CLIMATE: Negotiators in Paris agree on a blueprint deal aimed at reducing global carbon emissions, though plenty of work remains. (CNN)
ALSO:
• Roughly 1,000 mayors from around the world travel to Paris to discuss local climate solutions. (NPR)
• In addition to cutting carbon, negotiators in Paris look for an agreement on a series of other pollutants that also contribute to climate change. (Washington Post)
• Fossil-fuel interests come to the Paris negotiations with significantly fewer bargaining chips as the industry declines. (EnergyWire)
• Scientists turn to faith leaders as a way to spur climate action. (Associated Press)
• Developing countries say financial support from leading nations to deal with climate change is still short of where it needs to be. (Reuters)
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OIL BY RAIL: Federal regulators vow to prevent the rail industry from blocking efforts at stronger safety standards. (Associated Press)
FRACKING: The Colorado Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week over whether local governments can ban fracking. (Denver Business Journal)
FINANCE: The largest U.S. public pension fund says it will engage more companies to push climate change initiatives. (Reuters)
SOLAR: A New Mexico startup looks to make it easier for customers to buy solar energy renewable credits. (Albuquerque Journal)
EMISSIONS: Denver, Colorado aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. (Denver Business Journal)
TRANSPORTATION: Despite the push for cleaner cars, the projected growth in the number of automobiles on the road conflicts with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (New York Times)
CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• U.S. EPA head Gina McCarthy says the plan is “going to be the law of the land and it’s going to last.” (Associated Press)
• A top environmental official in Pennsylvania discusses how the state plans to comply with the federal emission rules. (ClimateWire)
POLLUTION: The U.S. EPA’s landmark air standards for mercury pollution appear likely to withstand court challenges by industry and states. (Greenwire)
POLICY: Experts predict federal tax credits for wind and solar will most likely be phased out over a 5-year period. (The Hill)
OIL AND GAS:
• Oil companies insist that the time has come to lift the crude export ban in the U.S. (Los Angeles Times)
• While the U.S. economy is doing well overall, the number of oil-patch jobs continues to decline. (Associated Press)
RENEWABLES: As shown in Germany, switching to more wind and solar can bring a variety of complications. (New York Times)
UTILITIES: Opponents begin mobilizing against a plan in Omaha, Nebraska to raise fixed charges. (Midwest Energy News)
COMMENTARY: The “inability of our news media, our pundits and our political establishment in general” to accept that the Republican Party’s climate opposition is a globally unique outlier only contributes to the danger of global warming. (New York Times)