** The Iowa Supreme Court temporarily blocks a state law that had given incumbent utilities first rights to build new transmission projects, a case that could have high stakes amid plans for a major transmission buildout.
** A federal judge rules BNSF Railway violated terms of an easement agreement by running 100-car oil trains across the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s land in Washington state.
** Environmental groups ask a court to cancel federal oil and gas leases sold in Wyoming in 2022, saying the Biden administration’s minimal review violated environmental laws.
** The Biden administration is trying to mend fences with progressive groups and voters furious over its decision to approve a massive oil drilling effort in Alaska known as the Willow Project.
** Conservationists say the Biden administration’s Willow oil and gas project review failed to consider the new drilling’s climate impacts on polar bears.
** Colorado regulators launch a probe of an underground abandoned coal mine blaze suspected of igniting the destructive 2021 Marshall Fire.
** New York City Mayor Eric Adams is proposing a new rule requiring residents to set aside leaves, grass, branches and other yard waste outside of their homes for composting.
** Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry defended business and government leaders who travel to high-profile climate summits on gas-guzzling private jets. He also echoed an argument defending private jet travel he has previously used, suggesting so-called carbon offsets justify such high-carbon-footprint travel.
World
** The wind power industry on Monday projected growth to rapidly accelerate this year, with incentives and policy changes in key nations helping to overcome factors that led to a slowdown in 2022. The Global Wind Energy Council in Brussels also cited concern about climate change, as well as secure energy supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for a fast-growth outlook in its annual Global Wind Report.
** A group of climate activists has called on 30 insurance company bosses to “immediately” stop underwriting new fossil fuel projects in the wake of a stark climate warning from U.N. scientists, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
** Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Aramco will invest billions of dollars in China’s downstream petrochemicals industry, including the construction of a new refinery, the company said in deals announced Sunday and Monday.