Discover the Latest News and Initiatives for a Sustainable Future

CLIMATE: JPMorgan Chase and State Street quit an international coalition aimed at curbing big companies’ investment-related greenhouse gas emissions, while BlackRock scales back its involvement. (Reuters)

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ALSO: Combining state, local and private-sector efforts to reduce emissions are more effective than any efforts on their own, researchers find, noting that public-sector emissions rules can drive companies to follow suit. (The Hill)

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CLEAN ENERGY: Solar and battery storage will make up more than 80% of new large-scale energy construction in the U.S. this year, while the country will add the smallest amount of new gas capacity in 25 years, the Energy Information Administration predicts. (E&E News, subscription)

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GRID:

• Some state utility regulators worry the U.S. EPA’s proposed power plant emissions reduction rule threatens grid reliability, while others say it’s key to helping states meet their climate goals. (Utility Dive)
• ERCOT officials are skeptical of a U.S. House bill to connect Texas’ grid to the rest of the country, suggesting the plan could disincentivize construction of new generation in the state. (E&E News, subscription)

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OIL & GAS:

• Federal regulators approve two projects along the Gulf Coast that are expected to accelerate natural gas exports. (E&E News)
• The U.S. House approves a bill that would block the Biden administration’s ability to block natural gas export projects, though it’s unlikely to pass the Senate. (The Hill)
• Tribal nations and advocates push back against a proposed pipeline that would carry Permian Basin natural gas to an export terminal in Mexico, saying it threatens sacred sites and could fuel the LNG boom. (DeSmog)

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POLITICS: Republicans pushing for climate action vow to keep working even if former President Trump is elected and turns the tide against them. (E&E News)

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SOLAR:

• An Arizona company announces plans for a $344 million solar panel recycling facility in rural Georgia, which will also manufacture enough glass to supply 5 GW worth of new panels per year. (Associated Press)
• The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe expects to break ground later this year on a planned 756 MW solar installation on its land in southwestern Colorado. (KSUT)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe participates in a $13.4 million intertribal electric vehicle charging network and deploys six electric vehicles to serve residents. (South Dakota Searchlight)

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OFFSHORE WIND:

• The U.S. EPA issues a Clean Air Act permit for New York’s Empire offshore wind project, slated to produce over 2 GW of power. (Reuters)
• Louisiana businesses with expertise in oil and gas extraction are finding opportunities in offshore wind. (Governing)

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OVERSIGHT: Amid new allegations that former Ohio utility regulator Sam Randazzo had a corrupt relationship with FirstEnergy dating back to 2010, Gov. Mike DeWine faces questions about whether he knew about that relationship when appointing Randazzo in 2019. (Ohio Capital Journal)

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SOLAR: The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe expects to break ground later this year on a planned 756 MW solar installation on its land in southwestern Colorado. (KSUT)

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ALSO: A California lawmaker introduces legislation that would require state regulators to consider all economic and environmental benefits of rooftop solar when setting net metering rates. (PV Magazine)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• An Idaho county votes to draft an ordinance banning utility-scale wind and solar facilities on private land after some residents raise concerns about effects on wildlife and views. (East Idaho News)
• Utah lawmakers advance legislation that would establish tax credits for significant investments into low-emissions energy infrastructure. (Deseret News)

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UTILITIES:

• Hawaiian Electric says a $175 million Maui wildfire recovery fund will launch March 1. (Utility Dive)
• An Arizona utility seeks proposals to develop 1,200 MW of new peak generating capacity and up to 2,500 MW of carbon-free capacity. (Utility Dive)
• Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer urges residents to run for the state’s utility commission to give ratepayers representation they currently lack. (Billings Gazette)
• California regulators approve Pacific Gas & Electric’s $18 billion wildfire mitigation plan. (Action News Now)

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OIL & GAS: Occidental Petroleum predicts its plan to inject captured carbon into its Permian Basin oil and gas wells will increase crude production by as much as 12,000 barrels daily by 2026. (E&E News, subscription)

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PIPELINES: Tribal nations and advocates push back against a proposed pipeline that would carry Permian Basin natural gas to an export terminal in Mexico, saying it threatens sacred sites and could fuel the LNG boom. (DeSmog)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Flagging electric vehicle sales in California raises questions about the state’s ability to meet its ambitious climate goals. (Los Angeles Times)
• California’s energy commission plans to spend $1.85 billion over the next four years to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, with the bulk of the funding going toward medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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CLIMATE:

