In the news today…
Coal:
- Houston Chronicle reports Texas faces several challenges in replacing the electricity generated by coal with wind and solar sources alone.
- Reuters reports German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that her country would withdraw from coal-fired power production by 2038, showing her support for the deadline recommended by a government-appointed commission.
Clean Water Act:
- E&E Greenwire reports opponents of the Obama-era Clean Water Rule are pulling back from an appeal aimed at sidelining the regulation, also known as WOTUS.
Power Grid:
- POLITICO Pro reports PJM Interconnection suffered more than 21,000 megawatts in power plant shutdowns when frigid temperatures hit the region, pushing several coal and natural gas generating units offline last week, according to preliminary data from the grid operator.
- E&E News PM reports officials from FERC and the DOE plan to gather for a technical conference next month to talk energy infrastructure security practices, the two sides announced Monday.
Climate:
- POLITICO Pro reports backers of a Green New Deal are putting the finishing touches on their resolution, but they’re not planning to include progressives’ ambitious goal to set a firm end date for oil, gas and coal development in the U.S.
Technology:
- E&E Energywire reports Michigan Technological University and a city in the Upper Peninsula are working together to see if abandoned mines can be converted into storage for electrical energy.
EPA:
- Inside EPA reports Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) is urging Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler to drop his rollback of the Obama-era power plant air toxics rule as a condition for winning support to be permanent agency chief, but his confirmation appears likely regardless and supporters of the rule are eyeing other options to challenge the rollback.