CLIMATE: Investors representing $1 trillion in assets urge federal agencies to require more transparency on climate risks, warning inaction could lead to “significant disruptive consequences” for the economy. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• Morgan Stanley will be the first major U.S. bank to disclose how much its investments contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. (Politico)
• A new study finds wealthy people living in large houses produce 25% more emissions than those living in smaller homes. (Associated Press)
• Officials from 8 U.S. cities talk about efforts to ensure racial justice is embedded into climate resiliency plans. (GreenBiz)
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OVERSIGHT:
• A coalition of 20 states sues the U.S. EPA over changes to regulations of power plant emissions. (The Hill)
• Emails show that the Trump administration’s rollback of methane reporting requirements came at the request of an oil industry group shortly after the inauguration. (New York Times)
• A New Jersey Assembly committee advances a bill that would give environmental justice communities more say in the permitting of pollution sources. (NJ Spotlight)
COAL:
• Four states join the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in a new lawsuit to stop federal coal leasing on public land. (Associated Press)
• U.S. coal exports declined 29% in the first five months of 2020, and the downturn is expected to last through the year. (S&P Global)
OIL & GAS: Chevron’s $5 billion acquisition of Noble Energy could set off a wave of mergers in the oil industry. (New York Times)
PIPELINES: Experts say closing the Dakota Access pipeline would lead to a gradual increase in transporting oil by rail through North Dakota, raising concerns over safety and agricultural shipments. (Bismarck Tribune)
SOLAR: A National Renewable Energy Labs study warns that solar panels could account for 10% of all electronic waste by midcentury. (E&E News)
UTILITIES: TVA joins a group of Southern utilities exploring the creation of a real-time, regional energy market that could lower costs and potential boost renewables. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
NUCLEAR: South Carolina utility Santee Cooper gets final approval for a $520 million legal settlement with customers over the failed V.C. Summer nuclear plant. (Post and Courier)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Ford unveils a prototype electric Mustang with 1,400 horsepower and a top speed of 160 mph. (The Verge)
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MEDIA: Documents show a Republican congressman pressured Facebook to remove a fact check notification from an article containing misinformation about climate change. (Heated/Popular Information)
COMMENTARY:
• An energy analytics executive says regulators and utilities need to address market failures undermining energy efficiency. (Utility Dive)
• Advocates say the Trump administration is “using a blend of falsehoods, exaggerations and innuendo” to attack appliance efficiency standards. (Natural Resources Defense Council)