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OIL & GAS: In an annual energy report, BP says global oil consumption may have already peaked, and predicts unprecedented growth in renewable energy. (The Guardian)

ALSO:
• A secret recording made at an 2019 industry gathering shows oil executives worried about the optics of flaring natural gas that is uneconomical to recover. (New York Times)
• An investigation finds the oil industry has been misleading the public on the economics of recycling plastic, with most of it going to landfills. (NPR)
• North Carolina will continue its lawsuit against the federal government’s decision to advance seismic testing off the state’s Atlantic coast even after a company withdrew its request to do so. (Associated Press)

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CLIMATE: Ahead of President Trump’s visit to California today, Western governors and other officials escalate warnings that climate change is fueling the region’s deadly wildfires. (Associated Press) 

CLEAN ENERGY:
• A Department of Energy report says wind and solar will be the fastest growing sources of new capacity for 2020, accounting for more than 37 GW combined. (Houston Chronicle)
• Google’s CEO says the company has a “stretch goal” of running its offices and data centers on 100% clean energy by 2030. (Reuters)
• Investors and developers at a virtual conference say the capital markets for renewable energy are “flush with liquidity” after a brief disruption from the coronavirus pandemic. (S&P Global)
• Analysts say frayed relations with China could disrupt clean energy adoption in the U.S. (Greentech Media)

POLLUTION:
• The EPA estimates more than 500,000 diesel pickups in the U.S. have had pollution controls “deleted” by their owners with aftermarket devices. (FairWarning)
• Another study finds a link between air pollution exposure and COVID-19 deaths. (E&E News)

PIPELINES:
• The GOP-led Minnesota Senate ousts the state’s commerce commissioner after the agency continued legal challenges to the Line 3 pipeline replacement. (Star Tribune)
• Pennsylvania environmental officials order a reroute of a 1-mile section of the Mariner East pipeline following a mud spill that polluted a state park lake. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

SOLAR:
• Ash and smoke from wildfires has cut solar production as much as 20% in parts of California, according to the state’s grid operator. (KQED)
• A Florida legislator’s push to review the state’s solar net metering rules follows direct communication with utilities and more than $20,000 in campaign contributions, a watchdog group reports. (Energy & Policy Institute)
• As a developer seeks approval to build five solar farms totaling up to 138 megawatts in capacity, local officials in South Carolina fixate on end-of-life disposal plans for the panels. (Myrtle Beach Sun)

WIND: California researchers say offshore wind turbines could potentially be more valuable than solar and land-based wind in providing energy when the state needs it most. (San Luis Obispo Tribune)

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COAL: A family rooted in Pennsylvania’s coal country struggles with the state’s dependence on fossil fuels for jobs and energy and the imperatives of climate change. (Reuters)

COMMENTARY:
• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” A clean energy group says Florida officials shouldn’t mess with the state’s solar net metering policy. (CleanEnergy.org)
• President Trump’s “allegiances have shifted” as he reportedly directs the U.S. EPA to reject waivers sought by U.S. oil refiners from biofuel blending requirements, an analyst writes. (Forbes)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.