FIRST LOOK:

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute will host a briefing on how Energy Efficiency Means Business TOMORROW at 12:00 noon.

Utilities Plan To Collaborate On EV Charging Network: Six major U.S. electricity utilities will collaborate to build a massive EV charging network across 16 states, they announced Tuesday. Transportation is the country's largest source of greenhouse gas pollution, and electrifying the sector is a major opportunity to reduce those emissions through increased efficiency and renewable-generated electricity. Utilities stand to benefit from massively-increased electricity demand driven by widespread EV adoption, but range anxiety — the fear of running out of battery power without being able to reach a convenient charging station — is a barrier to many customers who might purchase (or consider purchasing) an EV. The newly-formed Electric Highway Coalition — made up of American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority — is seeking to ameliorate those concerns by creating a network of charging stations from Texas to Indiana to Virginia to Florida. The announcement follows a similar initiative by major midwest utilities last year. (E&E $, Utility Dive, Earther)

'Outraged' Katie Porter Focuses On Oil And Gas Leasing: The former bankruptcy law professor, famous for securing free COVID-19 testing for every American and educating Cabinet secretaries and other high-ranking government officials about basic elements of their jobs, will bring her talents — and her whiteboard — to the House Natural Resources Oversight Committee. California Rep. Katie Porter, Reuters reports, plans to use her new committee assignment to focus on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, the royalty rates for which haven't changed in more than 100 years. Porter has introduced legislation to increase onshore royalty rates from 12% to 18.75% and minimum bids in lease auctions from $2 to $5. “I confess when I first heard the term ‘oil and gas royalty rates’ I didn’t immediately feel a deep emotional sort of reaction to fighting the issue," Porter told Reuters. "But as I began to understand what’s really at stake, which is oil and gas companies taking our public resources at pennies on the dollar, I began to feel outraged.” (Reuters)

ERCOT CEO Fired — Unlike Gas In Texas Power Plants Last Month: ERCOT, the nonprofit that operates and manages the Texas electrical grid fired CEO Bill Magness Wednesday night. His ouster comes amid the search for accountability, and blame, following the state's massive grid failure that left over 4 million without power and led to a still unknown number of deaths in the wake of extreme cold throughout the region. Magness's firing, which will take effect in 60 days, follows the resignation of DeAnn Walker, the former chairwoman of the state public utility commission. Magness has defended ERCOT's handling of the crisis — caused by multiple factors including a massive failure of the gas extraction and distribution system and the state's failure to address shortcomings revealed by a major winter storm a decade ago — which he said could have been worse. (Texas Tribune, New York Times $, E&E $, Houston Chronicle, CNN, AP, Austin-American Statesman, Dallas Morning News; Search for accountability: ABC; Climate Signals background: February 2021 polar vortex breakdown and central US winter storms)

(ENVIRONMENTAL) RACISM: The Jackson water crisis: decades of disrepair, disinvestment frustrate efforts to restore service in Mississippi (NewsOne), Mississippi is lifting COVID restrictions while thousands of residents can’t even wash their hands (Grist), Mississippi water crisis exposes infrastructure inequity (E&E $)

CORONAVIRUS & EMISSIONS: Scientists warn of rebound after record 7% fall in global emissions (Reuters, E&E $), equivalent of COVID emissions drop needed every two years - study (The Guardian), the world finally started cutting climate pollution. Now it needs to multiply that by 10. (HuffPost)

CLIMATE LITIGATION: [State] environmental rights push could boost youth climate cases (E&E $), Chicago weighs climate challenge against Big Oil (E&E $)

WHAT'S IN A LABEL: ‘Climate Neutral’ products are now a thing. What’s behind the label? (Grist)

TEXAS BLACKOUTS: Some went without power for days in Houston's winter storm; others never lost it. Why? (Houston Chronicle), why renewable energy was not to blame for the Texas blackouts (Yale Climate Connections)

AGENCIES: Interior Department reverses Trump policy that it says improperly restricted science (The Hill, E&E $)

DOE: Granholm calls for Texas grid to weatherize, connect to other grids (The Hill), US Energy Secretary readies $40 billion in loans to boost clean energy (Reuters, E&E $), Granholm: DOE's big clean energy spending to come with strings attached (Politico Pro $)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Climate change emerges as a compliance focus for SEC (Wall Street Journal $), GAO: climate is a major risk [to federal government], but Washington has done little (E&E $)

THE HILL: [House and Senate committees] question GAO on climate risk, chemical pollution (E&E $), illegal deforestation is ravaging the planet and driving emissions up. A new bill in Congress seeks to change that. (CBS)

CLEAN FUTURE ACT: Things to watch in Democrats' big climate bill (E&E $), House Democrats introduce bill with pathway to 100% clean energy by 2035 (Utility Dive), House Democrats' opening statement on climate (Axios), climate bill's recycling provisions draw cheers, criticism (E&E $), House Energy and Commerce leaders unveil sweeping climate change legislation (Politico)

