National (U.S.)

"Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is gearing up to take control of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as the balance of power shifts to Republicans next year."

"Oil and gas companies are seeking a major increase in permits to vent or burn natural gas from wells on federal lands without paying royalties, according to data obtained by Greenwire."

"Florida voters have passed a measure that designates billions of dollars to conservation efforts over the next 20 years."

"DENTON — In a state where the oil and gas industry is king, Denton on Tuesday was poised to become the first city in Texas to ban hydraulic fracturing with voters approving a grassroots initiative against the controversial drilling method."

"A Maui County ban on genetically modified crops pulled off a stunning turnaround late Tuesday night. After trailing by 19 points in the first two printouts, the ballot initiative took the lead, passing by more than 1000 votes."

"A top priority for a Republican-led Senate will be to send President Barack Obama a bill to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline and dare him to veto it."

"For Tom Steyer and other environmentalists, $85 million wasn’t enough to help Democrats keep the Senate blue or win more than a single governor’s mansion in Tuesday’s toughest races."

"Appalachia may be one of the poorest regions of the U.S., but when it comes to heirloom crops, it's got the riches."

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission these days is drawing a crowd of companies promoting projects linked to the U.S. natural gas boom and protesters who say the agency blithely greenlights too many pipelines, export terminals and other gas infrastructure."

Here's InsideClimate News' pick of the top ballot measures to watch on November 4, along with some other roundups of ballot measures related to energy and environment.