Top Stories

  • Global action to reduce deforestation and intensive farming, as well as ending the use of fossil fuels and reducing meat consumption and food waste, could eventually help reduce the extent to which climate change makes land increasingly unsustainable, according to a new report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report finds that soil is being lost 100 times more quickly than it is formed on tilled land, and 10 to 20 times more quickly on unploughed areas. (The Guardian)
  • After a two-year delay, oil giant Chevron Corp. announced the launch of a carbon storage project under an island near Western Australia at its Gorgon liquefied natural gas project. The carbon injection effort, which Chevron says will reduce Gorgon LNG emissions by 40 percent over the project’s lifespan, meets a requirement by a local state government that Chevron store some carbon from the $54 billion Gorgon project. (Reuters)
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration might be working on a formal inquiry into electric automaker Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot system, according to Frank Borris, a former director of NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA has sent at least five subpoenas since April 2018 to Tesla over car crashes of its vehicles and has asked for additional testing and sales data, according to documents obtained by a legal transparency group through a records request. (Bloomberg)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

08/08/2019
Atlantic Council Event on Covering the Energy Transition: A Conversation With Leading Journalists 2:30 pm
Climate One Event on Pro Sports and Climate 12:00 pm
Cheniere Energy Q2 earnings release
08/13/2019
Atlantic Council’s Veterans Advanced Energy Summit 8:00 am
View full calendar

Understanding Gen Z: The Definitive Guide to the Next Generation

Based on nearly 1,000 survey interviews with 18-21 year-olds, Morning Consult’s ‘Understanding Gen Z’ report digs into the values, habits, aspirations, politics, and concerns that are shaping Gen Z adults and the ways they differ from the generations that came before them.

Download the full report →

General

Booker floats ‘nature-based’ climate strategy
Anthony Adragna, Politico

The bill, dubbed the Climate Stewardship Act, would authorize up to $25 billion a year for the Agriculture Department and other agencies to hire new workers and expand grant programs that encourage farmers to reduce carbon emissions through climate friendly practices like rotational grazing and better soil management, according to a senior Booker aide and a summary of the proposal. 

Six states sue EPA over pesticide tied to brain damage
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill

California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland and Vermont argued in court documents that chlorpyrifos, a common pesticide, should be banned due to the dangers associated with it.

D.C. Circuit gears up for busy environmental docket
Ellen M. Gilmer, E&E News

The fall docket begins with a closely watched dispute involving Trump officials’ ongoing efforts to unwind Obama-era clean car standards and also features hot-button fights over national monuments and the federal renewable fuel standard.

U.S. Sanction Plan for Russian Pipe Could Repeat Reagan Failures
Mathew Carr, Bloomberg

Efforts by the U.S. Senate to hamper a controversial natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have probably come too late. The Senate is yet to vote on a bill to impose sanctions on construction of the undersea part of the 750-mile Nord Stream 2 link under the Baltic Sea, but the project is already almost complete and scheduled to be finished this year.

Oil rises due to firm yuan, expectations of more OPEC cuts
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Reuters

Oil jumped more than $1 a barrel on Thursday due to expectations that falling prices may lead to production cuts, coupled with a steadying of the yuan currency after a week of turmoil spurred by an escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions.

Oil and Natural Gas

China continued Iran oil imports in July in teeth of U.S. sanctions: analysts
Chen Aizhu et al., Reuters

China imported Iranian crude oil in July for the second month since a U.S. sanctions waiver ended, according to research from three data firms, with one estimate showing some oil entered tanks holding the country’s strategic reserves.

Environmental groups move to sue South Bay refinery over mishandling of hazardous waste
Anna M. Phillips, Los Angeles Times

Several environmental groups moved Wednesday to sue the Phillips 66 refinery in the South Bay, accusing it of years of mismanaging hazardous waste that could pose a health risk to people living near its Wilmington and Carson facilities.

Marathon Oil shows profit growth, hikes share buybacks
Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle

Marathon Oil reported a quarterly profit of $161 million that jumped by two-thirds from a year ago as the Houston oil company grew its production volumes and kept its spending flat.

Berkeley gas hook-up ban appears likely to spread to other California cities: WSPA head
Brandon Evans, S&P Global Platts

Passed by the city council last month, the ban takes effect on January 1, 2020. It bans gas hook-ups in new multi-family construction, but provides some allowances for first-floor retail and certain types of large structures. 

Enbridge says gap opens beneath Great Lakes oil pipeline
John Flesher, The Associated Press

Erosion sometimes creates gaps between sections of the pipe and the lake bottom. Under a state-granted easement, those gaps cannot exceed 75 feet. Company spokesman Ryan Duffy said Wednesday one of them has reached 81 feet.

Saudi Aramco valuation gap persists as IPO talks resume – sources
Alex Lawler et al., Reuters

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is insisting on a $2 trillion valuation of oil firm Aramco, even though some bankers and company insiders say the kingdom should trim its target to around $1.5 trillion, industry and banking sources said.

