DOUBLE YOUR MONEY: Through December 31, your contribution to the Energy News Network will be doubled courtesy of NewsMatch. Give today!
POLITICS: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a longtime defender of his state’s coal industry, will lead the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, making him a key energy gatekeeper. (Charleston Gazette-Mail/E&E News, subscription)
OIL & GAS:
• A leaked federal memo suggests drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could endanger its already fragile polar bear population. (Mother Jones)
• Environmental groups sue the Trump administration for allowing companies to conduct seismic oil and gas surveys off the Atlantic coast. (Washington Post)
• The U.S. government is helping the natural gas industry make major profits at the expense of the environment. (Texas Tribune, Center for Public Integrity)
***SPONSORED LINK: Emissions will rise nearly 3% in 2018, but we have a decade left to avoid dangerous global warming – how can policymakers confront this challenge? Designing Climate Solutions identifies 10 policies, applied to 20 countries, that can keep warming below 2°C.***
CLEAN ENERGY: After years of community demands for investment, clean energy jobs and development are coming to one of Chicago’s poorest and most isolated neighborhoods. (Energy News Network)
RENEWABLES:
• An analysis of 30 state renewable standards finds every one includes “dirty” sources such as wood, mill residue, waste incineration, and waste-methane, some of which emit large amounts of carbon and other pollutants. (Grist)
• The U.S. will get more energy from wind and solar next year and less from coal, according to the Energy Department. (Houston Chronicle)
SOLAR: Former Major League Baseball player and manager Dusty Baker launches a solar company that includes projects for historically black universities, cannabis growing, and tribal reservations. (Chicago Tribune)
WIND: The U.S. offshore wind industry seeks a second wind with political backing from leaders in several Atlantic states. (E&E News, subscription)
COAL:
• A federal judge delivers a potentially fatal blow to a proposed Washington coal terminal by upholding the state’s refusal to grant a key water quality permit. (Longview Daily News)
• U.S. firms face mounting risks related to coal investments as 42 percent of coal plants are losing money heading toward retirement. (Axios)
• Outgoing U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota says she will continue focusing on policy to support carbon capture and sequestration. (E&E News, subscription)
GRID:
• Unforeseen cold snaps and other factors could stretch electricity supplies thin this winter, according to a forecast by ISO New England. (Journal Inquirer)
• Smart grid upgrades offer less risk and more flexibility than expensive power line upgrades, according to a new report. (Energy News Network)
CITIES: In Minneapolis and California, plans to increase urban density may foreshadow how cities respond to efforts to cut emissions. (Curbed)
UTILITIES: Critics say an Omaha utility’s carbon reduction pledge gives it significant leeway to keep burning fossil fuels. (Energy News Network)
TRANSPORTATION:
• If electric vehicles become the norm in California, electricity demand would exceed the grid’s current capacity, an analysis finds. (The Conversation)
• Miami-Dade County officials look to get more compressed natural gas buses to replace their aging fleet. (Miami Today)
***SPONSORED LINK: The Minnesota Sustainable Growth Coalition is looking for its next Program Manager. Apply today to help the business-led coalition advance the region toward a circular economy.***
BIOFUELS: Illinois Rep. John Shimkus plans to introduce changes to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard in the next Congress. (E&E News, subscription)
COMMENTARY: Texas and the rest of America, not OPEC, are driving the global oil and gas market, an editorial board says. (Dallas Morning News)