POLITICS: In the final presidential debate, Joe Biden pledges to gradually transition the country from oil to renewable energy on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. (Associated Press)
ALSO:
• Republicans sought to exploit Biden’s statement, which also drew rebuke from two Democratic congresswomen from oil-producing states. (Newsweek)
• Analysts said a transition to renewables is inevitable no matter who wins the White House, though Biden’s plan would add momentum. (MarketWatch)
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OIL & GAS:
• Interviews and polling indicate Pennsylvania residents are not as infatuated with fracking as the presidential campaign’s attention would suggest, with the industry unpopular outside of drilling areas. (Daily Beast, Vox)
• Analysts say natural gas demand in the U.S. is reaching its peak sooner than anyone expected, and that the era of robust growth is likely over. (Bloomberg)
• North Dakota officials consider a plan to use $16 million in federal pandemic relief funds for hydraulic fracturing projects, which critics call “totally inappropriate.” (Bismarck Tribune)
WIND:
• The new CEO of Orsted’s U.S. operations says he expects the company to employ 1,000 by the end of the decade. (Greentech Media)
• A coalition of free-market groups urges Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to end the federal wind production tax credit. (E&E News, subscription)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• A small Kansas town that rebuilt after a 2007 tornado with several clean energy projects provides a lesson for other communities. (Washington Post)
• An aggressive push to 100% renewable energy could save Americans as much as $321 billion in energy costs, according to a new report. (The Guardian)
TRANSPORTATION: A Vermont program to help low-income residents buy fuel-efficient vehicles is off to a slow start after it was delayed for months by the pandemic. (Energy News Network)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Tennessee builds on this week’s announcement of a General Motors plant conversion to claim the title of the leading state for making electric cars. (Knoxville News-Sentinel, subscription)
COAL:
• Arch Resources, the nation’s second-largest coal company, outlines plans to divest from electricity-generating thermal coal. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Coal plants, often heavy consumers of water resources, are expected to face risks from rising water stress and thus more pressure to close. (S&P Global)
EMISSIONS: Most cities that have pledged to meet goals in line with the Paris climate agreement are falling short or haven’t started to track local progress, according to a Brookings Institution report. (E&E News, subscription)
CARBON: California has an opportunity to lead the development of carbon capture technologies if it takes the right policy actions, according to a new report. (S&P Global)
UTILITIES: A memo from a court-appointed monitor says PG&E’s wildfire prevention efforts prioritized work on the easiest stretches of power lines instead of those in the highest risk areas. (Courthouse News Service)
PIPELINES:
• A Pennsylvania appeals court rules that state regulators do not have to release calculations of a potential blast zone for the Mariner East pipeline, citing confidential security rules. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
• A natural gas company that once owned the Mountain Valley Pipeline wants to sell off its capacity in the project, which is running two years behind and $2 billion over budget. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
COMMENTARY: Environmental attorneys say it is “hard to overstate how transformative” New York’s 2019 climate law will be as some of its first benchmarks in creating its plan come due. (Bloomberg)