Prioritizing oil, Texas Railroad Commission rejects challenge to gas flaring permit
Bill Holland, S&P Global Platts

The Texas Railroad Commission on Tuesday approved a small producer’s application to continue flaring gas from a set of Eagle Ford Shale wells, despite objections from the midstream company that gathers gas in the same field.

As Banks Veer Off, Shale Backer Looks to Fill Financing Gap
Alex Nussbaum and Andy Hoffman, Bloomberg

Swiss commodities giant Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. is in talks on several ventures with shale producers as banks cut back on their exposure to the sector, Chief Executive Officer Marco Dunand said in an interview.

CenterPoint utility customer surge offsets lower energy volatility: executives
Mark Watson, S&P Global Platts

CenterPoint Energy grew its natural gas and power customer base by 1.3 million in the second quarter, compared with Q2 2018, which helped overcome other factors to boost Q2 earnings about 17% year on year, investors learned in an earnings call Wednesday.

Utilities and Infrastructure

What’s the best role for utilities as EVs proliferate? With Pepco, DC aims to find the right balance
Catherine Morehouse, Utility Dive

Washington D.C. regulators on Friday rejected part of Pepco’s application to operate its own electric vehicle program, while opening up the broader order for more comments.

Renewables

A clean energy breakthrough could be buried deep beneath rural Utah
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times

Two companies want to tap the salt dome for compressed air energy storage, an old but rarely used technology that can store large amounts of power. It would work like a giant battery.

The future of offshore wind may depend on Bernhardt
Benjamin Storrow, E&E News

The former Interior secretary’s penchant for fossil fuels, along with a healthy string of scandals, made him an opponent of Democrats and environmentalists. But Zinke had one redeeming quality among those inclined toward cutting carbon: He loved offshore wind.

An Electric Harley Loses the Growl but Still Aims to Turn Heads
Susan Carpenter, The New York Times

Arriving at dealers in September, the LiveWire is targeting a new audience for Harley — one that is young, affluent and urban, and eager to adopt new technology. And it’s hoping to do it with a bike that looks and feels as progressive as the company’s new mode of thinking.

Wood Pellets Draw Fire as Alternative to Coal
Charlie McGee, The Wall Street Journal

The wood-pellet business is thriving based on the argument that trees are a clean-energy alternative to coal, but the science behind it is facing challenges from researchers who say cutting and burning trees takes a heavy environmental toll.

Coal

Northern Appalachia sees highest quarterly coal production since 2014
Tyler Godwin, S&P Global Platts

The region produced roughly 29.05 million st of coal in Q2, up from 26.96 million st in the previous quarter and 27.16 million in the year-ago quarter. It was the highest quarterly output for Northern Appalachia since Q4 2014 when 29.46 million st was produced.

Nuclear

New Yorker de Blasio says local consent a must on nuclear waste storage
John Sadler, Las Vegas Sun

The mayor visited Las Vegas to participate in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 2020 Public Service Forum, a gathering Saturday at UNLV that attracted 19 of the 24 Democratic presidential candidates.

Climate

Southern California’s Perfect Beaches Are Killing Wildlife
Luke McGrath, Bloomberg

Urban beaches with heavy traffic had about half as many native insects and crustaceans than did reference beaches, the study found. The removal of wrack, such as kelp and seaweed, can also be detrimental to local species that rely on it for food and shelter, according to lead author Nick Schooler.

Alaska’s Hottest Month on Record: Melting Sea Ice, Wildfires and Unexpected Die-Offs
Sabrina Shankman, InsideClimate News

The temperatures have soared as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, seals and other animals are inexplicably dying, and the once-dependable sea ice is long gone from the shores. Welcome to summer in Alaska in the Anthropocene.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

The Forest Service Needs Public Commentary
Sam Evans, The New York Times

The United States Forest Service’s most important job is balancing the many needs and uses of the 193 million acres of public land it manages. But the Trump administration is preparing to abandon the process that makes it possible, eliminating public participation from the overwhelming majority of decisions affecting our national forests. 

We just had the hottest month in history. Why won’t Democrats have a real climate debate?
Bill Richardson, USA Today

Candidates spent fewer than 15 minutes out of four hours on the topic. Climate policy received more attention in the second presidential debate last week in Detroit, but the 21 minutes on the topic over two nights still only accounted for a small fraction of the entire debate

Reformed Climate Deniers Don’t Deserve Redemption
Dave Levitan, The New Republic

Most converts should feel welcome in the political discussion about climate change; it’s a virtue to admit fault, after all. But those like Luntz—who actively furthered the climate crisis and continues to refuse to admit it—should be shunned. 

Research Reports

Economic, Emissions Impact Of Trump Administration Fuel Economy And Ghg Emissions Standards Freeze; Implications for California, “Section 177” States, Canada
Energy Innovation

The Trump administration is working to freeze federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks for model years 2021 through 2026 at 2020 levels, thereby undoing fuel economy increases and vehicle emission reductions set by the previous administration. Under the Trump Administration’s proposal, light-duty vehicle fuel economy would stagnate at 37 mpg rather than increasing to 51.4 mpg.

Morning Consult