In the news today…
Grid:
- Bloomberg reports that Texas Grid proposals spur Calpine to build new gas plants. Calpine Corp. is planning new natural gas power plants in Texas as state officials move to bolster the grid with fossil-fuel generation.
- Bloomberg reports that solar, wind, and battery projects throng U.S. grid interconnection queue. Renewables’ predominance on the current waiting list looks ahead to a cleaner power grid.
WOTUS:
- The Associated Press reports that a federal judge in North Dakota temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s “waters of the United States” rule, known as WOTUS, in 24 states, pending the outcome of a lawsuit that claims the regulations constitute federal overreach and unfairly burden farmers and ranchers. The rule, which was finalized in December and defines which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act, was blocked earlier in Texas and Idaho as part of another injunction.
- E&E Greenwire reports the Biden administration’s signature Clean Water Act rule is on hold in more than half the country after a federal judge on Wednesday blocked the regulation’s implementation in 24 states.
Mining:
- Associated Press reports another judge has adopted a U.S. appellate court’s stricter interpretation of a century-and-a-half-old mining law in a new ruling that blocks a metals mine in Nevada. The ruling could have ramifications for a huge lithium mine near the Nevada-Oregon line and other future mines on public lands across the West.
Congress:
- Roll Call reports on both sides of Capitol Hill, there is budding interest in implementing taxes on carbon-intensive goods that enter the U.S., though Democrats and Republicans tend to be interested for different reasons.
Coal:
- Energy News Network reports the EPA has for the first time proposed rules that would impose standards on wastewater released from coal plants, including contaminated water that has seeped through coal ash and water drained from coal ash impoundments in preparation for closing.