Headlines of more energy stories

** A leak at a Pennsylvania natural gas facility that lasted 11 days released over 1 billion cubic feet of the fuel into the atmosphere, according to its owner. The leak at the Rager Mountain Storage facility in Jackson Township was finally halted Thursday, Equitrans Midstream Corp. said.

** General Motors will invest $45 million to support the expanded production of electric vehicle components at an Indiana plant.

** Opponents of a recently approved Illinois wind project may sue to stop the project, alleging an inadequate local review process.

** In a federal lawsuit, retired coal miners and their union say companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice are endangering their health by regularly allowing lapses in their prescription drug coverage.

** Tampa, Florida, is testing whether solar panels embedded in sidewalks could power traffic signals during hurricanes and other outages.

** North Carolina’s environmental justice board heard concerns about the state’s growing wood pellet industry last week from scientists, activists and residents who live near wood pellet plants.

** The Biden administration awards Pacific Gas & Electric $1.1 billion to help the utility keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in central California running beyond its scheduled 2025 retirement. 

** Two Alaska utilities consider importing liquefied natural gas from Canada after an oil and gas company warns its in-state sources may not be able to meet future demand.

World

** China reached a $60 billion agreement with Qatar on Monday to secure liquefied natural gas flows for decades to come. Qatar Energy, the country’s state-run energy arm, will send its Chinese counterpart Sinopec 4 million tons of LNG per year starting in 2026. The deal is for 27 years.

** French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a dinner with a number of European chief executives to convince them not to move production to the United States, where lower energy prices and the Inflation Reduction Act is proving a lure.

** Finance minister Jeremy Hunt said he wanted Britain to cut its energy usage by 15% by 2030 to help reduce bills, catching up with European neighbours which are already prioritising measures to counter spiralling prices.

** Climate negotiators in Egypt walked back from the abyss and struck an historic deal that resets the relationship between rich and poor countries. Approved without a single opposing voice, the agreement to create a fund to help developing nations face the devastation of climate change is a precedent-setting moment that’s been three decades in the making.

** U.S Vice President Kamala Harris announced $20 million in new funding for clean energy projects in the Mekong region, during the last day of her tour of Thailand on Sunday following a regional summit.

** Japan, the leading importer of liquefied natural gas, has said supplies of LNG are sold out for the next three years, setting the stage for battle royale between countries fighting to secure deliveries amid a global shortage.