General
Giuliani pals leveraged GOP access to seek Ukraine gas deal
Desmond Butler and Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press
The Associated Press reported some details in October of the brash pitch that Parnas and Fruman made to Favorov in Houston. But in a recent series of interviews with the AP in Kyiv, Favorov painted a more complete picture of his dealings with Giuliani’s associates.
Winners and losers in the year‑end spending deal
George Cahlink, E&E News
A second national security minibus package carried the Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services and General Government, and Homeland Security bills. It passed the Senate yesterday 81-11.
Lawmakers back to square one on ‘forever chemicals’
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
Lawmakers must largely start anew after a major attempt to regulate a cancer-linked chemical that is spreading into the water supply across the United States was stripped from legislation this week, striking the best bet in years to address the problem.
Trump Sued by States for Ending Obama-Era Clean Water Rule
Erik Larson, Bloomberg
The states claim the Environmental Protection Agency, which issued a new rule without the protections, ignored current science on the connectivity of smaller or infrequently flowing bodies of water.
7 Senate races to watch on energy and environment
Timothy Cama, E&E News
While the 2020 presidential race rages on, the year’s Senate election cycle is shaping up to potentially shift environmental, energy and climate change policy in a dramatic way.
EPA pursues stricter regulation of formaldehyde amid House subpoena
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday that it would consider adding formaldehyde to a list that allows the agency to more carefully monitor and restrict its use.
Trump 2-for-1 Regs Order Survives Watchdogs’ Legal Challenge
Ellen M. Gilmer, Bloomberg Environment
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Dec. 20 dismissed the lawsuit from Public Citizen, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Communication Workers of America.
Oil Steady After Biggest Loss in Three Weeks on Supply Outlook
Ann Koh and Grant Smith, Bloomberg
Oil steadied after the biggest decline in three weeks on Friday as Kuwait aimed to reach a deal with Saudi Arabia that will restore crude output along their border, and U.S. shale explorers boosted drilling.
Oil and Natural Gas
Nord Stream 2 pipelayer Allseas suspends operations on US sanctions
Stuart Elliott, S&P Global Platts
The move by Allseas will certainly mean new delays to the completion of the 55 Bcm/year pipeline, which had originally been scheduled to start operations at the end of 2019.
Russia’s Lavrov says Nord Stream 2 will be launched despite sanctions: Ifax
Polina Ivanova, Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that the Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream gas pipeline projects would be launched despite U.S. sanctions, adding that Russia planned to respond to the new measures, the Interfax news agency reported.
Oil Boom Begins in Guyana as Exxon Lifts First Liza Field Crude
Natnicha Chuwiruch and Kevin Crowley, Bloomberg
Exxon Mobil Corp. and its partners lifted the first commercial crude from Guyana, setting the small South American nation on a path to potentially vast flows of oil revenues.Exxon has a 45% share in the Guyana project, while Hess Corp. has 30% and China’s CNOOC Ltd. 25%.
Energy Giants Confront Glut With Wave of Write-Downs
Sarah McFarlane, The Wall Street Journal
Energy companies are grappling with one of the U.S. shale boom’s unintended consequences: a global oversupply of natural gas. As a result, companies are predicting weaker-than-expected U.S. gas prices in the coming years.
Utilities and Infrastructure
FERC offers staff to aid FCC review proposal seen as power, gas network threat
Jasmin Melvin, S&P Global Platts
In a recent letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission flagged its concerns with a rulemaking promoting wireless development and offered the expertise of its staff to aid the telecommunications regulator in assessing the plan.
NERC: Grid operators must prepare for 330 GW of renewables by 2029
Robert Walton, Utility Dive
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) sees potential capacity shortages in Texas and Ontario, Canada, over the next few years, but on the whole, believes that North American grid operators will have adequate reserves to meet growing peak electricity demand for the next decade.
Inside a California utility: Mandatory blackouts amid wildfire threats and bankruptcy
Steven Mufson, The Washington Post
Stronger winds, less rainfall, drier ground conditions and aging wires and poles have all made Quinlan, who moved here from Chicago six years ago, the person balancing risks. He’s been doing that amid outcries from those hurt by fires as well as those inconvenienced or harmed by rolling blackouts.
Virginia, Maryland unveil 100% clean energy plans, but NGOs not satisfied
Iulia Gheorghiu, Utility Dive
The Virginia Clean Economy Act would commit the state to join the carbon cap-and-trade program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and enact an energy efficiency standard for long-term energy reduction.
Renewables
Tesla to take new $1.4 billion loan from Chinese banks for Shanghai factory – sources
Yilei Sun et al., Reuters
U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc and a group of China banks have agreed a new 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), five-year loan facility for the automaker’s Shanghai car plant, three sources familiar with the matter said, part of which will be used to roll over an existing loan.
Electricity storage set for bright 2020 despite ‘headwind of policy uncertainty’
Jasmin Melvin, S&P Global Platts
There is little doubt that 2020 is going to be a good year for the electric storage industry, but policy decisions in the coming year are poised to shape the pace of growth and revenue potential for the sector.
Coal
Misery Looms Over Top Coal Shippers as China to Buy Less in 2020
Dan Murtaugh and Jing Yang, Bloomberg
The world’s biggest coal buyer will likely purchase less from overseas in 2020 after a boost this year, according to analysts.
Nuclear
Request for stay on Pilgrim license transfer denied
Christine Legere, Cape Cod Times
Federal regulators have denied a request from state Attorney General Maura Healey to stay the license transfer for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station from Entergy Corp. to Holtec International until officials and the public have had an opportunity to weigh in.
Climate
In New Jersey, a slow-motion evacuation from climate change
Wayne Parry and Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press
Buyouts of flood-prone properties have become a reality in numerous coastal states, as well as inland. New York, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and others have programs.
Climate activists look for a tougher BlackRock in 2020
Ross Kerber, Reuters
Pressure on BlackRock Inc’s record on climate issues may be having an effect as the world’s largest asset manager weighs firming up its interactions with portfolio companies.
Going 100% Green Will Pay For Itself in Seven Years, Study Finds
Will Wade, Bloomberg
Some of Jacobson’s past findings have been questioned, notably a 2017 journal article that criticized his methodology on measuring the cost of phasing out fossil fuels.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Biggest Drivers, Economic Concerns for Energy and Commodity Markets in 2020
Martin Fraenkel, Morning Consult
Year 2019 proved a tug of war between geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic concerns, rangebound commodity prices and — perhaps most importantly — rising consumer awareness of climate change. Looking to 2020, we think the year will bring some of these themes into even sharper focus.
Is Nuclear Power Worth the Risk?
Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker
The Fukushima disaster sparked a worldwide phaseout of nuclear reactors. As climate change worsens, it may be time to reconsider.
Where we thought energy was going a decade ago — and where it went
Amy Harder and Andrew Witherspoon, Axios
America’s energy sources, like booming oil and crumbling coal, have defied projections and historical precedents over the last decade.
Research Reports
Land and Water Conservation Fund Act: Forest Service Has Not Taken Steps to Ensure Compliance with Limitation on Land Acquisition
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Officials told us that the agency has not issued guidance on how to comply with the provision, such as guidance on what areas are to be excluded from the requirement as “areas specifically authorized by Act of Congress” or on whether the agency needs to comply with the provision on an annual basis or over the life of the LWCF program.
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