CLIMATE: A report from the Government Accountability Office finds the Trump administration minimized the cost of climate emissions—using figures seven times lower than previous estimates—to justify regulatory rollbacks. (New York Times)
ALSO: Rising temperatures and extreme weather due to climate change are predicted to exacerbate energy insecurity during the pandemic and further the need for assistance programs. (InsideClimate News)
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POLLUTION: The EPA declines to propose tougher standards for smog despite ongoing legal pressure. (The Hill)
COURTS: Analysts say the Supreme Court’s term this year shows justices largely unwilling to make radical changes to environmental regulations. (E&E News)
SOLAR:
• More than 600 solar developers push Congress to adopt changes to the investment tax credit, citing the loss of 72,000 jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription required)
• The U.S. Department of Justice files an amicus brief in support of rooftop solar customers in a dispute over an Arizona utility’s fees. (PV Magazine)
• While opponents of large solar projects often claim they will adversely affect property values, assessors say that’s rarely the case. (Energy News Network)
• A solar developer is acquiring land rights near U.S. coal plants in hopes of obtaining grid connections after the power plants are retired. (Energy News Network)
WIND: A new report identifies states with wind development potential that would have minimal impact on wildlife. (Topeka Capital Journal)
STORAGE: Looming PG&E public safety power shutoffs have Northern California homeowners rushing to install battery backup systems. (E&E News)
UTILITIES:
• Virginia’s Supreme Court last week rejected Walmart’s request to aggregate its stores’ electricity loads in order to qualify for a retail choice program that would allow it to shop for alternative suppliers. (Utility Dive)
• Florida Power & Light quietly reduces its solar commitment and adds to its gas capacity through its merger with Gulf Power. (Energy and Policy Institute)
OIL & GAS:
• A bill advances in the U.S. House that would erect barriers to oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Alaska Public Media)
• Advocates say disinvestment in areas around Louisiana refineries has led to concentrated poverty. (E&E News)
PIPELINES:
• An environmental group tells a federal court it should strike down a Trump administration rule to limit a state’s ability to regulate federally approved pipelines under the Clean Water Act. (E&E News, subscription required)
• Lawsuits, the 2020 election and investor portfolios will be key factors driving the fate of major U.S. oil and gas pipelines, analysts say. (E&E News, subscription required)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Policymakers are growing increasingly optimistic about electric models of work trucks, commercial vehicles, and construction machinery, as evidenced by California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation. (Greentech Media)
NUCLEAR: A House panel approves a spending bill that includes $27 million for interim nuclear waste storage, but no funds for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
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PUBLIC LANDS: An editorial in a Colorado newspaper could help sink William Perry Pendley’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management. (E&E News)
COMMENTARY:
• Climate journalist Emily Atkin explains why her conversation with a youth climate activist and a prominent Republican didn’t go as planned. (Heated)
• “Our fossil fuel economy is killing Black Americans every day.” (Boston Globe)