General
Trump Interior nominee fast-tracked a ‘deficient’ drilling permit Lance Williams, Reveal
In the days that followed, political appointees at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of the Interior went to extraordinary lengths to fast-track Cimarex’s drilling permit, according to a trove of emails reviewed by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.
Calif. governor hits back at Trump over wildfire criticism, threat to cut aid Kim Bellware, The Washington Post
President Trump on Sunday criticized California’s Democratic governor for his handling of wildfires and made a vague threat to cut aid as blazes continue to burn in the northern and southern parts of the state.
Maui Case Puts Scope of Clean Water Act in Supreme Court’s Hands Ellen M. Gilmer, Bloomberg Environment
The dispute focuses on Maui disposal wells that send treated wastewater underground toward the Pacific Ocean, where it drifts among the island’s prized coral reefs.
Democrats say they’re waiting for nearly 50 requests for Trump info on science, environment Miranda Green, The Hill
Nearly 50 different Democratic requests for documents have been unanswered by departments and agencies that oversee President Trump’s science and environment policies, lawmakers say, underscoring the brick wall the administration has put up against congressional oversight.
Pentagon pushed to use vast swath of desert wildlife refuge ‘primarily’ for military purposes, draft bill says Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post
The draft legislation would instead carve out 1.1 million acres of Desert National Wildlife Refuge to be used “primarily for the military purposes” and only “secondarily” as a nature preserve.
2020 Dems target inequality with green plans Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
2020 Democratic presidential contenders are giving new attention to the idea of “environmental injustice,” heartening green advocates who argue that polluting industries have gone unchecked.
Oil prices creep higher on tentative U.S.-China hopes Shadia Nasralla, Reuters
Oil prices crept upwards on Monday, with Brent reaching its highest in more than a month after the previous day’s boost from growing expectations of a U.S.-China trade deal.
Oil and Natural Gas
UK bans fracking in blow to onshore gas production hopes Andrew Critchlow, S&P Global Platts
The decision effectively kills off the UK’s nascent shale gas fracking industry, which has suffered a number of setbacks and widespread opposition from local communities in recent years.
Confusion reigns over US plan to ‘secure the oil’ in Syria as commanders await orders Barbara Starr and Nicole Gaouette, CNN
US military commanders overseeing Syria operations are still waiting for precise battlefield orders from the White House and Pentagon on their exact mission to protect oilfields in eastern Syria, according to a defense official directly familiar with the matter.
Exxon, Chevron Begin Pushing Back Against Warren’s Fracking Ban Kevin Crowley, Bloomberg
Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. executives spoke out publicly against the proposals for the first time on Friday, saying they would shift profits from crude production from the U.S. to other countries, and may increase prices for consumers while doing nothing to reduce oil demand or greenhouse-gas emissions.
Cheniere Energy posts $318 million loss amid higher expenses Sergio Chapa, Houston Chronicle
In an early Friday morning filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Cheniere reported posting a $318 million loss on nearly $2.2 billion of revenue during the third quarter.
Flood of Oil Is Coming, Complicating Efforts to Fight Global Warming Clifford Krauss, The New York Times
The flood of crude will arrive even as concerns about climate change are growing and worldwide oil demand is slowing. And it is not coming from the usual producers, but from Brazil, Canada, Norway and Guyana — countries that are either not known for oil or whose production has been lackluster in recent years.
Trans Mountain Pipeline Sale an Open Question in Canada James Munson, Bloomberg Environment
Canada still says it could sell the major Trans Mountain oil pipeline to indigenous communities and use the proceeds to fund C$500 million ($380 million) a year in clean energy projects, despite growing doubts on its ability to do both.
Utilities and Infrastructure
California Governor Threatens State Takeover of PG&E Katherine Blunt and Alejandro Lazo, The Wall Street Journal
The governor on Friday said he has demanded that PG&E executives, investors and representatives for wildfire victims appear in Sacramento next week to discuss how to expedite the company’s emergence from chapter 11 by a state-imposed deadline of June 30.
Edison once again seeks to limit liability from California fires Edvard Pettersson, Bloomberg
The hearing Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles comes a week after Edison’s Chief Executive Officer Pedro Pizarro disclosed on an earnings call with investors that county investigators have found that the Woolsey fire was caused by Southern California Edison’s equipment.
Renewables
The Next Frontier for Electric Vehicles: Deep Underground Rhiannon Hoyle, The Wall Street Journal
From rural Canada to Australia’s dusty Outback, companies are swapping out diesel-fueled drills, loaders and utility vehicles for equipment powered by lithium-ion batteries. They are looking to reduce emissions and eliminate the exhaust fumes that foul the underground air and risk miners’ health.
L.A. suspends Uber for refusing to provide real-time data on its scooters and bikes Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times
Following months of conflict over a controversial data-sharing policy, Los Angeles has temporarily suspended Uber’s permit to rent electric scooters and bicycles on city streets and sidewalks.
The Key to Electric Cars Is Batteries. One Chinese Firm Dominates the Industry. Trefor Moss, The Wall Street Journal
China is by far the biggest EV market, and to boost its standing in the fast-growing industry, China began pressuring foreign auto makers to use locally-made batteries in the country several years ago. One company—Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., known as CATL—was the only shop capable of producing them at scale.
An Energy Breakthrough Could Store Solar Power for Decades Adam Popescu, Bloomberg Businessweek
Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg have figured out how to harness the energy and keep it in reserve so it can be released on demand in the form of heat—even decades after it was captured.
Developing Wind Farm in New York Is No Breeze Jimmy Vielkind, The Wall Street Journal
Electrical-generating facilities are often controversial in the communities that host them, and projects along Lake Ontario and in the North Country have fizzled amid concerns about noise, view-sheds and impacts to migrating birds
Coal
Coal plant on tribal land to close after powering US West Felicia Fonseca, The Associated Press
Before the year ends, the Navajo Generating Station near the Arizona-Utah border will close and others in the region are on track to shut down or reduce their output in the next few years.
Nuclear
Future of Arizona nuclear plant may see hydrogen production The Associated Press
Managers of a three-reactor nuclear plant that went online in the 1980s are exploring whether production of hydrogen gas will be part of its future.
Climate
Blood Gold in the Brazilian Rain Forest Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker
Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research, which tracks the damage, calculates that one-fifth of Brazil’s Amazonian rain forest—the world’s largest remaining “green lung,” which absorbs billions of tons of carbon dioxide—has been destroyed since the nineteen-seventies.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Don’t Be Fooled: the Paris Climate Accord Matters Avi Garbow, Morning Consult
On Nov. 4, President Donald Trump is expected to initiate the formal withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord. This withdrawal will make the U.S. the only nation on Earth not to be part of the agreement, and serves as Trump’s latest abandonment of any semblance of American leadership on the global stage.
California fires, rising seas: Millions of climate refugees will dwarf Dust Bowl by 2100 U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, (D-N.Y.) and Michael Shank, USA Today
“Climate refugee” is likely a new term for most Americans. Also referred to as environmental migrants, climate refugees are people who are now forced to seek refuge from the life-threatening impacts of the climate crisis.
Global Warming Is Already Destroying New England’s Fisheries Audrey Gray, The New Republic
But deep down, we know better. And if the national discussion hasn’t moved to climate change in the Northeast yet, it soon will. The effects are already profound—they just happen to be underwater.
Research Reports
Energy Efficiency 2019 International Energy Agency
Energy efficiency has tremendous potential to boost economic growth and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, but the global rate of progress is slowing – a trend that has major implications for consumers, businesses and the environment.
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