The Bill Gates-founded group Breakthrough Energy has formally registered lobbyists for the first time.
The state of play: The group has retained the firm Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, a newly available filing shows. They'll work on "issues related to energy innovation, research & development, industrial decarbonization and decarbonization of liquid fuels," it states.
The oil, gas and chemicals industry shed 107,000 U.S. jobs in March–August as the pandemic hit prices and the wider economy, marking the fastest rate of layoffs in industry history, Deloitte analysts said.
Why it matters: Their new report released Monday warns that the sector's employment may remain depressed for a long time.
Americans' plans to socialize outside in colder weather — when COVID-19 will still be a threat to indoor gatherings — are prompting an expensive and environmentally questionable rush on outdoor heaters.
Why it matters: Heating outdoor patios is a big new cost for businesses, and the energy sources are almost always fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.
More than 8,200 wildfires have burned "well over 4 million acres" in California this year, killing 31 people and destroying 8,450-plus structures, Cal Fire said Sunday.
Why it matters: Cal Fire confirmed on Sept. 7 that nearly 2.2 million acres had burned, surpassing the previous record set in 2018. The amount of land charred now is bigger in size than Connecticut and more than double that which burned in 2018, when 1,975,086 acres were razed.
