POLITICS: Democrats point to the IPCC’s dire new climate change report to make a case for their budget reconciliation bill, with Senate leader Chuck Schumer saying it will “do more to combat climate change than any legislation ever.” (E&E News)

ALSO: The $3.5 trillion Democratic budget reconciliation bill would dedicate more than $200 billion to climate and research programs and building efficiency, and includes funding for Interior Department initiatives. (The Hill)

RENEWABLES: The nationwide push for more renewable energy could strand at least $68 billion in coal and natural gas power plant investments, according to a recent analysis. (Utility Dive)

SOLAR:
• Leading rooftop solar installation company Sunrun taps Mary Powell, a former head of Vermont’s Green Mountain Power, as its next CEO, pointing to her clean energy efforts and ability to translate utility and generation matters. (Canary Media)
• Tesla promises to cover the roof of its Nevada battery-manufacturing “gigafactory” with solar panels by the end of next year, making it the largest rooftop solar installation in the nation. (Teslarati)

OIL & GAS:
• The United Steelworkers president tells refinery and chemical plant workers to make decarbonization a priority when contracting with oil companies. (Reuters)
• Federal regulators advance a proposal to build an oil-hauling railway connecting a Utah oil patch with a national rail network as environmental groups argue in court that the project is a misuse of Mineral Leasing Act funds. (Salt Lake Tribune)

PIPELINES:
• U.S. Senate leader Chuck Schumer on Friday joined community protests against the North Brooklyn Pipeline Project, which raises environmental justice and climate crisis concerns, and a related rate hike to pay for construction. (City Limits)
• Enbridge has given Minnesota law enforcement agencies $2 million to police protests against the company’s Line 3 construction project. (Vice)
• Ten people are arrested after a group of about 100 protesters create a human blockade to impede work at a Mountain Valley Pipeline construction site in western Virginia. (Roanoke Times)

CLIMATE:
• During a visit to a Quinault Indian Nation village in Washington that was forced to relocate due to rising sea levels, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland promises hundreds of millions of dollars to help tribal nations fight the effects of climate change. (Seattle Times)
• Colorado ski industry leaders say climate change is an “existential threat” after the IPCC’s climate report forecasts a 60% decrease in snowpack over the next three decades. (CBS4)

BIOGAS: Natural gas utilities are ramping up renewable natural gas programs as more states provide a pathway for recovering costs and supporting investments in the fuel. (S&P Global)

HYDROGEN: California-led efforts to expedite mass adoption of hydrogen-fueled cars have been stymied by lack of infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages. (Los Angeles Times)

COMMENTARY:
• The IPCC’s groundbreaking climate change report highlights the need to focus on cutting not just carbon emissions but highly polluting methane, the chair of the U.S. House’s climate crisis committee writes. (New York Times)
• November’s COP26 conference could be “the last chance for world leaders to band together to fight climate change” following the dire predictions in the IPCC report, an editorial board writes. (Los Angeles Times)
• President Biden’s clean energy initiatives provide an opportunity to retrain existing fossil fuel workers for high-wage jobs, writes the founder of a company using online education to train people for clean energy jobs. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
• An Alaska writer urges the Biden administration to model federal methane rules on Colorado and New Mexico regulations. (Writers on the Range) 

Avatar photo

Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.