• Montana asks the state’s Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s 2023 finding that the state’s fossil fuel-friendly policies violate residents’ right to a healthy environment. (Daily Montanan)  
• Colorado lawmakers propose eliminating parking minimums, saying it would reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. (KDVR)
• Washington state lawmakers advance bills that would use carbon-auction revenues to buy electric school buses and incentivize utilities and individuals to transition to clean energy. (Crosscut)
• Wyoming lawmakers hold a legislative hearing promoting the belief that climate change isn’t happening, is inconsequential or is beneficial. (WyoFile)

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GRID: Los Angeles’ municipal utility votes to move forward with joining California’s grid operator’s extended day-ahead power market. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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WIND: Oregon commercial fishermen and Indigenous communities criticize the Biden administration’s finalization of wind energy areas off the state’s southern coast, saying the federal agency failed to account for potential impacts. (Oregonian)

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FOSSIL FUELS: A newly finalized U.S. EPA rule should help reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations but won’t address smaller, midstream emissions impacting those living in Pennsylvania’s fracking region. (Yale Environment 360)

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GRID:

• Maryland’s governor receives criticism for his proposed bill removing utility regulators’ oversight over back-up generators at data centers, a measure opponents say would heighten pollution and energy demand. (Capital Gazette)
• The developers of a transmission line to connect upstate New York renewable projects with New York City say the project may need more subsidies to make it economically viable. (E&E News, subscription)

• National Grid files a future grid plan with Massachusetts regulators to spend around $2.5 billion on upgrades to its power distribution network in the state over the next five years. (news release)
• State utility regulators within the PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent Independent System Operator tell the grid operators to improve their long-term interregional transmission planning efforts. (Utility Dive)

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SOLAR:

• A review of solar-related complaints filed with Connecticut’s attorney general since 2019 shows almost two-thirds are related to home maintenance issues believed to be caused by the rooftop installation process. (WFSB)
• One Pennsylvania township’s success with installing solar to save money and lower emissions underscores the growing acceptance and adoption of the technology in the state. (Fox 43)
• Two companies looking to put solar panels on the roof of a Pennsylvania prison say the facility could save over $2.1 million over 30 years without any cost to the county. (Tribune Democrat)

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AFFORDABILITY: Both chambers of Connecticut’s legislature unanimously approve a $17 million boost to energy bill assistance programs; the governor immediately signed the bill into law. (CT Mirror)

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FOSSIL FUELS: Developers want to clean up a former oil- and coal-fired power plant in Wiscasset, Maine, and turn the site into a manufacturing and clean energy technology center and a marina. (Bangor Daily News)

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BUILDINGS:

• New Hampshire’s legislative office building doesn’t meet minimum air quality standards, but it’ll cost the state $6 million to upgrade its HVAC system. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
• In Maine, plans for a new college campus on Portland’s waterfront include climate adaptations, like higher piers and locating non-essential spaces on the ground level. (Maine Public)

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WIND: Virginia lawmakers delay until 2025 consideration of a bill to allow entities other than Dominion Energy to build offshore wind facilities, rewarding the utility’s intense lobbying against the bill and disappointing clean energy advocates. (Energy News Network)

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BIOMASS: Financially troubled biomass company Enviva, which operates wood pellet factories across the Southeast, reaches a critical point as its 30-day grace period to pay bond holders expires, likely requiring either a streamlining of its operations or a move toward bankruptcy. (Wilmington StarNews)

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SOLAR:

• Solar power jumps 46% in Texas from January 2023 to 2024 as the sector continues to break generation records and eclipses power produced by coal on the state grid. (Clean Technica)
• A deadline looms as West Virginia lawmakers have yet to act on legislation to require utilities to credit rooftop solar customers for surplus energy at the same rate at which they sell it. (Mountain State Spotlight)
• NextEra announces plans for a 150 MW solar farm in Kentucky. (Messenger)
• A Florida company is making solar panels for low Earth orbit satellites. (Military + Aerospace Electronic)
• Georgia lawmakers consider a bill to require solar companies to restore land to its natural state after their leases expire. (WGAU)

