COAL: U.S. coal production in 2019 was at the lowest level since 1978, according to new federal data, with further declines expected for 2020. (Washington Post)
ALSO:
• The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has not done enough to protect coal miners during the pandemic, according to a recent inspector general’s report. (Ohio Valley Resource)
• A new report says mine cleanup could create thousands of jobs in Western states. (Casper Star Tribune)
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CLIMATE: A recent court ruling shows that the Trump administration could be undermining its own “energy dominance” agenda by shortcutting the process to calculate climate impacts. (E&E News)
POLLUTION: A new study further solidifies the links between air pollution and premature death. (Scientific American)
UTILITIES:
• Officials in Boulder, Colorado, have reached an agreement with Xcel Energy that could end the city’s yearslong effort to form a municipal utility if voters approve it in November. (Boulder Daily Camera)
• Ohio Republicans say they will vote Thursday to strip House Speaker Larry Householder of his title after his alleged role in a $60 million bribery scheme to bail out uneconomic power plants. (Cleveland.com)
OIL & GAS: Oil and gas producers find some “common ground” in Joe Biden’s plan to address climate change, which would not ban fracking. (New York Times)
PIPELINES: The National Park Service will issue a right-of-way permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway — one of three federal permits the project still needs. (Roanoke Times)
SOLAR: In its second year, a Chicago-area solar group-buying program remains popular despite the pandemic’s chilling effect on the sector. (Energy News Network)
WIND: Massachusetts lawmakers advance a plan to create a new office to monitor the impact of offshore wind on fisheries and wildlife. (State House News Service)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• The pandemic has heightened the need for equity in the nation’s transition to electric transportation, argues a new paper from the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois. (Energy News Network)
• A new study finds significant grid upgrades will be needed to support growth in electric vehicles after 2028. (E&E News, subscription required)
TRANSPORTATION: Advocates say fears of COVID-19 spreading on mass transit have been overblown. (E&E News, subscription required)
GRID: Monday’s peak energy usage in New England shows how solar pushes demand on the grid to later in the day but also how dependent the region is on natural gas in the evening hours. (CommonWealth Magazine)
NUCLEAR: A self-described liberal nuclear advocate who dismisses climate activists has found an audience with Republicans. (Washington Examiner)
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MEDIA: A new study finds that news coverage of climate change from 1985-2013 has been heavily tilted toward science denial. (Grist)
COMMENTARY:
• Local activists have been successful in thwarting wind and solar projects in part by feeding anti-urban sentiments in rural areas. (The Federalist)
• Clean energy entrepreneurs say shifting to geothermal could provide a future for oil companies. (Utility Dive)
• A new study finds emissions reductions from the Northeast’s climate pact has prevented hundreds of cases of childhood asthma and other ailments. (Environmental Defense Fund)