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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Auto industry experts say rapidly falling battery prices and improving technology will prevent the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress from stopping the country’s transition to electric vehicles. (New York Times)
ALSO:
CLIMATE:
OFFSHORE WIND:
NATURAL GAS: A group that claimed a Maryland climate bill would be harmful to Black residents had backing from a group with ties to the fossil fuel industry, which a spokesman defends as “something that happens every day in advocacy.” (Washington Post)
GRID:
COMMENTARY: A climate scientist writes that in order to solve the climate crisis, humanity needs to confront “billionairism,” the system that extracts wealth from the poor to the rich and perpetuates racism, patriarchy, and suffering. (The Guardian)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The inclusion of heat pumps in newer electric vehicle models is among the improvements helping to boost battery performance during cold weather, as experts say winter charging concerns have been overblown. (Inside Climate News)
ALSO: Major proposed battery plants across Michigan have been scaled back or face local opposition as automakers scale back production targets. (Crain’s Detroit, subscription)
EFFICIENCY:
PIPELINES: A carbon pipeline developer asks a South Dakota regulator to recuse herself from the company’s permit application because of an alleged conflict of interest, though the regulator says there is no legal conflict. (South Dakota Searchlight)
GRID: MISO’s recently approved transmission buildout calls for six projects in Wisconsin totaling $4.1 billion in new investment. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
NUCLEAR: 2025 could be a pivotal year for a shuttered southwestern Michigan nuclear plant as federal regulators plan to issue a final decision on its restart by the end of July. (Michigan Public)
SOLAR: Northern Michigan GOP lawmakers call for the firing of state officials involved with a natural resources agency’s plan to clear cut and lease 420 acres of forest land for a solar project. (Detroit News)
FOSSIL FUELS: Experts speculate that spiking energy demand from artificial intelligence and data centers could deliver the Trump administration a political victory by boosting the consumption of fossil fuels. (E&E News)
BIOMASS: A Minnesota nonprofit says it has devised a way of burning wood and biomass that produces biochar and prevents carbon emissions from being released during the process. (Pioneer Press)
COAL:
UTILITIES: MidAmerican Energy asks South Dakota regulators to recover more than $500,000 in costs stemming from a 2024 flooding event that damaged gas infrastructure. (KTIV)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The U.S. Transportation Department awards California $122.9 million to build electric vehicle charging facilities and hydrogen fueling stations. (Sacramento Bee)
CLIMATE:
SOLAR:
GRID:
UTILITIES: Southern California utilities warn customers of potential public safety power shutoffs as unusually severe winds and dry conditions grip the region. (Mercury News)
TRANSPORTATION: California Gov. Gavin Newsom touts progress on and plans for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and the Bay Area in advance of expected attacks on the project from the incoming Trump administration. (Los Angeles Times)
COAL: Utah environmental groups worry a state plan to create “inland ports” to spur economic development will lead to an idled coal mine’s revival. (KSL)
POLLUTION: Southern California environmental justice advocates push back on a proposed biofuel terminal, saying diesel pollution from shipping trucks would harm the neighboring community. (NBC San Diego)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Toyota announces plans to hire 1,600 additional workers and ship its first hybrid and electric vehicle batteries from a new North Carolina plant later this year. (Raleigh News & Observer)
ALSO:
GRID:
COAL: An analysis finds owners and operators of coal plants in 30 states are considering or have decided to delay their planned retirements to keep up with escalating power demand, driven largely by data centers. (Floodlight)
SOLAR:
OIL & GAS:
STORAGE: A company commissions two 100 MW battery storage facilities in Texas and sells the investment tax credits to a third party. (Renewables Now)
WIND: Trump promises to block new wind energy development despite its rapid expansion in Republican-led states like Texas, where it generates 22% of the state’s electricity. (New York Times)
UTILITIES: A judge delays Mississippi’s investigation of a troubled municipal utility to allow the city an opportunity to respond. (SuperTalk Mississippi Media)
POLITICS: A Virginia lawmaker files legislation to block state regulators from approving rate hikes for Appalachian Power for two years. (Bristol Herald Courier)
COMMENTARY: A new study finds Virginia will need to triple its energy production by 2040 to meet anticipated demand from data centers, writes an editor. (Cardinal News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Electric vehicle maker Canoo announces furloughs for 82 employees in Oklahoma as it looks for additional funding, which could lead to the company being forced to repay $1 million in state job creation incentives. (Oklahoman, Frontier)
GRID:
SOLAR:
OIL & GAS:
WIND: Two Texas residents ask the state’s top court to review a ruling that found they lacked standing to challenge a neighboring wind farm’s more than $10 million tax break. (Bloomberg, subscription)
NUCLEAR: The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee receives a perfect score on its emergency preparedness evaluation. (WBIR)
HYDROGEN: The U.S. Energy Department unveils plans to conduct environmental reviews for proposed hydrogen hubs in Appalachia, California and the Northwest. (E&E News, subscription)
CLIMATE:
UTILITIES: The New Orleans City Council approves the sale of the city’s natural gas distribution system to a private equity firm, prompting concerns about rising bills and how the sale might shield the company from local regulation and pressure to decarbonize. (NOLA.com, DeSmog)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Michigan economic development program that has invested $1 billion in five electric vehicle battery plants faces growing criticism for producing fewer jobs than promised, but backers urge patience. (Bridge)
