CLEAN POWER PLAN: A federal court’s decision to delay a hearing on the Clean Power Plan until September could actually speed up the overall process. (Washington Post)
ALSO: A Justice Department official says the EPA is likely not breaking the law by helping states comply with the plan despite the Supreme Court’s delay. (Bloomberg)
CLIMATE: Attorneys general from Texas and Alabama back Exxon as the company fights an investigation into its climate disclosures. (InsideClimate News)
SOLAR:
• New York’s “full value tariff” could rewrite the rules on rate design for solar. (Greentech Media)
• Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection joins advocates in opposing proposed changes to net metering rules. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Land no longer suitable for farming in California’s Central Valley is eyed for solar development. (KFSN)
• Albuquerque’s city council delays a decision on setting a 25 percent solar energy target. (Associated Press)
WIND:
• Two companies propose deepwater offshore wind projects in Hawaii. (Associated Press)
• Oklahoma lawmakers reject a bill to accelerate the state’s phase-out of wind tax credits. (Oklahoman)
• A $5 billion Wyoming wind project may be in doubt as lawmakers consider raising the state’s tax on wind energy. (Wyoming Business Report)
LABOR: Tesla is under fire for allegedly using cheap foreign labor to expand its California facility. (San Jose Mercury News)
GRID: How a truly national power transmission system might supply cleaner energy to regions lacking those resources and significantly reduce power plant emissions. (The Atlantic)
COAL:
• Pro- and anti-coal protesters are expected in force at a hearing on federal leasing in Wyoming today. (Associated Press)
• A report says market forces, not federal rules, are driving the shift away from coal in Texas. (Texas Tribune)
• Few options remain for a proposed Washington state coal export terminal to move forward. (SNL Energy)
NUCLEAR:
• Analysts say closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is a major factor behind an increase in carbon emissions in New England. (Boston Globe)
• A proposal to store nuclear waste along Lake Huron is creating political tension between U.S. lawmakers and Canadian officials. (Washington Post)
• The TVA is weighing the development of several designs of small modular reactors near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (Associated Press)
• The activation of the TVA’s Watts Bar 2 reactor this month symbolizes how nuclear energy is simultaneously making a comeback while fading away. (Slate)
UTILITIES: A report says increasing engagement with members will be a key tactic for rural co-ops as they face future energy challenges. (Midwest Energy News)
PIPELINES:
• Developers of the Constitution Pipeline sue New York over rejection of a key permit. (SNL Energy)
• A developer is seeking Warren Buffett’s help for a proposed $1 billion pipeline to carry captured CO2 from Midwest ethanol plants to oil and gas fields in Wyoming. (Omaha World-Herald)
HYDRO:
• A Utah study finds “hydropeaking” – releasing more water to meet peak electricity demand – is damaging river ecosystems. (Deseret News)
• A New York college gets a $1 million grant to develop small hydropower projects. (Poughkeepsie Journal)
COMMENTARY: A letter to middle schoolers on how to stop burning fossil fuels. (Vox)