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NUCLEAR:

• The second of two new units at Georgia Power’s nuclear Plant Vogtle begins splitting atoms in a step toward completion of the long-delayed expansion. (WAGA)
• Virginia lawmakers consider two bills to allow Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to pass the cost of unproven small modular nuclear reactors to ratepayers, regardless of whether the projects come to fruition. (Inside Climate News)

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PIPELINES: A lawyer for six Virginia landowners along the Mountain Valley Pipeline says they’ll appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after a judge dismisses their suit challenging the pipeline’s use of eminent domain to build on their property. (Cardinal News)

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OIL & GAS: At least six liquified natural gas projects are underway in Mexico but will rely mostly on gas shipped from the Permian Basin and other regions in the U.S., including from facilities currently under scrutiny by federal officials. (Canary Media)

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EMISSIONS:

• A Georgia industrial authority awards $130 million for expansion of paper mill facilities that are one of the region’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and the source of the area’s infamous sulfur smell. (Savannah Morning News)
• The Tennessee Valley Authority and university researchers release a study that quantifies carbon emissions by economic sector and evaluates strategies to reach net zero in parts of seven Southeast states. (news release)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Kentucky lawmakers advance a Republican-backed budget with a provision blocking state agencies from buying electric vehicles, even as Toyota and Ford invest billions in the state for EV production. (Kentucky Lantern)
• Mississippi currently ranks last in the U.S. for electric vehicle charging stations per capita, but is moving to add new chargers that will be in service by 2026 or 2027. (Mississippi Today)

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GRID: A Texas Congress member carries legislation to require the state’s standalone power grid to connect with the nation’s major grids. (KEYE)

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GRID: The rise of electric vehicles could threaten power grid reliability without better collaboration between utilities and charging station companies, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. warns. (Utility Dive)

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ALSO:

• The grid watchdog and federal energy regulators partner to evaluate the power sector’s performance during January’s nearly-nationwide cold snap. (Utility Dive)
• Congress members introduce legislation to require Texas’ standalone power grid to connect with the nation’s major grids. (The Hill)
• State utility regulators call on MISO and PJM to improve joint long-term interregional transmission planning to ensure reliability amid rising demand and more renewables. (Utility Dive)

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CLEAN ENERGY: More than half of the investments directly tied to incentives from two major federal infrastructure laws are flowing to Republican-led states, while the rest is split among Democratic and swing states, an analysis finds. (CNN)

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OIL & GAS:

• A growing number of U.S. gas utilities offer voluntary fee-based programs to customers to offset their emissions, which critics call a greenwashing attempt that avoids electrification and efficiency. (E&E News)
• The Biden administration grapples with holding a congressionally mandated oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge without alienating climate-oriented voters. (Politico)
• At least six liquified natural gas projects are underway in Mexico but will rely mostly on U.S. gas shipped from the Permian Basin and other regions. (Canary Media)
• A newly finalized U.S. EPA rule should help reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations but won’t address smaller, midstream emissions impacting those living in Pennsylvania’s fracking region. (Yale Environment 360)

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OVERSIGHT: President Biden’s allies are anxious for the administration to finalize long-awaited environmental and emissions rules as this year’s election approaches. (E&E News)

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TRANSPORTATION: Environmental justice advocates call for a moratorium on expanding highways, saying they disproportionately affect nearby communities of color through displacement and pollution. (Washington Post)

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WIND: Virginia lawmakers delay until 2025 consideration of a bill to allow entities other than Dominion Energy to build offshore wind facilities, rewarding the utility’s intense lobbying against the bill and disappointing clean energy advocates. (Energy News Network)

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PIPELINES: A lawyer for six landowners along the Mountain Valley Pipeline says they’ll appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after a judge dismisses their suit challenging the pipeline’s use of eminent domain to build on their property. (Cardinal News)

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HYDROGEN: California’s transportation department plans to spend $127 million to purchase six hydrogen-powered passenger trains. (Bloomberg)

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OIL & GAS:

