EQUITY: A new study finds that while U.S. pollution levels have declined since the 1980s, communities of color still face the highest levels of exposure. (Reuters)

ALSO:
• In a surprise move, New Jersey legislators fail to act on a bill to give disadvantaged communities more say in the siting of polluting sources after an intense lobbying against it by business and labor. (NJ Spotlight)
• Activists want the New York Power Authority to shutter six peaker plants located in disadvantaged communities in New York City hit hard by COVID-19. (Politico)
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of a compressor station in a majority Black neighborhood in Georgia raises questions about how the agency weighs environmental justice. (E&E News, subscription)
• Chicago transit advocates say the expansion of a bike share program can be potentially transformative in areas of the city that have been historically underserved and disinvested. (Energy News Network)

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CLIMATE:
• Experts say stronger U.S. action on climate change could help mend rifts with China after the Trump administration. (InsideClimate News)
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pulls the plug on a $3 billion climate bond on the November ballot, citing financial havoc with state finances caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (Bloomberg)
• Microsoft’s ambitious climate plan sets it apart from other technology giants. (Vox)

CLEAN ENERGY:
• House Democrats introduce an amendment to prevent the Trump administration from using a clean energy loan program to finance fossil fuel projects. (HuffPost)
• Arizona utility regulators abruptly end a meeting on whether they should increase the state’s requirements for renewable energy after reaching a stalemate. (Arizona Republic)

OHIO: Ohio lawmakers remove Rep. Larry Householder as House speaker after he was indicted on charges involving an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. (Cleveland.com)

OIL & GAS:
• As the price of wind and solar falls, Chevron says it will build 500 MW of renewable projects to power some oil and gas operations. (Greentech Media)
• Analysts say President Trump’s new energy policy aimed at helping the Permian Basin recover from market volatility could have little effect. (E&E News)

COAL ASH: The EPA changes a rule to extend the life of coal ash ponds, allowing facilities that were supposed to stop taking waste by 2021 to keep doing so for two to seven more years. (The Hill)

SOLAR:
• After an unexpected compromise to preserve net metering, Iowa utilities and clean energy groups disagree over how a new law should be interpreted by regulators. (Energy News Network)
• Residential solar installer Sunnova is continuing to see growth despite the coronavirus pandemic. (Greentech Media)
• Experts say recent changes to federal PURPA rules will mostly benefit utilities while harming small-scale solar developers. (Utility Dive)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Researchers expect the price of an all-electric vehicle to be equivalent to gasoline-powered models within the next five years. (InsideClimate News)

UTILITIES: A municipal takeover of ComEd’s electric service in Chicago is not financially feasible, a mayoral aide says during a hearing on the utility’s bribery scandal. (Chicago Sun-Times)

EFFICIENCY: New regulations take effect in Aspen, Colorado, this week to reduce emissions from the area’s luxury homes. (Mountain Town News)

NUCLEAR: A Florida utility has settled its lawsuit to get out of a contract with the Vogtle nuclear plant, which has seen billions of dollars in cost overruns. (WJCT)

***SPONSORED LINK: Register today for Veterans Advanced Energy Week, August 10-13, a virtual learning experience dedicated to military veterans and spouses in advanced  energy and national security. Learn more at www.vetsenergyproject.org/. ***

MEDIA: The U.S. EPA cancels its $382,000 subscription to E&E News, which an employee union says is a retaliatory move over critical news coverage. (The Hill)

COMMENTARY:
• A California cleantech leader says electrifying transportation can help jumpstart the economy while protecting public health. (The Hill)
• A consumer advocate warns lifting a moratorium on utility shutoffs will further compound the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

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.