SOLAR: An Arizona judge recommends ending net metering in the state, but doing so gradually and replacing it with a rate based on costs of utility-scale solar farms. (Arizona Daily Republic)
ALSO:
• Elon Musk unveils SolarCity’s rooftop solar shingles, which come in designs like French slate and Tuscan barrel tile. (Bloomberg)
• New York’s Department of Public Service releases a report on the value of distributed energy, which recommends that existing solar projects receive a full retail-rate net energy metering credit for 20 years from the date of installation. (Greentech Media)
• Raleigh, North Carolina, is planning a 50-acre solar farm that would boost the city’s solar energy portfolio from 2.2 megawatts to 15.2 megawatts. (Triangle Business Journal)
• Maryland’s Baltimore County vetoes a bill to put a four-month moratorium on rural solar farms. (Baltimore Sun)
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TRANSPORTATION: Automakers Hyundai and Kia Motors will pay over $41 million to 33 states for falsifying fuel economy ratings on more than 1.2 million vehicles. (Los Angeles Times)
OIL & GAS: Exxon Mobil says it may need to declare a lower value for 3.6 billion barrels of oil-sand reserves and one billion barrels of other North American reserves that are not profitable to produce. (New York Times)
PIPELINES:
• Dakota Access Pipeline protesters vow to continue their fight following 141 arrests in North Dakota last week, as both sides appeal to federal officials for help. (Reuters/The Hill)
• Native American tribal leaders may file a lawsuit against police for using unnecessary force against Dakota Access Pipeline protesters, saying over 40 people were injured in North Dakota last week. (Forum News Service)
• The chairman of a tribe protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline says the project should be rerouted and “everybody can still benefit.” (Associated Press)
POLLUTION:
• Montana is seeking compensation from a company whose broken pipeline spilled more than 30,000 gallons of crude into the Yellowstone River in 2015. (Associated Press)
• The EPA releases a five-year plan for ensuring that its programs protect minority communities from pollution. (The Hill)
FRACKING: A federal appeals court refuses to grant a temporary halt to fracking in New Mexico. (Associated Press)
COAL:
The U.S. coal market shows signs of a rebound as a Wyoming company resumes exports to Asia. (Casper Star-Tribune)
Major electric utilities are supporting an amendment that would give states more oversight of coal ash disposal. (Utility Dive)
RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• Three New England states will add 460 MW in new renewable energy projects over the next few years. (Rhode Island Public Radio)
• The Interior Department is finalizing rules and policies to “finish the job” begun by President Obama to expand renewable energy on federal land. (Greenwire)
EFFICIENCY: A decision by Wisconsin regulators to allocate efficiency money to rural communities “underserved” by broadband internet access raises questions about how it will be spent. (Midwest Energy News)
GRID: A Virginia company says its new voltage stabilization system can use smart meter data to increase grid capacity for fluctuating wind and solar power. (Southeast Energy News)
UTILITIES: Consolidated Edison is asking New York state regulators whether it can install solar arrays on its buildings to provide renewable energy to thousands of low-income customers. (New York Times)
COMMENTARY:
• American isn’t using nearly as much renewable energy as Americans think. (Vox)
• It’s time that everyone joins the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. (New York Times)
• A bank in Colorado provides an example for how to finance community solar projects in low-moderate income neighborhoods. (Greentech Media)
• Environmental groups are wrong to oppose Washington state’s proposed carbon tax. (Washington Post)