• House lawmakers released a $1.4 trillion fiscal 2020 spending package that would increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by about $300 million to around $9 billion and boost Energy Department funding by $2.9 billion to $38.6 billion. The chamber is expected to pass the spending measures today. (E&E News)

• The House Natural Resources Committee intends to release legislation today that seeks to achieve net-zero emissions from resource extraction and other activities on federal lands and waters by 2040. Federal lands account for a quarter of domestic carbon emissions, according to a 2018 study from the U.S. Geological Survey. (Reuters)

• Despite global coal use falling in 2019, the International Energy Agency projected in its annual coal report that coal use will rise steadily over the next five years, which would complicate countries’ ability to collectively address climate change. The IEA expects energy demand growth in India, China and Southeast Asia to drive additional coal consumption. (Bloomberg)

Lawmakers Fail to Reach PFAS Agreement in Spending Bill 
Tiffany Stecker, Bloomberg Environment

House and Senate members were hopeful to include language in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations package that would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to set a “maximum contaminant level” in the next two years for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water, creating the first federal legally binding limits for the chemicals, according to House committee aides and a lawmaker.

EPA watchdog: Health monitoring after Harvey was lacking
Paul J. Weber, The Associated Press

A federal watchdog released a report Monday that cast doubt on the public health assurances made after Hurricane Harvey unleashed an environmental assault on the country’s largest petrochemical corridor, saying officials relied on limited data to offer residents peace of mind and that Houston’s air quality monitors had been offline to prevent storm damage.

Former air deputy helped Wheeler threaten Calif.
Maxine Joselow, E&E News 

The emails show that Clint Woods, the former deputy EPA air chief, played a pivotal role in gathering data to back up Wheeler’s claims — data that was criticized as inaccurate by CARB and California Democrats.

EPA Lead Proposal, Derided as Weak, May Be Sneakily Strong
David Schultz, Bloomberg Environment

The proposal would require all water utilities across the country to inventory the location of all of their lead pipes and then make that information public.

Oil edges further above $65 on trade hopes, supply cuts
Alex Lawler, Reuters

Oil edged further above $65 a barrel on Tuesday, supported by hopes that the U.S.-China trade deal will bolster oil demand in 2020 and the prospect of lower U.S. crude supplies.

A blowout turned an Ohio natural gas well into a methane ‘super-emitter’
Steven Mufson, The Washington Post

Using satellite data, scientists have confirmed that a 2018 blowout turned a natural gas well in eastern Ohio into a “super-emitter,” leaking more methane in 20 days than all but three European nations emit over an entire year.

Weatherford emerges from bankruptcy with $10 billion of support
Sergio Chapa, Houston Chronicle

In a Friday morning statement, Weatherford announced that the company emerged from Chapter 11 with $6.2 billion of outstanding funded debt, secured $2.6 billion in exit financing facilities, including a $450 million revolving credit facility, secured a $195 million letter of credit facility, and secured over $900 million of liquidity.

Biodiesel Tax Credit Would Get Retroactive Renewal Under Deal
Colin Wilhelm et al., Bloomberg

The bill would extend a $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit and break for short-line railroads through 2022. It would also renew more than two dozen incentives through 2020, including a credit for wind energy, a tax cut for beer producers, subsidies for motorsport racetracks, and a credit for investing in low-income communities.

Tallgrass Energy accepts Blackstone’s take-private offer
 Aishwarya Nair and Nathan Allen, Reuters

Tallgrass Energy said on Tuesday it accepted an offer from Blackstone Infrastructure Partners and its affiliates to acquire shares in the U.S. midstream energy company that they do not already own.

China May Buy Ethanol, Divert Hong Kong Trade to Hit U.S. Pledge
Shuping Niu et al., Bloomberg

To help attain that figure, Beijing plans to restart purchases of ethanol by lifting or waiving trade war tariffs on the fuel, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing the plans.

Study: Shale gas development has brought economic benefits, but also premature deaths
Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front

A new study by Carnegie Mellon University finds that in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia region, the economic boost from shale gas drilling has been less than the cost of premature deaths caused by pollution from the industry.

