WIND:
• A wind power developer cancels plans for a 119-turbine farm that would have been the largest in Maine. (Portland Press Herald)
• The country’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island will soon be operational, in spite of a damaged turbine. (Grist)
CLIMATE:
• The candidates Donald Trump is considering for his new administration are an indication that he’s not changing his views on climate change. (Washington Post)
• Companies and trade associations need to put pressure on the government to support greenhouse gas emissions reductions, according to a new report. (E&E News)
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ADVOCACY: Some environmental groups are softening their stance on nuclear power, carbon capture and natural gas. (ClimateWire)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A proposed network of electric vehicle charging stations in California would be a pilot project involving investor-owned utilities and third party-owned EV chargers. (Utility Dive)
SOLAR: Illinois’ recently passed energy bill is expected to be a boon for solar companies. (Solar Industry)
TRANSPORTATION: Makers of fuel cells send an open letter to Donald Trump asking to be included in tax-credit extensions that were granted to solar and wind industries, saying “our industry is left without a level playing field.” (Bloomberg)
GRID: A new suburban Minneapolis office building is a “fully islandable” microgrid site with solar panels, wind turbines, a combined heat and power plant and energy storage. (Midwest Energy News)
PIPELINES:
• A crude oil pipeline is shut down in western North Dakota following a leak that spilled oil into a creek. (Reuters)
• Officials say a civilian leader in the Army made the ultimate decision to block the Dakota Access Pipeline. (NBC News)
• Financial analysts say Donald Trump is likely to reverse the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to block the Dakota Access Pipeline, and there are multiple ways it can be done. (Dallas Business Journal/Mother Jones)
• With construction on the Dakota Access Pipeline stalled, companies will likely ship more crude oil by rail. (Reuters)
• Delays are costing the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline $83.3 million per month. (Associated Press)
• The company building the Dakota Access Pipeline asks a federal judge to grant the permit it needs to finish the project. (Reuters)
• California lawmakers may block the state’s pension funds from investing in companies involved in the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Los Angeles Times)
OIL & GAS: Texas regulators fell short of a goal to plug nearly 900 wells abandoned by oil and gas operators. (FuelFix)
COAL: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a provision to help retired coal miners keep their health benefits will be included in a short-term government funding bill, but there’s no word on whether he supports adding a coal mine cleanup bill. (The Hill/Greenwire)
POLLUTION: A Maryland power plant has been identified as the source of an oil sheen on the Potomac River. (WTOP)
UTILITIES: A company operating a gas-fired power plant in California says it’s filing for bankruptcy because of “inhospitable” regulations. (Reuters)
NUCLEAR: Donald Trump’s transition team includes proponents of a stalled nuclear waste repository in Nevada. (Greenwire)
REGULATION: North Carolina’s new Democratic governor is likely to shake up energy regulation appointments in the state. (Southeast Energy News)
POLITICS: President-elect Donald Trump is interviewing ExxonMobil’s CEO for the secretary of state position. (CNN Money)
COMMENTARY:
• Donald Trump needs to maintain a healthy trade relationship with Mexico because it’s the top customer of U.S. natural gas exports. (Forbes)
• An industry group says the government’s decision to deny an easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline, despite the project being lawfully approved, is an assault on basic fairness. (Energy Tomorrow)