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)

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy and is a founding editor of both Midwest Energy News and Southeast Energy News. Prior to joining Fresh Energy, he was the managing editor for online news at Minnesota Public Radio. He started his journalism career in 2002 as a copy editor for the Duluth News Tribune before spending five years at the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, where he worked as a copy editor, online producer, features editor and night city editor. A Nebraska native, Ken has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.