US lithium-ion battery imports jump; Warren Buffett's $8.3B plan raises eyebrows

SPOTLIGHT

➤ US lithium-ion battery imports jump as China seizes market share

U.S. imports of lithium-ion batteries from Asia, especially China, are surging in synch with America's rising appetite for electric vehicles, consumer electronics and battery peaker plants. Imports of lithium-ion batteries jumped 86% in the last three months of 2020 to 43.7 million kilograms, with China accounting for 48% of the imports, followed by South Korea, Germany and Japan.

➤ Warren Buffett's $8.3B plan to avert Texas blackouts raises eyebrows

Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy is pitching Texas lawmakers an $8.3 billion proposal to build 10 new gas-fired power plants to help avert another energy crisis. The proposal would require new legislation to create a regulated utility, the Texas Emergency Power Reserve, that would generate power only when demand outstrips supply.

➤ European renewables stocks losing edge over utilities after 2020 rally

Amid falling bond yields and a recovery in power prices, among other factors, European utilities outperformed the broader market in 2020. A bull run drove pure-play renewables stocks such as Ørsted A/S and Neoen SA well above the wider utilities universe in the early stages of the pandemic. But in the first months of 2021, these companies experienced a plot twist, losing most of their edge over integrated players as part of a market correction that saw green stocks sold off.

➤ National Fuel's gas utility envisions dedicated hydrogen systems, hybrid heat

National Fuel Gas Co. recently established four pillars for operating a low-carbon business and aligning with New York climate law: scaling energy efficiency, reducing utility emissions, decarbonizing the energy source and leveraging the existing delivery system. In a March 30 interview, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp. President Donna DeCarolis discussed the role that energy efficiency, renewable gases and electrification could play in fleshing out that framework.

➤ Mass. climate act advances movement to restrict natural gas use in buildings

Massachusetts building electrification backers moved one step closer to obtaining authority to restrict natural gas use in new buildings with the passage of a new Bay State climate road map. The act directs the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to design a "highly efficient stretch energy code" for new construction that towns and cities can adopt on a voluntary basis.

CHART WATCH

The White House released the outline of a jobs and infrastructure plan that calls on Congress to invest $100 billion to "reenergize America's power infrastructure."

MARKETS & FINANCE

Portland General Electric CEO: Customers want clean energy future

Biden welcomes Republicans to collaborate on $2 trillion infrastructure package

After resilient Q4'20, European utilities sector enters 'investment supercycle'

Moody's joins S&P in adding energy transition to oil, gas risk factors

Biden energy plan boosts renewables outlook, puts oil and gas on notice

POLICY & REGULATION

ERCOT begins 'claw back' of payments for service lapses during Arctic blast

Mass. governor signs reworked climate bill

Lawmakers introduce bill to expand MLPs to clean energy sources

FERC urged to clarify accounting requirements for wind, solar, storage resources

Fortum firms grip on Uniper with 'abrupt and inappropriate' management shake-up

	LISTEN UP: Why companies, investors should be worried about wate‪r‬ In recognition of World Water Day, S&P Global Market Intelligence talks with Will Sarni, founder and CEO of water consultancy Water Foundry, and Emilio Tenuta, chief sustainability officer at Ecolab, to look into the looming threat of water scarcity and the lack of investor appetite for financing water-related projects. Episodes of "ESG Insider" are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

PROJECTS & INFRASTRUCTURE

US energy industry sees opening in infrastructure push to address priorities

Great River Energy enters talks with potential buyer to purchase ND coal plant

Gas deliveries to US LNG terminals to flow full tilt into summer

Fresh global wind installations on course to total 1 terawatt by 2030

Ontario predicts power demand will edge up as pandemic effects ease

OPERATIONS & STRATEGY

Winterizing wind turbines may not be the answer in Texas

Interior seeks to 'restore balance' with oil, gas program review

US launches effort to add 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030

World must triple annual wind power additions to hit climate goals, report finds

Google, green groups urge US government to buy 'around-the-clock' clean power

Quoted

"So DOE is going to marshal every resource we have ... to get as many American companies ... using as many sheets of American steel ... employing as many American workers as possible ... all into offshore wind energy." — U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm following the announcement that the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry will receive a major boost as the Biden administration launched a series of coordinated actions to help the country install 30,000 MW of offshore wind generating capacity by 2030.