CLEAN ENERGY: While experts say the long-term transition to clean energy will continue, it’s still unclear how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the energy sector over the next few years. (Washington Post)

OVERSIGHT: A Trump administration order citing the coronavirus pandemic to cut regulations will likely face multiple court challenges. (The Hill)

***SPONSORED LINK: Applications are now open for the Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship, a yearlong program for high-performing, high-potential military veterans in advanced energy, presented by the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. Learn more at www.vetsenergyproject.org/fellowship.***

CLIMATE:
• Houston will begin a five-year contract in July with NRG Energy to power all city-owned properties with renewable energy. (Bloomberg)
• A new Colorado regulation requires some operations to report their greenhouse gas emissions to the state. (Colorado Public Radio)
• A Minnesota power agency plans to reduce its carbon emissions 90% by 2030, driven by the retirement of a large coal plant that is the utility’s largest source of electricity. (Energy News Network)

SOLAR:
• A recent petition could prompt federal regulators to take control of how solar customers are compensated, which could boost distributed generation in states that have resisted net metering. (Greentech Media)
• A Sioux man seeking to bring energy sovereignty to U.S. tribes is the driving force behind a new solar project on the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota. (Al Jazeera)

WIND: Costs continue to fall for floating offshore wind turbines, which can be placed out of sight of coastlines. (Yale E360)

COAL:
• A Wisconsin utility plans to retire a coal plant on Lake Michigan years ahead of schedule, which is expected to save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars long term. (Wisconsin State Journal)
• A lawsuit aiming to revive an Obama-era moratorium against BLM coal sales on Western public lands is thrown out by a federal judge. (Associated Press)

EFFICIENCY: Plagued for decades with reliability issues, an island off New England wants to continue its energy transformation with an efficiency program added to its interconnection to the mainland and a nearby offshore wind farm. (Energy News Network)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Oklahoma’s network of supercharger stations positions it to become a leader in electric vehicles, an advocate says. (Tulsa World)

TRANSPORTATION:  
• Maine advocates say the shift to workers telecommuting forced by the coronavirus pandemic can account for a change in the state’s emissions profile even if only partially made permanent. (Portland Press Herald)
• The pandemic has been a boon for bicycle sales as people seek alternatives to transit and ways to exercise away from others. (Associated Press)

GRID: California’s grid operator announces four Colorado utilities are joining the Western Energy Imbalance Market. (news release)

***SPONSORED LINK: Do you know someone who works hard to facilitate the transition to a clean energy economy? Nominate yourself or someone you know for Energy News Network’s 40 Under 40 today.*** 

STORAGE: A new interactive data visualization resource showing the emissions impacts of existing and proposed peaker units could be useful to storage developers. (PV Magazine)

COMMENTARY: An energy analyst says we can honor those who’ve lost their lives to coronavirus by committing to a cleaner energy future. (Greentech Media)

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.