CLIMATE: The governors of California, Washington and Oregon vow to increase their efforts to fight climate change. (Reuters)
ALSO:
• California’s governor tells scientists that the state is ready to fight federal policies that could worsen climate change, saying “whatever Washington thinks they are doing, California is the future.” (Sacramento Bee)
• Donald Trump’s transition team distances itself from a survey sent to the Energy Department that requested the names of people working on climate change, saying “the questionnaire was not authorized.” (Reuters)
• Donald Trump’s pick for interior secretary was in favor of acting on climate change in 2010, but has since become a climate change denier. (Mother Jones)
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SOLAR:
• An analyst challenges a recent U.S. Energy Information Administration report that says only 30 percent of distributed solar is owned by third parties. (Greentech Media)
• Hawaii regulators reject a request from solar industry groups to increase the cap on a program for installing rooftop solar, which replaced net-metering in the state. (Pacific Business News)
• Arizona regulators will decide next week whether to change the state’s current net-metering rates. (PV-Tech)
• A group of clean energy advocates and utilities wants Virginia lawmakers to consider policy changes to expand the state’s solar market. (Southeast Energy News)
WIND: A new federal rule will give wind farms 30-year “eagle take” permits that allow for accidental eagle deaths from collisions with turbines and related structures, sparking criticism from conservationists. (Reuters)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The city of Portland, Oregon, adopts an electric vehicle plan that prioritizes charging infrastructure for cars and electric bikes, among other measures. (Portland Business Journal)
POLITICS:
• The men Donald Trump picked to lead the State Department, Energy Department and EPA are all linked by oil interests. (The Hill)
• Elon Musk joins Donald Trump’s advisory council, which was created to help “make it attractive for firms to create new jobs.” (NBC News)
• With a history of mocking California’s liberal policies, energy secretary pick Rick Perry could threaten renewable energy in the state. (Los Angeles Times)
GRID:
• Republican leaders may complicate efforts to integrate California’s largest power grid with other states in the region. (Politico)
• Advocates working in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula say officials aren’t doing enough to address long-term, grid-related needs in the area. (Midwest Energy News)
UTILITIES: Another Ohio utility is seeking millions in subsidies at the expense of ratepayers. (Midwest Energy News)
NUCLEAR: New York regulators are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of electric generators against the state’s Zero-Emission Credit program, which provides subsidies to struggling nuclear plants. (Utility Dive)
OIL & GAS: BP says it will move its U.S. onshore division headquarters from Texas to Colorado to be closer to “an important energy hub of the future.” (Denver Business Journal)
PIPELINES:
• Energy secretary pick Rick Perry holds a paid position on the board of directors of Energy Transfer Partners – the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Mother Jones)
• The government denies a request to send 100 federal officers to help police manage pipeline protesters in North Dakota, saying it might escalate tensions. (Associated Press)
• Seattle, Washington, proposes legislation to sever the city’s relationship with Wells Fargo because the bank finances the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Indian Country Media Network)
POLLUTION: Federal researchers are experimenting with modified sawdust as a way to clean up Arctic oil spills. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• Donald Trump’s choice of Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to head the EPA will be bad for U.S. business. (Environmental Defense Fund)
• Scrapping the Department of Energy – as suggested by Trump’s pick for Energy Secretary, Rick Perry – would cripple our scientific lead in the world and hurt nuclear energy development. (Forbes)
• Rick Perry is the wrong choice for energy secretary. (New York Times)