NOTE TO READERS: U.S. Energy News will be taking a break for Independence Day. We will return on Tuesday, July 7.

CLIMATE: The International Energy Agency warns that clean energy development still needs to be accelerated to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. (CNN)

ALSO:
• Rather than using natural gas as a “bridge,” many utilities are bypassing gas generation entirely and moving straight to renewables. (PV Magazine)
• Critics say Amazon is trying to distract from its growing emissions footprint by focusing on “carbon intensity.” (Grist)
• Baltimore urges the U.S. Supreme Court to reject an industry petition challenging its 2018 climate lawsuit against major oil companies. (Bloomberg Law, subscription required)

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TRANSPORTATION: The House approves a $1.5 trillion green infrastructure plan, with Sen. Mitch McConnell saying “naturally this nonsense is not going anywhere in the Senate.” (The Hill)

EQUITY:
• Advocates say clean energy and efficiency programs for low-income households can help address the energy burden disproportionately faced by African Americans while providing multiple benefits for utilities and customers. (Energy News Network)
• A new report says the world’s largest renewable energy producers fared poorly on human rights indicators across their operations and supply chains. (Renewables Now)

GRID: PJM forms a policy solutions group to work with states that advocate greater renewable energy, offshore wind and other resources that have threatened to leave the grid operator. (E&E News, subscription required)

UTILITIES: PG&E finally emerges from bankruptcy, one day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom authorizes a bill that would initiate a government takeover if the utility doesn’t meet certain deadlines. (New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Massachusetts expands electric vehicle incentives to include fleet vehicles in a move advocates say will greatly enhance their carbon reductions impact. (Energy News Network)
• Home builders partner with an energy cooperative in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to build the city’s first “electric vehicle ready” community where new houses are equipped with an EV charger. (WQOW)

WIND:
• Three Massachusetts Congress members propose a federal office to coordinate technology and supply chain planning to assist the offshore wind industry. (SouthCoastToday)
• Tension over wind development in North Dakota’s coal country surfaces during a public hearing over a county’s moratorium on wind development in place until 2022. (Bismarck Tribune)

SOLAR: Customer-owned renewable energy in Florida nearly doubled in 2019 since utilities are required to offer expedited interconnection agreements, according to a report by state regulators. (Utility Dive)

COAL: Many questions have yet to be answered one year on from Blackjewel’s bankruptcy, despite more than 2,000 court filings. (Wyoming Public Media)

OIL & GAS: While a new report from the Trump administration suggests the Ohio Valley’s growing petrochemical industry could be an unprecedented source of economic opportunity, a clean energy group’s recent analysis paints a much less rosy picture. (Ohio Valley Resource)

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TECHNOLOGY: A report written for the Department of Defense finds energy storage improves reliability and cuts costs for microgrids. (Microgrid Knowledge)

COMMENTARY:
• The head of the Indiana Conservative Alliance for Energy says making the case for clean energy is “rapidly becoming a no-brainer” as more utilities announce a transition from coal. (Evansville Press & Courier)
• A Florida advocate says conservatives should follow the example of President Reagan’s response to ozone depletion when dealing with climate change. (Orlando Sentinel)

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.