• Even as the partial government shutdown has dried up funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department, some energy-related programs that are key to the Trump administration’s agenda are continuing, with recalled Interior Department workers preparing for sales of drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico and working on a five-year plan for selling offshore leases. Meanwhile, other programs not aligned with the administration’s goals have lapsed, such as the EPA’s Energy Star program. (Bloomberg)

• EQT Corp. failed to reach an agreement with two of the brothers who sold their company, Rice Energy Inc., to EQT for $6.7 billion in 2017, which means the shareholders are likely to decide who controls the largest natural gas producer in the United States. EQT has offered to consider Toby Rice as its chief operating officer, but Toby and his brother Derek, who want Toby as chief executive, declined the offer, according to a letter sent by EQT. (The Wall Street Journal)

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its monthly report that U.S. oil output from seven major shale regions is expected to grow by nearly 63,000 barrels per day in February to a record 8.179 million bpd. The Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is expected to see the biggest jump, with output estimated to rise by 23,000 bpd to a record 3.85 million bpd next month. (Reuters)

House Oversight Committee adds Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, other progressives to its ranks
Jedd Rosche, CNN

The powerful House Oversight Committee, which is expected to be at the center of investigations into President Donald Trump’s administration, is getting several high-profile young members this Congress, among them freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Group asks watchdog to investigate recall of furloughed Interior workers
Miranda Green, The Hill

An environmental advocacy group formally asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday to investigate whether the Interior Department’s recall of furloughed employees during the government shutdown is legal. Representatives for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) asked the GAO to begin an “immediate” investigation into the sources of funding Interior is using to pay previously furloughed government employees to resume their work.

Oil Trades Above $53 After Falling on China Economy Concerns
Grant Smith and Sharon Cho, Bloomberg

Oil traded above $53 a barrel in New York after retreating by the most in a week on Tuesday as investors weighed talks between the U.S. and China to resolve a trade impasse that has clouded the outlook for the world economy.

Capital raising by US oil companies falls sharply
Ed Crooks, Financial Times

Capital raising by US oil exploration and production companies has fallen sharply following the decline in crude prices that began last October, pointing to cutbacks in capital spending budgets and a continuing slowdown in activity.  Companies in the sector have not held a single bond sale since the start of November, according to Dealogic, while share sales have also slowed.

Saudi Aramco eyes multi-billion-dollar U.S. gas acquisitions: CEO
Simon Robinson et al., Reuters

Saudi Aramco, the world’s top oil producer, is looking to acquire natural gas assets in the United States and is willing to spend “billions of dollars” there as it aims to become a global gas player, the company’s CEO said on Tuesday.

US considers Venezuela oil sanctions as administration backs Maduro opposition
Brian Scheid, Platts

The US continues to consider sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports, potentially complicating a major source of crude for US Gulf Coast refiners, as key Trump administration officials on Tuesday backed the country’s opposition and its leadership.

Enbridge’s TETCO Ohio pipe blast causes gas flows to decline
Scott DiSavino, Reuters

The flow of natural gas through parts of Enbridge Inc’s Texas Eastern (TETCO) pipeline dropped on Tuesday following an explosion in Noble County in southeast Ohio on Monday.

BP CEO Bob Dudley sees solid oil demand growth despite fears over global economy
Tom DiChristopher, CNBC

BP is expecting solid growth in oil demand this year despite growing concerns about a global economic slowdown, CEO Bob Dudley said Tuesday.

MEG Eyes Spending Cut, Board Shakeup After Husky’s Bid Fails
Kevin Orland and Alex Nussbaum, Bloomberg

Fresh off defeating a hostile takeover bid, Canadian oil-sands producer MEG Energy Corp. is slashing capital spending and reviewing the makeup of its board. The company will spend at least C$200 million ($150 million) this year with an additional “discretionary” budget of C$75 million that could be deployed if market conditions improve, Calgary-based MEG said Tuesday.

