NORTH AMERICA: North American energy ministers said Monday they have set up a working group on energy and climate change designed to help Canada, the United States and Mexico harmonize policies. (Reuters)
CARBON PRICING: More than 2,000 companies signed a statement, released Friday, asking the world’s governments to approve a global climate deal that puts a price on emitting greenhouse gases. ClimateWire)
COAL:
• U.S. coal production would drop by one-fifth in the next five years and almost one-third by 2025 under the EPA’s proposed limits on carbon emissions from power plants, the Energy Department’s statistical branch said Friday. (InsideClimate News)
• Southern Co. has lost a backer for delayed $6.2 billion coal-fired power plant in Mississippi and told state regulators that it may have to raise rates by 41 percent to pay for the project. (Atlanta Business Journal)
• Federal mining officials are moving ahead with a new environmental assessment of coal mining operations at Colorado’s Colowyo Mine, including the impacts of its greenhouse gas emissions on climate change. (The Denver Post)
OIL SPILL: As workers continued to clean up some 105,000 gallons of crude oil spilled last week along California’s coast, federal officials issued a “corrective action order” to force the company responsible to fix various problems. (National Public Radio; The Hill)
OIL SPOILS: Bosses at the world’s big five oil companies have been showered with bonus payouts linked to an unprecedented $1 trillion push to bring untapped reserves into production and to exploit new and undiscovered fields. (Guardian)
SHAREHOLDER ASKS: Proposals asking Exxon Mobil and Chevron to nominate directors with environmental expertise, set greenhouse gas targets and minimize fracking risks are among seven shareholder resolutions up for votes on Wednesday. (Bloomberg)
BIRD KILLS: The Obama administration is considering a new program to permit and mitigate accidental bird kills from drilling pits, gas flares, power lines and communications towers. (Greenwire)
OIL TRAINS: As about 150 million gallons of crude oil arrive in Philadelphia by train each week, a shroud of secrecy covers the trains, their cargoes and the safety of their infrastructure. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
NATURAL GAS: The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership could make it easier to sell U.S. natural gas to Japan, potentially igniting another boom. (High Country News)
PIPELINES: Federal officials are opposing a bill in Congress to establish new natural gas pipelines on federal lands in the eastern U.S., arguing it would limit public input on new pipeline projects. (The Hill)
CARBON CAPTURE: Researchers have developed a new material they believe will make carbon capture and sequestration a competitive and viable mechanism for reducing emissions. (Co.EXIST)
EFFICIENCY: Buildings are the single-biggest U.S. energy consumer, and “green leases” could align the interests of landlord and tenant to unlock $3.3 billion in annual energy savings. (CleanTechnica)
RELIGION: When Pope Francis releases his teaching document on the environment and climate change, a network of Roman Catholics is set to amplify his message with prayer vigils, policy briefings and seminars. (Associated Press)
PARIS PREP: Oil companies are ratcheting up involvement in the debate over climate change as governments, activists, churches and some big investors gear up for the Paris summit on the issue this fall (Dow Jones Business News)
SOLAR FIGHT: The future of solar energy in Nevada is at stake in a heated battle that likely won’t be resolved as the 2015 state legislative session nears an end. (Las Vegas Sun)
SOLAR FLIGHT: The sun and propeller-driven aircraft Solar Impulse is preparing to fly non-stop from Nanjing in China to Hawaii—its greatest challenge yet. (BBC)