** One of the largest solar-and-storage power generating facilities in the U.S. has come online in Southern California, immediately providing 7% of all of L.A.’s power needs, the Los Angeles Times reported. With the plant’s opening, 64% of the city’s power now comes from renewable sources.
** A U.S. district judge on Friday denied the latest request by a Native American tribe, environmentalists and other plaintiffs to stop the federal government from transferring land in Arizona for a massive copper mining project.
** Kentucky is Ford Country. That’s the message top Ford Motor Co. officials shared Monday after announcing it’s investing nearly $2 billion in its Louisville Assembly Plant.
** A California-based carbon removal company said it has completed a funding round in support of the company’s first 100-kilotonne carbon dioxide removal (CDR) commercial facility. Equatic, which is considered a pioneering company in combined carbon dioxide removal and green hydrogen production, on August 11 announced the successful closure of its Series A round, with Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H) leading an $11.6-million investment.
** Tesla is once again expanding its charging infrastructure — this time for its new Semi trucks. In partnership with PepsiCo, Tesla has submitted permits to build a new six-stall Semi charging facility in Denver at one of the soft drink corporation’s distribution centers.
** The Trump administration has reduced funding for climate research, dismissed federal scientists who worked on the National Climate Assessment, and removed past editions of the report from government websites. Now, critics say, it is taking the next step: rewriting the science itself, according to a lawsuit filed this week by environmental groups.
World
** At least two explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital Sanaa near a power station, residents said early on Sunday. The IDF struck an energy infrastructure site that was used by the Houthis in Yemen, the military confirmed on Sunday morning.
** India aims to slash taxes on small cars and insurance premiums as part of a sweeping reform of its goods and services tax (GST), a government source said on Monday, sparking a rally in Indian stock markets.
** India has recommended a three-year import tariff of 11%-12% on some steel products to curb shipments from top producer China. The levy, if imposed, will start at 12%. It will be eased to 11.5% in the second year and to 11% in the third year, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) said in a notification dated August 16.
** Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared his country open to foreign companies at the inauguration of Chinese automaker GWM’s factory in São Paulo. The remarks come as Brazil faces steep U.S. tariffs, which Lula has repeatedly denounced.