EPA Releases Stronger Fuel Economy Standards: The Biden administration announced new passenger vehicle fuel economy standards on Wednesday. The EPA estimates the updated standards will prevent more than 7 billion tons of carbon pollution and accrue almost $100 billion in additional benefits, including preventing as many as 2,500 premature deaths every year. Gasoline-powered cars emit about one-fifth of the country's total climate pollution. The final rule requires EVs to make up 67% of all new passenger vehicles and light trucks (including full-size pickups) by 2032 but would allow car companies to comply if their 2032 fleet includes 56% EVs and 13% plug-in hybrids — that flexibility, along with a delayed EV ramp-up, comes after extensive negotiations with the UAW. "The bottom line is that the administration is caving to pressure from big oil, big auto and the dealers to stall progress on EVs and now allow more pollution from cars," Dan Becker of the Center for Biological Diversity told the AP. EDF head Amanda Leland said the new EPA rule “will slash climate pollution and air pollution" and “bring more savings for consumers and a healthier future for our children." EDF Action, on Wednesday, announced it would formally oppose Donald Trump's presidential campaign. (AP, Washington Post $, Politico, New York Times $, Politico Pro $, E&E $, The Hill, Grist, Axios, CNN, FT $, LA Times $, Politico Pro $, Heatmap $, E&E $, Politico Pro $, NBC, CBS)

Venting And Flaring Kill Nearly 2 People Every Day: Flaring and venting from oil and gas operations lead to more than 710 premature deaths in the U.S. each year, a new study finds. Flaring is the practice of burning off excess methane gas, often during oil drilling operations, while venting is the release of methane and the other chemicals that make up so-called "natural" gas directly into the atmosphere. The research, published in Geohealth, also found the practices lead to more than 73,000 asthma exacerbations and cost Americans approximately $7.4 billion annually. (Inside Climate News)

Oil And Gas Leaders At CERAWeek Push 'Talking Points From The 1970s': Oil executives enjoying massive profits derided efforts to transition away from the fossil fuels pushing the climate crisis to record-smashing levels as "visibly failing" and a "fantasy" at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. That derision from the head of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser and other leaders of an industry that has spent billions obfuscating and denying the harm done by its products, unsurprisingly drew the ire of climate advocates. “They work night and day to torpedo a transition to renewable energy and then have the audacity to critique the slowness of the transition itself,” Jeff Ordower, North America director at 350.org, said in a statement. “CERAWeek should highlight a global vision toward a clean and equitable future, and instead, we get talking points from the 1970s.” The world's biggest oil and gas companies are indeed failing to align their business practices with what would be necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the goal laid out in the Paris Agreement, according to a Carbon Tracker analysis of the world's 25 biggest oil and gas companies released Wednesday. Major oil companies pulled down record profits last year, and CEOs like Exxon's Darren Woods sought to blame consumers for not reducing demand. “It’s no surprise to see misleading claims like this coming at CERAWeek, because fossil fuel companies are the biggest cause of the climate crisis, and their continued political influence is the biggest obstacle to solving it,” Oil Change International's David Tong told CNBC. “Oil and gas companies are deliberately slowing and blocking a rapid fossil fuel phase-out with the types of dangerous distractions they are peddling this week in Houston.” (CNBC, Washington Post $, New York Times $; Paris scorecard: E&E $, S&P Global, AFP)

ENVIRONMENTAL (IN)JUSTICE: Most children under six in Chicago exposed to lead in water: Research (The Hill)

COP29: 'There is this fatigue:' Top official wants next UN climate summit to be lean (Axios)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: US gives billions to island nations, tackling climate and China (E&E $)

DENIAL & DISINFO: Dutch court finds KLM ads were misleading in 'greenwashing' case (Reuters, FT $)

EPA: Twenty Democratic attorneys general file motion in support of Biden methane rule (The Hill, E&E $), ConocoPhillips CEO calls parts of EPA methane rule ‘unworkable’ (E&E $)

DOE: DOE backs Alaska gas exports over climate objections (E&E $), DOE estimates US can nearly double energy derived from waste in new report (Utility Dive), Next-gen geothermal could provide 10% of additional clean, firm power US needs to decarbonize: DOE (Utility Dive)

SEC: SEC climate rule prompts a rush to sue. Experts say companies are likely to prepare to comply anyway (AP), Federal appeals court pauses SEC climate rule implementation (Utility Dive)

TREASURY: Treasury data shows surging interest in Biden’s clean energy tax credits (E&E $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Watchdog highlights limitations to air quality sensors (E&E $)

WHITE HOUSE: Biden threatens veto of bill to scrap climate law provisions (E&E $)

THE HILL: Upcoming spending package has rider against gas stove ban (E&E $)

HOUSE: House GOP blocks Dem amendments to water permitting bill (E&E $)

SENATE: Senators prep effort to strike down EPA tailpipe rule (E&E $)

ELECTIONS: Where Biden, Trump stand on climate change as U.N. sounds 'red alert' (CBS), An Obama EPA aide is leading Biden’s battleground charge (E&E $), LCV eyes record spending in 2024 race (E&E $), Republicans are counting on millionaires to flip the Senate (New York Times $)

