CLIMATE:
• Carbon emissions from U.S. power plants hit a 27-year low in April, according to the Department of Energy. (Associated Press)
• A dispute between two environmental scientists is creating a controversy over how much methane is leaking from natural gas production and is contributing to global warming. (InsideClimate News)
CLEAN POWER PLAN:
• An analysis finds coal-heavy states in the West and Midwest will have the hardest time complying with the Clean Power Plan, while some states are already on track to meet their targets. (SNL)
• The final version of the plan includes a tougher target for the coal-dependent Navajo Nation. (Associated Press)
• Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works committee vote to block the Clean Power Plan. (The Hill)
• Sixteen states, led by West Virginia, call on the EPA to delay implementation of carbon rules. (The Hill)
• How Western states could work together to meet carbon targets. (ClimateProgress)
WIND: A new study shows the patchwork of state and local zoning regulations is hindering wind development in four Midwest states analyzed. (ClimateWire)
SOLAR:
• A new solar plant in Buffalo, New York is expected to produce 10,000 panels per day, about 1 GW of capacity each year. (Buffalo News)
• A Minneapolis community solar project is aiming to break down racial divides in clean energy. (Midwest Energy News)
• Utility net metering caps could bring New Hampshire solar development “to a screeching halt.” (New Hampshire Public Radio)
• Hawaii regulators approve four major solar projects totaling more than 100 MW of capacity. (Pacific Business News)
• Investors have mixed feelings about recent solar company offerings. (Associated Press)
GRID: Energy storage remains a costly challenge for homeowners who want to generate their own power. (NPR)
POLICY: Utilities and rooftop solar companies join together to push California to increase its renewable energy standard. (ClimateWire)
OIL AND GAS:
• A California pipeline spill earlier this year may have been larger and costlier than initially thought. (Los Angeles Times)
• The U.S. Forest Service raises concerns about a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cut through national forests in Virginia and West Virginia. (Associated Press)
• Chesapeake Energy is scaling back gas production in Ohio until a pipeline is built connecting the area with the Gulf Coast. (Columbus Business First)
• Officials in a North Dakota oil boomtown say the local population is starting to decline, and they have the sewage figures to prove it. (Reuters)
COAL ASH: Duke Energy is trying to dismiss a lawsuit calling for coal ash from one of its North Carolina power plants to be disposed of in a lined landfill. (Winston-Salem Journal)
NUCLEAR: The Department of Energy is calling for proposals for advanced reactor research. (FierceEnergy)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Why an Oklahoma oil field worker is organizing an electric car rally. (Green Car Reports)
COMMENTARY: Ten ways the Clean Power Plan protects electric reliability. (NRDC Switchboard)