• New Mexico lawmakers strip down and then table legislation that would have allocated $500 million to create a market aimed at recycling oil and gas wastewater. (Source NM)
• The Biden administration grapples with holding a congressional mandated oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge without alienating climate-oriented voters. (Politico)
• A Colorado city considers banning oil and gas development in residential zones and increasing drilling setbacks from schools, hospitals and other “high risk” areas. (Reporter-Herald)
• A California city moves toward banning oil and gas development in some neighborhoods and within 3,200 feet of at-risk residents. (Mercury News)  
• A report reveals Alaska’s highest paid public employee is the head of a state corporation looking to develop a natural gas pipeline project. (Alaska Beacon)

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POLITICS: New Mexico’s oil and gas industry shifts some of its political donations away from Republicans to Democrats, who hold most of the state’s elected offices. (Capital & Main)

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PUBLIC LANDS: The federal Bureau of Land Management proposes withdrawing 4,213 acres in New Mexico from new oil and gas leasing and mining claims in an effort to protect sacred tribal land. (news release)

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CARBON CAPTURE: A California oil and gas company that has reduced emissions by electrifying equipment now looks to make its operations “carbon negative” by capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide. (Forbes)

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UTILITIES:

• Portland General Electric says it has spent more than $30 million so far to repair damage wrought by a January ice and wind storm. (Oregonian, subscription)
• An Idaho municipal utility plans to construct a $36 million natural gas peaker plant to offset diminished hydropower generation. (news release)

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SOLAR:

• Developers bring a 240 MW solar installation online in Utah. (Solar Builder)
• A New Mexico electric cooperative agrees to purchase power from a proposed 11 MW solar-plus-storage installation on ranchland in the northern part of the state. (news release)

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GEOTHERMAL: New Mexico lawmakers pass legislation creating a geothermal energy research and development grant fund. (NM Political Report)

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MICROGRIDS: San Diego Gas & Electric unveils four new battery-powered microgrids in southern California communities aimed at increasing grid resilience. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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MINING: An Australia firm plans to invest $2.16 billion in its proposed zinc and manganese mine in southern Arizona. (KVOA)

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TRANSPORTATION: Denver’s climate action office experiments with paying residents to ride their bikes instead of driving cars. (Denverite)

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COMMENTARY: A Colorado advocate calls on state leaders to improve residents’ quality of life by redirecting transportation spending from highways to public transit and bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure. (Colorado Sun)

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OFFSHORE WIND: Eversource Energy says it will sell its stake in the South Fork and Revolution wind projects to Global Infrastructure Partners for $1.1 billion as it posts a fourth-quarter loss. (Reuters)

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ALSO: A nonprofit business program selects nine Maryland companies aiming to enter or expand in the domestic offshore wind industry for free consulting and project development services. (news release)

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TRANSIT: Boston’s city council may consider a traffic congestion pricing plan similar to that of New York City to improve air quality and support public transit use. (Boston Herald)

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FOSSIL FUELS:

• Shell’s CEO says that the ethane cracker plant it built in Pennsylvania’s Beaver County cost about $14 billion to develop — almost 130% more than earlier estimates provided by the company. (Beaver County Times)
• Eversource joins National Grid in striking a deal with Constellation to purchase liquefied natural gas from the Everett Marine Terminal and keep the facility open for six more years. (RTO Insider, subscription)

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GRID:

• Around 42,000 Pennsylvanians are reportedly still dealing with outages this morning, some of whom utility PPL say won’t have power restored until Thursday, following a winter storm that dumped snow on the region. (PowerOutage.US, Penn Live Patriot-News, Newsday, NBC News)
• New England’s grid operator wants to move away from committing to energy resources three years in advance and toward a new model that it says reflects available resources and demand more accurately. (Utility Dive)
• Maryland ratepayer advocates criticize proposed PJM Interconnection grid upgrades to benefit northern Virginia’s data centers that are slated to cost Maryland ratepayers $500 million. (Frederick News-Post)

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BUILDINGS:

• New elevated developments in East Boston help test if the city is able to adequately fortify its flood-prone neighborhoods from rising sea levels. (Boston Globe)
• Maryland plans to fund $355 million worth of energy efficiency retrofits and upgrades at around 60,000 households over the next three years. (Fox Baltimore)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Vermont Electric Cooperative begins tracking how many electric vehicles are plugged in to charge overnight and manages their charging times to prevent grid overload but still fulfill demand. (WCAX)

