CLIMATE: Countries have failed to cut fossil fuel emissions for so long that there’s no way to stop global warming from worsening for the next 30 years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says in its latest report out today, though immediate action can still stave off some of climate change’s worst effects. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• Global climate leaders say they’re alarmed but not surprised by the IPCC report’s findings, with U.S. climate envoy John Kerry calling on “all major economies” to quickly “commit to aggressive climate action.” (Associated Press)
• In several Midwest cities, federal researchers seek to determine how extreme heat is disproportionately affecting some urban communities as temperatures trend higher compared to nearby rural areas. (Energy News Network)
OIL & GAS:
• ExxonMobil is suspended from a climate alliance months after a lobbyist said the company fought climate action and endorsed a carbon tax to make itself look good. (The Hill)
• The Senate’s proposed infrastructure bill includes a $4.7 billion fund to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells, but lacks bonding reform rules that would help secure reclamation costs upfront. (E&E News)
INFRASTRUCTURE: The U.S. Senate easily votes to advance its bipartisan infrastructure bill, with final passage expected tonight. (Politico)
UTILITIES:
• Some major electric companies forgave past-due bills and pledged donations after last year’s protests against racial injustice, but critics say they’re still overlooking critical environmental justice action and programs that could benefit low-income customers. (E&E News)
• As the Dixie Fire in California grows to become the second largest in state history, a federal judge orders Pacific Gas & Electric to explain its role in sparking the conflagration. (Washington Post)
COAL:
• U.S. electric cooperatives’ ongoing reliance on coal-fired power is causing tension within the organizations as investor-owned utilities more broadly transition to renewables. (Wall Street Journal)
• Two years after shutting down its coal mine on Navajo and Hopi lands in Arizona, coal-mining giant Peabody has yet to begin reclaiming the site, raising concerns among local activists. (Navajo Times)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Less than 10% of people in the U.S.’s 50 largest cities have a public electric vehicle charger within a 5-minute walk of their home, with a lack of driveway and garage access also complicating the future of EVs, a study finds. (E&E News)
• A Marine Corps military base partners with Georgia Power to fulfill a presidential executive order to begin a shift toward electric vehicles. (Albany Herald)
PIPELINES:
• The Keystone XL pipeline developer announces plans to decommission the project after a federal court warned the pipe could still be removed from the ground. (E&E News, subscription)
• Environmental groups press federal regulators to take a more thorough look at Mountain Valley Pipeline’s climate impacts and its proposal for alternative water crossing methods, which could further prolong work on the already-delayed project. (S&P Global)
HYDROGEN: As gas utilities nationwide look to decarbonize their pipelines in the long term through hydrogen projects, a New Jersey utility may soon be the first to directly inject green hydrogen into its gas distribution system. (S&P Global Market Intelligence)
TRANSITION: West Virginia residents push state leaders to embrace federal clean energy and environmental justice initiatives. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
WIND: A Massachusetts university has been granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to support its offshore wind certificate program meant to help diversify the workforce needed to support the industry. (MassLive)