Nigerian presidential hopeful vows to rewrite oil deals
Neil Munshi, Financial Times

Atiku Abubakar, the leading opposition challenger to Nigeria’s president, has said he would seek to overhaul oil production deals with international companies and push for energy reforms if he won next month’s presidential election.

Erin Brockovich says PG&E is ‘runaway monopoly,’ calls for oversight after wildfires
Michael Mcgough, Sacramento Bee

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich and Camp Fire survivors rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday to protest PG&E’s recent announcement that it plans to file for bankruptcy at the end of January. Standing under a banner reading “Justice for ALL Fire Victims” and flanked by wildfire victims and lawyers, Brockovich criticized the planned bankruptcy filing as PG&E’s “go-to move” and called for greater state involvement in PG&E.

What Utilities Can Do to Strengthen the Grid
Erin Ailworth, The Wall Street Journal

Bolstering power networks against extreme events can require billions of dollars, but some utilities are taking smaller measures.

New Fund Betting on Clean-Tech’s Push Into Digitalization
Brian Eckhouse, Bloomberg

A California incubator that houses and nurtures clean-energy startups is expanding into venture capital. Oakland-based Powerhouse’s new fund has raised $5.5 million to invest in digital and innovative energy startups. It’s one of the first such funds in the U.S., and has backing from some notable industry veterans.

Pepco electrification plan anti-competitive, DC ratepayer advocate argues
Robert Walton, Utility Dive

Pepco’s transportation electrification plan for the District of Columbia has broad support from environmental groups and the electric vehicle (EV) industry, but the city’s ratepayer advocate says customers should not be paying for what the market can provide.

The company that did everything right is failing
Dylan Brown, E&E News

Cloud Peak Energy Inc. was supposed to be the smartest company in coal. But with debt mounting, the industry model might be on the auction block in a demoralizing tale for an industry already short on hope.

Bankrupt coal firm seeks sale of Wyoming coal mine by February’s end
Heather Richards, Casper Star Tribune

Westmoreland Coal Company is seeking permission to sell its Kemmerer mine by the end of February, according to a filing Friday in the Houston Bankruptcy court. Westmoreland filed for bankruptcy in October with $1.1 billion in debt, citing debt and the increasingly difficult market for thermal coal in the United States.

Nuclear lab director says spent-fuel impasse harms mission
Keith Ridler, The Associated Press

The biggest threat to the nation’s primary lab for nuclear research is a prohibition from bringing in small quantities of spent nuclear fuel for research, the lab’s director said Tuesday. Mark Peters told members of the House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee that the situation could cause some to question the Idaho National Laboratory’s status as the nation’s lead nuclear energy laboratory.

Business Leaders Care Even Less About Climate Change Than They Did Last Year
Jo Confino, HuffPost

Only 19 percent of chief executives say it is a serious risk to their business, a new poll finds.

Climate scientists refute 12-year deadline to curb global warming
Andrew Freedman, Axios

Prominent climate scientists are pushing back against the view, promoted by media coverage of recent science reports as well as climate advocates, that we have only 12 years to act on global warming or face an existential threat to humanity.

Why a PG&E Bankruptcy Could Change Climate Calculus
David R Baker and Eric Roston, Bloomberg

The plan by PG&E Corp., owner of California’s largest electric utility, to file for bankruptcy protection won’t be felt just by its ratepayers, employees and suppliers. It will have an effect on whether residents of areas devastated by wildfires will receive the compensation they’re expecting, and whether California can live up to its ambitious goals on climate change.

Green Politics and Global Instability
Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., The Wall Street Journal

How ‘Occupied,’ a Netflix show about Norway, could presage civil strife in Canada.

The anatomy of climate-change policy: A primer
Amy Harder, Axios

In Congress and on the presidential campaign trail, America is gearing up to tussle over big climate-change policy for the first time in nearly a decade. But what this actually means is up for massive interpretation.

Trends Shaping the Global Solar Market in 2019
Tom Heggarty and Benjamin Attia, Greentech Media

There are positive signs for the global solar market in 2019, following a year of upheaval.