** Energy watchdog group Power the Future (PTF) filed a freedom of information lawsuit against the Biden administration on Tuesday, alleging it failed to divulge Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC) John Kerry’s taxpayer-funded staff.
** The Biden administration finalized regulations severely tightening restrictions on fine particulate matter that the manufacturing and energy sectors are legally allowed to emit, an action that industry said would have devastating economic consequences.
** Two Buick dealerships in Wyoming have jumped ship rather than sell electric vehicles. Denny Menholt Chevrolet GMC in Cody and Yellowstone Motors in Powell have confirmed buyouts from General Motors as opposed to making the necessary investments to sell the Buick brand’s upcoming line of battery-powered EVs.
** California drivers will need to double-check where they park this year as a new law on the books has created a no-parking buffer around marked and unmarked pedestrian crosswalks.
** Heavy rains pummeling Southern California for the last several days are forcing millions of gallons of raw sewage to spew from sewer connections across Los Angeles County and flow into coastal waters off Long Beach and San Pedro, according to health and sanitation officials.
** Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Utah join other Republican-led states calling on the Biden administration to rescind its “TikTok-inspired” liquefied natural gas export permitting pause.
** In Maine, a new bill would have state utility regulators essentially lay the groundwork for performance-based ratemaking, a proposal not supported by utilities but that supporters say will improve efficiency and reliability.
World
** Swedish officials said Wednesday that they have decided to close their investigation into the September 2022 explosions on the underwater Nord Stream gas pipelines which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, saying they don’t have jurisdiction.
** Mirroring protests across Europe, thousands of farmers in Spain staged a second day of tractor demonstrations on Wednesday across the country, blocking highways to demand changes in European Union farming policies and measures to combat production cost hikes and severe drought.