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☆ Biden administration to buy 3 million barrels of oil to begin replenishing emergency oil stockpile
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Biden administration announced plans on Monday to buy 3 million barrels of crude oil, marking the start of a years-long process aimed at replenishing America’s depleted emergency oil stockpile. Faced with spiking gas prices, President Joe Biden has aggressively drained the SPR, the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil. The SPR held about 638 million barrels of oil when Biden took office in January 2021, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Today, it is down to 362 million barrels — the lowest level since October 1983. Before announcing plans to purchase oil, the Energy Department moved to cancel 140 million barrels in congressionally mandated sales scheduled for the next several fiscal years.

☆ US set to issue $362 mln loan for vehicle wiring production
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department on Friday said it intends to loan California startup CelLink $362 million to help finance construction of a U.S. manufacturing facility to improve key vehicle wiring components. The conditional commitment from the government's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program is for the development of lighter, more efficient flexible circuit wiring harnesses for automotive and other industries. Once fully operational, the Georgetown, Texas facility is expected to produce flex harnesses to support some 2.7 million electric vehicles per year, the department said. CelLink, which already has products installed in more than a million vehicles on the road, currently operates a manufacturing facility in San Carlos. The new Texas facility will eventually hold up to 25 manufacturing lines that will be brought online in stages over the next several years depending on demand.

☆ The Federal Dirty Dish Rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Wonder Land: Whether it's the border, the economy or crime, the progressive way of governance is that no policy mistake can change—ever. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyThe White House swears it isn’t gunning to ban gas stoves, but why would anyone believe that after its latest attack on functional home appliances? Last week the Energy Department dropped a sweeping proposal for “efficiency” mandates on dishwashers. The proposal requires manufacturers to slash water use by a third, limiting machines to 3.2 gallons per cycle, down from the current federal limit of five gallons. Americans have learned the hard way that stricter efficiency rules on already efficient appliances translate into higher costs, inconvenience, and ultimately waste.

☆ Opinion | The Renewable Energy Revolution Has a Power Line Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But without new power lines, much of that electricity will continue to be generated by burning carbon. The United States needs 47,300 gigawatt-miles of new power lines by 2035, which would expand the current grid by 57 percent, the Energy Department reported in February. To hit that target, the United States needs to double the pace of power line construction. The current power grid was constructed over more than a century. Building what amounts to a new power grid on a similar scale in a small fraction of that time is a daunting challenge.

☆ U.S. Wires Ukraine With Radiation Sensors to Detect Nuclear Blasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( William J. Broad | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States is wiring Ukraine with sensors that can detect‌‌ bursts of radiation from a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb and can confirm the identity of the attacker. In part, the goal is to make sure that if Russia detonates a radioactive weapon on Ukrainian soil, its atomic signature and Moscow’s culpability could be verified. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago, experts have worried about whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would use nuclear arms in combat for the first time since the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The preparations, mentioned last month in a House hearing and detailed Wednesday by the National Nuclear Security Administration, a federal agency that is part of the Energy Department, seem to constitute the hardest evidence to date that Washington is taking concrete steps to prepare for the worst possible outcomes of the invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s second largest nation. The Nuclear Emergency Support Team, or NEST, a shadowy unit of atomic experts run by the security agency, is working with Ukraine to deploy the radiation sensors, train personnel, monitor data and warn of deadly radiation.

☆ Are gas-powered or electric vehicles a better deal? EVs may win out in long run, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

They would pay about $84,000 total, versus $87,000 for the gas car, Woody said. Thirty-five percent of Americans say reducing their personal impact on climate change is a major reason they would buy an electric car — the No. Ingrid Malmgren policy director of Plug In AmericaSince they don't burn fossil fuels, fully electric cars don't emit planet-warming greenhouse gases from their tailpipes. "Electric vehicles are the key technology to decarbonize road transport," the International Energy Agency said. Such a vehicle costs consumers 45.3 cents per mile over a 15-year ownership period, beaten out only by hybrid electric vehicles, according to Argonne.

☆ Energy Department Commits $3 Billion to Expand Rooftop Solar Access
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Amrith Ramkumar | Scott Patterson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illustration: Preston Jessee/WSJThe Energy Department will guarantee up to $3 billion in debt securities issued to fund rooftop solar installations, hoping to expand access to renewable energy by making the deal a no-lose proposition for many investors. The backstop is part of the Biden administration’s green financing effort, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits and loans for clean energy, climate tech startups and other green businesses.

☆ Solar firm Sunnova gets $3 billion loan guarantee from US energy department
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Sunnova Energy International (NOVA.N) said on Thursday the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide the solar company up to $3 billion in a partial loan guarantee to expand clean energy access. The company last month said it was in discussion with the DOE regarding the potential issuance of an indirect guarantee of 90% for up to $3.3 billion in solar loans. The DOE's Loan Program Office aims to speed development of the clean energy sector with loans to automakers, miners, recyclers and others, many of which would struggle to obtain private financing given their large capital needs. "The DOE financing would accelerate the adoption of solar and storage, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and expand the availability of reliable, clean, and affordable energy to those communities who benefit the most from low-cost energy," Sunnova CEO William Berger said in a statement. Sunnova also expects the DOE loan guarantee to support up to $4 billion - $5 billion in the company's loan originations, reduce its weighted average cost of capital and generate interest savings.

