Top Stories

  • The White House refused to approve written testimony of a State Department official for inclusion in a House Intelligence Committee’s official record because the testimony did not follow the Trump administration’s position on climate change, according to multiple senior administration officials. Critics of Office of the Geographer and Global Issues employee Rod Schoonover’s testimony wrote on a draft of the document that the testimony “includes lots of climate alarm propaganda that is not science at all,” according to a source familiar with the draft. (The Washington Post)
  • PG&E Corp. shut off power for over 28,000 Californians over the weekend as a precaution during high winds, a move that followed state regulators’ approval last week of the bankrupt utility’s plan to cut power in parts of its service territory to try to prevent sparking wildfires. Separately on Friday, a state-appointed commission determined that California should end its “inverse condemnation” policy that holds utilities liable for wildfires ignited by its equipment without regard to whether the companies were negligent. (Bloomberg)
  • A court ruling will allow PG&E to end as much as $42 billion in existing clean energy power-purchase agreements, which could have large implications for NextEra Energy Inc., Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and other companies and could complicate California’s ability to reduce its statewide emissions. Judge Dennis Montali of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California said he disagreed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s assertion of authority over the utility’s contract choices. (The Wall Street Journal)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

06/10/2019
American Water Works Association Exposition
International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
Edison Electric Institute Convention 2019
American Nuclear Society Meeting 8:00 am
House Rules meeting on the Energy-Water fiscal 2020 appropriations bill and other funding measures 5:00 pm
06/11/2019
American Water Works Association Exposition
International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
FCBI Energy Ltd.’s Downstream Exhibition & Conference
The Energy Efficiency Global Forum 2019
Edison Electric Institute Convention 2019
House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing on the offshore wind workforce 10:00 am
House Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Hearing on Efficiency and Resiliency in Federal Building Design and Construction 10:00 am
House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Hearing with Former Administrators Addressing the Direction of the EPA 10:00 am
American Nuclear Society and United Nuclear Industry Alliance Supply Chain Session and Workshop 1:30 pm
Senate Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee hearing on the Nomination of William B. Kilbride for the TVA Board 2:30 pm
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 Release Webcast 2:30 pm
06/12/2019
American Water Works Association Exposition
International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
FCBI Energy Ltd.’s Downstream Exhibition & Conference
The Energy Efficiency Global Forum 2019
Great Plains Institute and Duke University Event on States and RTOs in Changing Times 8:30 am
Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on the Waters of the United States regulations 10:00 am
House Energy Subcommittee FERC oversight hearing 10:30 am
06/13/2019
S&P Global Platts 16th Annual Bunker and Residual Fuel Conference
Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the Outlook for Wildland Fire and Management Programs for 2019 10:00 am
House Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee legislative hearing 10:00 am
House Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Hearing on Ensuring Safe Storage and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel 10:00 am
Atlantic Council Conversation with BP PLC Group Chief Economist Spencer Dale 12:00 pm
06/14/2019
S&P Global Platts 16th Annual Bunker and Residual Fuel Conference
EDTA World Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) scheduled to speak at E2 event on federal climate action 12:00 pm
06/15/2019
EDTA World Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition
06/16/2019
EDTA World Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition
06/17/2019
EDTA World Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition
Nuclear Energy Institute and ExchangeMonitor Publications & Forums Decommissioning Strategy Forum
House Science, Space and Technology Environment Subcommittee Field Hearing on Hurricane Resiliency 10:00 am
E2 event on the Green New Deal 12:00 pm
View full calendar

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General

Battle over science roils EPA
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill

Environmental Protection Agency is battling its own board of science advisers over its controversial plan to dismiss certain types of scientific research from consideration when issuing rules.

Pompeo: ‘We will do the things necessary as the climate changes’
Guy Taylor, The Washington Times

“We will do the things necessary as the climate changes,” Mr. Pompeo said in an interview with The Washington Times this week, during which he staunchly defended President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord reached in 2015 and chastised Democrats for making exaggerated declarations about the climate.

Nature Conservancy CEO Tercek exits as shake-up widens
Zack Colman, Politico

Nature Conservancy CEO Mark Tercek announced Friday he would step down, the latest departure from the powerful environmental group in the wake of a sexual harassment and workplace misconduct investigation.

US-China trade war sparks worries about rare minerals
Anita Snow, The Associated Press

Rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China have sparked worries about the 17 exotic-sounding rare earth minerals needed for high-tech products like robotics, drones and electric cars.

Inslee hits back at DNC decision not to hold climate debate
Tal Axelrod, The Hill

Inslee campaign manager Aisling Kerins responded in a statement Saturday, saying, “The climate debate isn’t about any one campaign, it’s about our one blue planet.”

Toxic PFAS Chemicals Found in Maine Farms Fertilized With Sewage Sludge
Sharon Lerner, The Intercept

All sewage sludge recently tested by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection was contaminated with PFAS chemicals, according to documents obtained by The Intercept.

Under pressure, Biden drifts leftward on abortion, climate change
James Oliphant, Reuters

In both cases, Biden was not necessarily speaking to his loyal base of supporters, the largely middle-aged and middle-of-the-road voters – many of them union members – who came out to see him in New Hampshire this week.

Oil steady with supply tight, but U.S.-China trade war threatens demand
Noah Browning, Reuters

Oil prices were steady on Monday as U.S.-China trade tensions continued to threaten demand for oil, but tight crude supply and the swift end to a trade dispute between Mexico and the United States offered support.