ALSO: EV maker Rivian begins opening its rapid-charging network to drivers of all compatible vehicles, including at locations in Illinois and Michigan. (Automotive Dive)
OIL & GAS: An Ohio panel votes to open hundreds of acres of state parkland for hydraulic fracturing while selecting bids for drilling in a wildlife area. (Columbus Dispatch)
CARBON CAPTURE: The latest delays for a proposed North Dakota carbon capture project cap a year with few signs of progress for U.S. coal plant owners considering carbon capture retrofits. (Inside Climate News)
SOLAR: The U.S. solar industry is set to break installation records this year while meeting manufacturing milestones as the Inflation Reduction Act bolsters the industry. (Canary Media)
NUCLEAR: Some farmers in the agriculture-dominant region of southwestern Michigan are concerned about potential damage to land and water if a shuttered nuclear plant there is restarted. (Investigate Midwest)
WIND:
POLITICS: Labor unions UAW and SEIU announce their support for Michigan legislation that would block utilities from directly or indirectly making campaign contributions to candidates, parties or non-candidate committees. (Michigan Advance)
CLIMATE: Leaders of Illinois environmental and labor groups seek to find common ground on climate issues like mass transit: “We’re going to get more done if we’re aligned.” (Chicago Tribune, subscription)
GRID:
EFFICIENCY: An Illinois program trains students predominantly in Black and Brown communities for energy efficiency jobs. (Yale Climate Connections)
BIOGAS:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The fledgling electric vehicle battery recycling industry suffered in 2024 amid falling material prices, delayed construction projects, and reduced expectations for what recycling can deliver. (Canary Media)
ALSO:
EMISSIONS: An electrification advocacy group estimates replacing every American household’s fossil fuel furnaces, hot water heaters and clothes dryers with electric alternatives could deliver $40 billion in annual health benefits. (New York Times)
OFFSHORE WIND: An offshore wind company’s decision to put a planned wind farm on hold during the second Trump presidency is having ripple effects, endangering the development of a renewable energy hub in New York City. (Heatmap)
CARBON CAPTURE: The latest delays for a proposed North Dakota carbon capture project cap a year with few signs of progress for U.S. coal plant owners considering carbon capture retrofits. (Inside Climate News)
GRID:
OVERSIGHT: President-elect Trump’s promise to strengthen White House control over independent agencies could impact federal energy regulators’ nonpartisan oversight of gas and power markets. (E&E News)
OIL & GAS:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Maine has no current plans to bring back its electric vehicle rebate program after it exhausted its $13.5 million in funds, and instead expects to focus more limited funding on low-income households and other groups that are “slower to adopt” EVs. (Maine Morning Star)
ALSO:
STORAGE: In Maine, bipartisan support could help the state reach its ambitious energy storage goals, despite likely federal pressure when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. (Bangor Daily News, subscription)
EFFICIENCY: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration fails to set a new target for reducing energy use in state buildings, despite a 2022 order that set a goal of going 100% renewable by 2030. (E&E News, subscription)
GRID:
UTILITIES: Credit rating agency S&P Global says its downgrading of Eversource’s rating in Connecticut should not increase costs for customers in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, though the utility maintains there will be a “ripple effect.” (Boston Globe)
SOLAR: A pilot program in southwestern Pennsylvania rolls out solar panel and battery storage leasing options for households making less than $100,000 per year. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
TRANSIT: New York City plans to expand its bike-share program to more neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, but is still avoiding some car-centric areas that have been less open to bike infrastructure. (Streetsblog NYC)
COMMENTARY:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: California’s energy commission votes to invest $1.4 billion in an emissions-free transportation plan that includes installing nearly 17,000 electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. (Utility Dive)
ALSO:
COAL: Wyoming and Montana file a lawsuit seeking to overturn the federal Bureau of Land Management’s ban on new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, even though mining wouldn’t be affected until at least 2041 at the current rate of production. (WyoFile)
OIL & GAS:
CARBON CAPTURE: A firm proposes installing modular natural gas generating units with up to 1,000 MW of capacity in northern California using technology designed to capture all atmospheric emissions. (Power)
SOLAR: A developer begins construction on a 475 MW solar-plus-storage installation in northern Arizona near a coal plant slated to retire next year. (AZ Family)
TRANSITION: Colorado officials and advocates work to equitably transition an oil and gas-producing county to clean energy and other industries. (Aspen Journalism)
STORAGE: Data show California added 6,000 MWh of new grid-scale battery energy storage during the third quarter of 2024. (Solar Power World)
UTILITIES:
GRID:
WIND: Opponents of the recently greenlit Lava Ridge wind facility in southern Idaho consider waiting until President-elect Trump takes office to file a lawsuit seeking to reverse the federal approval. (Idaho Statesman)
COMMENTARY: Alaska is disproportionately struggling with the effects of climate change, an ocean advocate argues, and Trump’s efforts to open up the state’s oil and gas to extraction will only make matters worse. (Los Angeles Times)
This story was originally published by Canary Media.
