Twenty-three states joined California in suing the Environmental Protection Agency for stripping away an Obama-era waiver that allows the state to set strict emissions standards on cars and trucks, the California's attorney general's office announced Friday.
The big picture: This is the latest in a high-stakes battle between California and the Trump administration over the fuel-efficiency of cars in America, says Axios' Amy Harder. Automakers — and drivers — are caught in the middle and likely stuck with significant uncertainty for years as these legal and regulatory fights wear on.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra has backed out of a planned keynote speech at CES, missing out on what was likely to be a splashy debut of GM's latest innovations on the tech industry's biggest stage.
Why it matters: Barra had been expected to show off at least one prototype of an upcoming barrage of electric vehicles. But because of a six-week strike this fall by UAW autoworkers, the show cars couldn't be produced in time.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday unveiled a 10-year plan to spend up to $180 billion to decarbonize and overhaul the nation's public housing.
Why it matters: The lawmakers are calling the proposed bill the first attempt from Green New Deal sponsors to begin adding legislative details to the sweeping concept.
The European Investment Bank has decided to end all financing for fossil fuel development by the end of 2021 — including natural gas projects.
Why it matters: It's the "first time any major multilateral lender has curbed lending to natural gas projects because of climate change concerns," the Financial Times reports.
Using carbon pricing to cut transportation emissions could be tough, and some Energy Department data from this week helps to explain why.
Driving the news: The latest entry from the Vehicle Technologies Office's handy "transportation fact of the week" series compares a decade of changes in U.S. gasoline prices to vehicle miles traveled.
How much power do shareholders have over companies? Judging by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's comments to "Axios on HBO" this week, it must be quite a lot.
Catch up quick: Khosrowshahi praised Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who sits on Uber's board and is a close friend of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "He's been a very constructive board member," Khosrowshahi said, "and I personally have valued his input greatly."
Despite some splashy pledges, the energy industry overall is just at the early stages of adopting "net-zero" carbon emissions plans, a new report shows.
Why it matters: Achieving global net-zero emissions by mid-century is a widely cited target in a steep uphill battle to meet the Paris agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C.
New data and projections confirm the emergence of the U.S. as a net exporter of crude oil and liquid petroleum products (gasoline, diesel and and more) combined.
Why it matters: The inflection point underscores the growth of the U.S. as a petro-superpower, although we still import millions of barrels of crude oil per day and production growth is slowing.
Daimler announced over $1 billion in job cuts over the next three years on Thursday, citing the costs of moving the company toward a more climate-friendly product line and meeting EU emissions targets.
Why it matters: The German auto behemoth's announcement is a sign of how the wider industry's movement toward electric vehicles and automated technology will be a bumpy ride.
