POLITICS: Republican candidates are backing down on “war on coal” rhetoric, finding it doesn’t resonate with younger voters. (The Hill)

CLIMATE:
• U.S. forests’ declining ability to store carbon could mean more aggressive targets are needed. (Washington Post)
• An industry group says natural gas deserves more credit for cutting emissions. (The Hill)
• Facing a vexing chemistry problem, researchers try to find more industrial applications for carbon dioxide. (Chemical & Engineering News)
• Science museums are cutting ties with fossil fuel industries. (InsideClimate News)

CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• At least two coal-burning utilities see potential profit in complying with carbon rules. (Bloomberg)
• EPA representatives hear feedback on the plan at a hearing in Denver. (Denver Post)
• The CEO of We Energies’ parent company in Wisconsin says the federal rules would cost the company $2.2 billion over the next five years. (Milwaukee Business Journal)

SOLAR: Massachusetts lawmakers propose a slight increase in the state’s net metering cap, which advocates say doesn’t go far enough. (Boston Globe)

WIND: MidAmerican Energy announces it has started construction in Iowa on the country’s tallest wind tower, which will also be made of concrete instead of steel. (Midwest Energy News)

COAL:
• Mining companies are backing away from federal leases in the Powder River Basin. (Billings Gazette)
• Surprising many legal experts, attorneys for ex-coal CEO Don Blankenship rested their case without calling any witnesses. (New York Times)

OIL AND GAS:
• Proposed drilling rules in Colorado draw a wide range of criticism even though they would affect only about 1 percent of wells. (Denver Business Journal, Associated Press)
• Urban oil wells in Los Angeles pose a public health risk. (Grist)
• For the first time in a decade, the Bakken oil patch in North Dakota posts a year-to-year decline in production. (Bloomberg News)

PETCOKE: Five protesters are arrested after locking themselves down and blocking entry to a petcoke storage facility on Chicago’s Southeast Side. (Midwest Energy News)

HYDRO: How New York’s net-metering law could make small hydropower economically viable. (Grist)

NUCLEAR: Residents of a New York town worry about the economic impact of a nearby nuclear plant closing. (New York Times)

TECHNOLOGY: The story of Tesla’s Gigafactory and its role in advancing battery technology. (EnergyWire)

COMMENTARY:
• What impact will the expiration of federal tax credit really have on the solar industry? (Wall Street Journal)
• A conservative solution to climate change. (The Atlantic)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

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