COP26: Global leaders agree to strengthen emissions reductions at the close of two weeks of climate negotiations, but environmental experts say the pledges fail to adequately address climate change and render Paris Agreement goals “dead.” (New York Times, Grist, Associated Press)

ALSO:
• Signers of the COP26 agreement pledged to “phase down” coal and fossil fuel subsidies — a change from an earlier draft that called for “phasing out.” (Washington Post)
• The U.S. and European Union block a COP26 provision that would have urged wealthy countries to support victims of climate disasters. (Politico)

POLITICS: Democrats await a Congressional Budget Office analysis and fight new opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin as they prepare to vote on their reconciliation bill. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• The Biden administration will announce a 20-year ban on federal oil and gas leasing within 10 miles of northern New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park today.  (New York Times)
• Oil pipelines and climate policy have emerged as key sticking points in U.S.-Canadian relations as the two countries and Mexico are set to hold a day-long diplomatic summit. (CBC)
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urges President Biden to tap the country’s emergency petroleum reserves to combat high gasoline prices. (Reuters)

TRANSPORTATION:
• “We’re going to build the future as they build the past.” A tribal clean energy developer hopes a planned electric vehicle charging network can help Upper Midwest reservations move past recent oil pipeline fights. (Energy News Network)
• Electric vehicles nearly doubled as a share of global new car sales in the first half of 2021, as compared to all of 2020. (Utility Dive)
• Lordstown Motors’ shares dropped roughly 14% on Friday after the company disclosed further delays in getting its electric truck to market. (Reuters)

SOLAR: A new study suggests Connecticut could generate more than a third of its annual electricity consumption with solar canopies built over large, existing parking lots. (Energy News Network)

WIND: The U.S. Interior Department officially designates a wind energy zone on 240,898 acres along central California’s coast and seeks public input before issuing an environmental analysis. (Renewables Now) 

GRID: A Texas regulator says winterization and more power reserves will “make a big difference” after February’s storm-driven failures knocked out power across the state and contributed to dozens of deaths that experts say were likely undercounted. (KXAN; Austin American-Statesman, subscription)

NUCLEAR: Chronic flooding and a growing amount of spent nuclear waste have whittled down the ancestral lands of the Prairie Island Indian Community in southeastern Minnesota to about a third of their original size. (New York Times)

COAL: Activists who successfully fought the Byhalia Pipeline in Memphis, Tennessee, turn to stopping the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans to store coal ash at a landfill near a predominantly Black, low-income neighborhood. (Tennessee Lookout)

EFFICIENCY: After nearly a year of delay, New Hampshire’s utility regulator ends state-run and utility-administered energy efficiency programs in favor of an open market, aggravating utilities and environmental advocates alike. (InDepth NH)

Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.