$3 billion in funding has been secured for the construction of the Las Vegas to Southern California high-speed rail project, which aims to connect the two regions and alleviate congestion on the Interstate 15 corridor. The project, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is expected to remove 3 million cars from the highway annually, reduce carbon emissions, and create 35,000 union jobs. The high-speed rail will have a positive impact on Nevada's tourism economy and rely on local union labor.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., a major supply chain solutions provider, has announced an agreement to purchase 13 zero-emission Class 8 trucks from Nikola Corporation. The order includes 10 battery-electric and three hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, which will be strategically located at facilities servicing J.B. Hunt's key routes. This purchase is part of J.B. Hunt's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and achieving its goal of reducing carbon emission intensity by 32% by 2034. The first vehicles are expected to be delivered in August 2023.
The US Department of Energy has proposed new energy efficiency standards for water heaters, aiming to save consumers $11.4 billion annually on energy and water bills. The standards, which have not been updated in 13 years, would require electric water heaters to achieve efficiency gains with heat pump technology and gas-fired water heaters to achieve efficiency gains through condensing technology. If finalized, the standards are expected to save nearly $200 billion and reduce over 500 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over 30 years. The proposal has received support from various stakeholders, but some manufacturers argue that the standards are technologically impossible and would limit consumer choice.
