‘Responsible’ natural gas a ​‘greenwashing scheme,’ Democrats say

OIL & GAS: Democratic senators call on federal regulators to crack down on ​“responsible” and ​“certified” natural gas claims, saying the selling of low-emissions methane is a ​“dangerous greenwashing scheme” that undermines the clean energy transition. (The Guardian)

ALSO:

• Oil and gas companies and environmental groups file legal challenges to the Biden administration’s offering of just three Gulf of Mexico lease sales over the next five years. (The Guardian)
• Federal judges suggest regulators may need to more closely examine liquefied natural gas terminals’ climate impacts during the approval process as they weigh a case over a Louisiana LNG project. (E&E News)
• The Biden administration’s climate policies could shift growth anticipated for the Gulf Coast’s surging liquified natural gas market to other countries, industry experts say. (Houston Chronicle)
• Tribal attorneys argue in federal court that Line 5 should immediately be shut down on tribal land in northern Wisconsin, while Enbridge officials say the move would disrupt fuel access to millions of people. (Michigan Advance)

ELECTRIFICATION: Heat pumps outsold gas furnaces nationwide in 2023, marking their second year in a row beating the gas appliances. (Canary Media)

UTILITIES: Ohio’s attorney general files a total of 44 charges against a former top energy regulator and two former FirstEnergy executives for their alleged roles in a bribery and money-laundering scandal meant to benefit the utility. (Ohio Capital Journal)

EMISSIONS:

• Extreme weather and other climate-driven events like wildfires and heat waves are poised to erase decades of air quality improvements across the U.S. (Axios)
• Without further action, two Philadelphia-area counties will likely fail to meet a new federal standard for soot by 2032, according to federal estimates. (WHYY)
• Some oil companies line up to defend Washington state’s new carbon cap-and-invest program against a ballot measure to repeal it, saying fixing the program’s flaws would be more effective than killing it. (Grist)

CLIMATE: For a Chicago-based artist, Afrofuturism can provide a lens for resolving the climate crisis, community disinvestment and social issues that remain inseparable. (Energy News Network)

OFFSHORE WIND: Maine’s Sears Island will likely be selected as the home of a future offshore wind port in the coming weeks despite conservationists’ concerns. (Bangor Daily News)

RENEWABLES:

• Illinois and Michigan take steps to ensure local opposition to wind and solar projects doesn’t impede clean energy targets by creating statewide siting regulations. (IPM News)
• Geography, hyperlocal net metering, multiple rebate programs and a tax exemption contribute to solar’s rapid growth in Texas. (Forbes)