Energy headlines from the US and the world

** A Michigan GOP state lawmaker is asking Congress to demand all “federal resources available” to investigate whether Gotion High-tech, a Chinese energy company with U.S. subsidiaries, is doing business or attempting to do business with enemies of the United States.

** A Nevada county rescinds a geothermal energy company’s exploratory drilling permit in the Black Rock Desert after Burning Man and conservation groups sue to block the project.

** Environmental groups say ExxonMobil’s plan to conduct no new exploration in the Alaska Arctic is a sign industry is losing interest in the region and future lease sales will flop.

** Oregon electric vehicle manufacturer Arcimoto says it is nearly out of money and faces “substantial doubt” it can continue operating.

** New Jersey residents looking to buy or lease an electric vehicle won’t be able to get a government rebate — at least temporarily — because the state program is so popular that it’s already running out of money, officials said.

** Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) blasted recently proposed vehicle emissions standards from the Environmental Protection Agency as a “Trojan horse,” the latest salvo from the Democrat against the Biden administration’s environmental policies. The proposal, issued last week, would result in an estimated two-thirds of light-duty cars and 46 percent of medium-duty cars sold in the U.S. being electric by 2032.

 

World

** Australia said on Wednesday it would introduce new standards targeting vehicle emissions to boost the uptake of electric cars, as it looks to catch up with other developed economies.

** China’s auto market, the world’s largest, is accelerating toward an electric future – leaving established global brands stuck in the slow lane. The biggest winner has been BYD, which will use the Shanghai show to unveil a new hatchback electric vehicle (EV) for value-seeking buyers and a pricier EV styled as an SUV.

** Climate activists said Tuesday that they will stage further protests in Berlin in an effort to force the German government into doing more to curb global warming. The announcement came as courts are taking a tougher stance against members of the group Last Generation who have repeatedly blocked roads across Germany in the past year.