CLIMATE CHANGE:
• The U.S. seeks to double its grant-based public financing of climate adaptation worldwide to nearly $1 billion, officials announce in Paris. (New York Times)
• Developed nations are expressing increasing interest in a more-ambitious 1.5-degree Celsius climate goal. (Climate Central)
• A group of major companies and brands pledge in Paris to cut carbon emissions. (New York Times)
• Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. is making progress on negotiations in Paris with small developing nations. (Greenwire)
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POLLUTION: New research finds that regulating mercury emissions from U.S. power plants can produce significant environmental benefits downwind. (Baltimore Sun)
SOLAR:
• The U.S. solar industry struggles with a “white privilege” image problem. (Reuters)
• Members of California’s congressional delegation urge state regulators to protect its net metering program for compensating rooftop solar generators. (Los Angeles Times)
CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• The EPA’s top lawyer calls for collaboration and optimism around the rules, rather than “completely unfounded” rhetoric and sound bites. (EnergyWire)
• Congressional Republicans introduce legislation that would block the EPA from enforcing the federal rules unless other developed countries made similar efforts to curb emissions. (E&E Daily)
• Proposed legislation in Ohio could thwart the state’s attempt at getting a timely compliance proposal to the U.S. EPA. (Midwest Energy News)
• Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration is moving swiftly on a statewide compliance strategy that seeks input from a diverse group of stakeholders. (Midwest Energy News)
FOSSIL FUELS: The debate over state royalties from coal, oil and gas drilling on public land in Western states spills over into Congress. (Billings Gazette)
RESEARCH: A Greenpeace investigation shows some researchers are willing to write fossil-fuel industry-friendly papers for a fee. (Inside Higher Ed)
OIL AND GAS:
• Alaska expects state oil and gas revenue to drop $172 million this year. (Associated Press)
• Advocates are concerned California’s Bay Area may be the next front in battling new oil pipelines. (East Bay Express)
RENEWABLES: Maryland lawmakers will propose boosting the state’s renewable energy output and place an emphasis on clean-energy job training. (Washington Post)
NUCLEAR:
• The U.S. nuclear industry aims to cut production costs 30% by 2018. (Platts)
• Federal regulators approve a 20-year extension for FirstEnergy to continue operating the Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ohio. (Toledo Blade)
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UTILITIES: Ohio-based AEP, one of the country’s largest utilities, is leaving the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council to focus its resources on working with states to implement the Clean Power Plan. (Greenwire)
COMMENTARY:
• The trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship exposes the “dirty work of a coal baron.” (New York Times)
• Why is the New York Times misleading the public when polling about carbon taxes? (Huffington Post)
• With all of the “crazy” rhetoric on climate, have we reached peak denial? (The Daily Climate)