RENEWABLES: U.S. wind and solar companies rushing to qualify for federal tax credits invested a record $55.5 billion in the sector last year. (Bloomberg)
EMISSIONS:
• Microsoft pledges to remove as much carbon as it has emitted in its 45-year history, though questions remain about the technology. (Reuters)
• A new report indicates that California will have to nearly double its current rate of emissions reductions to achieve its goal of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. (Monterey Herald)
***SPONSORED LINK: Attend Intersolar North America, February 4-6 in San Diego. With a dynamic exhibition hall, comprehensive programming, and lively events, #isna2020 is the place to advance business, expand education, and drive networking. Register for free Expo Hall access.***
POLITICS:
• House Republicans discuss climate policy and again conclude that innovation, not taxes or regulation, is the best way to address the crisis. (E&E News)
• Texas’ 2020 elections could be pivotal for the oil and gas industry as younger voters are more concerned about climate change. (E&E News, subscription)
OIL & GAS:
• Energy companies have spent $30 million lobbying the Interior Department since their former lobbyist became its secretary. (Mother Jones)
• The Interior Department’s top lawyer told Congress he had not been in contact with his former clients, but emails show that was not true. (HuffPost)
• Philadelphia residents near a now-closed oil refinery were exposed to benzene 21 times the federal limit during and after its operations, in what one scientist calls “a classic environmental justice issue.” (E&E News, NBC News)
• The head of the Texas Oil and Gas Association clarifies his comments about climate change and defends the industry. (Texas Standard)
COAL:
• The backers of the country’s only proposed new coal-fired plant abandon plans to build the $2.2 billion project in Kansas. (Wichita Eagle)
• Iowa regulators will require an analysis of Interstate Power & Light’s coal fleet as part of a recent rate case decision. (Energy News Network)
• An Indiana bill would block utilities from retiring coal plants early or reducing operations unless directed to by the Trump administration. (Utility Dive)
• Murray Energy drops its defense of a company worker bonus program that federal regulators found put production over safety. (E&E News, subscription)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Dominion Energy prepares for its first phase of a large electric school bus initiative in Virginia, with plans to deploy 50 electric buses to 16 municipalities by the end of 2020. (WHSV)
EFFICIENCY: New York regulators approve a $2 billion five-year plan to boost energy efficiency and switch energy use away from natural gas. (Albany Times Union)
STORAGE: Battery vendors say California’s main storage incentive to protect against planned power shutoffs needs more flexibility than those currently proposed by regulators. (Greentech Media)
WIND: The last remaining wind project in Vermont ceases development, citing a hostile political and regulatory environment. (news release)
BIOFUELS: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa says EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler should be fired if new federal ethanol blending requirements aren’t upheld. (Iowa Starting Line)
***SPONSORED LINK: The 4th Annual Smart Cities International Symposium & Exhibition, January 21-22 in Chicago, brings together thought leaders and practitioners from around the world to explore recent advances in making the smart city a reality. Register today!***
ACTIVISM:
• Harvard Law School students disrupt a recruiting event for a law firm that represents Exxon and other fossil fuel clients. (Vox)
• A small Detroit nonprofit has played a key role in raising environmental justice concerns and advocating for community solar. (Detroit Free Press)
COMMENTARY:
• “Seismic” is the only word to describe the recent decision by BlackRock to stop investing in coal companies, Bill McKibben writes. (The New Yorker)
• The devil may be in the details for BlackRock’s new policy restricting investments in coal companies, write an activist and investor. (Greentech Media)
• The president of the Environmental Defense Fund says methane rules are good for the industry and asks why more companies don’t support them. (Bloomberg)