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SOLAR: A central Maine town’s board sends solar-related zoning recommendations to its city council centered around wetlands protection and when it’s appropriate to rezone land for solar. (Morning Sentinel)

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NUCLEAR: The chair of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission tours the Oswego, New York, nuclear plant and says nuclear power is critical for the state to reach its clean power goals. (Spectrum News 1)

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CLIMATE: The future of some traditional New England sports like pond hockey are threatened by the milder winters and thinner ice coverage associated with climate change. (Associated Press)

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SOLAR: A company encourages Black farmers in the Southeast to lease some of their property for solar projects to add a new source of income. (Civil Eats)

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ALSO:

• Solar manufacturer Qcells’ new recycling deal will allow reclamation of more than 95% of a solar module’s value as the company builds a Georgia factory to produce 3.3 GW of panels annually, in addition to an existing 5.1 GW plant. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Florida lawmakers consider a bill backed by Florida Power & Light to allow utilities that build solar, especially in rural areas, to avoid paying some taxes. (Miami Herald)

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OIL & GAS:

• Production in the Permian Basin surges as companies ramp up operations in response to rising oil prices. (Axios)
• The $26 billion Diamondback-Endeavor merger underscores recent consolidation in the Permian Basin’s oil and gas industry, as just 10 companies will now control the equivalent of more than 6.4 million barrels of oil per day. (Financial Times)
• Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announces a $100 million bond allocation for Chevron to expand a renewable diesel plant. (news release)

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PIPELINES:

• A federal appeals court again rejects landowners’ challenge to the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s use of eminent domain. (Reuters)
• An investigation shows how a playbook developed by TransCanada against protestors in the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline has been weaponized against activists trying to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline. (Grist)

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RENEWABLE GAS: Florida lawmakers consider legislation to allow utilities to charge customers for “renewable gas” projects, but clean energy advocates warn the move could keep the state tied to gas combustion and fossil fuels. (WLRN)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blames electric vehicles for a 20% year-over-year increase in the cost of auto insurance. (Florida Politics)

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NUCLEAR: Virginia lawmakers advance legislation to allow Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to recover costs from developing small modular nuclear reactors. (Virginia Mercury)

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CLEAN ENERGY: A Texas county board votes to approve agreements that clear the way for an energy company to build a hydrogen plant, solar farm and wind farm totalling 1,500 MW. (KVII)

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GRID:

• Residents of Lubbock, Texas, are overwhelmed with the choice of more than 30 power providers after the city shifts from exclusive service by its municipal utility to the state’s deregulated energy market. (Texas Tribune)
• North Carolina approves a deal to award Siemens Energy nearly $10 million if it meets hiring and investment goals in a new expansion to make large transformers for the power grid. (Raleigh News & Observer, WBTV)

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EMISSIONS: A Texas oil and gas company will pay $4 million for air pollution violations due to improper storage at 23 facilities in Texas and New Mexico. (USA Today)

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CLIMATE: New research from Virginia Tech and a federal agency shows much of the East Coast is sinking due to groundwater depletion, compounding the concurrent problem of rising sea levels. (New York Times)

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COMMENTARY: Time is running out for Georgia lawmakers to push Georgia Power to store its coal ash more responsibly and to take action against a mining threat to the Okefenokee Swamp, writes a publisher. (Georgia Recorder)

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RENEWABLES: Corporate climate commitments along with federal incentives are helping get clean energy projects off the ground, panelists say at a Cleveland event. (Energy News Network)

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ALSO:

• Madison, Wisconsin, school board officials say updating district buildings to meet a 100% renewable energy target by 2040 would focus on electric heating and cost roughly $1 billion. (State Journal)
• Two central Minnesota counties approve one-year moratoriums on renewable energy projects as plans for a high-voltage transmission line spur interest in wind and solar. (Inforum)

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PIPELINES:

• The FBI began tracking Native American opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline as early as 2012 as part of a sweeping law enforcement strategy to counter civil disobedience aimed at fossil fuels. (Grist)
• A federal trial begins this week in North Dakota to determine whether the U.S. government will reimburse the state for emergency response costs related to Dakota Access pipeline protests. (KNOX)
• Tribal leaders appear at a federal courthouse in Chicago to challenge Enbridge’s attempts to keep Line 5 operating and build a tunnel under the Great Lakes. (WBEZ)

