COP26: President Biden tells COP26 attendees that fossil fuel emissions pose an “existential threat” to humanity, and addresses his “irony” of pushing for more oil production days earlier by saying there’s no way to shift to renewables overnight. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• U.S. climate envoy John Kerry changes his tune on COP26’s urgency, saying the conference was “never going to be the definitive one meeting,” despite weeks ago calling it the world’s “last best hope” to address climate change. (New York Times)
• More than 90 world leaders will sign a pledge by the U.S. and E.U. today to reduce methane emissions by 30% over the next decade. (The Guardian)
• As Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards attends COP26, faith leaders and environmental activists fight climate change in a state that loses about a football field’s worth of wetlands every 100 minutes. (Associated Press)
POLITICS:
• Progressive congress members say they’ll vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill after previously pledging to hold out until the reconciliation package passes. (E&E News)
• Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., says he still won’t commit to the reduced $1.75 trillion reconciliation package. (Reuters)
OIL & GAS:
• The U.S. EPA proposes more stringent leak monitoring for oil and gas wells and other rules to curb methane emissions. (Washington Post, Bloomberg)
• The federal Bureau of Land Management defers leasing on hundreds of Wyoming oil and gas parcels largely due to potential impacts to sage grouse habitat. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A study shows BP’s operations in the Permian Basin emit more methane per barrel of oil than other operators even though the company pledged to phase out all greenhouse gas emissions. (Bloomberg)
• “Oh, so now you want to talk about treaties,” a Michigan tribal leader says in response to Canada’s plan to invoke a 1977 treaty to keep Line 5 operating. (Michigan Advance)
GRID: Mainers head to the polls today to vote on a ballot initiative to determine the fate of Central Maine Power’s controversial transmission corridor project, which will affect whether Massachusetts can reach its climate goals. (Portland Press Herald, Boston Globe)
CLIMATE: As Detroit launches a new climate mitigation and adaptation plan aimed at empowering residents with more direct funding, some critics say efforts are already underway at the community level. (Energy News Network)
SOLAR: Ohio’s solar power capacity is expected to overtake the state’s coal generation by the end of the decade as thousands of megawatts of solar are waiting to be built and coal plants come offline. (Energy News Network)
COAL: Coal companies owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice will resume production at four eastern Kentucky surface mines, including two where state regulators cite missed reclamation deadlines. (Lexington Herald-Leader)
COMMENTARY: As President Biden calls out other countries for their refusals to act on climate, a columnist details the U.S.’s “embarrassing” similar failures. (Washington Post)