PG&E Removes California Governor From $13.5 Billion Fire Dealy
Mark Chediak, Bloomberg

Regardless of the new agreement with victims, PG&E’s restructuring plan will still come back to Newsom. Even if the governor’s sign off is no longer required for the wildfire settlement, his office will still have a chance to weigh in on PG&E’s bankruptcy court case and any reorganization proposal will still need the blessing of the state’s public utilities commission, whose members are appointed by the governor.

Gov. Jared Polis Signs Executive Order To Make Government More Energy Efficient And Sustainable
Staff, CBS Denver

The plan includes working on reducing greenhouse emissions from state fleet cars and trucks, reducing energy consumption and increasing the percentage of renewable electricity used at state facilities.

Industry warned of tariff ‘devastation.’ That didn’t happen
David Ferris, E&E News

According to a report last week, panel prices are now lower than ever and the U.S. solar industry is bouncing back, building solar installations as if the tariffs never happened.

Could fix on coal miners’ pensions boost McConnell, even without black lung help?
Emma Dumain and Will Wright, Lexington Herald Leader

It’s a huge win for longtime advocates of the cause, on and off Capitol Hill, who have spent years fighting for a legislative response to a mounting pension crisis in beleaguered mining communities.

Bezos-Backed Fusion Startup Raises $100 Million for Demo System
Will Wade and Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg

The company lined up $65 million in Series E financing led by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Pte, and is getting another $38 million from Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, General Fusion Inc. said in a statement Monday.

Goldman Sachs says it will support ‘green’ initiatives more forcefully
Elizabeth Dilts Marshall, Reuters

The Wall Street bank set a lofty-sounding target of $750 billion. The figure is a mix of loans, underwriting, advisory services and investments related to projects Goldman expects to be involved with by 2030.

EU Overcomes Nuclear Divide to Reach Key Green-Finance Deal
Alexander Weber, Bloomberg

EU lawmakers approved an accord on the list of sustainable activities late Monday, following agreement by the bloc’s member states earlier in the day. Policymakers had to overcome last-minute divisions over the kinds of technologies that should be eligible to be classified as green, with nuclear-energy proponents, including France, seeking revisions to an earlier version of the proposed rules.

House Dems introduce legislation to create National Climate Bank
Jason Plautz, Smart Cities Dive

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-MI, introduced legislation last week to create a National Climate Bank that would leverage public funding to finance and support clean energy projects around the country. The bank would be funded with $35 billion over six years, with the aim of mobilizing up to $1 trillion in private investment. 

Why Wall Street Laments a Missed Chance to Price Pollution
Reed Landberg and Mathew Carr, Bloomberg

Businesses from banks to major polluters see a missed opportunity and even some risks in the decision to shelve work on adding market mechanisms as a tool to rein in the greenhouse gases warming the planet.

Administration’s roadless rule exemption for Tongass National Forest is a special interest boondoggle
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), The Hill 

President Trump’s proposal to remove roadless rule protections and allow destructive roadbuilding throughout Alaska’s majestic Tongass National Forest is bad for our environment, bad for taxpayers, and bad for future generations of Americans who deserve to visit and appreciate this beautiful, pristine place. 

With 2 Weeks to Go, Builders Brace for California’s 2020 Home Solar Mandate
Emma Foehringer Merchant, Greentech Media

One in five newly constructed California homes now comes topped with a solar installation. Starting in January, that needs to jump to five out of five.

Climate change: three ways to market the science to reach the sceptics
Robin McKenna, The Conversation

With many politicians actively persuading people that the science isn’t that serious, we need to persuade people that these politicians are wrong and the climate scientists are right.

Timelines for mitigating the methane impacts of using natural gas for carbon dioxide abatement
Magdalena M. Klemun and Jessika E. Trancik, Environmental Research Letters

We find that CH4 emissions from the power sector would need to be reduced by 30%–90% from today’s levels by 2030 in order to meet a CO2-equivalent climate policy target while continuing to rely on natural gas. These CH4 emissions reductions are greater than the required CO2 reductions under the same policy.