NOTE TO READERS: U.S. Energy News is taking a break for Thanksgiving. We’ll return on Monday, November 30.
EMISSIONS:
• U.S. federal agencies announce plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations to 41.8 percent below 2008 levels by 2025. (Reuters)
• A new report shows carbon emissions per capita are highest in the least-populated, coal-dependent states. (Climate Central)
• A new study suggests how to lower carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels without drastically changing the energy system. (press release)
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OIL AND GAS:
• Using a $100,000 camera, advocates are visiting Ohio to film harmful — but invisible to the eye — emissions detected from shale gas operations. (Akron Beacon Journal)
• A major oil company is rethinking the way it responds to seismic activity from oil and gas development. (Reuters)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: With a policy shift, turning agricultural waste into renewable energy can still catch on in the U.S. (Grist)
SOLAR: Major developer SolarCity says it is dropping its membership in a leading industry advocacy group. (Las Vegas Sun)
CLEAN POWER PLAN: While Ohio officials object to the federal Clean Power Plan, they are in the early stages of exploring compliance options and an extension to submit a plan. (Midwest Energy News)
PIPELINES:
• Activists are seizing on the momentum of Keystone XL’s rejection by calling attention to another pipeline expansion project at the U.S./Canadian border. (Inside Climate News)
• A proposed natural gas pipeline in a remote region of West Texas is dividing communities there. (NBC News)
CARBON: In the lead up to the Paris negotiations, leaders of 78 major companies worldwide call for governments to adopt a price on carbon as a way to reduce emissions. (Reuters)
CLIMATE:
• The first U.S. EPA director says Republican politicians are harming the country’s reputation on climate by ignoring science for political gain. (The Guardian)
• A new study affirms how some corporations are trying to cast doubt about climate change and the impact their efforts are having on public opinion. (The Washington Post)
• Canadian leaders gather as a unified front before heading into next week’s climate negotiations in Paris. (Reuters)
• An academic journal pushes back against a Republican Congressman who questioned a recent study’s credibility. (The Hill)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The source of electricity that recharges an EV affects how much cleaner it is versus vehicles running on gasoline and natural gas. (The Washington Post)
RELIABILITY: Replacing large transformers still poses a challenge to cities, where they could take months to replace and threaten reliability. (EnergyWire)
CAPACITY AUCTIONS: Federal regulators reject grid operator MISO’s request to make annual capacity auctions mandatory. (RTO Insider)