Happy Friday!
In the news today…
Grid:
- Bloomberg reports that the former chief of the Texas power grid calls state-funded plants “dangerous.” A Texas proposal to use billions of dollars of state funds to build new power plants is dangerous to the competitive power market needed to drive investment, the former chief of the state grid said.
- Utility Dive reports that soaring electricity prices outrun inflation but have likely peaked as natural gas prices plunge: EIA, BLS. Electricity prices surged 10.2% for the year through March, more than double the 5% inflation rate, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.
Minerals:
- E&E Greenwire reports the Biden administration’s climate change agenda has spurred an unprecedented lobbying boom driven by mineral and battery companies in search of incentives for expanding North American operations.
- Wall Street Journal carries an op-ed which discusses how the drive toward energy transition will increase demand for lithium, cobalt and other minerals many times over.
- New York Times reports China is far ahead of the rest of the world in the development of batteries that use sodium, which are starting to compete with ubiquitous lithium power cells.
Coal:
- E&E Climatewire reports climate ministers assembling for meetings of the Group of Seven industrialized nations this weekend face tense negotiations over efforts to expand natural gas and potential delays in phasing out coal.
- The Associated Press reports that Boston adopts new building code to limit use of fossil fuels. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday signed a new city ordinance aimed at discouraging the use of fossil fuels in the construction of new buildings and major renovation projects.
Minerals:
- Portland Press Herald reports Maine legislators are taking on a contentious fight over the future of mining in the state, a long-running battle stoked by the discovery of a lithium deposit in western Maine estimated to be worth over $1 billion.