☆ Fewer cars qualify for $7,500 EV tax credit. Here are 2 alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A $4,000 tax credit for used EVswatch nowThe Inflation Reduction Act also created a tax credit for consumers who buy used electric or fuel-cell vehicles. The tax break for used cars, which took effect this year, is worth $4,000 or 30% of the sale price, whichever is less. Those income limits are "much lower" than the one that applies to the $7,500 tax credit for new vehicles, said Katherine Breaks, a managing director in KPMG's tax credit and energy advisory services group. "If I don't have $4,000 of tax liability, what's the tax credit worth to me? A tax break for leased EVsAlternatively, consumers also appear poised to get a tax break worth up to $7,500 for leasing new electric passenger vehicles.

CNN —The US has sensitive nuclear technology at a nuclear power plant inside Ukraine and is warning Russia not to touch it, according to a letter the US Department of Energy sent to Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom last month. The Energy Department warned Rosatom in the letter that it is “unlawful” for any Russian citizens or entities to handle the US technology. The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration told CNN in a statement that the letter is authentic. “The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration can confirm that the letter is legitimate,” said Shayela Hassan, the deputy director of public affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration. She added: “The Secretary of Energy has the statutory responsibility for authorizing the transfer of unclassified civilian nuclear technology and assistance to foreign atomic energy activities.

[1/4] A view of a computer-rendered image of Climeworks' Mammoth direct air capture plant is seen in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters, June 28, 2022. Leading the charge, the U.S. government has offered $3.5 billion in grants to build the factories that will capture and permanently store the gas - the largest such effort globally to help halt climate change through Direct Air Capture (DAC) and expanded a tax credit to $180/tonne to bolster the burgeoning technology. The sums involved dwarf funding available in other regions, such as Britain which has pledged up to 100 million pounds ($124 million) for DAC research and development. That compares with $12 billion in federal spending to drive demand for personal and commercial electric vehicles, Boston Consulting Group estimated. Occidental Petroleum has said it is well positioned for federal grants for what could be the biggest Direct Air Capture plants in the world.

But at the same time, EU countries have increased their overall purchases of Russian LNG, undermining the bloc's pledge to end its use of Russian fossil fuels by 2027. Russian LNG exports by region Russian LNG exports by regionEU analysis found Russian LNG imports increased to 22 billion cubic metres (bcm) last year, up from 16 bcm in 2021. Belgium and Spain nearly doubled their imports of Russian LNG in the 12 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, analysis by Kpler showed. The Netherlands has eliminated its Russian pipeline gas imports since the war and reduced, but not eliminated, Russian LNG imports. TO BAN OR NOT TO BANHalting Russian LNG imports would be double-edged, analysts say.

☆ US proposes to slash EV mileage ratings to meet fuel economy rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) on Monday proposed reducing electric vehicles' (EV) mileage ratings to meet government fuel economy requirements, a move that could force automakers to sell more low-emissions cars or improve conventional models. DOE wants to significantly revise how it calculates the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy rating for electric and plug-in electric hybrids for use in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. Miles Per Gallon equivalent (MPGe) ratings are determined by using values for national electricity, petroleum generation and distribution efficiency and driving patterns. Environmental groups note fuel economy ratings for EVs is far higher for determining CAFE compliance than those listed on the government's consumer fueleconomy.gov website. The Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club petitioned for the change in 2021, arguing "excessively high imputed fuel economy values for EVs means that a relatively small number of EVs will mathematically guarantee compliance without meaningful improvements in the real-world average fuel economy of automakers' overall fleets."

☆ Energy Department boosts university programs designed to help small manufacturers find savings of up to $130,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

STILLWATER, OK - OCTOBER 1: Student Union building on the campus of the Oklahoma State University on October 1, 2005 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Three out of five of the new programs have specific expertise in climate mitigation strategies, including energy management, industrial electrification, industrial decarbonization, resiliency planning, renewable energy, and waste and water management, according to the Energy Department. At the universities, teams perform assessments that will typically identify more than $130,000 in potential annual savings for small manufacturers. The IAC at Georgia Tech in Atlanta will focus on energy management and industrial electrification. San Francisco State University's center will study renewable energy, energy demand management, thermal systems design, and waste and water management, especially in the Western U.S.

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☆ China holds the key to understanding COVID-19 origins: WHO chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Without full access to the information that China has, you cannot say this or that," said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in response to a question about the origin of the virus. That's WHO's position and that's why we have been asking China to be cooperative on this." Data from the early days of the COVID pandemic was briefly uploaded by Chinese scientists to an international database last month. The WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19, said the latest Chinese information offered some "clues" on origins but no answers. She added WHO still did not know whether some of the research required had been undertaken in China.

