NUCLEAR: A pilot project at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ohio will test the feasibility of using the power to produce hydrogen on site, which could benefit the plant and the region’s growing fuel cell industry. (Energy News Network)

ALSO: The Trump administration is looking to buy uranium “as soon as possible” for a proposed federal reserve to boost nuclear power. (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.***

RENEWABLE ENERGY:
• After the Trump administration extends tax credits, advocates say more should be done to stem job losses in the clean energy industry. (E&E News)
• A report says before coronavirus hit, New Hampshire companies were struggling to fill clean energy jobs due to a lack of qualified workers and a dearth of training opportunities. (Energy News Network)
• Clean energy firms see an opportunity to recruit workers from the declining oil and gas industry. (Bloomberg)
• Nevada officials expect the state to rebound from the coronavirus crisis and meet its new standard to source half its electricity from renewables by 2030. (KUNR)

UTILITIES:
• Critics are questioning whether California utility PG&E will be able to rebuild its finances and make its power grid safer amid the coronavirus crisis. (Greentech Media)
• As Atlantic hurricane season begins, utility workers prepare for major changes to recovery plans because of the coronavirus pandemic. (E&E News, subscription)

EMISSIONS: A coalition of 18 states moves to intervene in a federal lawsuit filed by a libertarian think tank to weaken vehicle fuel economy standards. (The Hill)

PIPELINES:
• A federal judge who recently blocked fast-track permitting for pipeline projects is known as “a stickler for the agencies following proper procedures.” (E&E News)
• The Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines will likely face delays after a court rules against an Army Corps permitting program, energy analysts say. (Reuters) 

OIL & GAS: A new report reveals oil and gas drilling has reached its lowest level since 1949 because of oil price volatility and the coronavirus crisis. (E&E News, subscription)

COAL:
• Coal production in the Illinois Basin is expected to decline by up to 30% to meet this year’s demand. (S&P Global)
• A municipal utility in the heart of Kentucky coal country shuts down its last coal-fired power unit. (WFIE) 

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OVERSIGHT: Records show a senior Interior Department official with a previous ethics violation abused his position to get his son-in-law a job with the EPA. (Associated Press)

COMMENTARY:
• Wind energy “provides a huge private stimulus opportunity for rural recovery” following the pandemic, an Illinois clean energy advocate says. (Bloomington Pantagraph)
• A former member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve says the agency should not be investing in the declining fossil fuels industry. (New York Times) 

Ken is the director of the Energy News Network at Fresh Energy, and has led the project from its inception as Midwest Energy News in 2009. 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 held a variety of editing, production, and leadership roles, and played a key role in the newspaper's transition to digital-first publishing. 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.