.CenterPoint Energy, the utility that owns the power lines & poles in the Houston area, proposed more than $2 billion of investments in its first-ever plan to strengthen its assets against extreme weather events of increasing severity and frequency:
houstonchronicle.com/business/energ…

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Jigar Shah But good news on both these fronts:

- Last week, the Biden admin said reconductoring should get a categorical exclusion (CE) from enviro review.

Before. only transmission lines <20 miles were CE eligible.

Now virtually all are. This is huge.

8/12
energy.gov/articles/doe-r…

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Jigar Shah Reconductoring can be:
- cheaper, than building new transmission lines;
- faster, by using existing rights of way; and
- could quadruple projected transmission capacity added by 2035

While saving $85 billion.

6/12

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Jigar Shah Maybe the most exciting solution is advanced reconductoring, which is a fancy way of saying replacing old wires with new lines made of modern materials that can carry more than twice as much electricity. Same towers. Same rights-of-way. Twice the power.

5/12

In today’s Los Angeles Times: The behind-the-scenes story of how a small group of climate advocates — and a journalist — got Disney to commit to electric cars at Autopia, after nearly 70 years of polluting gas guzzlers Walt’s classic Disneyland attraction: latimes.com/environment/ne…

For two years, EQT has been laser-focused on getting its Appalachian gas production on LNG tankers bound for Europe and Asia. But with the Biden administration’s pause on new LNG export license approvals, the company is emphasizing... Read more (free)
bit.ly/4aWVTgp

The Cardinal-Hickory transmission line would complete a plan to connect 24 gigwatts of clean electricity projects to the grid. It has been blocked by an injunction for the second time in five years and exemplifies the 'litigation doom loop,' writes to Arnab Datta &…

Desalination is becoming more affordable due to cheaper solar power. New plants cost $400M for 500K m³/day, translating to ~$0.30/m³. Energy costs are as low as $0.07/m³ (using $0.025/KWh solar). The Hassyan project in Dubai promises water at $0.37/m³, compared to €1/m³ in…

ft.com/content/007958…

The US renewable natural gas sector got a major boost this week from France’s TotalEnergies, which teamed up with BlackRock-owned Vanguard Renewables to build as many as 60 RNG plants across the country.

The partners said they will develop... Read more
bit.ly/4aS9llF

Petrochemical industry lobbying to legitimize 'plastic offsets' as part of Plastic Treaty talks

ft.com/content/30eace…

NEW: U.S. EPA announced $932 million in grant funding to support the purchase of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles and related fueling infrastructure, which will improve air quality for millions of Americans while tackling climate pollution. edf.org/Z66M

India expects annual power output to grow at fastest in over a decade reut.rs/3QHZbfF

If clean energy can only be “additive” cause oil is vital to global economy -“The Prize” -what is msg? That condemn the planet not only to worsening climate but also to repeating cycles of war and conquest?

The Interchange A very special thanks goes to our regular Energy Gang co-hosts Amy Myers Jaffe and Prof. Melissa C. Lott, PhD, who never fail to bring a wealth of knowledge, insight and charisma to every episode.

Today the U.S. EPA finalized strong new pollution standards for new and existing power plants, which will result in unprecedented reductions in #GHG emissions as part of the Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach to tackling the #ClimateCrisis .

bit.ly/3JyaaUH

Representatives from over 170 countries and interest groups are meeting in the Canadian capital of Ottawa this week to work toward a treaty governing plastics pollution, a development that could have... Read more
bit.ly/4dc0ZXA

China's largest auto show opened in Beijing with the biggest names showing off their latest electric vehicles, underlining how the world's largest auto market is already in an all-electric state of mind, and isn't looking back reut.rs/3JTSeEt

BHP's proposed bid for Anglo American is a big bet on copper reut.rs/3Jvs62t

🔊 175 countries are trying to hammer out a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution. Listen to Valerie Volcovici on the divisions at the negotiating table on the Reuters World News daily podcast reut.rs/3JxnQzh