U.S. Energy News

Coalition launches ad campaign in support of carbon tax

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CARBON TAX:
• A bipartisan group releases an online video ad to convince U.S. lawmakers to support a carbon tax. (The Hill)
• A carbon tax plan before Congress would slash American carbon pollution by almost 40 percent within a decade, according to a recent study. (The Atlantic)

POLICY: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders introduce a $100 billion plan to make 1 million public housing units carbon neutral within 10 years. (Washington Post)

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U.S. Energy News

Report: Renewable electricity will surpass coal globally by 2030

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CLEAN ENERGY:
• Renewables will surpass coal as the world’s dominant electricity source by 2030, but clean energy isn’t spreading fast enough to meet climate targets, according to the International Energy Agency. (New York Times)
• Hundreds of U.S. cities and counties have committed to a 100% clean electricity target, but not all targets are created equal. (Greentech Media)

WIND: The Trump Organization is ordered to pay $290,000 to the Scottish government after losing a legal battle against a wind farm. (Washington Post)

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U.S. Energy News

EPA proposal could make it easier to pollute air, water

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REGULATION: An EPA proposal would limit the use of scientific studies in agency rulemaking, including the type that has been used for decades to set limits on mercury emissions from power plants. (New York Times)

POLITICS:
• Some environmentalists are disappointed that former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has invested millions in an effort to close coal-fired power plants, could spend his money on a long-shot presidential bid. (Washington Post)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaigns and his wife’s foundation have accepted more than $700,000 from utility PG&E. (Washington Post)
• Former coal baron and ex-convict Don Blankenship says he will enter the presidential race as a third-party candidate. (The Hill)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Midwest energy landscape is changing.

U.S. Energy News

More cities consider curbing new natural gas hookups

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OIL & GAS: More than a dozen California cities have enacted zoning codes to reduce or ban the use of natural gas in homes, and cities in Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington state are considering doing the same. (USA Today)

ALSO:
• Permian Basin oil and gas companies are increasingly relying on wind and solar power in a bid to ensure that the shale boom continues. (Reuters)
• Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania seeks passage of a resolution stating that a president cannot ban fracking. (Associated Press)
• A French oil company says it will leave the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers association because of its stance on climate change. (E&E News, subscription)

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U.S. Energy News

Climate-aware Big Tech firms still enabling fossil fuels

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CLIMATE:
• While major technology firms are pledging to slash their carbon emissions, they continue to court fossil fuel companies as customers. (Associated Press)
• A new poll finds broad bipartisan support for transitioning to clean energy from fossil fuels. (Business Insider)

REGULATION: The Trump administration nominates a lawyer with scant energy industry experience to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which would leave the traditionally bipartisan agency with a 3-1 Republican majority. (Greentech Media)

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