SOLAR:
• According to a recent study, Republican-leaning communities in California are five times as likely to install rooftop solar panels than their left-leaning counterparts. (Greentech Media)
ALSO:
• An analysis predicts the Southeast will lead the U.S. in utility-scale solar projects in coming years. (Greentech Media)
• A former coal plant site in Massachusetts will be turned into a solar farm. (WAMC)
• A group of solar companies have joined forces to create the first solar photovoltaic recycling program in the country. (CleanTechnica)
BIOFUEL:
• The EPA proposes changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard to include poplar and willow trees as sources for ethanol, along with other new quality and environmental guidelines. (Reuters)
• A municipal committee grants $1.62 million towards the infrastructure construction for a controversial waste-to-energy plant in Maine. (Portland Press Herald)
• Burning three gallons of corn ethanol saves just one gallon of gasoline under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, which researchers say is “a big problem.” (Climate Central)
UTILITIES: Getting time-of-use rates right is key to incentivizing more clean energy use in California. (Greentech Media)
POLICY:
• Experts say Hillary Clinton’s plan to cut U.S. oil consumption by a third by 2027 is unlikely to work. (CNBC)
• An Ohio lawmaker is pushing legislation that would further weaken the state’s clean energy and efficiency standards. (Midwest Energy News)
PIPELINES: Trade unions ask President Obama to support the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, saying the livelihoods of 3.5 million union members depends on the project. (The Hill)
POLLUTION: The Bureau of Land Management is working “very seriously” to address EPA concerns about regional air pollution caused by oil and gas projects in Utah. (Daily Sentinel)
OIL & GAS: Alaskans are “disappointed” that their annual checks from the state’s oil wealth fund are dropping from $2,072 to $1,022 this year – a decrease blamed on a multibillion-dollar budget deficit and low oil prices. (Associated Press)
COAL: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives a favorable review to a proposed coal shipping terminal in Washington state, but raises concerns about train noise and rail traffic in low-income neighborhoods. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY:
• 50 years after a partial meltdown at Detroit’s Fermi-1 nuclear plant, engineering mishaps keep occurring in the industry, making many doubt the credibility of nuclear power. (Los Angeles Times)
• The Clean Power Plan’s goal to reduce emissions by 30 percent is not especially ambitious, considering the country has already decreased emissions by 20 percent since 2005 with no plan in place. (The Monitor)
• Despite good news on the growth of renewable energy, it’s too early to predict sustainable success. (MIT Technology Review)