CLIMATE: New documents show that the fossil fuel industry had the “underlying knowledge of climate change” as early as 1957. (InsideClimate News, New York Times)
ALSO:
• ExxonMobil sues to block a subpoena seeking 40 years of climate change records. (InsideClimate News)
• Methane leaks have the potential to undermine the greenhouse gas emission reductions made by transitioning away from coal. (Washington Post)
• The “keep it in the ground” movement is growing. (Palm Springs Desert Sun)
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OIL AND GAS:
• The Government Accountability Office cites a “massive failure” by the EPA to protect drinking water from drilling waste. (Associated Press)
• ExxonMobil says new offshore drilling rules will cost $25 billion and render some sites uneconomic to develop. (Bloomberg)
• A Washington state utility files legal action to prevent the release of records related to a natural gas terminal, citing terrorism concerns. (Tacoma News Tribune)
• A new study says it is “plausible” that wastewater injection caused a 2012 earthquake in Texas. (Texas Tribune)
PIPELINES:
• A bill in New Hampshire would require pipeline developers using eminent domain to buy entire properties affected. (New Hampshire Union Leader)
• A Massachusetts pipeline case to be heard this week will determine whether a federal law can override the state constitution. (MassLive)
CONGRESS: The Senate advances an energy bill, and a House energy bill would block clean water protections. (The Hill, Bloomberg)
COAL: The Peabody bankruptcy heightens awareness of mining reclamation challenges. (Associated Press)
SOLAR:
• A utility-backed campaign in Nevada aims to defend new rates for rooftop solar. (Las Vegas Sun)
• Maine lawmakers remain divided over a bill to boost the state’s solar industry. (Portland Press Herald)
• The popularity of community solar is leading utilities in Washington to cap their programs. (KUOW)
WIND:
• Residents in a Wisconsin county will continue to raise health concerns about a nearby wind project, despite a recent state study finding no evidence to support such claims. (Associated Press)
• A legal challenge in North Carolina could imperil what is set to become the largest wind farm in the Southeast. (Raleigh News & Observer)
CLEAN ENERGY: A group of startup companies competed for $1 million in prize money for innovative clean energy projects meant to help developing nations as well as modernize the U.S. grid. (Midwest Energy News)
GRID: Quebec plans to increase renewable energy exports to the U.S. (Platts)
ELECTRIC CARS:
• A GM executive takes a shot at Tesla, noting that the Chevy Bolt “will be the first to market.” (Detroit Free Press)
• Faraday, an upstart electric car company, breaks ground on a new plant in Nevada. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
COMMENTARY:
• What Peabody Energy’s bankruptcy means for clean energy. (The Equation)
• Peabody’s bankruptcy will likely reveal whether the company has been funding climate misinformation. (Huffington Post)
• With each new coal bankruptcy, more costly legacies will burden utility ratepayers and the environment. (New York Times)
• How to restore Nevada’s leadership on solar. (Las Vegas Sun)
• Utilities are innovating more than you realize. (Greentech Media)