with imported panels. It is also one of the first U.S. factories to produce silicon-based solar cells on a large scale. The investment is one of the biggest in solar manufacturing since the passage of U.S. President Joe Biden's landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), last year. Enel, which had first said last year it planned to build a U.S. solar factory, selected a site in Inola, Oklahoma, near Tulsa.

☆ U.S. considers new land swap deal in Alaska wildlife refuge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Interior Department will review the environmental impacts of a possible land swap deal that would allow a new road to cut through an Alaska wildlife refuge, it said on Wednesday. In a notice published in the Federal Register, Interior said it would consider an exchange that would allow for a road corridor for noncommercial use through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and the Izembek Wilderness Area. Environmentalists have said a road would destroy valuable habitat for birds along Kinzarof Lagoon, and would set a dangerous precedent for other wildlife refuges. The deal set by former President Donald Trump's administration was controversial because it left open the door to commercial use of the road. Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service will accept public comments on the analysis for 30 days.

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