Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  Gas export projects in limbo despite court ruling New gas export projects will likely remain in limbo for many months despite a judge halting the Biden administration’s pause on approving such projects on Monday. © Getty The administration still has discretion in its review of new projects, and experts don’t expect it to approve any ahead of the November election, in which President Biden looks to face a closely fought rematch with former President Trump.  Approving new gas export facilities would likely alienate progressive voters who already have a tenuous relationship with Biden and have raised concerns about gas’s environmental impact.  “I don’t think it’ll have much impact at all,” Ira Joseph, senior research associate at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, said of the order lifting the administration’s pause.  Joseph added that the Energy Department “has the ability to review the license for non-[free trade agreement] approval for as long or as short as they want.”  The Biden administration said in January that it would temporarily stop authorizing gas export terminals to ship fuel to countries that don’t have free trade agreements with the U.S., otherwise known as non-FTA countries.   Opponents of the move sued, and Judge James Cain, a Trump appointee, earlier this week blocked the administration’s pause “in its entirety, effective immediately” while the litigation against it plays out.  Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.  Programming note: This newsletter will not publish on Thursday due to the Fourth of July holiday. We'll see you on Friday! Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  GM paying $146M in penalties over older vehicles’ emissions General Motors (GM) will pay $146 million in penalties after an investigation found 5.9 million of the company’s vehicles put out excess greenhouse gas emissions, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Wednesday.  Full Story   Wildlife officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owlsThe federal government issued a plan Wednesday that could eliminate 400,000 barred owls, an invasive species, to protect threatened spotted owls in the western U.S.  Full Story   FDA bans soda additive over health concernsThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned a soda additive starting next month over health concerns.  Full Story   On Our Radar The White House will hold its annual Fourth of July celebration on Thursday. A White House Council on Environmental Quality  spokesperson told The Hill exclusively that it will be the first large South Lawn event free of single-use plastics. In Other News Branch out with a different read on The Hill:Alaskan glacier melt is accelerating — and the effects could be irreversible: StudyThe melt rate of a major Alaskan icefield is accelerating and could reach a point of no return much sooner than previously anticipated, a new study has found. The thawing of glaciers in the Juneau … Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:Utah power company wants customers to pay 30% more in next 18 months (The Salt Lake Tribune)States could help disabled people survive climate change—by working with them (Mother Jones)  Hochul Is Pressed to Resurrect Congestion Pricing With Lower Toll (The New York Times) What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now:Michelle Obama only Democrat to beat Trump in new poll Former first lady Michelle Obama is the only Democrat to beat former President Trump in a new poll Tuesday Read moreConservative Heritage leader: ‘Second American Revolution’ will be bloodless ‘if the left allows it to be’ The leader of conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argued the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity will reinforce a “second American Revolution,” which he said would “remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” Read more   Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill:Is our food supply chain at risk?   You're all caught up. See you Friday!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter Subscribe