A promising climate tool is emerging from the pandemic: telework

EMISSIONS: The use of telework is likely to outlive the coronavirus pandemic and could have a profound impact on emissions, some experts say. (E&E News)

UTILITIES:
• Documents show Duke Energy funneled half a million dollars through a tax-exempt political group before the North Carolina primary, and a state law allows it to hide which candidates benefited. (Energy News Network)
• Utilities are more sheltered from pandemic disruptions than most industries, but they are not immune from business impacts, analysts say. (Greentech Media)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
• A new Chicago ordinance requires new commercial and residential structures of certain sizes to ensure at least 20% of supplied parking spaces are ready for EV charging. (Utility Dive)
• Ford and Rivian cancel plans to build a Lincoln-branded electric vehicle due to uncertainty caused by the pandemic. (Chicago Tribune)
• Harley Davidson says it remains committed to developing electric motorcycle models. (Greentech Media)

OIL & GAS:
• The oil industry begins to grumble over President Trump’s pandemic response, with one anonymous official saying the administration ​“is basically standing on the sidelines coming up with ideas that won’t help us.” (Politico)
• Several expansion projects at Corpus Christi are delayed or rushed because of the oil market crash, threatening jobs and investments. (New York Times)
• A judge has temporarily blocked Alaska Native oil and gas companies from accessing $8 billion in COVID-19 relief funds meant for tribal governments. (BuzzFeed News)
• Texas energy regulators will vote next week on a proposal to reduce the state’s oil output after delaying it over concerns of legal challenges. (Reuters)

PIPELINES:
• A House Oversight committee probe finds FERC consistently sides with gas pipeline companies over property owners in eminent domain disputes. (The Hill)
• Several major pipelines, including the Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley and Permian Highway, could be at risk of delays after a judge ruled the Army Corps of Engineers inappropriately used a permit program. (Reuters)

FOSSIL FUELS: Montana youths file a lawsuit to stop the state from promoting the use of fossil fuels. (InsideClimate News)

COAL ASH: A landmark Clean Water Act ruling by the Supreme Court may have avoided creating a major loophole for coal ash ponds, which could cause debates between industry and environmental groups. (E&E News)

POLLUTION: California regulators say the decline in fossil fuel use during the coronavirus pandemic presents a unique opportunity to study the impacts of air pollution. (Bloomberg Law)

SOLAR: Analysts expect large-scale solar projects — 100 MW or bigger — to increase in the next few years due to corporate demand and declining costs. (PV Magazine)

WIND: Growing interest in microgrids could be reviving the market for distributed wind energy. (Greentech Media)

TRANSMISSION: Lawyers debate the validity of signatures for a proposed ballot referendum on the Clean Energy Connect transmission line, in Maine’s first online Supreme Court hearing. (Associated Press)

TRANSPORTATION: Advocates urge New Jersey to drop a $24 billion road expansion plan, saying that encouraging more driving does not align with the state’s climate ambitions. (NJ Spotlight)

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OVERSIGHT: The chairperson of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission discusses virtual utility oversight during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Energy News Network)

COMMENTARY:
• A new Michael Moore-produced film that claims renewables are bad for the environment is ​“a nihilistic take, riddled with errors about clean energy and climate activism,” Leah Stokes writes. (Vox)
• It’s going to be a rough year for electric vehicles, but advocates shouldn’t lose hope because trends are still in their favor, an analyst writes. (GreenBiz)