RENEWABLES: The Biden administration wants to expand offshore wind energy capacity by 30 GW by 2030, starting with a lease auction later this year for plots between New York and New Jersey. (Reuters)
ALSO:
• Wind and solar generation spiked 15% last year, an analysis shows, but it’s so far not enough to replace coal as the world’s power demand keeps growing. (Axios)
• A flurry of large project proposals in Ohio could help solar challenge nuclear power in the coming years as the state’s third-largest source of generation. (Energy News Network)
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COAL:
• A series of legislative proposals in coal-producing states would make it harder to close coal plants and slow the transition to clean energy. (Bloomberg)
• Doctors hired by coal companies are less likely to diagnose black lung disease from X-rays than independent or miner-hired doctors, according to a new study with implications for a disease that is resurgent across central Appalachia. (Ohio Valley ReSource)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: The “father of environmental justice” and a prominent Flint, Michigan, organizer are among advocates named to the White House’s new Environmental Justice Advisory Council. (The Hill)
EMISSIONS: Research suggests the U.S. oil and gas industry is producing far more methane emissions than the EPA estimates. (E&E News, subscription)
CARBON CAPTURE:
• President Biden’s forthcoming carbon bank proposal would pay farmers and agricultural companies to plant crops that absorb carbon, but the industry is still wary of getting onboard. (Politico)
• Canadian e-shopping company Shopify will pay a Texas company to pull 10,000 metric tons of carbon out of the atmosphere at a sprawling “direct air capture” facility. (Grist)
PIPELINES: Twenty-six people were arrested last week at a Line 3 pipeline protest in Minnesota, including some who were allegedly trespassing on private property. (Detroit Lakes Tribune)
NUCLEAR: New Mexico sues the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission over a proposed nuclear waste repository, saying the agency is overstepping its authority and citing risks to nearby oil and gas production. (Albuquerque Journal, Carlsbad Current-Argus)
UTILITIES:
• The Texas state Senate unanimously passes a bill to require weatherization of power plants and additional transparency around blackouts that includes a state alert system. (Texas Tribune, The Eagle)
• Millions in the U.S. are at risk of losing electricity as restrictions on power disconnections during the winter and COVID-19 pandemic are set to expire this month in more than a dozen states. (NPR)
STORAGE: Long duration energy storage could see major growth as costs decline and more intermittent renewables come online. (Bloomberg)
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OVERSIGHT: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will investigate the Trump administration’s alleged interference in scientific decisions, including research related to climate change. (New York Times)
COMMENTARY:
• Descendants of FDR and his Cabinet encourage President Biden to initiate a “New Deal-scale” public jobs program, with a focus on “21st century climate challenges.” (Common Dreams)
• Buying an electric vehicle can reduce one’s “personal carbon footprint,” but to really make a dent in climate change, the world needs “safe and sustainable” transportation for all, a climate reporter argues. (Washington Post)
• “Industry-wide, global data standards” are needed to track renewable energy production and quantify progress toward decarbonization, the CEO of a renewable energy tracking company writes. (Utility Dive)