• Westinghouse Electric Corp. announced a new nuclear reactor called the AP300 – a smaller version of its flagship AP1000 nuclear reactor – which will generate around 300 megawatts of energy at a cost of $1 billion per unit. The smaller reactors are less costly to build, more versatile and are being looked at as ways for industrial producers to use carbon-free sources of heat. (CNBC)
• Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released measures that could kick off permitting reform negotiations with Democrats, as Capito’s bill works to shorten the timeline for project approvals and limit legal challenges, while Barrasso’s bill aims to boost fossil fuel production. Missing from both of the proposals is a provision supported by Democrats that would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to approve transmission lines deemed to be in the nation’s interest, although Capito and Barrasso said they were meeting with their counterparts Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) with hopes of reaching a deal over the summer. (The Hill) 
• Environmental groups are suing the California Public Utilities Commission over recent rules that reduce payments issued to rooftop solar panel owners for excess power generation that is returned to the grid. The lawsuit claims the rules will “devastate solar adoption rates” and violate a 2013 state law that encourages the growth of solar installations in an effort to meet state climate targets. (Reuters) 

U.S. households in warmer states consume less site energy than households in colder states

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Top environment Democrat to release permitting proposal focused on emissions cuts 

Rachel Frazin, The Hill

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) will soon release his own proposal to reform the country’s system for approving infrastructure projects — marking a mainstream Democratic foray into the issue. 

Republican debt bill, climate cuts get Senate thrashing

Emma Dumain, E&E News

How far apart are Republicans and Democrats on the debt limit crisis? Very, very far, if a Thursday hearing on the matter is any indication.

Markey introduces bipartisan bill to improve climate-related mental health services

Zack Budryk, The Hill

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) announced bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at improving mental health services for the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

Comer asks EPA for documents on grant application process

Zack Budryk, The Hill

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday requested information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with an investigation of the agency’s research grant process.

US settles landmark Alabama environmental justice case

Andrew Hay, Reuters

Alabama authorities discriminated against Black residents of a rural county by denying access to adequate sewage systems and fining them for sanitation problems beyond their control, according to a first-of-its kind environmental justice agreement announced on Thursday by the Biden administration.

Living and Breathing on the Front Line of a Toxic Chemical Zone

Eric Lipton, The New York Times

As the Biden administration moves to curb health threats caused by toxic chemicals, the debate hits home for families living near petrochemical plants.

A freeway tore through this Chinatown decades ago. Now a new threat looms

Aliya Uteuova, The Guardian

There are plans to unite Philadelphia’s divided Chinatown with a highway cap – but a new arena could hurt the neighborhood yet again.

Drought parches America’s breadbasket

Marc Heller, E&E News

Short on pasture and feed, some farmers have sent a quarter or even a third of their cattle to slaughter, and thousands of acres may not produce a meaningful wheat crop if the region doesn’t receive significant and repeated rainfall, producers said.

Federal officials unveil flood plan for Mississippi Delta

Michael Goldberg, The Associated Press

Federal officials presented a proposal Thursday to further control flooding in the Mississippi Delta, a move that comes after months of work from government agencies and decades of delays amid disputes over potential environmental impacts.

The (relatively) cheap opportunity to cut oil and gas emissions

Ben Geman, Axios

There’s good news and bad about the climate impact of oil and gas operations.

Bi-state sage grouse considered for threatened status, again

Scott Sonner, The Associated Press

For the third time in a decade, federal wildlife officials are contemplating whether the bi-state sage grouse deserves protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Billionaire Richard Branson defends space travel, argues it can benefit planet

Anmar Frangoul, CNBC

Space tourism and other plans for future space exploration have generated a significant amount of discussion and debate regarding their environmental effects.

Giant blobs of seaweed are hitting Florida. That’s when the real problem begins

Emily Olson, NPR News

Deciding what to do with it is proving more challenging the more we learn about it — and inspiring some entrepreneurs to rethink removing sargassum altogether.

Idle Oil Wells’ Next Act? Becoming Batteries for Renewable Energy

Coco Liu, Bloomberg

There are a staggering number of defunct oil and gas wells across the US. Renewell Energy sees them as an untapped climate solution.

