CLIMATE: “In terms of the pace of change, it’s unprecedented”: A series of graphics shows what analysts predict the transition to net-zero emissions in the U.S. by 2050 will look like. (The Guardian)

ALSO:
• Ohio State University researchers find that a carbon tax is more economically efficient for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity by 2040 than renewable standards and production tax credits. (Energy News Network)
• The Maryland Senate passes a climate bill with bipartisan support that seeks to reduce emissions by 60%. (Maryland Matters)
• An analysis finds Nevada’s current climate policy will lead to a net increase in emissions by 2050, and that more aggressive action could boost the state’s economy. (Nevada Current)

PUBLIC LANDS: The Senate is expected to vote today to confirm Deb Haaland to lead the Interior Department. (CNN)

EQUITY:
• The recently passed COVID-19 relief bill allocates $100 million to address environmental risks in minority and low-income communities. (Inside Climate News)
• Indigenous advocates say the appointment of Jamie Pinkham, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, to a key Army Corps of Engineers post will be a “game changer” for tribes in energy siting discussions. (E&E News)
• Utility deregulation in Maryland has led to an atmosphere of exploitation with third-party suppliers targeting low-income customers and leaving them with higher bills. (Inside Climate News) 

PIPELINES:
• Former Vice President Al Gore speaks at a rally against the 49-mile Byhalia Connection pipeline in Memphis, Tennessee. (MLK50, Commercial Appeal)
• The lawyer for tribes opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline says tribal consultation didn’t make “the least bit of difference” in the government’s decision to start the project. (E&E News, subscription)
• Tribes in Minnesota ramp up opposition to the Line 3 pipeline replacement and expansion and call for the Biden administration to intervene. (CNN)

OHIO:
• State and federal investigators are working to determine whether Ohio’s former regulatory chair helped FirstEnergy in exchange for millions of dollars in contracts from the utility. (Associated Press)
• FirstEnergy acknowledges that it sent more than $56 million to a dark money advocacy group that pushed for the state’s power plant bailout law. (E&E News, subscription)

COAL: A New Mexico coal-fired power plant will operate with just one of its two generators for seven months each year beginning 2023, a move that could reduce its carbon emissions by up to 25% annually. (Associated Press)

ELECTRIFICATION: The sponsor of an Iowa bill to prevent cities or counties from regulating natural gas or propane sales says it will likely reach the governor’s desk. (Energy News Network)

RENEWABLES: Google partners with a Minnesota nonprofit to buy renewable energy certificates that allow it to match offsets with its hours of operation. (Centered)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Connecticut hopes to revive its electric vehicle rebate program that financed only a few hundred cars and spent only 30% of its budget last year. (CT Insider)
• A research firm claims Ohio electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors misled investors about the strengths of its vehicle pre-orders and production progress. (Wall Street Journal, subscription)

SOLAR:
• A California company commits to building a $15 million, 5 MW solar farm to help power its mining operations. (CleanTechnica)
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs opens public comments on a 400 MW solar project proposed by the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians. (Native News Online, E&E News)

POLITICS: Two major energy groups say they will continue to withhold political contributions from Republicans who undermined the 2020 election results. (E&E News)

MEDIA: As Greentech Media shuts down, an editor recounts the publication’s history and impacts. 

COMMENTARY:
• A history professor writes that the Gwich’in Nation’s struggle for human rights and environmental justice is often overlooked in media discourse about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Washington Post)
• The U.S. needs to prepare for the “substantial trauma” people displaced by climate change will likely face, three researchers argue. (The Hill)
•  A columnist cites the U.S.’s clean energy transition as a sign of hope in the fight against climate change, though it’s “not a license to relax.” (New York Times)

NOTE TO READERS: ENN has removed a commentary on carbon capture that was featured in Friday’s newsletter after learning the author failed to disclose a financial interest in the technology. 

 

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.