Why Harris has been quiet on climate change

POLITICS: Observers say Vice President Kamala Harris is seemingly making a “deliberate choice” to minimally mention climate as she tries to downplay divisive issues in her campaign, though allies say it’s still clear where she stands on the topic. (Washington Post, New York Times)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ford scraps plans for an all-electric SUV and pushes back the start of production at a Tennessee factory from 2025 to 2027 so it can use lower-cost battery technology and prioritize hybrid vehicles. (Tennessee Lookout; Washington Post)

CLEAN ENERGY:

• The Inflation Reduction Act helped Minnesota draw hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for clean energy projects, which Democrats hope can boost the Harris-Walz ticket this November. (Politico)
• A climate advocate highlights efforts to decarbonize the emissions-heavy steel and concrete industries. (Canary Media)
• California developers call on the state to stop taxing income from sales of federal clean energy tax credits, saying the exemption would lower utility bills. (Politico)
• Clean energy advocates say California is leading efforts to remove hurdles to interconnecting large distributed generation resources like community solar and big box store rooftop arrays. (Utility Dive) 

SOLAR: 

• General Motors signs a deal to purchase power from a 180 MW Arkansas solar farm to power factories in Michigan and Missouri. (PV Magazine)
• In Maine, solar incentives for farmers dealing with chemical land contamination are one tool helping impacted farms maintain an income. (Bloomberg Law)

COAL: Coal producers Arch and Consol merge to form a single company valued at $5 billion, as coal contracts and fossil fuel companies across the spectrum consolidate. (Associated Press)

STORAGE: Illinois lawmakers consider establishing energy storage incentives as a new study suggests ramping up storage may be the most realistic path for maintaining grid reliability as the state phases out fossil fuels. (Energy News Network)

COMMENTARY:

• The Treasury Department’s proposed standards for hydrogen production tax credits are overly restrictive and threaten to hold back the green hydrogen industry, according to a finance executive and environmental writer. (Energy News Network)
• Researchers warn that current policy puts the world on a risky path in which warming exceeds Paris Agreement targets and countries depend on unproven technology to reverse warming later in the century. (The Conversation)

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