What’s Going On with Coal Power in China?

Current conditions: Extreme storm warnings are in place across Europe • Large hail could terrorize the High Plains today and tomorrow • It will feel like 113 degrees Fahrenheit in Houston, Texas.

THE TOP FIVE

1. A quick climate roundup from the DNC

It’s Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention. The Obamas took center stage last night. Now the focus shifts to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who will accept the vice-presidential nomination this evening. There are a few climate-specific events on the schedule today, including a meeting hosted by major environmental groups (some of which are behind a new $55 million climate ad push for Kamala Harris) to “present the latest on climate,” and a meeting of the Council on the Environment & Climate Crisis. Today’s events will also feature speeches from climate advocates Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

2. Climate change threatens U.S. medical blood supply

The American Red Cross says that extreme weather events are pushing down attendance at its blood drives. In July alone, the organization experienced a shortfall of 19,000 donations and its blood inventory dropped by a quarter, in part because of heat waves. And so far in August, 60 blood drives have been canceled because of extreme weather. “That limits our ability to meet hospital requests for blood,” Rodney Wilson, the senior biomedical communications specialist for the American Red Cross, toldThe Guardian. “So as hospitals request blood to treat patients, we’ve had to limit our distributions of some of those key types that they need the most, because there isn’t enough for everybody.” The American Red Cross supplies 40% of the country’s donated blood.

3. NextDecade cancels carbon capture and storage plans for Texas LNG facility

Liquefied natural gas company NextDecade yesterday canceled its plans to build a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility on its $18.4 billion Rio Grande LNG export project in Texas, officially withdrawing its application from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The company had big plans for the Rio Grande facility, which will be one of the largest LNG facilities in the country once completed. It was touted as the first U.S. LNG project expected to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% through CCS. FERC approved the export project, but a few weeks ago the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out that approval citing serious “procedural defects.” The court said FERC hadn’t sufficiently examined the project’s environmental impact. According to Gas Outlook, the Rio Grande facility will emit more than 8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent every year and be “the largest polluter in the Rio Grande Valley.”

4. Rivian VP of manufacturing departs

Rivian this week got approval to expand its plant in the city of Normal, Illinois, to build its upcoming R2 crossover SUV, Electrekreported. The R2 is expected to enter production in 2026, but the company needs to continue to expand its Normal operations first. The town council approved a whole new “R2” building and more square footage overall. In other Rivian news, the company’s vice president of manufacturing, Tim Fallon, is leaving to join Stellantis. Fallon is the latest in a wave of recent high-level departures for the company. “The exits highlight the volatility at the EV startup as it navigates production hurdles and a broader slowdown in demand for plug-in vehicles also afflicting its rivals,” explainedBloomberg.

5. China’s approvals for new coal power plants plummet

New analysis from Greenpeace East Asia finds that China cut approvals for new coal power operations by 80% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, “marking a potential turning point in China’s energy transition, as wind and solar power capacity continues to expand.” However, while many fewer projects have been given the green light, those that have are quite large. China is the world’s top emitter of coal carbon emissions.

Greenpeace

THE KICKER

Virtually the entire population of the United States has received at least one extreme weather alert since the beginning of May.