TRIBES: California tribe that lost 90% of land during Gold Rush to get site to serve as gateway to redwoods (AP)

CITIES AND STATES: Maine to decide on stricter electric vehicle standards (AP), Governor signs bills creating electric vehicle charging station network across Wisconsin (AP), Months after devastating floods, Vermont renews efforts to aid climate-friendly rebuilds (Energy News Network), New Jersey sends mixed signals on electric cars (E&E $), Washington carbon price crashes as possible repeal looms (E&E $), Nashville citizens demand a public transit system that lets them live and work in the city (The Tennessean)

• CALIFORNIA: Bay Area leaders unveil legislation to fund, consolidate public transit (Courthouse News), Court upholds state plan to require more water in California rivers (LA Times $), America’s four most polluted national parks are in California, study finds (LA Times $), California, Stellantis strike vehicle emissions deal (Reuters)

FERC: Republicans embrace FERC as an ally against Biden energy agenda (E&E $)

IMPACTS: UN sounds ‘red alert’ after heat records smashed in 2023 (CNN, Prensa Latina), Global heating could cause an extra 1.2m lamb deaths in Australia each year, study finds (The Guardian), Scientists fear planetary shift as record ocean heat enters second year (Washington Post $)

HEAT: Extreme heat wave pushes South Sudan to close schools (New York Times $), Emissions connected to top oil and gas firms may cause millions of heat deaths by 2100, study finds (The Guardian), Losing sleep in extreme heat waves hurts pregnant people, newborns (Yale Climate Connections)

WILDFIRES: Officials warn of dangerous conditions as brush fires bring smoke to DC area (Washington Post $)

DROUGHT: Persistent drought is drying out Chile's drinking water (Reuters)

CERAWEEK: Biden admin mounts defense of ‘clean’ hydrogen (E&E $), Tensions between phaseout advocates and oil titans on display in Houston (Axios)

RENEWABLES: The US solar industry needs government support to compete with cheap imports (OilPrice), Chinese solar manufacturer cancels $1.3 billion factory (Bloomberg $), Eclipse to lessen solar power, but ERCOT says don't worry (CBS), A coal billionaire is building the world’s biggest clean energy plant and it’s five times the size of Paris (CNN)

BATTERIES: Arizona just added its biggest grid battery yet, with another coming soon (Canary Media)

BUILDINGS: 6 burning questions on home electrification, answered (Canary Media)

TRANSIT: Disabled riders need comprehensive public transportation planning (Prism Reports)

METHANE: Innovative solutions will be necessary to reduce methane emissions, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, experts say (ABC)

OIL & GAS: Private equity cashes in after $30 billion shale exit deals (OilPrice, Wall Street Journal $), Chevron agrees to pay more than $13 million in fines for California oil spills (AP), China’s Sinochem buys first oil cargo from Canadian [Trans Mountain] pipeline (Bloomberg $), Sudan declares force majeure after oil pipe in war zone ruptured (Bloomberg $), Northern Hemisphere's record winter warmth slashes gas consumption (Reuters)

PLASTICS: Amazon says its plastic packaging can be recycled. An investigation finds it usually isn’t. (Grist)

HYDROGEN: Texas hydrogen projects to add wind, solar power to state grid (Bloomberg $), Germany plans more support for $11 billion Namibia hydrogen plan (Bloomberg $)

NUKES: Western countries ‘too optimistic’ on nuclear projects, warns engineering chief (FT $), A nuclear plant’s closure was hailed as a green win. Then emissions went up (The Guardian)

EVs: EV battery maker sues Michigan township over $2B plant (E&E $)

AVIATION: This electric aircraft CEO wants you to fly for the price of an Uber (Axios)

AGRICULTURE: The next big climate deadline is for meat and dairy (Vox)

CARBON CAPTURE & REMOVAL: As carbon air capture ramps up, major hurdles remain (Yale Environment 360), Companies are poised to inject millions of tons of carbon underground. Will it stay put? (Inside Climate News)

FINANCE: A $3.2 trillion refinancing wall looms for high-carbon issuers (Bloomberg $), Most passive funds labeled ESG finance new oil, gas fields (Bloomberg $)

PROM: At prom, fast fashion slows down (Grist)

TRASH: UN says e-waste from trashed electric devices is piling up and recycling isn’t keeping pace (AP, Reuters, CBS)

INTERNATIONAL: Italy’s grid operator to invest $18 billion to support the rise of renewables (OilPrice), Greece must bolster flood defences and reduce water-guzzling crops, experts say (Reuters), Canada's big banks say sustainable finance pledges may not curtail emission growth (Reuters), Taps have run dry across South Africa’s largest city in an unprecedented water crisis (AP)

• FERC needs a quorum to function. Tomorrow’s Senate hearing puts that work on the line. (Utility Dive, Amy Andryszak op-ed)
• 'We all need water': Panama's canal, and people, thirst for more (Context, Anastasia Moloney op-ed)
• Landmark legal opinion paves way for nature to enter the boardroom (Reuters, James Cameron and Thea Philip op-ed)
• Wall Street is letting Orwellian doublethink kill climate action (FT, Pilita Clark column $)
• Could the mega-merger of two California oil giants benefit the climate? (LA Times, Tony Briscoe column $)

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