Overnight Energy & Environment: Kerry bashes fossil fuels, Florida's gov

SHUNNING 'OUTDATED' FUELS ... AND FLORIDA: In his speech Thursday at the Atlantic Council, Secretary of State John Kerry took direct swipes at coal and oil, and an indirect one at Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R). Fossil fuels, Kerry said, are "outdated" forms of energy, far more expensive in the long run than renewables. "Coal and oil are only cheap ways to power a nation in the very near term," he said. "But if you look a little further down the road, you begin to see an entirely different story." Their true costs come in the form of the effects of climate change, like lower crop yields and sea level rise, Kerry said, not to mention issues from other pollutants like asthma. Scott didn't get mentioned by name. Instead, Kerry only alluded to the allegations that government employees under Scott were instructed to avoid using the term "climate change." "Literally a couple of days ago, I read about some state officials who are actually trying to ban the use of the term 'climate change' in public documents because they're not willing to face the facts," he said. "We literally do not have the time to waste debating whether we can say 'climate change,' " he continued. Read more here and here. 'PLUSES AND MINUSES': Later, Kerry was asked if the United States's energy boom of recent years is a good thing on balance. "There are a lot of pluses and minuses of it," he responded. Pluses: By reducing world oil prices, it's hurt the budgets of countries like Russia and Iran. The plentiful natural gas is replacing some more carbon-intensive fuels. Minuses: Coal prices are down, so some countries are building more plants. If Venezuela's Petrocaribe falls, it could bring a "serious humanitarian challenge" to the Caribbean countries that rely on that oil. "So it's a mixed bag for the moment, but I think we certainly see the road map to move in the right direction," he said. ON TAP FRIDAY I: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold a meeting Friday to discuss how the lessons learned from Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster should apply to facilities other than currently operating nuclear reactors. This includes spent fuel storage, fuel facilities and decommissioned reactors. ON TAP FRIDAY II: The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a discussion on a new report from non-profit consultant FSG called "Extracting with Purpose: Creating Shared Value in the Oil and Gas and Mining Sectors' Companies and Communities." FSG Managing Director Dane Smith will participate, as will Chevron Corp. Global Social Performance Manage Matt Lonner and other experts on the topic. NEWS BITE: The Interior Department used the app Meerkat Thursday to briefly livestream footage from the roof of its headquarters building, including the view of the Washington Monument. Tim Fullerton, director of digital strategy at Interior, said on Twitter that it was the first use of Meerkat by a federal agency. Your host only learned about the two-week-old Meerkat app hours before Interior used it, and he doesn't know who confirm Fullerton's claim. Unfortunately, Meerkat is so simple that it doesn't preserve live streams, so if you missed it, you're out of luck. Fullerton said the goal of the exercise was to test the app out, and he hopes to use it again. AROUND THE WEB: A federal appeals court has declined to rehear a case stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that challenged the Chemical Safety Board's authority to investigate offshore drilling incidents, reaffirming the board's jurisdiction, the Houston Chronicle reports. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed into law a bill extending the state's low-carbon fuel standard, the Oregonian reports. The United Steelworkers union and Shell Oil Co. may be close to ending the first major strike at United States oil refineries in decades, Reuters reports. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Check out Thursday's stories ... - Canada proposes new standards for oil train designs - Keystone opponents urge Clinton to return foreign donations - Senate Republicans want chemical agency head removed - AmEx commits $5M to increase park volunteers - Boxer introduces her own chemical reform legislation - House GOP wants changes to EPA coal ash rule - Kerry mocks Florida's reported ban on 'climate change' - Kerry: It's time to move away from 'outdated' coal, oil - Road builders want 15-cent gas tax hike - White House envisions wind providing a third of US power Please send tips and comments to Timothy Cama, tcama@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Timothy_Cama, @thehill