HOUSE: U.S. House Oversight Committee investigating operator of Texas’ power grid (Texas Tribune, E&E $), DeFazio announcing earmark process for surface bill (Politico Pro $)

SENATE: Senate Democrats launch new push to avoid utility shutoffs (Politico Pro $), Senate Democrats won't tear up reconciliation rules (E&E $)

POLITICS: Biden sparks clean energy lobbying frenzy (E&E $), Republicans plan [Oklahoma] retreat to bash Biden energy agenda (E&E $)

NOMINEES & CONFIRMATIONS: Biden EPA nominee [Janet McCabe] takes heat for role in Obama Clean Power Plan (Washington Examiner, The Hill), Biden's SEC [Gary Gensler] pick vows to advance climate disclosures (E&E $), [Senate EPW] grills Biden CEQ, EPA picks on climate (E&E $, Politico Pro $), Susan Collins to back Haaland's Interior nomination (The Hill, HuffPost, Politico Pro $), Northern Arapaho tribal council alarmed at Sen. Barrasso's comments at Interior confirmation (Wyoming Public Media)

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY: US-China tensions threaten global climate change efforts (AP), GOP senators press Biden to widen Nord Stream 2 sanctions targets (Politico Pro $)

TRANSITION, PERSONNEL: A look at Biden's expanding climate team (Axios), Biden taps economists, climate experts for key posts (E&E $), Granholm: Jigar Shah to lead loan office (Politico Pro $)

CITIES AND STATES: California city believed 1st in US to ban new gas stations (AP, San Francisco Chronicle), Georgia lawmakers consider some coal ash rules, while advocates push for more (WABE), banning natural gas would cut emissions. But lawmakers don't want that happening in Indiana. (Indianapolis Star)

FERC: FERC ready to take action on Texas power crisis (Politico Pro $), FERC approves first-of-a-kind wave project (E&E $)

IMPACTS: Flooding is a growing problem. A rural Mississippi town is fighting back. (Yale Climate Connections), historic drought deepens in the West as window for rain, snow closes (Washington Post $)

HURRICANES: New climate ‘normal’ for Atlantic hurricanes shows more frequent and intense storms (Washington Post $)

WATER: Humans have completely transformed how water is stored on earth (Earther)

JUST TRANSITION: Carbon county, Wyoming, knows which way the wind is blowing (New York Times $), as coal dies, the US has no plan to help the communities left behind (Grist)

RENEWABLES: Wave power could be the next big thing in renewable energy (Bloomberg $)

BATTERIES: US saw huge boom in new battery storage at end of 2020 (Axios)

OIL & GAS: Big Oil’s new slate of desperate buzzwords are greenwashing at its worst (Earther), Big Oil faces off against clean-energy giants (Wall Street Journal $), how the oil market bounced back from a year of crisis (Wall Street Journal $), OPEC production plunges as Saudis deliver extra oil cutbacks (Bloomberg $)

EXXON: Exxon Mobil’s chief says it is ‘supportive’ of zero-emission goals (New York Times $, Wall Street Journal $, Houston Chronicle, E&E $), Exxon calls for carbon storage on federal and state lands (Politico Pro $), investor coalition pushes Exxon to do more after board refresh (Reuters)

PLASTICS: Pennsylvania hauled to court over blocking plastic bag bans (AP)

PIPELINES: Pennsylvania pipeline reopens more than 2 years after it exploded (E&E $), pipeline firm outlines eminent domain case at Supreme Court (E&E $), value of existing energy pipelines grows as ESG targets block new projects (Reuters)

COAL: Blackjewel’s bankruptcy filing is a harbinger of trouble ahead for the plummeting coal industry (InsideClimate News)

HYDROGEN: A recipe to turn renewable hydrogen into reality (Energy Monitor), energy firms bet on hydrogen boom, but payday far away (Reuters)

CERAWEEK: Houston’s big oil conference goes green as energy transition accelerates (Wall Street Journal $), John Kerry warns Big Oil. Big Oil pushes back (E&E $), global uniform rules needed on climate risk reporting - Credit Suisse CEO (Reuters), oil executives at CERAWeek eye important role for natural gas (Houston Chronicle)

LAND CONSERVATION: 70 bipartisan mayors commit to conserving 30% of American lands by 2030 (CBS)

AGRICULTURE: 'Disgraceful': lawmakers, advocates rip meatpackers (E&E $)

BITCOIN: A Chinese province could ban bitcoin mining to cut down energy use (Earther)

BUSINESS: FedEx will electrify its fleet, pledges carbon neutrality by 2040 (Politico Pro $, Wall Street Journal $, Axios, CNBC)

CARBON PRICING: How the oil lobby learned to love carbon taxes (Bloomberg $, E&E $)

INFRASTRUCTURE: US Chamber leads NEPA reform push (E&E $)

