CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• Lawsuits were filed by 24 states and one coal company this morning as the Clean Power Plan was officially published. (The Hill, New York Times)
• A bill in Wyoming could require legislative approval or a federal court ruling before the state could begin to comply with carbon rules. (Casper Star-Tribune)
• A MISO executive warns of a “re-Balkanizing” of the electric grid if states go it alone on compliance. (Platts)
• The EPA says it won’t be a “heavy lift” for states to receive a two-year extension on implementation. (Bloomberg)
CLIMATE:
• How Exxon pressured the George W. Bush administration to delay U.S. action on climate change. (InsideClimate News)
• Starting later this year, global CO2 levels are expected to remain consistently above 400 ppm. (New York Times)
WIND:
• The American Wind Energy Association announces a record quarter for new capacity in the U.S. (Utility Dive)
• On the same day as the AWEA announcement, Texas sets a production record with 37 percent of the state’s electricity coming from wind farms. (Houston Chronicle)
SOLAR:
• The Florida Supreme Court authorizes a pro-solar choice amendment for the state’s 2016 election ballot if backers can gather the required 680,000+ signatures by February 1. (Palm Beach Post)
• Solar panels are still facing backlash from homeowners’ associations in California. (Associated Press)
• Hawaii policy changes may give a glimpse at what comes next if states abandon net metering. (Utility Dive)
NUCLEAR: Activists say 2019 is not soon enough to shut down a Massachusetts nuclear plant. (Associated Press)
SECURITY: An attempted cyber attack on FirstEnergy this week highlights the need for better communication within the industry on data sharing, an executive tells lawmakers. (EnergyWire)
EFFICIENCY:
• Missouri regulators vote against continuing a utility’s popular efficiency rebate program, saying they want a better measurement of energy savings. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• A survey finds more architects are adopting an efficiency pledge, but the sector still has a long way to go. (CityLab)
TRANSPORTATION: Why a Chicago suburb is trying to be more like a city. (Politico Magazine)
COMMENTARY: ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel companies “have committed a crime of enormous proportions” by spreading doubt about climate science. (Huffington Post)