California has long led the way on electric vehicles, but another Western state is challenging the Golden State’s top spot.
Between July and September, nearly 25 percent of the vehicles registered in Colorado were electric or plug-in hybrids. In California, that figure was just over 24 percent. It’s not enough to crown Colorado the new undisputed leader in EVs, but it’s a notable milestone — no other state has ever surpassed California in terms of EV registrations, according to James Di Filippo, principal policy analyst at Atlas Public Policy.
It’s the culmination of a “pretty dramatic” trend line for Colorado’s EV adoption since the start of 2023, Di Filippo said. Coloradans bought just over 41,000 EVs last year, up from roughly 23,000 in 2022.
Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, announced the accomplishment last week, touting it as a sign of the state’s commitment to reaching its climate goals and improving air quality. “This new data shows that demand for EVs continues to increase and especially with competitive state and federal rebates, drastically cutting the cost of an EV and saving people money,” Polis said in a press release.
Colorado has some of the most generous incentives for EV sales in the country, Di Filippo said. Its policies and incentives have helped make the cars more affordable, while the state’s investments in charging infrastructure have made owning an electric car more practical.
All Coloradans can receive a $5,000 state tax credit for purchasing or leasing a new EV or plug-in hybrid priced up to $80,000. That credit is available through the end of this year, then will decrease to $3,500 starting in 2025. EVs valued under $35,000 are eligible for an additional tax credit of $2,500 — for a total potential state credit of $7,500.
Through the Vehicle Exchange Colorado program, income-qualified residents can trade in old or highly polluting gas cars in exchange for a $6,000 rebate to put toward a new EV or plug-in hybrid purchase or lease, or $4,000 for a used one.
The state tax credits and the vehicle-exchange rebates can be combined with federal tax credits, which currently offer up to $7,500 for a new EV lease or purchase or $4,000 for a used EV.
The state has also worked over the past few years to install more public chargers. There are currently over 5,500 public charging ports across Colorado. This year, the state plans to install another 576 ports using $5 million in funding from the Colorado Energy Office.
In 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected that 580,000 zero-emission vehicles would be sold in the U.S. in 2023. But actual sales last year were almost two and a half times greater at 1.43 million. This year, Cox Automotive expects sales to climb even higher, despite gloomy forecasts issued by some analysts earlier in 2024.
According to estimates from Kelley Blue Book, EV sales made up 8.9 percent of all vehicle sales in the country in the third quarter of this year — the highest share ever recorded, and an increase from 7.8 percent in the same time period last year.
The Biden administration set a goal for EVs to make up half of all new vehicle sales by 2030. As of this February, sales were on track to meet that goal, though the picture is more uncertain heading into the second Trump administration. The president-elect reportedly plans to eliminate federal EV tax credits and roll back Environmental Protection Agency tailpipe emissions rules — against the wishes of the nation’s largest automakers, including Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
Transportation is the single largest category of carbon emissions in the country, at 28 percent, driven mainly by trucks, SUVs, and other road vehicles.
Colorado has an even more aggressive EV goal than the federal government, aiming for 82 percent of all car sales to be electric by 2032. Looking ahead, EV registrations and sales in the state likely won’t continue to outpace California, Di Filippo said, since “the trend line for California is still steeper overall.”
“This isn’t necessarily a story of Colorado just beating California out right,” he said. “This is really a story of EV success.”
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