OIL & GAS: Some Pennsylvania Democrats worry that presidential candidates’ pledges to ban fracking could jeopardize the party’s chances of winning the battleground state. (New York Times)
ALSO:
• An analysis finds 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives or their spouses own fossil fuel company stocks or mutual funds. (Sludge)
• A prominent medical journal urges health workers and associations to divest from fossil fuels, citing the public health threat from climate change. (E&E News)
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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Virginia clean energy advocates propose an alternative to Dominion Energy’s electric school bus plan that would provide money for a massive diesel-to-electric conversion across the state. (Energy News Network)
• General Motors will invest $2.2 billion in its first all-electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit. (Detroit Free Press)
PIPELINES:
• Pennsylvania residents living near a Mariner East pipeline construction accident have since had foul, undrinkable well water that they say was contaminated by the incident. (The Guardian)
• Two environmental groups are planning a lawsuit against the federal government aiming to stop a proposed 50-mile natural gas pipeline from Idaho to Wyoming. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE:
• The U.S. Supreme Court may be the final stop for state and local lawsuits seeking climate damages from oil and gas companies. (InsideClimate News)
• A race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas drillers, has stakes for U.S. climate policy, analysts say. (Bloomberg)
• New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy unveils his much-anticipated state energy plan for zero carbon emissions by 2050. (NorthJersey.com)
• Activists criticize New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget at a hearing, saying it fails to adequately address the climate crisis. (New York Daily News)
WIND:
• The developer of offshore wind projects in New England funds a study to examine project impacts on endangered right whales. (ecoRI)
• Maine has enough wind energy potential to provide all of its electricity needs, but policy and development hurdles remain. (Bangor Daily News)
RENEWABLES:
• Blockchain is being used to track certificates of origin for renewable energy in a more granular and timely way than traditional methods. (Greentech Media)
• A slate of environmental bills are in the Florida legislature, including one that would set renewable energy goals. (WUWF)
STORAGE:
• The world’s largest asset manager prepares to launch a multibillion-dollar fund focused on renewable energy and batteries. (Greentech Media)
• The New York Power Authority will test zinc-air storage as a possible alternative to the predominant lithium-ion batteries. (Utility Dive)
GEOTHERMAL: California regulators consider whether geothermal energy can be more valuable than solar in terms of emissions reductions, despite its much higher initial cost. (Utility Dive)
COAL: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes new protections for two threatened species of crayfish whose habitats have been damaged by mountaintop removal mining. (WVPB)
TRANSPORTATION: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker proposes a $1 trip fee on ride-sharing services like Uber to raise money for Boston’s subways. (E&E News, subscription required)
BIOGAS: Minnesota dairy farmers see a “new gold rush” in producing biogas from manure for transportation fuel and low-carbon credits. (Star Tribune)
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SOLAR: A new research paper suggests solar manufacturers could lower costs by making silicon wafers thinner without sacrificing efficiency. (E&E News)
COMMENTARY: Port congestion could present real challenges to the U.S. offshore wind market as it begins to take off, an energy consultant writes. (Greentech Media)