** “I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done. They’re just done.”CNBC’s Jim Cramer didn’t even feel the need to address the disappointing earnings from the oil majors. Chevron and ExxonMobil had just announced fourth quarter results, which saw profits drop again. Their stock prices were down by 2 percent or so. It didn’t matter. He wanted to make a larger point.
** UPS is making moves to create a cleaner, more high-tech fleet with plans to buy up to 10,000 electric vans from a U.K. startup that it’s investing in. It’s also launching a package pickup trial in suburban Phoenix with self-driving tech leader Waymo.
** The Portland suburb of Milwaukie becomes the first city in Oregon to declare a climate emergency; a similar measure advances in Flagstaff, Arizona.
** Wyoming lawmakers advance a bill to reduce the lag time before mining companies must pay local taxes.
** Phoenix, Arizona has received a $1 million EPA grant to replace 10 of the city’s diesel trucks with compressed natural gas vehicles.
** Colorado renewable energy advocates disagree with the oil and gas industry that natural gas is needed as a bridge fuel in the state’s transition to clean energy.
** Wisconsin Democrats introduce a bill that would require utility regulators to consider the social costs of carbon when evaluating new power plants and transmission lines.
** An 8% drop in North Dakota coal production last year is due partly to competition from natural gas, wind and hydropower.
** A recent spill of oil drilling wastewater in northwestern North Dakota impacted an area far bigger than initially estimated.