Oil and Natural Gas

New U.S. sanctions show offer of talks with Iran not genuine: Foreign Ministry
Babak Dehghanpisheh, Reuters

The United States placed sanctions on Iran’s largest petrochemical holding group on Friday for indirectly supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a step it said aimed to dry up revenues to the elite Iranian military force but that analysts called largely symbolic.

Trump’s Plan for Finding Oil in Alaska May Put Polar Bears at Risk
Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg

Despite the risks, the Trump administration has no plans to vet the environmental impacts of the planned aerial survey, designed to arm oil companies with geophysical data to help them figure out the most promising locations to drill, and how much they should bid.

Frackers Scrounge for Cash as Wall Street Closes Doors
Christopher M. Matthews and Rebecca Elliott, The Wall Street Journal

The companies behind the U.S. fracking boom are turning to asset sales, drilling partnerships and other alternative financing to supplement their cash flow. These forms of funding often come with higher interest rates or carry other downsides, such as giving outside investors a hefty share of future oil and gas production, but are gaining traction as drillers face dwindling access to traditional sources of capital.

Utilities and Infrastructure

Michigan utility OK’d to close coal plants, boost renewables
David Eggert, The Associated Press

Jackson-based Consumers Energy, which supplies power to much of the Lower Peninsula, won the OK after modifying a proposal it initially submitted a year ago.

Renewables

Could solar’s outlook in Pennsylvania be sunny, even if the skies are not?
Anya Litvak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Since the beginning of the year, solar developers have tied up hundreds of acres — some signing long-term leases but more often securing the option to lease the land in the future.

Tesla, Facing Setbacks and Skeptics, Tries to Get Back on Course
Neal E. Boudette, The New York Times

Tesla’s Model 3 electric sedan was heralded this year by Consumer Reports as the most satisfying car on the market. Then owners started to complain that cars had arrived with cracked windows, leaks or unreliable video screens.

Coal

Tennessee regulators raise red flags over TVA plans for coal ash pit in Anderson County
Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel

Regulators with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation are also raising concerns about TVA’s plan to build a heavy-duty water basin on top of a portion of that coal ash pit at the utility’s Bull Run coal-fired power plant, newly obtained records show.

Nuclear

House panel highlights risks over nuclear-storage stalemate
Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press

Southern California’s San Onofre nuclear power plant was permanently closed in 2013, but the site remains home to 3.5 million pounds (1.59 million kilograms) of nuclear waste that has nowhere else to go. Members of a House subcommittee held a hearing Friday not far from the defunct plant to highlight the urgency behind efforts to build a long-term national repository for used radioactive fuel, a proposal that has languished for decades in Washington.

New Mexico governor says no to high-level nuclear waste
Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press

New Mexico’s governor said Friday she’s opposed to plans by a New Jersey-based company to build a multibillion-dollar facility in her state to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors around the U.S.

Michael Bloomberg open to backing nuclear plants in climate push
Amy Harder, Axios

An aide to Bloomberg told Axios the former New York mayor and climate advocate isn’t taking a “hard stance” on nuclear. “We’ll pursue all of the options available, including nuclear,” the aide said.

Climate

Even as Floods Worsen With Climate Change, Fewer People Insure Against Disaster
Christopher Flavelle, The New York Times

Despite years of devastating flooding and hurricanes, the number of Americans with flood insurance remains well below its level a decade ago, undermining the nation’s ability to cope with disasters just as climate change makes them more frequent and severe.

EPA curbs state power to deny permits for climate concerns
Ariel Wittenberg, E&E News reporter

EPA says it can issue federal permits for projects, including pipelines, regardless of whether states raise questions about impacts to climate change or air pollution.

As Students Clamor for More on Climate Change, Portland Heeds the Call
Mike Seely, The New York Times

Given the city’s hyper-progressive image, the fact that officials had until recently dragged their feet on an issue like climate change might come as a surprise. This is a city that is trying to map every one of its trees, and one where a district court is hearing a lawsuit on whether young people have a constitutional right to be protected from global warming.

The Climate Rebellion Inside Amazon
Molly Taft, HuffPost

In April, Gizmodo reported that Amazon had begun marketing its cloud computing services to oil and gas giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron. Amazon touted its products at an oil and gas industry conference this year, and it posted ads targeting oil firms at the Houston airport.

Britain must end financial help for fossil fuel projects abroad: lawmakers
Susanna Twidale, Reuters

Britain must stop financing fossil fuel projects abroad by 2021 as it undermines the nation’s efforts to combat climate change, a report by lawmakers said on Monday.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

In the climate crisis, power of our ocean is too great to ignore
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Jane Lubchenco, The Hill

The ocean produces the air we breathe, is linked to much of the water we drink, and is home to more than half of all life on the planet. The ocean drives our economy, feeds, employs and transports us.

Our Next Moonshot: Saving Earth’s Climate
Michael R. Bloomberg, Bloomberg

The fact is: We’ve already pioneered the technology to tackle climate change. We know how to power buildings using the sun and wind; how to power vehicles using batteries charged with renewable energy; how to power factories and industry using hydrogen and fuel cells.

Natural gas is helping combat climate change — but not enough
Amy Harder, Axios

Natural gas, which is becoming the world’s dominant energy, emits half as much carbon dioxide as coal. That’s why it’s emerging as a good-enough-for-now solution to climate change.

Research Reports

Evaluation of Utility Ownership and Regulatory Models for Hawaii
London Economics International LLC et al.

The goal of the Study was to review and perform a thorough assessment of alternative models, laying out the pros and cons of each with respect to State policy objectives so that it could be used as a guide.

Morning Consult