TRANSPORTATION: The Green New Deal aspires to build out high-speed rail, which could drastically reduce emissions compared to air travel. (Vox)
ALSO:
• The Green New Deal is fueling intense debate about the future of cars, trucks, planes, boats and other modes of transportation. (E&E News, subscription)
• Transportation policy that prioritizes cars will make it much more difficult for Rhode Island to achieve its climate goals. (EcoRI)
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PIPELINES:
• TransCanada says its Keystone pipeline was likely the source of an oil spill in Missouri last week that prompted it to shut down part of the line. (Bloomberg)
• Virginia water regulators may soon decide whether to revoke a permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which could impede the project. (Roanoke Times)
• Pennsylvania halts all construction permits for pipeline developer Energy Transfer LP, with Gov. Tom Wolf saying the company has failed “to respect our laws and communities.” (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• Minnesota emergency managers worry about an increase in oil shipments by rail as Canadian supply exceeds pipeline capacity. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin touts coal and a potential natural gas storage hub while also saying he wants to address climate change. (WV Metro News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The director of Colorado’s energy office says the state could be reaching a major tipping point on electric vehicles. (Denver Post)
WIND:
• Demand for wind turbine technicians will more than double by 2026, making it the fastest-growing job in Texas, government data projects. (Houston Chronicle)
• Eversource Energy announces a $225 million joint venture with a Danish company to develop offshore wind in New England. (New Haven Register)
• The North Dakota Senate approves a bill that would shift wind energy tax revenue from counties to the state general fund. (Bismarck Tribune)
SOLAR:
• Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act provides funding for solar jobs training at community colleges and in low-income communities. (Energy News Network)
• Environmental groups support Wisconsin utilities’ solar plans but regulators and ratepayer advocates are skeptical of the payoff. (Wisconsin State Journal)
EFFICIENCY: House Democrats plan to scrutinize delays within the Department of Energy’s weatherization program at a hearing this week. (E&E News)
NUCLEAR:
• Exelon’s CEO says Pennsylvania lawmakers need to approve subsidies before May in order to keep the Three Mile Island nuclear plant open. (RTO Insider)
• An independent economist questions whether New Jersey needs to subsidize its nuclear plants to keep them open. (NJ Spotlight)
COAL:
• In the shadow of some of America’s most controversial coal mines, isolated Appalachian communities say their water has been poisoned. (BBC News)
• Activists and lawmakers float the idea of a universal basic income to help Appalachia move past a coal-reliant economy. (100 Days in Appalachia)
CARBON: A new economic report finds Oregon’s proposed cap-and-trade plan would create thousands of jobs while only modestly increasing energy prices, an estimate disputed by some of the state’s natural gas utilities. (Oregon Public Broadcasting, Bend Bulletin)
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POLITICS: Several members of the Senate energy and environment committees collectively own millions of dollars worth of stock in fossil fuel companies. (Sludge)
COMMENTARY:
• The continued exponential growth of solar is not a given and will continue to largely depend on decisions by governments, an analyst says. (International Energy Agency)
• The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is getting a much-needed second look by regulators, an editorial board says. (Fayetteville News Observer)