WEATHER: A federal judge on Friday blocked an executive order from Biden restoring the social cost of carbonsaying it prevents states from levying royalties on fossil fuels. (E&E News)
ALSO:
• Economist says decision, which brings metric down to Trump administration level of $7 a ton, “effectively removes all climate regulation teeth.” (The Guardian)
• A lawyer questions the judge’s decision, saying the social cost of carbon is not a settlement subject to review by the courtsjust a metric used in analysis. (E&E News, subscription)
EQUITY: House Democrats moving forward with hearings on legislation protecting environmental justice communities while other climate measures stagnate. (E&E News)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• Analysts say the importance of electric vehicle commercials during the Super Bowl reflect a turning point in the transition away from fossil fuels. (voice)
• More than 500 groups and individuals submitted comments on a Biden administration plan to spend $7.5 billion on electric vehicle charging. (E&E News)
UTILITIES: FirstEnergy Ohio Utility settles a series of shareholder lawsuits seeking corporate reform in the wake of the HB 6 bribery scandal, agreeing to six long-serving board members not standing for re-election, among other commitments. (Associated Press)
GRID: California regulators approve addition plan 25.5 GW of renewable generation and 15 GW of storage and load shedding resources to the network by 2032. (Reuters)
COAL:
• Public documents reveal West Virginia power plant buying coal from Senator Joe Manchin’s family business hasn’t paid rent for a decade. (E&E News)
• Utah regulators are ordering the state’s only surface coal mine to shut down and begin permanent cleanup work in March if it closes. fails to post a $13.4 million reclamation bond. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Wyoming lawmakers propose bill to discourage coal plant shutdowns by requiring utilities install carbon capture equipment about facilities that need to be decommissioned or sell the plant to a buyer who would. (Casper Star-Tribune)
EFFICIENCY: Rhode Island climate activists are criticizing Governor Dan McKee’s plan to divert energy efficiency funds to pay the state’s climate board. (Energy Information Network)
PIPES: Army Corps of Engineers signals it won’t make decision on key water permit for Mountain Valley pipeline until he has considered a notice from the Fish and Wildlife Service it needs to be redone. (Roanoke Times)
OIL GAS:
• A federal judge illegally runs the Bureau of Land Management did not consider impacts to the at-risk Gunnison sage-grouse when issuing oil and gas leases in southwestern Colorado, but stops short of canceling the leases. (Grand Junction Sentinel)
• Biden administration asks federal appeals court to overturn last year’s order end its oil and gas leasing hiatus on public lands. (E&E News, subscription)
REMARK:
• A union leader says more jobs in the clean energy sector should be unionized to continue investing in the workforce and raising wages. (Energy Information Network)
• A California editorial board warns it could be years before officials know if the Salton Sea region will be the “Saudi Arabia of lithium” as the national media predicted. (Desert Sun)
