Climate scientists say it’s time for action, not despair

CLIMATE: Climate scientists say they’re disappointed in gloom-and-doom news coverage of Monday’s IPCC report, noting that progress continues to be made and urging leaders to focus on solutions. (E&E News)

OIL & GAS:
• A new report finds the oil and gas industry ​“is using a more sophisticated playbook to undermine climate action,” serving up millions of ads on social media at key political moments. (CNN Business)
• Alberta officials say the Biden administration’s push for OPEC to increase production ​“smacks of hypocrisy” after the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. (Financial Post)
• Wyoming’s drilling activity on public lands has tripled during the Interior Department’s oil and gas leasing pause. (WyoFile)
• New York utility regulators approved a rate increase on nearly 2 million National Grid customers in order to fund what some call the North Brooklyn Pipeline, which local activists and politicians have condemned. (Vice)

HYDROGEN: Researchers say that even if carbon is captured, so-called ​“blue hydrogen,” set to receive a massive influx of funding under the federal infrastructure bill, is likely worse for the climate than just burning the natural gas used to produce it. (New York Times)

POLITICS: Duke Energy has spent at least $1.2 million over the last year and a half as it promotes contentious North Carolina energy legislation that critics say will hamper utility oversight, harm ratepayers and slow the clean energy transition. (Energy News Network)

GRID: Outgoing FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee says he regrets that the issue of grid resilience has become politicized, acknowledging that his own past comments have fueled the fire. (Utility Dive)

UTILITIES: Illinois regulators vote to open an investigation to determine whether ComEd improperly recovered costs from ratepayers as part of a bribery scandal involving favors from lawmakers. (Chicago Tribune)

OHIO: State Attorney General Dave Yost takes steps to freeze the assets of former utility regulator Sam Randazzo, a key figure in the ongoing bribery scandal involving favorable policies for FirstEnergy. (WKYC, Energy News Network archive)

SOLAR:
• Facebook plans to power a new, $800 million data center in Mesa, Arizona, using 450 MW of capacity from three new solar installations. (Arizona Republic)
• Florida regulators expect the installation of more than 13,000 MW of solar power over the next decade as state policies encourage larger-scale development and utilities pursue aggressive expansion plans. (S&P Global)
• A new report sheds light on utility efforts in Illinois and Kansas to stifle attempts at growing distribution generation and rooftop solar. (PV Magazine)

NUCLEAR: The developers of an advanced nuclear reactor proposed for Wyoming ask lawmakers to tweak regulations and waive a $5 per megawatt generation tax to make nuclear projects more economically feasible. (Casper Star-Tribune)

COMMENTARY: A climate activist argues big tech companies could fight climate change and save money by using video meetings ​“rather than shuttle employees around the planet on airlines that … burned 7 million to 8 million barrels of oil per day.” (Los Angeles Times)