OIL & GAS: The oil and gas industry knew at least 50 years ago that burning fossil fuels unleashed dangerous air pollution on the world but fought regulations anyway, memos and documents show. (The Guardian)
PIPELINES:
• Twenty-one states file a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s canceling of a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. (CNN)
• Federal regulators hold their first “listening session” to gain feedback on their pipeline approval process and hear complaints on eminent domain from Pennsylvania landowners. (E&E News, subscription)
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OVERSIGHT:
• The EPA finalizes a rule to limit nitrogen oxide pollution from power plants in 12 states in response to a court order issued last year. (Politico)
• The EPA asks a court to throw out a Trump administration rule that exempts industries other than power plants from greenhouse gas limits. (The Hill)
• Democrats are still weighing whether to use the Congressional Review Act to revoke Trump-era regulations, with some warning the approach could backfire. (E&E News)
• Climate activists are hopeful that the EPA could revive discussions about using the Clean Air Act to set state greenhouse gas limits. (E&E News)
POLLUTION: An analysis finds that air quality in the U.S. actually deteriorated last year during pandemic lockdowns compared to other countries, especially on the West Coast due to record-setting wildfires. (East Bay Times)
UTILITIES:
• Environmental groups are calling on federal energy regulators to prevent utilities from using ratepayer funds for lobbying. (The Hill)
• Public records show former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo met repeatedly with Gov. Mike DeWine and utility officials as the state’s scandal-tainted power plant bailout law was under consideration. (Cleveland.com)
GRID: Congressional Republicans complain that hearings on Texas’ recent blackouts don’t highlight problems in California and other “blue” states. (E&E News, subscription)
CLEAN ENERGY: Business leaders and attorneys blame high costs and possible long waits for their reluctance to apply for the Energy Department’s $43 billion loan guarantee program. (Politico)
WIND: A debate over a cable to connect Long Island’s first wind farm to the shore in a wealthy enclave has turned rancorous. (The Guardian)
SOLAR:
• A Virginia county considers taxing solar farms after Mountain Valley Pipeline delays left it short of its expected revenue. (Chatham Star-Tribune)
• NextEra Energy unveils plans for a 690 MW, $700 million solar project at a decommissioned nuclear plant in Iowa. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
NUCLEAR: A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists says advanced nuclear reactors may pose greater safety risks than the technology they aim to replace. (Reuters)
EFFICIENCY: Missouri lawmakers advance bills that would require property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing programs to undergo a state review every two years and give mortgage holders veto power over PACE loans. (Energy News Network)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The Senate Natural Resources Committee debates how “questionable mining practices” in countries that provide necessary minerals for batteries could complicate the U.S.’s electric vehicle push. (E&E News, subscription)
• Share values fall for Ohio electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors after federal securities regulators open an inquiry into the company’s operations. (Bloomberg)
• Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian will install charging stations at all Colorado state parks, calling the state “an ideal flagship deployment.” (Colorado Sun)
CLIMATE: The U.S. needs a “national social compact” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, not just the hodgepodge of ideas it’s currently working with, a Princeton University study says. (S&P Global)
COMMENTARY:
• A former Maryland governor says the recent experience of blackouts in Texas shows his state’s deregulation decision was a mistake. (Baltimore Sun)
• West Virginia’s consideration of modern energy policy has long been hampered by nostalgia for days when the coal industry was a dynamic, dominant employer, writes an opinion editor. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)