CLIMATE: An International Energy Agency report calls for a “dramatic” scaling up of clean energy technology to meet global climate goals. (CNBC)

ALSO:
• Despite a string of warming-fueled natural disasters this year, discussions of climate change are largely absent from the presidential campaign. (Associated Press)
• Former federal officials say the government is not prepared to handle the scale of the problem: “We used to worry about one hazard at a time.” (New York Times)
• Delaware becomes the latest state to file suit against the fossil fuel industry, as a coalition of elected officials pushes New Jersey to do the same. (Delaware News Journal, NJ.com)

***SPONSORED LINK: The Rise Up! podcast brings real-time, relevant energy and policy information to Midwest stakeholders through an engaging and entertaining medium. Episode 4: “Credit Where Credit is Due” with special guest Andy Johnson is out now! #RiseUpMidwest*** 

POLITICS: A Ukrainian gas company that was part of President Trump’s impeachment investigation has appointed a board member pushed by former Energy Secretary Rick Perry. (Politico)

POLICY:
• House Democrats unveil a stimulus bill aimed at advancing clean energy as well as environmental justice. (Reuters)
• Senators reach a compromise on an issue that has held up a bipartisan energy bill for months. (The Hill)
• A House panel advances a bill that would provide $5 million in federal grants for microgrids and energy storage. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

EQUITY:
• A new report finds Black, Hispanic and Indigenous households spend more on energy, in part because of limited access to housing options. (Grist)
• A Black neighborhood in Memphis has had little say in a pipeline project that could hurt property values and threaten the city’s water supply. (MLK50) 

OFFSHORE DRILLING: A federal judge asks the Trump administration to explain how the president’s surprise and partial offshore drilling moratorium this week relates to a previous executive order encouraging energy exploration and production in federal waters. (Post and Courier)

OIL & GAS: The majority of Colorado oil and gas regulators voice support for 2,000-foot setbacks between fracking sites and schools and homes. (Denver Post)

SOLAR:
• Duke Energy and solar developers in the Carolinas reach a major agreement to clear a backlog of interconnection requests and reform the process for connecting to the utility’s grid. (PV Magazine)
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill aimed at fixing an error in a November ballot measure that would mistakenly end an existing property tax exclusion for newly constructed solar systems. (Bloomberg Tax, subscription)

WIND: Major oil company BP makes its first venture into the offshore wind market by buying a 50% share of two projects off Long Island and Massachusetts for $1.1 billion. (OilPrice.com)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• An investment firm calls Arizona electric truck startup Nikola an “intricate fraud,” claiming the company hasn’t produced an operational vehicle and that a prototype was simply rolled down a hill for a promotional video. (Arizona Republic)
• Installation begins on a network of 22 electric vehicle charging stations along major Minnesota highways. (Energy News Network)

COMMENTARY: An advocate says news organizations need to report more on climate change, and not be influenced by accusations of political bias for doing so. (Boston Globe)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy, and has led the project from its inception as Midwest Energy News in 2009. 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 held a variety of editing, production, and leadership roles, and played a key role in the newspaper's transition to digital-first publishing. 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.