** From heat protections for workers to restrictions on toxic chemicals, the Biden administration is set to leave several of the significant environmental and health protections it has floated unfinished. The fate of many of these regulations likely depends on the outcome of November’s election, as a Harris administration would probably continue them, while a Trump administration likely would not.
** Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern on Monday with Azerbaijan hosting the COP29 climate conference in November, pointing to the country imprisoning Armenian and pro-environmental activists.
** A coalition of local and state organizations joined the Navajo Nation Monday in a letter to Utah’s congressional delegation blasting their “inexplicable opposition” to reauthorizing and expanding an expired law that compensates Americans exposed to nuclear radiation.
** New England states Massachusetts and Rhode Island are moving ahead with three offshore wind projects totaling 2.9 gigawatts (GW), government officials said on Friday. The projects are set to begin delivering power around the end of the decade.
** A federal historic preservation advisory council ceases work on the proposed Lava Ridge wind installation in Idaho, saying it cannot guarantee the project would not harm a national historic site.
World
** Exxon Mobil has pulled out of the race to buy half of Galp Energia’s stake in a large oil discovery in Namibia that has attracted interest from top energy companies, sources with knowledge of the matter said. More than 12 oil companies including Exxon, Shell and Brazil’s national oil company Petrobras had expressed interest in Galp’s 40% stake in the offshore Mopane discovery, sources had previously said.
** India plans to have a third of its heavy duty long-haul trucking fleet fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of diesel in five to seven years to cut pollution, according to a draft policy from the federal oil ministry. India, one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, has set a 2070 net zero goal and wants to raise the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 from about 6% now.
** Saudi Arabian officials expressed willingness to accept the Chinese yuan as payment for crude oil ahead of Premier Li Qiang’s visit to the kingdom on Sept. 9, as Saudi seeks to deepen ties with China to help its economy diversify from oil.
