Energy news in brief

** The world is lagging behind the pace of change needed to avert catastrophic impacts from the climate crisis, John Kerry has warned in his first remarks as the US’s new climate envoy.

** Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 27 for her nomination hearing to be Energy secretary reported POLITICO.

** Minnesota regulators fine Xcel Energy $1 million for delays in connecting solar projects to the grid reported the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

** Phillips 66 announced it has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the development of high-performance reversible solid oxide fuel cells.

** Indonesian authorities said that they seized an Iranian tanker and Panamanian tanker suspected of carrying out the illegal transfer of oil in their country’s waters Sunday.

** Millions of barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude, embargoed by the U.S., have been surreptitiously going to China. Invoices and emails reviewed by Bloomberg show the lengths to which some traders will go to disguise the crude’s origin and get it to Asia, making Chinese refineries an essential lifeline for Venezuela’s battered oil industry.

** Despite US sanctions, Iran’s oil exports have climbed in recent months and its sales of petroleum products to foreign buyers reached record highs despite U.S. sanctions, the oil minister said on Friday.

** The Michigan Court of Appeals rules that state officials granted an air permit for a planned $1 billion natural gas plant without performing an ozone pollution analysis according  to the Port Huron Times Herald.

** Quebec is a step closer to building one of the world’s largest green hydrogen plants, as the province looks to rival Alberta’s plan to become Canada’s hub for the zero-emissions fuel.

** County officials around Lincoln, Nebraska, are yet to reach agreement on proposed wind energy regulations.

** Duke Energy and Ameresco collaborate to build a floating photovoltaic solar microgrid at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg military base.

** West Virginia’s coal lobby braces for a “pretty tough time” under the Biden administration reports the WV Metro News.

** Maine opponents of a power line from Canada submit 100,000 signatures in a second attempt to defeat the project with a statewide ballot initiative.

** New York regulators approve a 93-mile transmission line intended to move renewable power from upstate areas closer to load centers around New York City.

** 750 shipping containers aboard a Maersk cargo ship tumbled into the Pacific Ocean in heavy seas. Maersk Essen, which has the capacity for over 13,000 containers, was en route from China to California. Maersk is setting up a customer communication plan to reach out to customers who lost their goods.