EPA: A group of eight Democratic attorneys general imply they may sue the EPA if Administrator Scott Pruitt doesn’t rescind a proposed regulation to limit the use of science at the agency. (The Hill)
ALSO:
• The EPA received 10 threats targeted at Pruitt in the last six months, which is not abnormally high compared to his predecessors. (New York Times)
• Top Trump administration officials say the president’s support for Pruitt may be waning due to mounting ethics scandals. (New York Times)
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CLEAN POWER PLAN: The EPA plans to finalize a repeal of the Clean Power Plan, but the agency will be at a legal disadvantage if it fails to replace the plan. (E&E News)
POLICY: A House subcommittee votes to give $44.7 billion to the DOE and Army Corps of Engineers, part of which will go towards funding for fossil fuel energy and nuclear research programs. (The Hill)
POLITICS:
• Energy Secretary Rick Perry is betraying a long history of free market principles by backing a Trump administration plan to subsidize uneconomical coal and nuclear plants. (Houston Chronicle)
• President Trump tells West Virginia voters via Twitter to vote against former coal executive Don Blankenship in today’s Republican primary. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• Solar module manufacturer Suniva, which successfully petitioned the Trump administration for tariffs on import solar panels, is going under and auctioning its assets. (Greentech Media)
• With net-metering no longer tenable in many states, policymakers are working on new rate designs to promote solar-plus-storage growth. (Utility Dive)
• Corporations like Target are embracing on-site solar and storage because it saves money and fosters good will with local communities. (GreenBiz)
WIND: The U.S. Navy wants to prevent offshore wind development in large swaths of California but federal and state officials are pushing for a compromise. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
RENEWABLES: The Energy Information Administration estimates gas will outpace renewables in 2018, but more than 4 gigawatts of solar will come online. (Utility Dive)
OIL & GAS: Experts say gasoline prices could exceed $3 per gallon if President Trump pulls the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal due to sanctions on the country’s oil exports. (Vox)
PIPELINES: Police arrest about a dozen demonstrators for protesting Canada’s proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline at a Chase Bank branch in Seattle. (Seattle Times)
UTILITIES: A public vote on whether to create a municipal utility in Decorah, Iowa, may head to a recount after the proposal failed to pass by five votes. (Midwest Energy News)
EFFICIENCY: A new study by the University of Chicago concludes that “dynamic pricing” is more likely to change utility customers’ energy efficiency behavior than moral persuasion. (Midwest Energy News)
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CLIMATE: Climate modelers come up with new scenarios that show what it would take to hit the targets of the Paris Climate accord. (Vox)
COMMENTARY:
• A new revenue model that rewards performance will help utilities prosper, says the vice president of Energy Innovation. (Forbes)
• Recent pipeline protests in Appalachia reflect a dynamic shift in politics in the region, says a staff writer at New Republic.