SEC pauses climate disclosure rule rollout

CLIMATE: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pauses implementation of its rule requiring companies to disclose their climate-related risks, though it’ll keep defending the regulation from legal challenges. (The Hill)

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ALSO:

• More than 80% of global carbon emissions released since the 2016 Paris Agreement stemmed from just 57 oil, gas, coal and cement producers, a study finds. (Guardian)
• Connecticut lawmakers consider a 20-part climate omnibus bill that would declare a climate crisis, update emission targets and incentivize sustainable or energy-efficient practices. (Connecticut Public Radio)

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SOLAR:

• Monday’s eclipse will be a test run for how grid operators prepare for other solar-blocking events like wildfires and lengthy storms as more solar power comes online. (E&E News)
• The Biden administration awards $19 million to projects in California, Oregon and Utah to help install solar panels over irrigation canals. (Courthouse News)

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EFFICIENCY:

• The U.S. Energy Department gives manufacturers another two years to comply with new efficiency rules for distribution transformers, leaving environmental advocates frustrated. (Utility Dive)
• Widely available incentives make heat pumps a more affordable heating system than most fossil fuels, though actual savings vary widely depending on what heating systems customers used before. (Canary Media)

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OIL & GAS:

• The Biden administration cancels two planned oil purchases it would’ve used to replenish the nation’s petroleum reserves. (The Hill)
• A climate group finds plugging and cleaning up wells in a single Wyoming oil and gas field could cost up to $900 million, or about 30 times more than proposed federal reclamation bond increases would generate. (E&E news, subscription, news release)

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COAL: The U.S. Interior Department moves to reverse a Trump administration policy, making it easier for coal communities to bring environmental claims about mining companies to the federal government. (E&E News)

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WIND: Texas’ wind energy industry is having to develop its own workforce recruitment and training programs as political backing for wind wanes and state lawmakers focus instead on propping up the oil and gas industry. (Texas Tribune)

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GEOTHERMAL: Minnesota lawmakers introduce legislation to support the development of networked geothermal systems, a technology that is already taking off in the state to reduce buildings’ emissions. (Energy News Network)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A Minnesota logistics company is piloting a program to determine whether electric semi-trucks can be a viable alternative to diesel-powered trucks. (WCCO)

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NUCLEAR: The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission doesn’t adequately account for climate risks in its reactor licensing and oversight processes, a government watchdog finds. (Utility Dive)

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COMMENTARY: Legal and energy scholars write that the biggest threat to U.S. grid reliability is not a growing portfolio of renewable energy, but rather an outdated and parochial oversight system. (Utility Dive)

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