And then there were 5: New FERC commissioners approved

OVERSIGHT: The Senate confirms two nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, bringing the commission back to a full five members. (The Hill)

ALSO: The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio begins the process of replacing former Chairman Sam Randazzo after he abruptly resigned last month following an FBI search of his home. (Cleveland.com)

TRANSPORTATION:
• President-elect Biden has multiple options, and car industry support, for reversing the Trump administration’s rollback of car emissions rules. (E&E News)
• One of Biden’s key economic advisers has said that gasoline prices fail to account for the harm caused by emissions. (E&E News, subscription)
• GM scales back a planned partnership with Nikola that includes scrapping plans to manufacture the EV startup’s battery powered pickup truck. (Bloomberg)
• Massachusetts’ energy secretary says the state is fully committed to a regional program to cut vehicle emissions, countering more cautious comments recently made by Gov. Charlie Baker. (CommonWealth Magazine)

CLIMATE: A new report says gender equity on energy company corporate boards correlates with better climate oversight and innovation. (Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

UTILITIES: A public advocacy group’s report says ComEd has dragged its feet on offering tools or programs to help Illinois customers unlock savings from smart meters. (Energy News Network)

CLEAN ENERGY: An Ohio bill would halt most large-scale solar and wind energy development for up to three years, which critics say reflects a continued hostility toward renewable energy among some state lawmakers. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR: The rapid growth of Virginia’s solar industry, coupled with its substantial need for open space, presents land-use challenges for local governments across the state. (Virginia Mercury)

WIND: Federal regulators reviewing the Vineyard Wind offshore wind proposed off Massachusetts say they need another month and will render a decision in mid-January. (WBUR)

OIL & GAS: Bank of America says it will not finance Arctic oil and gas exploration projects, making it the sixth and final major U.S. bank to do so. (Bloomberg)

PIPELINES: A Minnesota agency approves the final permit needed for Enbridge to start construction on the Line 3 replacement and expansion in northern Minnesota. (Star Tribune)

ELECTRIFICATION: San Jose, California, is expected to vote today on banning natural gas in new commercial and high-rise residential buildings starting August 2021. (Mercury News)

COMMENTARY:
• An economics writer notes that China has developed 80 times more transmission capacity in the past decade than the U.S. (Bloomberg Businessweek)
• Former California Gov. Jerry Brown says the U.S. must cooperate with China on climate change. (Los Angeles Times)