CLIMATE: The Trump administration argues for a narrow interpretation of the Clean Air Act in a case challenging the rejection of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, with the three-judge panel appearing divided on the issue so far. (InsideClimate News, New York Times)

ALSO: A report finds that 51 misleading ads on climate change were viewed 8 million times this year on Facebook, for a cost of only $42,000, and despite the company’s pledge to fight misinformation. (E&E News)

***SPONSORED LINK: MnSEIA’s 7th annual Gateway to Solar conference is next week! Join us Oct. 12-13 for a SEIA State Chapter Roundtable, keynotes such as Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota State Legislators, D&I training for energy professionals, and much more.***

OVERSIGHT: William Perry Pendley says he is disregarding a court ruling that he has been serving illegally as head of the Bureau of Land Management: “I’m still here, I’m still running the bureau.” (The Hill)

OIL & GAS:
• A federal court strikes down an Obama-era rule on methane emissions, saying the Bureau of Land Management did not have the authority to issue it. (The Hill)
• A new report warns U.S. oil companies are falling behind their European counterparts in adapting to climate change, and are risking billions of dollars in stranded assets. (E&E News, subscription)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• A new report finds nearly 500,000 clean energy workers still do not have jobs amid the coronavirus economic downturn. (The Hill)
• A $45 billion investment in clean energy technology in Illinois would add more than $350 billion to the state’s economy, according to a new report from Advanced Energy Economy. (Solar Power World)

UTILITIES:
• Environmental groups ask a federal appeals court to consider suspending a former FirstEnergy subsidiary’s bankruptcy reorganization in light of the HB 6 scandal. (Eye on Ohio / Energy News Network)
• Despite Democrats’ pledge to check Dominion Energy’s influence over the Virginia legislature, an investigation finds a lobbying blitz helped the utility wind last-minute concessions in a clean energy bill passed this year. (ProPublica/Richmond Times-Dispatch)
• The CEO of a Colorado co-op seeking to end its contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission says its offer to cut rates and allow customers to generate more power isn’t enough to prevent it from leaving. (Utility Dive)

NUCLEAR: The Department of Energy announces it will provide $26 million in funding to support hydrogen production at two nuclear plants. (S&P Global)

SOLAR:
• Solar developers and farmers highlight ways that solar power and agriculture can coexist. (NPR)
• Researchers say changing atmospheric conditions caused by climate change could disrupt solar production in some parts of the world, including the U.S. Southwest. (Study Finds)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Amazon unveils a prototype electric delivery van that it’s developing in partnership with Illinois EV startup Rivian. (Chicago Tribune)

POLLUTION: The Trump administration largely failed to deliver on its promise to clean up Superfund sites, claiming success for cleanups that had begun decades earlier and ignoring the need to harden sites against the growing threat of extreme weather. (Texas Observer/InsideClimate News/NBC News)

***SPONSORED LINK: Help Fresh Energy ensure that clean energy is at the center of rebuilding our economy. Join Fresh Energy at their Oct. 22 Virtual Benefit Breakfast fundraiser with keynote speaker Dr. Leah Stokes, a national expert on energy, climate, and environmental politics. Register here.***

POLITICS: President Trump pushes fracking as a wedge issue in his campaign, but it is not a top concern among voters, even in Pennsylvania. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

COMMENTARY: While televised political debates are finally starting to include questions on climate change, “viewers have yet to see the truly substantive discussion that the climate crisis demands.” (Media Matters)

 

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Ken Paulman

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.