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)

 

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Ken Paulman

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.