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)

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.