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GRID: Iowa Republicans for the second time advance a bill to give incumbent utilities first rights to build transmission lines, criticizing a state Supreme Court ruling that blocked lawmakers’ previous attempt. (Des Moines Register)

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UTILITIES: Michigan regulators issue several new orders to establish a framework for utilities to comply with new energy laws that include higher clean energy targets and energy storage requirements. (MLive)

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OHIO:

• Two former FirstEnergy executives and the state’s former top utility regulator plead not guilty to charges filed this week for their alleged roles in a $60 million bribery scheme that resulted in favorable legislation for the company. (Associated Press)
• This week’s indictments accuse the former regulator, Sam Randazzo, of illegally skimming millions of dollars from settlements that utilities paid to companies he represented. (Cleveland.com, subscription)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: An oil and gas lobbying group aims to engage voters by taking out an ad during the Super Bowl in key swing states accusing the Biden administration of forcing people into buying electric vehicles. (Detroit News)

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EFFICIENCY: Michigan regulators approve a settlement agreement that will require Consumers Energy to increase energy efficiency investments in communities most affected by high energy burdens. (Michigan Advance)

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SOLAR:

• A Wisconsin Republican lawmaker says the state will likely pass community solar legislation at some point but concedes it’s unlikely to be this session. (WisBusiness)
• A northeastern Ohio township holds an informational meeting on the benefits and drawbacks of solar as surrounding townships ban projects. (WKBN)

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AIR POLLUTION: A Detroit neighborhood will install six air quality monitors to provide data that residents hope will force city leaders to take action. (WDIV)

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CLIMATE: Teenage climate activists call on Wisconsin’s attorney general to sue fossil fuel companies for their role in contributing to climate change. (WKOW)

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STORAGE: Nearly a quarter of the world’s battery storage systems have defects related to fire detection and suppression, an advisory firm estimates. (Utility Dive)

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OFFSHORE WIND:

• The U.S. Energy Department partners with two states and research institutes to establish an academic center to train offshore wind workers and study how to best expand the industry. (Inside Climate News)
• The Biden administration finalizes two areas for floating offshore wind facilities off southern Oregon’s coast. (Associated Press)
• A Biden administration push to develop offshore wind along California’s coast collides with another administration effort to protect the region’s waters with marine sanctuaries. (Bloomberg)
• Eversource Energy says it will sell its stake in the Northeast’s South Fork and Revolution wind projects to Global Infrastructure Partners for $1.1 billion as it posts a fourth-quarter loss. (Reuters)

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OIL & GAS:

• A $26 billion merger underscores recent consolidation in the Permian Basin’s oil and gas industry. (Financial Times)
• Florida lawmakers consider legislation to allow utilities to charge customers for “renewable gas” projects, but clean energy advocates warn the move could keep the state tied to gas combustion and fossil fuels. (Miami Herald)

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PIPELINES: The FBI began tracking Native American opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline as early as 2012 as part of a sweeping law enforcement strategy to counter civil disobedience aimed at fossil fuels. (Grist)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Consultants trace Republican opposition to electric vehicles back to the early 2010s, when the federal government first offered EV companies loans to get off the ground. (E&E News)

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CLIMATE:

• Google and the Environmental Defense Fund partner to track methane emissions via satellite. (Canary Media)
• A peer-reviewed study finds most polar bears are unlikely to be able to adapt to climate change-affected diets, driving them to starvation. (Associated Press)

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SOLAR: A company encourages Black farmers in the Southeast to lease some of their property for solar projects to add a new source of income. (Civil Eats)

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CLEAN ENERGY:

• Wyoming advocates worry state spending on unproven technologies aimed at prolonging the life of the coal industry will pull investments from clean energy. (Inside Climate News)
• Corporate climate commitments along with federal incentives are helping get clean energy projects off the ground, panelists say at a Cleveland event. (Energy News Network)

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GEOTHERMAL: The Biden administration awards $60 million to three enhanced geothermal energy pilot projects in California, Utah and Oregon. (The Hill)

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