CLIMATE: U.S. climate envoy John Kerry tells a European Union gathering that the upcoming Glasgow summit represents the “last, best opportunity” to build on past climate commitments. (Associated Press)

ALSO:
• The U.S. and China “are inching closer” to working together on climate, as both countries will co-chair an upcoming G-20 study group. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)
• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says the $10 billion climate fund he announced last month will be spent by 2030. (Associated Press)
• Youth climate activists in Oregon are seeking to amend their lawsuit against the U.S. government after a setback in federal court. (Oregonian)
• Florida lawmakers advance a pair of bills that would prevent local governments from blocking or restricting construction of “energy infrastructure” or banning natural gas hookups in new construction. (Tampa Bay Times)

GRID:
• The Energy Information Administration projects U.S. electricity consumption will increase 2.1% in 2021 as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, and finds natural gas use declined in all sectors except power generation in 2020. (Reuters, news release)
• Investor-owned utilities will need to invest an additional $500 billion to harden infrastructure against climate change risks, according to a report. (Utility Dive)  

MINING:
• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the U.S. needs to increase domestic production of minerals needed for electric vehicle batteries and other applications. (Reuters)
• Interest is growing in deep-sea mining for materials like lithium, cobalt and copper, raising questions about jurisdiction and environmental consequences. (The Revelator)

PUBLIC LANDS: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer says Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland’s nomination process will begin this week, despite continued opposition from Republicans. (The Hill)

OIL & GAS:
• The Interior Department announces it will launch a review of oil and gas leasing on public lands, including looking at whether taxpayers are getting a fair deal on royalty payments. (Reuters)
• A bipartisan group of senators propose increasing minimum bids for oil and gas leases and raising taxpayer returns from production on federal lands. (Reuters)
• Experts say President Joe Biden will need to more precisely define federal subsidies and get Congress’ cooperation before ending incentives to the oil industry. (E&E News, subscription)
• Democratic senators propose a bill to weigh pricing methane emissions starting in 2023. (Reuters)

PIPELINES:
• The Biden administration backs the PennEast pipeline in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case where the company seeks to overturn a lower court ruling that prevented seizure of public lands in New Jersey. (Bloomberg Law)
• Former Vice President Al Gore will speak at a rally Sunday in Memphis to oppose the Byhalia Connection pipeline. (MLK50)

TRANSPORTATION: Connecticut advocates say a bill to promote state membership in a regional agreement to reduce transportation emissions does not go far enough to share proceeds with underserved communities. (Energy News Network)

EFFICIENCY: Global climate models are severely overestimating how much energy efficiency measures can do to cut emissions, a new study suggests. (Utility Dive) 

COMMENTARY:
• Electric vehicles don’t threaten the grid, and can even bolster it by functioning as backup power sources, a retired petroleum engineer argues. (Energy News Network)
• An environmental science professor says a total ban on fossil fuels is the only way “to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and avoid catastrophic climate change.” (The Guardian)

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.