CLIMATE: Democrats want to add climate change provisions to an aid package for people and industries affected by the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News)
ALSO
• An architect of the Paris agreement says governments must not let the coronavirus pandemic derail action on climate change. (Reuters)
• Critics say California regulators are set to allow the state’s transition to cleaner energy sources move at a slower pace than the previous decade. (Los Angeles Times)
• Younger Republicans in Texas, as well as some incumbents, are starting to shift the party’s attitude on climate change. (Texas Monthly)
SOLAR:
• Supply-chain disruptions and homeowners’ reluctance to install solar panels amid the coronavirus pandemic has the industry lobbying for help from federal lawmakers. (E&E News, subscription)
• Solar dominates the latest round of clean energy projects selected for $1 billion of state support in New York. (Greentech Media)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• There is an opportunity for clean energy to help anchor the world’s post-virus economy, says a vice president with the World Resources Institute. (Bloomberg)
• The Connecticut Green Bank asks for a one-month delay in the deadline for bids for state renewable energy programs due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. (Energy News Network)
PIPELINES:
• An NRDC attorney discusses what Supreme Court justices are considering in the case over a key Atlantic Coast Pipeline permit. (Energy News Network)
• Oil and gas pipeline companies say the coronavirus outbreak has not disrupted operations as they follow business continuity plans. (S&P Global)
• A Pennsylvania legislator and pipeline opponent says construction of the Mariner East pipeline should be halted during the pandemic as other routine businesses are shut down across the state. (Daily Local News)
OIL & GAS:
• A Massachusetts city planned to add climate change warning labels to gasoline pumps in May, though the rollout could be delayed until October due to the coronavirus. (HuffPost)
• Financial analysts say fracking and petrochemicals will be two industries hardest hit by the effects of coronavirus as they will have difficulty paying down their massive debts. (Environmental Health News)
• Shell suspends construction of a Pennsylvania cracker plant over coronavirus concerns after some workers complain of unsanitary conditions. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: Bidding on federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico hit its lowest point since sales began in 2017, while environmental groups file a federal complaint alleging the sale was approved without analyzing risks. (Associated Press)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• There are lessons to be learned from a Southern California public transit agency’s rollout of a fleet of battery-electric buses. (Greentech Media)
• The coronavirus pandemic is bad news for electric vehicles this year, but it’s unlikely to stop the industry’s long-term momentum, analysts say. (Bloomberg)
• Tesla drivers recently displayed their cars outside of the Kansas City Auto Show after the event organizers blocked the company from participating because of its direct-sales model. (Electrek)
STORAGE:
• The battery sector is turning to artificial intelligence to try to improve recharging rates without degrading lithium-ion batteries. (Greentech Media)
• Virginia’s new clean energy bill creates a new market for energy storage, analysts say. (Greentech Media, subscription)
UTILITIES: Shareholder efforts to force utilities like Dominion Energy to slash greenhouse gas emissions hit roadblocks in the courts. (S&P Global)
TRANSMISSION:
• The Missouri Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling that approved a certificate of necessity for the Grain Belt Express transmission project, ending a long effort by opponents to overturn the decision. (KTTN)
• Maine’s Supreme Court rejects a challenge by a fossil fuel plant owner to state regulators’ approval of a transmission line to import Canadian hydropower. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• The Natural Resources Defense Council says a tax subsidy bill for the petrochemical industry would have limited public benefit.
• Utilities need to be pressured to implement moratoriums on electricity shut-offs during the coronavirus pandemic, an energy group says. (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)