OIL & GAS: The Trump administration finalizes a plan to open part of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, though drilling may still be more than a decade away. (News York Times, Anchorage Daily News)

ALSO: A Texas Congressman says liquified natural gas is essential to the clean energy transition, and that a Biden administration would support it. (The Hill) 

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COAL: Dozens of Appalachian communities have been plotting a course beyond coal for decades, relying on local culture, outdoor recreation, tech jobs and a skilled labor force to expand their economies. (Energy News Network)

EQUITY:
• A Charlottesville, Virginia, nonprofit draws attention to the extreme energy burden facing low-income and people of color. (Energy News Network)
• New York City activists produce a Climate Justice Agenda to reduce emissions, promote a just transition and help heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. (InsideClimateNews)

EMISSIONS:
• California finalizes a legal settlement with five of the world’s largest automakers to comply with its state-level fuel efficiency standards, adding teeth to an earlier deal outlined last summer. (New York Times)
• A new study outlines how a more modest and politically practical approach to carbon pricing might work and complement other policies. (Vox)

RENEWABLES: Wind and solar companies launch an eleventh-hour campaign to stop a petition seeking endangered species protection for Joshua trees, saying it would hinder renewable projects in California. (Los Angeles Times)

GRID: As virtual power plants begin bidding into power grids, a battle is emerging over whether utilities or third-party aggregators will control them. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES:
• The Mountain Valley Pipeline, which plans to cross the Appalachian Trail, pledges up to $19.5 million to conserve land in other spots along the trail. (Roanoke Times)
• The Permian Highway Pipeline still faces major opposition even after developers announce it will be rerouted around a Texas river. (Carlsbad Current Argus)

CALIFORNIA: California’s grid operator says the state could be forced to rely on rolling blackouts for the immediate future due to regulators’ failure to prepare for peak capacity as solar penetration grows. (Greentech Media, Los Angeles Times)

OHIO: State lawmakers appear conflicted over how and whether to repeal HB 6, the state’s nuclear bailout law at the center of an alleged bribery scandal. (Toledo Blade)

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BIOFUELS: The Trump administration is expected to delay politically difficult decisions on ethanol blending requirements until after the election. (Politico)

COMMENTARY:
• The way we pay for electricity no longer makes sense, writes the vice president of a Texas solar developer. (Greentech Media)
• A writer reviews a new book about the mistreatment of Appalachian coal miners with black lung disease. (New York Times)