After a four-year campaign, New York says yes to publicly owned renewables

Akielly Hu, Grist

The state has set ambitious climate targets. Now it’ll build the clean energy it needs to meet them.

Go big or start small: Picking the right scale for green hydrogen

Jeff St. John, Canary Media

Startups Electric Hydrogen and Ohmium are both building gigawatt-scale factories. But the electrolyzers they’re making come in very different sizes.

Bill Gates-Backed Startup Plans Plant for Machine Key to Hydrogen Future

David R. Baker, Bloomberg

Startup Electric Hydrogen Co. plans to open its first factory for making electrolyzers — the machines at the heart of a future green hydrogen economy – in Massachusetts. It’s the latest in a wave of clean-tech manufacturing projects announced across the US.

US Shale Drillers See Natural Gas Price Rebound in 2024 After Short-Lived Pain

Gerson Freitas Jr. and Mitchell Ferman, Bloomberg

US shale-gas drillers are betting that a price slump eroding their cash-flow outlook will be short-lived and that a rebound awaits in 2024.

The gas industry is losing its most valuable customer: Blue states

Rebecca Leber, Vox

New York just passed the first statewide law to ban gas in new buildings. Others could follow.

Meet the fossil fuel-funded startup trying to take CO2 out of the ocean 

Justine Calma, The Verge

Can filtering carbon dioxide out of the ocean help tackle climate change? The technology still has a lot to prove.

Shale-Oil Drilling Is Getting Cheaper as Demand Outlook Weakens

David Wethe and Mitchell Ferman, Bloomberg

The cost of drilling for shale oil is dropping for the first time in about two years as demand for equipment and workers wavers.

Iowa judge favors property owners in pipeline dispute

The Associated Press

Opponents of planned liquid carbon dioxide pipelines in the Midwest won a victory when an Iowa judge ruled that a state law that gives surveyors the right to enter private property is unconstitutional.

UAW Will Target Battery Plants in Contract Talks With Detroit Carmakers

Gabrielle Coppola, Bloomberg

Shawn Fain, who became president of the United Auto Workers in March, said Thursday raising wages in battery plants will be a top priority as contract talks with carmakers heat up this summer.

A California bill could help make EVs a blackout solution

Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Grist

The state might require every electric vehicle to be capable of powering your home — and the grid — through a process called bidirectional charging.

Zombie Cars Are All Around Us, and More Are on the Way

Kyle Stock, Bloomberg

With a crowd of unproven EV startups bringing new cars to market, buyers are left to wonder what the long road of ownership looks like.

United Airlines will use lower-carbon fuels in San Francisco, London

Stephanie Kelly, Reuters

United Airlines will begin using lower-carbon aviation fuels on flights from San Francisco International Airport and London Heathrow Airport beginning this year, the U.S. carrier told Reuters on Thursday, as the travel industry pursues new efforts to cut climate warming emissions.

EPA power plant rules are coming. Are utilities ready?

Jason Plautz, E&E News

In the nearly eight years since EPA announced the nation’s first carbon emissions limits on power plants, the utility sector has undergone a rapid shift.

New York Power Authority given broad authority to own, operate, build and finance renewable energy projects

Stephen Singer, Utility Dive

The bill also requires six peaker plants in New York City operated by NYPA to be shut by 2030, five years sooner than called for by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Critics say they are among the most polluting oil and gas plants and are typically sited in low-income neighborhoods.

Vermont clean heat standard bill vetoed by Gov. Phil Scott

The Associated Press

Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday vetoed a bill aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging Vermonters to move away from using fossil fuels to heat their homes.

To beat heat, Forest Service explores new home for trees

Daniel Cusick, E&E News

Never has a swamp white oak thrived in the Superior National Forest. The lower Great Lakes? Sure. Even Missouri and Kentucky.

Dangerous chemical leaks have injured workers at one of America’s largest meat processors

Casey Tolan and Isabelle Chapman, CNN

Tyson plants have experienced at least 47 ammonia leaks between 2012 and 2021, leading to almost 150 worker injuries, according to CNN’s analysis of previously unreported Environmental Protection Agency data covering facilities that store large amounts of hazardous chemicals.