** Gasoline prices are expected to rise over the next few days — but not necessarily because of turmoil in the Middle East. Over the next day or so, states in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are expected to switch to more expensive gasoline blends for the summer, leading to higher prices at the pump.
** The Biden administration on Monday finalized a new rule it says will reduce taxpayer responsibility for the process of decommissioning offshore oil and gas platforms. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) estimated the rule would require $6.9 billion in new financial guarantees from the fossil fuel industry.
** Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed legislation barring local and municipal governments from requiring their own heat protections for workers. The law, House Bill 433, blocks local governments from several activities, including setting a minimum wage higher than that of the state or federal governments.
** Hours before leaving port, the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday, the same day FBI agents boarded the vessel amid a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the catastrophe.
** Nearly three weeks since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed under the impact of a wayward cargo ship, crews are using the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to haul the wreckage to a nearby salvage yard. On Monday, authorities confirmed the body of a fourth victim had been recovered. Officials have not released the victim’s identity, at the request of his family.
** The production of responsibly sourced natural gas — a niche idea only a few years ago — is growing rapidly in the US as global buyers increasingly scrutinize the top-to-bottom emissions of the fuels they burn. The share of US supply certified as so-called RSG is estimated to hit 45% this year, up from 38% in 2023, according to a report by BloombergNEF. That would mean production at a rate of about 47 billion cubic feet per day for the certified gas, which companies say offers a lower methane footprint, among other benefits.
World
** The favorite to win Mexico’s presidential election in June, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Monday outlined a plan to invest $13.57 billion in new energy generation projects through 2030.
** A heat wave in the Philippines forced power plants to shut down on Tuesday, placing the country at risk of blackouts and prompting the government to call on people to reduce consumption.
** Iran closed down its nuclear facilities amid fears of an Israeli attack, the United Nations has revealed. Inspectors were blocked from the sites on Sunday, Rafael Grossi, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency chief, said.
