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The role of natural gas in the U.S. energy transition continues to be headline-grabbing flashpoint, and NetZero Insider reporters followed the story on multiple fronts.
James Downing kicks off our coverage with a report on the latest round of litigation centered on two liquid natural gas export facilities in Texas, which FERC has approved twice only to have the approvals rolled back by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, both over claims that the commission had not conducted required environmental reviews. Sending the projects back to FERC, the court noted its decision could have a significant impact on the two projects, but it was warranted because of FERC’s serious “procedural defects.”
The future of natural gas is also being debated at the state level in both Massachusetts and Maryland. The Massachusetts legislature failed to pass a bipartisan bill to accelerate siting and permitting of clean energy projects in the state because the Senate version also contained provisions aimed at curbing the use of natural gas for home heating, New England correspondent Jon Lamson writes.
In Maryland, K Kaufmann has been following hearings before the state’s Public Service Commission on the future of natural gas, with the Maryland Energy Administration pushing for non-pipes alternatives and electrification, and PSC staff arguing for a go-slow approach, with feasibility studies and more public input.
Electrification will inevitably mean building out the grid, and DOE is all over that with its announcement of a second round of Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) grants totaling $2.2 billion, which will fund eight projects covering 18 states. According to Kaufmann’s report, the second round of GRIP awards are going to projects installing new lines and expanding capacity on existing lines with grid-enhancing technologies.
New regulatory and business models also could be on the horizon, Downing writes in his report on a new study from RMI on performance-based regulation, which seeks to align utility profits with outcomes for customers and society, rather than spending on big infrastructure projects.
Policy and impacts ― that is, politics, the election and the weather ― continue to dominate our curated content.
Grist has a deep-dive analysis of the costs, benefits and tradeoffs in the bipartisan permitting reform bill drafted by Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and its somewhat slim chances of getting passed during the post-election lame-duck session of Congress.
Now firmly locked in as the Democratic candidate for president, Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, triggering support from many advocacy groups and a look at his track record on energy and the environment by various publications.
Inside Climate News noted Walz helped to pass new laws in Minnesota accelerating permitting for clean energy projects and committing the state to transitioning to 100% carbon-free energy by 2040, and advocates are saying that of all Harris’s potential VP picks, he had the strongest bona fides on climate.
A New York Times analysis finds that Walz was not a strong climate activist during his 12 years in Congress, but became more vocal on the issue as governor because of the impact of climate change in Minnesota ― such as wildfire smoke from Canada and an extreme drought that pushed farmers to “liquidate” their herds.
Weather coverage includes a sharp piece in Axios about the “climate whiplash” that is driving yet another destructive wildfire season in California. Two wet winters and record-breaking spring and summer heat waves have dried out vegetation, which has provided ample fuel for fast-spreading fires, the report says.
However extreme the weather, NetZero Insider keeps you up to date on all the top stories. Read on for this week’s Intelligence Report:
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