OVERSIGHT: State and federal regulators are canceling public meetings amid the coronavirus outbreak, including public hearings in Pennsylvania related to the Mariner East pipeline. (Grist, StateImpact Pennsylvania)
PIPELINES:
• Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia have quietly passed laws amid the pandemic that criminalize activities related to fossil fuel protests. (HuffPost)
• Mountain Valley Pipeline construction is delayed again as federal agencies will take another month to reconsider its impact on endangered or threatened species. (Roanoke Times)
• Iowa regulators agree to double the capacity of the Dakota Access pipeline, finding that it would not “significantly increase the risk of a spill.” (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
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CARBON CAPTURE: A North Dakota carbon capture and storage project represents an important harbinger of how coal could continue to exist on the grid, particularly in rural areas, supporters say. (Energy News Network)
OIL & GAS:
• Exxon is opposing a shale industry bailout, perhaps because it could outlast and then buy up smaller oil companies, analysts say. (Drilled)
• The U.S. EPA is waiving anti-smog requirements for gasoline and extending the deadline for small facilities to comply with biofuels regulations in an effort to help oil refineries deal with the coronavirus. (Reuters)
• A federal judge on Friday upheld the Trump administration’s repeal of an Obama-era rule establishing standards for fracking on public lands. (The Hill)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Legislative proposals to put more electric school buses on the road in Virginia failed this session, but Dominion Energy and clean air advocates are trying to jumpstart them for next year. (Energy News Network)
SOLAR:
• Most U.S. solar manufacturers continue to operate at full capacity despite restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (Greentech Media)
• A Texas solar installer says there’s been consistent interest in rooftop solar and storage installations since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. (PV Magazine)
CLEAN ENERGY:
• A new study argues that California and other states could clean their grids by using renewable electricity to produce dispatchable natural gas. (Vox)
• Savannah, Georgia, officials adopt a resolution saying the city will run on 100% renewable energy by 2035. (Savannah Morning News)
• New Jersey regulators seek ways to meet the state’s clean energy goals amid a recent FERC ruling that could make wind and solar less competitive; steps could include forming a state power authority or leaving the PJM Interconnection. (NJ Spotlight, S&P Global)
COAL:
• A father and son who were laid off by Blackjewel last year and protested the company reflect on changes in coal country. (Southerly, Ohio Valley Resource)
• President Trump’s administration adds coal to its list of critical industries required to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription)
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HYDROPOWER: California groups are divided over plans to demolish four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath river’s lower reaches to save salmon, the which would be the largest such demolition project in U.S. history. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: Advocates say the coronavirus pandemic is showing us that energy is a public good that shouldn’t be left in the hands of for-profit companies. (The Hill)