General
House Democrats May Strike Strong PFAS Language in Defense Bill
Dean Scott and Tiffany Stecker, Bloomberg Environment
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) also agreed to drop the language, according to one House Democrat, angering dozens of more liberal Democrats.
Youth climate activists grade top 2020 Democrats on Green New Deal commitment
Rebecca Klar, The Hill
Youth-led climate activist group Sunrise Movement ranked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) the top Democratic presidential candidate in terms of support for the Green New Deal, according to candidate scorecards released by the group Thursday.
How Trump could cost U.S. companies a climate bonanza
Zack Colman, Politico
President Donald Trump’s planned pullout from the Paris climate agreement has some U.S. companies worried that a business opportunity worth hundreds of billions of dollars is going to pass them by.
EPA and Its Biggest Union Agree to Return to Bargaining Table
Stephen Lee, Bloomberg Environment
The announcement signals a possible end to an ongoing dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some 7,500 of the agency’s 14,000 workers.
Oil and Natural Gas
County ends voluntary evacuation of Port Neches, the second since last week’s plant explosion
Kiah Collier and Jolie McCullough, The Texas Tribune
The city of Port Neches and Jefferson County lifted a voluntary evacuation order Thursday afternoon, less than 24 hours after residents who were displaced for days last week amid a fire and multiple explosions at a local chemical plant were again asked to leave their homes Wednesday night.
Gas Lobby Group Goes on Attack to Halt Move to Ban New Hook-Ups
Stephen Cunningham, Bloomberg
The American Gas Association, which represents distributors, is seeking to forge new alliances to counter a trend started by Berkeley — which became the first U.S. city to require new buildings to be all electric from January — that has spread elsewhere in California and is on the verge of going national.
Utilities and Infrastructure
Is FERC overstepping its authority and hurting renewables? States, power groups question PURPA plan
Catherine Morehouse, Utility Dive
Stakeholders, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) raised concerns that the notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in September would unduly impact states outside regulated power pools.
Overpowered: Hailing renewables, NextEra bet big on gas in Florida
Michael Copley et al., S&P Global Market Intelligence
At an investor conference in New York in 2015, NextEra Energy Inc.’s then-CFO, John Ketchum, delivered a striking assessment to Wall Street: Solar power had become so inexpensive that the company might be finished building natural gas plants in Florida, the state where it is headquartered and where it owns an electric utility.
Renewables
Vineyard Wind bid wins DEEP approval for Bridgeport project in wind power competition
Jordan Grice, CT Post
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Thursday that the bid from the Massachusetts-based company has been selected to advance to contract negotiations with the state’s electric distribution companies to provide 804 megawatts of offshore wind through its Park City Wind Project.
China-built Tesla cars secure new energy vehicle subsidies
Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh, Reuters
China’s industry ministry had earlier said Tesla’s Model 3 cars, being built at its $2 billion factory in Shanghai, were on a list recommended for subsidies for new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
BP boosts stake in solar firm amid clean energy plan for its offices
Jillian Ambrose, The Guardian
The companies announced plans to set up a 50:50 joint venture almost two years after BP made its return to the solar market by snapping up a 43% stake in Lightsource for £200m.
GM, LG Chem to build $2.3 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Ohio
Paul Lienert, Reuters
At a media briefing, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said the 50-50 joint venture with LG Chem is aimed at “dramatically enhancing electric vehicle affordability and profitability.”
A $39 Billion Wind Company Bets Hydrogen Is Key to Climate Goals
Will Mathis, Bloomberg
Over the past decade, offshore wind has pushed from a frontier technology to a multi-billion-dollar industry that provides green power cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels. Orsted A/S, a Danish company, anticipates that the scale and efficiency of wind farms at sea can play a crucial role to supply heavy industry with green hydrogen.
Coal
EPA’s coal plant proposal puts D.C. at risk
Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News
The decision against limiting bromide discharges affects the drinking water supply of EPA employees who wrote the so-called effluent limitation guidelines. Washington, D.C.’s sole source for drinking water is the Potomac River, with an intake located roughly 30 miles downstream of a coal-fired power plant that has previously been scrutinized for its releases of the chemical.
Court approves plan for Cloud Peak Energy to exit bankruptcy
Camille Erickson, Billings Gazette
A federal judge approved a plan for coal company Cloud Peak Energy to exit bankruptcy Thursday, bringing the Wyoming-based company one step closer to resolving a Chapter 11 case that began in May.
Can a Coal Town Reinvent Itself?
Eduardo Porter, The New York Times
At the peak of coal’s fortunes in the 1970s, more than 35,000 people lived in Buchanan. Over 5,000 worked in the mines.
Nuclear
Feds award $4B contract for services at Hanford nuke site
The Associated Press
The federal government has awarded a new $4 billion contract to provide some services on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Washington.
Ohio’s coal, nuclear push ignites political war
Jeffrey Tomich, E&E News
With less than a year until the 2020 election, one that could again put the national spotlight on Ohio, the fallout over H.B. 6 and the subsequent battle over efforts to overturn the law by referendum is unlikely to fade.
Nuclear Regulators Extend Life of Turkey Point Reactors to 80 Years
Jenny Staletovich, WLRN
The Nuclear Regulatory Agency granted two controversial license extensions to Turkey Point’s aging nuclear reactors on Thursday. The 20-year extensions – which extend the life of the reactors to 80 – are the first of their kind in the U.S.
Climate
California Bans Insurers From Dropping Policies Made Riskier by Climate Change
Christopher Flavelle and Brad Plumer, The New York Times
California’s wildfires have grown so costly and damaging that insurance companies — a homeowner’s last hope when disaster strikes — have increasingly been canceling people’s policies in fire-prone parts of the state.
Green bonds set for shake up as EU agrees rules for sustainable financial products
Jonas Ekblom, Reuters
The $200 billion green bond market is set for a shake up after the European Union on Thursday reached a deal on a new set of rules governing which financial products can be called “green” and “sustainable”.
A Key Climate Justice Question at COP25: What Role Should Carbon Markets Play in Meeting Paris Goals?
Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News
Carbon markets started as a way to offer polluters more flexibility as they try to meet their countries’ emissions reduction targets and, in theory, lower the cost.
Big European banks face call to end funding for firms building coal-fired plants
Susanna Twidale et al., Reuters
The call comes as some 190 countries meet in Madrid to assess progress on the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which demands a virtual end to coal power by 2050.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
The Climate Emergency Is a Political Emergency
Jane Fonda, The New York Times
It should come as no surprise that I believe in the power of protest. That’s why I moved to Washington to start what I call Fire Drill Fridays, joining the millions of young people around the world who turned out in the fall for protests to demand that our leaders act to save their futures.
NV Energy Gets Green Light for Massive Solar-Battery Projects
Jeff St. John, Greentech Media
Nevada regulators have given a green light to utility NV Energy’s plan to add nearly 1.2 gigawatts of solar and 590 megawatts of batteries, underscoring a broader push toward renewable energy and storage by other Western utilities also owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.
Research Reports
Twelve Strategies To Step Up Global Energy Efficiency
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Only a drastic reduction in global energy demand will allow an affordable and manageable transition to a global energy system based on renewables. Ambitious and forceful energy efficiency to manage demand is key to meeting sustainable development goals.
|
