View this email in a web browser.
A War Against Climate Science, Waged by Washington’s Rank and File
An inspector general’s report at the Environmental Protection Agency made public in May found that almost 400 employees surveyed in 2018 believed a manager had interfered with or suppressed the release of scientific information, but they never reported the violations. A separate Union of Concerned Scientists survey in 2018 of more than 63,000 federal employees across 16 agencies identified the E.P.A. and Department of Interior as having the least trustworthy leadership in matters of scientific integrity. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
Northeast states hit snag on offshore wind: Trump
The move came as a surprise. BOEM already had finished a draft environmental impact study and signaled that a final decision would come by the end of 2019. The call for additional analysis was — at least in part — an acknowledgement of the demands of commercial fishermen, who said Washington had not considered the impact of the turbines on the fish they reel in. Offshore wind supporters concede the analysis puts them on firmer legal grounds in the likely event their permits are challenged in court. But the move nevertheless sparked widespread skepticism from environmentalists and wind supporters — given the administration’s emphasis on expediting permits for fossil fuel projects. The study, released by BOEM last week, provides ammunition for both critics and supporters of the project [ read more … ]
Markets
U.S. oil & gas rig count hits record low for sixth week: Baker Hughes
U.S. energy firms cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating to a record low for a sixth week in a row even as oil prices rebound from historic lows and some producers return to the wellhead. The U.S. oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by five to an all-time low of 279 in the week to June 12, according to data from energy services firm Baker Hughes Co going back to 1940. [ read more … ]
Policy & Politics
Clean Energy Executives Worry Democrats Have Abandoned Them
When the U.S. Congress passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package back in late-March without a cent devoted to green industries, clean energy companies were understanding. Although they’d lost more than 100,000 jobs by that point, on their way to more than 600,000 by the end of May according to industry estimates, it made sense that lawmakers would have to address the immediate public health crisis before they could start thinking about an economic recovery. [ read more … ]
Murkowski talks Trumps tweets, clean energy
“I think you saw the public comments that many made, several of them in leadership, saying we got Lisa’s back. She’s got a right to speak her mind,” she said. “They may disagree with me, and that’s certainly their prerogative, their right. But I think they also respect the fact that if I feel called to speak in a direct way, that that is certainly mine to do.” [ read more … ]
When Silicon Valley Goes Dark This Time, There Will Be No Refuge
Blackouts that hit millions of Californians in 2019 could be doubly calamitous this year with tech giants Google, Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc.among the many companies keeping offices closed until the fall or later in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. If utilities cut power again, home offices set up during the pandemic could go dark and stay dark for days, and they’ll have no corporate offices to flee to for power. In October 2019, more than 3 million people were affected by a series of rolling blackouts over more than a week as PG&E Corp. and Edison International tried to prevent live wires from sparking wildfires. [ read more … ]
A Global Battery Firm Is Going Out of Business, Citing Covid-19
Large-scale battery installer NEC Energy Solutions Inc.is folding as fierce competition squeezes the industry and the coronavirus derailed efforts to find a buyer. The Massachusetts-based company, which has long struggled to turn a profit, told customers it would begin an “orderly wind down,” according to a letter Thursday seen by Bloomberg. It will finish projects under development but not seek new business. [ read more … ]
EVs
2019 was record year for electric car sales, IEA says
The world sold 2.1 million electric cars in 2019, topping the 2018 record — but the year-on-year growth was just 6%, much lower than the at least 30% year-on-year growth in EV sales since 2016, the International Energy Agency said in new research. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.