CLIMATE: A national survey finds an “inflection point” in Americans’ understanding of climate change, with nearly half recognizing that impacts are occurring right now. (InsideClimate News)
ALSO:
• Louisville, Kentucky residents pressure the city’s mayor to take more action on climate change by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. (WFPL)
• A new report says carbon pricing in Vermont could lower emissions without harming the state’s economy. (VT Digger)
• A bill to boost Virginia’s participation in broader climate initiatives gets a hearing this week, but many say it is unlikely to advance. (Energy News Network)
• Some 1,500 private jets are expected at Davos, where attendees are discussing “safeguarding our planet” from climate change. (MarketWatch)
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PIPELINES:
• A federal judge dismisses claims that Greenpeace was running a criminal enterprise to damage a company, which could have implications for a similar case involving the Dakota Access pipeline developer. (InsideClimate News)
• The Supreme Court declines to hear a case regarding Mountain Valley Pipeline developers’ use of eminent domain laws. (Roanoke Times)
• Two Virginia attorneys ask for a federal investigation of Mountain Valley Pipeline construction through streams and wetlands. (Roanoke Times)
COAL:
• An investigation revealing a surge in black lung disease among Appalachian coal miners leads to calls for congressional hearings, mandatory testing, and other measures. (Frontline PBS, NPR)
• An Indiana utility seeks to boost its coal inventory at a southern Indiana plant but is facing transportation challenges. (Platts)
SOLAR: Industry experts raise questions and concerns about whether utility-scale solar is becoming a finance bubble. (Greentech Media)
WIND:
• Developers say Virginia’s first onshore wind project is still on track to be operational by 2020 if it can find a partner to buy the energy. (Energy News Network)
• As a deadline for public comment passes, the developer of a Massachusetts offshore wind farm “hasn’t heard anything” from the Interior Department. (Cape Cod Times)
• Wyoming lawmakers who have unsuccessfully tried to increase taxes on the state’s wind industry are back with another proposal. (Casper Star Tribune)
OFFSHORE DRILLING: The threat of seismic blasts for offshore drilling, traffic, and other loud noises in the ocean are dangerous to marine life, scientists say. (New York Times)
UTILITIES: California’s largest utility has secured $5.5 billion to help fund operations while it reorganizes under bankruptcy, a process expected to last about two years. (San Francisco Chronicle)
NUCLEAR:
• Massachusetts lawmakers seek a delay in the relicensing of the Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire. (MassLive)
• State and local officials continue to prepare for the closure of the Indian Point nuclear plant in New York. (Poughkeepsie Journal)
NATURAL GAS: Thousands of customers in Rhode Island are without natural gas after a system failure believed to be caused by a faulty valve in Massachusetts. (Providence Journal)
GRID:
• Some parts of the Midwest will require new transmission to support renewable energy development while smart grid options are less risky and more flexible in other areas. (Energy News Network)
• Cold weather means increased reliance on coal and oil for electricity in New England. (Commonwealth Magazine)
• Massachusetts officials release a questionnaire that gives insight into the process of developing a “Clean Peak” energy standard. (PV Magazine)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A new YouGov survey shows 11 percent of American drivers would consider buying an electric vehicle. (Utility Dive)
• Betting on the continued increase in electric vehicle sales, a Canadian company is trying to extract a vast lithium deposit in northern Nevada. (KUNR)
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GREEN NEW DEAL: Eliminating coal and gas at Tennessee Valley Authority could offer a path forward for the Green New Deal, according to a report from an environmental think tank. (Huffington Post)
REGULATION: A former senior energy adviser to President Obama warns the EPA is being “hollowed out” under the Trump administration. (The Hill)