RENEWABLES: Analysts expect renewables to continue growing in 2020 and next year as oil, gas and coal companies struggle financially. (New York Times)
ALSO: The coronavirus is hitting renewable energy supply chains and factories, which could slow the global energy transition, a new report warns. (CNBC)
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WIND:
• A coalition of advocates and industry representatives work to provide fishing interests a seat at the table in discussions of offshore wind development in New England. (Energy News Network)
• Massachusetts researchers are designing a light floating wind turbine that could be towed out to sea and fixed to deep ocean floors. (News@Northeastern)
SOLAR:
• The nation’s largest home solar installer pulls its 2020 forecast and cuts jobs as it shifts to online sales and braces for lean months ahead. (Greentech Media)
• Solar companies are turning to virtual meetings and social media canvassing instead of “kitchen table” sales during the pandemic. (Greentech Media)
• Solar demand in New York could plummet as much as 30% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription required)
EFFICIENCY: Energy efficiency installations grind to a halt in at least 20 states as fallout from the coronavirus pandemic spreads. (Utility Dive)
POLLUTION: Coronavirus patients in areas with high levels of air pollution are far more likely to die than those in cleaner parts of the country, a study finds. (New York Times)
PIPELINES: Keystone XL pipeline construction began over the weekend at a border crossing in northern Montana as critics call for delays due to the coronavirus. (Associated Press)
OIL & GAS:
• Oil and gas rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico struggle to practice social distancing because of cramped quarters, raising concerns about the spread of COVID-19. (Bloomberg)
• A company that runs gas generators at oil drilling sites in North Dakota installs high-speed cloud computing units for use by researchers in other states as they work on coronavirus vaccines. (Bismarck Tribune)
UTILITIES:
• A union official says utility workers should be classified as first responders due to the services they provide during crises like the pandemic. (S&P Global)
• Dominion Energy asks Virginia regulators to drop an analysis of a possible natural gas buildout from its long-range resource plan because the path won’t be viable under a new state law. (Utility Dive)
EMISSIONS:
• The average level of methane in the atmosphere saw its biggest jump last year in the last half decade, according to preliminary data. (The Hill)
• A new roadmap outlines a path to net-zero emissions from heavy industry, which accounts for one-third of global emissions. (Greentech Media)
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BIOFUELS: With fuel demand plummeting due to stay-home orders, the economic environment for ethanol is “fast becoming catastrophic.” (Seeking Alpha)
COMMENTARY: Broadcast and cable news are ignoring the brazen effort to deregulate polluting industries under the cover of coronavirus. (Media Matters)