SOLAR: 2015 was a historic year for the U.S. solar industry, with record-breaking fourth-quarter projections to come, according to a new report. (Greentech Media)
ALSO:
• A Minnesota town will offset 67 percent of its power needs with solar over the 25 years. (Midwest Energy News)
• One solar company CEO wants to see tax credits end for the industry so it can “focus on how to become more competitive.” (Houston Business Journal)
• A public utility in Nebraska is encouraging customers to install solar as a “hedge against uncertainty” with forthcoming regulations. (Lincoln Journal Star)
• An expiring state tax credit ignites a major push for solar installations in North Carolina, which were the second highest of any state in the 3rd quarter. (Charlotte Business Journal)
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CLIMATE:
• U.S. lawmakers press leaders of major oil companies on what they knew about climate change and whether they made efforts to downplay fossil fuels’ role. (InsideClimate News)
• Major challenges remain for a deal in Paris, including how much emissions should be curbed and how it would get paid for. (Reuters)
• Secretary of State John Kerry says if an agreement is not reached in Paris, “we will be liable for a collective moral failure of historic consequence.” (Greenwire)
FRACKING: Pennsylvania’s attorney general sues Chesapeake Energy over allegedly deceptive behavior when securing fracking leases from landowners. (Pittsburgh Business Times)
OIL AND GAS:
• Alaska’s governor proposes a personal income tax on residents for the first time in 35 years to help plug a multi-billion dollar budget deficit amid low oil prices. (Associated Press)
• A federal bill clears a Senate committee that would designate the Great Lakes a “high consequence” area and subject it to stronger pipeline safety standards. (MLive)
NUCLEAR:
• U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says mini-reactors could be a solution to bringing more nuclear energy online in the future. (Reuters)
• A legislative committee in Wisconsin approves lifting the state’s moratorium on new nuclear plants. (Associated Press)
• Experts say an outdated model of health risks that seeks to block even low-level exposure to radiation is hampering the industry’s growth. (ClimateWire)
COAL: U.S. taxpayers could be left with multibillion-dollar liabilities if large coal companies are pushed to bankruptcy as part of a practice known as “self-bonding.” (Reuters)
EMISSIONS: In a separate issue from its diesel engine scandal, Volkswagen says a suspected discrepancy in carbon dioxide emissions from nearly one million of its cars is smaller than first expected. (MLive)
ECONOMY: An advanced-energy business leader in Michigan explains how strong clean energy policy leads to economic development. (Midwest Energy News)
BATTERIES: A Texas researcher is leading the state’s effort to bring online large amounts of renewables with storage technology. (The Texas Tribune)
GENERATION: A bad year financially for independent power producers is ending on a bad note. (EnergyWire)
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BIOFUELS: Iowa’s congressional delegation asks House leadership to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard during budget negotiations. (Radio Iowa)
COMMENTARY: Oregon should take advantage of its offshore wind potential. (The Oregonian)