CLEAN ENERGY: Despite the Trump administration’s repeal of the Clean Power Plan, a new report finds electricity providers have hit the Obama-era policy’s targets a decade ahead of schedule. (E&E News, subscription required)
ALSO:
• The Trump administration has granted an extension to some renewable energy projects so they can still qualify for federal tax credits. (The Hill)
• The International Energy Agency projects energy investments will drop 20% this year, slowing efforts to reduce emissions. (Greentech Media)
***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.***
EMISSIONS:
• Nearly two dozen states join California in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s effort to weaken fuel efficiency standards for cars. (Los Angeles Times)
• Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says the rollback is an “additional slap in the face to public health” during a pandemic. (MLive)
• A questionable study by a fringe scientist has been a driving force behind the EPA’s turnaround on pollution rules under Trump. (InsideClimate News)
CLIMATE:
• A new report says continued inaction on climate by the United States could set back global efforts to cut emissions by a decade. (Carbon Brief)
• Southern Company sets a net-zero carbon emissions target for 2050 with plans to expand renewable energy, nuclear and energy efficiency, while still moving ahead with new natural gas plants. (Greentech Media)
SOLAR:
• Honolulu leads the nation in per capita solar capacity, according to a new report ranking the top U.S. cities for solar. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Environment America)
• Democrats in Congress urge federal regulators to reject a petition that would remove solar net-metering programs from state control. (E&E News, subscription required)
STORAGE: Despite ambitious targets set for storage in a 2018 law, New Jersey has shown virtually no progress with the technology since. (Greentech Media)
EFFICIENCY: Missouri’s two largest cities are on very different trajectories when it comes to energy efficiency for buildings. (Energy News Network)
COAL: A large Wisconsin coal plant with no set retirement date could cost utility customers $257 million through 2030, according to a Sierra Club report showing clean energy is a cheaper option. (Utility Dive)
***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.***
MARKETING: Connecticut churches and nonprofits band together for group purchases of electricity for the second time in a year, with double the number of participants. (Energy News Network)
COMMENTARY:
• An editorial writer says the Trump administration has been “ignoring the experts and conducting its own shoddy analysis” to justify rolling back vehicle emissions standards. (Los Angeles Times)
• Utilities across 15 Midwest states “exploited power market loopholes” in operating coal plants that cost customers $350 million in 2018, the Union of Concerned Scientists says in a new report.