EQUITY: Climate and pipeline protesters contrast the lighthanded police response to Wednesday’s failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to the aggressive treatment they’ve received: “There’s two worlds, and we’ve got to fix that.” (New York Times, Great Falls Tribune, Indian Country Today)

ALSO:
• Minnesota regulators and Indigenous communities have raised concerns about the potential for increased sex trafficking during Line 3 replacement construction; Enbridge “absolutely rejects” the assertion. (Star Tribune)
• Tribal leaders and advocates are concerned that Keystone XL worker camps could become dangerous sources of COVID-19 outbreaks for Indigenous communities. (High Country News)

OVERSIGHT: EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is continuing with a planned trip to Costa Rica in the final days of his tenure; the agency has not disclosed the cost. (The Hill)

POLICY:
• Two business groups that have long been hostile to climate policy have been instrumental in advancing legislation that is expected to significantly cut emissions of a potent greenhouse gas. (E&E News)
• Advocates anticipate bipartisan cooperation on the Senate energy committee and an expanded role for FERC in the coming Biden administration. (Utility Dive, S&P Global)

CLIMATE:
• A new analysis finds 2020 is tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record. (New York Times)
• The International Energy Agency says existing technology won’t be enough to meet global emission reduction targets. (Reuters)

OIL & GAS:
• A former Trump administration says he is “disappointed” but not surprised at the outcome of an Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil lease sale that he had championed. (E&E News, subscription)
• A newly elected Republican congressman from Texas introduces a bill to prohibit President-elect Joe Biden from declaring a moratorium on new oil and gas drilling permits on federal lands. (KOSA)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Operators of a Nevada lithium mine announce plans to double production by 2025, citing growing demand for electric vehicles and other battery applications. (Reuters)
• General Motors Co. reportedly will build two new electric vehicles for Honda, including an Acura to be built at its Spring Hill plant in Tennessee. (E&E News, subscription)
• Apple is reportedly at least five years away from launching its autonomous electric vehicle, and has added more ex-Tesla executives to the project. (Bloomberg)

WIND: Developers of the Mayflower Wind offshore project in Massachusetts say electricity costs from it will drop 10% due to a tax credit provision included in the federal stimulus bill passed last month. (CommonWealth Magazine)

SOLAR: Kansas utility Evergy faces widespread public opposition to its proposed rates for residential customers with solar installations. (Wichita Eagle)

COMMENTARY:
• Climate activist Bill McKibben says the coming decade is our best opportunity to slow global warming, as the 1990s and 2000s “were essentially wasted.” (New Yorker)
• Energy advocates say smart meters have not been used to their maximum effect, so regulators in several Northeastern states are investigating how they can be used for greater impact in reaching clean energy goals. (Greentech Media)
• A small North Carolina electric cooperative fights energy poverty through broadband internet expansion and deploying “smart” devices to lower energy bills, writes its president and CEO. (Triangle Business Journal)

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.