POLITICS:
• Donald Trump selects former Texas governor Rick Perry to head the Department of Energy. (Washington Post)
• Rick Perry is pro-fossil fuels and tried to censor climate scientists as governor, but he also has a history of supporting renewable energy. (Mother Jones/Texas Tribune)
• Donald Trump taps Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke – a climate change denier and strong supporter of fossil fuel development – as interior secretary. (ThinkProgress/NBC News)
OIL & GAS:
• A leaked BP internal report reveals at least two serious accidents that were narrowly avoided by the company, including one incident at an Indiana oil refinery that caused $258 million in lost production. (The Guardian)
• California’s governor asks President Obama to issue a permanent ban on offshore drilling in the state’s waters. (Associated Press)
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FRACKING:
• The EPA reverses its position on fracking safety, saying it can impact drinking water resources “under some circumstances.” (Greenwire)
• A new EPA stance that fracking can impact drinking water resources is bolstering efforts in Pennsylvania to block the practice. (Bloomberg)
PIPELINES:
• Dakota Access Pipeline protesters say a recent oil spill in North Dakota validates their position that pipelines are unsafe. (NBC News)
• Environmental advocates hope North Carolina’s incoming governor will be more critical of a proposed natural gas pipeline than his predecessor. (Southeast Energy News)
COAL: Local communities and environmental groups are successfully blocking West Coast coal export terminals, thwarting plans to sell U.S. coal overseas. (High Country News)
POLLUTION: Donald Trump’s energy and climate policies could hurt the health of people living in low-income communities. (The Root)
GRID: Federal regulators approve two power line projects that will significantly boost capacity for the Western energy grid. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES: A New York utility is adapting to rising power demands by investing in a microgrid project. (Greentech Media)
SOLAR: A new solar program that includes energy storage is boosting Hawaii’s struggling solar industry. (Pacific Business News)
CLIMATE:
• Most voters believe the U.S. should cut greenhouse gas emissions and do more to address climate change, according to a new survey of over 1,200 people. (Yale Environment 360)
• ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson may be forced to testify before Congress about the company’s climate disclosures in order to accept the secretary of state position. (Huffington Post)
• The Energy Department says it won’t release the names of employees who have worked on climate change to Donald Trump’s transition team. (Reuters)
• Scientists are rushing to copy U.S. climate data in case it vanishes after Donald Trump takes office. (Washington Post)
COMMENTARY: Divesting from fossil fuels works, and it’s more important than ever. (Huffington Post)