POLICY: House Democrats introduce a climate and energy bill that falls short of earlier committee recommendations but could be reconciled with a similar bill moving through the Senate. (The Hill)

OVERSIGHT: Senate Democrats continue to push for the removal of William Perry Pendley as head of the Bureau of Land Management, and the EPA reappoints a scientist with ties to the oil industry to an air quality advisory committee. (The Hill)

***SPONSORED LINK: MnSEIA’s 7th annual Virtual Gateway to Solar event is less than a month away. Join speakers, sponsors, and attendees from across the country for 2 days of on-demand educational sessions, highlighting Diversity & Inclusion training and COVID-19 recovery.*** 

COAL: Industry conditions are “not going to reverse,” an analyst says as major U.S. coal companies report a roughly $1.8 billion reduction in asset values. (S&P Global)

UTILITIES: U.S. financial regulators are investigating FirstEnergy’s alleged $60 million bribery scheme in a separate probe from the FBI. (Cleveland.com)

WIND: Following an unexpected committee decision last week, Wyoming lawmakers will propose a bill this fall to eliminate tax breaks for new wind farms in the state. (Casper Star Tribune)

SOLAR:
• Five months after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled it illegal, utility Evergy continues to collect a demand fee from customers who own solar panels. (Energy News Network)
• Florida utility regulators are set to begin revisiting the state’s net metering policy at a workshop tomorrow after a state lawmaker raised concerns about the program. (Tampa Bay Times)

STORAGE: Virginia utility regulators issue a proposed rule to put Dominion Energy on a path to 2.7 GW of energy storage by 2035. (Utility Dive)

EFFICIENCY: Chicago architects work to balance needed energy efficiency upgrades with the design integrity of historic buildings. (Energy News Network)

OIL & GAS:
• Permian Basin oil and gas companies continue to rush to secure new drilling permits ahead of November’s presidential election, concerned that a Joe Biden administration could end fracking on federal lands. (E&E News)
• Native American tribal nations and environmental groups file lawsuits challenging the EPA’s rollback of methane emissions standards for oil and gas companies. (news release)

CLIMATE:
• Vermont Republcan Gov. Phil Scott vetoes a bill requiring the state to meet emissions targets that would have given citizens the right to sue the state if it failed. (VT Digger)
• A board in Pennsylvania passes a draft resolution for the state to join a regional emissions cap-and-trade agreement, opening a 60-day public comment period. (StateImpact Pennsylvania)

***SPONSORED LINK: The National Solar Tour is going virtual! Sep. 24-Oct. 4. Meet solar owners from around the country. Hear about their experience going solar. Explore new technologies. Learn about solar’s role in energy equity and community empowerment.***

ANALYSIS: Experts say clean energy will continue to advance regardless of who wins the election, but there will still be stark differences. (Greentech Media)

COMMENTARY: Legal experts say a recent court decision that has slowed pipeline development may not have the same impact on transmission lines. (Sabin Center for Climate Change Law)

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.