Kerry makes final push for gas phaseout

CLIMATE: U.S. climate envoy John Kerry makes a final push for phasing out new gas infrastructure construction and cautions that capturing emissions won’t replace decarbonization as he departs the post this week. (Guardian)

ALSO: Advocates credit Kerry with devoting ​“tireless energy” to the climate cause, but say he could have pushed harder for international climate aid and frontline climate action. (Washington Post)

EMISSIONS:

• The Biden administration’s weakening of proposed tailpipe and power plant emissions rules were significant concessions amid industry opposition, consumer reluctance, and potential legal challenges, experts say. (New York Times)
• A methane-tracking satellite will launch today, with a goal of collecting emissions data and creating a map of leaking oil and gas infrastructure around the world. (E&E News, subscription)

COAL: Environmental groups release a policy platform to address nearly 1 million acres of idled, unreclaimed ​“zombie” coal mines across 12 states. (Daily Yonder)

ELECTRIFICATION:

• Ithaca, New York’s push to reach net-zero emissions highlights the opportunities and challenges from building electrification. (NPR)
• State incentives and a lack of natural gas infrastructure are helping Maine become a national leader in heat pump installations. (New York Times)
• The Biden administration awards a northwest Alaska borough $50 million to install electric heat pumps in every home and to build solar installations to power them. (Northern Journal)

OIL & GAS:

• Members of a climate council inside the federal Export-Import Bank say they’re frustrated the agency continues to invest in foreign fossil fuel projects, in opposition to the Biden administration’s policies. (Politico)
• Activists use a variety of tactics to fight construction of a Texas liquefied natural gas export terminal that eventually could produce 27 million metric tons of LNG per year. (Canary Media)
• A climate-tech consultant shares how difficult it was to electrify her home with a heat pump, solar panels and battery storage, even though she’s an expert in the space. (Canary Media)
• Dozens of oil and gas industry and environmental group lobbyists work to influence Colorado lawmakers as they consider legislation aimed at reducing ground-level ozone pollution. (CPR)

SOLAR: As solar installations lag in Massachusetts, advocates urge the state to re-examine its incentive program, which they say has not adapted to economic changes. (Energy News Network) 

PIPELINES: Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed multi-state carbon pipeline could qualify for up to $18 billion in federal tax credits over 12 years if the project is built and operates at full capacity. (Inside Climate News)

TRANSPORTATION: The Biden administration pours funding into a proposed high-speed passenger rail line linking Las Vegas and Los Angeles in hopes it will spark a national rail revolution. (Los Angeles Times)

OFFSHORE WIND: Scientists in Rhode Island work to debunk persistent social media misinformation that offshore wind construction is killing whales after a whale is stranded near South Kingstown. (Providence Journal)