REUTERS/Ramzi BoudinaHOUSTON/WASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers announced over the weekend they would launch deep oil production cuts starting next month, a surprise move that sent oil prices surging. If refiners reduce capacity, the drain on stocks could lead to a sudden jump in retail fuel prices, he said. U.S. gasoline prices have climbed 11.6 cents a gallon from a month ago to $3.506, the AAA said on Monday. A 6% jump in oil prices would boost retail gasoline prices 10 cents a gallon, said Mark Finley, an expert in energy policy at Rice University's Baker Institute. OPEC's reason for cutting production - as a precautionary step - suggests it expects global oil demand to slow this year.

☆ Puerto Rico solar switch a life and death matter -US energy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Cars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. Puerto Rico has not typically been a large focus of U.S. energy chiefs. Colon covets the solar power Granholm offered, as it could also lower electricity bills, typically twice those on the mainland. Granholm said some 400,000 homes need rooftop solar but the $1 billion is only enough for up to 50,000 homes. Puerto Rico only generates about 3% of its electricity from renewables and the rest from fossil fuels.

☆ Oil drops as oversupply concerns overshadow demand hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures fell 46 cents, or 0.6%, to $76.23 a barrel by 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT), while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures slid by 57 cents, or 0.8%, to $70.33 a barrel. Oil benchmarks were slightly higher before the news on hopes that a lower dollar and higher gasoline prices would spur more demand for the commodity. A weaker greenback makes dollar-denominated oil more attractive to holders of foreign currencies, lifting demand. Higher gasoline demand will encourage refiners to use more crude oil to turn it into the road transportation fuel, Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger said. Also supportive, Goldman Sachs on Thursday said demand from China, the world's biggest oil importer, continued to surge across the commodity complex, with oil demand topping 16 million barrels per day.

☆ Biden signs legislation to declassify certain intelligence on Covid pandemic origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation requiring the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information on any possible links between a lab in China and the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines now has 90 days to declassify all information on possible links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of Covid. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also concluded that the pandemic likely began with a lab incident in Wuhan, China, the agency's director Christopher Wray told Fox News. The pandemic began three years ago in Wuhan, China, though it's still unknown how Covid spread to people. The intelligence community was divided in a 2021 report ordered by Biden that reviewed information on the pandemic's origins.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed a bill that requires declassification of information related to the origins of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said he shared Congress' goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of COVID-19. The bill sailed through the Senate and House of Representatives without opposition before being sent to the White House. The FBI has also assessed that the pandemic likely originated from a lab leak. China said claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic have no credibility.

☆ About That ‘Record’ Defense Budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The White House is touting President Biden’s U.S. military budget for fiscal 2024 as a record, and Mr. Biden is betting busy Americans won’t look past the headlines. The truth is that he’s asking for a real defense cut, even as the U.S. is waking up late to a world of new threats. The Pentagon’s budget request may seem large at $842 billion. But the figure is only a 3.2% increase over last year, and with inflation at 6% it means a decline in buying power. Compare the 3.2% growth with the double-digit increases for domestic accounts: 19% for the Environmental Protection Agency; 13.6% for both the Education and Energy Departments; 11.5% for Health and Human Services.

☆ House votes unanimously to declassify intelligence on origins of Covid pandemic, sending bill to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The House of Representatives on Friday unanimously voted to declassify information on possible links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Covid-19 pandemic, sending the bill to President Joe Biden. The Senate also voted unanimously earlier this month to require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify such information. President Joe Biden ordered the intelligence community in 2021 to provide an updated analysis of how the pandemic emerged. The intelligence agencies were divided on how Covid started spreading among humans, though they said a natural original and a lab leak were both plausible. The intelligence community agreed that Covid was not developed as biological weapon, and most agencies assessed that the virus was not genetically engineered.

☆ Congress sends bill to Biden requiring his administration to declassify intelligence on COVID-19's origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The House passed a bipartisan bill that would require the Biden administration to declassify information related to COVID-19's origins. The origins of COVID-19 have long been debated and theorized. The House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill, titled the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, in a 419-0 vote on Friday. The bill comes after the US Energy Department recently concluded with "low confidence" that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak. Indeed, lawmakers could likely override a potential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.

Since the Senate on March 1 passed the bill - by unanimous consent - it now goes to the White House for Biden to sign into law or veto. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his intentions. The debate was refueled last month, when the Wall Street Journal first reported that the U.S. Energy Department had concluded the pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, an assessment Beijing denies. Four other U.S. agencies still judge that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two are undecided. Representative Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said as he urged support for the measure.

☆ Biden's budget proposal calls for boosting climate resilience funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden's budget proposal for 2024 includes billions of dollars spread across federal agencies to combat climate change, with a bulk of investment going towards boosting disaster resilience and conservation, cutting pollution and advancing clean energy technologies. Among the most ambitious of Biden's funding requests is the roughly $24 billion to help build communities' resilience to climate-related disasters including floods, wildfires, storms, extreme heat and drought. The proposal also comes as the White House continues to implement provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate bill ever passed by Congress. The spending is spread across agencies tasked with combatting climate change, advancing climate resilience and bolstering clean energy technologies. The White House proposes $16.5 billion to support climate science and clean energy innovation, with more than $5.1 billion to fund research on climate adaptation and resilience across agencies like NASA and the Interior Department.

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