CLIMATE: Proposed EPA greenhouse gas limits on new power plants will not be as strict as initially proposed, but will still “effectively prohibit the construction of new coal-fired plants,” according to one critic. (Washington Post)
RELATED: An organization representing utilities calls the carbon limits “unrealistic,” and a study says unpredictable natural gas prices pose a risk for utilities making the switch from coal. (The Hill, ClimateWire)
MEANWHILE: The oil and gas industry claims it has spent more than the federal government on carbon-cutting technology. (Houston Chronicle)
EFFICIENCY: Chicago’s city council approves an ordinance requiring large building owners to disclose their energy use, Cree announces a $10 LED bulb that looks and performs like an incandescent, but comes with a 10-year warranty, and a federal efficiency bill could get dragged into the health care debate. (Chicago Tribune, Quartz, The Hill)
WIND: A new study finds at least 67 golden and bald eagles have been killed by wind farms over the past five years. (Associated Press)
ALSO: In a response, the American Wind Energy Association accuses AP of “advocacy journalism” for failing to contextualize that figure by comparing it to much larger numbers of eagle deaths from other man-made causes. (AWEA blog)
OIL: Canadian officials say the North Dakota crude that exploded in a July train derailment in Quebec was mislabeled., and musician Neil Young upsets Canadian officials — and at least one Fort McMurray radio station — after comparing the oil sands to Hiroshima. (Associated Press, The Hill)
POLITICS: A Michigan professor launches a longshot bid to unseat Rep. Fred Upton with a campaign focusing primarily on climate change. (E&E Daily)
SOLAR: The marquee at Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater will be powered by solar panels, and a new report says solar installations grew 15 percent in the second quarter of this year. (MLive, Reuters)
HYDROPOWER: Hydropower is seeing a resurgence, with projects totaling 60,000 megawatts seeking preliminary permits from federal regulators. (Associated Press)
TRANSMISSION: Five North Dakota tribes pass a resolution opposing a transmission line planned across a historic battlefield. (Associated Press)
COMMENTARY: Fixing the future will be a lot less expensive than we thought. (New York Times)