U.S. Energy News is one of five regional services published by the Energy News Network. Today’s edition was compiled by Kathryn Krawczyk.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: As President Biden’s environmental justice plan goes largely unnoticed outside the Capitol, advocates announce they’ll track and monitor the federal government’s progress. (E&E News)
UTILITIES:
• A report analyzing the U.S.’s 25 largest utilities finds half are blocking a transition from fossil fuels via lobbying, public messaging, and political spending, while just four are engaging positively with climate policy. (Grist)
• The federal government warns energy companies of new malware that could help lower-skill hackers gain control of natural gas and electricity infrastructure. (E&E News)
• Baltimore Gas & Electric is sued by seven Black former employees who allege over a decade of consistently racist treatment and that they faced workplace retaliation for filing complaints. (Baltimore Sun)
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GRID: The debate over a proposed transmission line to carry Canadian hydropower to New York City highlights the difficult and often contentious choices governments face when moving away from fossil fuels. (HuffPost)
CLIMATE:
• A new peer-reviewed paper shows how a manufacturing group forged opposition to climate action and has influenced the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since its inception. (Intercept)
• U.S. public school infrastructure is unprepared for flooding, storms, and wildfires set to intensify with climate change. (Washington Post)
• The world’s food system relies on limited crop varieties that can easily be shipped around the globe — and can easily fall victim to climate change-exacerbated diseases. (Guardian)
TRANSPORTATION:
• California proposes a plan to triple its zero-emission vehicle sales from 12.4% today to 35% by 2026, setting a path for other states to follow. (New York Times)
• A southern California public transit agency becomes the first in the nation to transition all of its trains to run on renewable fuel. (CBS Los Angeles)
• Studies indicate a shift from diesel to electric school buses can help reduce students’ exposure to carcinogenic fumes. (E&E News)
CLEAN ENERGY: Indigenous tribes in the Southwest team up with corporate investors to build utility-scale renewable energy facilities on their lands. (Time)
TRANSITION: A small West Virginia town ponders its future after the likely sale or closure of its coal-fired power plant next year. (Mountain State Spotlight)
OIL & GAS:
• Natural gas-fired power production likely peaked in 2020 and will decline as renewables become more competitive, a report from a clean energy advocacy group finds. (Utility Dive)
• A health organization releases a white paper highlighting how Pennsylvania officials have failed to protect state residents from the health impacts of fracking. (Environmental Health News)
• An energy analysis firm says regulators issued 904 drilling permits last month in the Permian Basin, an all-time high. (Bloomberg)
BIOFUELS: Environmental groups push back on President Biden’s plan to boost ethanol use in an attempt to combat high gasoline prices, calling it the “definition of short-term thinking.” (NBC News)
WIND: North Carolina offshore wind advocates anticipate a major federal lease sale this spring could kickstart a billion-dollar industry, but Duke Energy and state regulators are still taking a cautious approach. (E&E News)
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