** The fate of a controversial natural gas pipeline in West Virginia may rest with the U.S. Supreme Court, as the state appealed a lower court’s ruling that temporarily blocked construction despite a Congressional order clearing the way for the project.
** The Biden administration is considering a new set of tariffs on some steel imports that would increase food prices for consumers already reeling from the recent run of high inflation.
** The U.S. government will provide up to $1.55 billion in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, two agencies said on Monday. The funding will be accompanied by technical assistance for companies to rein in emissions of the planet-warming greenhouse gas from leaks and daily operations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.
** Chevron Corp. is considering opportunities to produce lithium that would be used in electric vehicle batteries, Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said in a Bloomberg interview.
** The California Energy Commission on Wednesday is expected to move millions of dollars of federal money around between state agencies to build out zero-emission vehicle corridors on major highways in the Golden State.
** Despite taking on a huge chunk of an expensive electric vehicle recall, General Motors posted $2.54 billion in second-quarter net income, a 52% increase over a year ago.
** Warren Buffett’s multibillion-dollar purchases of oil and gas investments early in the pandemic paid off when the sector cranked out record earnings in 2022. But instead of selling out for a huge profit this year, the Oracle of Omaha wants more. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is using this year’s dip in commodity prices to load up on some of Buffett’s favorite oil and gas investments.
World
** G-20 energy ministers ended the meeting in India without a consensus on the phasing out of fossil fuels, adding another hurdle to diplomatic efforts in addressing the climate crisis.
** The cheapest way for Japan to meet its 2030 emissions reduction and mid-century net zero goals is to deploy mature, clean technologies like wind and solar generation, and electric vehicles, according to a report from BloombergNEF.
** Stellantis NV and South Korea’s Samsung SDI Co. have signed an agreement to build a second US battery plant as the automaker expands its range of electric vehicles.
** South Africa’s electricity minister attacked the country’s groundbreaking $8.5 billion climate finance pact with some of the world’s richest nations whereby it will close some coal-fired power plants and re-purpose them to produce renewable energy.
** As of July 1, New Zealand residents were expected to bring their own bags for fruits and vegetables to the supermarket, eliminating the estimated production of around 150 million plastic bags every year.
