** A U.S. judge in Montana has rejected the Biden administration’s attempt to delay a lawsuit from several states and environmentalists who are seeking to end lease sales for coal mining on federal lands.
** Denmark has withdrawn permission for a planned pipeline that was designed to bring Norwegian gas to Poland, citing the need to assess if the project would harm the habitats of certain mice and bat species.
** An extremely rare wildflower that grows only in Nevada’s high desert where an Australian mining company wants to dig for lithium should be protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday.
** Exxon Mobil’s newly elected board member Kaisa Hietala says her work at Finnish refiner and biofuel producer Neste makes her more than just a champion of biofuels, she also has experience transforming a business.
** The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea is almost complete with just 100 kilometres (62 miles) left to build, TASS news agency quoted Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak as saying on Thursday.
** West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin called President Biden’s “infrastructure” bill a “golden opportunity” Thursday but warned that a green economy cannot be achieved by eliminating the state’s oldest energy product – coal.
** Turkey has discovered further deposits of natural gas in the Black Sea, according to people familiar with the matter, and is likely to make an announcement soon.
** Kawasaki is testing an electric motorcycle that’s codenamed Endeavor. It is rumored to have performance similar to a 400cc gasoline bike and is powered by a large lithium ion battery pack.
** In a symbolic move, Bend, Oregon’s city council officially opposes transport by rail of crude oil through the city.
** Ford nearly tripled its electric vehicle sales last month compared to the same period last year in part because of growing sales of its electric Mustang.
** Federal regulators approve plans for a 62-mile natural gas pipeline in western North Dakota that officials say will help reduce the flaring of excess gas.
** Kinder Morgan’s CEO warns that converting pipelines to transport CO2 from carbon capture initiatives won’t be financially viable without new federal subsidies.
** Minutes after the North Carolina state Senate rejected Gov. Roy Cooper’s choice to lead the state energy agency, the governor announces that he has hired her as state clean energy director.