** Tesla Inc. notched another record quarter of vehicle deliveries by a slim margin after cutting prices across its lineup early this year, suggesting orders may have slowed after an initial surge in demand.
** States are doling out more cash than ever to lure multibillion-dollar microchip, electric vehicle and battery factories, inspiring ever-more competition as they dig deeper into their pockets to attract big employers and capitalize on a wave of huge new projects. Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas have made billion-dollar pledges for a microchip or EV plant, with more state-subsidized plant announcements by profitable automakers and semiconductor giants surely to come.
** President Biden’s nominee to lead a little-known Department of Transportation safety subagency privately boasted that she would use her position at the agency to push aggressive climate policies. Ann Carlson — an environmental law expert who Biden nominated in February to be National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator — boasted in 2021 that she was recruited by the administration to oversee climate standards for cars and trucks, according to emails obtained by the watchdog group Government Accountability & Oversight (GAO) and shared with Fox News Digital.
** Kentucky officials ask federal regulators to deny American Electric Power’s $2.65 billion sale of its Kentucky operations to Algonquin Power.
** Ameren Missouri files a proposal with state regulators to invest $122 million annually for the next three years in energy efficiency and demand response programs.
** Nebraska receives a $3 million federal grant to develop a statewide climate and clean energy plan.
World
** Venezuelan authorities have taken nine officials from state-owned metals conglomerate Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) – including from steel-maker subsidiary Sidor – into custody during corruption investigations, attorney general Tarek Saab said on Sunday.
** As the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam nears completion, following years of delays and conflict over water security, Ethiopia is optimistic about what this means for the country’s energy sector. However, other countries, such as Egypt, are concerned about the effects the dam will have on its water supply. With no agreement over the management of the dam having been reached, the project could have a dramatic effect on the region’s energy and water security.
** Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft and India’s top refiner Indian Oil Corp agreed to use the Asia-focused Dubai oil price benchmark in their latest deal to deliver Russian oil to India, three sources familiar with the deal said.
** Australia sees its booming lithium sector matching thermal coal’s importance within five years as the world increasingly shifts from fossil fuels to clean energy.
** OPEC+ announced a surprise oil production cut of more than 1 million barrels a day, abandoning previous assurances that it would hold supply steady and posing a new risk for the global economy.