INTERNATIONAL: Activists sue big French retailer over Amazon forest damage (AP), Bank of England given green remit to aid net zero carbon goal (The Guardian), Canada embraces nuclear energy expansion to lower carbon emissions (Wall Street Journal $), China expected to favour green tech over coal in new five-year plan (Thomson Reuters Foundation), EU countries approve green transition fund, look to challenges ahead (Reuters), French climate bill set for rocky ride after citizens’ assembly slams weak ambition (Climate Home), Germany seeks to improve oversight of firms’ delivery chains (AP), Italy's Enel to sell green power to Kellogg in virtual wind farm deal (Reuters)

INDIA: India's Kerala turns homes into 'mini-solar power stations' (Thomson Reuters Foundation), IEA head: India’s coal exit cannot happen without financial support (OilPrice)

🤔 : Total studying all-electric LNG plant in Oman (Reuters)

• How farmers could fight climate change (and make a profit) (Bloomberg, Editorial Board $)
• Conservatives should create their own Green New Deal (Houston Chronicle, Justin Louis Pitcock op-ed)
• ICE reached a new low: using utility bills to hunt undocumented immigrants (The Guardian, Moustafa Bayoumi op-ed)
• The climate crisis can't be solved by carbon accounting tricks (The Guardian, Simon Lewis op-ed)
• Deregulation a jackpot, and Texans fund it (San Antonio Express-News, Andrew E. Dessler commentary)
• Global oil companies have committed to 'net zero' emissions. It's a sham (The Guardian, Tzeporah Berman and Nathan Taft op-ed)
• A Farewell to Ithaca College after 18 years (The Ithacan, Sandra Steingraber op-ed)
• Making the concrete and steel we need doesn’t have to bake the planet (New York Times, Rebecca Dell op-ed $)

Support, Or Sabotage? Potential New OECD Head Claims To Support Climate Action, But Has Spent 10 Years Fighting Against It

As has become clear thanks to great reporting, the dirty energy industry is fighting dirty to stop climate action and weaken it where it can’t stop it, all while claiming that it’s Very Concerned about climate change. For example, yesterday (after the bulk of this roundup was already drafted), ExxonMobil graciously embraced federal carbon sequestration — essentially asking for public lands to be made available to dispose of its carbon trash. 

It’s also happening on the individual level, as exemplified by Mathias Cormann. Currently a top-two contender to lead the Paris-headquartered Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (yes, that's what OECD stands for), Cormann is a former Australian Finance Minister who travelled the world last year (along with a doctor because pandemic-be-damned, this man wants a better job!) to lobby for the powerful position, in part by paying lip service to OECD’s role in reducing emissions. 

For those unfamiliar with Cormann, that may sound all well and good. But as you might have guessed, it turns out Cormann’s not exactly a climate champ. In fact, it looks more like he’s a climate denier. Cormann voted to repeal Australia’s carbon price in 2014 and, as a senior minister in the Abbott government, tried to dismantle Australia’s Renewable Energy Agency and Clean Energy Finance Corporation. 

As leader of the Australian Green Party Adam Brandt wrote in a letter to ambassadors to oppose Cormann’s nomination, “as finance minister, [Cormann] tried to abolish the very same green finance bodies he will no doubt be promoting as evidence of his green credentials for the job.” 

More recently, in case you’ve wondered if perhaps he’s changed his tune, he was integral to the ouster of former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, largely over a modest clean energy policy. The ascendency of Scott Morrison to Prime Minister then enabled Cormann to use his finance minister position to become a champion of Australia’s “gas-led recovery” from the coronavirus pandemic. 

At no point, it appears, has Cormann done anything but sabotage climate action. So why the sudden change of heart? Or change of tune, at least? 

Maybe it has something to do with outgoing OECD chief Ángel Gurría saying we need to “put a big fat price on carbon.” Also, the other top contender for the job is Cecilia Malmström, who would be the first woman to serve as OECD Secretary-General and (more to the point here) whose platform includes a green pandemic recovery that’s sure to appeal to key constituents, like the Biden Administration.  

With that context, it makes more sense to see that Cormann is “trying to airbrush his climate record,” as a Guardian headline recently put it.

It would be great to live in a world where career pollution apologists like Cormann are persuaded by facts and logic and compelling storytelling to see the errors of their ways and embrace the clean energy transition needed to stave off the climate crisis. 

But we’ve seen over and over, in the real world, the dirty energy apparatus only wants a seat at the table of climate policy so that it can cut the legs out from under it. It's a sign of progress that Cormann appears to think calling for climate action is the politically beneficial strategy, but the stakes are just too high to naively and gullibly assume that an actor with a sustained history of blocking climate action is now, finally, after years of denial, actually totally on board with pursuing climate policies that would effectively reduce emissions. 

Because whomst amongst us hasn’t airbrushed our credentials a little to try and land a sweet new gig influencing global finances and schmoozing world leaders in Paris?

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